The Kitchen @ The Donkey Sanctuary

The Kitchen sits at the heart of The Donkey Sanctuary just east of Sidmouth off the A3052, with a veranda that looks out over the donkeys' paddocks and across to the Jurassic Coast. It's a proper restaurant rather than a snack kiosk - modern-rustic surroundings, spacious seating, and a kitchen team led by food and beverage manager Lisa Keech that hand-picks fresh, local, seasonal produce for everything on the menu. All profits go straight back into The Donkey Sanctuary's work protecting donkeys and mules, in the UK and abroad.

The judges who awarded it a seventh consecutive Taste of the West Gold in the South West Cafe/Tearoom category, plus Gold at the 2025/26 Food and Drink Devon Awards, called the food good quality, nicely presented and good value - not faint praise for a visitor-attraction cafe. It's open daily from 9am to 5pm, last orders 4.45pm, closed only on Christmas Day, and since entry to the Donkey Sanctuary itself is free with free parking, it's easy to drop in for breakfast, lunch or an afternoon treat without planning a whole day around it. Dogs on leads are welcome.