This is a real-world guide to food, shops, and everyday essentials in Croyde based on our campervan stays over the years. It’s not a full directory or review list — just what we actually use and experience when we’re there.
Most days we eat at the van, picking up simple food from local spots like The Hub, the fish van, or the village ice cream shops. We also share a few family-friendly pubs we visit occasionally, along with surf shops, hire spots, and small essentials that make Croyde work as a holiday base.
It’s a practical, honest snapshot of how Croyde fits into our rhythm — beach, surf, simple food, and easy living by the coast.
Croyde Food, Eating Out & Essentials – What We Actually Do
Croyde isn’t a place where we spend every evening eating out.
For us, it works differently.
It’s early mornings, beach days, surf sessions, and then heading back to the van. Cooking simple food, grabbing something easy, or treating ourselves when it feels right.
Over the years, we’ve built a rhythm here — not a checklist of restaurants, but a pattern of places, habits, and small discoveries that make the week work for us.
This isn’t an exhaustive guide. It’s just our experience.
Eating at the Van (Our Default Setting)
Most days, we eat at the van.
It’s simple, practical, and fits the rhythm of being outdoors all day.
After the beach, the focus shifts:
- Quick food
- Easy prep
- No-fuss cooking
- Watching the light change while dinner happens
Croyde works well for this. We have all winter to be indoors, and everything here is close enough that you don’t feel like you’re missing out by not going out every night.
The Fish Van (A New One for Us)
This year we tried something new.
We bought fish from the mobile fish van, which arrives on Thursdays, and cooked it ourselves.
The fish had landed at Brixham Fish Market that morning — genuinely fresh. It was filleted, ready to cook, and felt like a small step up in confidence for us.
It sounds simple, but it felt like a bit of a moment. Lemon Sole cooked in butter. Simple cooking, very tasty.
Cooking proper fresh fish at the van, after a day in the sea, just made sense in a way we hadn’t done before.
The Hub – Ice Creams, Pasties & Easy Wins
The Hub became one of our regular stops.
It does the simple things well:
- Ice cream
- Fresh bread
- Warmed pasties and sausage rolls
- Easy takeaway food for beach day
We’ll often grab pasties on the last day, on the journey back home — not exactly health food, but it fits the holiday.
Ice creams here are a regular treat too. Kelly’s ice cream is the one we tend to go for.
It’s uncomplicated food, done properly. Other Ice Cream stops are available.
There’s another ice cream spot in the village we’ve used a few times as well.
Croyde definitely has that “walk, swim, ice cream” loop built into it.
It’s not about finding the best one — it’s about the ritual for us, doing the same things year after year.
Post Office Scones (Proper Devon Moment)
The Post Office does scones, if you get there early enough to buy them, and we’ve made a point of stopping there.
It turns into a simple Devon cream tea moment:
- Scones
- Jam
- Cream
And yes — cream goes on first. That’s the Devon way. No debate.
It’s one of those small traditions from childhood that feels oddly important once you’re there.
Pubs & Evenings Out (When We Do Go Out)
We don’t eat out often, but when we do, it tends to be simple and family-friendly.
The Thatch
A solid go-to for burgers and easy meals.
If you’re going after 5pm — especially in bad weather — book ahead.
Billy Budds
Good beer garden, relaxed feel. Works well for an easy evening.
Manor House
A bit calmer than the busier pubs. Less chaotic, more space to sit and unwind.
We haven’t explored everything.
Places like Blue Groove and New Coast Kitchen are on our list, but with two younger boys, they’ve never quite been the right fit for us. They probably suit a different kind of evening for us — more adults only.
Beach Bars & Sunset Spots
We’ve seen places like:
- Beach cafés
- Sunset bars near Downend
They look great, but we usually end up staying closer to the beach itself.
There’s something about having the sound of the waves as your background that makes it hard to move inland.
Shops, Surf Gear & Holiday Essentials
Croyde is small, but it covers what you need.
Saltrock
Holiday surf clothing, souvenirs, easy browsing. A classic stop.
The Beach Hut
Next door — buckets, spades, souvenirs, and general holiday bits.
Surf Shops & Hire
Ralph’s Surf Shop
Small but brilliant. We’ve used it over the years as the boys grew through wetsuits.
This year we also hired a surfboard here — always friendly, always helpful.
Croyde Surf Hire
Another solid option. Small, local, and practical.
Which one you use often depends on where you’re staying in the bay and how far you want to walk
Surf Lessons & Saunton Option
Near the beach you’ll find surf schools like:
- South West Surf
- Surfing Croyde Bay
Saunton Sands is also worth noting:
- More forgiving waves for beginners
- Longer, gentler breaks
- Often better for learning than Croyde itself
- We’ve used lessons before — good fun and well run
As you drive into the area, you’ll see how Croyde has more punchy surf, while Saunton feels softer and more gradual in our opinion. I’m sure others will disagree.
Scoops Ice Cream Shop– The Bribery Stop
Scoops is exactly what you think it is.
And yes — it’s also useful for bribing children when needed.
It does the job perfectly.
Coasteering & Fisherman’s Steps
We did coasteering with South West Outdoors and really enjoyed it.
It also led us to discover Fisherman’s Steps — which has become a cold-water swimming spot for us.
Worth noting:
- Sea temperature is cold in May/June
- It’s more refreshing than relaxing at times
But it’s one of those experiences that sticks with you — along with your towel.
Other Cafes & National Trust
There are other cafés around, including a National Trust one, but we haven’t really used them enough to comment properly.
And that feels important to say — this isn’t a complete guide, just what we’ve actually experienced.