WELCOME TO THE NIGHT

THE NIGHTLIFE HERE IS THRIVING, PACKED WITH CLUBS, PUBS, BARS AND LIVE MUSIC VENUES

After a day on the beach or a blustery walk along a clifftop path, you might fancy some downtime in a snug country inn. Luckily there are plenty of fireside retreats in South Devon where you can nurse a pint. If it’s a party you’re after there are options to suit you too, from sophisticated cocktail bars to raging nightclubs.

LIVELY STUDENT SCENE

OK, so South Devon isn’t a clubbing hotspot but there are plenty of fun nights out to be had. For the most energetic scene make your way to Exeter, a lively university city, or Torquay, which has drinking dens aplenty.

If you’re in search of a big night out and a dance, head to the English Riviera town of Torquay, where the harbour is the focus of the action. The Foundry is the biggest club on the coast, with full-on party nights every Saturday, big name DJs on the decks and live acts too.

If you’d rather get retro, Decades nightclub has a light-up dance floor and plays a soundtrack of pop hits from the 1970s onwards.

To the south of Torquay in Paignton you’ll find a distinctly family-friendly feel, but The Spinning Wheel Inn on the seafront keeps things lively with DJ nights, bands, quizzes and weekly karaoke.

Exeter’s large university ensures a boisterous nightlife scene, but the bars aren’t just for drunken students. There are plenty of places to sink a few beers and listen to live bands. Start your night at The Bootlegger, a stylish spot inspired by the bars of the 1920s Prohibition. Fill your belly with one of their sharing platters, sink a couple of cocktails or craft beers, then head out and explore!

The Imperial Pub – known as the Impy – is a gorgeously grand Wetherspoon’s with an arched Victorian ironwork ceiling, while Board’s USP is its extensive selection of board games. Choose from 350 titles and settle down for some friendly competition – bolstered by a selection of burgers, craft beers and milkshakes.

Exeter Cavern, a former haunt of Coldplay’s Chris Martin, has been bringing live music to Exeter since 1991 and puts on indie, rock and funk nights as well as bringing in some guest DJs.

The Apple and Parrot pub on the Strand in Torquay is the place to go for live music, including a popular acoustic night on Thursdays. While you listen, try one of their speciality ciders. From cloudy scrumpy to light pear cider there’s an intriguing range to sample.

If you fancy getting glammed up, take a trip to Soho Cocktail Bar on Palk Street, which serves up long cocktails and premium spirits at DJ and party nights, or for something quieter, Bamboo Bar on Torwood Street has all your cocktail favourites and a menu of burgers and pizzas to boot.

More cocktails are shaken and stirred at Appleby’s Torquay in the sea-facing Heritage Hotel. The Americanthemed bar enjoys a stunning vantage point over the water from a spacious patio.

The Hole in the Wall is the town’s oldest pub, dating back to 1540. The former smugglers’ retreat features lowbeamed ceilings, cobbled floors and a vibrant live music scene. Bands pull in the punters every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.

The Offshore Bar & Restaurant operates as a café by day and in the evening lays on live music nights offering everything from acoustic to funk. If you get peckish, the restaurant serves filling meals such as seafood grills and pork medallions, plus burgers, pizza and steaks. There’s a tempting vegetarian and vegan menu too. In the pretty port of Dartmouth, Bar 1620 is a glamorous spot for a cocktail: both classics and their own creations.

Inland at Totnes you can hear foot-stomping folk, swing and rock at the Barrel House Ballroom overlooking the High Street. There are also regular club nights when guest DJs take to the decks to play everything from house to 80s cheese.

Head west to Plymouth to sample the famous local gin at the venerable Refectory Bar, near the historic Barbican district. An even more interesting stop is social enterprise Bread & Roses, set in an artfully painted Victorian building. It’s a genuine community hub proffering visual arts, movies, comedy nights and a book club, plus Friday DJ nights and live jazz, blues and funk.

When it comes to pubs, South Devon has everything from slick gastropubs to old-fashioned boozers. You just need to decide whether to hole up in the countryside or bag a table overlooking the ocean.

Sitting pretty on the coast at Babbacombe, the Cary Arms is somewhere between a traditional inn and a boutique hotel; on a clear day, there are views from here to as far as Portland Bill some 50 miles away.

Head north up the coast to Teignmouth where the Blue Anchor pub dishes up real ales and live music, with a regular Sunday afternoon slot. In nearby Paignton, Shoreline has a beach-bar feel and stunning sea views.

Yachties mooring at lovely Salcombe make a beeline for the rugged and flower-bedecked Victoria Inn. Join them here or at the modern Salcombe Distilling Co. which offers a stylish take on the local pastime of gin swigging.

The Sloop Inn, in Bantham, is a fabulous,

Destination inspiration for more than 75 UK and Ireland towns, cities and counties awaits you at the home of staycation content. Be inspired at whitewashed 14th-century pub that’s perfect for a pint after a day on the water or walking the South West Coast Path. Head further west to Noss Mayo and the Ship Inn on the waterside is another pitstop for local yachties – you can even tie up outside.

If you find yourself in Plymouth hankering after ale and cider, head for the Admiral MacBridge, a traditional pub on Historic Plymouth Barbican; or try the Roam Brewing Company on Weston Park Road, where all the beers are brewed in house and they serve excellent sourdough pizza.

Head away from the coast to Victorian Newton Abbot and the surrounding villages to sample some of the region’s distinctive traditional pubs. Teign Cellars, in the town itself, is a hugely popular single-room bar, where you can sample local craft ales, ciders and perries as well as some excellent food.

North of here, the impossibly picturesque Cridford Inn is housed in a thatched longhouse dating back to 825AD that was once a nunnery and a farm. As well as solid pub grub and monthly Asian banquets, there’s an excellent selection of ales and an impressive 95 gins on offer.

On wild Dartmoor, to the west, the Rugglestone Inn in Widecombe-in-the-Moor is a wisteria-hung pub serving local ales and potent farm ciders from the barrel, as well as hearty rustic food.

In Luton, to the north of Newton Abbot, the Elizabethan Inn is a prize-winning free house serving excellent home cooking, including their own ice creams and sorbets. The 18th-century Rock Inn at Haytor Vale, near Bovey Tracey, has an oak-furnished bar and selection of beers from the Dartmoor Brewery, as well as upmarket grub. In ancient Combeinteignhead make a beeling for the Wild Goose Inn, a fine old 17th-century place with gleaming brass, log fires and a whitewashed exterior.

South of Newton Abbot, the Two Mile Oak Inn prizes itself on well-kept ales. Built in 1702, it’s said to be haunted by the ghost of an old man, with Dick Turpin also making the odd appearance! The Linny at Coffinswell, set in the hamlet of the same name, is a thatched-roof beauty with a wonderful wood-beamed interior.

Nearby at chilled Totnes, things are fittingly laid back. The Royal Seven Stars has a snug 17th-century bar complete with log fires, while The Bay Horse has a huge sun-trap beer garden, as well as regular live folk, acoustic and jazz sessions.

To the west in Yealmpton you’ll find the salmon-pink Rose & Crown, a welcoming place with a log fire that serves local Sharpham wines.

South Devon may not offer big city nightlife, but there’s still plenty to keep you going after the sun goes down. Think cosy country pubs, slick waterside cocktail bars and a healthy selection of live music venues. Night owls won’t go home disappointed.