Seafront restaurant The Winking Prawn has been transformed into film café We’ve Got Crabs ahead of the Hollywood release of The Roses.

The venue, a much-loved Salcombe staple, was the filming location for the blockbuster last year, when Disney transformed it into We’ve Got Crabs, a seaside café run by Olivia Colman’s character Ivy Rose. Now, to mark the film’s premiere, Disney and Searchlight Pictures have returned - this time to give the public the chance to step inside the fictional restaurant while experiencing the Winking Prawn in real life.

From now until September 15, visitors can step inside the fictional restaurant brought to life on screen and soak up the atmosphere with bespoke decorations, themed menu items, and imagery from the film. Guests will be able to sit where key scenes were filmed, dine beneath specially commissioned décor, and spot subtle nods to Ivy Rose and her story throughout the space.

The limited-time takeover offers visitors an immersive way to connect with the film while also celebrating a cherished local venue. For The Winking Prawn, the production has offered a chance to showcase its seaside charm on an international stage and welcome film lovers alongside its regular holidaymakers.

The Roses, which follows the tempestuous world of the Rose family and their tangled relationships, has been one of the year’s most anticipated releases, with Colman leading a star-studded cast alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, Kate McKinnon, Andy Samberg and Ncuti Gatwa.

Salcombe and the South Hams are expected to feature prominently throughout the film, and the transformation of The Winking Prawn into We’ve Got Crabs serves as both a nod to the town’s role in the production and a playful invitation for audiences to be part of the story.

Jay Roach, director of The Roses, said: “We scoured the coasts of England and after months found an existing and thriving restaurant called “The Winking Prawn” in Salcombe, South Devon, which has been owned and run for decades by a wonderful family, headed now by Lucy Cullen, along with her parents Jane Tyler and Mark Goodey and her daughters Bellatrix and Honor.

It was already a warm and popular place, but Lucy and her amazing team invited us to take it over and helped our excellent production designer, Mark Ricker and his team dress it way down for its “abandoned” phase, and then bring it back to its preexisting warmth and inviting feel, but converted to Ivy’s Crab Shack. We filmed there for a great week, and thanks to Lucy, captured a whole world and vibe, and helped take our audience on Ivy’s crazy crab cooking adventure.

If I could, I’d make a movie about making that part of the movie, because Lucy and the whole community collaborated with our crew in ways I’ve never experienced in a location before. We and our film’s characters found a very happy home for a while in the magical Winking Prawn in Salcombe.”

Lucy Cullen, owner of The Winking Prawn, has been delighted to play a roll in representing the extraordinary beauty of the South Hams on the global stage. “So much of this beautiful area is in the film and it’s nice to show it off. It was great having the cast and crew here for the week, but it isn’t just about The Winking Prawn, it’s been good for the whole community.”

Kings Cinema, Kingsbridge hosts the official South Hams premiere on Friday 29 August and will be screening the film immediately after for the public.

The Winking Prawn is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 9:30am until 8pm.