The Best Stops on the Way to the South West

There’s something about the drive to Devon or Cornwall that feels different from a regular journey. You leave the motorway behind. The roads get hillier and narrower. The fields get greener. And somewhere around Taunton or Exeter, it starts to feel like you’re actually getting somewhere. 

That feeling deserves a proper stop. 

Brightside has three restaurants sitting along the main routes into the South West – and each one is worth building into your journey rather than just stumbling into. 

Brightside Honiton – the A303 stop 

If you’re coming down the A303, Brightside Honiton is your moment. It sits just off the road in Honiton, Devon – on the route that takes you through Somerset and into the South West proper. 

Warm interiors, a full menu running all day, EV charging in the car park, and enough space for the whole car to spread out and eat something good. The booths are proper booths. The breakfast is a proper breakfast. 

Honiton also sits in good company: you’re in reach of the Jurassic Coast, Dartmoor, and the start of the Cornish peninsula. It’s a natural place to stop before the roads get smaller. 

Brightside Exeter – A38, Haldon Hill 

Just outside Exeter on the A38, Brightside Exeter opened in February 2023 – opposite Exeter Racecourse on Haldon Hill, with views across Devon. 

It sits right on the edge of the city, which makes it useful for journeys in both directions. Coming in from the north on the M5 and heading on towards Plymouth or Cornwall? Exeter is a natural handover point. Coming back from the coast and not quite ready to rejoin the motorway? Same. 

EV charging isn’t currently available at Exeter, but we’re hoping to change that. Everything else is there. 

Brightside Saltash – the A38, just before Cornwall 

Brightside Saltash is on the A38 Trerulefoot roundabout, which puts it in one of the more satisfying positions of any restaurant on this list: you are almost in Cornwall. 

The Tamar Bridge is minutes away. Once you cross it, the character of the landscape changes entirely. Saltash is the last proper stop before that happens – or, if you’re heading home, a decent reason to pull off the road before the long stretch back up the A38. 

EV charging isn’t available at Saltash at the moment. 

Plan your route 

Whether you’re on the A303 or the A38, there’s a Brightside worth stopping at. All three South West sites are bookable, but we’re generally good at finding space for walk-ins – especially if you’re travelling outside peak summer weekends.