The Salutation Inn

Those seeking a culinary interlude en route to Cornwall or yearning for somewhere luxurious to stay on the outskirts of Exeter should book in at this charming restaurant with rooms.

The Salutation Inn has been at the heart of Topsham since 1720 and has a long history of serving patrons as a pub. However, when Tom and Amelia Williams-Hawkes took over in 2012 they transformed it into a refined dining destination.

Over the past decade, the couple have garnered a fantastic reputation for serving some of the best food in the area.

There’s a menu to suit every taste and occasion, from the decadent Salutation Supper tasting menu to three-course à la carte and special event dinners. All, however, have a piscatorial leaning (Tom’s dad was a salmon fisherman for 30 years and The Salutation has an in-house fishmonger, SALT). Yet they also showcase some of the region’s finest meat and veg producers.

Menu items such as a hot seafood platter of oysters, crab, scallops, langoustine, mussels, three species of wild fish, Cornish new potatoes and green salad are composed creatively and presented with flair by head chef Luke Heaver.

Trencherman’s tip

While the restaurant space is ideal for an intimate dinner, take lunch or afternoon tea in the GlassHouse: a bright courtyard beneath a glazed atrium with a contemporary botanical vibe.