Dartington Hall in South Hams

Delicious roast beef and lovely vegetables; homemade horseradish sauce. Young, enthusiastic, friendly and efficient staff eg. Jemima, Galen and Daisy. Very atmospheric venue.

I do not write reviews very often but I felt I had to review this particular venue, so here goes. We were delighted in every way with our experience at The White Hart at Dartington Hall. We arrived slightly late for service after a visit the the Barn Cinema (also Excellent). We were made to feel very welcome and were ushered to our table with no fuss or bother. The food we were served was really good quality , delicious., and good value. The service was excellent and a credit to the managment, The White Hart seems to have raised its game dramatically and we very much look forward to a return visit soon as we live locally. Thank you very much!

The place is gorgeous, the food was very tasty I had the vegetarian option of the roast: hispi cabbage it was to die for!!! The service was excellent Ted and rose made the experience very personal and intimate they answered all of our questions and took great care of us. I recommend coming to try one of their roasts or even coming for a drink after a nice walk in the beautiful surrounding area.

Excellent. Warm, friendly, charming waiter who did very best to please. One of the guests wanted something that was not on the menu but which she had enjoyed at the WH before. The waiter went to ask the Chef who said he could do it. Was delicious. Very happy with the White Hart

We popped in last minute for dinner. We were greeted with a really warm welcome. The service, food and wine were excellent. We had chicken with mash and greens and a sharing board of baked Camembert with home made bread and figs, chutney etc. Large board. Delicious at just £12. V good Malbec by the glass. A great place to relax as enough space between tables and in general. Lovely setting too. The bar restaurant is in an imposing room, really nice with a contemprary designed bar and there is also a snug restaurant next door. Nothing was too much trouble. Staff really wanted to make sure everything was right. Staff member Ted, shone. Recommend.

Had a excellent Sunday lunch at the White Hart. I had chicken and my partner had the rack of pork. She said it was excellent and the best she had tasted. My chicken was perfect and tasty. Must admit the cauliflower cheese is the best I've tasted. The staff are excellent. Very friendly and efficient.

The location is wonderful. I was able to show visiting friends the great hall and the Barn theatre and they loved the restaurant as well. Food was to a good standard but prices expensive compared to similar local prices. Good selection of drinks in the bar. Service good. I would expect the parking to be free for restaurant guests, particularly after 6pm

The White Hart is perfect for dinner especially when staying at Dartington Hall. The food was delicious and the atmosphere great with a stunning vaulted ceiling.

Lovely breakfast, we really enjoyed our visit. It was perhaps unusual that breakfast food items were not kept warm in holding cabinets, but were in lidded tureens - for want of a better description - on a refectory table. We enjoyed our meal and will return.

Attended the lovely carducci quartet concert. Then stayed for the Evington drinks and a light meal. Very pleasurable. Friendly welcoming staff. Good atmosphere.

Visited the White Hart same time last summer and wow what an improvement. To be fair wasn’t bad last year, a decent country pub. We were keen to try out a new menu by the recently joined ‘celebrity’ chef we’d read about. Not disappointed. Beautifully fresh local fish, tender steak, upmarket starters and presentation. Lovely atmosphere sitting outside on a hot night with live music. Inside is part-cosy, part grand medieval, so might check it out when we’re back down this way later in the year. Highly recommended.

Great night with food quality outdoor live music. Pub has moved up several gears: proper gastropub food from an award winning new head chef. Had filet of beef and wife had lamb. Starters monkfish and lobster, and shared a v light choc fudgy pud cooked with ale. Decent wine list. Service is young and willing - could have done with one or two more on duty, TBH, but fine. Will return this summer.

After reading some of the previous reviews we wondered what to expect. Luckily we reserved a table as it was fully booked - our table wasn’t quite ready but this was quickly cleaned down and set up. We ordered two roast beef lunches which were delicious, lovely tender beef, amazing huge Yorkshire puddings, crispy roast potatoes, then on the side mixed vegetables of kale, leek and celeriac plus a separate dish of very cheesy cauliflower cheese and plenty gravy. Just a few things that did let it down the service was a bit erratic, the place could do with a clean cobwebs over the windows and dirty walls plus we couldn’t pay by cash only card and they only had one card machine so had to wait a while.

We waited over 1 hour 35 mins for our food - in a nearly empty restaurant. When our food finally arrived a side was missing. I asked if it could be brought and was told it would have to go at the back of the queue. The monkfish carpaccio was tasty and although a small portion, fine value at £11. The chicken pie would have been good if it had not been brown and dry from sitting in a warming oven for too long and had had more chicken in it. It came with no sides, looked ridiculous on its enormous plate, and was a rip off at over £20. No dessert menu was offered and by this time I could not bear to wait any longer. I was still hungry. I had to go outside and order a barbecue (for another £10). Terrible service, poor presentation and too small portions let down nice tasting food. Shame.

Tapas for lunch - not a great idea if your tapas is so poor. Grey salami and salt beef that wasn't - with Presoni that looked like beef. Cheese looked like Cornish Yarg, but tasteless. Sauerkraut not fermented enough. No real positives. Green Table is now run by the Cott- go there instead! Or why not just go to The Cott.

Sadly the Hall was closed for a wedding on our visit but it is such a stunning building that it did not matter. The chapel in the pld church tower is well worth a visit on your walk around the Halls gorgeous gardens. Formal and...

Went for lunch prior to going to the Barn Cinema in the White Hart at Dartington Hall. Reasonably limited lunchtime menu but quite varied. Sat outside as it was a beautiful hot day. Ordered smoked haddock mash and my frined had bubble and squeak. Arrived...

We arranged to meet friends for a coffee at the Green Table cafe, but decided to eat at the White Hart because it had been recommended. We called at 2.05pm to check whether it would be ok to bring our dog because we wanted to...

lovely food the only problem we had was with the sides £4.00 is a bit expensive fora few sweet potato chips !!

My friend and I went for afternoon tea at the White Hart, a bar, cafe which is to the side of Dartington hall. It was very well presented, tasted lovely. We weren't hurried and had a very pleasant afternoon. We couldn't manage it all and...

we our members of dartington have walked though the estate for the last 20 years.Last week we walked though a field containing cows a bull and calves not a good combination and we felt quite threatened as 18 people have been killed and 481 injured...

Haven’t been here for a few years and was amazed by the changes. A large cafe type place has been put near the car park. And the gorgeous little pub that used to be in the central building was gone. We always walked a while and ended up with lunch at the pub. It was old and quaint and cosy in the winter whilst in summer we would sit outside and admire our surroundings. We were gutted to find there is now a big modern bar that looks very plastic and reminded us of a bar at the theatre for interval drinks. We hated the bar place so after our walk we went into Totnes for lunch. Dartington is a lovely place to visit but is changing fast and not for the better. Alas.

beautiful setting,gardens cool gtpreat hall,excellant staff and wonderful local food in dartington festival tent,salads ,pizzas,and burgers for every taste but salad that would take hours to prepare and for a very reasonable £5,you have melon and chilli,butterbean,cous cous sweet potato,etc mackeral or chicken side plus every sort of dressing including houmous and pesto....and of course can be in a wrap or with a homemade pizza or lamb and cumin burger,chickpea etc such a surprise after the usual festival basic expensive food .

We managed to get a travelzoo deal to stay here for the night with breakfast included. It was an absolutely amazing stay, a beautiful, historical room and gorgeous grounds to walk around. Really friendly staff and great food! Would definitely recommend.

A most enjoyable meal in wonderful surroundings.The price was reasonable and cannot fault any aspect of the experience

I was looking forward to my stay here. In fact, it looked like the accommodation highlight of my seven day Devon walk. Initial impression of the building and grounds, wow, beautiful . And the gardens were indeed, very beautiful. But the room I was given was, by a long shot, the worst of my trip. Even the walk down the corridor did not auger well. Seemed more motel than country house hotel. Then my room! About the size of a monastery cell and almost as austere . Cheap timber fittings and a single bed. Haven't slept in one of those since I left home! But the worst part. It had no bathroom, not even a wash basin. No, that was in a locked room across the hallway. Now, I have reached that certain age where a visit to the bathroom during the night is a guaranteed certainty. Having to find the key, put on something decent in case I encounter company, is not my idea of a great time. I no longer back pack and have to go find the bathroom and although the bathroom was solely for my use, that's how it felt. Feeling very disgruntled and in need of a coffee, having to get the key and go on my little voyage to get water for my kettle, finally did it for me. It was time to move on, which I did, to the absolutely delightful Cott Inn in the township, which was able to give me all the comforts and the little touch of luxury I had been expecting. I'm sure there are much better rooms than I was given. I'll never know as they were booked out. But the overall impression I got was of a conference type venue, not your luxury country hotel.

Other than paying to park the car, it's free to visit Dartington Hall. We took our 18 month son and enjoyed a walk through the beautiful gardens while he tired himself out. This gave us time to relax with a book while he had an afternoon sleep in the shade.

Friendly staff and gorgeous food. I was staying here on business and the service was fast and friendly, nothing was too much trouble. The restaurant pub appeared to be very popular and was always busy. This place would be a great way to spend a boozy lunchtime summers day. Excellent! ☀️

Reservar una mesa para una cena de cine y comprobar me decepcionó mucho. Porque el camino con palabras Festival en tenían rayas volver las opciones del menú y aún no pudo entregar. En un día muy caluroso de Julio, no esperaba ver Tarta del día, salchichas y puré de patatas y pescado servido con patatas y repollo. En 6. 30:00 que se había acabado de algunos platos y los que podían pedir no eran buenas. Hummus con una consistencia y un risotto de remolacha torrencial, mientras que sólo sabía de rosa de cebolla. La cesta de pan de masa fermentada de nogal, escanda y era sólo un tipo de pan seco y sin sabor y tuvimos que enviar el vino espumoso porque estaba plana. Única salvación fue miembro del personal encantador (creo) que gestionará Adrianna llamado nuestros problemas preciosa y estaba más disculpas. Ella era apresurado fuera de sus pies, Bendita sea. Estar localmente, no creo que volvamos a probar el White Hart en cualquier momento pronto. Venga en Dartington - se puede hacer mejor que este sobre decepción de precio.

Me and family went on school holiday and my kids really enjoyed it...it was well organised and we'll maintained place. ..we love the picnic area and crafts for kids.

We ate in the 2-AA rosette White Hart restaurant and very disappointed - high prices but poor quality

Nos dieron un vale de 30 libras por sus amigos como merienda un bien pronto después de una operación en serio.

Visitamos Dartington como alguien necesitaba un ascensor. Después tratábamos alrededor de los jardines, mientras espera, luego tuvimos un aperitivo en la casa y me pareció completamente satisfactorio. El joven era muy servicial, cortés y eficiente. Es cierto que la elección de aperitivos no era enorme, pero lo que estaba bien. Después de leer de la experiencia de los demás sólo puedo suponer que la gerencia ha tomado y resolvieron cualquier aviso de problemas o ha habido una mejora significativa en la actitud del personal. No mirar el menú en otra nueva cafetería pero tenemos que decir que nos negamos cuando vimos el precio de los bocadillos! Así que regresamos a la casa. No dudaría en volver. Los jardines están bien vale la pena el esfuerzo.

First time here and had to stand back to see it is more than just a hotel . There is a lot going on behind the scenes and I am sure most people miss something on first visit the staff seemed very helpful and the grounds are tranquil . I don't think you will find another dartington.

We are so very lucky to have a lovely special small Cinema showing the latest films nearby. Such friendly staff/volunteers. Thank you.Although, The Cafe, for the evening showings can be a mixed bag from poor service to friendly but with little or no choice.BUT.....It is the Ladies toilet facility opposite the Barn Cinema which is appalling and extremely unclean each time we have visited. We like the quaintness of the toilets and it really doesn't have to be modern to be clean.It is a shame to let down a brilliant venue for the sake of extra cleaning.But we will be returning to the Barn Cinema.

I have just returned from a faultless two days in this wonderful hotel. The bedroom, although small, was well equipped,warm and comfortable. The meals were very good, both breakfast and dinner. We had no complaints about staff or service in either The White Hart or The Roundhouse. Everyone was pleasant and helpful. The entertainment offered was of a high standard. The gardens were just amazing, a riot of spring blossoms.

It should be noted that The White Hart at Dartington and The Roundhouse Cafe also on the Dartington Estate are two different establishments. The Roundhouse Cafe is not good at all. Bad coffee, bad service, pathetic selection of snacks. The White Hart however sometimes serves very good food. I find it very hit and miss. I have had some great meals there and some awful ones. Bit pricey but its in a lovely place so fair enough to pay a bit over the odds.

We stayed a night at Dartington Hall and ate in the White Hart. After reading many of the reviews I thought I may have been at another place! The room was very comfortable, clean and we enjoyed being there. The gardens are beautiful.We ate in the evening and the restaurant was very busy. The food was very good as was the service. It was a lovely stay and we would go back again.

I called twice last week during quieter times of day. Several tables had not been cleared and the chairs vacated by previous customers were left blocking walkways - not good if customers are poor sighted or infirm.The two staff members made no effort to clear a table for us so we sat amongst the remains of someone else's lunch.Both staff members spent the entire time playing on their phones, quite oblivious to the world around them. I don't like to complain but this was an experience not to be repeated.

Four of us went here twice recently. The restaurant at Dartington Hall is called the White Hart. We ate in the high-ceilinged hall, out the back of the bar (which has an open fire). Service is very good, attentive and courteous. The cuisine is really good, highlights were the caesar salad with anchovies, steak pie, venison sausages... Prices are OK considering the fantastic surroundings of Dartington Hall. We'll be going here again.

We took the family to the much publicised Victorian Christmas Market. Dartington Hall is so beautiful but the event was dismal.It felt as though the organisers were charging stall holders and entrance fee, without being willing to put in any real effort to make it either Victorian or Christmassy. We left feeling extremely ripped off.

Terrible coffee and tea! Appalling service by the staff! we were the only customers in the cafe and my mum and i are both disabled so we asked nicely if the member of staff could possibly bring the drinks over to our table as we were unable to carry them. He was very unhelpful and unwilling but he reluctantly did agree, by saying i suppose so! It was very humiliating! Then when we got our drinks, the coffee was disgusting and the tea was tasteless and teapot only half full, but we felt like we dare not say anything as the member of staff was so rude! We wont be back!!

I recommend connecting a trip to Dartington Hall (near Totnes) with a visit to The White Hart bar and restaurant. Approached via an amazing courtyard, the restaurant has a good selection of both starters and main courses at reasonable prices (several vegetarian options too). The wine list also offers wines from different parts of the world. The staff was very attentive and offered a friendly service. The only slightly annoying incident was that the waitress ‘insisted’ that she got the tip in cash rather than putting it on the credit card. As a consequence she got less than she would have, as we didn’t carry much cash with us.

I arrived a couple of hours early and found a comfortable lounge, with comfortable seats. There is free wi-fi. So I settled down with a nice cup of coffee and panini, see photo. Service was friendly. I would certainly recommend as somewhere to go and sit in comfort before a show.

We ate a very ordinary meal in the roundhouse cafe. The 2 guys running it actually admitted that they had forgotten our meal and they didn't write down orders. After 25 minutes of waiting in a very empty cafe, I had to go and reorder our food, then wait again. Do not mix up the roundhouse cafe with the much better white hart inn on site. Pay more and eat at the latter. Very disappointing lunch in such an exceptional place.

Not only does Dartington Hall offer spectacular garden viewing, it also has a delightful culinary interest on site. Our luncheon consisted of a starter of parsnip soup with mains of fish & chips and venison & cranberry sausages. Very tasty. The staff was helpful as well as conscientious to make sure we were more than satisfied with our choices. We will definitely return.

Sat outside for lunch as dogs not allowed in. Small lunch time menu and quiet expensive for lunch but quality of the food is excellent and worth a visit. Definitely try the fish and chips .. the mushy peas are lovely and fish fresh very tasty with light batter

I had a single room which was comfortable and clean and lovely shower room. Tea and coffee making facilities. Breakfast in the restaurant was nice. Evening meal was a bit pricey. Only problem was the walls were a bit thin in the bedroom and I could hear very clearly what the people were saying next door.

The old lady in front of me in the queue ordered a lot, including soup, when the waitress (Middle Aged lady) gave her the soup it spilled all over the plate to which to the customer cleaned up with her napkin before politely asking for another plate. The waitress rolled her eyes and sarcastically laughed to this which is terrible customer service. The waitress had filled up her tea pot way to full so it spilled everywhere (I saw this happen to another customer as well). The waitress didn't give the customer a tray so I gave her one so she could carry her 5 items. When I was having my order the same waitress came out with someone's food, it only took 2 shouts for someone to claim it and she seemed really angry as she practically threw it down infront of this poor man who was embarrassed at the service. I'm a waitress my self and I'm appalled at how the customers were being treated especially as they were elderly.

What an extraordinary place! A room with an amazing view of the hall’s medieval courtyard and 800 acres of lovely gardens to boot. The White Hart bar and restaurant does some excellent food at a good price, but it does get quite busy. Hence the service to my table was very, very slow. The hall is a reasonably priced hotel in a great location. My room was a little basic but the wonderful grounds and views make up for any short coming.

it's a real shame that customer service in the Roundhouse Cafe has been a let down on my experience. I visited 4 times in last 2-3 months and lack of smiley / helpful customer service each time. Requests for decaf coffee, ice for a cold drink, etc met with abrupt and unfriendly response. Twice I was stood waiting to be served whilst the young staff chatted behind the counter amongst themselves and I had to speak up to be noticed - and then a met with attitude from the young staff member serving and non smiley greeting. I wasn't even offered a glass for the pricey fruit juice I'd just purchased and the female staff member just rudely turned back to chatting with the staff. I nearly asked for my money back. Plus - no milk jugs offered with tea - would be a nice thing to have. It seriously affects the atmosphere and I have preferred to sit outside. Compared with customer service in town centre cafes this cafe falls short sorry to say and is not in keeping with the overall lovely surroundings and standards of the rest of the estate. Just because it's on the Dartington estate and the cafe is guaranteed allot of footfall because only is cafe available it doesn't mean that staff should get away with rudeness. I will be reluctant to spend my money here again.

Following a walk around the wonderful gardens of Dartington a meal in The White Hart at Dartington Hall is a memorable occasion. The staff are friendly and the quality of the food is 5 star.

The location of the White Hart at Dartington is absolutely stunning and the restaurant has all the ingredients to be excellent but sadly the attention to detail is lacking.On arrival the waitress looked very perturbed to see that I had a buggy and when I suggested sitting outside might be easier she replied 'only if you really want to!'The outside terrace is lovely overlooking the gardens and great for babies/young children as there is plenty of shade and safe grass to roam around on.The major problem came with the food. The portion was ridiculous, I ordered the goats cheese with walnut bread in a main size. It came with one tiny piece of bread and so little salad we asked the waitress if it was a main size. The chef confirmed it was, for £9 this is a complete rip off. Another problem with desert, advertised as coming with honeycomb ice cream but was actually served with clotted cream.We were not the only table to have a bad meal. The table nearby had only one meal served instead of two and again the goats cheese was starter size instead of main size.It's a shame because I really want to like this place. The historic buildings are very atmospheric and the gardens are beautiful. Of note the bar is well stocked with interesting local ales and good wine selection.

Incredible grand hall that sits in the middle of the site being a main focal point with the gardens surrounding it. There is rich historical context about Dartington and the estate worth reading up on. I highly recommend visiting.

We ate at the small Cafe here on a recent trip to Dartington Hall (interesting place). There isn't a huge menu - there's a limited choice of 3 types of sandwiches, paninis (freshly made), soup & rolls, quiche & salad, pie & salad, etc. There's also a choice of home-made biscuits and cakes (some gluten free - we had the lemon polenta cake which was delicious) and a choice of coffees, teas and cold drinks. Just 2 staff on duty but very helpful and friendly. You can sit inside or outside in the beautiful garden on picnic benches. Very relaxing, peaceful setting. Will definitely go back.

We were married here on the 30th May and had a thoroughly lovely experience. The food was fantastic and there was plenty to go around both for our wedding breakfast (which was a ploughman's) and the evening buffet (BBQ). The staff dealt with all of our requests and nothing was too much trouble for any of our guests, they clearly aim to please and did this and more. They made our wedding perfect we could not have asked for a better day. Thank you so much. I would thoroughly recommend this exceptional wedding venue.

Visited the White Hart in Dartington Hall on a Sunday evening for supper. Beautiful venue and grounds. We waited over 30mins to order which was way too long. Food came - nice and hot and well presented. Asked for Parmesan cheese to go with gnocchi twice - never arrived. Gave up and ate my meal before it got cold. On another day - we had a cream tea in the tea room. Nice large, warm scones - tiny weeny blob of clotted cream and some mass produced jam. Tea served in a large pot with one teabag. Overall a bit disappointing, which was a shame given the spendour of the surroundings. Take a picnic and flask next time.

As an organisation we stayed for two days and although initially wowed by the buildings felt thoroughly disappointed at the dining experience. The signage to the site is good, however once inside it can be confusing, despite the display boards and some patience and intuition has to be utilised. There is plenty of car parking, albeit in the pre-permit registered/pay and display area, that is spread over a number of levels. Upon leaving if unable to find the actual conference room, a very helpful Visitor Centre receptionist is on hand and reflected the general high level of helpfulness of all the staff encountered.The building itself is amazing and one certainly gets an impression of history as you walk on the designated pathways encompassing well laid out and manicured lawns. I am uncertain whether or not the cobbled centre section of the footpaths would be wheelchair friendly. The lavender garden was interesting, if a gardener, otherwise mundane and for me the graveyard was the most interesting.The meals served were consumed outdoors and fortunately the weather was kind, albeit that there were an inadequate number of tables and chairs and the chairs sank into the grassed area where they were sited. The "hot" food itself was tepid to cold and not particularly tasty, with potatoes were swimming in fat although there was ample provision. An outdoor barbecue the next day was better in both taste and temperature of the food.As a person who loves their food it was thoroughly disappointing, but in part made up for by helpful staff and a building backdrop of interest.

Had lamb shank with olive oil mash potatoes.. Service wes exceptionally well thought out with people walking in at just the right moment.. Beer was amazing, wine was beautiful as it was recommended by employee.. Very impressed..The place itself is a work of are, with art, beautiful walls and doors everywhere.... Please visit this wonderful place, its a real treat. .

I stayed here for a couple of days and had a good look around the place and surrounding countryside. Firstly, getting there is fairly easy from the station (Totnes). I like to walk and the route was pretty easy (end of the carpark, path). The first bit is along the river and is very nice on the right and has a mix of warehouses and ordinary houses on the left. The last half is uphill (moderately strenuous if you do it at normal walking pace). Signage could be better but the views are very good. All the roads and hedgerows are stuffed full of wild garlic and primroses (not sure I have ever seen so many primroses in one place) both on this side and on the steeper approach to 'The Shops' on the other side of the site.The house itself is interesting with some striking architecture - I'm not sure how much you can see of the insides if you are not staying there. Based around a courtyard with buildings going back to Henry VIII's wives and perhaps before (although the hotel 'room manual' seemed to think that Catherine and Catherine were married to Henry VII so I didn't really trust anything I read after that).The gardens are nicely laid out but not large, centred around a bowl structure of grass terraces (again more primroses). To paraphrase Darwin, the designer seemed to have an inordinate fondness for Magnolias - several species dominating the whole garden. Some random statues that presumably have meaning to the designers but which I found it hard to get information (Why a donkey?). The garden is semi-formal but didn't seem to have an overarching coherence in form (to my eyes - I may have missed something).A picturesque graveyard and part of a church at the back of the site were my favourite part of the site (complete with cawing crows); with the adjacent Japanese garden coming a close second (although it did have some footprints in the raked gravel which were a bit disappointing). We had food in the main hall and lectures in a barn-like room at the opposite end of the 'campus' - both rooms were interesting but I'm not sure how accessible they would be to a casual visitor.In general, nice to drop into and have a walk about for an hour or so but I wouldn't be in a hurry to bring my family here (nothing for young kids - not a kid friendly site). There is a cinema - I tried to find out what was on (asked for a leaflet) but the grumpy lady clearly thought I wouldn't like the film on offer and seemed to find the idea of a leaflet somewhat distasteful. She waved at a booklet and told me that they didn't have a leaflet but the films would be "in there". Now, I like an arty film as much as the next pretentious academic but they do seem have chosen a rather bizarre selection - perhaps the grumpy lady read me correctly and was just saving me from myself :).

Good quality local produce. We had the Brixham fish and chips and the vegetarian risotto. The presentation was excellent. The home made tartare source is lovely. The atmosphere was very pleasant. Good bar and waiting staff. Would return again but perhaps eat in the other room next time.

Everything about Dartington is beautiful.The gardens are breathtakingly stunning, definitely worth a trip.The White Hart bar is a must for really good local food that doesn't cost the earth. I've eaten there half a dozen times and always had a fantastic meal. The food is incredibly fresh and really does taste worlds apart. The meat is great quality and really flavoursome.The staff are very friendly and are always happy to help. Dartington is a real gem in the Devon countryside.

White hart dining room was superb. Freshly prepared and locally sourced. Dined here both nights and with fine food and wine we were so delighted. Staff were friendly and helpful and ambience was unfussy and welcoming. We will definitely be back.

Chose to visit the hall and gardens for my birthday celebrations. I hired a tramper so I could get round the gardens. They were well worth a visit, so pretty with lots of bulbs in flower. We then enjoyed lunch in the restaurant. Both of us enjoyed fish and chips. The waitress was very friendly and Service was good.

It really annoys me when you visit quite an expensive (overpriced) cafe and get a soggy microwaved pie. The pie with a dressing was over £5, personally I think that is too much money and you are paying for the surroundings. The salad was ample with a good variety of items and the flavour of the filling of the pie (apple and cider) was good. I really had no problem with the service either....just having to pay that kind of money for a soggy pie is not something I enjoy having to do.

Beautiful location.Very cosy and historic pub.Food was good.Service was unbelievably awful - we waited half an hour for drinks. They forgot to bring our starter and the vegetables with our main course.

A fantastic venue with great grounds and a very impressive 'Great Hall'. Such a shame the quality of the food didn't match the location. The pork steaks were like shoe leather - the table shook when trying to cut the meat. Creme brûlée very poor - like a custard tart with no caramelised sugar on top. Would not rush to book again.

Really enjoyed a Sunday lunch at the White Hart in front of a log fire. Food was very very good and service matcched. Recommend

Wow, The White Hart was simply amazing. The quality of the food was surprisingly excellent, we felt we were on the set of Masterchef The Professionals. I can not praise the food more and at a great price for food of this quality. This coupled with excellent service by Sharon and the team including Richard behind the bar made our evening truly memorable. Thank you so much and we will be back soon and have already been recommending you to family and friends. Happy New Year to you all.

A very decent vegetarian restaurant is located within the premises, and the food is excellent, even more so on a wet day.

The White Heart is very oldie worldie, interesting if quaint. Food is good, lots of variety and service good too.

My wife and I were looking forward to a short break and were absolutely delighted with our choice of venue. Great accommodation, excellent food, stunning surroundings and wonderful staff. A trip to remember and certain return!

Haven't been for a while but had booked a 14.00 film at the Barn with a friend visiting from London & decided to have lunch before. Admittedly, we hadn't booked but being mid-October thought we should be all right.Arrived just after 13.00 & the first surprise was the original bar area had been replaced by rows of tables & chairs. Venturing into the Great Hall, found a soulless new modern bar snaking down one side of the room. Only about a third of tables taken & with no one to ask, sat at a free one. Eventually got up to ask one of the waitresses what the score was & were told we were fine where we were. Got drinks from the bar and menus arrived. Decided Sunday roasts should be nice & quick & ordered, letting them know we were booked for the film. After twenty minutes wait we hailed a waiter & asked if the food would be much longer to be told they'd had a big table in which had delayed things. At 13.45 we decided we would never to even bolt down any food in time & one of our party asked to speak to the manager and told him this was unacceptable & we were leaving. He said we should have been told there was a delay when we ordered. We ended up rushing over to the cafe & getting some sandwiches which we finished eating in the cinema. From the start the service was very offhand and didn't improve. If we had been told initially there was such a long wait we would not have ordered & at least had time for an unrushed lunch in the cafe. What was a cosy, if at times overcrowded, bar with real character has become a vast soulless space with appalling service. I hate to think what it will feel like in mid winter. Unfortunately, we won't be going back to find out.

Decided to eat here prior to seeing a live broadcast in the Barn Cinema. We shared several starter courses with a basket of bread on the side - all delicious. Much improved from our previous visit, with friendly and efficient service and fab food. Our visit coincided with the October Beer Festival, and the pint of real ale went down very well!

Signing on entry is not great but keep driving until you get to Visitor centre. Park up & wander. Beautiful grounds (apparently) but most of this review is aimed at The White Hart. Through the courtyard to an (again, poorly signed!) entrance. Then through into a beautiful room with the bar. On the day of our visit there was an event (German beer & food) just outside, not that you'd know it from the lack of signage. Had a quick drink in the bar. Whilst the room is great the acoustics mean a large group of conference attendees will sound very loud. The staff were busy cleaning. This is good. Standing on the bar to reach the high shelves behind & then not wiping the bar after you've stood on it is not. Maybe high level cleaning best done when you're closed. Will give it another go for one of their evenings but just feel management needs a little more focus

The White Hart is located in the Dartington Hall complex which consists of pleasant grounds and some very attractive buildings. The overall site is very attractive.The food was good and we had ham hock to start followed by local pork and finished with lemon tart and clotted cream.The restaurant was half empty and had the ambience of a slightly deserted pub. In addition, residents who were attending courses elsewhere on courses wandered through to the bar. There was also a wedding going on in the building. In addition, we were charged £1 for parking.The food although good was not exceptional but the ambience left much to be desired.

We're fairly local to Dartington and have been visiting The White Hart - which is Dartington Hall's "on-site" restaurant - for about 15 years, usually while attending one of the arts events on the campus. No restaurant could wish for a more fantastic setting, but the service has never been great, and this evening plumbed new depths when we were kept waiting 20 minutes for a booked table, which failed to materialise at all! We had plenty of time to stand waiting and looking at other people's meals, which looked interesting, though with very small portions for the prices charged. You'd do better to go to the nearby Cott Inn.

Very enjoyable Sunday lunch at this restaurant set in the grounds of Dartington Hall just outside Totnes, Devon. Excellent roast beef and roast lamb with all the usual trimmings and an interesting collection of starters and desserts. Food was excellent, but service a little clumsy and no one seemed to be in charge.

We had a lovely meal at The White Hart as a mid week treat. The food was delicious and the service friendly and helpful. Our waitress knew the menu well and was able to recommend dishes whilst taking time to chat and make us feel at home. The lamb was tender and flavourful and the polenta and pea purée were a good combination of flavours. I loved the mackerel starter with wasabi creme Fraiche and my husband enjoyed a starter of mussels and chorizo. It was beautifully finished off with a superb lemon cream desert. Thank you for a great evening; we will definitely be back!

Me and my other half had an enjoyable meal at The White Hart restaurant. My sole was beautifully cooked, as was my partner's beef. The triple-cooked chips I had with the fish were also delicious. The cheese board we shared for afters was lovely too. It may be harsh, but I've taken a star off for the slightly haphazard service. We were asked the same question several times by the serving staff which clearly showed that they weren't talking to each other. Our main waitress was pleasant but the other young woman who served us was sullen. Oh and PS better to move the (eco-friendly) mousetrap off the log pile next to our table before the restaurant opens!

The 'White Hearts' has raised its game and is now serving food more appropriate to the absolutely fantastic setting in which it sits. The Dartington Hall Estate is at truly beautiful place.The food has dramatically increased in quality in recent times albeit they could work on the 'service with a smile' a bit . Serving staff also need to taste what they are selling/serving.There is reasonable wine and beer selection but the restaurant spaces have an odd dynamic. But saying that ........Dartingtons attractiveness is its quirkiness and its very pleasing that the food is locally sourced and now at an appropriate level of quality.

Visited the White Hart as part of a gourmet break package at Dartington Hall Hotel. The experience simply exceeded our expectations. Great choice of dishes showcasing local ingredients. Presentation of the dishes were just as fantastic as the taste. Very much a fine dining experience without the price tag . Attentive staff, very welcoming & friendly. Will be recommending to all family, friends & colleagues and will most definitely be returning ourselves very soon.

Amazing food, great service, friendly staff, very competitive on price, great little find. Definitely will be back.

As with previous comments it does not live up to expectations. More of a café than a restaurant. Too few staff on duty, some trying their best, others just going through the motions. Very basic and simple menu with too many tables pushed together. 1st night meal nothing special, no rolls with soup etc which we had never experienced before so went to other places for the other nights which were excellent. Basic advice is there are better places so give it a miss even if the scenery outside is still fantastic.

This place has lost its mojo.It used to be genuine and special.Its now image and little substance.To cap it the manager was rude and overly defensive when we finally got thru after leaving 4 messages (against their promise of phoning back).Shame, a fab setting. It has been great but just seems to have lost its sense of purpose.Another mid range, nothing special place, with complacent staff. With rip off extra veg or staple, to make a main meal.

Despite claims of fresh local produce and so on, the menu was small and in keeping with expected high end pub food. Nothing wrong, but nothing much above average either.

I’ve visited the White Hart restaurant with my family. I have been in Dartington Hall before and the setting is fantastic. However, this dining experience is one of those you would never want to happen. Despite of the dinner for two being pre-booked in advance the restaurant staff has visibly struggled with service. The service was exceptionally slow and unfriendly. The dishes were overpriced and served late and cold. A waiter was nowhere to be seen for the whole 40 minutes we have been there; I had to find a manager to pay in order to leave. The manager was so overwhelmed she has overcharged me 50%. After, it took me a week to get a refund just for overcharge: the first manager I have spoken has invited me to “see him in person with a receipt” (I live in Surrey). No water served, no drinks offered, no one came to ask for customers satisfaction. Our child was supposed to share but nobody has offered a plate set for him. Overall: awful service verging with ignorance, unfriendly bored looking staff, and shamefully inadequate overall management. Being in the heart of Dartington Hall it could be such a great place… but at the moment it is a great disappointment, and currently I would not recommend it.

The White Hart is a part of the Dartington Hall estate and, being in the main building, has plenty of atmosphere. It is close to the Barn Cinema and handy for an after film meal. We booked for the evening of Mothers Day, so expected it to be busy. There was just one waitress serving, supported by the manager, but our order was taken pretty quickly. More staff appeared later.As with previous visits, the food was excellent. We had simple main courses of roast beef and pork, but both of us cleared our plates. The deserts were also mouth-watering.At £24.95 for two courses and £29.95 for three, it is priced at the top end of pub grub, but we had no complaints on that score. The cheapest wine was South African Chenin Blanc at £14.95 which was a good value, but some of the others were a bit pricey.Our only niggle was that the sauces we were offered with the main course didn't materialise but, given how busy the staff were, we didn't complain.Overall, an enjoyable way to round off the evening and the Mothers Day goodie bag of chocolates and biscuits for my wife was a nice touch.Looking forward to the next time.

We attended a recent birthday party at Dartington - which was pre-booked weeks before and the person having the celebration had met with the managers twice in advance as he feared their organisation would not be up to scratch. Sadly he was right and the service was overall very poor. The main courses came out at different times over about half an hour - many people complained the food was cold. No drinks were offered and we were refused desserts. Many guests where not recorded as having booked (even though they had) so they had to wait even longer. It was a debacle. Sorry Dartington but this is not good enough.

Food was novel, service was attentive but excessive prices on a mediocre selection on their wine list.

We stayed a weekend at Darlington Hall (reviewed separately) and ate at the White Hart on both evenings. It is situated in the old kitchen of the 14th century manor, partly low ceilings, partly an enormous vaulted space - very impressive. Both of our dinners were delicious. The chef uses as much local produce as possible, which means that there is not a great deal to choose from in February, but he cooked it very well. Our first-night starter of goats cheese and beetroot was lush, and the main courses were delicious on both nights: we tried local chicken, braised beef, lamb rump and baked salmon and all were very well cooked and presented (from the "dribble and splat" school of cheffy presentation, which always makes me smile, to be honest). Desserts were excellent on the second night but not very judiciously cooked on the first night. The staff are lovely, but the whole of Darlington Hall is a social enterprise set up and there is not a lot of gloss, just friendliness and good intentions. Breakfast, in the same place, was not great, but I have reviewed this separately as part of our stay at the Hall.

Attracted by the £10 for two courses Monday offer for local residents we took ourselves off to discover the joys of Dartington.In a spectacular setting the 'pub' is situated to one side of the amazing ancient quadrangle deep within the estate. The restaurant has been fairly recently refurbished, blonde wood, gleaming glasses(Dartington of course) but there is something missing where ambience is concerned. Can't quite put my finger on it, it was pretty empty on a cold Monday lunchtime and the logfire was smoking rather badly which didn't help.I chose the pie of the day-steak, which came with truffled mash and seasonal veg. It was a good honest dish, crisp pastry and tender flavourful filling. Couldn't taste the truffle but the mash was smooth and buttery. Dessert was a lemon tart, wickedly rich and top class.Service was initially good but the wait between ordering and delivery was longer than it should have been. Nevertheless the staff were friendly and welcoming.

Stayed for a week in a course and the venue was great, grounds, room (54) all great but food was boring and repetitive am afraid which let the week down a little, but surrounds looking like Hogwarts made up for it (4 stars for venue overall - see other post).

We've been regulars here on and off for years, but the White Hart restaurant has been on the slide for years. We hoped a new chef and manager would invigorate the place. It hasn't. We were enticed by the Thursday night curry specials. What a disappointment; the smallest portion imaginable of veggie curry (no name or provenance given) - one wonders whether there is a shortage of veg; tasteless rice; cater-pack mango chutney; microwaved naan bread, with that awful 'Subway' yeasty smell and taste which one gets from a vacuum pack.A carefully researched and sourced M and S meal from the 'Cook' range would have been a king to this. The once buzzy bar was dead and it had no atmosphere at all.

Having been in the trade and won an Egon Ronay award I think I know what I am talking about. The whole Dartington experience for Jean & I - and we are particular about food, was simply superb.Richard and the staff could not have been more helpful and friendly. The service was excellent.The Olives were very superior. The bread outstanding. The Mussels and Sauce were divine and the Home Made Garlic bread was the best I had ever tasted. Brilliant value for money.All the above together with stunning scenery. As we are relatively local we will definitely be back!Congratulations Richard & Anuj!

I ate at The White Hart earlier this month, I have not been for a whole but was recommended by a friend to try it again as they had had a lovely meal. They were right the pork was delicious as was the chocolate cake. The staff were attentive without being over bearing and very pleasant to speak to. The whole experience was great, and is clearly run as a well oiled machine.Highly recommended.

It's a very long time since we had such an awful meal. Not only did it not resemble in the least what we thought we had ordered, but there was very little of it, and the price charged was ridiculous. It was a great disappointment, as the restaurant was very pleasant. They really need to try harder, and not rely on the ambiance and "captive" clientele who are staying at Dartington Hall. Much better to go into Totnes if you want a decent meal.

We had a delicious lunch at the White Hart . The food was beautifully presented and the timing of the courses just right .No long waits ,but no feeling of being rushed either .The staff were friendly and attentive .I was impressed that when we arrived with one more party member than we had booked for this was accommodated charmingly by our waitress who quickly set about rearranging the table .After eating we had the whole of the beautiful gardens of the estate to wander around .This is a really special place with a unique atmosphere and I recommend it for both the food and the service .

The food was good.But and it is a big BUT- the service was awful.There were so many staff early on that we were pestered for our order and our plates cleared with undue haste. However after the main course the staff disappeared and we had to search out a waiter to place our dessert order and pay.

Organised a meeting at the White Hart with colleagues from Bristol who had never been to Dartington. Glorious day, took them around the gardens which are looking stunning. Sat outside the White Hart for lunch. Utterly frustrating that we could not set up a tab because we were sat outside, so we had to buy drinks, then go and buy our first course, then pudding and then coffee! Ridiculous, ended up with four receipts. We asked the guy behind the counter why there was such a system and he said it was because if we did a runner the cost of the meal would be taken out of his salary!!! What??!