Dining experiences on the Salt Path
Feeling inspired to follow the Salt Path following the release of the Raynor Winn biopic? Find out some of our favourite dining experiences on the South West Coast Path so you can feast exceptionally well along the way
Restaurant Kensington, Lynton
This smart new-wave steak restaurant is the place to visit for beautifully aged, high-quality Exmoor beef in cuts such as tomahawk, T-bone, porterhouse and chateaubriand.
Reward your Salt Path trekking efforts thus far with the likes of juicy rump with bearnaise and sides of chargrilled hispi cabbage with chipotle butter, smoked mash, and spinach gratin. The protein-packed meals served at Restaurant Kensington are sure to work wonders for recovering muscles. However, it’s puddings like chocolate crémeux with roasted peanuts and brown butter caramel that will provide the sugared push needed for the next leg of the journey.
It’s worth noting that Restaurant Kensington is more than simply a steak restaurant too, as the menu also includes dishes using local lamb, chicken, fish and shellfish.
The Farmers Arms, Woolfardisworthy
This gourmet pit stop will require a little detour inward from the Salt Path but, trust us, every minute spent indulging at The Farmers Arms will be worth the temporary reroute.
The uber seasonal menus at the creative dining pub are built around ingredients grown and reared on The Collective at Woolsery’s own Birch Farm, and many feature foraged produce. A trip there could see you feasting on the likes of shepherd’s pie made with Birch Farm hogget, smoked garlic mash and root veg; or whole sea bream with dill and lemon, dressed leaves and warm potato salad.
A handcrafted drinks list complements the elevated food offering. Expect to browse local ales and spirits, as well as seasonal alc and no-alc sips that showcase syrups and cordials using ingredients from the farm’s gardens and greenhouses.
The Galley Restaurant, Topsham
Any piscatorial fan trailing the South West Coast Path is going to get buoyed up thinking about the amount of unctuously fresh seafood they’re going to gorge on when in such close proximity to the big blue.
This award-winning restaurant just a stone’s throw from the River Exe, is one such place to bib up (metaphorically) and gratify cravings for fresh-from-the-ocean seafood. Butter-poached hake, deep-fried line caught haddock and pan-roasted grey mullet are the types of luscious dishes listed on the fish-forward menu.
With its intimate, rustic bistro vibe (The Galley is located in a crooked 18th-century Devon townhouse), attentive service and extensive wine list, this isn’t an experience to be rushed.
Lympstone Manor, Exmouth
Traversing the South West Coast Path also makes for a perfect opportunity to tick off bucket list restaurants such as Michael Caines’ Lympstone Manor.
The renowned chef’s modern take on the country house hotel is highly regarded as the epitome of comfort, exclusivity and luxury. Its starry status includes Trencherman’s Guide higher membership, a Michelin star, five AA rosettes and trophy-cabinet of awards.
Until the end of June the country house hotel is offering a special lunch set menu including three courses for £75 or four for £85. Highlights on the fine-dining menu include seabream ceviche, raviolo of braised beef cheek, Powderham Estate lamb and caramelised banana soufflé. Elevating the exquisite dining experience further still is a complimentary glass of Lympstone Manor Estate Isabeau Rosé from the manor’s own vineyard.
Heydays, Exmouth
From the same team behind Dorset restaurants Swim and Rise, Heydays in Exmouth mirrors its siblings’ relaxed all-day dining approach.
Just a couple of stomps away from the Salt Path, the new foodie hotspot gives visitors the opportunity to tuck into produce-led dishes with a calming backdrop of azure seascapes. It’s a delicious stopover for quality sustenance in an environment that’s stylish yet somewhere you could probably get away with still wearing hiking attire and walking boots.
The food menus utilise the freshest local produce and take influence from Asia and beyond. Clash forks over small plates including sticky Korean wings with gochujang sauce, chargrilled Tenderstem broccoli with pickled kohlrabi, and prawn and scallop with sesame brioche toast and nam jim dipping sauce. Appetite nicely warmed up, dig into a vibrant salad, smart fish or meat-forward dish or sumptuous burger.
Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen, Port Isaac
You’ll need to book in advance to secure one of the seven tables at Nathan Outlaw’s tiny 20-seat restaurant in the heart of Port Isaac, but forward planners are rewarded with a phenomenal feast of unique seafood dishes.
Nathan and co are serious about sustainability, only sourcing native fish species from local inshore dayboats. The Port Isaac fishermen’s haul is transformed into a set menu of small plates designed to be shared.
The entire experience is attractive, intimate, casual and – thanks to Nathan’s determindely pared-back cooking which puts all the focus on the ingredients – pleasingly rustic.
Culture, Falmouth
Culture cemented its place on Falmouth’s thriving food scene after it was awarded a Michelin green star just nine months after opening in July 2022 (a star it’s retained), and it’s become a sought-after spot for discerning gourmets visiting the Cornish town.
Chef-owner Hylton Espey and wife Petronella have carved out a novel experience in the town, thanks to their sustainable, creative cooking which is complemented by an immersive style of dining. Inquisitive guests can interact with Hylton in the open kitchen and dishes are served with impeccable detail.
The micro-seasonal menus highlight uber-local ingredients, with dishes namechecking local fishermen, farmers and producers of note. If you don’t need to jump straight back on the Salt Path, explore the on-point drinks pairings at Culture – the restaurant’s glass wine cellar encloses a fantastic global selection of bottles.
The Sardine Factory, Looe
Chef-owner Ben Palmer of Great British Menu fame has turned this harbourside warehouse on the Salt Path into a buzzy 80-cover restaurant that specialises in sustainable fish dishes using produce from Looe’s fish market (located directly opposite the restaurant).
The dayboats’ bounty is crafted into the likes of spiced stone bass accompanied by kachumber salad, lime yogurt and summer vegetable bhaji, and creamy local lobster risotto with tomatoes and basil. Of course, there are also sardines, which are served simply with seaweed, lemon and garlic butter. If raw seafood floats your boat, pick the tuna sashimi with mango, yuzu, sesame and puffed wild rice, or Porthilly oysters fresh from north Cornwall, served with Tabasco, jalapeño salsa and shallot vinegar.
Catch at the Old Fish Market, Weymouth
Weymouth’s Grade II‑listed Old Fish Market provides a fitting home for a restaurant delivering dishes that provide a culinary journey through the town’s maritime history.
Led by executive chef (and former Great British Menu contestant) Mike Naidoo, the kitchen team create ever‑changing set menus designed to surprise and delight. Refuel for the journey ahead with elevated dishes such as crispy skate jowl and salted sea bass, and glazed octopus with wild garlic.
The chefs are supplied by traditional artisan fishmonger Weyfish which sits below the restaurant. Arrive at the right time and see dayboats landing baskets of Portland crab, oysters, and line‑caught sea bass, mackerel and pollock.
Crab House Cafe, Wyke Regis
Overlooking Dorset’s famed Chesil Beach, this relaxed dining spot offers a rustic setting in which to feast on seafood plucked from the ocean just metres away.
Sustainability is paramount here and owner Nigel Bloxham works closely with local fishermen to source seafood from the surrounding waters – usually served the day it’s caught. Skate wing, sea bass, lemon sole, gurnard, john dory and plaice are just a tease of what’s to be discovered on the specials board.
Whole Portland brown crab is served simply with dressed salad and mayo, leaving the delicate meat to do the talking. However, the oysters are the star of the show here. Grown at the cafe’s own oyster farm just a short paddle from the restaurant, the prized bivalves are fresh, plump and ready to be slurped au naturel.
Enjoyed our pick of dining experiences on the Salt Path? Check out these tide-to-table restaurants in the region.
We choose the companies included in our features based on editorial integrity. Occasionally, some inclusions will be handpicked from clients with whom we have a commercial relationship.
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