Watersmeet National Trust Tea Rooms

I absolutely love this charming old hunting lodge - it's one of my favorite places to visit. The cream teas here are absolutely delicious. The woodland surroundings and nearby rivers are truly stunning.

This cozy tea room has many outdoor tables and a few indoor ones. The menu is limited and the staff are few, so meals are only prepared until 2pm. The cafe can get quite busy and customers are expected to clear their own tables. The Dragon scones are highly recommended, and we enjoyed the cakes with our coffee. There is a small selection of ice cream on display in the freezer, but you can also request local brand tubs that are scooped to order until 2pm. There are many walkers around, as well as school groups, who all use the toilet facilities. The toilets were fine for us.

I have visited this restaurant numerous times in the past, but it has unfortunately declined in quality. The food selection is now limited to three types of pastries, some cakes, and scones, with nothing else available. Tea and coffee are served in disposable cups, and the pastries are served in disposable bags. The serving process is disorganized, with only one service position open and the rest of the counter blocked off, making it difficult to see all the available cakes. The service is also very slow, which makes me wonder if the issue is a lack of adequate staff.

Great place to stop mid walk as long as you don’t have any dietary requirements. Peaceful next to the water. Staff not exactly friendly though.

We came here after the 2 mile walk from Lynmouth. It took a long time to get served service was exceptionally slow, the queue just wasn't moving. Everyone was squeezed into a tiny corridor, so it was hard to see what they had on offer. There wasn't much choice of sandwiches, and no child options. Found a nice seat outside, beautiful setting. The sandwiches were dire, stale with no butter etc. Probably the worst sandwich I've ever had, which is a shame because there's so much choice in Lynmouth of great places to eat, but I guess they have a captive audience there, so they will get trade regardless.