New restaurant and terrace at Dart Marina

28th June 2012

Dart Marina Hotel & Spa has soft leather chairs placed in exactly the perfect position to make the most of the stunning views of the River Dart from the new River Restaurant and Terrace.  All the finishing touches have been added: the new marble bar is polished with glasses gleaming bright, art work has been placed, soft cushions have been plumped, terrace chairs grouped around low tables for warm summer evenings and a new menu has been created including a traditional English afternoon tea menu to tempt a summer full of visitors.

After a period which has seen the front of the Hotel transformed, everything is now ready to welcome local people and guests to enjoy the stunning views for which Dart Marina is famous.

The new River Restaurant, which has 90 covers, has been transformed with a wall of glass which can be opened in warm weather – and tables are positioned to allow guests to enjoy wonderful views of the River Dart while enjoying superb food from South Devon producers and growers.   Head Chef Tom Woods has created a menu which celebrates the area’s rich and diverse food culture and together with the wall-to-wall views, the River Restaurant is now truly a case of ‘eating the view’.

The Terrace has relaxing seating and tables for guests to enjoy drinks, lunch or afternoon tea, so the Hotel now has a choice of places to sit and simply watch the world sail by.  A new bar has also been added and this has stylish leather sofas in soft blues and grey, intimate corners for a quiet drink and sparkling wine-glass lighting over the bar which adds to the atmosphere. 

“The work we have just completed has transformed the ground floor of the Hotel and we are thrilled with the response from our guests and from local people who have dropped in to see what we’ve been up to since January.  Twelve of the bedrooms have been completely re-styled and we have turned rooms around so that guests can sit in bed and see the view!  This has been very popular as you can imagine and the changes we’ve made to the River Restaurant have also made even more of the views.  Each table in the Restaurant now has a view of the River and every bedroom too – this was first and foremost in our minds when we started this project as we know this is one of the reasons why people come back to us time and again,” explained Paul Downing, Hotel Manager at Dart Marina. 

Tom Wood’s new menu includes classic British dishes combined with new influences which Tom has developed into a style that makes for very special dining experience.  “I like to think that food at Dart Marina is fine dining without the pretention.  The menu is very special and I am proud of the amount of local produce I source as this brings the landscape and waters surrounding us on to the plates of our visitors.  Much is written about local food and the benefits of sourcing locally and seasonally but this is a given for me – it is something that I do without thinking.   Many of my friends are farmers, fishermen and growers in the South Devon area, so I can rely on them for wonderfully fresh food which is at its peak.  I have also had fun creating a new English afternoon tea menu which I wanted to introduce, as this year we have every right to feel proud of our Britishness!  I have included some amazing pastries and cakes on the menu, which I can imagine will be delicious eaten on the new Terrace in the sunshine,” said Tom.

Dart Marina serves lunch and afternoon tea from 12.00 noon until 5.30pm. 

The new River Restaurant is open for dinner from 6pm until 9.15pm and breakfast 8am until 10am.

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