Morans Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Torridge District

My husband and I come to Westward Ho! for a holiday every year and Morans used to be a regular place to eat until a few years ago when we had a disappointing visit. However, as it was my birthday we wanted to give it another go. My husband went in personally a few days before to reserve a table by the window and was assured he would get one. We even received a phone call the morning of our visit to confirm the booking. When we arrived there was no table by the window and we were told they knew nothing about the request. We then had to negotiate a table near the front as they tried to sit us out the back near the toilets. Not a great start but we did not want it to ruin my birthday. The two stars are for my food as it was quite tasty. I had a monkfish curry from the specials which was very nice. There was way more onion than fish but it was a generous portion and with rice, filling. My husband had a stir fry which was a very small portion for an adult and had very little chicken in it. The main issue we had was the service from the waiting staff. We had to ask 3 times for the water we requested which eventually came after our main meal arrived and was just dumped on the table. No-one came to check the food was OK and a few of them seemed to be spending more time chatting to locals that had popped in for a drink rather than the people eating. Some of the waiting staff were also making themselves cocktails and drinking them at the bar! They may have been mocktails but I would not expect them to be behavi g that way whilst at work. The lack of customer service was so disappointing and ruined our experience and made what should have been a lovely birthday meal, a complete disappointment. Sadly Morans will not be on my to visit list again when we return later...

★★★★★ Five Stars – Exceptional Evening at Moran’s for our Daughter’s 18th Birthday!

We celebrated our daughter’s 18th birthday at Moran’s on Friday, 1st August, and it was truly memorable from start to finish.

🌟 Service: From the moment we arrived, the team was welcoming, professional, and attentive. They added thoughtful touches that made the evening feel special without being intrusive. We felt genuinely cared for at every step. Think our main server was a chap called Woody (sincere apologies if it wasn't!), but deserves a big shout out for his outstanding service and is a credit to Moran's.

🍽️ Food: Absolutely delicious! Each course was beautifully presented and bursting with flavour. The menu had something for everyone—whether you're craving seafood, steak, vegetarian, or something lighter. Every dish was clearly prepared with care and high-quality ingredients.

🎉 Atmosphere: The ambience struck the perfect balance between vibrant and relaxed. It felt celebratory without being noisy—ideal for a family gathering.

Moran’s did an outstanding job of making the night unforgettable. Fab place and highly recommended #BirthdayDinner #Morans #HighlyRecommended...

The service and ambience were excellent, and the toilets were impeccably clean. The food was absolutely delicious. A little disappointing, being a buffet, as there was only one main course option for vegetarians (or pescatarians) in addition to the rice and noodles.

There was some confusion regarding the buffet timing. When we were seated, we were informed that the one-hour limit applied from our first visit to the buffet. However, exactly an hour after arriving and being seated, we were told our table was needed. Although they kindly allowed us an additional 10 minutes to finish, it was quite surprising, as we had just ordered another drink and were still eating. After arriving, placing our drinks order and receiving our plates it was only 45minutes.

Had we not been ushered out, we would have happily stayed longer and perhaps ordered another couple of cocktails.

As feedback I would suggest it was made clearer that the table was only for 1 hour, not the buffet and you are required to leave...