Watersmeet Hotel & Restaurant in North Devon

Really lovely setting Staff and food excellent during a busy Sunday lunch service

A satisfied stay with very good cuisine.

We went here for my sister’s birthday. We had a lovely time with a beautiful view. There were plenty of options on the menu for gluten free food as they were happy to adapt what I wanted. Not so many choices for vegetarian but my husband really enjoyed his meal. I had the confit duck and it was very good so I forgot to take a photo of it…

Fabulous environment, very smart. A bit more costly than portion size warrants but a great experience overall. But I guess you’re paying for the view.

We wanted a meal for a special occasion and this fitted the bill very well. Really good fine dining food with a fabulous view over the ocean. One of our number was gluten free and that presented no problems.

Lovely welcoming hotel and really enjoyed our time there. The location and views are wonderful but the highlight was the staff. We were made to feel really special and were well looked after throughout. Everyone was attentive, polite and friendly. It really stood out. Highly recommended.

Brilliant, perfect for a short break.

Expensive but lovely. Other than £7 for a bottle of table water! Staff first class... Back again. Clearly listened to review as water complimentary. Lovely food and lovely team. Views as good as you'll get...

What a fantastic hotel. Beautiful room overlooking the beach.

A beachfront property with unobstructed view of the ocean and direct access to the beach. Our room was cozy and well amenities, the breakfast was delicious, and the service was friendly and attentive. During off season, it’s not very busy and we had a very tranquil stay in Woolacombe. Highly recommend for a Devon getaway!

Booked here for my partner's 50th birthday and mentioned in advance. On the evening the restaurant had done nothing to make it special which was really sad as it's a big milestone birthday. Service in general was haphazard, with us needing to ask for wine glasses. The food was incredibly expensive for what it was. We live locally and have been here in the past and noticed the large price increase this year. Sadly alongside that the quality went down. And £18 for a Bellini is ridiculous. Overall I wouldn't recommend here anymore as what you get isn't anything special, and they won't go out of their way to make you feel special either, no matter the occasion.

Wonderful Sunday lunch on Mother’s Day. We all chose different mains followed by dessert and everyone really enjoyed their food: good sized portions and cooked to perfection. The staff had even reserved a parking space for us as my mum has mobility issues following a stroke. Beautiful views too. We had a really lovely time and hope to visit again.

Disappointed and not impressed. Service very slow- a lovely guy running around working hard but lots of other staff avoiding our eyes. Food was ok- but not worth the price- atmosphere dull - extra drink added to our bill and I think was added as they knew we wouldn’t add service- we fell for it and said - oh you keep that for a tip.

Great location.Amazing staff. Great rooms, not much more you could want. The food is amazing and a nice calm atmosphere throughout the building. Amazingly built and kept after.

Beautiful hotel in a wonderful location. Stayed in a deluxe sea view room which was clean and comfortable. Breakfast was delicious and service was excellent.

Well this is a lovely hotel set in a fabulous place, don't expect speedy service or maybe what you actually ordered. A steak but no steak knife or a breakfast ordered by someone else. But the location and rooms are excellent

It's all about the fabulous views, but everything else is great too. Apart from the sandwiches at lunchtime - sliced supermarket bread and £10 each. But plenty of other tasty options for lunch.

Amazing place for afternoon tea. Stunning view, great service and wonderful tea and food.

Absolutely superb!! We got married and reserved a table in the bistro but once they realised it was a wedding group (only 6 of us) they moved us to the restaurant with stunning views. Upon request we were allowed to use the grounds for our photos. Meal and service was exceptiona, made us feel really special. Can only highly recommend and we will be back next year to celebrate our anniversary

This was the first time that we have dined at The Rock Restaurant, although we have stayed in Woolacombe on many occasions. It was everything that we expected and more. The attentive staff ensured that we had a great evening out. The service was excellent as was the quality of the food and the presentation. We had the Beetroot and Celeriac and Haddock Risotto as starters and both were full of flavour and faultless. For our main courses we had the Venison and Stone Bass and again they could not have been improved, the flavours and accompaniments were perfect. The Viognier that we selected from the decent wine list was a great choice. For desserts we had the Strawberry Trifle and Lemon Curd Cheesecake both of which were delicious. Although it was a wet evening it was great sitting with those views over Combesgate Beach and out to sea. That was the icing on the cake after the superb food, lovely wine and great service.

Slightly disappointed with the whole experience. I was gifted a cream tea voucher and was very much looking forward to it. On arrival we were told where the bar was to order. I felt that we were inconveniencing the staff at the bar but anyway gave our order and told to sit anywhere. The drinks arrived and 10-15 mins later the scones which were hot to touch but frozen in the middle, I returned them and waited another 15-20 minutes for replacements but by then the drinks were finished. As a so called high end establishment I would have hoped for fresh drinks and an apology but nothing. I’m so glad we didn’t have to pay as it wasn’t worth it but feel disappointed that have to tell my family member who gifted it what happened. Staff need to cheer up and make customers feel welcomed.

Amazing views quick and great service

We recently enjoyed a great celebration birthday lunch at the Rocks restaurant at the Watersmeet for twenty two of our family and friends. Everything about our visit was fantastic. Ania and Mark were really helpful in organising the arrangements for the lunch which was enjoyed thoroughly by ourselves and all our guests. The table was lovely the food and service very good, and everybody was "wowed" by the location and views which were both perfect on a lovely sunny day. It was also lovely to enjoy some time on the terrace after the lunch, and the younger members, and some older ones, particularly enjoyed being able to use the swimming pool and sun-loungers. Thanks to all at The Watersmeet for enabling a great celebration afternoon.

We ate in the bistro on our recent visit to Woolacombe. Whilst we were not staying in the hotel on this visit we have stayed many times before and so wanted to eat there this time. Regrettably this proved to be a mistake. They seem to be having staff issues and not up to the usual standard. We ordered a starter to share and a main course. The main course was served before the starter and was sent back and when the starter did come, we were told to use use our side plates to share it rather than being given separate plates. The main when it came the second time had clearly been kept warm and was not really up to standard. Overall, even though this was the bistro and not the main restaurant we did expect better and would certainly think twice before returning.

Our 2nd time here for an afternoon tea treat ! The view is awesome the staff friendly & helpful & the food delicious including my gluten & dairy free one ! We will be back !

Hi We were given a gift of afternoon tea. The service was great and the food we had was lovely. Just a little disappointed as it said pastries were included. Not one item of pastry was included. May need to reword the afternoon tea description.

Traumhaftes Hotel. Super schöne Lage, hervorragendes Essen, schöne Zimmer mit Meerblick. Service war auch Top und sehr aufmerksam. Können wir nur empfehlen.

Lovely food, staff were really good and attentive Had a lovely lunch

Excellent fine dinning experience and very good waiter service. The food was exceptional Wonderful sea views

Absolutely perfect afternoon from start to finish we loved having the spa all to ourselves and the staff were very attentive. The Watersmeet is very special to us as we got married there in May 2022 and had the most spectacular day. The afternoon tea for two in The Rocks Restaurant after our spa was just what the doctor ordered. Generous portions and really tasty. We had a fabulous view and were extra lucky as the sun was shining. Can't recommend highly enough. The photos I have attached are two from our wedding day back inay last year and the rest from our most recent visit, Valentine's Day 2023 for our spa session and afternoon tea for two.☺️

My friend and I treated ourselves to a swim and afternoon tea. Upon arrival, we were made to feel completely at home and enjoyed the pool and facilities before enjoying the most delightful afternoon tea overlooking the sea in the stunning dining area. The staff were so welcoming and couldn’t have been more helpful. We will certainly be back. Thank you!

We visited for a family Birthday. There were 16 of us greeted by friendly staff at reception. The hotel is in the most idyllic area overlooking the beach. The roast dinner was enjoyed by everyone ,most said it was the best they had ever had ! The staff were very attentive . Really relaxed atmosphere . We all said we would like to visit again soon

We booked this hotel late as a stop off on our return from a holiday near Bideford in Devon. We dind't spend much time booking it, so we didn't really have high expections. What a pleasant shock when we arrived! We drove up the hill out of Woolacombe and got a great view of the hotel and it's position on the rocky cliff overlooking a beautiful beach. The lady on reception was wonderfully welcoming and the rest of the staff continued the theme of friendliness and professionalism. We got to our room and our jaws dropped at the fantastic view of the ocean and coast on three sides. We went down to dinner with big smiles on our faces, and the dining room didn't disappoint either. The food isn't cheap, but is of good quality, and again the service was really charming and attentive. Breakfast in the restaurant at the end of the building was equally good, the panoramic views of the dramatic Atlantic coast only adding to the experience. The hotel was obviously well-managed and didn't feel at all tired like so many seaside hotels do in England. We really enjoyed our stay and we plan to have a longer stay there to enjoy all the facilities on offer. Thanks to all the staff for making our short stay so memorable.

Ultimate Bliss! Had an absolutely amazing 3 night stay at this fabulous hotel. Stunning views, Beautiful immaculate building with most attentive staff who are very obviously really proud of their hotel and people they work for. Food is amazing. You can make changes to menu dishes with no questions. Many choices. Had a sea view room as most rooms are. Luxury fittings and toiletries. Best shower we've ever had. Comfortable bed. Would highly recommend. Thank you Watersmeet

Fantastic hotel! Stunning sea views, immaculate, fab food, the staff at the Watersmeet are exceptional and you will always be guaranteed a lovely stay. I highly recommend this hotel!

Afternoon tea for 2 was booked as a 45th Wedding Anniversary treat for us. We arrived and were shown to our table overlooking the bay and in glorious sunshine. We had asked for a vegetarian selection so were surprised when the cakes included a Panna Cotta which would have been made with gelatine. There were other issues with the cakes and I had to go and find the waiter to ask for some glasses of water. We also felt that the quantity of food could have been slightly more as well as having a bit more variety. I sent an email with my comments and the Operations Manager replied offering a complimentary afternoon tea which we had a few days later. The food was better this time with a better selection of cakes and they had also noted our request for only brown bread sandwiches. They do take note of comments but need to improve the level of service and get it right first time. Improving stained chair backs and seats plus not having small chips in plates would also help. Overall we would return probably just for a cream tea as the scones are very good.

After an operation we had 3 days at this excellent hotel. Staff were very attentive and pleasant rooms clean and airy, the whole hotel had a great feel about it, friendly and welcoming,.great break only marred by having to miss a day due to a consultation . Will be back very soon .

Absolutely excellent we will be back very soon.good excellent, staff could not be more lovely so helpful

It is an absolutely stunning venue and we were very fortunate that the sun came out and had a quick paddle on the private beach. The staff were most helpful putting up a sunshade so that I could sit in the sun but my mother...

Booked the champagne afternoon tea. £45 cost is on the higher end but not excessive. Exceptional view makes this very special. Afternoon tea was presented well, sandwiches were delicious, scones the perfect combination of fluffy inside and crunchy outside, good portions of cream and jam...

Fabulous afternoon tea on the terrace, amazing views and great service too! We spent a lovely afternoon at the hotel for the second year running, look forward to our next visit!

I wasn’t overly impressed with the room, however it wasn’t noice and it was clean. Highly recommend the hotel restaurant. I don’t usually eat in hotel restaurants (had to much when working) but this was was fabulous. Great food, super fresh and staff are very attentive and friendly. Highly recommend for a short stay ££££

We went here for a family meal. Booked it last minute and we were really pleased that we went. The food was delicious, staff extremely friendly and the view was to die for.

Beautiful hotel, came for a meal with my family , delicious food , fantastic customer service, very friendly staff and an amazing vie of the sunset! We were all vey impressed, will definitely be coming back next year. Kate

Good overall both in Restaurant and Bistro - only two alternating dinner menus in Rocks Restaurant limits choice somewhat

Pre-pandemic we had been dining at the hotel on our wedding anniversary each year. We returned again yesterday. It’s quite hard to review this. And so I will begin by saying why we knocked off two stars. 1. It was a very hot day and...

We have just had our wedding at The Watersmeet Hotel and it was truly a wonderful day , we and our guests were made very welcome and nothing was to much trouble, the staff were very attentive and our wedding coordinator went above and beyond.The...

I took my wife and daughter for a special Jubilee afternoon tea. We sat overlooking Barricane beach on the most glorious day. We started with a Pimms complete with various fruits included. The tea then arrived with tasty sandwiches, two large freshly baked scones with...

We hosted my sisters baby shower at Watersmeet Hotel & Restaurant and I am so pleased we did. Such a beautiful location with amazing views and the service was outstanding. Ania and the team were so helpful, accommodating and friendly. They really went out of...

Couldn’t think of a more perfect place to have a Mother’s Day afternoon tea. The sun was shining which enabled us to enjoy our tea on the glorious outdoor terrace and admire the spectacular views. The selection of sandwiches, scones and cakes were delicious. Would...

Most excellent full afternoon tea at the Watersmeet today, full sun and an incoming tide were a bonus. Super fresh bread for the sandwiches, lovely fillings of smoked salmon, carved ham and egg. Beautiful individual pastries and cakes, fresh scones with clotted cream and jam. Great service and surroundings.

We stayed a the Watersmeet for two nights (including Valentines) and ate in the Rocks Restaurant on both nights. The food on both evenings was amazing. If I could rate it a 6 I would. On the first night both of us had Duck started...

Excellent service and great food

From early planning to our daughter’s Wedding Day, staff could not have been more helpful. Helen and Anita were fantastic, and every member of staff could not do enough for us, ensuring our daughter and her husband had a perfect day. The Wedding breakfast was...

Beautiful view. Sat in comfy sofa having a lovely cream tea. Very nice staff. Relaxing lovely time.

Location spectacular, food very good, comfortable hotel and service first class

Couldn't get a seat as told only guests could use restaurant but brother in law was allowed in the week before . Not very accomadating

We absolutely adore the Watersmeet restaurant. The staff are fabulous; polite, funny, intelligent, formal, informal all in one. They are a great team. The food is delicious and the venue is stunning. Long may it continue! Can't wait to visit asap

What a lovely stay we had here. The staff were so professional, helpful and informative. They also added a dash of humour which added a light touch to the meals - which were delicious. Our room had a seaview balcony and we left the door open to hear the sound of the sea during the night. We enjoyed a long walk on the beach but there are many other walks just as delightful. I would love to visit Watersmeet again.

We first visited this hotel some 15 years ago and loved the stunning setting and views over the cove towards Woolacombe then. Love them even more now! Hotel has been upgraded beautifully with a perfect mix of luxury and warm hospitality. As others have written,...

From the moment we arrived we received a very hostile reception from the clearly bored person at the front counter. My wife had had an in-depth email conversation with the hotel about our lunch booking three weeks earlier. When she was offered a lunch seating...

We have just returned from a two night stay on Monday/ Tuesday of this week and had a thoroughly enjoyable stay. We stayed in both the Beach Loft Suite and a fantastic deluxe room as we couldn’t get consecutive nights in the same room. COVID...

Due to Covid restrictions the restaurant was closed to non-residents when we were there and the hotel had combined the restaurant and bistro into one. Food was good, reasonable choice. We would hope to return when things are back to normal.

Overall this hotel was splendid. The views are the best I personally have ever seen and I've been all over the world! The breakfasts were exceptional and the one celebration dinner we had there was excellent. Initially we felt that the supervisory staff in the bar/dining room were less than helpful if not a little cold! However, our issue was sorted out and we eventually came to realise that they were under some pressure caused by Covid restrictions! The room we had was described as a deluxe sea view room. It just about lived up to its description. It was a very pleasant room with the advertised sea view although it was tucked away right at the far end of the hotel. All in all a very pleasant stay if a little on the expensive side. In my view worth it for the unparalleled vista.

My wife and I recently enjoyed our second three night stay here. This hotel has excellent non intrusive measures to comply with the current Coronavirus regulations without spoiling the lovely ambience of this luxuriously comfortable hotel. We found our ground floor room to be spacious,...

We chose to stay here as a start for walking a section of the south west coast path. We only stayed for one night and found it to be welcoming and full of courteous, helpful staff. Covid 19 precautions were in place but were discreet...

The hotel made COVID 19 an excuse for withdrawn services, examples non cleaning of rooms unless requested,no change of either towels or bedding unless requested.....insisting everything need to be put in cupboards or draws before staff would enter. On arrival the windows of the room...

For a room costing £345 per night I found the whole experience to be somewhat underwhelming and have left feeling ripped off. To start with, we arrived just after 3pm to be told rather coldly and sternly that our room would not be ready until...

This review covers a recent three day stay at the Hotel. Wonderful location, high above the rocks and overlooking the sea. Upper level and lower level car parks - get an upper level as closer to Reception. Cheerful, helpful staff in all areas offering a...

Excellent stay. Perfect location and view and lovely food. Highly recommended.

Our initial booking in July was cancelled due to Covid & moved to last weekend. Ania, the receptionist has been excellent and kept us up to date throughout. The meal last Friday was exceptional, very fresh, very seasonal & all 7 meals were great. Thank...

Rooms were lovely, and had a classical feel to them. Views and location are nothing short of perfect!

We stopped here for drinks and a cream tea after a hot day on the beach below. It is such a beautiful setting and the staff were so friendly. The cream tea was the best ever.

We had a lovely meal outdoors on the terrace. Food was great (a little expensive). Service was just ok. We sat and one waiter asked for our order but about half way through another waiter comes and says we have to go order at the...

We were very lucky to have been given a one night stay with dinner and breakfast in the Lundy Suite as a Christmas gift. We had a wonderful time! The suite is beautiful with lots of thoughtful details. The sofa area is perfect for a...

Short review as I have written it twice as Tripadvisor quit and lost it. Great hotel. Great staff. Will return again. All staff members were very helpful and friendly. Good area to walk in and come back for a comfortable afternoon tea.

Absolutely one of our best hotel stays! Thank you so very much for allowing us to experience your Lundy Suite and room 23. Thank you for the wonderful hospitality - your staff in all areas of the hotel, and especially the super helpful lady who booked us in on arrival were amazing. We honestly couldn't have enjoyed our stay anymore if we'd tried. The atmosphere was truly inviting, and your other guests, some of whom appeared obviously to have been coming for several years, seemed to be enjoying the warmth of the place . For me personally it can be so easy to feel out of place where no one else looks like you; you made me feel I belonged there and I was right at home and very comfortably so! Your rooms are spotlessly clean and warm, our bed felt comfy and luxurious with crisp, fresh smelling linen and having checked the pillows underneath we could absolutely trust what we were putting our faces on. That's what luxury really means for us. We brought our own pillows due to terrible past experiences in other so-called "luxury" hotels but they never came out of the bag! We had the best night's sleep. Carpets are a little worn in some areas but that pales in significance as everything else was excellent. The views throughout the hotel of the sea, rocky coastline and distant headlands were stunning; we sat enjoying the scenery for hours. We also enjoyed our made- to-order cooked breakfasts, cream teas; the most delicious fruit scones, sandwiches and dinners (in the bistro) served by your most attentive staff - they are really good for your business! We left your hotel feeling happy, refreshed and recharged. Overall a very good stay that has made all the difference to our wellbeing. See you again!

Beautiful location with fabulous views, the service was very disappointing, staff were inattentive. Only one pot of tea served per person, we have had numerous afternoon teas at other 4* hotels and have always had unlimited tea or coffee. After speaking to a manager he apologised and addressed the situation satisfactorily.

lovely hotel in excellent locations. The brasserie is very good value, lovely food and service, decor and views

My wife and I were in the area for our anniversary and plumped on going here for a celebratory meal. Wow we weren't disappointed. Views out to sea from our table stunning with food to match. Staff very pleasant and welcoming. Can't recommend eating here...

The price is high (£300+ for a night in a room with a sea view inc continental breakfast) but as a treat occasionally it has to be done. The rooms with a balcony are just the business, views across the cliffs and out to sea, spectacular and that’s what you’re paying for. Breakfast was served in the superb sea view restaurant, plenty of choice for a continental type of fare, fruit, cereals, toast, coffee all well served by very polite staff, full English available but I think it was at extra cost?The room was fine but I recommend the ones with a balcony on the first floor, lovely to sit there in the sunset and drink a gin and tonic ( supplied by ourselves, ice from the bar!)A bit of a treat for us so we ate in the Ship Aground, a short but steep walk up into Mortehoe (10 mins)Overall, although it was on the top end of our budget it was an experience, thankfully the weather was fabulous and the sea was warm, surf was up so it made the day!Advice, book direct with the hotel, money can be saved and deals can be done!

Very good experience with stunning views!

Beautiful setting, lovely handmade cakes & sandwiches, warm scone. So glad we found it and picked a lovely day to enjoy the scenery

This is a fabulous hotel in a prime spot overlooking Woolacombe beach. We have been coming here for the past 20 years, and it is my wife's favourite location in Devon.

We arrived to eat here without having booked and although they had a wedding here they were very accommodating. We ate out on the Terrace and the food was excellent , particularly the yummy chips. The service was very good , the staff were friendly and the view from the terrace was stunning.

We ate in the Bistro and were very disappointed. The service was rushed (50 minutes for drink, starter and main course). The food was not freshly prepared and overpriced (£15.95 for 2 frozen sea bass fish cakes that didn't taste of ginger / lime / sea bass, a small side salad and a couple of blobs of mayonnaise). We will not be recommending this restaurant to others despite the nice views.

I highly recommend this hotel. Fantastic location right by the sea, with its own beach. The hotel is very clean, lovely food and service was excellent. All in all a lovely hotel, well worth a visit.

What a fabulous experience! Booked by the wonderful Ania who was so helpful to my husband when arranging this for my birthday.

Very generous cream tea - two scones with huge amounts of jam and cream - best enjoyed outside on the terrace overlooking the beach.

Had an anniversary dinner with my wife. Staff were lovely and service was excellent. Food was fantastic and the view from the terrace prior to dinner and the restaurant during dinner were sublime

Lovely location with views of the hills and sea. Really welcoming, friendly staff.

I was expecting a great deal from this hotel as the room rate is so high for a sea view room. The room was good, with a recently refurbished bathroom, but for the £330 per night rate I would have expected more than instant coffee to wake up to. There was also a no-smoking sign in the room that referred to new British smoking legislation. New ? Since 2007.

I was dining in the Bistro restaurant with my walking companions and we had a variety of different options off the menu. We started with the crab bisque soup of the day which was fine while my wife had the garlic mushrooms which were a large portion and a very garlicky. For the mains I had the Hake and chips which was excellent, my wife had the prawn curry which was very filling and well flavored, our companions had the Lemon sole and brown prawns which again hit the mark. We finished with a mixture of desserts, the seasonal berry crème Brule and the selection of ice cream.

This was to be a special holiday to celebrate my retirement

Have stayed, visited, eaten many times over the years. It’s hard to beat in Woolacombe. Such a special treat. So many positives here, so why not a 5 star rating? It’s because I’m Vegetarian. Gosh. I know! Tricky right? It’s been my one complaint. Breakfast is fab. Eat more than twice at dinner and you are all out of choice. Pretty poor for such an expensive high end stay. It’s really not difficult to stretch ones imagination beyond pasta and risotto! Otherwise, and in all other respects love love love this hotel whether as a couple, with friends or with the family.

Very lovely place great views lovely staff xxxx

A charming barman looked after us all (party of 10, 60+ - a bit rowdy!) and brought us cocktails on the patio overlooking the bay. Also took photographs - very patient. We chose the Bistro menu. but in the restaurant. Excellent choice of food and drink. Lovely evening.

I had never been to this hotel before even though I am a local. I will certainly be going back. Ambience excellent, attentive service and excellent food, and views to die for. Well done Watersmeet you did not disappoint.

Just returned from having lunch here and even out of season, the hotel in the Spring sunshine was just glorious. It must have some of the finest views in the whole of the UK and today did not disappoint. The food was excellent and beautifully presented and the staff were superb being both friendly and professional. You rather feel you are a guest in a country house by the sea rather than a paying customer and I am already planning a special birthday weekend there. I also understand there is a wonderful indoor swimming pool and spa which currently is only open to residents but will be in the future open to non-residents so that is, in my book, just another excuse to stay a night. We only live 30 mins from the hotel but it is a world away from the stresses of normal life and the views across Coombesgate and Woolacombe are just magnificent. Cannot recommend highly enough. Truly a 5* experience. One final note, if you are disabled, this is fully accessible from the car park to the brasserie where we sat. I am not sure about outside as it was too chilly to sit out there but the views were the same - just ask for a window table.

We have been there several times simply for the view from the restaurant, even in bad weather it's quite spectacular.