Good Pub Guide Recommended
Bustling inn with relaxed bars and more formal restaurant, good ales and wines and enjoyable food; bedrooms
With a good mix of customers, appealing food and thoughtful choice of drinks, this rather smart inn is a popular place. The main bar has a pleasing assortment of local art (all for sale) on dark mulberry or cream walls, nice old carved wooden dining chairs and pine pews around a mix of tables, a slate floor and a woodburning stove. Leading off is a cosy room with sofas and newspapers on low tables. Butcombe Bitter and a couple of guests such as Butcombe Original, Otter Ale and Timothy Taylors Landlord on handpump are served from the rather fine granite bar counter; they also keep 16 wines by the glass, nine malt whiskies, 12 gins and local farm cider. To the left of the main door is an informal dining room with Jacobean-style chairs and tables on a pale wooden floor and more local artwork. The back restaurant (past the open kitchen which is fun to peek into) has decorative wood and glass mirrors, wicker or black leather high-backed dining chairs around chunky, polished, pale wooden tables on coir carpeting, and handsome striped curtains. The attractive courtyard at the back of the inn has chrome and wicker chairs around teak tables under green parasols; a smokers' shelter overlooks a croquet lawn. Bedrooms are contemporary, comfortable and well equipped.
Bar food times: 12-2.30, 7-9.30 (10 Fri, Sat)
With everything made in-house, the appetising food includes ciabatta sandwiches, ham hock and apple terrine with pickled apples and black pudding crumb, braised blade of beer with pea purée, pickled beetroot and horseradish crème fraîche, butternut squash and sweet potato tagine with almond, red pepper and honey bulgar wheat and yoghurt with mint and cucumber, smoked haddock and cheddar fishcakes with leek and tarragon cream sauce and tomato dressing, plaice with caper butter, bacon lardons, peas, samphire and spinach, 28-day-aged rib-eye steak with peppercorn sauce, and puddings such as dark chocolate tart with blood orange sorbet and elderflower cheesecake with blueberry compote.
Awards

Good Pub Guide Recommended

Food Award

Stay Award
Information

Accepts Credit Cards

Meals & Snacks

Sandwiches

Separate Restaurant

Cask Ales

Bedrooms

Dogs at the bar

Dedicated children area
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Worth a Visit Pubs Nearby
Other Pubs Nearby
Key

Good Pub Guide recommended

Worth a visit

Information Only

Pub Closed