1. Seafood House
A new discovery for me, and boy is this tiny place good. Run by fisherman Rob Simmonds and his wife Amanda, they serve the best crab sandwich I've ever tasted. They cook the crabs in the morning, pick them by hand and sell them through the day. A real gem in the back streets of town, just by the slipway.
• New Quay Street, Teignmouth, Devon. + (0)1626 778671, seafoodhouse.co.uk
2. Anchorstone Cafe
A personal favourite – sit outside on the lovely terrace overlooking the River Dart or sit inside the beach-like shed and feast on the top local seafood, from crab, lobster and spider crab to mussels, squid and mackerel. Let the children loose out front – it's probably the best crabbing spot in England.
• Manor Street, Dittisham, near Dartmouth, Devon. + (0)1803 722365
3. Britannia Shellfish
Run by Nick and Anita Hutchings, this longstanding family fishing business recently set up a cafe just yards from Beesands' wonderful shingle beach on Start Bay. Nick pulls in crabs, lobsters and scallops from the bay – to my mind, they're the finest you can get – just as his dad and granddad did before him. Besides great crab sandwiches, they also sell fresh whole crab, both live and cooked, plus lobster, scallops and some of the best wet fish in Devon.
• Beesands, near Kingsbridge, Devon. + (0)845 055 0711, britanniashellfish.co.uk
4. The Oyster Shack
The oysters here are particularly good, as is the setting on the banks of the estuary. Expect plenty of local crab, lobster and fish. On busy days, people have even been known to turn up with their own outdoor furniture to make sure they have a table. They'll also do you a fab picnic or barbecue pack to take out.
• Milburn Orchard Farm, Stakes Hill, Bigbury, Devon. + (0)1548 810876, oystershack.co.uk
5. Venus Cafe
The three Venus cafes (the other two are in East Portlemouth and Bigbury, and all have sustainability as their watchword) are run by Michael Smith and his family. The outlet on Blackpool Sands is one of the most picturesque settings – sit on the terrace and gaze out to sea while enjoying some local crab, or buy some to take out, walk to the surf's edge and sit with your feet in the water while you tuck in. In winter, sit indoors by the log fire and watch the waves whip up outside – magic.
• Blackpool Sands, Stoke Fleming, Devon. + (0)1803 770209, venuscompany.co.uk
6. The Millbrook Inn
A smashing little pub, way off the beaten track in a pretty little village at the end of a creek. Great crab sandwiches, spider crab and potted crab, plus a marvellous bouillabaisse that is testament to French chef Jean-Philippe Bidart's roots. A lovely place, with a beautiful babbling brook out back.
• South Pool, near Kingsbridge, Devon. + (0)1548 531581, millbrookinnsouthpool.co.uk
7. Ode Restaurant
I love this restaurant, run by a husband-and-wife team, Tim and Clare Bouget, who really understand the meaning of the word hospitality. Tim has cooked all over the world, and here, with some of the best fish and shellfish right on his doorstep, he knows that the way to make such great produce shine is to let it speak for itself.
• 21 Fore Street, Shaldon, Devon. + (0)1626 873977, odetruefood.co.uk
8. The Port Light Hotel, Restaurant & Inn
If you're looking for a place to watch the sun go down, you'll be hard pushed to find a better view than the one from here. Combine it with their speciality crab sandwich – they use really good fresh local crab and don't mess about with it, which means the crab is the star of the show, as it should be. Wonderful homemade crabcakes on the bar and restaurant menu, too, as well as plenty of other local seafood.
• Bolberry Down, Hope Cove, Near Salcombe, Devon. + (0)1548 561384, portlight.co.uk
9. Hix Fish House
I've had some great days here, but then you always do at a Mark Hix venue. The kitchen knocks out some great seafood using only local fish – be it cuttlefish, oysters, crab, sea bass caught by Mark himself – all of it superbly cooked. A fantastic place to spend an afternoon.
• Cobb Road, Lyme Regis, Dorset. + (0)1297 446910, hixoysterandfishhouse.co.uk
10. Crabhouse Cafe
Run by oyster farmer-turned-chef Nigel Bloxham, the Crabhouse turns out some brilliant seafood. They pride themselves on the local oyster sheds here, so expect some of the finest you'll ever taste – I like the Portland Royals in particular. The spicy crab is wonderful and the fish is as as good as it gets, straight off the boats and simply cooked by a skilled chef.
• Ferrymans Way, Portland Road, Wyke Regis, Dorset. +(0) 01305 788867, crabhousecafe.co.uk
• Mitch Tonks is an award-winning fishmonger, food writer and restaurateur who has three restaurants in the southwest: The Seahorse and RockFish Seafood And Chips, both in Dartmouth, Devon, and RockFish Grill & Seafood Market in Bristol; mitchtonks.co.uk.
