The Loft in East Devon

So, we had a birthday weekend in Sidmouth and were totally stumped on where to eat. Then, we stumbled upon this place called The Loft, and it was an absolute gem! The owner greeted us with such warmth and hospitality that it made us feel right at home. To start, we had these scallops that were simply melt-in-your-mouth delicious. They were paired with this cauliflower purée and crispy bacon, and the flavours just complemented each other perfectly. For the main course, we went with monkfish with a lobster sauce and slow-cooked neck of pork with crushed potato and beetroot. It was like dining in a Masterchef Kitchen! And to end the night, we had this chocolate cake sponge that was encased in this lightest, fluffiest sponge we’ve ever tasted. We eat out a lot, and I can honestly say that this was probably one of the best meals we’ve ever had.

Amazing food, atmosphere and people there

the fish of the day aswell as the katsu chicken was delicious. i would definitely recommend and would come back. service was also excellent and friendly!

Lovely food and great atmosphere, felt really welcomed. My only gripe would be seeing the owners builders bum when serving other tables and the language barrier with the waitress. Would still say a good place to eat.

Amazing service, amazing food, amazing atmosphere. Would recommend!

We were greeted and seated by Seb who is very friendly and informative. I chose the catch of the day and my partner had katsu chicken. Both meals were generous portions and were full of flavour and beautifully cooked. Then a generous desert and excellent coffee. A great venue, fantastic food and lovely host. We'll definately be eating there again.

Lovely meal on a Saturday in November. A warm dry space out of the cold. On the first floor looking down on the main street, good for people watching. We had fish and chips, freshly cooked, katsu curry and the special of monkfish in a lobster sauce, all delicious. One bailies cheesecake. Recommend a visit. Patient service

We had a table for 4 people on a week night. My wife and I have several food intolerances which we had notified Sebastien of in advance. The starters and main courses were excellent and our group were delighted with the quality of the food. The catch of the day was monkfish in a lobster sauce which was excellent. The hake was equally delightful. We all came away having had a lovely experience and we will be back soon.

Went for a meal with my hubby and in laws tonight and had an absolutely wonderful experience! Our host was so welcoming and so attentive, he'd know what we needed before we asked. He even spotted that we'd accidentally left some sauce/food on the table and wiped it away so that we didn't put our elbow in it!!! The food was excellent, the atmosphere was excellent... I really can't rate this restaurant and their service highly enough ☺️ thank you so much and we'll see you soon!

A delightful addition to the restaurant scene in Sidmouth. The new owners have done a great job with superb food, immaculate service and a warm welcoming atmosphere. Our party had the Thai fish cakes, scallops with bacon, monkfish, chicken Milanese, pork medallions and chicken katsu and everything was cooked to perfection and were extremely tasty. Congratulations and well done to the team.

Great fish. Decent wine. Good prices. Nice room. Great people.

Since Seb and his team took over the Loft, the food is amazing, the staff are so professional and friendly, it is definitely the best restaurant in town. Thoroughly recommend it. Maureen

Wonderful place. The food is fantastic as well as the atmosphere! I recommend it 😀 I like specials the most and that everyone can find something for themselves. Delicious 🤤

We started with a problem that various parts (and prices) of the menu had changed from our online expectations. Not quite the owners’ fault because they had transitioned from summer to winter menu while their web people had not incorporated the updates. That being said, the food was well cooked and well presented. The portions sizes were enormous. I wanted a Greek salad but had to make do with a winter salad that was so large that I could only eat about half of it - too many root vegetables. The starter I had hoped for had been discontinued. Hate to sound petty, but it just wasn’t what we expected. Another time perhaps.

Booked through their FB page, very quick response. Restaurant looks great and the food was amazing particularly the seafood chowder. Great flavours. Service is good; friendly and helpful.

Really good three course meal. Good atmosphere good service. Narrow entrance to first floor town centre restaurant - might be missed - do not miss it.

A hidden gem! All to often, a seaside towns forget how important a welcoming atmosphere is. This is not true of The Loft in Sidmouth. Sebastian hosts the floor so well, instantly making all of my party feel like they are part of the family that he has created here. It is so refreshing to see husband and wife working so hard to create amazing guest experiences.... Of course this could not be achieved without the chef. The three of them clearly work so well together ❤️ The loft team - thank you for a perfect hospitality experience!

Absolutely fantastic service and the food is really 10/10. Starters and main were to die for. Huge portions too. Highly recommended

Very good food and very nice staff people, I recommend

Had a lovely lunch at The Loft during a recent stay in Sidmouth. First time we've been back to the The Loft since the pandemic - and it is as good as we remember. A very friendly welcome and service, great atmosphere and delicious food. Can thoroughly recommend it.

Very good evening meal. I had hake flavours were very good. The restaurant is very nice and staff are friendly would recommend.

Lovely hidden treasure! My wife said it was THE BEST burger she has ever had and she has one everytime we go out to eat! The gnocchi was insanely good. Well seasoned, great sauce and perfectly cooked. Huge portions, beautifully presented, amazing taste, friendly staff! Lovely atmosphere!!! It’s a must!!! Needs to be number one on restaurants in Sidmouth!

We had a warm welcome and excellent service. The food was delicious. The ambience was relaxing and intimate. We'll be back!

While we was in Sidmouth we booked the loft for the evening. The food was absolutely amazing. And the staff were very helpful and friendly. We loved it. Very laid back cosy atmosphere. Lovely food. Highly recommend. Thanks guys

Absolutely fantastic meal at The Loft. Every dish was delicious and hugely flavoursome. Great service and despite over ordering we hardly left a scrap!

Delicious food, attentive service and fabulous atmosphere. Well worth a look.

We both fancied a burger for our lunch and the loft was recommended. I had a buttermilk chicken burger, big chicken breast that was moist and soooo tasty! Hubby had the loft burger and he said his was really tasty and loved the addition of the cheese patty. Now top of our list for burgers.

This is our go to place! Seb and staff are a fantastic asset to sidmouth. Well done Seb ! Food is fantastic-chef is amazing 🤩 !

Wow! What an absolute gem. Really outstanding food truly delectable Highly recommend 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Managed to get a nice window table without booking for lunch today. I would guess evenings are a little busier! Very welcoming host, nice ambience, quite spacious compared to some other nearby places. Then to top it all the food was fabulous…the hake served with cauliflower puree and chimichurri was recommended and was seriously good! One to remember next time in Sidmouth.

We visited with two friends in July and we had a lovely friendly welcome on arrival. It is a very nice atmosphere in the restaurant. I had the sea bass and my husband had the fish and chips. I didn’t take photos of our friends food so can’t remember what they had! The food was delicious, well presented and I actually said it was the best sea bass I had ever had. Highly recommend and we will definitely return. Great to support a local restaurant as well.

We reserved our table through FB, they were very prompt to respond and confirm our booking. We were greeted with a smile and enthusiasm. The food was absolutely delicious, our group had the Thai Fishcakes to start and the special starter of scallops. For our main meal we decided upon Hake, Chicken Breast, Gnocchi and the Lobster Linguine. They were all divine and we commented how beautiful and tasty the food was. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend The Loft

First time eating at The Loft and so impressed! Service spot on - friendly, relaxed, super efficient. Catered for my partner’s food intolerances with no fuss, chef even made an off-menu red wine jus so he could have a dairy-free sauce. Wine delicious and reasonably priced. Loved it! Will be back!

Great food and lovely atmosphere! Will be back soon !

Found this Sidmouth restaurant by chance, upstairs on Fore street. The Loft is great, the decor matches the coastal location, light and airy. The food is superb, sauces yummy, presentation excellent.The service is brilliant. So good we went a second time. Do try the desserts, the tiramisu and banoffee were fantastic, the panna cotta look good too. Give this place a try, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

It's a heaven for food lovers , offering an exceptional dining experience that is hard to find elsewhere. Highly recommended

Last minute decision to go on an evening and very glad we did! They were very busy but the fantastic host made time for us and allocated us a table, despite being rushed off his feet! The food was absolutely lovely and the service from the waiting staff was some of the best we have had in a long time, including at very high end restaurants, particularly the host himself. Thank you again and we will most definitely e back!

A bit disappointing. We came here because of the eton mess advertised online, but when the time came there were only 2 dessert choices, no apologiesm Panacotta was only by name, not a bad dessert, just not really a panacotta. Chef must have dropped the salt mill into the gnocchi, not bad dish but sooo salty. Not a great choice of wines. Salad was ok

As ever, a marvellous meal and exceptional service tonight. The staff and manager are always very professional and friendly. The food is excellent also. I’d go as far as to say the best restaurant in Sidmouth.

When I order a lobster linguine I expect a piece of lobster not 3 shell on prawns cooked over a lobster aledgedly manager had no manners could not careless attitude be interested to see if the Resturant survives the winter we eat at all restaurants in sidmouth this is the worst wont be back ever

Lovely food, amazing service, thank you

We called today last minute and a table was arranged short notice. The reception on arrival was welcoming and lovely. The food was exceptional, and outstanding. We were shown the outside area which was modern and contemporary, cannot fault anything and we will definitely revisit. Great staff, and owner was a great guy and helpful with our food choices.

Recently reopened. Had a lovely lunch here. Well presented, tasty food. Decent portions. Lovely specials. Great service. Really enjoyed it, thanks!

Fabulous cafe restaurant recently opened in Sidmouth! Incredibly friendly and attentive staff. The food was incredible and very reasonably priced - wonderful mussels for starter and the specials were great. Relaxed atmosphere and dog friendly and it’s light and airy with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the high street. We’ll be back!

No question about it, BEST FOOD IN SIDMOUTH. Not only was every bite delicious, I love the variety of choices on the menu. The catch of the day was the best fish and chips I’ve ever had in my life. The staff was wonderful, atmosphere was great, and we loved the secret sunny patio in the back. I think this will be Devon’s newest foodie hotspot!

Just had lunch here with my husband and what more can I say but amazing! The welcome was warm and friendly the service was great and the food tasted amazing. I had the crab salad and fries which was delicious and beautifully presented and my husband who is coeliac had fish and chips and was very impressed! Would highly recommend The Loft

Simply brilliant, give it a go, you won't be disappointed!

A hidden gem in Sidmouth! Delicious food (big portions!), beautiful decor and lovely atmosphere. Would highly recommend if you’re in town.

Amazing service, beautifully presented fine-dining level dishes, and a really nice space (bright airy loft and suntrap rooftop - perfect for pre-meal drinks). Such a hidden gem, highly recommended!

What a great little find in the heart of Sidmouth. Had lunch with a group of friends, started with drinks on the terrace in the sunshine followed by delicious food inside. Really cool vibe and super friendly staff who made us all feel really welcome. I had the fish and chips which were to die for, tender fresh fish in a light batter with a delicious homemade tartar sauce.

Great service, food, and atmosphere. Can't wait to return!

Had a great lunch with work colleagues, large group and all had amazing food and s

Amazing lunch our group of 12. Great food (plus child-friendly). We will be back!

Another tasty lunch with new owners. Menu to suit all tastes and appetites, we only had starters today but there’s a light appetite menu as well as a full menu with specials, and a kids menu. Already becoming popular in the evenings but it’s a great place for lunch too, sit by the window and “people watch” to the street below or sit on a secluded terrace enjoying the sunshine. Watch for their announcements as weekend breakfasts are starting soon too!

Lovely staff, amazing food, personal favourite is the katsu curry!

Spotted this place by chance, called in to see if they had a table for 5 (with our dogs) We were quickly shown to a table, waitresses were attentive, drinks and food followed within reasonable time, food was excellent. Highly recommended the food and venue. Hope to visit again when next in the area.

Visited on a wet Saturday afternoon in February without a booking but was accommodated without a problem so all good. Unfortunately it went downhill from there with shabby toilet facilities and poor food . Two of us had fish and chips or should I say batter and chips as the fish itself was almost non existent . To visit the seaside and experience such poor fish and chips was a real disappointment, not that any of the staff asked how the meal was mind you . Wouldn’t return or recommend I’m afraid.

Really lovely food and service was great. Dog friendly and More importantly for us lots of Gluten free options. Potions were huge and everything was cooked perfectly woukd definitely recommend 😊

We ate here one Friday evening in December. We had the hake main which was chewy and dry indicating it was over cooked. We were expecting a chunky piece of fish as you would with hake but it looked like the very tail end. We live in Sidmouth and like to spread our custom to all the independents but it is so disappointing when you have a poor meal. There were only 2 other tables being used in the restaurant for a Friday night in the festive season and the quality of our meal may reflect why. The Loft is such a lovely setting and the table service was excellent. We would love to come back but not at this standard of cooking sadly.

I had a disappointing experience at this restaurant. Despite being the only customers in the empty establishment, it took a frustratingly long hour to be served. While most of the food was satisfactory, the chorizo dish was particularly disappointing; it was burnt and left a nasty aftertaste, significantly detracting from the overall meal. Adding to the discomfort, the restaurant was surprisingly cold, forcing half of our party to wear coats throughout the meal. This lack of ambiance and attention to basic comfort made the dining experience even less enjoyable. In conclusion, the slow service, subpar chorizo, and uncomfortable atmosphere made this visit highly unsatisfactory. Based on this experience, my companions and I have no plans to return to this restaurant in the future.

Good food Very friendly at a good price

Super restaurant with delicious food, good portions, and very attentive service. Will definitely return when next in Sidmouth

We were attracted to The Loft because we like tapas meals and so booked for Friday 4 August as we had seen a Facebook post from the restaurant advertising tapas on Fridays. On arrival, it turned out we had completely mis-read the post and they were unavailable. We were hugely disappointed at this and not particularly turned on with the available menu. However, the waitress was so nice and friendly and extremely polite, that we decided to give the place a chance. We made a good choice. The service was absolutely first class, I cannot praise our waitress enough, she was faultless throughout. My partner said her chicken meal was delightful and I chose the quiche. Now quiche is maybe a boring choice, but it was very nice indeed, had taste and made a nice change of dinner for me. Our dessert was chocolate brownie to share and we went off 100% satisfied and happy. The Loft was quiet during our visit, but this was certainly due to the Sidmouth Folk Festival starting and most visitors were outside listening to the music and enjoying the many pop up bars. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience here and if we are ever in the area again, The Loft will definitely be our first port of call.

A nice selection of food at reasonable prices a nice atmosphere near to the sea front but not suitable for disabled

Nice relaxed location with good decor and ambience. A decent menu with local, fresh produce featuring prominently. Super friendly and efficient staff who got the perfect balance between being attentive yet unobtrusive. First floor location also works well for watching the world go by. Both our meals and desserts very good, including vegetarian option. Thoroughly recommend the cocktail menu too.

The food was ok not great. The chicken and chorizo pasta is actually chicken, chorizo, and mushroom which wasn't made clear and meant I could barely eat the dish. Meatballs were dry. Good staff and kinda quirky location though!

It's in a loft space above some shops so you can't look in the windows - which is a shame because it's a lovely well spaced restaurant. Tapas was excellent too and the service was just right: attentive but not overbearing.

I am a celiac, and I rarely have many choices on a menu, but The Loft had a number gf meals available. It was a delicious meal and I look forward to our next meal there.

Excellent restaurant. Delicious food and cocktails, great friendly service and amazing value. Would recommend above all other places we ate in Devon - including The Pig at Combe.

We had a fabulous meal here before the local jazz festival. We had speedy service, excellent food and drinks and the menu had a lot of choice. We've booked again, so looking forward to it. The drinks are a good price and the food is fresh.

Went 2 nights on the trot. Unfortunately it was the same menu on both nights. Food portions are very good (too much for us) & good quality is very good. A couple of specials on both nights. We had starters & mains both very good. The only downside is the service. On both nights we waited almost 40minutes for our starters. The mains came a little quicker.

A lovely restaurant with some great food (I love the tapas).

Fantastic place to eat in Sidmouth. Our new favorite place . Great service . The staff were so attentive . Food was excellent . Lots of gluten free choices which is rare . We will be back

Went here for a birthday meal on a Saturday night. I and my friends enjoyed the experience very much. I particularly liked the spatchcock chicken and the churros. I found the prawn cocktail rather bland however. Portions are generous and wine is a reasonable price. Staff were very pleasant and efficient.

Lovely little place but 2 young servers left on their own on busy weekend meant starters were forgotten and other errors made. Not their fault, they were trying their best

Very polite and attentive staff, and lovely ambience and decor. However we went on a tapas night and the food was just average if not below that , and not really authentic.

A rare find which we were delighted with,an evening meal which was faultless coupled with warm friendly staff, certainly recommend this restaurant. Only down side it's up stairs and I didn't see any lift for disabled access,but there could be an alternative route I'm not aware off.

Really Disappointed! We came after looking on the menu online which had lots of choices. However when we arrived there were only 8 choices of main! (2 burgers, 2 salads, 2 pastas a chicken option and a fish option) We asked for a pina colada and the waitress turned around and said ‘I can’t do that because it needs blending and stuff’. The cocktails we did order were dominated by mixer and tasted weak. Really disappointed with our experience.

Visited The Loft for lunch. What a lovely place, friendly atmosphere, great service and brilliant food. I had the fish and chips and it was delicious. My friend had the cheeseburger and fries, again delicious. Will definitely visit again. Would highly recommend it.

Great food ! Super service ! Delicious red wine. Reasonably priced xxx

We would recommend the seafood board which was delicious and such friendly service.

Weekend away with friends chose the loft from good reviews, booked table in advance, restaurant is very well appointed very clean, food is very good, well presented, drinks choice limited but ok , staff very friendly and helpful, but..... there is no heating in restaurant to sufficiently heat the room, my wife kept her coat on all evening, we would have liked to have desert but couldn't stick the cold , it's a real shame definitely would go back .....in the summer.

Really nice restaurant, really nice staff and atmosphere. Very generous portions so go there hungry.

An absolutely amazing atmosphere, costumer service and food both 10/10. Highly recommend to go here!

We keep coming back to the loft as we love the venue and the young staff are always fab. The food is a bit disappointing though..our starters and puds were great, but the mains were not...in fact all three of us left most of it. Shame :(

Good choice of food, plenty of seafood options, plus others. Decent selection of drinks including a nice range of cocktails!

First time visit to The Loft this evening. It has a really nice ambience, the staff were friendly and the service was good. An interesting menu with something for everyone and the fish specials looked fab. I had the Prawn & Crab Linguine which was really good. Overall a really nice meal, we'll definitely revisit.

Lovely food and ambience, staff super friendly. We came on their Tapas night as a last minute booking. All the dishes were tasty and would defo come here again, highly recommend!

First visit, won't be the last. We had Fish and chips, excellent, beer 🍺 prices are really good 👍 Can recommend to anyone 👌

We ate here twice last week while on holiday in Sidmouth. The staff were very friendly and the food was fantastic, it being doggie friendly was an added bonus. I'd definitely recommend it.

Loved this restaurant in the busy seaside area of Sidmouth ,the food was excellent,as was the service ,we loved the decor ,it also had that seaside feel ,light and airy ,would definitely recommend

Excellent, great food and nice location 👍

We eat regularly at this restaurant. The food and service are always excellent and of a consistent very high standard. We will continue to return.

The food here was so lovely and tasty and the service was great. Also the cost was reasonable considering it was such lovely food.

We have been coming to Sidmouth for many years and have to be honest and say that we had never noticed The Loft before. We decided to try it out and we were not disappointed. We did not order starters and it was a good job as the portions are very generous. Very good food, pleasant and helpful staff and a thoroughly enjoyable meal. We will certainly visit again on our next holiday.

There are plenty of great reasons to come to this lovely, little first-floor restaurant: friendly staff, interesting menu (especially the choice of seafood), great food, a range of drinks (including cocktails), good value, lovely environment. Highly recommended!

My wife & I went for dinner tonight. Excellent selection of starters & mains. Never got to desserts nor coffee because the amount of these first two courses over faced us. The quality of the food was exceptional. Our staters were battered king prawns &...

Excellent, takes a lot of beating, do not miss out before prices go up to what is deserved, well done to owners, regards Roy and Deborah

Highly recommended. We had the spatchcock chicken and meatballs, they were well presented and delicious, we will be back!

The location was surprisingly high up. Wait, I think I just got the joke: it's called the loft because it's upstairs. That's freaking genius. Definitely reserve a table if you're in the area, it's worth the stair climb. They have like, a bajillion different gins behind the bar, and the food is plenty. Them chicken wings are top tier. Seems to be popular amongst dog owners. No idea why, there's nothing indicating it's ideal for dogs 🤔 I guess people who own dogs happen to like incredible food and amazing service 🤷‍♂️ Weird. I should go back and investigate.