Little Willhayne (608)

We ate at Hix twice during our week at Sea Glympse. The fish was delightful - one of the highlights was the grilled whole fish. Oysters were delicious. Staff very friendly. The first time we ate inside - the weather was not very good - and the second time we had lunch on the terrace and took Dusty our Jack Russell. Dusty was made very welcome and the waiter even brought her a bowl of water without us asking. There was nothing to criticize on either visit. Also, I was readily offered 10% discount when I mentioned that we were staying in a Classic cottage! <<Show Less

Our visit to the HIX Oyster & Fish House proved to be much more than just a lovely Sunday lunch out. Two things struck us as soon as we walked in - Lyme Bay stretching out as far as the eye can see and the truly friendly atmosphere. Everyone was enjoying being there, staff and guests alike. It was very lovely and very unusual to chat naturally with the people sitting at the tables closest to ours. Some guests were local, some had driven for miles to treat a friend, it was our 29th wedding anniversary.
Then came the food - I am not a food critic but am determined to do justice to it! We started with a Hix House Cocktail to set the scene – Somerset cherries soaked in Apple Eau de Vie and topped up with Nyetimber – an English fizz to compete with most Champagnes. For starters my husband had the partridge on Yorkshire toast – yes it IS the Fish House but you can choose a locally reared beef steak too! – and I had deep fried sprats with watercress and caper mayonnaise ( even though we had already had the restaurant’s own smoked salmon with our cocktails ), then the most deliciously creamy House Fish Pie and the most incredible ‘real’ fish fingers on crushed fresh peas with mint. I didn’t know which wine to choose and so gave that responsibility to Assistant Manager Tom Cook who chose a gorgeous soft La Flor, Sauvignon Blanc. My husband, a veteran cider drinker, had Julian Temperley’s Somerset cider – in a lovely ceramic flask made by a local potter – what a great touch. I am afraid that pudding just had to follow – burnt cream with its crispy glazed top and a Hix Fix jelly to bring back the taste of that champagne!
We loved meeting the Chef, Phil, who showed us the kitchens and the KitchenTable where guests can sit to watch the kitchens in full swing and really savour the commitment here. Phil explained that The Fish House has a licence to bring fresh fish straight from the boats in the harbour below to the kitchen. This restaurant really ‘belongs’ there.
The feel-good factor of eating delicious food with a panoramic view of the Jurassic Coast will last for a long time. We had a lovely sunny day but it would be pretty exciting to eat here whilst watching a wild stormy sea battering the historic Cobb.
We will be going back again.... and again !
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We had a really enjoyable meal. The location is so beautiful, and every table enjoys the views out over the harbour. Its well worth coming early evening or for lunch so you can really appreciate the views, as as it got dark I felt I was missing out! The food was really special, we had a great spelt rissotto to share. Our starters were delicious, I had a plate of oysters. The champagne cocktails weren't bad either. They offer great lunch deals which I want to try next time. Would go back every week if I could! <<Show Less

Food: Excellent
Service: Very attentive
Value: Not cheap or bountiful but the quality made it worth every penny!
Ambience: Very pleasant
Situation: Superb views over the sea <<Show Less

Great restaurant and hopefully I will still be able to get a table now it has been voted the 27th best restaurant in the country at the National Restaurant Awards 2010 <<Show Less

The Hix Oyster house is a must visit eatery - book a babysitter and get a really good evening out. And don't worry, you don't need to like oysters, but you might be missing a trick if you don't even try just one! <<Show Less

Stopped off for breakfast and a coffee, nice down to earth cafe, if you ignore all the self promotional books everywhere! I was expecting rip off prices due to the celebratory name but it was a very fair price for a lovely breakfast. <<Show Less

Great place to go and enjoy some of the best food and drink that Devon has to offer. No fuss and bother with linen tablecloths and the like, so you can focus on the food. Not the cheapest option in town, but the experience is well worth it. <<Show Less

From the end of July Head Chef Tim and his team will be producing typically River Cottage fare using locally sourced, seasonal ingredients in front of your very eyes. <<Show Less

I have always been a big fan of the River Cottage brand so as soon as I was in the area I arranged to have lunch with a friend here. We were both travelling from opposite sides of the country to meet there, by which time it was about one thirty. You cannot book so we were concerned we might not get in, but we only had to wait a couple of minutes before being seated at a very rustic (possibly recycled/reused) wooden table in what felt like a barn/outhouse. It definately wasn't posh, but it was light and airy and very 'countrified'. The menu each day is written on a big chalk board and by the time we got there the choice was somewhat limited as lots of things had run out. However, what we chose was tasty, not too overpriced, and a twist on a classic. We very much enjoyed our lunch there and had a good mooch around the deli/shop afterwards (which you walk through to get to the restaurant), having a good friendly chat with the staff who treated you like an old friend (and ran to get you a glass of water after sampling one of the chilli jams!) I would definately choose it as top of my list for lunch when visiting the area in future, although perhaps not go out of my way to visit it on purpose. <<Show Less

A wide range of day courses and evening events are run, providing an insight into the humane and local production of food, and its preparation and cooking.
- H Minter <<Show Less

We go to the River Cottage Canteen whenever we are visiting Devon. The restaurent (as the name suggests) does not stand on ceremony, but it is homely and welcoming and you can turn up in walking boots! We've taken family and friends and it is suitable for an impromptu lunch or big family celebration. However what makes it particularly special is the quality of the food, which, thanks to the rearing of the meat by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and his team, and the cooking of the chefs in the canteen, makes for a truly delicious meal. It won't be the cheapest food you've ever eaten, but you can relax in the knowledge that all the food is truly organic and responsibly farmed and that all the ingredients taste just like they should. Highly recommended! <<Show Less

Absolutely lovely small seaside town. Nice shops and facilities. Beach side cafe excellent and no one minded my elderly mother sitting there all day. Limited availability of deckchairs and no sun umbrellas at all. Good fishing trip for mackerel. Parking some distance from the town. <<Show Less

Pretty beach, fresh fish - catch your own mackerel boats if you like - and Pecorama - delightful gardens, model railway and regular childrens activites/events. Super cliff walk to Branscombe. <<Show Less

The beach is a lovely combination of children's paradise whilst retaining an element of a working seaside town with atmospheric fishing boats waiting to be taken out. Possibly one of the most enticing reasons for coming to Beer are the fresh fish stalls at the edge of the beach where you can pick up fresh crab, lobster and many other things in the catch of the day - a must for fish lovers! The Dolphin and the Anchor pubs deserve a mention for their food too.
- D Brazendale <<Show Less

A great trip for the family, our 4 year old son loved it. If you get there early, it is possible to have unlimited trips for the day for only £1 extra. It takes 25mins each way from Seaton to Colyton. It is probably worthwhile factoring in some time to walk around both Seaton and Colyton. <<Show Less

It was great fun. Do take it from Colyton to Seaton - and back - the parking is free at that end. Allow at least a couple of hours at Seaton - even more if the weather is really good. <<Show Less

Short but sweet - especially when you stop for refeshment at the flower bedecked platform at the Colyton end of the line. A good opportunity to birdwatch. Open air upper deck good fun for the kids - they don't feel the cold! <<Show Less

A 10 acre garden which has been lovingly created by the family of an ex-dairy farmer. The garden has lots of interest, including the Millenium garden styled around a beautiful trickling stream and a large woodland garden including some of the biggest giant rhubarb we've ever seen. There is a great little tea room serving hard earned tea and cake after you've explored the gardens. There is a nursery selling plants reared at the gardens and other garden essentials. Everything we've bought from them has thrived, so they clearly take great care in what they produce. There is a large landscaping business run by their son attached to the gardens, with further stocks of shrubs and trees to explore. <<Show Less