Short answer: The Thatch is the best pub in Croyde with children — a warren of small rooms, live music and big portions. Billy Budds has the largest garden. There are no play areas attached to any of them; the beach is a few minutes away and does the job.
A word on what to expect. Devon coastal pubs very rarely have playgrounds in the way inland family pubs do — the buildings are old, the sites are small and the land is expensive. What they have instead is a beer garden, a beach or a public play area within sight. That is usually enough, but it is worth knowing before you drive somewhere expecting a climbing frame.
Effectively the centre of the village and the one to head for with a family. A warren of small rooms means you can usually find a corner, there is live music, the portions are large and the beer and cider list is good.
One reviewer sums it up as the best place in the village for families, menu and atmosphere — and specifically mentions it being encouraging for families rather than merely tolerant. Book at weekends.
The largest outdoor space in Croyde — a sun-trap garden at the back that it shares with the place next door, so there is usually a table somewhere. Handmade pizzas, beer and cider on tap, and portions big enough that the prices make sense once the food arrives.
Pizza and a garden is a reliable formula with children, and this is where to do it here.
At the top of the village, and the Sunday carvery is the reason to go — several joints, plenty of vegetables, vegan options included. Reviewers describe it as accommodating with children and note that dogs are welcome but you should book ahead if you are bringing one.
A rooftop terrace with pizza and cocktails, ordered by QR code. Good fun with teenagers and the evening sun; not really a small-children venue, and it is newer and smaller than the others.
Croyde beach, a few minutes from every pub in the village. The tide goes a very long way out, which roughly doubles the sand and leaves shallow warm pools behind — better than any climbing frame on a decent day.
Baggy Point is the walk if the beach has been done: a two-and-a-half mile loop with a lower inland path for anyone who does not want the cliff edge.
Book if you are more than four, and book for Sunday lunch anywhere on this list. Devon pubs fill and the ones with gardens fill first on a sunny day.
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