Eastgate Brasserie — Restaurant in West Devon

It was Mum’s 92nd birthday, and I wanted the experience to be as nice as possible. The weather was perfect — a sunny day (July 24th) — so we sat outside, choosing a table without an umbrella to soak up the rays.

The sensibly sized menu covered all needs and tastes. I particularly liked the half-portion options — a rare offering, and one that will influence how often I return, as I’m not a fan of overly large lunches.

The sausage and mash arrived much faster than expected: hot and delicious. I ordered a side of braised beans with almonds to share with Mum.

The birthday girl went for the homemade almond tart and couldn’t quite believe how good it was. Well done, chef!

The choice of serving pottery at Eastgate is inspired, adding a refined aesthetic that elevates the overall presentation — something I’d argue is quite important.

For those unfamiliar with Tavistock, Eastgate Brasserie sits right next to a picturesque river, only a few paces from all the wonderful market town shops. The brasserie is peaceful, clean, and staffed by the friendliest people imaginable.

Mum enjoyed her visit so much she emailed all the folk she knows around the globe. Outstanding!

Oh — and the coffee...

Though my wife has been in, under both the previous and new ownership, today was our first family visit. With our Whippet too, as dogs are welcome. They've only been open a couple of weeks or so, so already doing a great job. The venue is nicely situated, with clean and spacious interior, with local scenic paintings on the wall. The two young ladies and the young man serving were all lovely, smiling and attentive. We had two full English, plus one Avocado and egg breakfast. All excellent, high quality ingredients, locally sourced. The beans were excellent, home made sauce etc. The flat whites were 10/10 and our daughter thoroughly enjoyed her hot chocolate. They have a lovely sun trap courtyard out back, which was filling up nicely mid to late morning. And they offer locally produced draught beer, which is nice to see. Overall, a fine effort, very impressed and one place we fully intend revisiting in the...

Quite a sudden drop in quality since the new owners have taken over. Gone are the specials boards, gone are the sumptuous hanging baskets & potted plants. Almost everything on the menu contained meat, yeast & sugar. There was a lot of heavily prossed junk food. There was a pitiful vegan/vegetarian/ gluten-free choice. I had the omlet, as there wasn't really anything on the menu. It was quite grim & they served It with a tiny bit of salad, which was actually manky. The coffee was served quite cool & didn't last long. The espresso was clearly something they didn't know how to make. Before, with the last owners, it was a bit classy, but now it's more like a greasy spoon café. The waiting staff were very helpful & polite. Mediocre disabled facilities. I did notice that they use a lot of local produce & that is a good point in their favour. But overall, not somewhere I would...