Guardhouse Cafe, Berry Head, Brixham

About Us

This friendly multiple-award-winning cafe is located in Berry Head Nature Reserve, inside a Napoelonic-era fortress. Whether your passion is history, wildlife, walking or relaxing with family and friends in a beautiful place, Berry Head has something for you - even before trying their fabulous food!

The team at the Guardhouse are passionate about offering excellent locally sourced food and drink in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere with amazing panoramic coastal & sea views. Food is served from 9am until 4pm, ranging from traditional café breakfasts and lunches to unusual home-made specials. All the food is freshly made from top quality, locally-sourced ingredients. They serve delicious and beautiful coffees and Teapigs teas, along with fresh scones and mouthwatering cakes. The restaurant is also licensed and serves local beers and ciders.

The Guardhouse has won multiple awards in recent years, including the Gold award for “best café / tearoom” at both the 2017 Devon and South Devon Tourism Awards, and a Silver award for “best café in the South West of England” at the 2018 South West Tourism Awards.

Popular dishes, apart from the exceptional coffees and cakes, and of course a Devon Cream Tea (with cream on first!), include:

 - The Guardian breakfast

 - Huge delicious sandwiches full of quality ingredients

 - Homemade Brixham fish goujons with chips and homemade tartare sauce

 - Seasonal specials, all homemade and unusual, made from local ingredients. Popular examples are the Brixham seafood chowder, crab linguini, wild mushrooms and poached eggs on sourdough toast. The specials change regularly so call up to see what is available today!

Well-behaved dogs, muddy walking boots and happy children are all very welcome inside the cafe.

In the warmer months, ice creams are on sale from the cafe's retro bicycle. On the busiest days of the year they also have a barbecue outside. Throughout the year, at times which don't disturb the local rare bat colony, the cafe turns into a restaurant during the evening; advance booking is recommended for these events which can be seen on their website www.guardhousecafe.com/events/. The cafe also organises family events occasionally throughout the year, such as the Berry Head Easter Egg Hunt.

Berry Head is a stunning location with views across Torbay and the South Devon coastline, rare and abundant wlidlife (including a colony of guillemots, Greater Horseshoe bats, resident porpoise and regular sightings of pods of dolphins), and a fascinating history. The prominent forts date from Napoleonic times and were part of the sea defences of Southern England. The lighthouse at the end of the headland is both the UKs shortest and highest! There are excellent walking opportunities, from a 1-hour stroll around the nature reserve to a longer walk along the south-west coast path.

The Guardhouse is one of many English Riviera businesses with a keen focus on local suppliers. Beer is supplied from Bay's in Paignton; coffee from a roastery in Torquay; milk and cheeses from the Dartmouth Dairy company, cakes and brownies from two ladies living in Brixham and Paignton. The cafe's regular menu and their specials board uses local produce as much as possible: Brixham fish via Stefan the fishmonger, fruit and vegetables from Fairalls on Brixham's fore street, bread and scones from Halletts the bakers in Paignton, as well as local cider, ice cream, ham and sausages. You will notice this is a common theme in this area with most businesses using wonderful local produce.

The Guardhouse is an advocate for environmentally-resonsible and sustainable business. Based in one of the most beautiful spots in South Devon they have a passion to keep the environment as pristine as possible. The cafe uses a variety of methods to minimise plastic waste and single-use packaging. All their disposable packaging is biodegradable and they encourage customers to bring their own takeaway cups, rather than using a fresh one; every takeaway cup incurs a 25p charge which the cafe gives to environmental charities.