The Hele Bay Pub in North Devon

We just had a lovely impromptu dinner at Hele Bay pub. We've been here a few times over the last ten years or so that we've been to Hele and have sadly found the pub lacking, BUT this time it was really great! Really splendidly cooked food with great attention to detail. We had 4 lighter bite meals between the two of us which were all lovely but the standout by some distance was the Messy Fries 🍟. Just really great, good value pub food with a very welcoming landlord and lady. Smashing beer too! 🍺 We'll be back next year! 🙂

Nice food and beer. Quick service.

A lovely pub that was good enough to allow our little dog into while we eat. The food was nice and good sized portions. If we're back in 'Combe again soon, we'll visit again.

Fish and chips Friday was fantastic, returned for Sunday lunch, it was equally delicious,topped off by a generous helping of banoffee pie, well worth a visit or two.

Enjoyed a lovely roast dinner at the hele bay pub today. The landlord and landlady were very welcoming and friendly. The food was great so there was hardly any leftovers for the dog who was allowed to sit and watch us eat it as it’s a dog friendly pub!

Stayed close by and visited this place most nights. Great staff and new owners who are very friendly and welcoming. Dined there a couple of times, the food is fantastic, well presented, really tasty and good portions. Will visit the area again in the future and will deffinately return to the Hele Bay pub. 5 stars guys, we couldn't fault you x

As Hele local it's been very refreshing to see the place going up hill :) the new landlords have done brilliantly in all aspects! good work Rob n keira

Rob and his team , are doing a cracking job ! Great local ales , and the new food menu is fantastic,

Very nice pub close to the bay and bus stop.

We picked Hele Bay Pub from the reviews on Trip Advisor and we were not disappointed. We were told on arrival that there was a limited menu but with two of us not eating gluten the owner quickly worked out what he could do with the ingredients that were on the menu and turned them into the most delicious salads. My husband said his pizza was the best he had eaten in a long time. Friendly and efficient service. Newly fitted loo's and everything was so clean. Highly recommended.

Delicious food and nice employees. Prices were reasonable, the pub was clean and the ambience was nice. Would love to come back

Fantastic beer choice from "Otter's, Great food menu (Korean BBq noodles were exceptional). All headed up by a welcoming team

Great food, great beer, and super staff. What more do you need

Great pub friendly staff and good food

We often pop along with our kids now for dinner - lovely atmosphere, views and small soft play for little ones. Food is good - please do the Greek Gyros Special again and put it on your permanent menu!

Visited the pub for dinner twice whilst staying close by. The food was lovely and the staff were really friendly and welcoming, would definitely recommend this pub

Great fun quiz night. Even thoigh we came second to last 😃

We just spent a lovely evening in the Hele Bay pub. We were staying in the Hele Valley holiday park so it's just a 5 minute walk away. We'd booked a table in this dog friendly pub. We enjoyed really nice food served by some very cheery & friendly staff. A lovely pub in a perfect location.

Been to the Hele bay pub a couple of times now. Much nicer outdoor area now 😉

The staff are friendly, the food is worth the wait, same as most places be prepared to wait during busier times, Play area for children also in site.

Went on the bank holiday and was a little nervous as new management. Were they riding on the coat tails of previous reviews. Hell no the food it excellent. The staff have got there finger on the pulse. We had a selection of starters rather than mains. All we hot and of a high standard. The dirty fries were amazing. So good we went back the next day.

Came across the pub by chance after doing a Coastal Walk from Watermouth Harbour on Bank Holiday Sunday. Ordered fish n' chips x 2 - both enjoyed and nice crispy batter. Staff very friendly and Owners were excellent in helping out dropping us back to the campsite we were staying at, after having trouble trying to get a taxi, thank you very much once again 😎. Best of luck with the running of the pub and providing taxi service.

Nice place to have a drink and a meal in lovely building and area pleasant staff as well

Fabulous patio overlooking the bay and lovely food and live music

Lovely food, dog friendly inside and out. Friendly staff and lovely views of the bay. Fussy teenager kept asking to go back!

Had a fantastic few visits to the this wonderful establishment. The staff were super friendly, the food was great and they even had entertainment. Captain coconut was fab and my kids enjoyed every minute. They had an outside BBQ too which went down wonderfully with a rum cocktail. Wish I had taken pics of the BBQ but it was eaten before I had the chance. My kids loved the pizza too especially as they asked for extra cheese and got exactly what they wanted. Here’s a pic of the chicken noodles I ordered one night that were amazing and my partner ordered the fish and chips and said it was fab. Definitely visit oh and they are dog friendly too.

Great food and a great service. The staff were really helpful and the food was very good. Quick and pleasant service. Will be back.

We love this little part of the world. The pub staff are really friendly and the food choices are excellent. Dog friendly too.

This is as much feedback for the new owners as a review. We visited as a family of 3 with a dog. The bar staff were very friendly and there was a good selection of beers and spirits. The food was a bit of a mixed bag. The pork Mac and cheese was delicious, however the garlic bread was stale and burnt and the side salad was clearly just from a bag of mixed salad, which seems a bit silly as they should be the easiest parts of the meal to get right. The kids pizza was a cheap supermarket microwave pizza which was disappointing, it could also do with having some kind of veg on the side, even just cucumber or carrot sticks. My wife thought the salt and pepper crispy chicken was frozen and said it was just ok. Overall more on the disappointing side which is a shame as they have a great location and the pub looks really nice. It was also nearly an hour wait for food, which isn't really a problem if it's all freshly prepared but seems a long time when it's clearly not all fresh.

Lovely little place for a drink. Nice terrace with a great view.

After much research online looking for decent vegan options in the area we decided to give this place a go. Only to turn up and be told they don’t serve food on Wednesdays. How disappointing! If only they had taken the time to update their website and or post on their Facebook/instagram pages I would have seen this in my research. Plenty of families came in while we were there only to be told the same so it definitely isn’t readily available information. Luckily there was a Mexican food truck outside which had one vegan option so we settled for this as time was short.

The food was really good and enjoyable, there was a blip with our order but once we inquired about our order it was rectified within a reasonable time. Will return.

New management, young and friendly . Fab food . Lovely atmosphere. 2 beer gardens . Will definitely go again . Right near beach .

Lunchtime visit went for something to eat. Unfortunately, they were only doing pizza, but staff were pleasant, and they did say they were reconsidering changing the menu imminently.

Great location, great food, reasonable prices and dog friendly inside. We had pie and chips, with a light bite crab cakes, and the food was delicious. Good outside area for summer drinks. Only 5 mins walk from the lovely Hele Bay.

Staff were not attentive, couldn’t have cared less if we were there or not. Not expecting a song & dance routine but a simple ‘hello, what can I get you?’ Would have been nice. Quite a few staff members outside smoking & complaining about their jobs. Just doesn’t give a good impression.

Good pub, located by Hele beach. New owners trying hard. Good selection of ales on offer at a reasonable price. Would have got 5 stars if there was a bit more choice on the menu, but what they do is done well. Recommend the fish and chips

We had a pleasant and nice dinner accompanied by the view.

Dog friendly pub, friendly and clean. Macaroni cheese with pulled pork was microwaved and the chicken salad with sweet chilli sauce was a bag of lettuce, chicken goujons with sweet chilli sauce, the coleslaw was nice. Lettuce alone is not a salad so I was disappointed. Would certainly go back for drinks but not for food.

Was a 30th party on at the time we went in so quite noisy, menu was ok

We couldn't book a table in advance and then found the pub completely full (a problem for us, not the pub) so we waited a while to be able to even sit down. I queued for a few minutes at the bar to order food and was then told to queue at another part of the bar for food, so I had to queue twice which was very frustrating (I couldn't see any sign to indicate a particular place to order food). I ordered a cocktail which was being promoted on cards around the pub but the barman clearly didn't know how to make it and it was pretty awful - I suspect he missed out the fruit juice as it was very sour. The food then took over an hour to arrive. When it arrived it was tasty but the whole dining experience was very poor because of the other aspects. Hopefully these were just teething problems under the new management. I sent them a private note by email to let them know of our poor experience but I haven't even had an acknowledgment of that, so I've decided to post info on our experience here.

A great pub pretty much on the beach with some of the best gluten free pizza I've had anywhere. Proper fresh bases, not the Schar "basically a biscuit with tomato and cheese on" that you often get. On the Thursday when we were there, they had a Mexican food van in the car park. Again, very much up on allergens. Good drink selection. Plenty of good options on tap. Dog friendly, they even had treats on the bar. Staff were all very friendly and helpful. Really glad to have found it on our recent trip.

Great pub right next to a stunning hidden gem at Hele Bay and along the southwest coast path, I always recommend this lovely pub to my customers! Great selection of real ales, lagers and some banging cocktails. Staff are lovely and the new owner's are really trying to make this a must visit for locals and visor's alike. The pizza's are lush 👌

Went with my family did not have to wait long for food very nice food friendly staff and very helpful good luck to the new owners

Food is bought in soaking in greese stay away

Bit disappointed here. Was recommended to come here by someone who had visited years ago as they said the food was amazing. Sadly, its now under new management. Food was edible but felt I could buy equivalent in Iceland or Farmfoods. Nothing special. Service was fine and friendly. Atmosphere was lacking - very much a pub for local men to go after work. Wouldn't return

Right on the coast path as you enter Ilfracombe. Cider, ales, food were spot on. Staff great. It’s definitely worth visiting/supporting proper pubs like this 👍🏼

Hi I'm from combe martin Went to heel Bay to take the dog for a walk On Sunday thought I would pop in and have a Sunday roast I was not happy with my meal The staff are lovely But I didn't expect tin carrots 2 tiny sprinks Broccoli 3 roast potatoes One asparagus One cheap shop Yorkshire pudding 2 slices of Turkey And a half of coke Cost me 16 pound something The roast dinner was big enough probably for a child But not for an adult Sorry heel Bay pub but you need to improve your quantity of food And not tinned Or shopped bought Cheap Yorkshire puddings

So glad there are new managers, Rob And Keira are fantastic their service is above and beyond. Really getting this wonderful pub back on track. The food is fantastic now and the beer range is suburb, everything is clean and fresh Great to see the locals back in… Both Rob and Keira went above and beyond for my sister’s birthday who was down visiting from London. I am a local and it was heart breaking to see our wonderful pub slowly going down the pan.. But this is a new beginning and i for one will defiantly supporting them 100%

The new management are very friendly and welcoming, food was amazing and with the ballon and cake you went above and beyond, thank you Rob, Keira and staff, looking forward to my next visit thank you for a lovely time love Sharron

Popped in for a few drinks whilst our group of girls went coasterring, we were around 20 adults. Pool table available. Dog friendly. Friendly staff.

Very nice pub, under new management. The couple running it were very friendly and welcoming. The beer selection was excellent and the food was very tasty. Definitely worth visiting after a walk along the coastal path.

Heard that the pub was under new management and after reading old reviews was hopeful that the pub would be better than in the past. The staff were friendly and the pub is clean and tidy. However, we found the food very disappointing. The menu is very small, which is understandable under the new tenancy , but is very average. My husband and I paid £14.95 for our meals. I had Beer battered fish which was good but the chips were frozen steak chips and tinned mushy peas. My husband had the pie and chips which consisted of a "pukka" pie with no meat, frozen steak chips and peas. Have had far better meals at our local in the "affluent" south east of England for the same price. The pub has a large catchment area so hope they can up their game to become a success.

Exceptional service, great food and atmosphere. Very welcoming, perfect for families and dog friendly. Would definitely recommend and will return.

Just come back from Hele Bay, on the first night we called in at this pub for something to eat and it had recently been Taken over by new owners, it was a limited menu but the food we had was very good. I called in for a few beers every night and the new owners and all the staff were helpful and really friendly. Apparently all the locals are starting to return following the departure of last owners. Really hope this pub does well they deserve it, and will definitely return if I’m down that way again.

Under new management and the staff are finding their feet. Limited menu, pizza and sides, but good. Rather have good food done well than lots of choice done mediocre. Very handy for the beach and campsite. Good ales, so not a lot to dislike. Lol. Can see it being very popular when the spring/summer finally arrives. Would have no hesitation returning.

We are locals and went for an early dinner, great range of Beer, Larger and Ciders. Also a good range of bespoke bottled drinks. My husband had a pizza which he said was very good. I had 2 plates of light bites the Crab Cakes with their salad garnish were very good, washed down with a crisp glass of Pinot Grigio. The staff were all friendly and professional and they even have Homemade Cake!

Being in the catering industry as manager / cook. I strongly recommend eating here. Today had lunch for three. Well cooked well presented and not too much. Just right for mid day meal. Our Husky loved it. It’s not just a dogs can sit outside. Dog was allowed in. The service was excellent staff polite and top notch. 10/10.

Went in for one, stayed for more, which is always a good sign! Really welcoming. Met the new landlord and landlady who are obviously passionate about beer, food, atmosphere etc. The pub is clean and tidy and a nice place to be. Decent menu too. We'll be back when the sun is shining for some beer garden drinks with a view of the sea.

How can a pub have no ale? Left.

Visited with a group of 10 people for Sunday lunch. The food was very tasty and the portions were generous. The service was excellent.

Terrible ales , great staff, good food.

went in for food- decided against after walking in. I feel like it’s a catfish pub. Online and reviews were great. Walked in and sat downstairs where the soft play was. It’s not safe for adults never mind children. Damp on the walls, wires hanging down from ceiling, lighting fixtures hanging down, scaffolding poles holding up beams. I feel like the soft play should have just been closed .

We went to the Hele Bay Pub as a last minute option for New Years Eve and had a fabulous time. The food was fantastic and even though we weren't local, everyone was so friendly. The bar and serving staff were very attentive and ensured that we were well looked after. I was there with my husband, our 11 year old daughter and my parents and we all enjoyed ourselves. There was a skittle alley downstairs which kept out daughter entertained for a while but then we all enjoyed dancing to the band and the fantastic new year celebrations. We are so glad we took a chance and went there.

Fab Sunday lunch and enjoyed chatting to Sarah behind the bar ! We had a great two course Sunday lunch at the Hele, loved the relaxing atmosphere.

We visited here with family , the pub itself is large and welcoming from the outside , the interior has a social club kinda feel … On ordering food and drinks we sat and watched the locals enjoying themselves! Chaotic , and innuendo bingo seemed the order of the afternoon with dogs running amok ! The food itself was actually very tasty and plentiful! … the barmaid friendly and drinks expensive! All in …. A very odd hour or so !!

Came in for a few drinks whilst visiting friends seemed okay. We could hardly hear our conversation because a specific local guy got louder and louder and just drunk out of his face. It was really unbelievable for what we thought was a family touristy type pub. This guy was asking the girl behind the bar for the drink she emptied out of the drip tray and it seemed a running joke that he was the slop man (not a word I had heard before), he got louder and louder. Just very unpleasant my daughter aged 11 was terrified all around the bar congregated the locals which made it very uncomfortable to approach knowing this individual had no care or manners around guest that came in. More fitting for the locals I'm afraid shame because the behaviour of this drunken man was allowed to carry on and was not told to stop, his fowl language and the drinking anything that was free or left on the bar.

Managers Damien & Danielle are the perfect hosts. Their staff are impeccable. Food is of high quality. I highly recommend.

Thanks so much for a absolutely brilliant evening for my wife's 60th birthday party the food was absolutely amazing and Damien and Danielle and all the staff made it fantastic 😍 everyone enjoyed it I definitely recommend this place as a venue for your birthday 🎉🎉🎉

Worst steak I have ever eaten, not cooked as requested. The downstairs kids area didn't smell nice, no lighting on for the main area, scared the kids.

Went for Sunday lunch 4 adults 2 kids, wasn't that busy, but they managed to forget us!! When the food finally arrived an hour later the nut roast was like a brick, parsnips deep fried and raw!! The worst selection of veg I've ever seen, no greens. They managed to overcharge us for the drinks, beer was off and lemonade was flat!! It's a shame we like Hele Bay, won't be back, ruined a Sunday afternoon with family

Having read the reviews and getting a recommendation from the campsite we were staying at we were really looking forward to eating at the Hele Bay. I had the fish and chips and it was fine, nice and hot, not greasy and a good sized piece of fish. My husband had the chased chicken which he couldn’t fault but it was just a bit bland. Two of our group had the Panko chicken with linguini, and this is where the average review comes in. It looked quite an odd combination and unfortunately the pasta wasn’t hot and the chicken was very over cooked, dry and took some cutting up.

we turned up and it was so busy as they had a party for 40 people but they served us fairly quickly the food was great and staff were very friendly and polite

Had a lovely meal and great staff , good prices and enjoyed a few games of pool , thanks for an enjoyable evening

Great food and a good atmosphere with friendly locals. A must visit for us when coming to our holiday home. The pub’s own recipes are always good and perfectly cooked

This pub feels friendly and the service is with a smile. The food was lovely and good sized portions.

Very clean. Staff very welcomeing. Food excellent good potion sizes.anf great value for money.

Lovely local place to come for a drink and some lovely food.

Really friendly welcome and accommodating. Very helpful and polite. Good vibe in the pub itself however. We ordered food, great, easily and delivered to the table in reasonable time. My wife had lasagne and I had battered fish in a roll both with chips. Both were so bland and tasteless, chips the same. For what we paid, to recieve an oven ready cheap lasagne and a what was supposed to be fish was definitely a supermarket cheap effort. Chips were bland and the accompanying salad was not washed and looked like it had been pulled out of a supermarket cheapo salad bag. I had no problem paying when ordering, it was evident why because anyone would refuse to pay for what was served. Over £30 for 2 supermarket cheapo and salad. Will not return.

The real ale is disappointing but otherwise the food was good. We had fish and chips which were tasty but the fish was a bit on the small side.

Nice pub with a great outside terrace overlooking Hele Bay. Great choices of food and dog friendly.

1st class, although a big party the food was all hot, well presented, plenty of it and delicious. 1st class customer service from start to finish too. Highly recommend

We have literally just left and I was so compelled to write a review. We came here with our dachshund and our 5 month old. We had absolutely excellent and loaded plates of Sunday dinner. The meat was beautiful. We then had really lovely desserts (I had a massive slice of choc fudge cake). The food was brilliant, but more importantly the service was incredible. Way above and beyond. When we arrived they made space for us, the barman made sure we got best value for money on the meal deal, he pointed out baby changing and offered to heat bottles or whatever we needed. Not only that but as I was eating dessert our baby started fussing... A lovely lady (who I think may have been manager?) literally rocked the pram keeping little one happy so I could eat my cake in peace! Just the best service we have seen in ages. I would strongly recommend a visit!!

Busy traditional pub. Excellent food. We had Sunday roast and children's menu. Fantastic value for money. Helpful staff. Dog friendly

We spent the morning looking for sea glass in Hele bay and then popped up to the Hele Bay Pub for some lunch. We were greeted with a friendly smile and a chat. We chose to sit inside (with our dog) though there was a garden with a sea view. The lunch menu was lovely and the kids menu was great (and good value). The food was delicious and didn't take long to come out - everyone loved their meal! I had the pulled pork on chips - wow! There was a nice selection of local beers available. There was even a downstairs with kids things to keep them entertained. I'd definitely go back again!

The pub a slightly mixed bag. The service was great and the host lovely but we were seated in a slightly dark corner, although we did meet some lovely dogs at our table. Downstairs was a nice tough but signs of damp and a funny smell. Food was good and reasonably priced

Food was good but limited and very expensive. Sat downstairs which smelt badly of damp. Soft play available but had a feral child attacking all other kids. Sadly when my child retaliated after commenting several times about his behaviour we got verbally abused by the owners as he was there child allowed to behave like this and unsupervised. This didn’t just upset my family but also the table next to us who saw this happen 😞

Food was good but limited and very expensive. Sat downstairs which smelt badly of damp. Soft play available but had a feral child attacking all other kids. Sadly when my child retaliated after commenting several times about his behaviour we got verbally abused by the owners as he was there child allowed to behave like this and unsupervised. This didn’t just upset my family but also the table next to us who saw this happen 😞

Vert nice quiet pub, good food at a reasonable price and good service

Took forever and didn't even bring out the right food.

Chips tasted of fish and despite the positive reviews seen for the spare ribs we were disappointed. Everything from furniture to menu cards feels sticky, Half the outside area seems an afterthought and used by staff for smoke breaks. This could be so much nicer. Positives: Bar staff is friendly and attentive. Good if you want a cheap meal.

Kids loved their chicken nuggets, beer was great

Great pub, they were very busy which is great to see, staff worked really hard to make things run smooth. Alright pub grub

Easy to find and close to a secluded (but popular) beach. Terraced garden with nice views over the small beach and bay. Public car park next door is payable until 6pm then its free. Despite part of the bar being the restaurant there is plenty of room for just having a drink and there seems to be a good trade in this with several of which regulars. Staff friendly and helpful. Quick efficient service on first day (a little less so day 2, but they were busier). All our meals were well cooked and enjoyable. My only complaint - and it is common with so many pubs - is that the portions are TOO generous. Why do they fill you up with a main course so that you have no room for a desert? For example the 10 oz gammon comes with the usual chips, peas, salad but also with an egg AND a thick pineapple slice plus a large mushroom and cooked tomato. Why not omit two of these items, reduce the price a bit so we have room in both belly and wallet for a desert? Otherwise. nice place.

Good ale and good service, will visit for meals also over the next week.

We came here for tea on our 1st day of our holiday last week. We were going to eat indoors but ended up with a takeaway fish and chips. Very nicely cooked and decent portion. Price above average,but has the monopoly in this area. Pints nearly a fiver for local ale.

Arrived at short notice for a meal for four, although very busy they fitted us in, made to feel most welcome, lovely well priced food and plenty of it, dog friendly. A most enjoyable evening, Danielle you were a lovely hostess

Great food. A really busy pub which speaks for itself. The pub forgot our booking but accommodated us well. Friendly staff and lots for kids to do

Lovely pub in Hele Bay, looking out onto the beach. Seating inside and outside with food and drink options. Best book for food, it's gets busy. Lovely Sunday roasts and decent pub food options during the week.

Cannot recommend highly enough. The food was lovely, the staff were attentive, friendly and helpful. We had the roast dinner, the portions are great, loads of veg and perfectly cooked meat. So glad we stumbled upon this pub! Extra mention for the young lad serving food, he was polite and charming and is sure to go far!