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Eat out this Christmas

Our selection of cafés and restaurants will help you find somewhere special to enjoy festive food and celebrations this Christmas

Christmas chicken
Christmas at Offshore Restaurant & Bar in Torquay

Offshore Restaurant & Bar, Torquay

Christmas by the waterside: the award-winning team at Offshore Restaurant & Bar looks forward to welcoming you with warmth and hospitality this festive season.

Open daily, overlooking Torquay harbourside, you can expect fresh, local produce, hearty home-cooked dishes, fish specials from England’s seafood coast, Christmas afternoon teas and indulgent West Country Sunday roasts.

Offshore Restaurant and Bar is the ideal venue for your Christmas party, with various affordable catering options, live music and décor.

www.offshoretorquay.co.uk

Christmas table setting at The White Hart

White Hart, Dartington

The focus of the food offering at the White Hart is about using sustainable, locally produced food, with much of it grown on the estate. Why not visit this season for a mouth-watering Festive Lunch, or try one of its Christmas Party Nights.

Starters are caramelised parsnip soup; local smoked trout; slow-cooked Sladesdown duck terrine; butternut squash; or beetroot carpaccio. Mains are roast Devon turkey breast with seasonal trimmings; Dawlish Forest Fungi wild mushroom tagliatelle; roasted fillet of local line-caught sea bream; pancetta and sage Oliver’s chicken; or sweet potato and cumin Wellington. Desserts are traditional Christmas pudding; winter berry meringue roulade; dark chocolate mousse; or spiced apple cake.

Festive Lunch Parties from £28.95 and Festive Dinner Parties from £33.50 per person. Booking is essential. Visit the website for room hire prices and further information.

www.dartington.org/visit/food-drink/white-hart

Northcote Manor, Umberleigh

Experience the magic of a country house this Christmas, as Northcote Manor is transformed into a cosy, festive hideaway. Throughout December and into the New Year, enjoy warming fires and Christmas trees.

Book a pre-Christmas treat, or a festive getaway. The hotel is offering lunches, served between 12 noon–1.30pm, running from 29 November to 20 December. Three courses: £32.50 per person, including tea/coffee.

www.northcotemanor.co.uk

Roast turkey joint.

Pig & Whistle, Littlehempston

With fresh dishes and quality local produce sourced from land to sea, you are in for a treat with the Pig & Whistle’s Festive Menus.

To start, choose from roasted parsnip and Bramley apple soup; salt and pepper squid; chicken, pork and cranberry terrine; or goat’s cheese and beetroot tart. The main courses are roast turkey; fillet of salmon; braised Berry Pomeroy pheasant breast; or beetroot and butternut squash Wellington. The desserts include Christmas pudding; dark chocolate, cherry and Kirsch cream roulade; luxury lemon cheesecake; blackberry and clotted cream ice cream; or a local cheeseboard.

Two courses: £22.95, three courses: £26.95. Available from 1–23 December, seven days a week (excluding Sunday lunchtime). Pre-ordering is essential.

www.thepigandwhistleinn.co.uk

Table setting at The California Inn, Ivybridge, Devon

The California Inn, Ivybridge

This 14th-century free house and restaurant has a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Bookings are currently being taken for its special two- or three-course Christmas menu.

Choose from three starters: parsnip and apple soup; crispy duck bon bons; or prawn and crayfish cocktail and sourdough. Mains are roast turkey with Christmas trimmings; braised beef bourguignon; roast hake, white wine butter sauce, crushed new potatoes; or wild mushroom, caramelised onion, goat’s cheese tarte tatin. Desserts are Christmas pudding with clotted cream; caramelised apple and vanilla crème brûlée; chocolate and amaretto torte; or a trio of Christmas-flavoured ice cream.

Two courses: £22.95 or three courses: £26.95.

www.thecaliforniainn.co.uk

Bovey Castle, North Bovey

Experience Christmas at Bovey Castle with its festive menus and special breaks.

Festive Afternoon Teas (£50 per person), December Dip n’ Dine spa experiences (£145 per person), as well as pre-Christmas Private Dining experiences with canapés, a three-course meal, coffee and mince pies (£79 per person).

www.boveycastle.com

Traditional Christmas Pudding. On the menu at The Railway Inn, Brixham

The Railway Inn, Brixham

The team at this warm and friendly family-owned inn uses local suppliers wherever possible to produce its home-cooked dishes.

Why not try The Railway’s delicious dishes for yourself this festive season. The starters: spiced pumpkin soup, duck and orange pâté, smoked salmon with prawns, West Country brie and rosemary crumb. The mains: traditional roast turkey, Dartmoor venison steak, seared fillet of sea bass, vegan beetroot and chestnut roast. The desserts: traditional Christmas pudding, salted caramel and chocolate mousse, winter berry mess, blackberry and clotted cream ice cream, or a local cheeseboard (instead of dessert, £3 supplement).

Two courses: £23.95, three courses: £28.95. Available from 1–23 December, seven days a week (excluding Sunday lunchtime). Pre-ordering is essential.

www.therailwayinnbrixham.co.uk

The Ring Feeder Farm Shop & Café, near Modbury

Situated in the heart of the South Hams, The Ring Feeder is set on a working farm. Established in 2019 by Jim Winzer and Harriet Watts – a farmer and a chef (what better combination) – it offers a menu that’s updated weekly with fantastic, freshly prepared food including a tempting selection of homemade cakes.

There’s also a farm shop stocked with a wide selection of local produce, set in a ‘rustic shed’ with views of the local Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Visit on Saturday, 3 December, for The Ring Feeder’s Christmas Market – a wonderful way to start the festive season.

www.facebook.com/theringfeeder

Milsons Point, Sidmouth

This café and bar will be open on select days in the lead-up to Christmas. Join the team for some festive fun and delicious, seasonal food.

The sample menu includes smoked salmon roulade, seared scallops, traditional roast turkey, pork belly three ways, Baileys affogato, and chocolate and hazelnut torte. There’s a tempting cocktail menu too!

Evening festive dining dates are: 25 November, 2, 9 and 19 December, from 6pm.

www.milsonspoint.co.uk

Mince Pies. Served at the Church House Inn, Marldon as part of its Christmas menu

Church House Inn, Marldon

At the centre of the local village community, the Church House Inn has established a reputation as a destination food pub, using the finest local produce where possible to create a mouth-watering array of dishes. Visit over the festive period to experience this top-notch cooking for yourself.

Starters on the Christmas menu are ribollita soup, chicken liver parfait, caramelised red onion and goat’s cheese tart, salmon gravlax. The mains are turkey paupiette, grilled fillet of sea bass, winter-spiced butternut risotto, boeuf à la bourguignon. The desserts are Church House Christmas sponge pudding, dark chocolate torte, raspberry pavlova parfait, a trio of local cheese (instead of dessert, £3 supplement), tea/coffee and mince pie (£3 supplement).

Two courses: £26, three courses: £29. Available from 1–23 December, seven days a week (excluding Sunday lunchtime). Pre-ordering is essential.

www.churchhousemarldon.com

The Box Kitchen and Bar, Plymouth

Plymouth’s art gallery and museum, The Box, is serving a delicious, locally sourced festive menu where diners will be surrounded by figureheads, installations and views of Tavistock Place. Go for an intimate meal date, or treat your colleagues (bookings are accepted for up to 30).

The three-course menu is served on Fridays and Saturdays from 2–17 December, and includes a glass of bubbly on arrival, followed by music and dancing. £35 per person.

www.theboxplymouth.com

Christmas at Lewtrenchard

Lewtrenchard Manor

Lewtrenchard Manor is offering the ultimate in Christmas breaks. Arrive on Christmas Eve to enjoy a festive Devonshire cream tea and seasonal entertainment. A champagne reception and black tie gala dinner starts at 8pm, and Midnight Mass is held at nearby St Peter’s Church.

A traditional five-course Christmas Lunch is followed by tea and cake later in the afternoon. A relaxed supper is served in the evening, along with more festive fun and games.  

Boxing Day morning can be spent either relaxing, or taking part in a treasure hunt searching for clues in house and garden, followed by a light lunch. There is a drinks reception on Boxing Day evening, followed by an informal dinner. On the the final morning, guests are invited to a leisurely breakfast.

All room categories £2,000 per three-night break. Booking essential.

www.lewtrenchard.co.uk 

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