Devonshire Arms

We sat outside in the sunshine, and the team kept an eye on us and topped up our drinks. There are three great cask ales to choose from, and Tim Taylor is always a treat. A fantastic pub, and another lovely visit.

The breakfast was the biggest letdown. We had to fill in a detailed form the night before, and cooked choices beyond a traditional English breakfast were scarce. Even scrambled eggs weren't available. In the morning, we waited nearly 45 minutes despite having booked for 8:00 and being the only guests there. What arrived was a large plate with a carelessly placed, undercooked fried egg, two hard slices of toast, an inedible sausage, and bacon that was burnt in places and barely cooked in others. The room looked nicely furnished at first, but felt dated and patched up rather than properly maintained. A loud water pump behind the toilet was very disturbing, and the poor soundproofing meant we could hear every word of our neighbour's phone conversation. The hotel's atmosphere also felt cold and lifeless. There was sparse lighting, and the large, empty dining rooms had no lit fireplace to make them inviting places to relax. Service felt chilly from the start, with no basic small talk. When we raised comments or made extra requests, things felt even frostier, and we were uncomfortable, as if we were being processed instead of welcomed. We'd read plenty of positive reviews, but came away very disappointed and can't say we had the same experience. We wouldn't recommend the hotel and won't be back.

We only had one night here, which felt far too short. The old building is beautiful, and our room was spacious and charming, with a really comfortable bed. We were upgraded because they were concerned the heating might not work fully in our assigned room. Staff were lovely and helpful, and even with a busy evening they looked after our large family group at dinner without long waits. Starters and mains were generally excellent, though dessert was a little disappointing. There were some nice beers on tap, but the malt selection could be better. We'd definitely return.

The duck leg with creamy mash was tender and delicious, and the sharing meat board with beetroot and chutney was honestly the best starter I've ever had. All the flavours worked so well together. We finished with treacle tart and vanilla ice cream, plus dark chocolate torte with espresso ice cream, both divine. We came to The Devonshire Arms for a romantic dinner and were so glad we did. The service was outstanding, polite and attentive, and we felt very safe despite the current circumstances. If we lived closer, we'd make this our regular place.