学校旅馆

The northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna provides the inspiration behind this classic osteria set within a former bank in the centre of town. The daily changing menu is chalked on the door of the old vault, which now houses the wines, and from the tiny kitchen comes forth flavoursome and generously priced dishes that you feel are doing you good. There’s a daily offal dish and the pasta is made in-house.

A small piece of a much bigger picture, The Refectory is a cosy 18-seater restaurant occupying a rustic new-build barn on the 500-acre Fowlescombe Farm, which has the sprawling feel of an estate and even includes a former manor house now cradled by verdant ivy. The menu utilises produce from the estate, including their own Longhorn cattle and Manx Loaghtan sheep, while the nearby coastline provides the likes of meaty monkfish packed with natural flavour. To get the full countryside experience, stay overnight in one of the 10 smartly dressed suites.

Hold your nerve when navigating the narrow country lanes here and you’ll be rewarded with a simply delightful country pub. Situated next to the village church, it’s a wonderfully bucolic setting and inside the pub ticks all the soul-warming boxes with wooden beams, open fires, two pianos and even a snooker table. The daily changing menu is in the St. JOHN style with British, produce-led and minimal-fuss dishes such as salt cod fritters or pork chop with braised savoy cabbage. Communal dining at their long tables is encouraged.

The team behind Emilia, situated just a few doors down, have imparted another gift to the residents of Ashburton with this delightful rustic bistro. Where its sister operation is all-Italian, Le Vin Perdu is full-blooded French in its approach, so don’t be surprised to find the likes of pork terrine or rotisserie chicken on the menu. The décor is understatedly chic, with the bar making a great place for a cocktail or a glass of wine from the blackboard list. If you’re sweet of tooth, the tarte Tatin is a great note to end on.During autumn and winter, Le Vin Perdu runs limited opening hours.

With stints as both a cobbler’s and a theatre for the Mayor of Totnes, this lovely 18th-century building has lived many lives over the years. Its latest incarnation is a friendly sharing plates restaurant with a bistro buzz, bringing a dose of welcoming hospitality to the charming Totnes High Street. The menu displays a modern outlook in its sharing plates format and incorporation of both fermented elements and open-flame cooking. The service has a genuine warmth to it, with the owners keen to ensure you’re having a good time.

An informal eatery in the Plymouth Gin Distillery (where gin was once distilled for the Navy). Brasserie menus offer a good choice of simply cooked dishes, with classic comfort food to the fore; vegetarians are well catered for.

It may be just around the corner from the Theatre Royal, but this warmly run restaurant is so much more than a convenient spot to eat in before curtain-up. From the good value lunch menu to the à la carte, the eponymous chef-owner, who is a local himself, knows how to cater for all tastes – and it’s clear that plenty of care and attention go into every dish.