The Old Library in Teignbridge

Nice place - had breakfast here a few months ago and it was great. Back in the area today looking to do 30 minutes work with a coffee (quiet inside with lots of seats available) and was told when my coffee was delivered that no laptops were allowed. This is not signposted anywhere and I did not feel welcome, even with my laptop closed. Left without drinking the coffee and went to Cafe Latino where I was much more welcome, they offered the Wi-Fi password and the coffee was great. Probably won't come back to The Old Library, which is a shame!

Fun, friendly cafe with great staff and good food.

Really delicious sandwiches and great service with a smile.

Really lovely place. The breakfast is almost too much! Worth travelling for.

Great café, friendly service, and good coffee but only 1 gluten-free bakery option. It was delicious but rather expensive for a very small cake.

Absolutely amazing breakfast place😍 We were looking for a breakie on our Devon trip and found this super welcoming warm inviting café in the heart of Ashburton. Food is delicious and filling, offering a bit of traditional and a bit of modern healthy plates. The staff is fabulous with wonderful smiles and helpful demeanor. It's close to the parking in town and close to all the beautiful shops of the central Street. Absolutely right decision to stop by. 😘

Fantastic brunch again today. Can't fault it. Quality ingredients.

Great restaurant and very friendly staff. Food is amazing!

We stayed in Dartmouth for a couple of days and had breakfast in 3 separate locations. On the way home, we stopped off in Ashburton and had a full English at the Old Library - it was the best breakfast of the holiday by far (and the others were not bad!). The focaccia bread was divine, thin sausages were tasty, and the home-made beans were absolutely gorgeous. They do nice cakes there to so we had to take away a couple of lovely cinnamon swirls for the journey home. Highly recommended

Very good food, hardly manageable. The burger is highly recommended. Service was very friendly without any artificial politeness.

Liked all the items on the menu. Service was really good

Buzzing little brunch place with small and beautiful menu.

Another excellent meal. Thank you.

Best brunch destination in Ashburton. Excellent English breakfast with high quality ingredients. Dog friendly (they brought us a water bowl for our dog). Great breakfast and lunch options.

There is very little there now so I didn't want to pay £2 for parking just to have a coffee its very run down

Lovely food.well worth a visit.Had a lunch time meal.The feta and watermelon salad was great.

Lovely meal and great value. Very good choice on the menu. We had the lamb and the trout, both good choices

This is our absolute favourite place for breakfast, the food is excellent. The service and atmosphere is great aswell. Friendly staff. We can't recommend it enough.

Every restaurant/cafe has its policy- this one is a NO LAPTOP policy, which is fine IF YOU TELL THE CUSTOMERS BEFORE THEY HAVE ORDERED AND EATEN THE FABULOUS FOOD! I sat down, got out my laptop, connected it to my phone and ordered a coffee and a delicious deli sub- it was really delicious. I then started working on my laptop when the waiter said in the most smarmy sweet voice - "we have a no laptop policy here." So I got up to leave. I did stop at the counter and point out that I had my laptop out when I ordered my food and that there was no sign, even on the menu that said NO LAPTOPS! His answer was well they should have told you, the Cehefs answer - well we had a sign but it blew down. This is the hospitality industry guys. Great to have a policy, but before you take customers money under false pretences tell them the policy. And if you screw up be gracious, you could have said ok just this once or even offered a refund - which would have been extreme - but to make not gesture that it was YOUR ERROR not the customers is just bad hospitality. I may come back, but only when I have cooled down because you treated me poorly and unprofessionally.

Some of the nicest brunch you can find in Devon, the Full English was 🔥🔥🔥

We are regular customers when they do an evening taster menu which has always been an enjoyable event. Bistro style cafe. Friendly staff.

Great food and atmosphere, would definitely recommend!!

Had a sandwich special with pork belly and homemade bread, was probably the best sandwich I ever had.

Great service and excellent food, highly recommend

great location..coffee and staff!

Coffee nice,sausages great,bacon a bit too smokey for me. Prefer normal beans! Poached eggs cooked nicely.

Literally the best cakes (date and almond is ‘the one’), the best coffee (both available to take out), THE BEST AND YUMMIEST QUALITY FOOD and the friendliest staff. 10 stars all day long!

Was lovely other than not being allowed laptops inside the Cafe 😊

This is our go to cafe for breakfast out in south devon. The food is brilliant and great value, the Atmosphere is cosy and inviting and the service is speedy and attentive. The cookbook library is such a nice touch. Would a highly recommended!!

Could not fault the food and service.

Having searched for the best brunch in Devon, we decided to stop in Ashburton on route to Cornwall and were not disappointed. The Old Library is a relaxed establishment with a friendly vibe. We were greeted and seated straight away and provided with menus to peruse. The order was taken in a timely and friendly manner and the drinks and food followed equally swiftly. The quality of the food was fantastic!! Overall, easy to get to, good food cooked well, presented well, served with a friendly confidence in a warm, comfortable and stylish interior. Thank you to all the staff, ‘you do what you do well’.

Quick service and nice atmosphere. Staff were friendly and the food was tasty. The club sandwich was full of different flavours and the coffee was good. Will happily go again.

Well situated close to a large car park. Ideal for a quick coffee before/after visiting good local independent shops in Ashburton.

Excellent food. I had the Lean Green machine which was sourdough bread, topped with stir fried kale, topped with two poached eggs, with a sprinkling of pumpkin and sunflower seeds and feta cheese scattered around it. So tasty and wholesome. Thank you too to the staff of The Old Library, who work so hard to serve us.

An excellent full English breakfast

Everyone in the group went for the Old Library breakfast. Eggs perfectly cooked, great sausages, lovely beans and the bacon was delicious….so much so we dashed round to their supplier ( the local butcher) and bought some to take home. Let’s hope I can cook it to the Old Library standard

Nice coffee, good-looking food menu.

Excellent food and service, back again for breakfast.

Amazing food, poached eggs on point, staff are really nice and chatty, was decorated all festive, drove all the way from scotland just for Amys cooking.

First time to the old library. It was busy, and now I can understand why. The vegetarian breakfast was wonderful. Lots of it, perfect poached eggs, and the beans were homemade. Well, worth a visit, If you can get a table.

We liked it here. Good Menu. Good service. Good surroundings. Adjacent the Tourist information Centre. Would visit again if in the area.

We liked it here 👍 Good Menu Good service Good coffee Good Apple and cinnamon cake. Good atmosphere Would return again if we were in the area.

We liked it here. Good coffee 👍 Good Apple and Cinnamon Cake Good service 👍 Good atmosphere 👍 Would stop off again if we were in the area 👍

Really delicious breakfast, served on HOT plates (important if you sit outside) Yummy sausages, perfectly cooked eggs & bacon, homemade beans. Delish!

Nice little cafe with fresh ingredients. Breakfast and coffee were delicious. Had a nice little buzz in the cafe

Really fantastic breakfasts and drinks. Very impressed with the quality of the ingredients. Will definitely be back.

Very nice food, clearly a cut above

Lewis,Jordan and Lisa I believe her name was. They were all brilliant members of staff and very welcoming and throughout my experience there they were lovely. Definitely would go again!!!

I don’t normally bother leaving reviews but this was the tastiest breakfast I’ve possibly ever had! Really good flavours and textures and healthy-ish too! Really friendly staff and great service. Just what we needed.

Saw The Old Library highly rated on TripAdvisor, so thought we'd pop in for brunch one rainy morning. So glad we did, absolutely lovely place and atmosphere was calm and cozy. Both had a hot chocolate and the OLB, and everything was really well cooked and super tasty. Portion size extremely generous, couldn't quite manage it all! Would love to come again! :)

Great service and brunch. Well prepared, tasty and lovely textures!

Typical stuck up hipster joint, trying to be quirkier than what they’re able to provide. Staff were rude especially when asking questions about their hard to read menu. Sausages, hash brown and mushrooms all severely undercooked, Cheap condiments and above all - ‘homemade beans’ are bacically butter beans with onion and tomato purée. I went in ravenous but could only stomach half of what was presented. Stick to the basics like quality service before trying to over complicate a simple dish

Over priced, trendy Wendy's half of our breakfast was overcooked the remainder under, their trendy focassia bread toast was so hard it was barely edible and chillies in house baked beans which were mainly chick peas, just NO and over £30 for 2 breakfasts extortionate! Because of their lack of standards we probably won't be visiting Ashburton again, oh nearly forgot, your loos are disgusting and need a very deep clean

Very friendly, great menu, excellent food.

Went in for lunch, ordered a breakfast, what I got was some items under cooked, some over, a trendy over priced failure. Toast, over, rock hard, bairly edible, Tom's, under, not cooked, snags, like an extra shrunk skinny chipolata, poached eggs, good quality but tiny and next to no white, hogs, pink, raw in middle, bacon, over, like streaky off cuts, fatty. House beans were mainly chick peas and too much chilli yuck! Over all not a good experience on the plate. Used the loo wish I hadn't, in need of a serious deep clean, will not be returning. £34.50 for 2 breakfasts and a tea is a rip off!

Having set out to explore Dartmoor and being thwarted by closed roads and badly signposted diversions we found ourselves in Ashburton. We enjoyed a lovely coffee in The Old Library and went back later for their Old Library Breakfast. It was all freshly cooked, presented very well, and was delicious, especially good were the Homemade Beans. All the staff were friendly and polite, a special mention goes to Meg. Thanks for turning what could have been a disappointing outing to a delightful one

Had breakfast here. Their Croissants are amazing, and really good coffee.

Really friendly and in a gorgeous town4

What a treat. Great local produce, delicious food, lovely atmosphere and great staff. Would highly recommend to anyone in need of a good brunch, lunch or breakfast.

Lovely food and lots of it. Which makes the price very good! Lovely atmosphere and quiet music really make this place!

The Service was fine the food not so. Poached egg had uncooked white on it, streaky bacon was tough, the tomatoes pale and tasteless they would be better with tinned, mushrooms not cooked enough, Foccaccia is not a bread I would choose with a breakfast. Apple juice very sweet. Considering the prices of the breakfast they really need to improve their cooking skills and quality of ingredients. I would not go again

Fantastic food! Baffled by the bad reviews... Honestly, we came in after reading a couple of bad reviews, so we're on the look out for issues, but found none! And I'm not one to rate 5stars if they're not fully deserving! Everything was cooked perfectly, seasoned perfectly, delivered in a timely manner, and reasonably priced. Staff were courteous but not overbearing in the slightest. Just the right amount of attention In every aspect of the business. I'd thoroughly recommend visiting, the food speaks for itself!

We managed to book a table for their March Supper Club, what a fabulous experience. Seven courses of absolute perfection, the food was inspirational and presented in a delightful fashion, cooked and prepared to the highest standards, and the wines were well matched for the occasion. I cannot recommend them highly enough, the service was impeccable and the atmosphere was wonderful. We will certainly be back as often as we can.

Wonderful place for a tasty bacon sandwich and cappuccino after a jaunt up Chuley and down Cabbage!! (If you know, you know!!)

Really good food and oat mochas

An ad-hoc drop-in to a café that I pass between the dentist, the delicatessen, and the car park. Not in my home town but I might move to Ashburton with its myriad of lovely individual shops and food places. The Old Library is just what I love - it’s small, has great character, excellent and friendly service, good wide menu.

Absolutely loved this for late breakfast. Short menu everything fresh and beautifully presented. Excellent strong coffee ☕

WOW! What a vibe, what exquisite food and service with a smile too. Without a doubt the very best bacon and egg sandwich takeaway we’ve ever had the pleasure of enjoying! Your orange drizzle cake also was out of this world too! Honestly, Amy and Joe, you’re incredible chefs and hosts, thank you for such a lovely treat and one we look forward to again soon! C&C x

Lovely food and nice atmosphere, friendly staff

We have been to The Old Library quite a few times and have never been disappointed. These two are 'proper chefs' - they have enormous skill and they are warm and friendly. Every time we come to Ashburton we go there (although sometimes we have missed in on the wrong day!) Absolutely 5 stars - and I agree how strange it is that if some people aren't happy, they should say so there and then, otherwise how can anyone correct it? Nobody is perfect, but you have to at least give them a chance to remedy a problem rather than going away and complaining from a distance.

Regularly pop in for coffee and cake. Lovely staff who really make an effort and delicious coffee and cakes. Very reasonable prices too. Highly recommended.

I am truly disheartened and very much disappointed with the review below. How someone thinks it acceptable to disrespect the old library - a successful, welcoming, stunning business with hard working individuals ensuring a holistic experience is beyond me. To the lady below. I was in the restaurant when you were present. You bring your own tetley teabags, you slammed their door so loud I thought I was going to have a heart attack and you are complaining when you ask for an additional salmon avocado brunch on your already delicious library breakfast. Considering the currently climate we have had for two years you’d think you’d show some more gratitude and respect. Good luck finding a better breakfast.. maybe try McDonald’s they may cook you some salmon!

Been here a few times and always the best food! Amy and Joe are always accommodating, including swapping food to accommodate my allergies and I cannot thank them enough. Would 100-% recommend

Terrible experience AGAIN today. Over-charged for swapping food I am allergic to, for an alternative. Nasty surprise on my bill. When I queried, was met with aggression and incredible rudeness. Very unprofessional. Won’t ever be going back, they are out to squeeze customers for every...

All good, but I'd have preferred that the white of my poached egg was fully cooked; it was runny in places.

Great Central location to meet friends Efficient service

Beautiful good, such great service and portions! The bread options are incredible. And it is open in October!!

First time in Ashburton since lockdown....it was very quiet. Found this lovely cafe/brunch place which is very popular. Coffee and some lovely toast ( homemade bread ) with a mixed berry jam. It was absolutely delicious. Lots of types of breakfast on the board and they looked very nice when they were coming out. Quite expensive. Similar prices to what we would pay in London. Good ambiance....Good service

Excellent place, interesting yummy food. Nice ambiance. Thank you

Popped in for breakfast blown away how good the full breakfast was. Love the home made baked beans. Will be coming back. A nice casual breakfast and luncheon place.

Amazing food!!! Definitely a must visit

We had an amazing 3 course dinner at The Old Library to celebrate a family birthday, everything was perfect from start to finish. Very attentive smiley staff and fabulous food along with nice wines - thank you for a great evening

A delightful little cafe/restaurant that was offering a lovely range of brunch options when we visited. Felt like a nice mix of London artisan cuisine with a Devonshire town vibe. Might seem pricey to some, but you get very tasty and well presented dishes. We had a salmon and cream cheese croissant, some bacon, egg and avocado croissants, and huevos rancheros. Yum!

Lovely place. Really friendly staff and good food. Chef was happy to adjust a dish to cater for allergies. Highly recommended 👌

Lovely people, as specially Joe the shef and as for Amy, well can I say 😀 top gal 😀

So friendly and the apricot sponge was delicious well worth a visit if just for a slice of that. O best pot of tea as well and I know my tea.

Lovely bacon sandwiches on home made bread, nice coffee, lovely people. Nice calm environment, brill with our autistic boy. Thank you

Great good, very friendly staff.

My Wife and I had the vegetarian breakfast - amazing best ever so tasty, cheesy coffee (Cortardo and Capuchino- Serves by Amy - 100% for friendliness, knowledge of the food and the suppliers and a great smile too. Faultless

My wife and I were there afternoon. The young lady who served us was a real joy. Very polite and explained what was available. However what let the place down was the very inappropriate language of the female part owner which could be heard across the restaurant. This was brought to her attention when paying and I felt the response was very condescending. Ok dear, yes dear is not the way to reply. Just apologise and learn from it. Set the appropriate standard and keep your voices down please if you have to use inappropriate language. You would have had 5 stars if it was not for this !

I come in here frequently for the amazing date and almond cakes, one day I’ll get around to having something else, the menu looks amazing. The staff are always smiley and friendly too.

Fabulous breakfast. Lovely staff.

Had breakfast at the Old Library yesterday with my wife. We both had the OLB Full breakfast. It was superb, thanks Amy & Jo, and your whole team. We come here as often as we can and have never been disappointed. The standard of the food, the lovely friendly staff and the atmosphere are all first class. A very special place. Thank you

Had breakfast at the Old Library today with my wife. We both had the OLB Full breakfast. It was superb, thanks Amy & Jo, and your whole team. We come here as often as we can and have never been disappointed. The standard of the...

Gorgeous coffee, lovely people!!

Came here twice for brunch (actually because some more local places let us down with closed kitchens). Had the veggie breakfast and made it vegan by removing the egg for which the cost was reduced (a lovely touch considering we normally have to pay the same price despite having less). The sausages were great - so realistic that we had to check with the waitress! They sometimes have vegan cakes too. Dog friendly and nice staff. Space was a premium on the first day but we sat outside in the sun.

Nice surroundings and very pleasant staff. Small menu but good quality.

From the outside I'd thought this was a pub...it isn't. A great little bistro/cafe/lunch venue (sorry I'm not sure!). I wish I'd taken a picture of the excellent, fresh, delicious food served by, very patient, pleasant and efficient staff (they still smile when the customer...

Lovely vegetarian friendly cafe serving delicious food

A friend and I took our two toddlers in with the intention of having lunch as the menu looked amazing! The food on other tables was very appealing. However with one toddler asleep in his pushchair and one not keen to sit still for more...