The River Shack in South Hams

Great food and drinks in a great location. Great to watch the birdlife on the water and passersby negotiate the crossing over the dam wall.

Lovely laid back atmosphere and the most friendly staff with stunning views across the Millpond. Food excellent.

Fab family-run chilled out place in a beautiful setting, caring and attentive servers.

Sadly disappointing. Called on off chance about 3.30 to be confronted by £6 parking fee. And when seated told only drinks and cakes available until kitchen re-opened at 5pm.

Just a quick stop here today for ice cream 🍦. Very good service and a nice ice cream in a lively setting.

Pizza & drinks all lovely. Staff v helpful. Not sure about the large table indulging in karaoke, early on a Saturday evening. Doubt they're regulars though.

5 star, cannot praise enough, it was our anniversary & a special place for us, the staff went to so much effort to welcome me and my unexpecting wife, breakfast was delicious, service was beyond super, and they all made it that extra special for their efforts, that they didn’t have to, thanks again all of you, will be coming in to see you 🤩 🙏🏼 ❤️

Fantastic waterfront cafe, great food and friendly service. Will be back.

This is my paradise restaurant. Casual excellence with an unbelievable view over a large tidal millpond. I've been a number of times with ever changing menu. Service excellent with the ultra cool Danni as our cabin crew for the flight (meet her and you will understand.) We come to the area for this place to eat. Thank you to the kitchen crew as well.

Lovely cream tea overlooking the estuary

I booked a table for one for breakfast. Whilst the restaurant was quite busy outside it was quieter inside where I was sat. Whilst the waiting staff were attentive, the food was slow arriving, which is a bit frustrating as a solo guest. When my breakfast arrived, it was delicious. Dog friendly.

Really appreciated that the owner made an extra effort to fit us in on a busy bank holiday Monday. Sometimes busy places like this on packed days can make you feel like they're resentfully doing you a favour, but there was none of that atmosphere here. Fresh food and lovely setting.

A delicious location in a picturesque location.. The food was beautifully presented, fresh and very tasty. Lovely friendly service.

Excellent food, friendly staff (thanks Andi), great location. Stopped for coffee and cake, came back for lunch! Crabbing fun too.

Made me laugh on the photo saying icecreams 1 scoop £2 just here today £3.75 for one scoop and the smallest scoop of icecream ive ever had ☹️

Maddie served us she was lovely made our visit extra special

Amazing location, wonderful views, great food and beer, and Madison was very helpful and friendly, thanks to everyone

This really is a first class establishment. Grandstand views of the River Dart, very reasonably priced and locally-sourced food, extremely friendly, and the service (Andi in our case) is beyond superb. Highly recommended.

Lovely location but not great food. I had the roast beetroot salad and my partner had shrimps. Beetroot was barely roasted and there was way, way too much of it in huge chunks. I love beetroot, but couldn't finish it and saw lots of other tables with lots leftover too. The delicate flavour of the shrimp was overwhelmed by horseradish - not a match I'd ever want to experience again. Service was ok, but got asked too many times if everything was ok - at least twice by three different servers.

Another bike stop found. This place has it all, scenery, nice people working their and cracking food/coffee. Will add it to the list and will back again in the summer.

Lovely bit of a cake and a latte. Very friendly staff and in a beautiful spot on the river.

We were welcomed with a warm smile by Andi and from that point on our experience was magical. Delicious food, delicious views and the most hospitable & efficient staff I have experienced in a while. They were especially adept at remembering the various types of coffee we ordered! Thank you - this is what true hospitality is all about! Know that it is recognised & appreciated.

Met at the entrance with good service. Food is all fresh and tastes great. Setting is incredible

Looking a brunch spot near Totnes & came across this! Absolutely 10/10, glorious views across the River Dart, yummy food and lovely service from Will and Madi❤️ Thanks for having us, we will be back!

Fab place Izzy was fantastic really looked after us Julie & Dave

Really good lunch and delightful service by Izzy. Great spot on the river too.

I always visit the River Shack whenever I'm in the Devon area. Delicious food, friendly service & fabulous views. My wife always enjoys the yummy soups at lunch & I have enjoyed an excellent seafood spaghetti. Highly recommend, well worth a visit!

This place is such a gem in Stoke Gabriel. The atmosphere is so lovely, looking across the river, and the staff are friendly and happy to help. We come a lot and the chef always has delicious dishes on the menu. From our recent visit I can recommend the Scandi prawn toast.

The welcome and service and food were fantastic

My favourite place to eat in South Devon, such a beautiful spot by the peaceful mill pond in the sunshine - the scandi prawn toast was divine, as were the g&t’s! Will be returning for the seafood spaghetti soon, the owners treat you like an old friend, such a lovely vibe!

Stood outside by the sign saying WAIT HERE TO BE SEATED. Gave up after a long wait and looking foolish and went to The Castle pub at the top of the road where I was served immediately.

We are currently into about 2 months of a 3 month adventure from Australia to the Mediterranean, Europe and the UK and have numerous lovely meals. We have enjoyed meals on our cruise and lovely meals on our Coach tour however the best meals have been today down at the River Shack. Breakfast and Dinner tonight have been truly the best meals so far. Great work Mark. And the best coffee Sarah.

Called here on a cold November Friday with our 2 dogs. Another great find. Fabulous celeriac and roasted garlic soup with chunky sourdough bread. Our mains were their specialty burger and potted crab. 10/10 for all. Would highly recommend. Good parking and accessible.

We realise that this restaurant cannot provide a large menu especially during the autumn /winter but on our evening the fish choice was not on (replaced with a lazy prawn dish) and out of two desserts the crumble was also not available! Feel this is lazy as there is so much fish available locally and the excuses to not provide an apple crumble is in fact rather lazy from the kitchen. If you only want to offer pizzas and burgers, fine but don’t disappoint people with omissions.

Fantastic cafe/restaurant in a picturesque setting. We enjoyed an evening meal in the cosy marquee- lovely atmosphere and great food.

Great cake and coffee by the wood burner after a walk around the beautiful village in the sun. Always a warm welcome and a regular place for us to go after a walk with friends.

Was going to have lunch here but only parking option was £6 all day parking

Another gem - with glorious views, indoor and outdoor seating, exceptional food and such lovely service! Can’t fault it - thanks Will, Izzy and team :)

What a brilliantly if not a little quirky café bar restaurant right next to the river Dart, just lovely views and scenery with log burner room, out door seating and in door, had breakfast there, was really nice.

Nice stop while visiting the town of Stoke. A wide variety of local drinks, excellent hot chocolate and good English tea.

Amazing food, stunning location

A cute place, with good food, neatly presented. Edit... Service improving and it was already good.

The burger was wonderful definitely worth it. Friendly staff as well 👌

Just stopped for a latte. Really friendly welcome. Beautiful setting.

2022- Really excellent situation right on the river, very friendly staff and delicious coffee. However, beware the £5 all-day parking, which is a little steep for a 1hr visit! But, the fewer cars in such an idyllic village the better, it’s true… 2024- returned today and breakfast of spicy taco with beans, tomatoes etc was just the trick. My wife had the full English and said the egg yolks in particular were bright orange and delicious. Parking this time (out of season) was only £3 👌🏼 The husband-wife owners of the River Shack are great to chat to and clearly very hands on and passionate about what they do. Photos attached taken today (13/09/24). Thanks!

Brilliant spot on the river. Friendly welcome. Prompt, efficient service and good cake and scones. I'd prefer just to enjoy the peace if the place - so did not want to listen to the music....hence the drop of 1 star on atmosphere, otherwise all good.

One of the best coffees I've ever had

Had pepperoni pizza for dinner and scones with jam and cream the next day. Absolutely fab-u-lous and the IPA is bangin.

Came here yesterday 31/08/24 for a coffee with my friend. Took a while to be seated inside even though there was no customers inside. A young girl said she would bring us some menus and we were sat there for 20 minutes waiting and she kept looking at us and then chatting away to her colleagues of which 6 of them were stood chatting. My friend ordered a Devon rock and the girl then sat next to her colleague who was on lunch and she was whispering to her about us and kept staring over. Overall really bad service and quite disappointed as I was recommended this cafe.

We booked supper on a Friday evening. When we arrived we used the toilets and they were filthy! We flagged this to staff and they apologised but said the responsibility for the toilets did not lie with them but instead lay with the "car park people"?! Secondly, we were waiting by the sign that says 'wait here to be seated' for 5 mins plus, despite numerous members of staff going past us! When I went inside to find a member of staff I was informed someone would be out In a few minutes (no apology) - I had already waited more than a few mins! When someone did come out to seat us, we were greeted with 'sorry guys wasn't sure if you were waiting or not as you were standing to the side'- we were standing in front of the wait here sign! We were seated, but were then presented with the very limited menu- of burgers, pasta or pizza. We were expecting local fish or seafood given the sample menu online. Needless to say, at this point, having not even placed a drinks order we decided to leave. Disappointing all round, especially given a previous positive experience here. Will not be returning again.

Great food service and ambience. Watch out for spring high tides if you’re sitting outdoors!

We’re lucky enough to live quite local to this establishment and have visited more than once. We brought some friends who were visiting here over the summer and they loved it as much as we do. The pizza nights are always worth a visit, sitting in the evening sun next to the stunning River Dart, excellent food and a great atmosphere make this one of the best places for dinner in south Devon. Kids love it too.

Setting was stunning. Staff exemplary and super helpful. Food a bit disappointing. Menu felt a bit unadventurous and both dishes we had were served with focaccia which felt stodgy, carb heavy and not the freshest. Personally felt it might have worked better with sour dough. We had a side of chips which were tasty.

Car park is £6 all day in summer. They have a card machine and also take cash. The car park is not run by the cafe. There is a toilet available around the back of the cafe when the cafe is open.

We arrived and paid £6 for the carparking.. We had to give our dog a little walk first. At 2.45 we stood waiting to be seated. Even though we were looked at by the staff we were ignored.. after 10 minutes of waiting we sat ourselves down and asked if this was ok as could see they were busy. Then at 2.55 we were told the kitchen shuts at 3 and we couldn’t have food?! Not very happy as was a treat for my son and we had to leave and find an alternative. £6 wasted!

Amazing customer service and outstanding food and coffee.

Fab location and friendly staff, but I found a bit over priced. At £24 I was expecting a hearty Bouillabaisse, but a handful of mussels a little fish wasn't it. Pizzas looked fine ~£16 never came back with a second drink I ordered so left early.

Fantastic afternoon stop after crabbing the morning away! The best scone in all of Devon, and a tasty hot chocolate finished off this wonderful treat.

Lovely location. Parking £6 for the day so ok if you are staying that long. We had cooked breakfast which was ok, not too much choice as it's obviously limited to what they can cook being a small place. Lots of children crabbing which they all seemed to enjoy.

Beautiful views, lovely staff, delicious pizzas

What a gorgeous setting & place to visit. Took our daughter crabbing here as recommend to us. Was not disappointed. Never seen so many crabs! She loved it. The River Shack is really nice with great food and helpful friendly staff. We'll certainly be back 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Beautiful spot with amazing views

A lovely position for a restaurant overlooking the river, pleasant staff are all the positives. I had a prawn and crab salad and my wife had a burger. The meat and the seafood were ok but the quantity of sauces on both dishes made it difficult to taste the ingredients particularly the crab. Limited covered tables so worth booking. Do not think it’s fault of restaurant but parking is charged at £6 for day unless one of free places is available.

Very nice, great atmosphere. Beautiful views across the river. Would highly recommend a visit, especially during the evening.

Lovely location with inside and outside tables with views of the mill pond. Parking was £6 for the day, so you will need to factor that into your costs. The lunch menu was surprisingly limited. There wasn't much for people who like simple food, unless you like burgers or chips. I had the brixham crab and Prawn on a focaccia bread, which was plentiful tasty and excellent overall. My wife had the burger and chips, the burger meat was a bit dry and a bit salty. Staff were attentive, polite, and efficient.

A perfect little spot for breakfast or lunch. Can't fault the place 💕

Such a lovely restaurant with amazing food. We were a party of 8 plus a baby and the staff couldn’t have been more helpful or attentive. The pizzas are all made fresh in the oven outside and the small menu is clearly thoughtfully designed and packed with flavours. Everything was exquisite - the muscles particularly! Would absolutely recommend a visit!

Thursday night is pizza night, Fantastic pizza and very friendly staff.

Stunning spot Brixham crab and prawns salad on focaccia, and the shack burger- two totally different meals, each tasty and well presented. Friendly staff, lovely setting, no hurrying you off, would've loved to try dessert, but seriously had no room for one. Brilliant visit, I will be back

Really beautiful spot with a lovely menu. All the food and drinks we had were on point. Will definitely be going again.

Loved it! Very welcoming. Great food and service. Great for families, gorgeous views. We shall return.

Enjoyed a Salcombe Pale ale on a lovely sunny afternoon looking across the mill pond. Dog friendly and friendly helpful staff.

beautiful place, great food, great customer service and everything price reasonably. thank you

What a beautiful view, it’s probably one of the loveliest places to sit and enjoy the sunshine in Devon. The staff here are lovely, I do think there’s scope for a better quality lager, Devon Rock isn’t the best . It really does taste low graded. We had pizzas which were very expensive £18 for adults £8 for a tiny kids pizza . I tried the special, it involved cured ham and roasted peaches on a wood fired pizza…. An adventurous idea but it didn’t work for me, however I love the enthusiasm ! Italians everywhere would go nuts 😆Guys, get some decent draft lager , lower your rates a tad , and don’t put peaches on pizzas, you have a beautiful venue don’t spoil it with overpriced basic food , keep it real and watch the bookings flood in.

Friendly little area Beautiful Ice creams were fabulous

Fantastic time as always. Friendly service, cold beer and great food.

Food was delicious, we had fresh wood fired pizza. Two had masala dosa, they eat it all and fully enjoyed it. Great place for vegetarians or gluten free food. The choice for meat lovers was slim you had prosciutto or pepperoni pizza. They had a good selection of seafood. The inside was cozy, the décor was crab 🦀 orientated. Would recommend. Returned a year later on two Thursday's for pizza night, they still have the chilli honey, which tastes amazing on pizza. They have vegetarian and vegan cheese, but sadly not gluten free for pizza night. We enjoyed dining both times. The place is dog friendly, we also had a young baby with us this year, we managed both times to find room for him in the pushchair and second time in the car seat. We sat in the marquee for the amazing views. The second time it was raining, the wood fire was on to keep the temperature just right. Staff and service are always outstanding. Would recommend if you are in the area.

Lovely food and enjoyable place for lunch and kids loved the crabbing too

Fantastic location on River Dart. Access to river for canoe/kayak/stand up board. Car park next door, all day fee. Walk down from village. Great food, menu, service!!

We had such a lovely time at River Shack. The view was absolutely stunning, and we thoroughly enjoyed soaking it all in while we ate. Will and Faye, the owners, were incredibly friendly and made us feel right at home - stopping to welcome us and have a brief chat, even when very busy. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. We also tried their new summer cocktails—vermouth and orange wine—and they were fantastic. I could have sat there all evening. Plus, the pizzas were made right in front of us and were delicious, some great combinations. Personal favourite was the blue cheese and peach. A real Devon gem, both welcoming and relaxing - as well as top notch food and drink.

Perfect.. dont need to say anything more

We visited on a summer’s evening, the weather wasn’t great but we had the best evening(sitting outside but under cover)! The staff are lovely (especially the owners Will and Faye who made us feel very welcome), the view is incredible and the pizzas were fantastic. We were recommended to try the summer special drinks, and what a great recommendation that was (the vermouth and orange wine were our favourites). Thank you so much for a great evening - this is such a great spot! We will be back soon!

Riverside cafe selling basic but tasty food.

Have visited a few times, always good food. Service and atmosphere excellent with great views of the river Dart and dogs welcome. Would recommend booking in advance. Car park available at £6 for all day. Kayaking available and some nature walks.

Great atmosphere and lovely food...friendly staff. Returned for a meal again on last night ...shame not open every night

Slightly pretentious and overpriced. I only went for a coffee on a day when there was no-one seated outside. I went and sat down and was then ignored as I'd clearly ignored the "Wait to be seated" sign. Order came out wrong twice and the price is rather high. Don't even try and park there, it's £6 which is outrageous.

Service wasn’t great long wait but polite enough, and in the end we would have had to wait to get food (about 45 minutes as they weren’t cooking yet) and decided we’d go else where. It was a shame as it was for my partner’s birthday treat so had hoped it would be more of an occasion. Parking near by is outrageously expensive. Park on the street at the top of the hill and walk down.

Perhaps for some this review looks fake, because I gave 5 stars to everyone and points, but how I adore this place🔥🤍 The atmosphere is very pleasant because this restaurant is located near a forest and a river The food is prepared in the best possible way, with attention to detail on the ingredients, and that's what makes it special I suggest everyone who has not yet been to River Shack to visit it and fall in love with this place Below I will attach a photo of the burgers I took I took on a burger and ice cream I didn’t add a photo of the ice cream, but it also highlighted my lunch on a sunny day.

Lovely little place where evening meal was lovely. Dined in the two weeks when crab shed their shells so eat deep fried whole crab where everything is eaten, lovely. Pizza's where amazing too. Great service by very friendly staff

Super place on the edge of the millpond. Very picturesque, friendly service, really nice Salcombe ale.

Lovely little spot for brunch, lunch or dinner.

Lovely staff, perfect place for breakfast and a cuppa.

Wow! Welcome back River Shack. Just wanted to say thank you so much for a fantastic Mother's Day lunch yesterday. The care we received in making sure we had a good table that suited my blind dog in a buggy, and all the needs of our family was really appreciated. They even gave my Mum a little mini hot water bottle. The welcome was amazing, all the team were so friendly and smiley....and the food...well, what can I say. Whoever baked the goats cheese and tomato dish deserves a medal. Please never remove it from the menu! My parents loved their grilled smoked mackerel too. And we all loved the skin on fries and then a delicious slice of carrot and walnut cake. We'll be back at Easter!

A superb lunch out for Mothers day. Absolutely delicious food...the goats cheese was literally melt in the mouth and the mackerel absolutely delicious. It was the nicest meal out we've had in a long time. The staff were absolutely delightful... So smiley and so accommodating of our needs, mobility issues and giving us a table so we could have our little blind dog with us. Make sure you book a table, this place is an absolute gem and deserves great success. Thank you everyone at the River Shack for a wonderful lunch!

Another enjoyable visit to The Shack for tea and cake by the wood burner. A good half way stop on a walk around Stoke Gabriel. Glad that you are back open.

Spring arrives with the new season opening of The River Shack and a wonderful welcome from Will, Faye and staff. We enjoyed a traditional cooked breakfast on day one, perfectly seasoned and their 'new sausage' is a winner - if filling! Support them whether for breakfast, lunch, tea & cake, evenings or just a pleasant drink beside the mill pond, you wont be disappointed.

The setting for this place is super, even in the rain. It’s coastal but edges the picturesque village of Stoke Gabriel and the local church, famous for its centuries old yew tree is within walking distance. I’ll give a wide berth to some of the service issues which a day after reopening, were unnecessary and irritating - better training needed for hesitant and unsure waiting staff as well as a zero tolerance policy for initiative not being deployed. Beyond this, the food is great. The tomato and bean soup was creatively delicious and the cream tea was exactly what you’d expect from a kitchen that dishes up excellence. The dining environment is unfussy but comfortable and has a discernible warmth about it. Limited ( and in the summer season, expensive ) parking is available adjacent to the property. An altogether worthwhile destination stop for casual eating.

We have been several times and we love it. The service is very friendly and so are the views.

Great place, great staff. Choice of food and drink.

Always worth the trip down from Exeter! We received the warmest welcome from the owners, the staff are always so friendly and helpful. We sat in the covered heated outdoor tent looking over the dart, the views were amazing and so was the food. Thanks again for a lovely lunch. Xxx