The Glorious Oyster in Torridge

I just love this quirky wee cafe. I had visited it a few years ago and was delighted to see it's still there. On the day I went the internet was sadly down but I was able to pay by BACS, that might have explained why it was so quiet - people go, the food is great and the ambience very inviting, especially on a sunny day! I had the mackerel with bagels, salad and kimchi, delicious.

We came across this lovely place whilst out on a walk around Instow. I loved the look of it and everything about it - rustic, chilled vibes, amazing seafood menu, lovely location! We came back later in the afternoon for some cocktails whilst enjoying the evening sun. The cocktails were a real disappointment. We chose a cosmo, mai Thai and a raspberry daiquiri. They were all served in the same glass, with ice, and none of them looked the proper way they should, and all tasted sweet and processed. The Mai Thai we couldn't even drink - so I took it back and they were ok with us, and said we could swap it for another cosmo. The lady in the kitchen said they couldn't change them much as they were all pre-mixed and from a bottle - hence why they all tasted similar, very sickly sweet and not authentic! At £8 for each cocktail this was wayy over-priced for the small, pre-processed cocktail we were served. The ice cream and milk our son had was nice - this was freshly made and the best of the drinks. It is a shame, as I had loved this place- everything about the set-up, the menu, the whole vibe was soo cool. Just avoid the cocktails!

Guys this isn't the Costa del sol !! Stop ripping us off with this outrageous prices, especially for us locals. I always enjoy supporting local businesses, but the prices in here are a step to far sorry.

A great relaxing lunch was to be had after a walk along the beach. The staff were all so very friendly and the food outstanding. My wife had the Fish Finger Wrap, delicious. I had a Crab Ciabatta, again delicious. We also shared a portion of mussels cooked the proper way in Cider with chopped onions, so very good. The accompanying coffee and obligatory cake was equally as good. All locally sourced food. Definitely worth a visit. We shall make every effort to pay another visit before the end of our short break.

Wonderful place to eat, with friendly staff and excellent food. The crab sandwich was amazing. Right next to the beach car park.

Horrible day so decided to cheer myself up with trip to TGO and meet friends. Checked FB ... open. Drove 25 miles and was informed that it was closed...the person couldn't care less. Suggest everyone photos before going

A wonderful place, serving wonderful food. The staff are very friendly and the cans of Utopian beer were excellent.

This shack close to Instow beach is a little oasis. Great tunes play in the background as you feast on freshly prepared seafood, salads and sandwiches. Fabulous selection of drinks. It's dog friendly and serves doggie icecream. Bloody lovely.

This beach shack could be in Africa or the Caribbean - enjoyed my oysters & rose wine so much I returned the next day for a crab roll & more rose wine. If you are anywhere near Instow stop by for some lovely sea food, a cold glass of wine and some chill music.

Initially we were put off by the location - it looks to be in a car park - but we have had some really lovely afternoons and evenings sipping wine and gin and tonics enjoying the chilled DJ sets as if we were in a beach bar in Ibiza. One of our special places.

Fantastic vibe and music. Chilled out atmosphere. Quick service for drinks. Pad thai looked good but small portions but didnt actually try. Nice range of ciders.

What a fab find ! Fresh oysters, crab sandwiches, mussels & mackerel. The rose from Portugal was great as well. Blackboard outside listed the provenance of all the ingredients which were fresh everyday and not limited to fish. Friendly service, relaxed atmosphere. Perfect.

Great lunch. 7 adults 4 dogs.Delicious crab rolls (warm crusty rolls), oysters, and mussels and a bottle of Rose wine. Fantastic. Friendly efficient service

Fantastic food fantastic place reminded me of Sri Lanka/Thailand / India they should make a franchise like ( but never change it or the Asian way it’s presented so cool )👍👏👏👏👏

This is a lovely little place to have some seafood I wouldn’t say the prices are fair but if in the area give it a go just for the experience

If you bypass this you have missed out on a life experience. This is a little bit of heaven hidden in the dunes. A couple of oysters, served with Tabasco, fresh lemon and shallot red wine vinegar. Followed by local mussels, large plumb and succulent, cooked in a wonderful white wine, shallot, with a little cream and what I think was lemon grass. Best I I have had in many years here and in Europe. This is the kind of place that holidays destinations dream of, and of course local enterprises creating wealth in the community. Just sit back listen to the gentle R&B and soak up the atmosphere.

We arrived just before closing but they still made us some shelled prawns and we had a drink. The prawns were beautiful with the sweet Chilli dip. It's such a beautiful spot and the staff couldn't be nicer or do enough for you. They were so lovely to our toddler too. 100% recommend.

Excellent food and setting. The canned Korean mackerel dish was so nice I’ve purchased some from the suppliers myself!

A fantastic range of fresh dishes including some gorgeous seafood. Lovely coffee and alcohol available also. We went for the mackerel pate and homemade fresh fillet fish finger sandwich. Both were beautiful. Highly recommend this place.

Excellent food ,friendly efficient staff . My Crab sandwich was amazing . And also the Red Pepper Soup which was delicious. We will definitely be back ASAP. I highly recommend you try this unique beach cafe .

Whilst staying for a week in Westward Ho! We visited here twice. The oysters were the best we've ever had. We also tried the fish finger sandwich and potted crab. Both excellent. Friendly staff and great location, adjacent to the sand dunes and dog friendly Instow beach. Highly recommended 👍🏻

You get the whole bohemian eco feel here. It's off a dune so it's not the ritz but there is definitely a lot of stuff to keep you thinking and looking whilst waiting for the order. The crab rolls/baps. Amazing. Tenner a pop but wow...

Great location and was on our hit list as we love seafood, it didn’t disappoint! Oysters - the creamiest most succulent and we eat a lot! V knowledgeable waitress explained where they came from and was lovely! Children devoured mussels and a hummus sandwich which...

Visited The Glorious Oyster on our family holiday and had absolutely amazing experience. If you are lucky like us you can park in the little car park for customers on the side of the seating area. There is plenty of seating outside and public toilets...

Absolutely delicious lunch. We had the crab sandwich, fish finger sandwich and skate dish. All were cooked fresh and to perfection. Great friendly service and quick too even though it was very busy. Lots of shade for us and the dog and dog water bowls...

Nice food but well over pricey and sri lankan fish curry was poor in flavor and taste and no fish in curry was sent back .. Lovely location and cocktails strong but not wee small glasses and not value for money severely overpriced 😎

Cycled here and had lunch here for first time (have previously just had coffee). All I can say is best fish finger wrap ever! Presentation and flavours of this wonderful homemade creation were exceptional.

Love, Love, Love this place. We like cycling on the Tarka trail and arriving here. Large fresh oysters and seafood Great, flavorsome, interesting food.

Food was lovely ( crab and fish finger sandwich) but overpriced To pay extra to sit outside is a cheek

The food here is so good would recommend the fishfinger sandwich and the tomatoes and red pepper soup, staff are friendly and welcoming also dog friendly too.

sorry but this place is a rip off. We went there for lunch 4 adults and 2 children . Ordered a tom yum soup which was full of boiled onions only 2 prawns and tiny amount of fish, no taste at all awful, a Keralan...

It like street food on the beach! Fabulous menu, food with great flavour backed with interesting beers. Lovely staff with everything you could wish for. Coffee and cake or oyster in cider it's all here. An adventure just off the beach.

Wonderful food just behind the sand dunes of Instow , such a fabulous location and the fish finger sandwiches are amazing

Two crab rolls, one tea and one coffee. Tasty enough but price was just over £30. Crab rolls were £12.50 each. Very expensive for food from a shack in the dunes on a picnic bench. Just round the corner at The Boathouse you can get...

Very reasonable priced seafood. Excellent quality and extremely tasty. Sensibly sourced ingredients with the importance of the local and wider community at the forefront of their ethos. The service is usually very friendly and welcoming. The location is really very beautiful. A healthier alternative to...

Amazing local seafood prepared in creative and delicious ways and an amazing location just seconds away from Instow beach. Prices are reasonable, portions are generous, staff are helpful. We will be returning!

My new favourite place to eat - really fresh fish, big flavours, fantastic selection of drinks, reasonably priced and lovely staff. My family and I couldn't want for more in a cafe...thank you!

Ate here last Wednesday lunch time we had the Thai Tom yum fish soup and lobster Thermidor both were delicious. Wish we had called in earlier in the week because we would have been back. Excellent.

Went on Thursday 28 october 21. had 3 oysters, Absolutely fantastic, perfect taste and price, coffee and cake Have eaten here many times, it is just a shack, but so long as the food is great I don't care. Plenty of room to sit outside,...

We’ve just moved to Devon and we can’t believe we have found such a wonderful little FRESH seafood place! No bacon sandwiches or Battered fish and chips on the menu 🙌🏻 Hallelujah!! Thank you so much, the mussels and oysters were incredible! (We’re coming back...

Fantastic fresh seafood in the sun. Beautiful oysters, crab sandwiches and a delicious Tom Yum Soup. Service fast and friendly. We will always visit when in the area.

We enjoyed a lovely lunch at this cafe at the northern end of Instow Beach. The food was fresh and focused on local sea food. There is an evident focus on high quality and the food is delicious. Will certainly return.

Amazing friendly tucked away Dog friendly excellent treats for doggies Very food aware with allergies Beautiful food Definitely worth a stop

Overall the service was amazing, the food was amazing, the menu had an extremely large variety and the taste lived up to this too. We did have an incident with a wasp, which was handled very well by the employees. The people were nice, oh...

We came here with our two young kids and were pleasantly surprised. We had langoustines, brochettes and mussels, all delicious, and my husband went for an oyster which he said was tasty. Kids had a fish finger sandwich which was alright, slightly soggy rather than...

Lovely looking shack on the beach. Lady taking the orders had little patience with me when I asked couple of menu Q's, we got into a bit of a set two, nothing major. I asked my partner to finish our order. We both had the...

Since arriving in Devon we’d been looking for somewhere unpretentious serving fresh fish. We came across The Glorious Oyster on Trip Advisor and we were not disappointed. We’d visited Appledore and had planned to get the ferry over to Instow but the tide was so...

Walked here on the Tarka trail from Bideford . Found a table in the shade . Supper friendly staff . Food is not cheap but then good quality seafood isn’t cheap . We had bucket of mussels, skate cheek , crab sandwich and herby potatoes...

Great beach side cafe/shack/diner serving fresh seafood goodies with cheerful staff. Soft drinks available but no alcohol beverages for sale but BYO is welcomed. I could of eaten everything on the menu as it all looked great, decided on the langoustines with chilli dip and...

Excellent selection of seafood and vegetarian dishes, very friendly service and lovely location. No alcohol license so we bought our own bottle and we’re given glasses by the serving team. Will certainly visit again. Highly recommended.

Had crab sandwich. Very little crab. Very dry bread roll. Best bit was the few salad leaves. Could not believe this was £11. Would not recommend.

Tasty, considered food, worth a stop. Bit of a hidden gem. Only criticism is that the oysters weren’t the most perfectly shucked and they could have been a touch colder… mackerel could have been on a larger plate to make it easier to eat…

Great little place for lunch with friendly staff. Wonderful menu and fantastic food in a quiet, quirky setting. We had oysters, mussels, Keralan fish curry and Mackerel special, and all were absolutely delicious. We had no problems getting information about opening times via their Instagram...

Poor coffee served by a server who had had no training and no idea how to make different coffees. Fine if it's cheap but not if it's overpriced. Shame as location is lovely.

Found just the opposite to a previous entry, I asked when the shack was open to their email address and got a very helpful answer immediately. Thursday to Sunday at the moment. Sat in the sun and ate delicious mussels and crab sandwich and really...

I have previously praised this lovely little venture and supported it from early days. Great food, nice people . . . But: impossible now to know, day by day, if it's going to be open at Instow. Undated (and sometimes misleading) information on Facebook, a...

Great place which really made our weekend away. Really friendly and great food, Don't be put off it it's a little busy, it's worth the wait.

Great little shack with benches on the sand for a great relaxed vibe. They use local supplies and care for the environment by not selling stuff in disposable containers or plastic bottles. The oysters were lovely and the crab sandwich is good too. Holiday treat!

It's been a tough year for those of us who enjoy eating out. It's been even tougher for independent businesses in the hospitality sector. We were visiting Instow over Christmas but, thanks to Covid-19 would be self catering throughout our stay. Then I saw The...

We stopped in for some takeaway coffee and an ice cream. The lady serving us had a face like we'd ordered a state banquet with no intention of paying. Abrupt and ignoring attempts at small talk we were making to be friendly, she continued with...

Great local fish, oysters and vegan and vegetarian food. No bookings but generally easy to get a table which is outside. Get in early for specials as they have limited availability. Staff are great!

This is a great find . Cute cafe , great ethos , amazing food - best crab roll I’ve ever had . Huge bucket of mussels. This is a must visit !!!

Ate there a few times - always excellent fresh seafood & nice drinks - modern seafood menu - lovely staff - whoever is in the kitchen knows what they are doing - always busy which is such a good sign?

Lovely little place, the crab and fish finger sandwiches were some of the best we've had! The ethos is brilliant, all suppliers are listed and based locally. We really appreciated seeing exactly where the food came from, as well as the support for the environment...

Really cute shack serving a great range of local sea food considering the size. We ordered 6 oysters to go but were envious of the crab sandwiches that were coming out to other customers! The oysters were good and shucked, but the shell lids kept...

Great for lunch. Park if room at the shack otherwise Tap2pay car park 100 metres away. Close to instow beach. Take your own wine or beer. Great seafood..crab oyster lobster pollock goujons skate cheek..wonderful ice cream.

Beautiful oysters, perfectly shucked and presented, really lovely little spot. Nicely sheltered by the dunes and I would recommend highly

I walked past this cafe whilst leaving the car park at Instow to get to the shops. It looked lovely but there were no spare tables so had to give it a miss. On returning to the area by cycling along the Tarka Trail the following week, I had to see if I could get a space and i was lucky!! The food here is delicious. We had a variety of different things, including kids meals, houmous wrap, prawn salad, fish fingers etc. All three adults and three children thought it was delicious and finished their plates!! The hot choccies and ice cream were delicious too. Will be returning.

Well...on a rainy windy cold day an in search for lunch we decided to head off to sample the oysters. Greeted by a friendly young lady, we placed our order of 4 oysters ( for me only) crab sandwich and a fish finger sandwich. The oysters were very tasty, the crab sandwich was absolutely delicious. My husband said his fish finger sandwich was also very tasty. Well worth the visit, shame the weather wasn’t better though

Had a great lunch Of oysters here , everything that cam out looked great. Certainly worth a visit. It’s all outside so perhaps not good on a rainy day

My husband and I, along with our two children visited on the 10th July, it was my birthday and first post lockdown outing. It did not disappoint!The service was efficient and really friendly, the food was amazing. Obviously wide-ranging seafood choices and great quality kids food too. Also, it’s great value for money. The last commenter mentions ‘£10 for a crab sandwich as expensive’. We live in Bude and that’s what I would expect to pay for a freshly prepared, local crab sandwich with salad (herbs/leaves grown on site) You pay £5 for a plastic wrapped, take out sandwich at Costa or Pret! This is fresh, local crab, We took our own alcohol, however they do have a really varied non alcoholic drinks menu. Sunny weather helps, as outside seating but definitely a place you can sit, chat and lose track of time. We’ll definitely return!

So there are two locations for this venue. This is a review of the beach cafe and seafood shack at Sandhills Car Park. It is a fun place to have lunch or drinks, but we did think it rather expensive for what we had (£10 for a simple crab sandwich, albeit very nice). Also service was so laid back as to feel a little indifferent. So a bit of a mixed review.

What a lovely little shack!! Great service, with a smile and very helpful. Food was brilliant, freshly cooked seafood and very reasonably priced. So close to the beach what a lovely day out, and came back for ice cream later. Highly recommend the experience.

Remember someone recommending this place and came across it with a hand made sign on the Tarka Trail , fantastic ice cream, would have loved to get some of the fresh seafood but weather meant it was not open for much of the week.Recommend it just from the smells coming from the back of the shack and friendly staff

A quirky little cafe with an amazing menu. We were walking along the Tarka trail and didn't need food. However, I think it would be well worth a visit for food!

Fell upon this little shack on Saturday. Great little find. We had the fish finger sandwich and the crab sandwich. All done fresh to order. Staff were friendly too, Will certainly visit again when back in the area!

A must visit ! Street food at its best. The most spectacular meal, delicious coffee, ambience & service. Perfection x

Fantastic little place, lovely choice of food and drink and a great atmosphere. Thoroughly recommend.

This is truly an absolute gem of a place.... Being perfectly situated along a lovely walk is amazing enough but.... then there is the food. WOWEverything is fresh, everything is freshly cooked to order and everything tastes ..... well, amazing¡We had oysters, crab sandwich and fishfinger sandwich followed by ice creams. All were the best we’d eaten before. Rustic the location may be but the incredible food and wonderfully friendly and convivial ladies just made this THE dining place on our break. Even my husband spilling his tea everywhere was met with a genuine “it’s ok” approach. Another huge plus.... it’s incredibly dog friendly.EVERYONE MUST VISIT

Just so cool and brilliant x We could have had so much more of the menu. Very chilled ambiance, right on the beach. Just sorry we never made it back during our hol. X

If, like me, you love shellfish and seafood, this is a must-visit in North Devon. It may be served from a pretty unassuming hut, but the food is delicious. There’s a great choice on the menu and young kids are catered for with a special children’s menu and toys to play with as well.

Excellent beach side street food. Beautiful setting and a perfect pace for a snack or coffee with quality ingredients. Lovely food although not if you're in a hurry. Not sure I'd brave it in the wet!

So after cycling part of the glorious Tarka Trail we stopped for lunch at the Glorious Oyster! Wow! The shack looks like it should be in Australia or South Africa with its vibrant colours and incredible delicious seafood offerings! With locally sourced grub and the most delicious ice cream (also made 3 miles away locally) this really is a local gem and one not to be missed. The owner lovingly prepares food and we were served by Jessie who was charming and friendly! We ate their lobster, salad bowl and my son (aged 7) had the lobster bisque and he said it was the best thing he ate all holiday!!!!! The fish finger sandwich was insanely good and perfect for my 6 year old. I just wish we’d found this place sooner because now I can wait to come back! Please visit! You will not regret it!

Best crab sandwich(ciabatta roll) I've ever had and I come from Weymouth Dorset! Coffee excellent. Rustic charm, ethically sourced. Loved the fact that although no allergies everything was clearly marked for those who have. A wonderful idea to give a potted history of suppliers. Excellent food, not exorbitant prices and FRESH! Well a worth a trip away from the "must be seen" places on the main drag.

Great staff, very friendly. All the food is hand prepared, so can take a little while. But worth the wait.

we enjoyed some excellent food here.staff very friendly.good place to have sea food.enjoyed the outdoors here.

We cycled on the Tarka trail and found this gem of a place to eat. We started with oysters and then crab and lobster. We wanted wine so my husband cycled to the local shop which was a novelty.

We called in for a cup of tea for a break after cycling along the ‘Tarka Trail’. We then studied the menu and later enjoyed fresh oysters, dressed crab & lobster. Absolutely stunning: we were not expecting this when we arrived! Finished off with local ice cream. Oh yes, and the fun part.....cycling off to the local shop to buy some wine to go with our food. A really enjoyable experience from start to finish. Ps, the cups of tea were excellent too!

We've eaten here twice over the past week and both times the food has been amazing. We've had the fishcakes, salmon gravalax (our favourite), mussels (scrummy), mackerel fillets and the kids fish finger sandwich (which our little one devoured, and was incredibly tasty). The food is exceptional. Yes you are eating on picnic benches and they only serve soft/hot drinks, but you can bring our own alcohol and they have plastic wine goblets. The cakes are also very very good. As a note for those with kids - there are toys and books to play with, as well as the sand that is all around. I wouldn't come back to Instow and not go here.

Lots of improvements since last year - looks really nice with the new planters, shrubs and trees. Our iced coffee’s local home made cake and fish finger sandwich were all excellent and our next visit we will definitely be going for the lobster and dressed crab! Perfect food and drink stop at the end of Instow beach after a nice long walk with the dogs. See you again soon!

An absolute must visit hidden in Instow, we went for lunch and ordered 2 mackeral fillets with mojo sauce, skate cheeks with a Japanese sauce and Carribbean fish cakes. All of it was beyond delicious and we could taste how fresh it was! After the meal we then had some local ice lollies which were just as good and perfect for a hot summers day

Fab place, great fresh crab and oysters ... lovely front of “house/shack”. I had the fish finger sandwich which was proper fish and tasty. No alcohol but they have no issue with BYO. Need to add crisps to the menu!

Stopped off on way back from walking along the Tarka Trail. Although we only had a selection of hot drinks we were pleased to see the diverse range of hot food available and perhaps even ordered to be picked up later?

What a fine place. Even my mother in law loved it! Super friendly, awesome food, brilliant ethos. What's not to like!

Been going on holiday to instow for over 30 yrs. So saw this open up a few yrs ago but this summer thought I'll treat myself to 1 of their lobsters.

I had the smoked haddock chowder which was very good. Nice selection of dishes that you don't find on many other menus.

We were lucky to find this place on a sunny September day ideal for outdoor lunchtime dining.

An excellent meal if you love seafood you’ll love this place. The team were really friendly and helpful.As an added benefit it’s dog friendly too!

What a fabulous find this is! If you like food from the sea this place is great. An impressive range of food and drinks for a wonderful lunchtime treat. It has a wonderfully friendly, informal and welcoming vibe, and Rachel is the icing on the cake!

A great fish menu, wish I had had the opportunity to try a few more dishes. It also caters for many different dietary needs(e.g. gluten and dairy intolerances).