The Smugglers Rest ~ Mortehoe Restaurant in North Devon

Superb hospitality and just the best welcome for our writers retreat The Power of Owning your Story. This place is the best kept secret in North Devon. Will and Stacey are the ultimately wonderful hosts.

From the moment you walk in through the front door you know you are not going to be disappointed. The warm welcome from Will and Stacey not to mention the amazing cream tea was a great start to a wonderful 4 night stay.

What a great B&B lodging and restaurant! Run by a young and hard working couple who have put their heart and soul into this enterprise. Our bedroom had all the amenities of a 5 star hotel including a roll top bath, enormous shower, top quality bed linen and a balcony The restaurant offers an excellent seasonal fare at a price that exactly matched our budget. Incidentally, that was just the dinner. Breakfast is included in the price and is not just your standard ‘full English’ but an awesome variety of healthy choices. We stayed for 3 nights in July and will definitely stay again in the very near future.

Just had a two night’s stay and it was superb! We had the warmest of welcomes from our host Will and the retriever Kingsley - until we, reluctantly, said “au revoir”, we could not have enjoyed it more! The breakfast was delicious and the poached eggs perfect. Compliments to the Chef🤩 It was a delight to meet Stacey and the two little ones. What a lovely family. Our stay in “ Exmoor” was super comfy and these two “seniors” managed the two flights of stairs very well😅. The décor is striking and every little detail has been given 100% attention. This young couple deserve all success after their hard work and commitment to their business. Gem of a find!

Great food and lovely host, had a very very nice vegan option as well! Would recommend to anyone and will definitely be coming back!

From the minute you walk in you are made to feel welcome, with a relaxed friendly vibe. Beautiful and stylish decor, cosy without feeling you’re joining in on the conversation of the table next to you! The menus are small but in a good way, cleverly thought out dishes incorporating local produce (all their produce is within a few miles) all the options sounded delicious and made it very difficult to choose. Almost as if they’d selected all your favourite meals and combined them in a menu ready for your visit. The owner was incredibly friendly and took time to make you feel welcome, explaining specials and beer options (again all local ) A place we’ll be recommending to everyone and we most certainly will be back on our next trip to Devon.

Spent 2 nights in June for my husband's birthday. Loved every part of the two days, the suite had everything you could possibly need. Fabulous suite with views and plenty of room for us both! Cant wait to re-visit and eat in Miss Fea's again. Would highly recommend. Breakfast and eve meal sensational, service impeccable, five star quality x

Just stayed 2 nights B and B. Excellent room .staff very friendly . Have a very popular fine dining Bistro. Excellent food. Will certainly be back. One of the best cooked breakfasts I have had in a long time.

Stayed here for our Pilates Weekend Retreat - rooms were lovely (Exmoor) perfect for my stay and we enjoyed a hearty breakfast and wonderful evening meals, even a packed lunched for a free day out. All the staff were so friendly and wonderful atmosphere - loved the scallops….

Exceptional atmosphere, with friendly polite staff. We were greeted by Will; the owner who is just a delight to meet. The menu was great. The food was good quality and great value, scallops cooked to perfection. Portions were just right. But most of all good people. Even managed to look at the rooms which were very clean, well designed and attractively decorated. Will be going back for sure.

We stayed here for 3 nights in Sept 21. The rooms were excellent (Lundy and Hartland). Tastefully decorated, spacious amazing ensuite. Everything new and clean. Perfect. Breakfast had several choices and everything was cooked to perfection. We ate in the restaurant one evening and again the food was excellent. The owners were very amicable and helpful, plus all staff. Location is central Mortehoe. Highly recommended. Will definitely be visiting again.

Went here on our last night in Mortehoe. Simply exceptional food and lovely staff who were friendly and attentive. The mussels were so good that I had to have two servings! They get heavily booked up, so book in advance and early. Can't recommend highly enough. What is even better is that they accept well behaved dogs.

A really beautiful meal, this restaurant is not cheap but the food quality is excellent. This was the best meal of our holiday and the staff were very friendly. Thank you

Had an excellent midweek evening meal here,three courses everything was brilliant, best meal we have had in a long time. Good value for money . Had a lovely evening.

Will be staying at the Smugglers Rest in August, hoped to have dinner with our son and family, tried booking a table for 7 - no tables big enough to accommodate more than 6. Food may be good but will be unable to comment.

Superb. Friendly staff, great service, dinner was amazing, all in a beautiful setting. Love this eatery and hope to be back soon.

Phenomenal food and a first rate welcome. From being met by Kingsley at the front door all the way through to the cheese platter, this was a fantastic experience. Great food, smashing atmosphere and wonderful staff. Highly recommended.

An unexpectedly cool interior in a little cafe in Devon, with wonderful food and amazing cakes! Highly recommend for all the family. friendly and welcoming on a very wet day.

Super restaurant - food amazing and staff superb. Reviews totally justified! Can’t wait to go back. Recommend the steak and gin menu best ever!

Great food and service. Lovely selection of local produce cooked really well. Lovely coffee and a good selection of very nice wines and drinks to choose from.

What a total delight of a place. Everything about this dining experience was fantastic. Please relocate to Manchester! 😂

Quality local produce combined with a talented, and passionate chef creates a phenomenal dining experience. As a Guernseyman, I've had a lot of lobster. However, I can honestly say this was the best I've had.

Visited this place many times in the past couple of years at luch time, but never been able to get a table at night until this week. We have been twice in 3 days, absolutely fabulous food, service and a brilliant job keeping the business...

Lovely experience at this place. All precautions were taken and felt safe. Food was good had a little problem with one of the meals but not too much that it needed a complaint. Village is small and with the nearby holiday hotels it was a...

Everything about this restaurant is enjoyable. The food, the decor and the attentive service. The only place I could find in the area that can also do a delicious chai latte. We love it! A very happy place! 😁

Went for an evening meal with friends who recommended The Smugglers and what a delight ! Dog friendly relaxed dining with helpful and welcoming staff. The meal itself was fantastic, the razor clams for starters were perfect, all the mains we tried were truly delicious,...

Having stayed here many times as a hotel guest we decided to try their evening meals which are lovely. I enjoyed a crab salad with a twist to start and then perfectly cooked scallops followed by some yummy desserts. If you like craft real ale...

We had a fabulous long weekend at the Smugglers Rest in September. Vague memories of visiting its former incarnation as a pub on a previous visit to Mortehoe some years ago - what a change! We stayed in Rockham, one of the smaller rooms at...

Lovely b&b serving fantastic coffee and food, cooked by Stacey. It’s in delightful surroundings minutes away from Woolacombe and the amazing beach there. Perfect for visiting other stunning areas too. Our room was bright and clean with crisp fresh bed linen. The shower en suite...

We spent 3 nights here and were very impressed! Will and Stacey are very welcoming and friendly, and have created a charming, relaxed atmosphere. Each room is uniquely furnished and the cafe is a great space. Breakfast is excellent and the cream tea is delicious....

Such a refreshing change.. just spent four days at the Smugglers Rest in Mortehoe, just outside Woolacombe, the last part of our 630 SW Coastal path walk.Owner by two young entrepreneurs Will and Stacey with a refreshing approach to the great British bed & breakfast. What made it different ? Their enthusiasm, great interpersonal skills, brilliant cooking! Not forgetting Wills Gin Bar and Stacey’s baking.

Wonderful coastal retreat away in the lovely Smuggler Rest, Will & Stacey are the new owners and are both fantastic, so welcoming. We ate here, tea & cake, 2 days of breakfast, 2 days of evening meals and 2 lunches. Not a fault, the food quality was wonderful, Stacey is a brilliant chef & Will is a fabulous front of house. Bedrooms are bright and airy, lovely comfy bedding and fresh white sheets and duvet. A million miles away from your old fashioned view of a B&B! Give it a try!

Beautiful B n B loved the modern decor and lovely outside decking and garden . Quite location but easy walking distance 30 mins into Woolacombe or a bus . Rooms all tastefully decorated with good facilities including hair dryer , TV , tea n coffee making and yummy home made biscuits . We stayed in Lundy and new bed was very comfortable Great bar with lots of unusual Gins !! My favourite was rhubarb Cakes , breakfast , lunch and dinner was fabulous ❤️ All praise to Stacey who is a stunning chef along with her right hand man Will . Already looking forward to our next stay ❤️❤️❤️

We were here back in August and had a very nice time. Food and service was good. Good value and worth a visit.

Nos alojamos aquí 5 noches recientemente en una cama y desayuno. Y Stacey han adoptado recientemente sobre el negocio y han transformado el interior completamente dando tanto la zona comunes y habitaciones un ambiente luminoso, espacioso, limpio por todo el lugar.

Reservamos un viaje de última hora santa, a mí y a mi hijo de 6 años, así que tenía Dexter la última habitación a la izquierda. Es recién decoradas, ropa de cama y toallas super suaves y una habitación de tamaño decente para nosotros. La habitación era luminosa y ventilada, y fresco y limpio. Se no podía hacer lo suficiente para nosotros, él fue muy servicial y amable incluso antes de llegar a través de correo electrónico, ya que tenía un par de preguntas sobre lugares donde comer. Había una tetera con té y café en la habitación. El aparcamiento es justo enfrente, que es de pago durante el día, pero no es caro. El desayuno en la cafetería de abajo (que estaba muy bien decorado) era muy, muy bueno. Teníamos el desayuno preparado a nos preparó para el día!

Lovely transformation of an old pub into a charming modern eatery by new young owners. Stopped for a snack had great coffee and bacon sandwiches and a fab welcome. Looking forward to going again!

Viajando con dos niños, de 7 y 10, y nuestro perro, queríamos una escapada familiar acogedor, uno con perro pubs a poca distancia, playas cercanas, paseos costeros, su espectacular paisaje, unos anfitriones geniales y la comida.

Nos alojamos aquí para una escapada de fin de semana como base para el camino de la costa. La habitación estaba muy limpia y era cómoda y el desayuno era excepcionalmente buena. El propietario era muy acogedor y atento y nos cuidaron muy bien. Ganas de volver el año próximo después de que han renovado las habitaciones durante el invierno.

Este lugar tiene una fantástica vista al mar, la comida es muy buena, pero como con muchos otros comentarios el servicio es inexistente con los propietarios prefieran ignorar los clientes en vez de servir de ellos. Es una pena, ya que si tienen que actuar juntos a sería un ganador. Tuvimos Pizza un martes por la noche, que era muy agradable y el entorno encantador, añadido a la experiencia, por desgracia el establecimiento perdido la dulce y otras bebidas debido a la mala atención dada a sus clientes. Muy interesante si quieres buena comida y ver cómo no vender, como Fawlty Towers - y que estaba basado en Devon así!

Lovely little pub with friendly and helpful staff the food was brilliant and lots of it we ate here 4 nights out of are 7 nights holiday

Paramos aquí para una merienda antes de un paseo costero. Agradable entorno con wifi gratuito (mejor en el baño!!). Sentado en el jardín, agradable en un día soleado. Un poco decepcionado en el tamaño de la porción y los bollos no gusto que fresco. El...

Nos alojamos por dos noches durante las vacaciones, impecablemente limpio y la cama era muy cómoda. El re-vamp al bajar las escaleras es muy inteligente no puedo esperar ver lo que hacen con las habitaciones.

We had lunch here amidst a picturesque village and although the pub appears nice from the outside the sticky tables and terrible food were not good, my wife and I both left half of our food as it was pretty much inedible.

In need of a pint and a bite to eat after enjoying a walk on the coastal path this was the 1st place we came to. The pint, drunk outside in the sunshine was lovely, the crab baguette was tasteless but it filled a hole. Service was quick and friendly

meal was straight out of a microwave,kids running around in the bar and they charged a small fortune,we should have realised something was amiss,we were the only ones in the pub

I am familiar with this place, having lived in the area for a number of years. However, this time it was very disappointing- the beer was expensive and possibly the worst that we tasted in our trip to the west country. A shame.

As above. In peak season if you can find a spacious room, lovely full English breakfast, friendly service and a location that is walkable to Woolacombe Bay then you cannot complain.It is a fair walk but steeply downhill getting to the bay and a more strenuous walk back but we loved the walk.The Woolacombe Bay scenery on a hot sunny day was absolutely stunning.Lovely genuine local B&B experience.Loved it.

My husband and I had lunch here in September. The menu was very different to the usual fayre in pubs. I had duck in plum sauce and my husband had belly of pork with red cabbage. My husband even asked for the recipe for the red cabbage and the chef obliged.

Visited for a second time. Very friendly old fashioned pub. Good food, nice and hot, very tasty. Great atmosphere. Worth a visit.

My family, 5 adults, three children and a dog piled up at the Smugglers in Mortehoe, over the weekend, when the rain had taken a turn for the worse. We were camping locally, so we're seeking a good hot meal, after a great evening on a Wooly beach.We were welcomed by the owner, who was a great character, offering to pull tables together to fit us all in, with added bonus that you can take fogs into the bar area.We had a great meal, and probably one too many drinks, with a couple of handy takeout cartons for the wet campsite we were calling home.Great honest place, good honest food, value for money...what else can you ask for....oh yes, a character behind the bar.....we got that too!See you next year!

After enjoying a great meal here last August, we thought it would make a great treat for our last night meal in Mortehoe. Once again the variety and quality of food on offer was top class - myself and my friend enjoyed the superb Ploughman's platter - each served with a very generous portion of cheese. The kids tucked in to cheese and bacon burgers and there were clean plates and thumbs up all around. I didn't have a pudding but my friend said her apple and caramel pie was the best she'd ever tasted. Would certainly recommend this place - a real gem :)

Several visits here over the last year when we stay at the local campsite. Good food at reasonable prices. Family and dog friendly. Garden at the back. Friendly staff.Recommend !

Went here with 2 adults 2 kids aged 10 and 7 and a dog. The pub it's self is a bit tired looking but it's not the pub we wanted to eat! We (adults ) had chilli nachos and deluxe burger and the kids had burgers. The portions were perfect for us and the kids who have big appetites and was very nice and tasty. The dog really enjoyed being teased by the resident parrot too :-) pool table available too.

Lovely friendly staff at this pub. Very dog friendly. Food took a while to come but was nice when it did arrive.Would return if I was in the area

Went for a family meal, all food was piping hot and home made. Fantastic puddings - definitely recommend the hot waffles with maple syrup!

We arrived with friends (8 of us altogether) and ordered some drinks. We enquired about ordering food but was told they were very busy and didn't know if they could take anymore orders. As we finished our drinks we asked a waitress if the kitchen was now closed and she said she would update us if we wanted to wait 10 mins. So we ordered more drinks and waited. In the meantime she walked up to the table at the side of us (2 people) and told them if they discretely went to the bar she would take their food order! Then 5 minutes later she told us if we didn't mind waiting till 9pm we could then order food. By this time it was 8.40pm so we decided to wait and we ordered more drinks. At 9pm we went to the bar to order our food only to be told by the man behind the bar the kitchen was closed and we couldn't order anything. We explained to him that the waitress had told us we could order at 9pm but he said no it was closed. After waiting all that time and having three rounds of drinks (£20 a round!) we walked out disgusted. We will never go there again. If you want a decent meal go to the Chichester around the corner who when busy gave a brilliant system of getting you seated and served and will be truthful if busy.

Having visited the two other pubs in Mortoe we were keen to complete the trio. A friendly welcome was received and a few words from the resident paper Budge. The only pub with Rattled cider was much enjoyed on the rear decking which holds the last of the days rays when the other pubs fall into shade.

Great place at the top of. Norte point trail serving local ales with a smile and good value too. Made pus feel at home, would recommend.

What a find: friendly people, excellent food and good ales. even gorgeous george (boxer) and budge (parrot) make you feel welcome

Buzzing place obviously very popular. Efficient pleasant staff who made sure you were happy. Due to being so busy meals took a while, but they kept us informed and it was all very good.

This is a big friendly place that caters for large parties. The food is good honest pub food and great value for money, also dog friendly

This was the only place open in early Jan, for B.B. We have stayed here before, and the breakfast is excellent. They do accept a dog, and the owners do have a dog of their own called George. The place does do meals but on this occasion we did have an evening meal here.

Having visited here previously and enjoyed its hospitality I read a number of poor and disappointing reviews. I thought must have had a change of ownership or management or something , so when having gone to this part of the country again ( visiting family) I visited here again. The reviews mentioned the car park situation....having to use off site carpark at a fee.The carpark is free after 6pm and the establishment doesn't serve eve food till after 6m so tis isn't really a true issue .Another said food served cold and by unfriendly staff....my meal and my husbands were served piping hot and by friendly staff. Another complained about dogs etc in the bar area....well for dog owners such as myself, this is a welcome option.If its such an issue to some-one, the restaurant side doesn't allow dogs...The best way to make your own judgement of here is to give it a go.....We had our family join us one night...approx. 10 adults and 2 children, all made welcome.

A smaller dining area than the neighbouring Ship Aground but the food made up for it. Our large camping party were very impressed by our meals and whilst the waiting time was a little longer, the freshness made up for that - generous portion sizes too - we shall certainly return again

We ate here as a family of 10. The Ritz it is not, but the food was good, the staff were friendly and the price was reasonable - no complaints.

We arrived to a dining room shared with just 2 other families. With no staff available to seat our family of 7 we took it upon ourselves to put to tables together to accommodate us. We noticed immediately that the tables were sticky and had only had a cloth quickly wiped over the table mats (some sauce drips were missed) but as it was late in the evening and we had 5 hungry kids we decided to stay. We ordered at the bar and after our money was taken we were aggressively told by a staff member that we had to move the tables back as they were blocking the walk way. Back at our tables our children told us they had been rudely told by a waitress that they were in the way and needed to move the tables back. There was over a 1 metre walkway between our seated kids and the next table which is really plenty of room but we shuffled closer to the wall and were thanked with a grunt from a waiter! After waiting over 1 hour for our food the meals began to come out. starting with the table who had ordered just before us, then the table who ordered just after and then just 1 of our meals, a vegetarian lasagne. I asked that it was the vege lasagne and was reassured it was. We assumed it must be quorn and so one of our hungry kids tucked in. 5 minutes later a laughing waiter came to tell us in a joking manner that it wasn't our lasagne, that we had stolen it from another table and that it was beef! He apologised while laughing. I went to the bar to ask nicely what could be done about this and was told nothing. I asked for a refund as a gesture and the bar tender said this could be done so long as we didn't eat the vege lasagne that was now being prepared. He then sauntered off in to the dining room. I then spoke to the manager and explained the mix up, the staff members attitude and my concern regarding our experience. He sincerely apologised gave a refund for the 1 meal and a free glass of lemonade for the child whose meal it was. I was appeased but obviously was not brimming with love for the place! When our meals eventually came out they were standard. My crab and lobster burger was tasty but very small on a very large bread cob. The chips were terrible and no salad was included. Other meals were pretty much the same. When finishing the meal the manager did come through to check we were ok. I said the atmosphere seemed a little tense between staff as we had heard raised voices and arguments in the kitchen. He blamed the chef saying "oh he's chzec and hasn't got a clue!" he then went on to say it had been busy that weekend and that's why mistakes were being made. After finishing our meal we didn't hang around for desert and made a quick getaway vowing NEVER to return again. Be warned people, be warned!

Board specials looked good , menu ok - but waited over an hour for very 'basic' food . Chilli advertised as 'hot' ... not the case - asked for a side order of mash potato - was told this wasn't possible ?? - in summary - very friendly but food was dissapointing - we won't be returning

Good service. Great choice and the meals are very tasty. Very affordable as well. Also liked the fact that one is not hassled to hurry in any way.

Came here a few days ago for dinner. The staff were very welcoming and told us about their two mains for £15 deal which we took advantage of. My partner had vegetable sausages and mash with onion gravy and peas and I had the lobster and crab burger. Both our meals were delicious and perfect portion sizes. My burger came with chips but I would have appreciated a little bit of salad or something as well. The burger wasn't as hot as my chips so I ended up eating it all first which was a shame as it was so delicious. My partners meal was piping hot all the way through and the onion gravy was perfect!Although the parrot saying "Hello!" And wolf whistling at me was rather charming, I am a little concerned that it doesn't get cleaned out and flown often enough.

A very popular restaurant, there is no booking so first come first served basis. Good selection of Sea Food

Several previous reviews have mentioned the delightful pub parrot.Unfortunately, he Is housed in a cage which appears not to have been cleaned for months. It is encrusted with old food, feathers and poop; the dowel perch is covered with faeces and the water bowl looks like a stagnant pond. Landlords: please clean up this beautiful bird's environment and give him some fresh food, not a parrot mix chiefly comprised of peanuts and sunflower seeds. If you are going to keep an animal it is incumbent on you to look after it properly.

Situé sur cette partie d'Ilfracombe très touristique, offre un bonne cuisine traditionnelle. Bon rapport qualité-prix.

We received a very friendly welcome at the Smugglers Rest, it's nice to go somewhere where they actually like people.The food is a bit slow and is basic, which makes it poor value for money, so I wouldn't recommend eating here but to while a way a few hours with good beer and company it was perfect.If we had just popped in for a drink I would have rated it higher.

During a weeks stay in Morthoe tried the 3 pubs. Chichester was good but slightly overpriced and busy. The Ship Aground the staff seemed to have attitude and the customers were an nuisance. Our favourite was the Smugglers Rest. Friendly and welcoming staff a bit of a quirky place with a talking parrot and a nice dog. Good garden area at the back to sit in of could sit in the front. We ate only once but the food was fairly priced and we both enjoyed our meals. Could not understand why more people were not in it.

My family and I (six of us including 2 young children) ate here one night when other pubs were crowded and were very pleased we did, we had a friendly welcome from the landlord and staff and enjoyed our meals greatly, the specials board had some interesting options including excellent calamari and all meals arrived together well cooked and hot. This is a traditional slightly faded boozer with no pretensions but does it's job well. The pub parrot is always good fun and keeps the children amused and the good real ales do the same for the adults.. We would all definitely go again, they deserve support.

The other eateries in Mortehoe were full so we ate here. The food was fine without being fancy (chips with everything) service a bit slow but we were on holiday so it didn't matter. Overall don't eat here if you expect fine dining but if you want a basic meal for the family then its OK.

we have been to this place a few times and had excellent food.the staff are friendly and helpful would recomend this place.

We waited for 1 ,5 hrs for food, when it arrived .it was the most awful food ever!!! , when we complained , the food was taken back with no refund and we were all aggressively made to leave , we were all appalled at all the staffs behaviour / unprofessional ism , stay away unless yr like we were,,,, desperate !!!!!