Restaurant at The Exmoor White Horse Inn in West Somerset

I have now reached the 56 year mark and after the time I have had since April I value every day far more than I did and take each day as it comes and expect to be taken as I am by others. In all my visits to Exmoor with my parents when I was growing up and when I returned back down with my lovely wife and various dogs over the years we have never been in the White Horse. As we were staying at Court Farm in Snowdrop we took the chance on a filthy night to venture in to the bar at the White Horse. I really liked the set up=looked like church or chapel pews and plenty of country pictures and items on the walls-how it should be. The gentleman serving says Mark on the receipt was a lovely gent pleasant and hosting without any airs or graces-helpful and considerate. Meal wise we had One Trout in Almonds served with new potatoes and seasonal veg well cooked and well presented and One Flat Iron Steak cooked medium which again was very well cooked and well presented. Managed one sticky toffee pudding and one raspberry brulee washed down with Guiness and Exmoor ale, the waiting staff were pleasant and effecient and the chef has an odd sense of humour but having come from that background I enjoyed that. Excellent meal in wonderful surroundings

We've just returned from another lovely holiday in Exmoor, and we've eaten at The White Horse every night of our trip. We ate in the Bar the first evening, and even though there was a large party in, service was still quick and the meals were all great. In the restaurant, the staff were all lovely and efficient, and the food was incredible. Our favourite meals were the Pork Belly, the Duck, and the Venison, all amazing! The carvery on Sunday was also just what we needed to warm us up on a chilly October evening. We'd definitely recommend to anyone in the area, and can't wait to go back ourselves!

This is an extremely rare poor review from me. We went for a Sunday carvery and although the food was okay the staff were not. The chef who served us at the carvery was friendly and familiar with locals but was quiet bordering on rude to us. He failed to warn my elderly mother that the plates were VERY hot until he had passed hers to her meaning that she dropped it on the counter. He then pointed out the inadequate napkins but did not apologise or ask after her scalded hand. He did the same thing when he came out into the restaurant - jovial with those he clearly knew well and short with us. The bar staff were better but not exactly welcoming, as were the waiting staff. It totally spoiled what would have been a nice meal and as it was close to where we were staying, we would have returned several times more but decided not to. Never again in fact.

First of all I must just say that the Staff were impeccable, very polite and efficient.. The setting in the Bar is traditional Stag hunting, Country village on Exmoor decor.. The males toilets were interesting to say the least, Urinals made out of stainless steel milk pales, with handles still attached, all spotlessly clean and well maintained.. The important part of the review, the Bar menu.. We ordered two 8oz Sirloin 28 day hung steak, one medium rare, one well done.. with a brandy and cream sauce. The seasonal vag was undercooked and then over microwaved, carrots raw and rubbery, frozen peas, new potatoes were nuked, which sucked the moisture from them.. Nothing was seasoned or mounted. The creamy brandy sauce was just gravy granules with a bit of cream, there was no flavour, certainly no hint of brandy, there was more alcohol in the hand sanitizer outside the toilets than this bland watery gruel.. The Steaks, the well done one was very well done but dry, the medium rare was more rare, than medium, which made it impossible to cut let alone chew, consequently the fat was raw, instead of juicy and caramelized.. To be honest I had a better steak at Wetherspoons in Ilfracombe earlier in the week and for less than half the price including a pint of Cider. Very disappointed as was expecting a better standard of cuisine from this highly rated establishment. Can't recommend, maybe on a night when the main chef is working, and not prepping for sunday lunch, from the taste of the food he preps well in advance, and then just microwaves it. I'd remove the microwave and get back to real cooking.. Too many establishments are using so called 'Ping Chefs ' when real food actually takes less time . Jay Rayner.. The Guardian..

Venison pie (not actually a pie but a casserole with pastry lid) was well filled, tender and rich. Whole Trout was good. Veg had been boiled to death and chips were overcooked & greasy. Bar service friendly but inefficient. Table service a little brusque. Not worth driving to but OK if you’re passing.

The restaurant service and food is of a very high standard. As a Coeliac sufferer and needing a gluten free diet, I was amazed at the scope and range of dining options on offer. All staff were well versed in allergy needs and the menu was clearly defined as to what foods and dishes were available to the gluten free diner. We will definately return to the White horse inn at Exford, if only for their excellent restaurant...Superb.

Nowhere as good as the Crown in the same village. We both had pate for starter. The portion was quite small. There wasn’t enough pate for the amount of toast. The pate was dry & the toast dryer. When you choke on the toast you know it’s dry! My husband had a steak & said it was average. The chips looked frozen rather than homemade. I had mushroom stroganoff, which was ok but not great. I had it as most other dishes were fried or had chips. For those of us who try to steer clear of fried food there isn’t much choice at all.

We arrived at 1pm on Sunday and got the last available table (as a walk in). We were made welcome with our dogs. The restaurant was busy, but the service and food was still good.

Not a patch on the crown also in the village very average pub grub boring tasteless chips poor presentation just not good food especially compared to the crown very disappointing ,venison pie was ok lamb chops were ok but I think we should expect better quality than what they serve up lovely looking building lovely place to have a pint but food disappointing.

Our recent weekend stay here was excellent. We ate in the bar on our first evening - very busy and lively - and in the restaurant on our second. Both meals were freshly prepared and very enjoyable and the choice of beers and wines on offer was really good. Service throughout the hotel was first class, especially when my husband suddenly became ill and the staff did everything they could to help us - cooking food especially for him and delivering it to our room at no extra charge. The Inn is very well presented with attractive interior decor, wall art and furnishings reflecting the building's history. Altogether a terrific base from which to Explore lovely Exmoor.Trudy W

This hotel is set in the centre of Exmoor National Park and is surrounded by an abundance of wildlife and beautiful landscapes. Staff are considerate and kind and the food is tasty, tender and well-cooked. A perfect place for exploring and for relaxing.

Visited late evening. Nice relaxed atmosphere & lots of locals in there. Nice food and friendly staff.

The White Horse is lovely. I have never stayed at the hotel but have used the Pub/Restaurant a few times. The food is very good and there was something to appeal to everybody. The chicken nuggets my kids had were proper peices of chicken, so good I could almost have ordered them for myself, but the steak and ale pie was more tempting.My only resevation is having to order drinks at the bar, make sure you have everything you need before your food arrives. The bar is usually quite busy and when we where there the service was slow. Its a shame to have to stand at the bar for a long time while your family eat and your food gets cold.

Went away with friends on our motorbikes. The Old Inn is very nicely looked after and given modern touches without intruding in its history. The pub is a very noisy and lively place full of fun and laughter. Locals and visitors mingle very well. We arrived on Friday and had a bite to eat and a cream tea after our long ride. We had booked a table in the restaurant for dinner on Saturday. The food was delicious, the staff/owners were very helpful and accommodating. Definitely going back.

Booked a meal at the White Horse for a Sunday evening whilst staying in Exford. I had read the reviews about the carvery on Trip Adviser & was really looking forward to it.Our table was booked for 6.30pm. With hindsight this was probably a mistake. We walked into an extremely busy bar with a queue of people waiting to be served. When we eventually got to the front of the queue, a very pleasant member of staff took us to our table. He informed us that we would have to order our food at the bar once we had made our food choice, therefore having to queue again.I had the carvery, my partner the ham egg & chips. The latter dish was very good, great quality ham and well cooked chips. My carvery however was very disappointing. The beef and pork on offer were both lovely. The vegetables not great. The only green vegetable on offer was frozen peas , the carrots, potatoes and cauliflower cheese were average at best, the Yorkshire puddings were frozen shop bought, for the price of the carvery I would have expected home made. In my opinion I have had a better meal and paid much less for it at a Toby Carvery!!The White Horse itself is a lovely building with a very busy and noisy bar, not the place for a quiet meal. Possibly I made a mistake by booking at one of their busiest times, an hour later the bar was much quieter.Staff were friendly enough and food once ordered arrived quickly, just a shame the carvery was such a disappointment.

This review is for the pub and restaurant only as we did not stay in the hotel but in the youth hostel opposite, Can highly recommend the restaurant, very nice food and good service. We were a group of 12 which they managed well. Quint Exmoor pub with a lovely atmosphere.

Endroit charmant, avec terrasse, pub et restaurant. Très bon cidre local et bières, ainsi que toutes sortes de whisky. Avons goûter au restaurant leur "rôti" (carvery), copieusement servi.

Took some effort to get here by bike but worth it for the riverside location and small sunny garden. Sandwiches and chips were good and value, and beer was too.

The service was extremely slow getting a drink took ages. Then ordering the food equally painful. The food did come quickly once ordered. I had Ham egg and chips. There was lots of good quality ham and chips which was very nice. My husband had the venison pie which was also very tasty. A nice meal let down by poor bar service. More staff needed at peak times. Saturday evening.

Super carvery on a Wednesday night (and Sunday). Meat was divine and I enjoyed the home made stuffing. You can serve yourself all the trimmings. Nice bar area at the back and super friendly staff. Thanks

This is one of our favourite restaurants which we visit whenever we are in the area. They have a wonderful Sunday carvery with local venison in addition to the usual choices and a good range of desserts to round off the meal.The restaurant is attractive and the bar area very popular. We also enjoyed eating there in the week, with a good range of reasonably priced fare. This year there was no table service in the restaurant for Sunday lunch - we had to order everything from the bar which rather spolied things, although we did have table service during the week

After a long walk we decided to in the pub. We were greeted by a charming young man who made us feel very welcome. Thoroughly enjoyed the meal atmosphere was lovely. Would definitely return

Food was nice (microwaved), you get a plateful. Waitresses could do with smiling and having a personality transplant!! Wouldn’t return.

Ate here for breakfast and dinner due to staying at the hotel. Restaurant staff on all occasions were great. Fun, welcoming, attentive and helpful. Special requests were always discreetly sorted such as gluten free. A limited menu but all the dishes I tried were very nice.

Came here with friends after a bit of a walking trek, the bar appeared to be rather full of local people. I ordered the venison pie and ok as I always state a pie should have a top, filling, and bottom otherwise it's just stew with a lid. That said, I enjoyed the flavour of the pie and I felt that meat tasted good, so this stew with a lid was my kind of thing, hearty and tasty. There were quite a few juniper barriers in the pie which didn't have a great consistency but overall as stated it was a tasty pie that I would happily eat again. One of our party ordered the same thing and it wasn't too his taste but that said I didn't really care as my was tasty and to my palate. Some of our party ordered things with chips as an accompaniment and as I was allowed to have a few, I also have to say the chips were very tasty.

The option to eat in the bar was dictated by having our dogs with us but the choice was by far the best one. It was lovely and cosy with plenty to offer and the food was great.

We stayed for one night in a very nice room in the Lodge. The bed was not comfortable for us but that is always a personal issue. The room was nicely furnished and decorated, the bathroom a wee bit tired but fluffy towels, toiletries etc all there. the radiator was very rusty at the bottom which was a shame visually.

We ate here just one time of the six days that we stayed in Exford. The hotel is most attractive and the restaurant quite smart. We opted for that rather than the bar as that was very busy and quite noisy..It took a while to get anyone to help us but eventually we were shown to a table. Frankly the food was poor and not cheap, it felt mass catered. My duck was very over cooked, the vegetables average and the Asian flavour was not there. My friend had chicken breast with mushrooms. There were just two mushrooms and she described it as very poor in comparison to a similar dish at two other local restaurants. My friend’s desert was described as ‘with berries’. She got half a strawberry.

Nice old hotel, (16th century) in pretty village in Exford, enjoyable visit, restaurant food was excellent, the staff was friendly and helpful, would go back again.

Visited with a large group of friends so the carvery was made available to us. Delicious food, good choice of meats including lamb which is not often offered in a carvery. Although we were a large group we did not have long to wait for our food. Service was good and the staff were very friendly. Looking forward to visiting again.

As we often do we ended our walk around Exford with lunch in the White Horse, one of our favourite pubs. On entry we heard that the barman was absent (car accident) and one of the two tills was broken. It could have been chaos but our order was soon taken and very quickly served, meanwhile 30+ walkers come in and each separate Gang of Four were equally promptly seen to. Other customers kept coming and by one pm every table was full and every customer was happily eating the excellent fare. It was impressive to watch. When judging establishments it’s not always how well they can do when everything runs smoothly it’s how well they actually do when everything conspires against them and The White Horse did ten out of ten today.

Really enjoyed our visit to the white horse. Excellent welcome. Good draught ale and cider. Ordered venison pie and the trout. Both very tasty and good value.

We stayed at Exmoor Lodge B&B; our plan was to eat in both Inns at each end of the village. Our meal at the White Horse Inn was Whole trout, vegetables, jacket potatoes and I chips. Both meals we excellent the chips crispy the way I like them. the cost of this splendid meal 13 pounds pp

Nice to come back to one of my favourite pubs shame it is 250 miles away! Lovely to Cotleigh and Exmoor Ale on tap! Food was great and the service exceptional. Can’t wait to go back

We decided to eat at the bar rather than the restaurant as it relaxed and was dog friendly, and we just wanted to eat and drink some hearty fare after a days walking. For starters hubs had venison pate (good but not quite enough of it) and I had leek and potato soup which tasted more of meat stock than anything else. Gave it to hubs. I presume vegetarians are anathema to the chef as the main options consisted of lasagne, chilli and mushroom stroganoff. No imagination there then. Rather than risk any of these from a laminated menu I opted for fish and chips; morals aside, it's usually a safe bet. It was edible and I was hungry. Hubs had the Exmoor beef burger and said it was one of the worst he's had - and he's had a few burgers in his time.

Stayed nearby and called for dinner. Very very busy. Had to wait at bar but staff quick and doing their best to deal with customers as quickly as possble. I only had to wait as another customer asked the prices of lots of different whiskies off their whisky menu, the prices would be better on the menu.

where do i start, we were staying in Exford on holiday and treated ourselves to a night out i am a chef and i was looking forward to a night off cooking and was looking forward to a nice meal. In our party was four adults and three children. For starters two off us had the pate, although tasty the pate looked as if it had been cut with a hacksaw and the portion size i spread on one piece of toast leaving two pieces of toast left, i made a salad sandwich with. Once our plates were cleared i went to the bar to order more drink,s before i even reached it! the main courses come out, leading me to believe they had been cooked and left under the the hot plate for us to finish our starters. I had ordeedr trout this resembled a rasher of dried bacon with some uncooked pale almonds thrown on top the new potatoes where hard and dry as a bone, another guest couldn't eat all his venison pie as it was tough and tasteless, the burgers obviously a frozen product were very poor and the chips re cooked, even my son who had a warm choc cake for pudding which was the final straw and we sent it back to the kitchen it had been over microwaved so badly it was as hard as a brick, i also noted the chef came out off the kitchen looking unshaven and untidy, for such a beautiful setting and a pub with good service its a shame you have a poor menu that seems to be created for bums on seats fodder and prophet rather then pride and passion or reputation. will not return for food

Overall a good experience. Unfortunately the chips are not GF, so we all had baguettes, where they offer GF rolls if required. Both normal and GF options were tasty and very good quality. Staff friendly.

Wij sliepen in het hotel en hebben hier twee keer gegeten, echt heel erg goed. Zeer redelijke prijzen en onverwacht zeer goed eten, echt hoge kwaliteit. Een absolute aanrader.

We had a coffee, latte,coke and a glass of tap water the man serving was abrupt and i felt he was doing us a favor by taking my money, it was a hot day but there was no ice for the coke and the coke was flat but this was lucky because both the coffee and latte were cold worst i have ever had any were in the world we had eaten here a few years ago and found it poor service and poor food then but it has got worse!

Excellent food,we had 2 lunch time snacks and an evening meal,all 3 were excellent value for money and delicious tasting.

We ate hear on a warm August evening and sat by the river outside. The food was ok - average for pub food. The service was ok... We had to go search for our own condiments as the waiter was taking too long.

Nice food. Try their special! Good drinks. Smiling staff. Lovely to sit outside by the river (?) when the weather allows you and watch village life.

Really nice meal here on the last day of our holidays. Good portions and best chips ever. Definitely 5*

Visited the White Horse for Sunday Carvery lots of meat on offer a little let down on vegetables (parsnips would have been nice} very clean restaurant and lovely French waiter which looked after us well. Puddings average but overall a nice Carvery would visit again.

Clean and well laid out room .Good menu and really nice food which wasn’t over priced.The service we received was outstanding .

Meal and beer good, nice sitting outside and chatting with some of the locals. Very good choice from menu.

A good pub with all I would expect from it,clean establishment including the toilets.Pleasant and friendly staff who serve a good tasting pint. The food is very tasty especially The old fashion trifle.

After passing this way last Autumn I promised myself to return in the Summer. The building dates to the 16th century in parts and is beautiful as is the location and pretty village. The staff are very friendly, the bar area roomy and of typical old world charm. the bar menu looked good including locally sourced produce including trout. After a drink outside by the river which was quite low due to the long Summer food was ordered inside. Beef, pork and venison were on the carvery menu (£10.95). I opted for leg of venison which is an unusual offering, the carver sliced a reasonable amount off the moist underside. You then help yourself to the veg, Yorkshires, roast or new spuds and gravy. The meat and especially the gravy were exceptional, the veg & spuds overcooked, the Yorkshires soft. It was an enjoyable meal all things considered but with a little more effort could be better. The wine list was pretty average but ok.

Went to lunch today and had the smoked salmon pasta with spinach and asparagus which was on the specials menu and my wife had Trout. The trout was beautifully cooked and was delicious. My pasta had a baguette with it and I struggled to eat it as it was so filling.

Hotel,restaurant,bar and breakfast were all great.

We ate in the bar and had steak pie in red wine gravy x3 and my brother in law had the slow roasted belly pork .We visited on the Wednesday evening which was quiet. The pie was very dry and the meat wasn't tender,the pastry was supposed to be short crust but due to reheating was like cardboard not very pleasant at all.The belly pork looked like it had missed the slow roasting completely and was horrible to look at let alone eat, the crackling was hard and unedable ,a truly badly cooked meal.

Had very good steak and ale pie, nice chips, dogs welcome, very good country pub. In the heart of Exmoor.

Lovely looking building, very impressive. Limited choice of wines and gins (no local gins on offer eg Wicked Wolf). However superb range of whiskies. Its a shame that the hanging baskets and planters overlooking the river were full of dried up dead plants and flowers, slightly spoiling the overall impression.

Stopped here many a time on passing through to Minehead, its a lovely place to chill and have a drink and something to eat a very nice menu to .Its set in a very nice little village on a river and bridge , its a must visit if in the area .

The service is good the food is delicious we had 3 meals at night there and not one bad course. My wife had steak I had venison the one night we had 3 courses each night . They also have a huge Wisky collection so you can try some rare Wisky .

Good food, dog friendly, friendly staff. Just took quite a long time to get drinks at the bar, when our food came we asked the waitress for another drink, she told us to go to the bar, but because our food had just come and we knew it was a long wait we just went with out. Apart from that lovely interesting pub. Loved all the black and white hunting pics! And the log burner! Lovely.

The welcome was lovely, the food was delicious. The only things that let them down was the fact that out of the six meals we ordered, 2 turned up way before the others and we’re nearly finished before the other 4 turned up. Then sadly they started clearing the table when I was still eating. Because the food was so nice we will go again and hope the service is better.

Sunday lunch buffet with friends to celebrate my partners birthday. Excellent food and good value highly recommended.

Superb choice of food excellent service comprehensive wine cellar at affordable prices nothing is too much trouble

Stayed in the Hostel across the road for several days but came to eat here. like the ambience and the food.. had several dishes throughout the days I was there but the food and service was always great.

Excellent food and wine and brilliant service from very attentive staff. All in a lovely dining room.

Stayed at a local B&B; and the host booked us a table at this pub/restaurant I had the venison pie...

We visited the White Horse yesterday evening with the intention of eating there. On arrival we were show to a...

We ordered the pate starter each. It was revolting so I put it in a doggy bag for my dogs...

Firstly I would like to say our break had been rearranged from the August bank holiday weekend to Sept 17th...

Ate in the restaurant 2 nights and the bar area 1 night, food and service excellent. Good choice on the...

We stopped here for the Sunday lunchtime carvery having seen it advertised in the Exmoor newspaper. The carpark was very...

Usually stop here at least once when we're in the area as the pub serves reasonable food and good beer...

I've been to this inn / hotel restaurant a few times now on the way home and stopped by for a cream tea etc which on both visits was fantastic.my farther had the cheese board which looked amazing the staff are always friendly and hard working the bar has an amazing bar with at least 50 or 60 types of whiskey from all over the world would recommend this hotel inn to any who loves good quality food and drinks some items are locally sourced which I think really makes the inn a great place

It's great they let you bring dogs into the bar area. It has a garden which is nice to sit in when it's sunny, there were loads of wasps and bugs though, which you can't really change. The table we sat at was quite squashy and close to other tables, which we had to move the table back to get in. Sold the normal pub foods and had some options for vegetarians. A pie needs a bottom or it's just a stew. A bad thing is you call it a kids menu and say you only cater the kids menu if you are 8 or under, it should be called a small appetite menu, so it is inclusive to anyone and everyone. Also I'm not sure what food is freshly cooked, because some seems frozen. We ordered a veggie lasagna and it was soooooo hot, by the time it was cool enough everyone else had all finished there food (suggests it was probably microwaved)

Not quite the local produce pub that we love not sure how much is cooked from scratch a pie without a bottom is not a pie ... stew with a lid ! Take that as a starting point .. however they do have the best range of whiskey's ...

We had various snack lunches and finished up on our last evening with dinner Our party aged between 12 and 73 years and a dog had a highly enjoyable evening The service was incredibly swift despite the busy bar and the clean plates told the story The Venison Pie just made favourite but all mains were fine and 4 of us managed puds Best Creme Brulee I've had in years We saw one or two restaurant meals pass by and they looked very elegantly served We felt we'd had a very warm welcome and our waiter/barman shook my hand as we left A nice gesture

Had a wknd break in Exmoor and so glad we went for White Horse. Nice inside, lovely table set, friendly and welcoming staff. I had the ratatouille, the hubby had venison and cheese board. Both enjoyed very much! Many thanks for such an enjoyable meal :))

We eat here at least once each time we stay at Exford. The food is good rib-sticking traditional English and the local trout is a favourite. The atmosphere is jolly and a real country local. There's a restaurant area or you can eat in the bar.

We can highly recommend the extra few pounds expenditure for choosing the restaurant over the very good bar meals. Service is very good and the food was excellent.I can certainly recommend the venison. Cooked beautifully, this tasty meat was absolutely delicious!

Had lunch here. Great location and the website and many of the reviews were encouraging. However, the food was mediocre, anaemic chips and anaemic batter on the fish. The cod was just OK and definitely not white and flakey fresh. The burger was fine but the anaemic chips served with it tasted of fish and the salad looked tired! The apple pie was well presented and tasted OK. Not a place we'd recommend.

Die Qualität des Essens war ausgezeichnet - die superbe Wildpastete als Vorspeise konnten wir zu zweit kaum bewältigen, aber auch die Hauptspeisen (Lamm bzw. Schweinsmedaillons) waren nicht nur sehr gut sondern mehr als reichlich, viel Beilagen - hervorragendes Gemüse. Reservierung empfohlen, auch für das angeschlossene urige Pub.

The layout is fine and well presented. The menu quite extensive. We did find the prices a little on the high side but the food quality was good generally. Why "new potatos" have to be concealed as a block of what appears to be lyonnaise potatos I cant imagine. The house wine was very agreable and reasonably priced

We ate here twice while staying at Westermill camp site as it was a 40 minute walk away and we enjoyed our first meal so much we didn't feel the need to try anywhere else. We were able to take our dog into the bar area which was a bonus! The menu has plenty to choose from light bites and sandwiches to more heartier meals. Staff were friendly, food came out in good time and was delicious. The husband tried the venison pie which lovely. The apple pie was equally lovely too. Great value for money also.

Passing by, spotted folk sitting outside having tea, stopped and found bar where were able to order a cream tea, which arrived promptly with two scones each pot of cream and seedless strawberry jam,with pot of tea enough for two cups each. Very pleasant bar area and were able to check out menu for a future lunch visit. Would definitely visit again.

We have often stopped for an evening meal on our way back home and we have never been disappointed with the delicious home made meals and service. Recently we stopped for breakfast and although we were asking at the end of service, the wonderful staff allowed us to have breakfast. How pleased we were; the bacon, sausages, mushrooms and everything else was of the highest standard and so so tasty. A massive plus is the team and although we are not locals, the staff recognise us and treat you so well. Always a pleasure to stop at The Exmoor White Horse Inn. Thank you

The staff here were very friendly and helpful. Took our dog and that was fine. Had both bar and restaurant meals and found nothing to complain about. The restaurant meal was very good, best we had during our time away. Would have no problem recommending it.Patricia L.

I had a milestone birthday and we were going to go to Michael Caines new restaurant for 2017 in Topsham,Devon for a party of 8. For various reasons we couldn't go, the costs of the meals of course were going to be hugely different and Caines' was going to be lunch rather than dinner but we decided we would try the White Horse, had heard good things and its a beautiful setting in Exmoor by the river.We weren't disappointed and the service from our French waiter Vince was both entertaining and excellent.Starters were very good - portions generous - the Goats cheese puff pastry a hit,and the Gravalax was lovely and full of flavour.Mains were also generous - some had venison and others steak,all local produce as well. The brandy and wild mushroom sauce a superb complement to 8 oz steak. I choose places by dessert and the choc and orange cheesecake didn't disappoint,nor did the sorbets or creme brulee apparently. The starter breads were complimentary which I think is a measure of a good restaurant rather than just sitting there with nothing.The meal was timed and served very promptly and all well cooked and hot. The restaurant setting is lovely, the staff friendly and efficient and the prices were very reasonable. We were going to check next day if they had made an error it seemed so cheap for what we had.Back to the start of my review and my reason for mentioning it .... if we had gone to Caines' instead I'm sure it would have been excellent and efficient service and a beautiful meal......but I honestly do not think we would have had a better service, a more fun time and more importantly better food than that served by the White Horse that evening. Have been back for lunch since and will be back for mother's birthday as well.

Good food, good sized portions, friendly staff and a great atmosphere. A lively venue were all were welcome including pets and children.

Interesting menu, good selection of wine at sensible prices. Very friendly and attentive staff. Would definitely return to both restaurant and hotel.

Visited here due to a recommendation but was frankly underwhelmed. Steak and Ale pie was tasty but I prefer my pie to actually be a pie, not stewed steak in a dish with a pastry top cooked separately. The peas were like bullets, the chips very hard and scratching the throat as they went down! For the price charged this was a very second class meal. Also not impressed at the manager dressing down waiting staff in front of customers - no wonder the poor kids looked so miserable in their work! No service with a smile here!

Was saddened with my experience here. Went with a small group of friends and both food and service were poor. Food was not really as described on the menu (pie does not mean stew with a lid!) and was badly executed. Service was awful with inefficient bar staff and having a card minimum like it's 1990. Table service was polite but useless - our table got its starters well after the mains...On the upside (ignoring the problems at the bar) then a drink from here on the wall above the river is very nice.Seems to appeal more to older clientele who I think stay in the rooms above and could perhaps do with considering walkers and the nearby youth hostel a little more.

Just a quick note that my wife and I recently spent 5 nights here on the hotel deal under which I have given a much more detailed review.We really enjoyed the food, my highlight probably being the rack of lamb. Also the cooked breakfast was possibly the best I've eaten in any hotel. Considering it's self service its constantly re-stocked and completely fresh. Excellent ingredients used too, good quality sausage and bacon.The wine list offers some decent wines at a variety of prices but is thankfully not over long.

We had a looong ride over the moor and wetting the whistle was paramount - we had long cool pints of local cider which slipped down nicely - it was lovely sitting right by the river and small bridge in the sunshine - cannot say too much about interior as I didn't venture inside - we had some bowls of chips to soak up the booze which were hot and 'crispy' so pretty good all round :) would definitely return for the location and perhaps have a proper meal :)

This has a wide variety of food with an excellent carved buffet always busy which is a good sign recommend you book in advance.Excellent cold meat platter as is the trout.

We ate in the restaurant twice whilst staying in Exford. the venison is the best we have ever tasted.

i ate here twice. and will never eat there again.the first night i ordered sausage and chips with egg and the chips were re-fries. really oily and blatantly re-fried.the second night just got worse.i ordered a gammon steak with veg of the day. when i asked what the veg of the day was the staff said it was peas and carrots. oh my jesus. what arrived on my plate was clearly frozen veg locally sourced from tesco. t corn isnt even in season, so how can that be fresh?the potatoes were clearly cooked hours before my arrival as they were a soggy mess.i was disgusted that i paid £10.50 for the gammon steak with locally sourced veg from tesco.i am currently sat eating at the crown inn, 100m away from the Exmoor white horse inn, and the food is incredible. the veg is soo fresh, and the food clearly cooked to order. and i only paid an extra £3 for a truly fantastic meal.exmoor inn, i suggest you get a new chef, or ask where the crown in source their food. the first photo attached is from the exmoor inn,#the second photo is the crown inn.

Visited a few times while in Exmoor. Popped in for a few ciders by the river in the sun! Also had food on one occasion and it's perfectly nice. My only criticism is that at certain times there was only one guy behind the bar and he was struggling! Probably in between services not not always worth having more staff but I would consider it in peak season! Worth a visit though on the whole.

Visited 01 June 2017, ploughmans lunch, bar meal in the eveningLocation, superb! Bar Service excellent. Food average. Kitchen Service, Dreadful. This is a nice place for lunch, good ales, fresh salad, friendly people, bar service was excellent. But, portions of ham/ cheese are on the small side for the price, baguettes could be fresher, table service was slow and careless, and serving staff either inexperienced or untrained ( not very efficient, not very good at clearing, not very focussed) In the evening, we ordered the lasagne, the pie, the fish and chips. The pie was extremely good. The lasagne was short of bechamel sauce, but was tasty. The fish was overcooked and not very fresh, batter was dark in colour and could not be cut without a fight, it was too hard to bite and not fresh. Chips were not very hot and were chewy, they had clearly stood for a while before reaching the table. No one checked to see if we had what we needed. Service was slow, and we watched staff across the room trying to clear but not knowing how to stack a tray, moving listlessly, not focussed on clients. Maybe not enough bar staff for a bank holiday half term week? Almost certainly not the regular chef: this one did not seem to monitor what was going out of his kitchen . So, a mixed review this time. They do care, but there is way to go before they are back to the standard that used to be.

Great location for visiting Exmoor. Stayed here for 2 nights and ate in the restaurant both evenings. Meal the first night was beautiful, home cooked and tasty. Second evening a different chef. Good but not the same quality as the previous evening. The first night for dessert I had home made treacle sponge, thought I would have the chocolate one, turned out to be chocolate cake. Breakfast both mornings great. Staff very friendly, very clean place. Our bathroom was largeand clean with soft fluffy towels. But the bedroom was not good. We stayed in a classic double room, but it was cramped, having to squeeze between the bottom of the bed and the wall to get into the bathroom, should have been more suitable for a single room. The bed had a small double base with a larger mattress on the top, therefore when sitting on the edges or laying on the bed we had the tendency to roll out of bed. The duvet and the mattress both had protective sheeting on so every time we moved there was a continuous rustling noise, but the worse part was the heat, it was like laying in a large plastic bag, therefore not able to sleep in these conditions.

Called in on the off chance for Sunday lunch - the quality and quantity of the beef would make me return - it was exceptionalI would have liked a bigger choice of vegetables as there was only carrots swede beans roast and new potatoes

Called in for a bar lunch during a walk through Exford. We were very happy with our baguettes and the Exmoor Ale was excellent.

Went for lunch today with my wife and her Uncle. Expected a good meal with a fairly steep price tag. Very pleasantly surprised to have a really top notch meal from an excellent menu choice at an amazingly reasonable price - and yes. I did check the bill to make sure nothing was left out! I had a look at the evening menu and am sorely tempted to spend a couple of days in the accommodation to take full advantage of that menu. Highly recommended.

Excellent location set by the bridge and river. The Inn has an old period décor to fit its age, with a lot of character throughout the Inn, the typical English pub of postcards and story books. However we did note the recently modernised toilets (a change from our last visit) so it’s not without mod cons. We used the Inn as our midday stop for lunch, we all enjoyed our meals which were served promptly by friendly staff. I had a simple steak and ale pie with chips which was tasty and filling, just what I was hoping for. We have used this place before and will no doubt use it again in the future, indeed its worth going a little out of your way to visit, in my mind return visits are the best type of recommendation.