The Great British Tea Shop in North Devon

Well the coffee was great, went back again and it was still great. The cinnamon swirl was great how do you choose with so much lovely cakes on offer, Missed out on the Victorian sponge wonder if they could post me a few slices.

This place does the best Mochas we have ever tasted we kept coming back every day we were staying in Ilfracombe. Had a couple of their tray bakes too which were delicious.

Jane baked some cakes for us for a small family funeral. They were AMAZING. I can honestly say the best brownie ever and the flapjack was the sweetest stickiest ever! Pure cake indulgence.

Delicious coffees made with love every time and unbelievable gluten-free salted caramel brownies. Adorable staff, too! Go there!

I've been looking forward to a Skippers visit all summer, finally went today and was not disappointed!! Friendliest staff and the BEST brownies ever. My partners not really a sweet tooth kinda guy, but he was drooling over the selection of brownies and we just had to buy multiple as we couldn't decide. Baguette and Sandwich roll were also lovely, good choice selection even with the smaller menu due to Covid restrictions. Very good Covid saftey measures and very happy with service and food quality. 100% recommend, I'd even suggest going to Ilfracombe just for their brownie and cake selection. We bought a selection of Biscoff Blondie, Mint Aero brownie, Snicker's brownie, Oreo brownie, cheesecake slice and a Caramel Fredo brownie. The selection was so broad - something for everyone from sweet to savoury. Everything was so fresh, clean and yummy. Will be returning again soon.

Amazing cake shop - lovely friendly staff with a big choice of indulgent cakes! The salted caramel brownie was the stuff of legends. We had to go every day of our trip there and now can’t stop dreaming (drooling) about them . Highly recommend

Brownies are AMAZING!!!!! Would 100% return. Didn’t try anything else and had them as take out, not sure if you can currently sit in due to Covid-19 procedures.

£3.70 for a cappuccino in a cardboard cup :( Didn’t eat , so cannot comment. Will return to review the food when they are fully open

Great little place, good service, lovely cakes and often open later than many other tea rooms. It is so difficult to get tea in Ifracombe after 3 or 4 as many cafes close so early.

Must have been the end of the session as the staff were grumpy and the customer service was pretty poor. We felt like a burden almost! The cakes were very nice and so was tea however we were disappointed with the way the staff handled certain situations and didn’t feel particularly welcomed.

After a day of walking about we felt absolutely shattered and wanted a pick me up. I'm so glad this place was round the corner from us. The staff are so welcoming. I had the cream tea which was lovely the cup of tea was great. My sister is gluten free and loved her chocolate brownie. A big thumbs up from us.

Been here several times with my other half, always amazing! Quick and friendly service, lunches are always freshly prepared and super tasty. However the Victoria sponge is to die for!

Was looking for a spot of lunch whilst visiting the area and this place seemed to had good reviews so sought it out. My wife and I had jackets with generous toppings, and the kids had pasties. The food was fine/average I think the star dish here is the cream teas and pastries which we will try next time, based on our experience and the friendly service this place is average as it lacks any wow factor in the lunch food.

Lush scones, great service, yummy tea and lovely shop! We are locals and visit regularly!! The only issue I have with the place is it’s making me fat! :-)

Extremely friendly lady who served us. My daughter so excited to see her chocolate milkshake, which she polished out in a flash. I had a cream tea, which was so tasty. Also bought some sausage rolls to take away. Absolutely delicious.

Lovely friendly service. Best scones around. Homemade cakes to die for too (SO yum). We will only come here for cream tea!

Went to ilfracombe for a week went in this tea shop everyday for s large pot of freshly brewed tea and a different freshly baked cake. I would recommend this place clean and well run lovely friendly staff

A warm welcome for us and our two dogs. We took a seat and within minutes our dogs had a bed each and we had ordered tea, scones and a lovely bread pudding cake which was yummy, and the scone was so good we took two home. Thank you it really was a perfect visit.

After a brisk walk along the south west coastal path myself and friends were looking for a place for a traditional cream tea. We initially asked at another restaurant on the quay (The Smugglers) but we were told that it was “too early” somewhat surprising at I would have thought 4 in the afternoon was the perfect time for a cram tea. In a way it was our good fortune because the next likely location was Skippers where the still warm, and freshly baked, scones were being placed on the serving racks.

Absolutely amazing crab sandwich- fresh , tasty and scrumptious! A brilliant cuppa too !!! Thank you 😊 Great service and friendly home made food tea shop !

Dry old scones maybe shop bought? Not the best cream tea in town by a long way. Wouldn't visit again

Today my husband and myself happened upon the great British tea shop,soon to be named skipper’s , my husband ordered the carrot cake and I had the scones and we both had tea , the tea came in a lovely large teapot and was nice and strong, my husband really enjoyed his carrot cake but I have to say I had the best scones I’d ever tasted and I’ve tried a lot of scones, they were very fresh and very light and with the cream and jam they were heaven on a plate, the lady who made them and her daughter were very friendly and I will defiantly be going back before we head home to Bristol

Wow what can I say this place is a little gem. The cakes are amazing. And the coffee is lovely. Was great to see lots of people sat all have a lovely time. Even though it was busy the staff were very helpful. Knew what they were selling and always had a smile. Nothing was too much trouble. All cakes are so nice and fresh and the coffee came out lovely and hot. This is a great busy little tea shop. Serving fresh food. So please allow a little time for food but enjoy your company and the buzz inside.

Visited a few weeks back on a girls weekend, absolutely wonderful cakes a great selection, and caterd well for my friends gluten allergy. The flat whites were also lovely. Staff were friendly and helpful, would definitely recommend x

When walking around Ilfracombe earlier today, we tried to find a good coffee shop, the great British tearoom was recommended to us. We were a group of 9 including my very elderly grandad. I went up to the counter and asked whether they were able to sit the 9 of us, there were several empty tables and I asked whether we could push a few together. The first girl behind the counter told me she didn’t think there would be much space, at this point a second girl came over, a lot ruder and asked me how many there were of us. 9 I told her. At this point she got very rude and told me in a highly sarcastic tone that this is all the seating they have and that there wasn’t room for us in the shop. Although there were obviously empty tables. So we never actually made it in the shop, the staff were so rude that we left and they lost a lot of custom from us. However the afternoon was saved by the Hip and Pistol down the road which was welcoming, friendly and served great coffee and let my grandad sit down!

I always love coming to the Great British Tea Shop! Staff are always so lovely and friendly! Food comes out so quickly and tastes beautiful although I only ever think to take a photo after I start eating ‍♀️ I like to make the most of going out of school holidays as I've seen it get quite busy and it's so lovely to see a local business do so well! Cakes are to die for! Especially as they're home made and look amazing! I follow The Great British Tea Shop on Facebook so love seeing all the cakes they have! can't wait to come again! Thank you!

After a recent stay in Ilfracombe, I can honestly say that this place is an absolute gem - the atmosphere is so friendly and cosy, I was made to feel welcome straight away even though I was travelling alone, and everyone behind the counter was so polite. The cakes are fantastic, and the wide selection of fruit tea kept me very happy! Definitely will be returning!

Unlike many places this place takes into consideration those with allergies and are well informed on the matter! On top of this great cakes and food with servers making you smile as they work. Great to find a place that has a feeling of home Will be coming back

Fantastic tea rooms, visited today along with our 13 week puppy. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. The cakes were amazing, highly recommend the Lemon Drizzle and the Victoria Sponge, we even had to ask for more just to try them! All cakes are home made by a fantastic baker, as noted you really should apply for bake off!

We visited as a group of 7 to celebrate my mother's birthday. A 'taste of the West country' afternoon tea was provided for our special lunch. Great to find this place open when so many where closed for the winter. The tea room had even been painted by the owner's husband the night before!

Very warm welcome with very nice Devon pasty’s and tea. We were given some beetroot and “something” pickle with our pasty and the girl waitress made us laugh with calling it by that description. It tasted great too. Everything else was excellent also.

Wonderful stop off for some coffee, shakes and cakes. Freshly baked cakes of the day - lovely victoria sponge & a perfect cappucino! Will return

Popped in for a cake and coffee. Good flat white coffee. Good service value for money. Lovely carrot cake, apple cake, my son had lemon drizzle, daughter had chocolate fudge cake. Nice little cake shop.

Lovely little tea room to visit. Staff nice and friendly and the cream tea we have was very nice. My 4 year old daughter loved it too.

We visited this unassuming café for lunch time drinks and to warm us up as Ilfracombe was a little cold. The space is clean and utilitarian but the two staff were friendly and attentive. No standing at the counter here but one of the staff comes to your table and writes down your order. The cost of the coffee, hot chocolate and a tea cake was very reasonable unlike such places as Costa, Starbucks etc. More importantly my coffee was better.

Stopped for a spot of lunch. Well presented looked nice and clean. Ordered cream tea and a Cornish Pasty. Service was quick food good. Reasonably priced. A bit sparing on the sauce pot offered for the pasty otherwise would have given it 5 *.

Went in on a very rainy day. Warm welcome. Good tea and food was delicious and served very quickly. Loved the coffee and caramel cake!

Found this delightful tea room on an early summer Saturday along a parade in St James Place as our usual haunt for light refreshment in Ilfracombe -The Landmark complex cafe had closed up early.

Went in for a cream tea which was very nice. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Good variety of cakes and sandwiches etc on menu to choose from. Very dog friendly.

We arrived just before closing time but were assured they were happy to serve us. Cream tea was very enjoyable. Surroundings pleasant and staff friendly.

Lovely little tea shop. Staff were friendly and helpful. Coffee and cakes yummy!!! Stopped with the family. Would definitely recommend it.

I purchased some Banana Loaf and Chocolate brownie while passing and seen them displayed in the window. I was so impressed with my purchases I returned the next day for more! The Banana Honey Loaf was delicious but the Chocolate Brownie was probably the best I had ever tasted.

Cappuccino nice, kids box good but, and here is the but, would not change the white sandwich in the kids box for brown. Despite my husband having a brown bread sandwich, they will only use white for kids sandwiches so have my kids box sits on the table while he is eating my food.

A lovely little tea room with amazing homemade cakes. Friendly staff and lovely clean place. Such a little gem.

Fantastic cakes, homemade chocolate creations to delight. We had a rocky road marshmallow thing and the Crunchie cake - both very indulgent.

My family and I had the most wonderful afternoon tea here last week, the food was excellent and great value, the staff were very friendly and helpful, we would thoroughly recommend this lovely place to everyone

This cafe was recommended to us by a dog walker who was fussing over our cocker spaniel. We weren't disappointed. The owner brought our dog a bed and some water so he could rest under the table. The homemade cakes all looked stunning it was hard to decide which to choose. I settled on a lemon cake and my husband had a slice of Bakewell tart, each delicious, you can just tell when something is homemade with love. The coffee and tea were also very good, so much so we had another cup and could have sat there all afternoon in the lovely atmosphere. To the owners and staff keep up the good work, we'll be back!

Nice selection of cakes all delicious as well as a good choice of savourys. I loved the colourful crockery.

Truly enjoyable lunch. Home cooked cakes are a must to try. Staff very pleasant. If you like Tea, the choices are unbelievable.

What can I say other than amazing! A lot to be said for independent coffee shops especially those who make their own cakes! This cakes were phenomenal, millionaires shortbread far superior to that of a popular coffee chain! The coffee had a great flavour and was perfectly made! The service was impeccable and the owner seemed to really engage with the customers, cannot fault ! Definitely visit again when down next.

We were early for a fishing trip out from the local harbour and this quaint little place had caught our eye on the way into the town. A short walk from the parking and we were back in time. Attentive staff took our order and insisted that we paid after enjoying the fare. The lovely china (Whittards it seems) the wonderful morning cakes (the brownie was super, tasty and very fresh) and a great atmosphere. Highly recommended

The cakes here are all home made and delicious You are served at the table and with a proper tea pot etc Toasties are great

Great service, family friendly cafe! Amazing scones with fresh cream and strawberry jam served with a great pot of tea. The coffee and cakes were also fantastic! Would highly recommend!

Lovely staff, cute quaint tea room and cute crockery, delishious cake. Worth a visit if you are nearby

We were drawn to this lovely little tea room by the amazing cakes in the window. We bought a brownie and millionaire slice to share between us... WOW! So tasty, fresh and can tell they are homemade! My partner had a latte and said how delicious it was and I enjoyed milk hot chocolate which was so tasty! We will visit again when in Ilfracombe in October! Thanks! Can’t compliment the cakes enough*****

Upon returning to The Great British Tea Shop today having previously visited last year we were slightly disappointment. When we walked in we didn’t receive a warm welcome from the staff and this is something I always look for. Secondly the scone was crumbly so it wasn’t easy to add the cream and jam. This was disappointing as we had a great visit last year.

After popping in for a coffee to say "hello" we decided we would stop for lunch and so glad we did.

Really good coffee, great selection of home made cakes and sandwiches / pastries for lunch! Owners are really friendly - lovely place to pop in for afternoon cake, lunch or a takeaway coffee

Saw this beauty the day before when we went to Maddys. Not going to keep me away from cakes like they had in window. Returned following day. Proper cake and good tea. Right British an lovelly.

Lovely staff! Very welcoming. A delicious very generous cream tea. We got one each but could have easily shared one!!

Wonderful homebaked cakes, scones and pastries. The best of a tea room with great choice in a lovely little tea room in the best place for a Devon cream tea.

Really tasty coffee and a great choice of styles made by attentive staff. A really lovely choice of cakes were just too nice to ignore.

My wife and I usually venture into Costa when fancying a coffee, but when passing this little coffee shop and noticing how good the cakes looked we took a table inside. So glad we did because the coffee aside (which was good) it was the large slice of millionaire shortbread (I love the stuff) that had me literally punching the air with joy. Homemade and to die for! It really was that good, the best i've ever had by a long, long way. Oh, and my wife really enjoyed her carrot cake too.

Visited this tea room after reading lots of positive reviews on here. Didn't disappoint!!!!! The best cream tea we had...

My family and I enjoyed our lunch like we did a couple of years ago. I liked the range of...

Great friendly staff had a superb cream tea and you could tell that the scones are made with love . Been calling in here when on holiday for three years now and it's always consistent almost forgot they do a lovely cheese and onion pasty

Stopped for a cake and a cuppa-as you do when on holiday

We had an enjoyable cream tea and selection of cakes whilst visiting Ilfracombe for the day. Cakes were clearly home made and the cream tea was very generous. Staff were friendly and we had a warm welcome. Recommended.

Lots of choice in Ilfracombe for cream tea/coffee/cake but this is the place to go.Lovely little tea shop with a mouth watering selection of cakes and plenty of drink options.Service was great and the food came quickly - the cake was moorish, but these things have to be done on holiday.I wasn't really paying much attention when I went to pay and ended up paying £5 too much which I hadn't realised until one of the guys ran down the street to find me with profuse apologies - not sure many places would have bothered - but not surprised as a very warm and friendly place.

I went here with a friend on Saturday and had chocolate cake and a strawberry milkshake...the cake was LOVELY! The range of cakes and such was very good and we will certainly be back soon!Cake tasted like proper home made cake...no idea if it is :-)Friendly staff, nice atmosphere and quick service too :-)

My wife and I have the cream tea each and, my god how amazing... fresh scones straight out the oven, topped with jam and clotted cream. Perfect way to treat yourself.

Love this place great cakes and know how to make tea try the pasties staff always happy and helpful always try to call in when in Ilfracombe

This place looked quite inviting but we were disappointed with both the take out coffee and the food purchased from here.

A small but well kept tea shop in the heart of Illfracombe. What sets this place apart is the quality, choice and size of the cakes on offer. There were some stunning looking cakes and we had the lemon cake which was superb. A must see if you are looking for a snack in Illfracombe, staff all very friendly and dogs are allowed.

Lovely little tea shop. Staff very friendly. Spotless inside. The Victoria sandwich was to die for. Thank you

"Great" is not a word I will use...Quiet day, only 2 others in the cafe, we visited for a Devon cream tea, can't find it on the menu but it's in the window, so we order it... My wife doesn't like british tea so asks for herbal; the waiter doesn't know what they have but abruptly offers a list on a distant blackboard (stands in the way whilst we move to look around him).When she makes her selection his response "I'll have to charge you separate"... there's a 10p difference if ordering individual tea but he's going to charge us nearly £2 more to get separate scones and tea. I explain the situation and he leaves, in a huff. At the end when we go to pay the lady at the counter doesn't make any form of communication until after handing over the receipt and asking "did you enjoy your visit?"... no! No tip given. Quintessentially British? No... go elsewhere Tea rooms shouldn't have 2 grumpy teenagers serving

Lovely coffee, pleasant little tea room, very cosy with table cloths and British pics and decor. Very friendly staff. Fab home made cakes and pasties!

We were happy to find this place on a rainy day. Stopped by for a cup of tea but couldn't resist some cake as there was a huge selection available. Absolutely amazing chocolate fudge cake!Friendly staff and a comfortable place to sit. Only downside was no baby changing facilities and the toilet was up some steps and across a roof so not suitable for people with access issues.

Had lunch whilst in Ilfracombe today; very glad we went to the Great British Tea Shop. The cakes are something of a work of art, all home made. A really good family run business and popular too.

We had a lovely cream tea here last weekend. Its a bit far out the season to find much in Ilfracombe but i'm so pleased this place was open. Warm scones, and lovely clotted cream and jam. My partner said the tea was lovely and the gingerbread latte was a really good flavour, not too overpowering!On our way out I couldn't resist buying more cake they all looked so delicious on the counter (and indeed they were, coffee caramel cake I think it was called was amazing!), and i was pleased to find out its a family run business with homemade cakes, which makes it even better!

Just returned from a weekend in Devon Stopped of at this little place for tea and cakes and what can I say great home made brownies and scones had a lovely afternoon tea here Thanks again

Lovely little classic British Tearoom near the harbour front. Decked in red, white and blue bit not on an over-bearing way, this tearoom is quite small, but nice and cosy. The cakes I the window drew us in, and our "well behaved dog, on her lead" was allowed in too!The counter top was adorned with freshly baked sausage rolls and Devonshire pasties, and of course, scones. The chalk board menus advertised a host of food stuffs and more specialty teas than I knew existed!We enjoyed tea, coffee, a cheese and onion pasty, Victoria sponge, and a slab of millionaires shortbread :)Free Wi-Fi means I can upload a few photos to this review too! All in all, a super little cafe, worth seeking out if you're nearby.

A truly great find. Warm, friendly welcome. Great pots of tea, amazing cakes and magnificent scones. A plus is that the Tea Shop is dog friendly. Don't miss this wonderful place. We will be back!

Lovely cafe in Ilfracombe. The scones were warm and buttery. Tea was refreshing and the staff were welcoming and friendly. Worth a visit.

We arrived on a wet winter's day to find a bright and cheerful tea shop. There were plenty of fresh cakes which went well with morning coffee. Having just finished we watched fresh scones being put out which looked and smelt delicious

I booked a table for ten family members for Afternoon Tea & Devon Cream Tea and it was amazing!! The display looked impressive and we couldn't wait to get tucked in. The sandwiches were fresh and the variety of fillings tasted wonderful. There were a great choice of cakes, all looking lovely like miniature works of art, and they tasted divine too. The only disappointment was we couldn't eat them all!! We were so full, but the staff provide you with little boxes to take away what you can't manage. There's a good variety of different Teas to choose from, or Coffee if you prefer. The English Breakfast Tea was so light and refreshing. Service was great too and the waiter played along on a little joke I pulled on one of the family members. Thank you so much Great British Tea Shop for a fab experience, this place is really a little gem .

We have stayed in Ilfracombe for 2 years on the run now and this is our favourite spot for cakes after a long walk. Lots of choice and really good quality food (mainly cakes).

Popped in for lunch - really just after a sandwich but this place has a good range of pasties, sausage rolls, etc with a variety of soft drinks - all alongside plenty of cakes and more tea varieties than someone could ever need. All delivered with a smile.

Popped in for a coffee as the children were thirsty, well what a treat we found! Service was fantastic, the array of tea and coffee on offer was astonishing, and the cakes looked absolutely lovely! I didn't eat cake, so I'm afraid I can't comment, although the kids soon made short work of theirs, with many appreciative grunts! My partner's son had a milkshake, which he said was brilliant, and the coffees we had were great. We will definitely be calling in again, I may wait until I'm hungry next time as an excuse to eat cake :-)

Popped in for a quick bit of brunch. Nice atmosphere and helpful staff. But for what we had I think it was a little over priced. I've had better and cheaper elsewhere.

Called in on a wet day for coffee and cake. The cakes were excellent e.g the lemon curd cake - good flavour - slice not too big or small, lovely and moist with the right proportions of buttercream/curd/icing. Soya milk available. The coffee was a good taste personally I like it stronger and should have had another shot.

This little tearoom is just so quaint, from its happy seaside tablecloths to the wall art. Service was quick and friendly, plus hubby said it was the best cup of coffee he had had while we had been in Devon.

We decided to return to this little cafe yesterday as part of our current Devon holiday, as we enjoyed our food here so much last time. The staff were lovely and the cafe still has the wonderful personality that it had on our last visit a year ago, with the cute china and decorations, not to mention the gorgeous food.

This Traditional Tea shop is an Amaze of really lovely home made cakes. You swill be spoilt for choice, and find it hard what to have. I have been to this Tea Shop many times now, and just love the cakes.

Lovely , we went for afternoon tea as they have a ''diet'' version , 1 X Scone & tea , & they were homemade too.

Excellent tea shop! Great atmosphere, decor, staff were lovely. Fresh baked scones and delicious cakes, lovely cup of tea.

We stopped as a family of 10, 8 were walking on so used the takeaway to order pasties and sausage rolls. Lots of oohs and aha as they tucked in. Two of us stayed behind to have lunch. Noticing the sandwiches (on other tables) were huge we ordered a prawn mayo on home made granary bread, absolutely delicious. Plenty enough for two, served with a side salad so that my hubby could enjoy a guilt free Devonshire scone with jam and clotted cream and I enjoyed a lovely slice of home made Bakewell slice with a pot of tea. Yummy :-)

A lovely themed little tea shop, lovely staff, and gorgeous tea, cake and delicious scones, jam and cream. The perfect little stop off. And totally British!

A very pleasant themed tea room. British theme throughout, pleasant ambience and staff friendly. Cakes displayed in window so you are drawn in to taste. We were a family of four and space was at a premium, but worth the squeeze. Food was good value for money. Nice milkshakes.

We visited here a couple of times whilst on holiday in Ilfracombe. There is a great selection of cakes and drinks. From sponge cakes and brownies to cream teas and ginger cake there was something for everyone. The same can be said when it comes to drinks the usual hot options alongside a range of cold ones including smoothies and milkshakes.The ginger cake was excellent as was the toffee fudge cake. My daughter enjoyed the chocolate fudge cake and the ginger beer is definitely worth a try.Located not far from the Harbour and the seafront it is easy to find and well worth a visit.