The aviator in East Devon

Great place to sit, relax and watch the planes come in.

Love this place my boyfriend has taken me here twice now for a meal. We absolutely love it

Great views for plane spotting, decent food and large drinks. Service was pretty fast.

We had a lovely time here, didnt see many planes taking off but there was a helicoptor flying about. Lovely big cakes and ncie coffee - I love the fact the staff recognised my friend Alfie who is a regular there which make him feel loved - well done team thanks a million

Worth a visit especially on a dry day...decent menu and service

Had a few minutes to spare with a Dunkerswell friend who suggested a coffee and cake here. It wasn’t what I expected. Terrific fare in a lovely environment. The Lemon Drizzle Sponge was delicious. Great vibe.

Great place, service and wonderful quality food with very friendly and helpful staff, the food is very reasonably priced too and great views of the aircraft, airfield and runway.

Good food and you can watch planes take off and land.

Nice cafe with good food and friendly staff.

Great place visit. Always something going on. On the airfield

Another trip to Aviator for what was going to be a LIGHT lunch. Both had toasties which we later found came with a small portion of chips. My tuna melt was absolutely loaded as was my husband's cheese and ham (cut ham, not processed). Was so filling that dinner in the evening not required by either of us. Maybe next time we want a light lunch we should just share! Thank you Aviator, delicious as always.

The service is all wrong needs rethinking

I love this place taking in mind it's a cafe! A good place to watch the aircrafts, sky divers and views! Dog friendly!

Had a nice lunch with a nice view!

We was there to enjoy the moment when our son jumping off the plane 😊however the weather changed and his experience was rebooked. We went for a meal to the Aviator, and we meet with a very friendly staff, good atmosphere and we had amazing meal, there was not a problem to have a burger without a bread, thank you. We come back there in few weeks and complite the joy of son experience in the sky with again superb meal, I highly recommended

Nice reasonable price food, clean, friendly service

The Aviator was close to our lodge holiday, so popped in on the way home. Fabulous full English breakfast, good value and friendly staff. It was brilliant to sit and watch the aircraft coming and going, and the sky divers landing. Highly recommended.

Visited the Aviator as not been for a few weeks and as weather glorious, hard to find a nicer spot for some lunch. I may not have experience in hospitality or catering but I do have a degree of common sense and the ability of knowing what is good when I see it (and taste it). The Aviator has always been a lovely, friendly venue with good quality, good value food. Always a favourite, we chose the cheesy chips with bacon today. Absolutely loaded with melted cheese not just a handful of grated, and bacon bits (decided to add the mayo, which probably makes me a bad person!). So piping hot, unable to firstly touch the dish. Proper wholesome. This is not a fine dining venue, it doesn't try to be, it is just good quality and good value. Oh you may also check out the 'cute' planes while you are there, that made me laugh. Dunkeswell has an amazing WW2 history if you take the trouble to google it. In fact we regularly have a spitfire visit (can't get cuter than that, i guess). Well done Aviator again, you are amazing. Recommend you try it if you are in the area.

So, continuing my research to see/try/experience places in the UK and beyond, within my Hospitality/Customer Service/Communications/Retail/Commerce trades since 1982 in five countries: this place is quite good. Need to do its pricing for some of its coffees and dishes; should be a bit cheaper as reasonability must win at the end. BUT, I have to say, since I cam here long ago, the dishes got better in quality, the service is a bit more firendly and of course...the fact that you can see many cute planes and even, next door, have a look at the Dunkeswell Airfield Heritage centre is..well...purely magical. It is like back to the future, WWII place honouring heroes for defense.

I really wasn't sure about an afternoon out at a relatively quiet aerodrome but Dunkeswell took me by surprise. To be honest there's not a huge amount to do there but if you time it right or get lucky as we were then watching all the aircraft landing and taking off so close to you is enough to hold the family's attention. It was interesting to see new pilots being trained and during the quieter moments the café is a good go to as is the small museum on site. Turned out to be a nice afternoon out but don't plan a whole day there.

Had a ride out to see a Spitfire.Enjoyed a nice coffee and chatted to the Spitfire crew.

This airfield cafe is the perfect spot to sit and watch planes! They do a great ham sandwich too. Food is reasonably priced; you can while away an hour or so watching the comings and goings on the airfield. The Aviator is fast becoming our favourite place for a decent cuppa and a bite to eat whilst people- and plane-watching!

Visited late afternoon and had a delicious slice of Victoria sponge, very fresh and good portion. Great location saw a helicopter taking off and landing!

Really nice place to come for a coffee lunch and relax! With a friendly service good for and always something to watch and see, this is a great destination for anyone. Especially aviation enthusiasts kids or anyone really. Very welcoming and you'll definitely be back again

Stopped en route, for breakfast,, this was well made and quick

Great atmosphere. Cakes superb. Staff very helpful. New outdoor dining facilities.

Great place to stop off on the motorbikes. Food and drink and various aircraft activities to watch. Normally quite busy, so be warned.

Great place to spend an hour or so amazing coffee and good selection of food amazing on a sunny day watching the planes

We arrived at a busy time but plenty of places to sit inside and out. Good menu choice. Quality of the food served on the breakfast was well worth the money. Staff serving were welcoming and polite. A lovely place to visit just to watch the activities going on around the air field. Lots of parking spaces. Restaurant both inside and out kept clean. Definitely will return.

Had a car meeting there, we were welcomed in the cafe even well behaved dogs on leads allowed in, bonus saw loads of aircraft taking off and landing also a skydiving school there as well

Nice coffee. Good bacon sandwich.

Welcoming friendly staff, quick service and delicious food. Goid choice of menu and good value for money. Highly recommend. Plenty of tables inside & also tables outside.

Great little cafe located on a fairly busy private airfield. There is a good selection of snacks and bigger meals along with a varied drink offering. Prices were reasonable and there was a good atmosphere too.

Lovely place to have a good meal, child friendly and lots to see on a busy day. Good portions and service.

A good choice of food, from snack to main meal. Very welcoming.

Great service. As I suffer from celiacs disease they cater well with gluten free options

Very good burger, chips and coffee while watching all the aircraft movements, will be back for sure

I often go here, always great food, or just a good cup of coffee when out on the motorbike, staff really friendly, and on a sunny day there is always something to see with aircraft in and out, so there is always something to see

Enjoyed a lovely meal, great service and views across the airfield

We stayed here for breakfast for 2 days of our holiday, the cafe is family friendly and serves an amazing full English breakfast, everything was hot and freshly cooked on both days and very good price that comes with a coffee too. You can watch the planes take off from your table, well decorated inside too. Worth a stop if you are in the area

Appalling. Not only was it extortionately priced, the food was absolutely revolting. We bought five different cakes and every single one was inedible, actually quite a skill to make them all taste like flour and for them all to have the same gritty texture. As for the burger, at nearly fifteen pounds you would expect something greater than the equivalent of an Asda smart price patty. Absolutely disgusting food at disgusting prices, avoid at all costs!!!

Excellent coffee stop whilst on a bike ride. Was nice to watch some planes too.

Lovely cafe with great airfield views

Kind service and tasty food. 4 starts only because of the lack of healthy options.

Great food and coffee etc. Sensible prices. Special deals on Fridays too. Good view of the airfield

fantastic place for lunch could not fault the food or service. to have my wife and 2 kids actually eat all the food was credit enough to the cafe.

Currently living in Dunkeswell, often meet family and friends for breakfast and lunch at the Aviator, excellent food, service and atmosphere, when conditions right, lots to see and watch. parachuting, aircraft activity to include helicopters and in season, 2 Spitfires, (check airfield itinerary), also on site airfield museum (open Easter, free entry, donation optional), all available parking currently free, car electric charging stations available soon, advance table booking during busy season advised. Great time out!

Nice coffee and bacon sarnie. A handy resource to have in Dunkeswell!

Really enjoyed having coffee and cake watching helicopters taking off. 🚁 staff super friendly and reasonably priced. 👍🏻

Nice place for tea and cake and watch the planes

Great 241 on friday lunch, room just abit chilly but was -1 outside!

Only ever use for coffee and cake while out cycling so can't comment on meals. Friendly staff and a great location if you like aircraft as the cafe's big windows look out onto the runway at Dunkeswell just a few feet away. Plenty of outdoor seating too.

Great cafe right on the runway. Food, cakes and coffees were great and the staff were friendly. Great outdoor seating area. Dog friendly. Only reason I've marked as a four star was due to not being able to sit close to the window and watch the planes due to having a dog with us. Dogs can only sit in the lower area.

Always a great service and good food as well as being able to watch idiots jumping out of planes

Popped in for a spot of lunch. Kids thought it was ace. Got to see the planes out of the window, massive slices of cake and the adult food was great too.

Great place to sit and watch aircraft. Excellent sausage sandwich.

Had scampi and chips lunch whilst watching Spitfires ✈️

Good food and friendly service. Well worth visiting.

Cake was lovely, big slice. Coffee was lush. Moderate price. Plenty of room to move around.

We visit yearly (20 of us) when we stay nearby and usually love it. So disappointed with the service from the mature lady serving. Her customer service was appalling. I know there was a lot of us. But no need to be so grumpy and argumentative. She certainly wasn’t happy over a confusion about a tea or a coffee order and left the customer without. Leaving the two teas to get cold on the counter as she stated it was definitely two teas ordered and not a coffee 🙈. What a shame we have always enjoyed our visits.

Great place to eat in wonderful surroundings.

Great place to watch the aircraft

Great litle place to sit and watch the planes and parachuting.

Excellent bacon rolls & coffee. A friendly welcome and unique views at Dunkeswell Aerodrome

Pleasantly surprised. Staying nearby we popped in for Sunday Breakfast. Comfortable, and views over airfield. Prices fair. Started getting busy with people for flying lessons and skydiving. Why would u want breakfast just before leaping out of a perfectly serviceable aircraft😀😀. Yes, would go again if in the area

Great stop with a pretty comprehensive cafe and views of the airfield.

Great food, they were willing to accommodate someone who is gluten intolerant. Fun to watch the parachutes

A great place to sit and view the airport. The service was a little slow but the staff were friendly and the food was excellent.

Spitfire flight day, what an experience

Lovely cafe with a good menu especially as there was gluten free options on the menu! Food was really delicious… and a good selection of drinks you also get to watch the aircraft flying in and out on the runway! Dog friendly in the lower half of the cafe but this needs to be made clearer as I missed the little sign on the door!

Excellent food and great choice. Lovely friendly staff.

Busy with a great aviation vibe. Observe parachuting and plane take off and landings, while enjoying a coffee.

Great place to watch the plane's and have lunch

Prices a little dear but lovely seeing the planes and helicopter from the windows

Great coffee Very busy Good to view planes n helicopter

Nice breakfast in really pleasant surroundings The only downside was the service,which given how few customers there were was somewhat slow

How does it take 35 minutes to make a coffee?

Always a great experience and good food and drinks. Love going to Dunkeswell as always something to watch and the refreshments at The Aviator always great.

Group of 25, pre booked and no problem at all, food served fast and hot. Burgers, toasties and chips were great.

Great for a pre cup of coffee before the flying lesson

Great cafe where you can sit and watch the skydivers, helicopters and planes! Good food, lovely service

Great little cafe where you can watched planes take off, or grab a drink and bite to eat if you are in the area. Lovely decor, however it's a little pricy

Great little cafe next to a small airfield where you can watch lots of little planes taking off and see patachutists landing. My grandchildren absolutely love it x x

Always love this place as a pilot or roadway visitor. Nice people, good food.. breakfasts are lovely.

Good food, friendly staff and a fantastic location.

Food was good perhaps more salad, coleslaw less fries but thats my personal preference, busy lined up perhaps 10 minutes lentil burger well put together, chips, well seasoned, cheese and ham toastie cheese not quite melted all the way through meal perhaps a little pricey but service friendly and order arrived within 5 minutes worth a visit nice looking cakes if you are a coffee and cake sort of person

We just had a coffee, which was quite expensive, at over £3 for a cup (no saucer). The only milk was full-fat, which was disappointing. The coffee itself tasted lovely and it was good to drink it overlooking the airfield.

It's best to visit Dunkeswell airfield on a sunny day or a bank holiday, tends to guarantee that something is happening. Be it skydiving. Aircraft, helicopters, mircolights flying. I once turned up last year and watched as 4 ladies took it turns to be wing walkers. Good food & drink, with plenty of parking.

Generally the place is clean and tidy, perhaps a few cobwebs and the Vulcan Bomber above the serving counter could do with a dust, the food (when we’ve had it there) has always been good, what it only get an average from me for is the service, every time we go there we have to queue for an age, choice of milk today at lunch time was full fat or oat, nothing else, the staff that are serving are pleasant and doing their best, there just isn’t enough of them. The management really need to get a grip.

Reading the last review made me angry enough to write my own. I too visited the Aviator today and can only say what a lovely place it is to eat. The staff are very friendly, ample enough choice of good food and drinks. We went for the cheesy bacon chips which were piping hot (which is unusual in a lot of even good quality restaurants) and smothered with lovely melted cheese (not just a handful of grated). Hot drinks in even the most basic of kiosks are pricey these days (sign of the times with electricity and provisions through the roof). Please don't change what you do lovely Aviator staff. I suggest if you are so keen to brag you have visited various countries in the world, lucky privileged you, suggest you jet off and get your coffees there!!

In a nutshell, having trained in the Hotel trade years ago as well as having done international business/commerce and private service at a high level within the past thirty years, mainly in three countries, I can underline that my reviews usually are right factswise. Let us add that I stayed ate in many places in France, Germany, Scotland, England and the USA for years. The Aviator has got their staff whom are lovely enough but indeed extremely slow service wise. That put aside tough, sure, the surroundings are really cool and breakfast may be of a fair enough value...but...£6.90 for a normal sized Cappucino and one Latte! That place, for a price like this, do have a sense of grandeur that is not reasonable. Not even small bicuits with it? Indeed, that is a no..no...shall we come back? I doubt it apart if those prices become reasonable...Merci...

Nice place great staff but some of the cakes were a bit past there best.

Great day out,first time,will definitely come again

Nice for plane watching but the hot brown liquid is not what I call coffee... Disappointed

Great cafe for a pit stop. Service can be slow if a couple of people come all at once. Particularly when ordering coffee.

Great breakfast and very good staff attention.

Very nice place for a coffee stop.

Very nice place to have a munch after watching my lad doing a tandem jump. Very friendly service, nice quality food.

£2.40 for a mug of teas seemed rather expensive but a very different cafe experience to the norm. I had to clear our table of dirty crockery but toilets and everywhere was otherwise spotless. Limited Menu which didn't appeal but the spacious dining areas and very different views were certainly worth a visit.

Good food and a view of landing aircraft