The Volunteer Inn

The Volunteer Inn sits on Temple Street, away from the busier stretch of central Sidmouth, and reads as a locals' pub first rather than something built for the tourist trade. It was extensively refurbished in 2019, and the result is a relaxed, informal room with a large garden out back that includes a covered area for when the Devon weather turns, plus its own car park - not a given for a town-centre pub in Sidmouth.

The kitchen changes its menu weekly rather than running a fixed printed one, which keeps things seasonal, and the Sunday roast has built a following of its own - slow-roast brisket alongside the usual choices, with ten different vegetables on the plate. Three regular real ales are kept on at any one time, well looked after by all accounts, and both families and dogs are welcome throughout. It is popular enough that booking ahead is genuinely worth doing rather than a formality, especially for the Sunday sitting.