Family Pubs in Seaton: Roasts and Bring Your Own Chips

Short answer: The Malt House is the friendly local, does a good-value Sunday roast and lets you bring chips in when the kitchen is closed — which with children solves a lot. The Old Picture House is a converted cinema with good Sunday lunch, closed Monday and Tuesday.

The Malt House

A friendly local rather than a gastropub, with a Sunday roast that is good value. The detail that matters with children is that you can bring chips in from outside when the kitchen is closed — which turns an awkward late afternoon into a workable one.

The Old Picture House

A converted cinema, which is a talking point in itself, doing a good Sunday lunch. Closed Monday and Tuesday. The building gives it more space than a standard pub, which helps when there are more of you than a table.

Cafés that work better than pubs

With young children in Seaton, the cafés often beat the pubs. The Hideaway sits at the end of the esplanade, is quieter than the front and does good breakfasts. Coast Cafe Bar is the best on the seafront and good on coeliac, though it gets tight inside when busy — the time to go is before noon.

The tram terminus café

At the Colyton end, with free parking and good scones. If you are doing the tramway, this is where the day starts and it is the easiest stop of all with children, because nobody has been in the car long.

What to plan around

• The Old Picture House is closed Monday and Tuesday.
• Coast Cafe Bar is small inside — it works best outside of peak lunch.
• The beach is pebbles, so the usual plan of letting children loose on sand does not apply.
• The wetlands are free and the hides are shelters, which is the better wet-weather option than squeezing into a café.