Le Cygne

Le Cygne opened on The Strand in Dawlish in July 2018, run by husband and wife Mark and Souhela, and named after the resident black swans that give the town's stretch of water its character. The food leans towards Australian-style brunch with a French accent: crab sandwiches, salads and filet américain sit alongside seafood, steak and pasta, all built from ingredients sourced locally rather than a fixed printed menu. Homemade desserts round things off, and the kitchen has built a following well beyond a typical seaside café.

Outdoor seating looks out over The Strand, and it works for takeaway as well as sitting in, with a phone booking line for anyone who wants to guarantee a table. Reviewers rate it near the top of restaurants in Dawlish, close to 500 reviews on Restaurant Guru at 4.8 out of 5, and single out the standard of service alongside the food. It's a small, independently run operation rather than part of a chain, which shows in a menu that changes with what's fresh rather than staying static.