The Boathouse in North Devon

Delicious meal with nice welcome and good service. Pleasant ambience. Helpful staff. One of us had mussels and the other had crab linguine. Just yummy. Always a favourite place for us by the sea to eat.

We met up with friends and wanted them to see the views of the estuary and appledore. The lady that served us was very attentive. The food was good and what we wanted. Really enjoyed it.

This was a birthday celebration so we booked a table for 6.30pm through the website and were informed that we could only have the table until 8pm. We arrive promptly on a Monday evening to a near empty restaurant and we’re shown to our table. At 7pm I had to do to the staff who were talking at the bar to ask if they could take our order! When we finished our main course and plates were taken we were then left until eventually one of the staff came and asked if we wanted any more drinks, we were not offer a desert menu. We had intended to finish with cocktails but couldn’t be bothered to wait for them to saunter back to the bar and make them at their convenience so we paid and went instead to the Instow Arms next door. Okay food, bit overpriced, shocking service, such a shame because it could be a lovely place to go. POOR MANAGEMENT

A really great experience, we were well looked after by the serving staff & the food was excellent, I can't wait to visit again!

This is a special place. Right on the beach front at Instow. Relaxed vibe with great views, great service and excellent food. We went on a miserable wet, windy day and emerged three hours later totally buzzing! That’s how a long lunch should be. We ordered 4 starters of Maldon Oysters, Whitebait and Crab, Scallops and Atlantic Prawns to share. Brilliant quality.

Amazing food, loved the Moules Mariniere and the restaurant is in a beautiful setting with lovely views. The only disappointment is the service is slow and every time we wanted something we had to get up and find somebody to ask. Nobody checks in to see if you want more drinks. The staff are very friendly but for some reason, despite the restaurant being very quiet, we just couldn't get any attention. A real shame as otherwise this would be a complete 5 star rating.

Very good in every respect. Varied and tasty menu, cheerful ambience good selection of drinks and efficient staff. Our favourite!

We had an excellent 90th birthday party at the Boathouse. The food was terrific and the service could not have been better.

Great setting, great service with a warm, relaxed approach. I have visited a few times now and will come back time and time again. Fab flavourful food with drinks to match! Thankyou for another wonderful experience

Wonderful meal! Nothing at all to complain about. Scallops (starter) and homity pie (main course) were particularly delicious. Blackcurrant trifle very fresh and tangy. Altogether one of the best meals we’ve had in the UK. Hope to return soon!

Another wonderful meal and top service form Jamie who was great with our grandson Fred Just the best way to finish a beach walk whatever the weather

Just had a family birthday meal (well over ten occasions over the years) Very good food great setting but what really made it was the amazing service by our waitress (Sarah) who was so warm, kind and attentive, sadly I hear it is her last night

Absolutely lovely! Food was superb and customer service was 10/10 would definitely recommend to anyone visiting!

Overall - go elsewhere. Very inviting place, nicely done. Was chilly which we raised, no-one responded to this. Accompaniments to the main were very small (mean I'd say), which we raised and didn't get a response (we were polite), nor any gesture on the bill. Fish was delicious and a decent size. Children's meal was smaller than usual (none left for dad!). Service was variable, from friendly to cool. There's better alternatives in town, that are cheaper, just as tasty, and more generous portions.

We ate early 6pm as we are 4 adults a 6 year old and a toddler. Unfortunately the toddler had a meltdown - my daughter removed him but rather than us all have to leave they staff were super helpful, offering distractions and toys. They were very patient and understanding. The food was good to excellent. Oysters delicious and pasta perfect. The burger was also delicious. Only 4 rather than 5 as a rating because it was very expensive particularly wines. Husbands portion (venison sausages) was small. However I’m sure the cost of everything had impacted charges massively. Thank you for a lovely evening despite our small chap’s tantrum.

We took our clients visiting from London for dinner, the food was all very good, the drinks were also good, the service by Molly was good too, but unfortunately it was marred a bit at the by literally being told to leave despite us saying...

Wonderful evening at The Boathouse Food and wine were delicious as usual. Our waitress Milly was amazing , very friendly and helpful. All in all a great experience

Very slow taking our order and spent our visit killing little biscuit flies that were landing in our drinks! Seems a very popular restaurant but we didn’t enjoy our experience.

I have given the restaurant 3/5 not because of the food, but because of the service. I visited with my wife, my sister & brother-in-law for a pre-booked Sunday lunch. On arrival, there was no where to park (as expected) so I dropped them off...

We had a lovely lunch at the Boathouse and were fortunate to be able to sit outside on the upper terrace and enjoy the last weekend of sun before Autumn really set in. Wine choices were excellent as I got to enjoy a couple of...

Really excellent meal and service. Whole Megrim Sole was beautifully cooked and super price. Overall a very good evening out on a blustery October day.

Great restaurant in a scenic location, will certainly visit again! The food was excellent and the team were friendly and efficient. We definitely recommend this for a lunchtime treat.

We had a lovely Sunday lunch in the Boathouse , our beef roasts were sublime , and a great choice of beers . Service was first class, made to feel special. Not cheap but a lovely treat while on holiday to the wonderful Instow

We booked to have Sunday lunch yesterday as it was my Dads birthday. 4 of us had roast and the other fish and chips. The fish and chips looked incredible and was really enjoyed. The roast unfortunately wasn’t great, roast potatoes were piping hot but...

We booked for 16 people to celebrate mums 80th birthday. Fabulous food, excellent service, and super views. Situated virtually on the beach with accessible parking, and public car parks both ends of Instow. 2 or 22 catered for, food was hot, plenty of choice and...

Our favorite go-to restaurant when we visit north Devon. Every time the friendly service and food match up to the stunning views. A long walk on this dog friendly beach works up an appetite to justify the excellent food. Our dog is made as welcome(if...

Went in for lunch it’s was lovely both gluten free and dog friendly The menu was good and staff was friendly would recommend it to all

We first came across The Boathouse in Feb 22 when we were looking for a fish restaurant. On our return visit to north Devon we were excited to walk the beach before The Boathouse for a midweek lunch treat. The Boathouse was as good as...

We love going to the Boathouse, weather permitting we get a top upstairs outside. My husband had the special fish which was Hake, come very overcooked, shame because he likes this meal. I had the roast beef, OMG… I nearly threw up. The slab of...

The view & weather were stunning but both let down by slow service, but more importantly the roast beef was unbearably chewy & when mentioned, no apology or suggestion of a discount / refund. Not worth the high prices sadly

Although our roast chicken dinner was more expensive than other pubs/restaurants, this was so worth every penny! One of the best roasts, if not THE best roast, I've ever had! They must employ a very talented chef! Would definitely visit again.

We had booked this with high hopes a nice lunch with the sun shining and great views. Both had a beer each and a chicken cesar salad. The salads were poor, wilted lettuce leaves, buttermilk chicken that was mostly batter and slimy and bacon bits...

Had a lovely dinner, we all had different fish starters and mains and it didn’t disappoint! Service was good. One suggestion the chilli butter could have had a little more heat, I. e chilli 🌶️

Gave the dogs a run on the beach and 5hen sat in the sunshine, sharing a platter of 6 ginormous prawns - absolutely delightful, although sides were a little “uppish” (side salad £6/bowl of chips £5), the prawns were unbelievable, so very happy overall.

Great location but service was quite mixed. Slow ordering drinks and then very slow to come back to us when ordering food. Great menu and food was excellent. We had a lovely table overlooking the beach so all in all I’d recommend this restaurant and...

Had family come to visit and went for dinner. Great experience, excellent menu and fish specials. Prawn and Whitebait starters, followed by Mussels, Mackerel and Burger. Enjoying by every one.

We visited the boat house last Sunday 24 September for lunch we were a family of six people all having Sunday lunch which was very good, we then ordered dessert four people having crumble with custard only to find a very small jug appear and...

We visited last night with 6 adults and a 3 year old at 5.30pm. The vegetarian and vegan choice was excellent even down to the Vegan take on fish and chips. We had the sharing seafood platter which was amazing. Our little 3yr old was...

Average food, slow service and lots of flies. I was surprised at the lack of staff taking orders - one poor lady doing most of the work herself on a busy Sunday lunchtime. The Sunday lunch was ok but meat and veg cold and the...

I booked a table in advance for Sunday 24th September. Originally it was just 2 people but then I had to see if we could add 3 more people which when I rang was not an issue. Anyway our table was booked for 5pm and...

We visit Instow a lot and have eaten in The Boathouse on a number of occasion's but always leave a little disappointed. The position is lovely, décor nice, food is ok. I am always made to feel that they are doing us a favour by...

Went for a coffee after a stroll on the beach with our dogs, followed by another stroll and back for lunch. Fantastic meal, great service, friendly and attentive staff, couldn’t rate them high enough.

Our first time in Instow, had a walk down the beach and stumbled across The Boathouse and what a lovely find. Food was amazing, throughly recommend the fish and chips and the mussels, dog friendly too which was amazing.

We always eat here when staying in Instow. Super quick service and delicious, well presented food. Thank you!! We will be back next year

My partner and I (and the dog) went for a meal and sat in the outdoor decking area. Fantastic views. We had starters of whitebait and salmon and both had the steak which was absolutely delicious. In fact one of the best steaks I have...

A lovely friendly restaurant overlooking the estuary. Giant prawns to start followed by silver mullet (delicious) and Coley (equally so). Definitely recommended

Thoroughly enjoyed the food. The menu catered well for my family's diverse tastes and staff were helpful with food allergies and swapping in things I could eat. Attentive, friendly service. I can't fault anything, we all had a lovely evening.

This has been one of our favorites when visiting family in Devon. All around from fish to burger the food was delicious. The team working there were all so helpful and friendly we had another great experience.

Great food poor service! It was very slow and it wasn’t even that busy in there loads of staff but they really struggled for some reason! We wouldn’t recommend which is a shame because location and restaurant was beautiful. We did pop in for a...

I found this on Google, so gave it a go. I had the seafood platter which was delicious. I fully recommend this, however the waiter was the most miserable person I've ever met in my life! It really did ruin the experience, but if you're...

What a lovely view of Instow you can have from this restaurant, unfortunately the delivery loading bay is right opposite and unfortunately quite often your view is obscured whilst they have lunch in their lorry or make deliveries. Today we stopped for a light lunch....

I was in a party of six having our annual get-together. The menu choice was very good, although when I asked the waitress if the 'skate' was a whole wing, I was assured it was. Four of our party choose skate because of this. However,...

Great atmosphere and views. The lunch was excellent and the staff warm and attentive. We use the Boathouse regularly and have never been disappointed.

Most perfect spot on a sunny day. We sat on the roof terrace for breakfast. Offer bacon, sausage and egg baps and some pastries and cake. Beautiful coffee. Very welcoming and lovely staff.

Had a lovely birthday lunch with my daughter. I had the Crab bisque from the blackboard. It was amazing. My daughter had the Linguine also very good. We shared a dessert as the portions were a decent size. Service was excellent staff very friendly.

The building itself waswell laid out but the service was diabolical and worse we were charged on the bill for items we did not have. The food when it came was fine but the surly staff and the over charging ruined the evening.

We ate here a few years ago and hoped it was still as good. We were not disappointed! We arrived early for our booking but this wasn't a problem; nor was our special request for isolated seating. The menu has plenty of choices plus there...

We had intended to walk along the beach at Instow but with a sudden rain shower We decided to change our table on the terrace and eat inside The staff were brilliant at accommodating our change of plan and we had a wonderful lunch with...

Could not fault a thing from booking to leaving after the experience (it was not just a meal the whole thing was definitely an enjoyable experience.)

Dinner with friends was disappointing as service was poor. Missing drinks, no cutlery when food arrived, measly portion (11 chips with Fish&Chips £19). Finally at the end of the meal we got a different server who was good. We tried to phone the General Manager...

Staff, food and view all excellent. We had the market fish which was lemon sole and delicious. We also had the crab linguine and this was a good size serving.

Nice restaurant, food was lovely.... But the service was very slow waited over a hr for our food, and the staff where not very enthusiastic when we asked questions about the food and drinks, they seemed to be short staffed. Gentleman who bought our meals...

Dinner on the roof terrace with our two dogs and the wonderful Lucy and Rosie looking after us. The food was fantastic, from the whitebait to crab and the butterfly mackerel it was fresh and full of flavour whilst being not too fussy. Watching the...

Service was warm, efficient and friendly. Beautiful view and great ambience. Seafood platter for two was delicious and perfect for two. Yummy Spritz cocktails. Special place as we celebrated our engagement that day and The Boathouse was so perfect.

We had a reservation for lunch for our wedding anniversary and on arrival there was a queue with only one person checking people in and showing them to their table, resulting in a longish wait to be seated. The dining room was nice, lovely decor...

Sat on the balcony with our dog who had lots of water bowls to choose from the and waitress offered us a table where he'd have lots of room. Had the mussels, was delicious and the setting was beautiful. Very friendly staff, would definitely return

Superb! Wonderful location, lovely staff and excellent food. We were on the balcony with our dog and it was magical. Highly recommend

The experience has greatly improved from the last visit. The staff are attentive and happy to help.

We had high expectations going into the Boathouse, the restaurants interior looked very swanky and had great views overlooking the bay. Unfortunately the food didn't live up to expectations, it was sub par at best, the Chef failed to deliver the standard of food you...

We had booked for a late lunch at 2.45but when we arrived (early) we found the kitchen closed at 3pm. We asked to be seated earlier and were accommodated, so no issue. All table service which was nice, even in the bar. We enjoyed 3...

Popped in for breakfast after an early morning trip to the train station and we were not disappointed! Very simple breakfast menu but catered to everyone's tastes - even making some off menu toast and marmalade for my mum. Very accommodating to my dad's gluten...

Lovely spot with great views and excellent food. Little disappointing that quite a bit of the menu - seafood primarily - was not available. But what was on offer was excellent.

My partners is a foodie, her goal for our trip was seafood! We researched a lot of restaurants and after a last minute recommendation we decided to eat lunch at The Boat House. And wow were we made up, an incredible seafood platter was delivered...

Perfect for good food and drinks and amazing views. We are locals and this is our favourite place to go. However this time being GF I had the GF Fish and Chips and it was amazing.

The Boathouse, Instow 0:07                     View all  The Boathouse, Instow 4.5 (1.4K)   ££ PubOpen OVERVIEW MENU REVIEWS PHOTOS BY OWNER ABOUT   ...

Lovely little place for a Sunday roast. All the elements of the roast were a good quality. Staff were friendly and attentive. Would recommend.

We had a fantastic meal here and were well looked after. The service was excellent with friendly and helpful staff. We were sat out on the balcony with our little dog, it started raining and they found us a table inside for our desserts. The...

Had a !lovely meal, the staff were friendly The food was as good as ever, we had the seafood platter which was fantastic

Definitely gone down in both quality of food and service, having previously enjoyed many enjoyable evenings, here, things have definitely gone down hill. Will be seaking out alternatives.

The food was pretty good, but the restaurant is understaffed. We had to wait ages for drinks and to order our meal. We were not the only ones. Desert was very poor and most people around us didn't bother to order any. On an up...

Great view especially sunset Great service and atmosphere and the food was delicious We had the sea bass which was amazing Try to book a table outside upstairs best view from any restaurant we’ve been

The restaurant location is great and the terrace and views are stunning. Food was good, Rosie, our server was really helpful and gave my parents some great recommendations for fish dishes which they really enjoyed. It is a bit pricey and my veggie meal was...

Fabulous meal of grey mullet and dishes of mussels. Great service attentive and efficient. Highly recommend. Great ambience even when it’s raining.

Excellent food! Front of House and service team were in great form. We’re regulars at The Boathouse, our first choice stop off when visiting the area.

The location of this restaurant/bar makes it an essential visit especially when the weather is good. We have visited twice and eaten on the top terrace both times. Not cheap and a predominantly fish based menu (not a problem, but we are not fans of...

We had the seafood platter and it was absolutely delicious, well worth the price. So much of it that it comes on more than one platter! Sat upstairs on the deck with the amazing view, in the sunshine, perfect. All the staff are so welcoming...

We tried the Boat House for the third time since Youngs have bought the pub we had been told it had improved. My wife wanted to go their to celebrate her 60th Birthday as our son had been a few weeks ago and had a...

Absolutely stunning food and service. We shared the whole lobster and a dish of mussels. Also a beautiful view as we were given the window seat. We will definitely be returning.

Superb location. Sat on the terrace. Great, friendly and attentive staff and the best mussels I have had. The kids enjoyed theirs too!

An amazing location for dinner, and so kind of Sarah to find us a table even though we hadn't booked. Excellent and attentive service throughout completely complemented the fine menu. Local mussels were fantastic and the haddock & chips was perfect with an array of...

A fantastic location outside the sandy drop to the estuary Nothing was too much trouble We both had fish, a whole sole and haddock and chips, so tasty! We will be back

What a super venue, we did both lunch and evening dinner and both excellent. We sat on the roof deck and enjoyed a glorious sunset over the bay. Atlantic spirit lundy gin was such a delicious aperitif which we followed with mussels and cod and...

We have just had the most amazing meal at The Boathouse. We had the Seafood Platter sharers meal (but this easily fed three of us). The staff, especially Jess (who had only joined the team the day before) were absolutely fantastic. Would highly recommend. Infact...

We went for a family dinner at the Boathouse and had a really lovely meal with delicious food. The fish was cooked perfectly and we really enjoyed everything we ordered. We will happily return again. We had a really lovely waitress called Lucy who was...

We had an excellant meal at this restaurant. Interior: We sat inside and the ambieance was lovely and the views of the estuary were great. Tables were spaced nicely and it was not crowded, even though they were clearly busy. Menu: As you would expected...

Lovely spot with a beautiful view but so over priced. Avoid the sharing seafood platter - £65 for what felt and looked like 4 tiny starters. Wasn’t even on a platter. So disappointing and felt really ripped off. Service was terrible but we did go...

Great place, amazing food. A very dog friendly restaurant, our pup Ruby loved the dish of dog biscuits. We shared the seafood sharing platter which was absolutely delicious and every item was perfectly cooked. Great service too, we'd definitely recommend it.

Food was all excellent but service provided could definitely be improved, gentleman who met us on arrival was not very welcoming, pointed to our table in another room then disappeared, ordered drinks and food, we had ordered some water which had not arrived by the...

Lovely meal at the Boathouse. Gorgeous setting looking over the water and beach. All our food was delicious but would particularly recommend the prawns and the mussels. Also good gluten free choices available. Staff were friendly and helpful. Wish we had discovered it earlier in...

We had a beautiful lunch in this fabulous place . You got to check out gorgeous balcony with amazing views , fantastic food and superb service . Definitely would recommend . We will be back on next visit to Devon. Thank you very much Samir