In the middle of the picturesque South Devon countryside, this bucolic South Devon retreat may be a recent addition to the local culinary scene but it looks like it’s been serving food for years. The restaurant is actually parked up in an old stone milking parlour, a legacy of its days at the centre of a dairy farm. It’s the sort of restaurant that you might imagine a county like Devon would be full of, but which is actually pretty hard to come by: comforting, a bit cool and devoid of pretension.
The dining room exudes that relaxing charm that only loving owners can create. It has the snug feel of a private farmhouse kitchen, ideal for an intimate meal with friends, and as pleasing for a couple on their own as for small groups. Circa is a model of homeliness and understated comfort. The menu embraces the sharing plates ethos, dishes that are crafted and assembled with absolute care and with finest ingredients sourced both locally and from the Sandridge Barton estate itself. All explained nicely by welcoming and knowledgeable staff.
On-trend culinary references litter the menu and smaller plates allow you to indulge in a wide array of flavours. Snack on smoked cod roe or a charcuterie board (pork rillette & Lapsang cured duck breast, Westcombe charcuterie, all served with pickles and ferments) to begin. Thereafter you might find wild garlic tagliatelle, leek and potato mousse, or Brixham crab crumpet with lacto celeriac and crab bisque. For a main you might be taken with the idea of slow roasted lamb shoulder and fermented turnip or hake steamed in dashi with Cornish seaweed and foraged sea herbs. Finish with impressively sustainable spent coffee kombucha truffles or sourdough panna cotta, feuilletine and spruce honey, and wash it all down with a glass of their very own Sharpham Classic Cuvee or fruit-driven Pinot Noir.
With 440 acres of farmland all around the building, the place is perfect for enjoying some piece and quiet, and for being alone without feeling lonely.