Dog Friendly Ilfracombe: Where You Can Eat Indoors With a Dog

Short answer: Ilfracombe Beach, Wildersmouth, Harbour Beach and Rapparee are all dog friendly. The Pier Tavern on the quay takes dogs, Woodpecker inland is dog friendly with a play area, and the Harbour Café at Combe Martin allows dogs on leads. Storm in a Teacup at Watermouth is a boat you can eat on with a dog.

The beaches are open to dogs

Ilfracombe is refreshingly relaxed about this. Ilfracombe Beach below the seafront is dog friendly with parking right alongside. Wildersmouth in front of the town is a shingle beach that dog walkers use constantly — treat it as a walking and paddling beach, as it is signed against swimming on water quality.

Harbour Beach, the fine sand that appears beside the quay at low tide, is dog friendly and spotless. Rapparee Cove just east of the harbour is the best swimming spot in town and takes dogs too.

Indoors on the quay

The Pier Tavern, right on the quay with raised seating over the harbour, is dog and child friendly and does fish landed locally with batter made in house. It is the most convenient dog-friendly stop in the centre. Reduced menu and earlier closing out of season.

The Lime Kiln café and bar at the watersports centre has the best sit-down view in town and is open late Tuesday to Sunday. Annie and the Flint at the top of the high street does the best coffee in Ilfracombe.

Worth the short drive

Storm in a Teacup at Watermouth harbour is a café built into an old boat, dog friendly, with covered outdoor seating looking over the moored boats. Home-made cakes, breakfasts and pasties. Parking is chargeable and camera-enforced, so read the signs on the way in.

The Harbour Café at Combe Martin, ten minutes east, is the highest-rated café on this coast and allows dogs on leads — proper cooked breakfasts at sensible prices and coffee people compare to Melbourne's.

And inland

Woodpecker bar and kitchen is family-run, opens at seven, is dog friendly and has a playhouse outside. It also lets paying customers stay overnight in a camper in the car park, which is a niche but genuinely useful detail.

Walks

• Lee Bay — three miles west through fields, secluded, excellent rock pools.
• The coast path east towards Watermouth and Combe Martin.
• The chapel on the hill above the harbour for the view back over the bay.