Food and Drink

Topsham is a great place to visit - and not just for its scenery and shops. Whether you want luxurious fayre, a cream tea, or just some great food with your pint, Topsham is well worth a visit. 

News
November 18th 2011 - The Galley has won Gold in the Taste of the West Awards 2011 after only 10 months under new ownership. In the same month, the 24-year-old Head Chef Ed McLachlan was made a full member of the Master Chefs of Great Britain.  See the press release for further details.

July 16th 2011 - The Galley was named one of the ten top British seaside restaurants in the Sunday Telegraph's Stella Magazine feature: Best of the British seaside.


September 25th 2010 - The Fish Shed at Dart's Farm featured in John Lanchester's restaurant reviews in the Guardian: Restaurant: The Fish Shed, Topsham, Devon ("Britain's national dish is always best left to the pros – and few do fish and chips better than this little place near Exeter").

On March 31st 2006. Topsham was judged Best Small Town for Food in the Western Morning News annual Food Towns awards. The Georgian Tearoom recently won the 'Best Tearoom / Cafe in Devon' award, La Petite Maison 'South West Restaurant of the Year', Denley's Essence of India the 2007 Exeter Curry Chef award, and Oliva the Devon Life Restaurant of the Year award.

Marc Millon maintains a monthly food weblog, Notes from a Devon Kitchen.

Restaurants/Cafes
Avocet Cafe - small, friendly, relaxed café situated in the heart of Topsham
Beijing Topsham Fryer - Chinese takeaway / fish & chips 49-50 High Street, open all week, noon-2pm (not Sundays), 5-11pm
01392 876463
Denley's Essence of India - Winner of the Exeter Curry Chef award 2007. Open lunchtime and evenings for eat-in or takeaway, and also for bar snacks in the Denley's pub section.
The Cafe - Open lunches / daytime inc. Sundays: light modern blackboard menu. Also opens 6-9pm, Tue and Fri, with baked potatoes and specials such as curry/chilli).
The Fish Shed, Dart's Farm: "highly regarded as one of the best Fish and Chip and wet fishmonger's shops in the country".
The Galley - award-winning fish and seafood restaurant (see news above).
Georgian Tearoom at Broadway House - award-winning tearoom and licensed restaurant (see E&E feature).
Matthews Hall Cafe - open daily in Matthews Hall cafe/foyer. Mon-sat 8-4, Sun 10-4. Tel: 07925304204.
Oliva Restaurant - Mixed cuisine with local produce and a Mediterranean style: seafood, paella and tapas specialities.
La Petite Maison - award-winning French bistro restaurant
Marcello - family-run Italian restaurant; 01392-879061, e-mail onurgtm@googlemail.com
Route 2 - licensed Cafe Bar and Cycle Hire
Topsham Lock Cottage - Open Jun/July 2011:  cafe in restored lock-keeper's cottage on canal path opposite Topsham. Open Wed-Sun 10am-5pm daily (closed Mon/Tue) - last day open is 31st July.
Topsham Wine Cellar - continental vineyard bar style, serving local food and drink including tapas, Pebblebed wines, beers. Open Wed-Sat 5:30-9:30pm, also Sat 11am-2:30pm, or by arrangement. Contact via link or 07814788348.
The Quay Brasserie - modern French-based cuisine. 6 The Strand. Tel: 01392 876123

Other
Dutch Apple Pie - authentic Dutch apple pie delivered in the Topsham area
Secret Gourmet - as advertised in Estuary Magazine, Woodbury-based cookey school

Inns and pubs
Topsham is also a popular place for a good night out, and can cater for most tastes at a very high quality. The CAMRA-recommended Bridge Inn, Globe Hotel and Exeter Inn are just three of its many pubs with varied styles. Ray Girvan's Topsham Ten reviews our ten (or thereabouts) pubs.


The Bridge Inn- historic real ale pub
Denley's - see Denley's Essence of India
Drakes - home-cooked lunches, bi-weekly evening bistro menu
Exeter Inn - local pub with real ale reputation
Globe Hotel - 17th century coaching inn with restaurant (traditional English with innovation)
The Lighter Inn - popular inn at Topsham Quay, lunch and evening menu
Nelson Inn - centrally located pub with restaurant (under new management, July 2011)
Passage House Inn - riverside inn/restaurant specialising in local seafood.
Route 2 - licensed Cafe Bar by quay
Salutation Hotel - closed as a pub, and undergoing renovation as a boutique hotel.

The Turf - by Turf Lock, accessible by ferry

Topsham Ten - now updated and streamlined as a handy one-page printable .PDF flyer.
The Topsham Ten at Exeter through the Bottom of your Beer Glass: historical background. And Luke Hanney kindly sent us an annotated map he created in Google Maps. Thanks!


View Topsham Ten in a larger map