Last Updated on 26th September 2024 by Charlotte Nadeau

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Large windows separate the space between sea and sky. The wide panes of glass reduce the distance between the rugged coastline below and the cozy café interior above. Few places in the South Hams offer better views to enjoy a warm cup of coffee and a slice of cake.

Editor’s note: Following a refurbishment in 2021, the Coast Café at Gara Rock is no more. Instead, there is a more formal restaurant on site. The rest of the building has been transformed into a luxury accommodation. Find out more details here.

Situated in the most breathtaking location, large wall length windows stretch high into the air, revealing turquoise blue sea below. The Coast Café here is a great place to stop after a long walk (of which there are many to hike in the area). Serving coffees, teas, and cakes all day, as well as cooked food during lunch and dinner, the ambiance is lovely and the coffee hot.

The interior of the café is warm and friendly and the decor is light and modern, while the ceramic cups remind me of the colour of the sea. Sofas, chairs, and tables are dotted around the room, all offering spectacular panoramic views onto the bay below.

The food and drinks are fairly expensive compared to other eateries in the area (just one coffee is around £3), but the location more than compensates for the price. After all, this isn’t the kind of place you’d come to on a regular basis.

Visit Coast Café @ Gara Rock

The café is open seven days a week. There are WiFi and toilet facilities and the eatery is dog and child-friendly. The café is situated within a resort of the same name at the end of a long winding road.

It can either be visited by car or by foot if you’re walking along the coastal path from Salcombe to East Porlemouth. (The walk is a distance of just under two miles and requires taking the ferry across the estuary from Salcombe- East Portlemouth.) One beach I highly recommend visiting in the area is that of Elender Cove, a hidden beach a few miles down the coast from Gara Rock.

Opening times: Sunday to Thursday 9:30am-6pm, Friday & Saturday 9:30am-11pm

Address: East Portlemouth, Salcombe TQ8 8FA