Short answer: The Cornish Arms is the best food in town and takes dogs in the bar, but it is explicitly not a place to come in a rush. For children with energy to burn, the Meadows park with its zip wire and two cafés beats any pub in the town.
Tavistock's pubs are good and none of them has a play area. The Meadows, a free riverside park with a playground, a zip wire and a pump track, has two cafés on site. With small children that is a better plan than negotiating a Sunday lunch, and it is where local families actually go.
Exceptional food for the price and dogs welcome in the bar. The one thing regulars say repeatedly is not to come in a rush — the kitchen takes its time, and that is a feature rather than a fault unless you have a hungry five-year-old. Book, and plan for a long lunch.
Outstanding tapas and an unusually good alcohol-free list, which matters if one of you is driving back over the moor. Closed Mondays. Tapas suits children better than a set menu does, because the food arrives in waves rather than all at once.
Food until 10pm and dog friendly, which makes it the flexible option when the day has run long. The music is loud, so it suits older children more than a baby who is nearly asleep.
Burgers and cocktails, ordered by app, Thursday to Sunday from 4pm only. The app ordering is quietly useful with children — nobody has to leave the table or queue at a bar.
See the full Tavistock guide, filtered by who's with you.
Plan your day near Tavistock →