• 5
• Well Worth A Visit!

On our way to Saunton Sands, my (non-vegan)partner and I decided to drop into The Owl for lunch to see what it offered. The Owl is a comfy welcoming cafe which feels very much like someone's home dining room - there are games to play, magazines to read and a notice board giving details of local activist and veggie related groups. In the background, there was some unobtrusive radio music just adding to the casual, homey atmosphere. We took a table and ordered the braised tofu and lentil bake, along with a couple of smoothies (no alcohol licence so bring your own if you're partial to a tipple with your food). The service was endearingly dippy: orders were forgotten, reiterated and forgotten again, but nevertheless arrived in good time. Portions were huge - the braised tofu came with roast potatoes, carrots and greens and it was delicious especially when drenched in the thick gravy that came with it. The tofu had the right mixture of crunchiness and flavouring and those potatoes were just right! However, the lentil bake was a little too heavily flavoured for my liking - it was too cumin-y but my partner had no such complaints and wolfed it down, along with a green salad, new potatoes and another scheese based salad which was really flavourful - the tomato in particular announced its presence on the tongue with a burst of sweetness. For pud, there was fruit cake which was delicatley spiced and crumbly and ideal to have with a cup of decaf coffee. The choice available was varied, and there was a chocolate cake with my name written on it for when I next visit. I don't know why a Vegan cafe has been opened in Barnstaple and I'm guessing that it's a financially precarious existence, but I'm glad it's there and I hope it goes from strength to strength. At times, the eagerness of the staff to please comes across as over-anxious and we found ourselves wanting to reassure them that everything was fine and there was nothing to apologise for. This was really good, quality food at low cost, our whole meal, including free drink top-ups, came to around £16.00 which was an absolute bargain. Well worth a visit if you're in need of good vegan food in North Devon. We'll definitely be back.