Short answer: The Grove on the Esplanade is the family pub — a large beer garden, window tables facing the prom and enough room for a pushchair. The Maer behind the seafront has a fenced children's play area and is free, which makes the combination the best in this guide.
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.
The big seafront pub and the obvious family choice. A large beer garden, window tables facing the promenade, seafood platters and pies, and enough indoor space to cope with weather. Reviewers describe stopping in on a hot day with dogs and children and finding plenty of seating types and places.
It is emphatically dog friendly — deep water bowls throughout and a dedicated dog hydration keg outside — which usually correlates with a relaxed attitude to children too.
Near the marina, independent rather than a chain, and better for it. Reviewers rate the fish and chips above the more expensive chain fish restaurant across the road, and describe attentive, knowledgeable staff. Smaller and quieter than the Grove.
At the marina, open from 8.30, doing a fisherman's brunch worth ordering. Wheelchair accessible and used to large groups — reviewers describe it hosting a private function of up to fifty guests including a wheelchair user, with staff going above and beyond. Good gluten-free provision.
This is where Exmouth wins. The Maer, the open sandy common directly behind the seafront, has a fenced children's play area — the fence being the point — and never gets muddy because it is a former golf links. It is free, it is level, and it is two minutes from the pubs.
Then there is the beach itself: two miles of flat sand with a level promenade behind it, the easiest beach in Devon with a buggy.
Do not let children paddle near the estuary mouth at the western end. The currents run genuinely hard there and it is unsafe — stick to the lifeguarded middle section.
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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