If you’re looking for tea and cake or a light lunch, you’ll be hard pressed to find somewhere better in North Devon than Tea on the Green.

Why it’s on my list

A friend invited me to like their Facebook page. Posts such as the post below began to fill my news feed. I simply had to go and try these masterpieces for myself. The existence of the Chocolate Bueno Tower had to be confirmed!

Restaurant Information

Website: http://www.teaonthegreen.net/

Location: Golf Links Road, Westward Ho!

Opening times: Wednesday to Sunday 11am-5pm, Monday-Tuesday closed

To book: call 01237 429406 to book a table. They only take reservations for high teas or groups of six or more. If it’s busy when you arrive, they offer a ring back service – you can add your phone number to their list of waiting patrons and they will give you a call when a table that can accommodate your party is available.

Overall verdict

I love this place. It makes me happy. The food is amazing, the atmosphere comforting, the portions generous, the location ideal and the cakes are to die for. Service excellent, especially considering how busy they are.

All the other diners around me were enjoying something that looked a delicious treat. Some were tucking into paninis and jacket potatoes as large as you like, and a few people had the high tea.

The high tea has to be ordered at least three working days in advance according to the menu, so it requires pre-planning but it looked worth it. They were presented with a tall cake stand filled with sandwiches, cakes and scones, plus tea and other drinks on the side – you could while away a fair bit of time savouring each mouthful and the company around you.

What we had

I ordered a gammon ham and cheddar cheese toastie, one slice so I could fit in some cake afterwards (optimistic). This came with a side salad.

As for the cake, I ordered a slice of the Chocolate Bueno Tower that captured my interest on Facebook.

Lastly I ordered a butterscotch milkshake for refreshment.

My fellow diners ordered other things, the photos below will give a flavour of some of the other things on the menu:

The best

As I predicted, the Chocolate Bueno Cake was the star feature, a sublime sweet treat. It was generous, with three cake layers, lots of buttercream icing and two whole Bueno bars, plus extra chocolate buttons. It looked and tasted decadently indulgent.

I had the last slice of the cake, which I think meant that I had an extra generous size of slice. Either that or they’re simply generous with their portion sizes – judging from the size of the toastie and my fellow diners’ jacket potatoes, this may actually be the case.

They were kind enough to wrap up the remaining cake to take home (about half of it remained), which lasted well in transit. I was able to bring it into work the next day and make everyone exceedingly jealous.

Not the best

As with any lunchtime venue that has something great to offer, it does get very busy. We ended up leaving a mobile phone number and waiting for the call to say a free table had opened up.

In the end we waited perhaps 15 minutes, which isn’t that bad when you consider that it was a sunny Sunday in the height of summer, meaning Westward Ho! and all its facilities were packed.

The venue

This could be one of the most fascinating venues I have dined in: there is something to look at wherever you turn your head. Retro movie posters and photos of actors from bygone eras line the walls, and cute teapots sit atop high shelves near the ceiling. Along one wall is a selection of small, wooden knickknacks that can be purchased. The cake refrigerator is also very enjoyable (and tantalising) to look at.

The outdoor seating area enjoys a view of the grassy area by the seafront. On a clear day you can see Lundy Island out to sea and Saunton Sands as the beach stretches away from you. As it is right on the main road in Westward Ho!, it is an excellent spot for people watching.

Top tip

Outdoor tables are not saved for reservations – if it’s vacant, it’s up for grabs. If you don’t mind feeling a little like a seagull eyeing up someone’s chips, keep an eye out and bagsy a table once the current diner moves to leave.