Merchants Bistro in Torridge

The carvery was so delicious! Great tasting food and great portion sizes! My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the carvery meat options and cocktails as well. Thank you team :)

We had bbq wings starter, carbonara and the beef pie Honestly - lovely unobtrusive service that was really friendly and knowledgeable but also not interruptive at all. And the food- oh it was delicious. The carbonara and the beef pie were just delicious really really lovely. And a very beautiful interior. Would highly recommend for an intimate dinner with delicious food.

We had a fantastic experience at the Merchants Bistro yesterday (28th April). We were a large party celebrating a family birthday. The Carvery lunch was absolutely delicious. The roast beef was spot on, as was everything else! The service was excellent too. The young man that looked after our table was very friendly and professional. They kindly dealt with cutting and serving us all with the large chocolate birthday cake we had brought in with us. We will definitely be booking again and would highly recommend!

We were on holiday in Bideford & needed to find a restaurant that we could take our dogs into as we couldn't leave them in the cottage alone. We booked The Merchants Bistro for that reason & What a find! The staff were so welcoming (epecially to our dogs, giving them treats!) & the decor is lovely. The food was delicious & the portions were huge - wine was reasonably priced too. Four of us had steaks, all cooked to perfection - the Steak au Poivre sauce was divine. Can't recommend highly enough!

I have been to the Bistro several times of late and each time it has had the same problem. We had to ask three times for a jug of water as it got forgotten. Our drinks took too long to arrive and subsequently the food too. When the food eventually arrived it was adequate but lukewarm as was friends either side of me . Time to go somewhere else for our meet ups I think .

Booked this as friends coming to stay Heard good reviews from other people But not as good as expected First they lost our order in the kitchen so starters didn’t come for 45 minutes Pil pil prawns were really good But my mains were not good Paid £28 for a sirloin steak which had 3” square piece of fat on it My wife’s burger was dry and her Gluten free bun was inedible But later that night wife suffered stomach cramps which was obviously down to some Gluten within her meal We had told the waitress her allergy

Again another amazing meal. The Asian salad was to die for. Thank you Bethan for making our experience a good one you were very attentive.

So all booked and went back to try the new Menu and WOWEEEEEEE!!! What an amazing night again .... Service was exemplary....From starters to cheese and biscuits, every was amazing. The king prawn fajitas wraps were out of this world and we even met the chef Peter. He just wanted to know that everything was to our liking?...Liking? We loved everything!!!!, including the wine choice. Thank you Lindsey too, amazing service. Eating out is such an occasion now at the Merchants cant wait to go back for more, more and more...........I do love the new salt and pepper pots too! Thank you to you all for making our dining out fantastic.

Really enjoyable meal. Lovely salmon dish. Staff attentive and kind. The bistro has been tastefully restored and reflects the local area.

Firstly when booking the restaurant we were expecting to be actually in the small Bistro at the front and not a nearly empty ball room out the back, however I was looking forward to the food as I liked the look of nearly everything on the menu. Nearly an hour after ordering I had prawns pil pil to start, a bowl of oil fished out the bottom of a pan with all its bits accompanied by an anaemic French stick. My main arrived in the form of a Beef Pie, I actually ordered the Beef Burger so it was returned and I waited whilst my friends ate their food. The burger bun I would assume had been defrosted for too long in the microwave and consisted of some very crunchy parts and some very soft parts and a beef patty that would have chipped my teeth had i endeavoured to get past the crunchy brioche. I did tell the manager it was awful and they offered to get me something else, I really didn’t want to wait any longer or try a third delight from their menu so I passed and they removed the inedible food from the bill. Thankfully Bideford offers a late night array of Kebab shops who have a much better handle on how to cook a burger.

Ordered a chicken burger, the chicken in breadcrumbs looked as if it had come out of the freezer from Iceland ! Not worth £16

handy to walk to from where we stayed, but a bit disappointing. We shared the Nachos with Beef which was really good and probably enough for us to eat. Sadly the main courses were not as good. I really do not expect that all the croutons in my salad are soggy. When I commented I was told that everything was made fresh, but clearly not.

The restaurant was previously the bar and lounge within the Royal hotel, but it now a spectacular new facility which has been beautifully decorated. The food from their regular menu is superb and reasonably priced, however the carvery is the finest in the area.

Great atmosphere and really attentive staff. Food was sublime to match. Big thumbs up. Look forward to coming back.

What an absolutely fabulous place this is! Fantastic food, decor and staff. I cannot fault anything.

I recently visited for a Birthday and we are so delighted we choose the Merchants for it. Staff are all very welcoming and happy to help. The menu choices were vast, There truly is something for everyone. I LOVE the new refurbishment. The decor has be thought about so well and is really in keeping with the feel of the hotel. Food was all delicious and portions sizes are generous. It’s refreshing to see people still taking great care and investing in Bideford in such difficult times.

What a fantastic new restaurant and refurbishment. I came with my partner and it was perfect for a couples environment and also had the best atmosphere you could ask for. Food was great, especially the halloumi fries. And the staff were attentive and welcoming. I will be returning soon.

We loved there Sunday carvery before refurbishment but went today and loved the change in decor, the feel is very cosy! Will be returning soon

Took family and friends to the new Merchants Bistro inside the Royal Hotel and what an amazing night.... A food fantastic night wish I could of tried everything.... Service was spot on... so its a favorite for us from now on.... Brilliant and what amazing décor really made me feel regal.... a real Jewell in the crown for Bideford....Amazing!!!