The Exmoor Forest Inn

We were staying in a nearby cottage and ate here two nights in a row. The food was delicious, and so were the local beers and cider. The wine list had a good range by the glass, carafe or bottle. Friendly service and very reasonable prices. Highly recommended.

The breakfast was very good, especially the yogurt, and the waiting staff were attentive. But after three stays, this is likely our last, even though we love the rooms and location. We used to love the food, but now the portions seem tiny for the price. A runny Cottage Pie with a small amount of veg was £19. Our group of six thought about finding somewhere else for the second night. Nobody was taken with the menu or the portions, and we would have looked elsewhere if anything had been close by. Meals arrived unpredictably and so slowly that some of us had to start eating before ours cooled. The pudding was microwaved, hot in some places but not throughout, and had to go back. One person skipped pudding and ordered coffee at the same time, but it arrived after everyone had finished dessert, so we all sat waiting for them to drink it. For us, the food’s quality and value need to be up to scratch, and neither was. This is a walking area where you need energy, and these meals didn’t provide it. They need to think about timing courses so everyone at a table gets their food together.

The staff were absolutely lovely, and the service was great. The food was phenomenal, and we enjoyed the delicious wine and wide selection of drinks and real ales at the bar. We’d stopped in about a year ago for a quick pint after a walk, liked the beautiful interior and the look of the menu, and promised ourselves a meal. We finally came for Monday lunch, and it didn’t disappoint. Would definitely recommend.

To be clear, we didn’t stay at the hotel, so this is about the way it was run rather than the accommodation. We’d booked a nearby cottage in Simonsbath and planned to eat at the hotel each evening. After reading the reviews, it sounded ideal. About two months before our holiday, I reserved a restaurant or bar table for four nights and got confirmation. Around a month before the trip, they texted to say they couldn’t honour one evening’s booking because they didn’t have enough staff. It was disappointing, but these things happen, so I booked elsewhere, a five-mile drive each way. Then the day before our holiday, they texted again and cancelled the other three restaurant bookings, with no explanation. Luckily, the Exmoor White Horse in Exford was happy to take us for the remaining nights. It was suggested that the original bookings had been cancelled because they couldn’t meet the evening meal requirement. Our cottage was very close to the Exmoor Forest Inn. Although it seemed closed on the first evening they cancelled, the other nights looked like normal service: lights on, cars in the car park and cooking smells from the kitchen. We never got to try what the Exmoor Forest Inn had to offer. If you want a friendly, warm welcome, excellent food and a great beer selection, go to the Exmoor White Horse Inn in Exford. Excellent establishment!