The Bear and Blacksmith in South Hams - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

So our first night in the area and looking forward to some local food. Sadly the meal we had was very poor. The fish special had run out by 7.30 despite there hardly being anyone in. We ate off the wrongly named " Al a carte" menu...should say basic pub grip. A tasteless brie (hardly any brie in it) and mushroom burger turned up with two onion rings and some not very nice chips. When we complained we were offered a fish replacement, which came with nothing else and had been quickly cooked ...not very well. Thankfully the weekend improved with visits to The Millbrook and The Cricket.

One of if not the best Sunday roasts I’ve had when eating out, the Rib of beef was perfectly cooked and the deserts were equally good. Nothing wrong with the beer either.

Dropped in for an unexpected Sunday lunch. We don’t normally do lunch but this was gorgeous. Beautifully presented not overwhelming Lots of perfect vegetables and the best crackling ever

Wow..... we are blown away by the service and food. Louisa was extremely attentive and professional, the scallop starter was outstanding, followed by the fish and chips, perhaps the best that we have eaten in a very long time. To also see where the food has been sourced on a chalk board added to the authenticity. Left feeling we need to return again and soon. Thank you so much to all.

My family and I have just celebrated my 80th birthday with Sunday Lunch at The Bear and Blacksmith in Chillington. We were made so very welcome, and the food was excellent. Highly recommended and we will certainly be back.

We had a excellent lunch today at a fantastic price, well worth a try. Always get such a wonderful welcome, so great to have a local pub like this.

Enjoyed two delicious meals at this small but popular village pub. Best sirloin I've had in ages, more interesting choices too like roasted hake with curried mussels, great local ales & ciders. Booking strongly recommended as it's popular.

Great friendly pub and staff, Excellent food and good selection of food and drink, Staff are very helpful and attentive, We selected the burger off the lunch time menu and it was excellent,

Had a Sunday lunch in the evening today and it was superb. Delicious pork for me and chicken for him loved the freshly cooked vegetables excellent service a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Just called in at midday and was given a lovely welcome from the Barman. We ordered a Big Malc Burger each with chip and a pint of draft Bass for me. Appsolultly cracking Burgers nice friendly service. Sat outside on an under cover area very pleasant. Will be back for an evening meal very soon I think.

Visited for dinner on Monday 29th. Very good welcome from the guy behind the bar. The two female waiting staff were very professional and friendly. Chose the lobster salad with new potatoes.......faultless. Really really enjoyed the lobster. Chocolate fondant with fresh berries for dessert was just right. Along with the live music a pretty perfect night. Based on our experience would definitely recommend.

Completely in awe of our dining experience at the Bear and Blacksmith today. Amazing Sunday lunch for 12 of us…. We’re a very discerning group; fussy children, vegetarians, food allergies etc. The staff were welcoming and the food amazing. We had a super meal and will definitely be back…. A gem of a place and awards are well deserved….

We visited this restaurant twice during a week away in Devon staying in the village of Chillington. The review is definitely a tale of two visits with the first impressing and the second being such a disappointment. It’s a busy restaurant and so you will probably need to book. We did this on both occasions and upon our return, it was chaos trying to get to our table. It shouldn’t have been this complicated but staff didn’t really want to listen. All our disappointment comes from the second visit. The first visit - very good indeed. I would say it was pricy for what it was but they are the only establishment locally and so can inflate prices. We enjoyed their burgers and fish and chips. Desserts were very nice. Second visit was not great. I’ve already mentioned the confusion at the start. They just didn’t seem to listen to what we were actually saying. We did eventually get the table we knew we were supposed to be at. Food wise, it was poor. The lamb (£25) was inedible. Couldn’t cut it, couldn’t chew it. I mention price as there were four small slices, all inedible. Returned. Lobster, also £25 was nothing special. Chips - felt like the scraps you get at the bottom of a chip shop takeaway. Some might have heard of ‘scraps’. That’s what most were. Gave up and didn’t bother with desserts. Hard to see how two evenings could be so different. We will probably never return - due to not holidaying here in future - but if we did, I probably wouldn’t bother with this. Save my money and venture elsewhere. That being said, it is busy and so clearly is well-regarded. Over to you to decide.

We had the most amazing lunch at the Bear and Blacksmith yesterday. Where else in Devon could you get freshly caught clams followed by fresh lobster for such a reasonable price and quality. Top food from a top pub. And the staff make it even more wonderful. Thank you Malcolm.

Looks not much from outside, but a warm welcome and great food inside. Friendly staff, very dog friendly and well decorated inside.

Beautiful food, really special stuff. Generous portions too. I took a doggy bag so I didn’t miss out on puddings. Everything we had was excellent. Even the chips. My goat dish was lovely, chops a bit rare even for me but curry soooo good.

I know places are understaffed these days and try to be understanding about the impact this has but our server looked as miserable as can be. She could hardly make eye contact with us. Service was perfunctory at best. My meal -vegetarian chilli-was tasteless and...

We were staying the night in Chillington so decided to try this bistro pub for a meal and wow, we were not disappointed. Everything was perfect from start to finish from the friendly Northern server, the menu and the service to the delicious food served...

Myself and my husband ate here along with our two spaniels. I can honestly say that it was the best food I’ve had in a very long time. We are both vegetarian and so we don’t always get a good choice when eating out but...

What an Amazing find, we booked for tea and had the best meal I have had in a very long time! I had King prawns to start while my husband had The Ham Hock, both were lovely. My husband had a burger for his main...

Burger was seriously good, highly recommend them, one of the best I’ve ever had. great quality meat, lovely sauces, really tasty bun

Beautiful meals all freshly cooked using local ingredients, the sea food was amazing. The staff were fantastic and there was a wonderful atmosphere.

We spent the half term week in the Kingsbridge area and on Monday the two pubs we usually frequent were shut or full. Getting pretty desperate with a hangry 8 year old on board we drove through Chillington and followed the signs to the hidden...

We were there for the jubilee weekend when they had their seafood festival - the food was delicious, very fresh. The staff were also lovely. Would return again and again!

Just had one our most delightful meals. Glad that yesterday's diners had eaten all the steaks - the pork chop was excellent together with the onion rings/tomatoes/mushrooms/chips and pepper sauce. Wonderful atmosphere and attentive staff. If in the area it's a must to visit and...

Genuinely the best steaks we have had in an age. My mother is notoriously hard to please and she positively raved about the quality of the meat. Everything we ordered was delicious and every plate was cleared. Even the coffee was spot on! Would recommend...

Had lunch here last week, excellent fish and chips, nice pint of well kept beer, excellent conversation with locals. A1

We are staying in the area and popped in hoping to get a drink and something to eat. It was quite early, 6.30 and they already had quite a few people seated. They did find a table for us and within half an hour it...

It’s without doubt my most favourite place to wine and dine in the south hams. The service is excellent and the staff are so friendly, can’t wait to see you all again when we are back in Devon x

We have spent 5 days in Devon eating well every day. Todays lunch at The Bear and Blacksmith in Chillington had to be one of our highlights. The Big Ol Bowl of fish was delicious, especially the pieces of smoked salmon. I’m a fish lover...

We visited the Bear and Blacksmith as a family, the food was average - steaks and burgers were nice but scallops were very poor - overpowered with garlic, potatoes and pea purée, at £25, this was an expensive, unenjoyable plate. I ordered a cocktail, which...

We were really looking forward to our Sunday roast after reading such rave reviews. The lamb has a charcoal burnt edging which left a horrible taste in the mouth, the beef was far too rare (we like rare but this was still alive), a quarter...

Fab service and excellent food. A busy Friday night but still first class meal out with all staff offering up great service.

Rang on the off chance they could squeeze in a party of 8 on a Monday night after a long coastal walk left us too tired to cook. Brilliant service- rang us back promptly with a table confirmation. Theme continued in the pub- specials were...

Ate at the Bear & Blacksmith twice during our recent stay in Chillington. Great menu using local produce. Knocked spots off other places we tried and well worth a visit ( booking essential )

We were staying at the Whitehouse, who recomended Bear and Blacksmith. Sunday night so Sunday roast menu, Fantastic Scallop starter and a truly tasty roast beef. A very generous plate of tender meat and selection of vegetables that were perfectly cooked. Did I mention that...

Very pleasant pub/restaurant. Visited for dinner recently. Main courses were lovely - particularly fish of the day - whole lemon sole on the bone. Slightly let down by pudding selection, and temperature, (the back of the back room was chilly).

The bear and blacksmith was recommended on our visit to salcombe. We were not disappointed! Amazing locally sourced food, and incredible value for money.

We went for a long awaited get together; it was warm on a chilly December night and we had a wonderful welcome. The food is excellent, seldom before have I found goose on a menu and it was delicious. Service is professional, attentive and friendly.and...

Whilst on a long weekend away in South Devon we decided to have dinner at the winner of the "Best Trencherman's Pub" award - The Bear and Blacksmith in Chillington. The pub is quite small and you walk through the front door into the intimate...

This has to be my favourite pub in South Hams. The Shippens bitter makes for a perfect pint, And how very nice to find a Landlord who sells such excellent beer charging less than £4 a pint in this part of the world. AS for...

This is our second visit at Lunchtime. Malcolm the chef Patron is nuts abut quality local sources food abd produces a lot of his ingredients himself. He is very selective which is a great start. All his local suppliers are listed on a board in...

All great. Nice atmosphere, good selection of beers, wonderful service. The pheasant was delicious as was the burger. Friendly service. All at a reasonable price. Thoroughly recommended

Dropped in for lunch without booking and we received the warmest of welcomes, The scallops Starter was perfectly cooked and presented and the Fish Pie was one of the best we’ve encountered anywhere. The wine list would put many a top restaurant to shame and...

Very pleasant lunch with family and friends. Food was excellent, I had the local muscles. I didn't have a pud but the ones that the others had looked lovely if not a bit small. Service was good, waitress friendly and pub had a great ambiance.

We had a lovely evening at the Bear and Blacksmith. We liked the ambience and the service was excellent. There was a good choice of fish, meat and vegetarian dishes on the menu. I opted for the lamb which was amazing. Would highly recommend.

All I can say is fantastic and the best fish pie my wife has every had anywhere !!!! All the staff are superb and a great selection of non Alcoholic drinks for me. Best pub /restaurant for miles around

We had the most fantastic lunch here and the fork to plate principle really shows. The ambience was however very stark - white semi bare walls don’t work well here. One or more dark coloured walls ( maybe red or navy) would work well with...

It’s very clear why the B&B is winning award after award. Their food is superb and their service is friendly and efficient. Our dinner there this week included: some marinated trout that I will be more than happy to eat again (hopefully soon); perfectly cooked...

Bear & Blacksmith NEVER fails to deliver. They have a farm to fork approach and my goodness it delivers in terms of flavours of food, drinks offerings & superb, friendly service. We went for Sunday lunch with friends, 3 had lamb and one pork. It...

A really friendly, welcoming pub with excellent food. Helpful staff, good food selection (great fish!) and happy ambiance. Wish we’d been able to go more than once!

Excellent meals were served; attentive and professional staff; well spaced tables and can thoroughly recommend.

Enjoyed a fabulous meal here during our short stay in the area. Great selection on offer from both their usual menu and daily specials so far more choice than your usual pub menu. Very small bar area so this is definitely more of a restaurant...

This small village pub/restaurant surprised and delighted us with the quality of food and ales. An interesting menu was offered up and served by friendly staff. Definitely worth a visit!

One of the best meals we ate during a week long stay in the area. The local scallops were particularly memorable. We ate outside which was a great relaxed setting to bring our 1yo out for lunch as he was able to play in the...

An attractive village pub as you approach. Be aware if you arrive by car as there is no road sign for the car park but turn down Tanpits Lane where you will find parking behind the pub. We were disappointed when entering the pub as...

Had several meals there and all were excellent. All the people working there are helpful and friendly. A must to visit if you are in the area.

Excellent service from a senior waitress who accommodated our needs and let my son try different ciders before purchasing. Catered for an off menu cocktail as well. Would never have guessed that there is a beautiful seating area behind the front door. Really nice layout....

Visited on a busy evening. |Sat outside. Booking is definitely recommended. Drinks arrived quickly but took a long time to take the order, some items had run out of stock. Time for food to arrive was a long wait. Food was well presented. Staff friendly...

What a wonderful lunch! The food was delicious and the staff were so friendly and accommodating. We started with a shared platter with perfectly pickled veggies and eggs, along with some yummy cold meats. The lemon sole was probably the best I have had, and...

What a fantastic Devonshire pub, great food, service and atmosphere, highly recommend a visit if you are in that neck of the woods.

Appreciate your phone call just now. As I said, we’re staying in the local area for 2 weeks and had an amazing meal with you on Saturday night when we arrived an hour late with two weary kids from our drive down from London (sorry!)....

Amazing menu of locally sourced food, which tasted all the better for it. 3 courses all perfection. Staff welcoming, helpful and nothing too much trouble. Could not fault our visit!

Great food and wine choices! Lovely Staff and ambience!! 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️’s from our family! We particularly loved the ribs and scallops!! Delicious 😋

Arrived with the dog for lunch. Sat outside under the gazebo which has heaters and pretty lights as it was showery. Chose fish and chips but was told the fish hadn’t yet arrived from the market. So chose to chill and wait. Actually saw the...

Ordinary pub grub. Seated in the so-called resturant which was actually a back room more akin to a cafe. The biggest problem was the bill. The owners are clearly making the most of the current Gov VAT rebate/discount but charging 5% COVID rate which clearly...

We walked {less than a mile} to the restaurant as it's website stated it was open but we couldn't get in. I went round to the back and saw two female staff through the window, waved to them, but they quickly moved aside and ignored...

We visited the Restaurant in July. It was recommended by our B&B hosts. The food was OK, portions a bit small. The one thing I like to point out, We ordered Onion Rings, not on the menu, but Fish& Chips were. Automatically we thought the...

We arrived here unexpected as we hadn’t booked and the restaurant was fully booked. However we were told that we could have a table in the garden and the weather was fine so we stayed and were very pleased that we did. The food was...

Had a lovely evening meal, food and service very good. We always eat here at least once when we visit Devon and they never fail to impress. The menu hasn’t got loads of options but what they do is done well. I enjoyed the Steak...

Best fish and chips of our holiday to South Devon. Pub is a mixture of a village pub and a gastro pub. I prefer the former, but we got the food at a very reasonable price without too much of the gastro restaurant vibe.

Fabulous food and great service. Highly recommended. Lovely atmosphere and great staff lovely ambience

We had excellent meals in South Devon on our holiday and we were hoping for an excellent meal given the reviews at The Bear and Blacksmith but were thoroughly disappointed. My wife ordered the pork and it arrived partly cooked. The pork was tough and...

We booked here for my daughters birthday and was lucky to get a cancellation. The food was outstanding, my children had scallops, adult portion shared between both, fish and chips which was the perfect children’s portions. We had wild mushrooms on toast, black pudding and...

Visited for dinner whilst on holiday in the area. We ate in the covered area in the garden so can't comment on the interior but service was quick and very friendly and food was excellent. They were very accommodating when I asked for a variation...

We chose this pub as it was local to where we were staying and were not at all disappointed. The menu was quite extensive and the dishes we chose we very well prepared and presented. I would strongly recommend a visit.

Lovely pub, very good food and service. Nothing to say about the food or service - very happy about it. The reason why we didn’t give the full 5 stars is because when we received the bill we found a cheeky 5% COVID tax added...

We popped in for Monday lunch and had a delightful meal. My wife had Angus steak and I had the local beef burger, both of which were delicious. The staff were more than pleasant offering both a la carte and a light lunch menu. We...

Very friendly professional service Sunday lunch was delicious, scollop starter was so good, beef lovely flavour, all veg delicious, desserts excellent too, will def be back! Just thought it was a little bright in there maybe the lights could be dimmer as the walls are...

Having booked this blind on line, I was concerned that we would be disappointed, I could not have been further from reality. It was perfect, the waitress could have done no more for us and the food was excellent I am the steak which was...

Called last minute to see if a table was free for dinner (the only place within walking distance of our accommodation as we did not have a car), unfortunately they were fully booked up. Decided to walk down there to order food for takeaway, and...

We made our visit to this lovely pub just before covid allowed us to eat inside so we were outside. It was raining, but we were under a lovely shelter with heaters. We were constantly checked in to make sure we were warm and dry....

Had a lovely meal which was unfortunately spoilt when we came to settle the bill. We asked for the bill and after a 30 minute wait it came. Unfortunately we had been charges for drinks we had not had and overcharged on one of the...

Superb meal at this local gastro pub Thanks very much to the team at the Bear and Blacksmith- gorgeous meal tonight with excellent service and fantastic food. Enjoyed every course and the more than generous cheese and biscuits was a great finale. We’ll be back...

My wife and I visited The Bear & Blacksmith with our dog. We sat in the bar area near the entrance next to the fire. The food was absolutely delicious, my wife and I shared the mushrooms on toast from the specials board and the...

We go to the Bear & Blacksmith because we know, absolutely know that the food will always be excellent, service wonderful & we won’t feel shortchanged by the cost. Consistency is the key to this delicious little pub. It doesn’t pretend to be something it’s...

I've been frequenting eateries in and around the South Hams area for the best part of two decades, and it's safe to say I haven't had a culinary experience that even comes close to the one on offer at the Bear and Blacksmith. I went...

We had dinner here. The place is immaculately clean and staff all wear masks. The food is amazing and well presented. The staff are excellent while being friendly too. This is the best restaurant we have eaten in for many years. I love it when...

Impeccable meal and service. Special. Lovely garden setting (during Covid) in open wooden structure, heated with patio heaters and decorated with fairy lights. Park around the back (turn left and left again from the main road). Walk through the lovely garden bordered with rosemary to...

Just a quick review to say how delicious our takeaway roast was today ( pork and vegetarian option). The food was so well cooked and really tasty - really good quality ingredients. The member of staff who served us drinks as we arrived early for...

I ate here recently as part of an overnight work trip - I was knackered after a long day and the staff instantly put me at ease. It all felt very Covid safe and the table outside was under a cover and had gas heated lamps, so the cold was not an issue for April in England. The garden also had a nice view and was dog friendly. Staff were great and I felt well looked after. Food was excellent (10oz steak) and cooked perfectly. The atmosphere was lovely and it's clear this is a much-loved local spot. It was great way to de-stress at the end of a long day. I'd definitely recommend to anyone passing through.

Fantastic place. Food's the best in the area and the staff & locals are really friendly and accommodating. Couldn't recommend this place enough.

Amazing food, superb roast beef, delicious scallops. A really nice beer garden and friendly staff. Looking forward to a return visit.

What a gem of a pub in the heart of the South Hams. Newly built outdoor eating section. Food was amazing and the very friendly efficient staff were so attentive. Thank you for a wonderful lunch! X

So accommodating , great service from booking to the moment we left, best Xmas lunch had anywhere ever . Food was excellent and great quantity for a decent xmas price so full value for money.. Best can say is booked next xmas day already .

First time in area with family and thought have a take away. After reading reviews regarding this pub thought give it a try. As it was only few minutes away we went to collect it. The pub is very clean, nicely presented with even a log fire making it warm and cosy. Staff were extremely friendly and would do anything to help. The food was very nice and very tasty.Would recommend ordering rather than turning up. This would save time in waiting around. Look forward going again.

My wife and I were staying in the area and booked an evening meal at the B&B - we were not disappointed. Starters - Pheasant croquets and a warm vegetable salad. Mains - a burger (with so much taste) and fish and chips made with hake and gluten free batter. All of the meals were absolutely sublime. Staff were attentive and very friendly. If returning to the area will be revisiting.Covid preparations first class.

Visited for an anniversary lunch following a recommendation. We live in the South Hams and thought we would venture further east for a change. I had the lambs liver to start which was stunning then the steak which was superb, thick, moist, tender and cooked to perfection. Hard to find a good steak in the UK but you can do so with confidence here. Wifey had the egg to start and then the turbot with squid. Plates were licked clean. Only disappointment is we didn’t have any room for pudding. As it was lunch mid week it wasn’t overly busy. We sat in the bar area which was fine and we were well looked after by Lily. Covid protocols very well enforced.If you value great food then this is the place, if you want a venue with great views then go elsewhere. We came for the food.

We were staying in Chillington with our pooch and due to the reduced opening hours we precooked our visit, especially as we have a dog and thank goodness we did! Very popular pub with visitors and locals alike - great choice on the menu and could have chosen many of the options but what we had was delicious. Service great, friendly staff, great Covid awareness and reasonably priced menu. Would definitely return.

Malcolm and the team always make you feel welcome with great customer service. The menu has a good mixture of local, in season food. Tonight's specials, Brill served with clams or Venison with seasonal vegetables of samfire from the River Dart. The puddings are home designed and home made, and even the little ones get pancakes or sundaes to their requirements. Well done Bear and Black Smith, your a great attribute to the local economy and meaning of a great English pub. Keep up the good work, we love eatyiing here.