The Carden Arms

The Carden Arms was packed when we visited with family, but the team still gave us warm, friendly service. The girls had the fish and chips, and even the small portions were plenty. The batter wasn't greasy at all, just delicious. The boys' venison was cooked to perfection. Guinness was poured just right too, and the Pinot Grigio was top shelf. Thanks, team Carden. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Shire room had a lovely four-poster bed, and we enjoyed two nights at the Carden Arms. It's a proper old-style pub, with warm staff and excellent food from its own farm. The venison was especially delicious, and we'd happily come back. It's also a handy base for visiting places nearby or further afield. A couple of things to know: ask the staff how to use the hot and cold taps, and the damp mould at the bottom of the bedroom window frames needs attention. Those issues wouldn't put us off returning.

We had a nice Christmas break here as five friends. The pub is cute, the decor is lovely, and the staff were friendly and helpful. Dinner was good, though the Christmas menu portions were a little small. I'd add a couple of sides. The regular menu plates looked much bigger coming out of the kitchen. The bar staff were fab once we moved over there, though our drinks were forgotten a few times at dinner. Our room was nice, with a great shower, Bluetooth radio and an espresso machine. The lighting was quite dark, and there was no water or glasses. Breakfast was limited to a full English or cereal, and the cereal choices weren't great. I'd expect sourdough or similar toast, decent granola and fruit yogurt, but it was just boxed cereal. The full English was good if you like a meaty breakfast, though the toast was brioche. I would recommend the place, and thought it was good value.

The atmosphere was great and the food was nice. They'd run out of chunky chips but didn't tell us when we ordered, just brought fries instead. I don't like fries much, so I barely ate them.