Short answer: Coast Cafe Bar is the best on the seafront and handles coeliac well, though it is tight inside when busy. The Hideaway at the end of the esplanade is quieter with good breakfasts. The Old Picture House does Sunday lunch in a converted cinema, closed Monday and Tuesday.
The best café on the front, and notably good on coeliac requirements, which is worth knowing in a town this size. The one caveat is space — it is tight inside when it is busy, so either go early or take an outside table.
At the far end of the esplanade, which makes it quieter than anywhere nearer the middle. Good breakfasts. If the front is heaving on a bank holiday, walking the extra few minutes down here is the move.
The Old Picture House is a converted cinema and does a good Sunday lunch. Closed Monday and Tuesday. The space is the appeal as much as the food — it is not a cramped seaside dining room.
The Malt House is friendly, does a Sunday roast at good value, and will let you bring chips in when the kitchen is shut. That last point is genuinely useful on an evening when you have been out all day and nothing is serving.
The Colyton terminus has a good café with proper scones, and free parking beside it. If you are riding the tram, starting here means breakfast and parking are both sorted before you begin.
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