Castle Inn,Lydford,Devon in Torridge

Booked for 1230, perused the extensive menu and settled on the steak and ale pie and a pizza. Both arrived piping hot, the pie served with mash, gravy and winter greens, delicious! Sandy's pizza was a triumph with lashings of melted cheese, pepperoni and spices. All served by efficient and friendly staff. This pub has stacks of atmosphere, the main bar with an open fire 🔥 and cosy nooks and crannies is popular with locals and visitors alike, you'd be wise to book if you want to eat.

Came here for a Sunday roast. Was absolutely delicious. Had the pork. Plenty of it. Succulent and flavoursome. Great roast potatoes and Yorshire pudding and other veg. Good value. Will definitely come again.

The Castle Inn is lovely, cosy and welcoming and we really enjoyed our meal which was delicious. We intend to return and stay for a few days next time we are down this way, as it would be a perfect base for exploring the area.

The staff were very tentative and polite except for the tall woman with blonde hair, totally unprofessional and has not a clue how to treat a customer, would recommend that she takes a customer awareness course this might help your business. Sunday lunch was a disaster tasted better in Weatherspoons. Won't see me back there.

Staying at a nearby hotel, my daughter and I had a lovely dinner at your beautiful restaurant. The service was friendly and quick, the G & T's were very nice and the dinner was absolutely great. Also the atmosphere of this ancient inn is great. We really enjoyed ourselves.

A nice local pub. Staff were very friendly and we were seated without a reservation. Food order was taken quickly and served within 15 minutes. Staff were attentive and helpful.

Didn’t expect such fantastic food, quiet charm, no music, very tasty pizza and super salad - and much fancier stuff. 100% recommend.

Arrived and parked up in the car park. Entered the very old bar, bare stone walls and suitable subdued lighting. Taken to our table by a member of the staff in the soon to be busy restaurant, and no wonder. A superb Sunday roast served quickly and efficiently by the cheerful and helpful team. Attentive staff made sure we weren't left needing. A pleasure to eat here, great food great service and great atmosphere. Couldn't recommend it more highly.😁😁😁

Came in without booking during weekday lunch time after visiting the gorge. The staff are so friendly, from the welcome, to the bar, serving the food and all. The pub is clean and gorgeous. The garden is beautiful and the kids enjoyed playing at the back and visiting the castle. The food was lovely but portion size is on a smaller side, I could eat 2 more plates of the venison haunch!

A KING for a KNIGHT in the CASTLE INN, whilst out for a weekend get away in Lydford we paid a visit to the CASTLE INN for a evening meal, we pre booked on line our table as we knew it could be busy. Arrived just before 19:30hrs and we were shown to our table by one of the friendly staff members. The pub has a cosy atmosphere and interesting decor. We ordered. Pre meal drinks and perused the menu… choices made as it was a treat we went for the Tomahawk Steak to share … lovely …. Arrr sorry we don’t have any Tomahawk Steak left, no worries we’ll have the Steak Pie…. Arrr sorry no steak pie left . Ok in that case we’ll have a Ribeye with Sunday Roast with Cauliflower Cheese … lovely. Our friendly staff member whom we were almost on first name terms with at this point came back to the table to apologise again … no cauliflower cheese… ! Anyway ordered a bottle of red to drown our disappointment. Food arrived in good time , well presented and piping hot. My Ribeye steak was perfectly cooked along with the flat mushroom and tomato, my only slight criticism would be the skin on fries although ok I would have preferred chunky chips. The Sunday Roast was great. Red Wine by this time was taking effect, a really nice choice. Decided to order a portion of local cheeses to round off our meal, these were really tasty and I also liked the game of guess the cheese as well didn’t have a clue as to which one was which…. For £13 perhaps the portion could have been slightly larger and some little name tags on each cheese would be a winner. All in all a good experience, if you are in the area it’s well worth a visit. They have a great selection of beers , lagers and ciders of which we did sample….

Wow, excellent meal in the pub tonight, the food was amazing as was the service from all the staff. Very dog firendly and lovely garden.

We’ve been coming to this pub on our visit to Lydford for about 3 years now and I can say it is consistently been a pleasure! The food on this latest visit was just lovely. The mushroom soup needed a little more seasoning for my taste but I picked up the salt and pepper pots from the table and lo and behold delicious! It’s better that way as then it’s to my tastebuds! The welcome and staff friendly and of course the pub is cosy and warm on a very wet weekend in July. The takeaway or in house pizzas are also just great! This is a great village pub! Will keep returning.

Booked in advance but unexpectedly seated outside, where it was under a tent affair and very draughty and cold - despite being a warm day outside. Sunday roast beef was practically raw and inedible. The Yorkshire pudding was cold and the gravy was like water. Hubbys burger was tiny with too much dressing to try to fill the too large bun it was served in. Won't be returning with so many other fine eateries in the locality.

I was very excited when I was told by my partner that we were going here for Sunday lunch. We love trying out new places and we have been to rather a lot of Sunday roasts in different locations and this place looked amazing! We got there and all looked lovely. Great parking, building very attractive and the welcome from staff was lovely. we decided to eat outside which they were happy with as originally we were going to eat inside, so they seemed rather accommodating......and then...... My shandy was flat so my bf got it changed which they actually just topped up what i had so I had to change it again. Third time lucky, it was great, but left a sour taste in my mouth that they did not seem to have an eye for detail and common sense. Roast was ordered, came out looking great.....and then...... I was so so so disappointed....the meat was raw, the potatoes were hard and tasteless, the Yorkshire was dry and horrible! I could not believe it! The price meant my expectation was rather high and i was gutted. The gravy was lovely. The red cabbage nice, but the horseraddish source came out looking like calslaw....i was confused and it tasted vile. After attacking my meat with a knife trying to cut into the chewiness of it I searched for the veg......half a carrot and half a parsnip, but not even a full length one. Just a tiny bit of veg and a tiny with of kale. at one point i think my bf and could have cried as its was so so disappointing. Lets order the sweet we said to see if if will redeem itself......NOOOOOOO mine as the enough to remortgage a house and tasted okay, my partners was so bad. I had a taste and it was like tasteless earth and so unappealing. Such a shame for a beautiful location and friendly staff. they have so missed the mark and need to see what other pubs are serving as their portions are too small and pricey and the quality is very basic. After paying over £70 we felt cheated and quite upset.

Stopped here for lunch as we where riding the granite way. Sat in bar which was lovely. Only had sandwiches, chips and a drink which where very welcoming as we had cycled 11 miles which was half way.

Lovely pub. Cosy bar. Nice restaurant and pretty beer garden. Friendly staff. We came to eat and this was unfortunately a bit disappointing. Partner had roast pork which was good. I had quinoa nut roast which was basically a tablespoonful of quinoa and little evidence of anything else in the nut roast. It wasn't a loaf...more like a spoonful of half cooked quinoa which fell apart with nothing binding it together. Like eating a mouthful of tasteless crunchy grain. We shared a cauliflower cheese which was not cheesy, more like cauliflower in a very runny milk sauce. One roasted carrot each and 1 roasted little parsnip each. Kale and red cabbage were nice. But nut roast and cauliflower cheese very disappointing unfortunately. However couldn't fault the staff. Very friendly.

We did a takeaway pizza on our first night & that was great (although it came while & not cut which was a pain) . We then did breakfast which was ok apart from water beans that seem to have no taste & no sauce #justserveheinz then we had takeaway fish & chips which weren’t that good

This pub has an unassuming front and tucked away on the DNP. As we walked in we had that warm/fire smell from a country Inn, fantastic. As you you make your way through the bar to the large garden at the rear which is well laid out with an outside bar. Food was fresh, tasty and arrived in good time. Friendly staff, children, pets welcomed. Would eat there again.

We had dinner, stayed overnight and had breakfast. The small double room was delightful and spacious enough for a small double. The food and the service were excellent. The Inn is lovely it has nooks and crannies and a nice garden too. Would go again

What a let down the worst Sunday roast I have ever had the beef was so tough my partner had to ask for a steak knife to cut it 1 carrot 1 parsnip load of red cabbage and uncooked green beans 2 roast potatoes and a Yorkshire pudding £20 !!! Is it that difficult to cook a Sunday roast ??? Plus it was like crufts smelly wet dogs everywhere and the waiting staff playing with them and not washing their hands after was enough to make your stomach churn Plus point lovely pint of dartmoor legend and staff very polite

The actual restaurant has very nice staff who aren’t afraid to help you, the food , (for what it is) is relatively cheap for the quality. And the Victorian Aesthetic is very cosy and warm. The table can fit up to 8 people or possibly more. Their dinner menu is incredibly vast covering burgers to stakes to other fancy names. The same goes to their drinks, from coke to wine they have it all. Then the actual rooms you can rent are very cozy as well. They can fit dogs and up to 2 people usually. All rooms come with either fudge, cookies or chocolate bites. All rooms have a bathroom with a hairdryer and shower (bathtub shower) The beds are spacious and incredibly comfortable and soft. Only downside would be some rooms can be a-bit cramped, (especially with a dog) but back to positives there is a TV in every room too. Very nice experience

Just popped in with the dog after a walk for a light lunch. We ordered some Ciabatas. Shouldn't have bothered asthey were hardly edible. The Chicken, Bacon and mayo one was served with very little chicken, minuscule pieces of bacon and a mayonnaise 'cream' all mixed together on a very dry and strange tasting 'ciabata-type' bun. My partner's was of a different 'mixture', but similarly 'cobbled' together. The dog enjoyed the experience as she ate most of our food. Some might say that it was only suitable for the dog! It was easily the worst lunch we've had in the last few years! A very disappointing experience!!

Booked for 2p.m. Ordered 2 roast beef lunches. Looked great when it came out. 2 nice looking slices of beef on my plate. I could eat about half of it as the rest was fat and grissle. French beans were raw and roast potatoes had clearly been re heated to put on the plate and were dry and tough! Told the girl who cleared the plates(she could see how much was inedible) . A manager appeared and said had we had a problem and I reiterated my plate. No apology and she went away. The croissant bread and butter pudding was to die for but I would have appreciated an apology and perhaps a free pud for my dreadful first course. The other roast beef plate was not too bad. Don’t eat Sunday lunch here unless you are in the first sitting. Won’t be going again.

Lovely old country inn , friendly staff providing excellent food. We had the duck , steak & ale pie , a burger & pizza - all cooked to perfection & big portions. Excellent variety of beers on tap .

Me and my family have eaten here a few times. The food is always amazing and they cater well for gluten free customers. Such great service too! Always checking to see that you are happy and if you need anything. I visited this Mother’s Day for a meal with my son and was so touched when I left as they handed me a bunch of daffodils. Such a lovely touch! I highly recommend this Pub!

Cozy village pub with real fire and engaging staff who responded well to a poor experience where 3 Sunday roast meals came out cold from the kitchen. Replaced without quibble but sadly disappointing value for money with soggy Yorkshire puddings, non-crispy roast potatoes and minimal vegetables - 1 Parsnip; 1 Carrot and small amount of red cabbage and broccoli. A shame because pub was full of character, beer and wine was absolutely fine. Drinks were taken off the bill as a gesture which was appreciated. Maybe just a bad day in the Kitchen??

Celebrated my 60th Birthday here. Both the food and service was amazing. We all had a wonderful weekend at the Castle Inn, the rooms are all beautiful and a lovely breakfast. The menu for dinner was excellent and the food was perfect. Would definitely recommend, such a friendly pub.

Fantastic Sunday lunch last weekend. We love this pub, super cosy, lots of atmosphere, warm fires, low beams, a proper country pub. We both had the roast beef which was the best we have had out in a long time, excellent Yorkshires, delicious red cabbage. Our only gripe was the roast potatoes needed a bit more love, a bit underdone and not crispy enough. We shared the sticky toffee (more toffee sauce please next time) and a cheese board (great cheese choices and lots of biscuits). All the staff were wonderful, friendly and attentive, we are going to book to stay for a weekend in April and can’t wait to come back!

Wonderful lunch for my mother’s 80th. Incredible menu comprising pub classics, refined modern british gastro cuisine, incredible pizzas and a smashing children’s menu. Food was delicious. Service charming. A real treat.

We had a great family lunch here. Friendly professional service in a very nice setting. Having read some of the other reviews on Tripadvisor and reviewers disappointment with their meals, I was a bit apprehensive about the food. However, we all had excellent dishes. The venison loin and the steak ale pie were very tasty and are highly recommended. The only downside was the noise from the bathroom renovation. However, that was a minor distraction. Well worth a visit. We would certainly like to come back and stay.

We have regularly used the Castle Inn for many years but a recent visit was disappointing although the bar, bar staff and beer perfectly good. However, the food was below average with my Steak Pie while generously filled was dried out and only saved by the gravy provided separately and the mashed potato almost stone cold.

This is the second time we have stayed here and again we had a wonderful time. Breakfasts were wholesome and delicious, enough to keep you going until dinner time. Dinner was good. The first night I had the pie, tasted lovely but where it had been reheated as a slice was a tad dry. The gravy made up for it...the best I've tasted. Fish and chips.....fish was perfectly crispy but the chips were fries....tasty tho. Sunday lunch was delightful. Melt in the mouth beef, perfect veg and so much on the plate that we were both beaten....our hound was very happy tho. Staff here are always friendly and willing to help.

Quite disappointed. We have been here many times including Christmas Day and have always been more than delighted. However Sunday lunch leaves a lot to be desired. Only choice of 2 meats or pizza. Where were all their normal great dishes. Felt like it must have been Chefs day off. Beef tough although a decent knife might have helped kale completely undercooked and potatoes tough and felt like warmsies although assured not. We don't mind paying these prices for quality bur quality cooking it was not. Sorry Castle Inn. Always loved you but you have lost loyal customers. Sadly DH

Just what I needed to raise my spirits on a cold damp Tuesday lunchtime in mid January. It is quite difficult to fine a place to eat on Dartmoor at that time of the day but I had heard that The Castle Inn was the place to try and I was not disappointed. A very good selection of beers and ciders, Dartmoor's Jail Ale is slways a fine sup as are Sandford ciders. The barman had time to chat, I asked him for the menu and both lunchtime and evening choices looked inviting. I settled for a chicken and bacon roll which was delicious, served with chips it was no more than £10. It did not surprise me that poor reviews for The Castle somewhat historic. I am going to make an evening booking for me and my wife today, she deserves a really good evening out.

Stopped for light lunch. Good selection of food. Plenty of vegan choices. Good pint of Jail Ale and a ciabatta. Friendly staff and customers. Nice fire (bit smoky but suited the atmosphere). Interesting old building. Good location.

We went here for an evening meal for my birthday after hearing great things. Honestly, what an absolutely delicious meal. I would say it was one of the best steaks I’ve ever had. Perfection. Everything was just outstanding. Even the tomato!! It was cooked and...

We stopped just for one night on a tour around Devon. Perfect country pub with friendly staff, good food and very comfy cosy bedrooms.

We ate here twice. The first night played safe with a shared starter, a soup, and fish and chips. It was excellent. Couldn't fault it at all. Second night, I had venison which was sublime. Perfectly cooked. My wife had the vegetarian option and thoroughly...

Delicious food and drink in a traditional pub with both a bar area and a restaurant area. Great veggie options. Would def recommend.

Overpriced, very average food. Evening style ‘gastro’ menu at lunchtime - the Tikka Monkfish was largely tasteless and poorly cooked, the pie was dry and the burger was very low quality. A real disappointment for what used to be a quality experience in a lovely...

Had a very nice Sunday roast with 3 family members. The food was very tasty, staff were friendly and attentive and the service was quick. Warm and cosy in the restaurant with the open fire burning.

Just back from our third visit to this amazing pub. We’ve stayed in several fantastic hotels and pubs in the area over the years. But the Castle has become a firm favourite. Just on the edge of the moor, it’s a good base for walking....

We visited The Castle Inn during August after a Trip to Lydford Gorge. We had spotted the pub earlier when out cycling and had stopped off on that occasion for a couple of beers. On this occasion despite dropping in before the restaurant opened the...

Had an unplanned but amazing trip at the Castle Inn. The staff were very friendly and made us feel so welcome. Both dinner and breakfast were excellent, with great menus, and the room was beautiful and clean. Ben, in particular, went above and beyond for...

We struck gold when we booked our holiday accommodation just a mile or so from this wonderful pub/restaurant. Excellent food, wine and beer. Delightful and friendly staff. Beautiful and comfortable interior. And open all day. Perfect.

Nice old building with the casle next door but I don't feel it's worth the £120 price tag! Staff are not very friendly. Food was very nice but expensive. We had a small double (dog friendly) the bed was terrible, very uncomfortable. The little travel...

Been before and they have lots of veggie/dairy and gluten free options. Georgina served us and was very friendly, very nice pub

Second year on - visiting this pub! Having camped at the local caravan park near by! Booked a seat outside in the garden( the tables were so sticky my hands stuck to them!) staff brilliantly happy to serve! But? There was a long que outside...

Disappointed evening had booked and was exited as heard so much about the place. The food was expensive but I don't mind that if its great quality. The portion size was very small no vegetables only broccoli as an extra so we ordered dinner the...

what a lovely pub- pint of "proper job" was awesome and lovely place with super friendly staff will be back tomorrow for more !

We stayed at The Castle for a couple of nights as a base for a cycling and walking weekend. Great local pub with good breakfasts. We had an evening meal in the "private" dining room at the rear the food was good albeit a couple of items were off the menu. We didnt have lunch there but they looked good too.

We visited as a family and we were all pleased with our menu choices, the food was well presented and cooked to perfection. Would not hesitate to eat here again I was in the area. My daughter-in-law from USA said it was the best burger she had ever tasted, made us laugh but was true!!

We stayed one night to celebrate my husband's birthday (room 11 in cottage). Our bedroom was beautifully done with lovely toiletries, great drinks tray, very clean and welcoming. Only gripe is that there is no wardrobe, just four coat hangers on a small rack. We would definitely have needed wardrobe if there for longer than a night. There is room. We had a game of Scrabble pre dinner in the lovely bar then dinner by the log burner. We shared Welsh rarebit then both had the Dartmoor burger then shared icecream (salted caramel and choc). All delicious. Charming staff who are very helpful. Breakfast service was slightly underwhelming and needs more initiative. Would return and will certainly recommend. Great area for walking.

We book a night away and meal and could not fault it. We stayed in the refurbished cottage rooms across the road. Wow - just beautiful. They have clearly thought of everything (including hair straighteners - bonus points for me!) Beautifully presented and spotlessly clean. The evening meal was good quality food, served by a lovely warm fire which for us was lovely on a chilly winter's evening. Beautifully presented and good portion size. The staff were amazing. Very attentive, without being obtrusive. I cannot find fault. Would recommend seeing if you can book one of the rooms across the road if staying. Fantastic all round.

Excellent service, staff very friendly, the food was lovely, fresh, well presented, tasted great, good night

I visited the Castle Inn with my family for a meal recently and I found it to be as amazing as it ever was. The Castle Inn has been a regular haunt of ours for many years and in the last few years it really has gone strength to strength.The atmosphere is warm and friendly and the staff always make me and my family feel at ease with their friendly welcome. Myself and my husband had the steak on the menu . After eating in many restaurants over the years ( and especially recently with doing lots of traveling around the UK) I have to say the steak was the best I have ever tasted !the rest of the family really enjoyed their meal too and it was nice to see that post pandemic the Castle Inn has maintained such a high standard of food and service.I highly recommend the Castle inn for a meal for two or a family meal and i am looking forward to visiting them again as soon as time allows !

My partner and I plus a couple of friends recently had dinner here, we are local and haven't been since the summer, which was also awful, but had heard it had got better, it hasn't, it's got worse. The WORST sirloin steak I have ever encountered £26 just no taste, I very much doubt it was supplied by the premier butchers in Tavistock as I was told, revolting veggie option, I could go on... Half way through the meal the waiter asked how everything was, so we told him and he didn't engage with that feedback in any way. At the end of the meal he asked again 'How was everything' so we told him again and he replied 'well you have eaten it!' As we had decided beforehand to have a few drinks and booked a taxi, yes we did eat it !!! That's the last time for me which is a shame as it is a lovely pub with a stunning garden, just wish the owners would get the kitchen sorted out.

Just returned from a lovely stay at The Castle Inn. Our room in the cottage was absolutely stunning, beautiful design and decor, immaculately clean and perfect for us and our doggie on a dartmoor weekend break. The pub itself is also cozy, relaxed, stylish and food really impressive at Dinner and Breakfast. Not meant in a bad way staff are sort of not overly attentive or chatty but are still friendly & nice and we had good service if that makes sense and nothing seemed to be too much trouble. I highly recommend this absolutely idyllic location and pub, its super dog friendly, not sure about kids don't think I saw any.. welcome package for our dog was a lovely gesture. All round pretty fantastic, good value and definitely hope to return. Thank you

Had a very nice stay here. Lovely character pub. Good rooms, small but everything you need in them. Nice touch with the morning milk delivery. Very comfortable bed. Had a lovely meal in the restaurant. Excellent service and really friendly staff. Can recommend the pie, probably the best I’ve tasted and packed with meat. Breakfast was also good.

Booked The Castle Inn for a date night with my partner. I have drunk and eaten here a few times before, but never stayed. Our room was located in the Cottage across the road from The Inn, it has been newly refurbished and wow!! What a fantastic job they have done, it is finished to a very high standard and we could not find fault, our stay was great. All the staff were faultless, very welcoming and pleasant, and checked regularly on us when we were in the restaurant to ensure we were happy. The food was first class and breakfast was outstanding, we would highly recommend The Lydford Inn to everyone.

Awkward booking with the castle inn. booked a christmas meal for our parents and it could have gone any worse.Booked on-line for 14:15 and it stated that they would hold the table booking for 2 hours on the website. We arrived a little late due to elderly parents and the traffic on the A30 but 15 minutes late but booked well in advance. We arrived and they didn't have a table for us they put us in the bar with the locals and not in the restaurant? even though we booked the restaurant. Which we were willing to go with....Then the waiter who was really rude after we were seated said that we could only have a limited menu because we were late and we could only have sandwiches!Totally unacceptable for a present to our parents. Rated terrible purely down to the shocking customer service and attitude. They made the situation really awkward and we had to leave the pub and go elswhere that would accommodate. We won't be back.

Stayed one night with my three siblings, the rooms are exquisite, beautifully and tastefully decorated and furnished to a very high standard, 4* accommodation and excellent value. Staff all helpful, cheerful and professional and the food delicious. Excellent home cooked breakfast. Definitely recommend this pub.

My husband and I visited here with our dog. The pub was so warm and inviting and it is such an old building it really adds to the ambience. The staff were lovely and made a fuss over our dog by giving her a treat. The food was divine. My husband had the venison pie and said it was phenomenal. I had the chicken supreme and it was so tender and juicy. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and would definitely come back.

Good food, family friendly, dog friendly, nice old pub. Outdoor garden space is great in fine weather, but inside is well spaced if Covid is a worry.

We were staying in a large party nearby and booked a Sunday Lunch here. We ordered our drinks and they arrived at the same time that a waiter came to take our orders for food. We were trying to give our orders for food and respond to the waiter sorting out our drinks! Two of our group had roast pork, I had chicken and the rest had beef. When the meals arrived it was clear that a lot of time had been spent on building the food up on the plate into a pyramid with a Yorkshire Pudding balanced on top. The two who had the pork called the waiter to reheat their food in the microwave. My meal was not even lukewarm, with cold swede. I didn't want my chicken to be reheated in the microwave and by the time the two meals had been reheated, nearly everyone was over half way through the meal. The waiting staff were very badly trained. As soon as there was a complaint about the temperature of the food they should have offered a fresh meal. What chef with any self respect allows a meal they have prepared to be reheated in a microwave. We asked to speak to someone senior at the end of the meal and were shocked to find he had not been told about our experience! My meal cost was refunded (I was totally put off and couldn't eat it) and 50% of the reheated meals was refunded. The staff were pleasant enough and we left them a tip because they are not well paid. So come on management, train your staff.We're staying at the same house next year and we will not be coming to the Castle Inn. Sorry.

Stopped by for lunch last Tuesday after a walk in the blistering cold down to nearby Lydford Gorge. The wood fire in the massive Inglenook fireplace was most welcome. Very warm and cozy pub, happy staff, enticing menu. Confit duck leg for me (with potato fondant, braised pak choi, port & cherry jus), and Steak and Jail Ale pie (with mash, greens and gravy for the wife). Waited approximately forty five minutes for our meals from ordering which was a little too long perhaps? My duck dish was pretty terrific admittedly and so worth the wait for me. Wife's pie she confessed on the way home was barely even warm and the mash was actually cold. She didn't complain at the time alas as; she doesn't like the slight awkwardness of complaining; it would have only created further delay whilst my meal then went cold; and sometimes you just have to accept the risk when eating out. Not the end of the world I know but she was pretty disappointed on a cold day not to get a hot meal, especially as she did think it very flavoursome. A rare oversight from the kitchen I'm sure but it means I couldn't justify a five star review for what nevertheless really is a wonderful example of an old fashioned Dartmoor Inn.

Visited this beautiful Devon pub last night with my wife and son for an evening meal. We had an exceptional experience. The pub is stunning the tables lit by candle light and real fires roaring away. The service was faultless and the food was delicious and beautifully presented. We will be back again soon!

It was our 2nd stay at this Inn, we enjoyed it the first time pre pandemic and decided to return there, were not disappointed as it was still as good as the first time, there has been an added attraction of an outside dining area under a stretch tent, we did make use of this twice and enjoyed.All staff were friendly, efficient and polite, we felt at home there, staff wore face masks when serving at tables or bar, there was plenty of hand gel available in the Inn for customers to use.Our room was spotlessly clean.We enjoyed all the meals we had there, breakfast was plentiful.We plan to visit again.

Having wisely booked as it appears to be a popular place, we were shown to our table in a very charming room by an inglenook fireplace and local memorabilia on the walls.For drinks I chose Jail ale (4.8 abv) now here’s a very well kept beer, with a rich dark flavour and very distinct caramel under tones. My wife chose a Sauvignon blanc, a chillian wine with a crisp fruity bouquet.There 2 points of interest about this venue one of which I’ll mention later, the first is that dogs are allowed in any part of the bar or restaurant, now you might be asking why’s that important, well trust me if you are a dog owner and can think of nothing better than to enjoy a good meal and drink after a 2 mile dog walk then you would hopefully understand my logic.They had a very extensive menu (available to view on their website) With two vegan options, the obligatory Curry (seams to be a regular feature on all menus) and a tofu and pulled mushroom burger with a side of fries, both my wife and I went for this. Now here’s where I talk about the second point of interest, my wife has gluten intolerance so when ever she asks a dish with bread then she asks for a gluten free option. here her burger came with a gluten free bun not just bread which is often the case, now here’s the rub because despite it being in a gluten free bun the tofu was alas coated in breadcrumbs so I’m sorry to all celiacs, but that being said if you are wise enough to book then why not ask I’m fairly sure they can accommodate you.Anyway to the burgers, they were very tasty with vegan cheese, pickles, onions, tomato and lettuce and along side the chips made for a very fulfilling meal. To follow up I chose the sticky toffee pudding and ice cream and my wife chose the gluten free chocolate brownie.As for the sticky toffee, I’m not going to lie I’ve tasted better, but I have also tasted a good deal worse, I think the toffee sauce was just very slightly over, so had a very slight burnt flavour, but nevertheless it tasted good. My wife’s brownie was perfect like gooey and fudge like in the centre with a crispy top again served with ice cream the only fault my wife found was that it was very rich, so wouldn’t advise having this if you had, had a rich main. The Castle inn is most definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. the service was great and food was great, so why not pay them a visit.

Un fort joli cadre une cuisine au Resto très correcte mais côté chambre nous étions en chambre 1 joli décor rustique mais le Wc ne fonctionnait pas ni la douche débit d’eau très faible petit déjeuner peu généreux et service très amateur bof

A single night stopover with dinner. We were met by a lovely host (who's name escapes me). A great lock up for our bicycles. Good choice of evening meal we had Lamb shank and the burger with pulled pork. Excellent food although quite pricey for the quantity. Our room was perfectly clean although a little compact. Really lovely toiletries to use. Breakfast was very good, we had extra toast at no extra cost. Thoroughly recommend for a short break

Lovely find in the heart of Devon.Great food, amazing staff, nothing was ever too much trouble for any of them. A really great, happy bunch who work really hard every day.Breakfast was really filling and set you up for the day. A veggie option is available. Ar snacks and great food throughout the day as well. The fillet steak is amazing and worth paying a bit extra for.A wonderful range of ales all perfectly poured and kept brilliantly. Perfect pint evey time!And above all dog friendly, our boy is a little nervy and likes to hide under the table when we're in a pub so as and when he got a little jumpy there is a perfect, warm place in the garden.Our room was well kept although a little cramped with a dog bed to factor in us was super clean and very well kept.Highly recommend and we'll definitely go back.

We stayed at a cottage very local to the pub with really close friends. This is our meeting place when we arrive and also our eating place. The food is fantastic and there is one particular staff member that was brilliant. It is a dog friendly pub and we thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere. we will be back again soon.Our only minor concern was we went there for breakfast when we departed to go home. very expensive for what you got. 4 pieces of toast for £7 and breakfast was £10.00 each for 2 pieces of bacon, one egg, one sausage, hog roll and a mushroomBreakfast will be a miss next time, but its a learning curve.Regards Steve

We had a fab stay at The Castle Inn; from the moment we arrived and saw the gorgeous open fire warming through the bar and were welcomed by Charlie and his team. Great evening, fab food, met lovely people and seriously would have been happy to stay a few more nights. We were halfway back to Kent when Charlie called to say I’d left my Kindle in the room ( honestly, I didn’t leave it on purpose so that we’d have to go back!) It was kindly returned to me promptly within a couple of days. We will definitely be back. Thanks Charlie and gang.Jacqui G

We stayed for the weekend nearby and ended up eating there both days as we enjoyed it so much. The online ordering was very easy and efficient, the food was delicious and they made my 40th very special.

Lovely night staying at the Castle Inn, all the staff were great, the room was clean and comfortable, great amenities. Dinner was delicious and all reasonably priced. Old building full of charm, would love to return someday. Thank you.

Our second time visiting the Castle Inn and what a change from our last visit. The whole place has been fully refurbished to an excellent standard. We booked a room this time and was not disappointed, the room was perfect and spotlessy clean. I did not feel worried about covid at all. We had a delicious three course meal in the evening and the fish, chips and mushy peas where, (fresh cod) delicious. Also the breakfast was fabulous, the staff where extremely polite and very helpful. We would highly recommend them for there accommodation and there excellent food.

Perfect location to walk the Gorge. Lovely room opposite the inn, all newly renovated. Had a meal in the evening, couldn’t fault it. Lovely breakfast too. Would definitely recommend this hotel.

Booked lunch with five friends on our way to stay at a nearby hotel.Service was good, wide choice of starters and main courses. Due to the adverse weather the restaurant was not busy, people had cancelled reservations, advise to book if going to go.Lots of local ales to choose from and both starters and the main were excellent, we all enjoyed it.

We used this as a stop over after a few days away and loved the character of the place the room was tidy a little snug in space wise but otherwise had everything needed. Staff were excellent and pleasant and helpful couldn’t do enough. Food both in the evening and breakfast were excellent. Would stay again if in area

Overall, very disappointing.ConsThe photos on booking.com and similar websites do not match the actual rooms. I booked a deluxe king as I was tempted by the roll top bath in the photos. It’s the only reason I booked this place over another hotel. I even called to double check the deluxe king included the roll top bath. When they showed me to the room there was no bath. I told them there must have been a mistake as this wasn’t the room I had paid for, it looked like the grade down. I spoke to two members of staff about it, one woman (maybe french? With dark hair) was truly the most rude person I have ever come across in hospitality before. I asked her if any of the deluxe kings were available as that was what I had paid for. Her response: ‘What do you want me to do about it? I’ll show you all the keys on the wall to prove it to you if you want.’ A simple no with an apology would have sufficed. In the end she walked away from me. I don’t understand why she is working in the hospitality industry as she was so unbelievably rude to me. The lady who served us breakfast left a lot to be desired in terms of her friendliness too. Difficult parking in the car park, it’s very small and muddy.Shower was honestly terrible. It was just a dribble. Same for the toilet, the flush was awful.The smell from the kitchen fans was so strong that our room smelt so strong of food all evening.The rooms were generally quite tatty. Peeling paint, curtains falling off the pole, lamp didn’t work.ProsSome of the younger members of staff who served us at dinner were very nice.It’s a proper old, quaint pub with character.Food was pretty nice, lovely bar snacks.

The Castle came to our rescue (not for the first time!) after we found a neighbouring pub closed. Having arrived we wondered why we hadn’t gone to the Castle first! The welcome was warm and genuine without being open your face. The food was freshly and expertly made and was delicious. The dog settled down straight away on the mat and despite there being quite a few people, it didn’t feel crowded. Hooray for the Castle!

Stopped off here on the way back from Cornwall. Sat outside in the sunshine with the dog and had a delicious cream tea. Didn’t go inside but from what I could see looked nice and olde worlde and cosy

Walked around Lydford Gorge and stopped in the Castle Inn on the off chance of a table for lunch. Although very busy a lovely chap showed us to a table. Lovely ambience in this traditional pub and couldn't fault the service.One of the best roast dinners I've had (and I've had a few!).Generous portion of beautifully cooked beef, perfect Yorkshire pudding and roast potatoes and great selection of vegetables. Really couldn't fault it. Delicious and will definitely return.

me and my wife had two great meals here, found the the meals very largethe first night we only just managed to eat two main courses which were execellenton the second night we shared a starter, a main and a pudding, which the staff were happy to do for us, without any problems, it is a lovely English country pub with excellent staff

Food was really good. We had fish and chips, cooked perfectly and very generous portions. We could hear the chef in the kitchen - he sounded very efficient and on the ball! Highly recommend the food, 5 star! Service was pretty poor to be honest. You order via the app anyway which results in the staff standing around on their phones a lot! They weren’t particularly friendly, looked fed up and bored. We sat outside so can’t speak for those indoors but those outside need a little bit of additional training……….

What a little gem of a B&B, we stayed 1 night, last minute, on the way down to Cornwall and glad we did.We found and booked through Booking.com All of the pub is dog friendly so we didn't feel like we were segregated from the rest of the pub.We had dinner in the garden which was very tasty and a good choice of food. Only Downside was you had to order food and drink yourself via your phone so you paid upfront. Not all items on the menu were on the app ie the pate or drink choices. Also not good if you don't have a smart phone...Also it asks if you want to tip before you've experienced the service!However the food was lovely and service was good.We stayed in the converted cottage across the road. I think they were newly renovated.The room was lovely, not overly large but it was comfortable and clean. The roll-top bath was a bit of luxury.Rock hard bed...luckily I like a firm mattress but this was very firmYummy biscuits in room with good tea and coffee facilities. Fresh milk delivered to your room as no fridge in the room.Breakfast was delicious and good choice.Parking is OK but seems to be used by people visiting the local attractions and a popular spot for cyclists to use as a base so can get very busy.Good walking for the dog with the castle, Norman Fort to walk around and lots of bridleways.Would stay again to break up our journey

Thoroughly enjoyable stay. Comfortable spacious room, Superb staff. Food freshly prepared and delightful. A highly recommended establishment.

The lunch was so tasty! I only had some bread and chips, but my parents said their sandwiches were fantastic! We sat under a lovely outdoor marquee sort of tent which had a great atmosphere, and there was also a cat that came and sat near us (that’s always a great thing!) We’ve never dined here before but we’ve always cycled past it on holiday- I think we’ll certainly go back if we go next summer!

On the outskirts of Dartmoor national park. A gem of a place. Notwithstanding the interesting history of Lydford, the pub has some interesting features and historical items. On top of this the staff were great, the beer was top notch and the food tasty. A great sun trap in the beer garden too. It was a shame we were only there one night. Have already recommended it to friends.

Lovely looking pub, great location, garden lovely. Unfortunately given the top prices the evening meal was disappointing. I had the devon sirloin steak which was tough and had soo much garlic on it i could not taste the meat. My partner had the chicken. The chicken was fine, however it was served with a tiny amount of lettuce, gravy and about 3 bits of potatoe. Shame as staff were nice and friendly.

We had our first visit to the Castle inn for lunch today, very friendly helpful staff, we loved the fact we could bring the dog in with us. Food was delivered promptly and was all really good quality, we look forward to returning again.

Our ladies lunch group have eaten here four times in the past 2.5 years.Every time there has been problems with the bill with accusations of someone not having paid. We’ve never had these problems in other restaurants and pubs. When I organised lunch here pre covid I was pressured into paying for two desserts a a coffee. I asked to see owner with a ‘ he’s not here’ response. I paid up, then checked with each member whether they’d inadvertently forgotten to pay. No, they all had receipts from their payments. Eventually, the owner, reluctantly refunded.In the summer, Sue arranged a lunch. Again, having twice been caught out with ‘a meal / dessert hasn’t been paid for’ we were all very careful to be sure that everything was paid for. We all drifted away. Sue was told two mains hadn’t been paid for so , despite her protestations, she was forced to pay up.Today, 15 of us went to lunch to say farewell to a member who is retiring to Hampshire. Once more we were very meticulous to ensure everything was paid for. As the last five of us were leaving the waiter told us we couldn’t go until someone paid for the two balls of ice cream. We said, no, everyone paid. He was adamant we couldn’t leave - so we started walking out to which he said ……‘Don’t bother coming back’What?????Did we really hear him say that? Clearly yes we did.So four lunches with each lunch having bill issues. Castle Inn, your training and systems need reviewing. Oh, and by the way. We are local people and yes, we won’t bother coming back.Plus we were so outraged that we will all be sharing this lovely customer service experience with our friends.

Lovely pub and ambience but mediocre food.I had a seafood chowder 2 clams, no prawns, a small amount of overcooked salmon and haddock snd lots of salt and peas. Very small portion too . The samphire was the only decent part of the meal. My Son had a tiny chicken burger served with about 6 frozen chips. Very disappointing for a holiday treat. I complained but the staff seemed uninterested.

Modern, spacious and clean room. Very comfortable bed. Great breakfast. The younger members of staff could be slightly more attentive though. Overall a very good place to stay!

The pub is very pretty and has outdoor seating under a canopy which also has heaters for the chillier nights, also a beer garden. The tables under the canopy are only suited to 4 people so if you are going as a group bigger than 4 you will be on different tables. Food is ordered by a QR code or the bar. Service is quite quick, unfortunately that's all the good points. We ate in the garden under the canopy and ordered online. The starter I ordered was BBQ smoked chicken salad, when it arrived it was a mini stack that looked like Heinz Sandwich Spread (aka Mad Dogs Vomit), not a piece of chicken with salad as I was expecting and to be honest if there was any chicken in it it was difficult to taste it. Main course was fish & chips, The batter was very brown and crispy and the fish was dry, not worth the top end price of £13.50. For this price l expected amazing…. I can get better from the local chippy and for half the price.Overall this is pub grub ( and not very good pub grub) at over inflated prices.Would I eat there again a big fat NO.

Lunch in the bar. Fabulous sandwiches- one of ham hock , homemade piccalilli and watercress, another of pastrami, cheese and pickled cucumber, both on the most delicious sourdough bread. Superbly friendly and helpful staff. Fantastic.

Had a lovely lunch in super surroundings. The menu was full of interesting choices and the food was tasty, hot and beutifully presented. The staff were welcoming and attentive in a just-right way and nothing was too much trouble.Definitely on our list of places to go to again.

The service here was wonderful, they met our every need and the menu was had a few really delicious veggie options. We struggled to find a suitable establishment to meet our needs as we are both vegetarian, however the castle inn provided very delicious alternatives. I would highly recommend this place for both food and drinks.

Small slice of beef, ale & Devon blue with no taste of Devon blue, decent amount of mash and greens but the beans were the wrong side of al dente so had quite a crunch.Sirloin steak was a bit tough and tasteless, some mushrooms and onion rings with it would have been nicer than a bland salad.Just not great for the money, nice setting though.