Saltash

Please note: On the 13th, 21st, 27th and 28th July, we will be closing at 8pm due to roadworks on the A38.

Brightside Saltash – The Gateway to Cornwall

Brightside Saltash opened in June 2023 on the A38 Trerulefoot roundabout. Which puts it in one of the most satisfying positions of any restaurant in the South West: you are almost in Cornwall.

The Tamar Bridge is minutes away. Cross it and the character of the landscape changes – narrower lanes, steeper hills, the sea appearing at unexpected angles. Saltash is the last proper stop before that happens. Or, if you’re heading home, the first decent reason to pull off the road before the long stretch back up the A38.

Either way, it’s worth stopping.

The Food

Same full Brightside menu: all-day breakfast, brunch plates, sourdough pizza, fish and chips, burgers, salads, proper puddings, and extra thick milkshakes. The kids’ menu is genuinely good, and there are colouring sheets and activities on the table if the journey has been long. Vegan and gluten-free menus with real variety. Dogs are welcome inside.

A Note on EV Charging

EV charging is not currently available at Brightside Saltash. If EV charging is part of your journey planning, our nearest sites with charging points are Brightside Honiton (A303, Devon) and Brightside Ram Jam (A1, Rutland). We’re working to bring charging to more of our restaurants.

Book a Table

We’d recommend booking ahead in summer, particularly on weekends and during school holidays. Walk-ins are always welcome.

What’s Nearby

Tamar Bridges

The Royal Albert Bridge, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and completed in 1859, is one of the great Victorian engineering achievements. Best viewed on foot from Saltash Waterside, where you get the full picture of both the rail bridge and the road crossing above the estuary.

Saltash Waterside

A short drive from Trerulefoot into the town itself. Riverside pubs, a colony of mute swans, and Mary Newman’s Cottage – a Tudor house said to be the home of Sir Francis Drake’s first wife, dating to around 1480.

Cotehele House and Gardens (National Trust)

One of the finest National Trust properties in the South West, about 20 minutes up the Tamar Valley. An atmospheric medieval Tudor house with a working watermill on a historic quay, stunning valley gardens, and estate walks. Particularly beautiful in spring and autumn.

Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Walking, cycling, and kayaking along the river. Also a World Heritage Site, with a rich mining history and a network of ancient quays to discover.

Looe

Popular Cornish fishing town with a sandy beach and good independent restaurants, about 20 minutes from Trerulefoot. Often the first proper coastal destination for people arriving in Cornwall on the A38.

Whitsand Bay

Dramatic clifftop beach, largely unspoilt, accessible from the Torpoint direction. About 25 minutes away.

Bodmin Moor

Ancient moorland, standing stones, and some serious walking country. About 30 minutes from Saltash.

Plymouth Barbican and Plymouth Hoe

Just across the Tamar. The Mayflower Steps, National Marine Aquarium, independent restaurants, and the famous view from the Hoe. About 15 minutes from Saltash.

Summer Events 2026

Saltash is the gateway for Cornwall’s biggest summer events. Here’s what’s drawing the crowds in 2026 – and what that means for the road through Trerulefoot:

Boardmasters – 5–9 August 2026, Newquay. Cornwall’s biggest festival. Around 58,000 people descend on Watergate Bay and Fistral Beach for five days of surfing, music, and general brilliance. Fatboy Slim and Lily Allen are among the headliners. Travel in and out of Cornwall is at its busiest in the days either side of the festival. Brightside Saltash is the last good stop on the way in, and the first on the way home.

Eden Sessions – throughout summer, Eden Project, St Austell. Big-name acts in the biomes. Draws significant traffic across the whole summer. About 40 minutes from Saltash.

Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival – 12–14 June 2026. Free admission to most performances, over 80 shanty groups from around the world. Falmouth fills up for the weekend.

Tunes in the Dunes – Perranporth Beach, North Cornwall. Lineup includes Basement Jaxx, Scouting for Girls, and The Wombats.

Falmouth Week – 7–16 August 2026. Sailing regatta, fireworks, and the RAF Red Arrows. Draws big crowds to Falmouth across ten days in August.

Fowey Regatta and Carnival Week – August, dates TBC. Boat races, live music, the Giant Pasty Ceremony, and fireworks.

Cornwall Folk Festival – 27–31 August 2026, Wadebridge. Bank holiday weekend. Local, national, and international folk acts.

Getting Here

Brightside Saltash is at Trerulefoot roundabout on the A38, right on the Devon/Cornwall border. Ample parking on site. If you’re coming from the east on the A38, we’re signposted at the roundabout. If you’re leaving Cornwall heading east, Trerulefoot is your first major junction after the Tamar.

Go with a breakfast bap and some great coffee.