The New Angel

the food and service is exceptional. tasty food expertly cooked and presented. Also best desert i have ever had was here. white chocolate and apple tart! probably a bit over priced for what it is but good nonetheless.

I have been to the New Angel three or four times and to the Carved Angel which was here before many times. It’s a lovely spot right by the Dart Estuary in picturesque Dartmouth.
The kitchen is visible from the dining room which has the feeling of a large chef’s table as a result. John Burton-​Race was cooking when we went there for lunch this week. Whereas most Michelin-​starred chefs seem to spend more time on television than in the kitchen, it’s really good to see him actually doing the business instead of talking about it.
The food was excellent — good ingredients, well cooked. I had a crab tortellini and my wife had chicken liver pâté to start and we both had turbot for the main course. For pudding I had a soufflé and my wife had a parfait. With two glasses of champagne, some water and a tip, the total came to just over £120.
Which sort of serves us right for ordering off the a la carte menu. We should have stuck with the better value prix fixe lunch menu.
Last time I was here for lunch, it was pretty busy but this week there were only three tables occupied. I suspect that in season (not in April), for dinner and on weekends bookings are necessary.
So, good food, good location and a reasonable price if you don’t leave the prix fixe menu. So what’s not to like. Frankly, it’s the service. The whole thing was very professional but utterly charmless, cold, distant and verging on the rude. For example, when we arrived the maitre d’ actually stood in the inner doorway blocking our entrance until we had, awkwardly, explained that we were coming for lunch and had reservations. It just didn’t feel very hospitable and the only time the froideur lightened was when we were paying up.
The food and location deserve five stars. But for the money and to live up to its reputation, The New Angel really needs to relax a bit and welcome its guests with more than ruthless efficiency and a grimace.

A charmingly refined place to eat. You could be in a top London restaurant. I’ve wanted to eat at the New Angel for a long time and I was not disappointed. We had dinner (make sure you book) but they do lunch as well.
The French maître d’ made sure he made everyone feel welcome and had clearly spent time in high profile restaurants — a nice touch.
Food was classic French. You could tell the chef has spent a lot of time selecting his produce, every mouthful of every course was tasty and cooked to the highest standard. My Main course of pan fried foie gras sitting on lamb was exquisite with just the right delicate flavours going on. I would have to say that the foie gras tasted better than I’ve had in France!
Wine selection was very extensive — we had the house Red — perfect.
For desert i had Crème brûlée which was as it should be, chilled in the middle with the sugar cripsy on top and not burnt. I have not had better anywhere else.
If you are holidaying down in the southwest and you like really good food — this is a gem of a place to stop. Oh and by the way they have a Michelin star so a la carte can be expensive.

I took my wife to The New Angel for our first anniversary and won some serious brownie points in the process. I’d never (knowingly) been to a Michelen Star Restaurant before but I now see what the hype is all about, it was seriously some of the best food I’ve ever eaten.
On arrival we were seated on the ground floor where the kitchen is in full visibility, John Burton Race the head-​chef wasn’t in that evening but you still got to see the other chefs in full flow. On being seated we were offered drinks, the waiter recommended a really nice and not extortionate Red Wine to me and on seeing my wife was pregnant suggested a non-​alcoholic cocktail which was a nice touch.
My starter of scallops was beautifully done, however my main of lamb with a creamed potato was incredible. The lamb was served very rare but was perfect, maybe not to everyone’s taste but worth trying, let the chefs serve as they intend as it’s well worth it.
Stunning desserts that you have to leave room for, and a final drink in the cocktail lounge overlooking the Dart estuary. Brilliant evening out and surprisngly affordable, I’ve certainly paid a lot more for far inferior food in the past.