The River Shack in South Hams

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.

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 views, lovely staff, delicious pizzas

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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!

Perfect.. dont need to say anything more

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

The food is a little expensive but good quality. Very helpful staff

We've been before but tonight it was closed for a private function for some very lucky people who'll have a lovely, lovely time ❤️❤️

Go on Thursday it's pizza night Highly recommended

Visited with friends for lunch menu and received the usual lovely reception from the staff. My smoked mackerel hash with leaf side salad was delicious. Great real cider and beer from just up the road. My wife had lime with angostura bitters which was fantastic. Our friends burgers were reportedly excellent and home made. Look forward to returning when we are next in the area.

Great place with good service. Been a number of times, good every time. Very popular, so occasionally a short wait to be seated. Worth that short wait.

Great place lovely location , awesome food and good service worth a visit

Very good overall. Tasty high quality food, politely served and a fabulous location. Only a couple of wee flies waddling around the ointment tin, the most annoying being the £6 cost of parking at the café's adjacent car park. Ouch! That said, recommended.

we dropped in here for lunch, lovely table in the marquee by the water. Two of the party were dairy free and we excitedly read the menu seeing great options for us. The butter bean soup with salsa verde was tried by us all and was fab, the braised fennel pasta was lovely and fresh and light and the best pasta I’ve eaten during two weeks in Devon, and none of the warm focaccia was left which says it all. Highly recommend for food, setting and staff, thank you

On holiday nearby and delighted to find this lakeside area. Lovely to watch children successfully crabbing and others having fun in some of the many small boats available to hire. The cafe is great and very busy.

Lovely place to sit and enjoy the weir. You can order a drink to take away or sit in. 6 pound to park the car all day. Toilet for the patrons. We did not eat there.

This place used to be the bee's knees but the last couple of visits have been hugely disappointing. Location is perfect but the service has got worse and worse, and these days there isn't any beyond the initial meet and greet. They are more interested in getting as many people as they can seated than looking after the customers who are already in. Food has gone downhill while the prices climb uphill. It's heartbreaking as this was a family favourite, but we won't be back.

A first time visit for us on a beautifully sunny day. We both ordered the potted crab- v tasty it was too. Shame the pot was topped up with toasted breadcrumbs though & not sure what purpose they served.

We have been here before for lunch and the location, staff and food where excellent. Went for Dinner last evening and were disappointed. It seemed like organised chaos. They took ages to bring out the starter. My wife’s curry arrived ages before my Pizza. I just don’t think there were enough staff. Shame. We will give it another try and hope things improve.

Great spot, friendly staff and ample parking! Beautiful place to spend a few hours. Scenery is beautiful and lots of families crabbing along the dam wall.

Incredibly delicious food, the staff were so polite and friendly. Would recommend this place to anyone!

Always fabulous any time of day. Brilliant staff and service, delicious food and drinks. Wonderful atmosphere. The best coffee anywhere!

Great breakfast on bank holiday Monday. I opted for the Mackrell fillets, 3 decent sized one turned up, with a perfectly cooked egg on gluten free toast. What more could you ask for? Just wish this place wasn’t 4 hours from home, otherwise we’d be here more often!

Great location and interesting but slightly limited lunch menu. Middle Eastern style food which was delicious. Perhaps could add one simpler item as well as one pizza choice for younger family. We were scouting for places to take family in the future. Not a problem today as we all really enjoyed our food but would hesitate to return with children. Will check menu prior to booking again

Great location, great food, great service!

Love the rivershack, always good food and friendly staff

Fab views and great service. I ordered the chicken tika flatbread which was delicious.

Always visit Stoke Gabriel every year on holiday and nip in The River Shack Great memories every year of crabbing with the family and a nice light bite in The River Shack Love the village and the vibe Be back next year

A very lovely place but gets very busy when the weather is hot

Lovely views across the river, only spoilt by bad weather, but all the same still a great atmosphere with friendly staff and good music

A beautiful place in a beautiful setting. It can be very difficult to get seating so making a reservation is recommended. The menu is lovely but the timing of food is a bit later in the day although cake and other snacks may be available.

Great riverside dining option and pet friendly. Pizzas were a hit, friendly team running the place and looks like they get decent local trade as well as tourists like us. Would definitely return.

Lovely location on the River Dart. We kayaked to the shack for pizza on their Thursday pizza night. Limited menu but fab pizzas. The special spiced lamb pizza was a triumph. The loos were less of a triumph but probably heavily used by passes by...

Delicious food, friendly service and great views over the brackish pond.

Beautiful surroundings.. delicious food.. attention to detail.. friendly service.. probably a well kept secret.. Will be back. Thank you

Lovely atmosphere..Great service and food..First time visiting with family and friends.. an escape from the norm.. probably a well kept secret..so probably shouldn't be singing it's praises..lol

Lovely food and a beautiful location. Give it a go.

Called in for coffee and cake on a sunny afternoon. Lovely setting beside the river. Busy when we got there but quickly got a table for coffee & jam/cream scone. Will return for pizza soon.

Beautiful breakfast, pancakes were delicious, yoghurt and fruit very tasty! Lovely spot of weather good. Great staff, especially Polly 😊