The Black River Inn in Torridge

A recommendation brought us here, and it didn't disappoint, from the welcome as we entered, the amazing food, atmosphere and friendly customers, extremely dog friendly and attentive staff. Thank you all for an amazing evening.

Fantastic Persian theme night meal at the Black River Inn last night. The food was fabulous, very reasonably priced and the service was wonderful. The bar and waiting staff are very attentive and the atmosphere in the whole place was simply lovely. The food was gorgeous! Highly recommended.

What a wonderful way to eat, all food cooked on wood - fantastic. Also great special events with food from around the world. The beers not bad either!!

What an absolute diamond of an establishment. We visited twice during our weeks stay in the area, and on both occasions the food was exemplary and the cost was more than favourable

We went here a few weeks ago and honestly I expected more from this place considering the reviews. The interior was lovely, but the service and food not so great. We ordered the ribs which were simply not good enough (barely any meat on the bone!), we told the waitress this and she didn't seem to know how to handle the complaint. We would have accepted some money off or something complimentary offered. Think the staff are a little inexperienced. Sorry to say!

Amazing food, fantastic service. All freshly cooked. Took a long time to decide what dishes to order as could have eaten everything described. It’s a sharing experience , tapas style so lots of dishes with highly flavoured food. The lemon posset with raspberry and meringue was so delicious.

The most extraordinary Sunday lunch with tapas starter. Fabulous ingredients served on a board and more vegetables than we’ve ever seen on a Sunday lunch before. Cooked on wood fire. Has spoilt going anywhere else for us! Will be booking another short break locally in order to come back.

You must try this , Westcountry style tapas. Every dish was amazing , please visit this pub if you are ever in Black Torrington .

Sunday lunch is fantastic here . Served on boards for 2 to share with a selection of 3 meats roasted over an open fire . Staff are great and interact well with customers. Very friendly pub serving great quality food . The roast was £13 per head which was great value. We have been 3 times since discovering this gem .

In a world of pubs that cater for tourists with cheap, poor quality food, the Black River Inn is an absolute dream: fresh, predominantly local ingredients, mostly cooked over coals. The staff were lovely, the food delicious, the beer was good and the atmosphere friendly and relaxed. Highly recommended.

Absolutely blown away by this tucked away little gem. Incredible food, very good beer, lovely charm.

This was the stand-out eating experience of a week's gastro tour of Kent and Devon. Though seemingly miles from anywhere, the Black River Inn was packed with drinkers and diners on the friday evening we went. English tapas - what a great idea - and we chose six - all scrummy. The website gives an idea of the range but the printed menu seemed to feature many more, though - tiny criticism - in miniscule type. Never had such smiley service. It felt like we were at a party. Can't wait to return.

What a great pub this is. Alex cooks a version of tapas which is superb. The menu changes daily although he does keep a few of the favourites on the menu. I’ve yet to find something that Alex can’t cook brilliantly We do go there a lot as it’s so good. Added benefit is they regularly change the bitters they serve. Exceptional value for money

Me an my partner had the Sunday lunch, presentation was fantastic on a sharing board. Some wonderful veg I would never usually add to Sunday lunch but was divine. And extremely cheap for the super quality of food. Hidden gem

Superb food! Great staff. Very welcoming. Very much worth a detour

Friendly,quirky and rustic! The west country spin on tapas is ingenious with great flavours and a deliciously fun experience, all washed down with a perfect pint.

Just had Sunday lunch to celebrate our 30th Anniversary, what a fabulous roast, amazing local produce used all served up on a sharing board, delishous. We highly recommend. A***

We unexpectedly found this pub from a recommendation in a Facebook group. We had one of the best roasts ever and thoroughly enjoyed it. Huge portions and loved it. Really made our holiday! Dog friendly. I’m gluten free and pescatarian and my roast was delicious! Highly recommend. My husband said his meat option was fantastic!

We were staying not far from here so we called in for an evening meal we hadn't booked but luckily they had a table. This was one of the best meals we had during our stay in Devon. The menu is a tapas menu with lots of choice and we enjoyed all bar one if the dishes we chose. Price wise one of the more expensive meals we had but the food was lovely and the staff were all friendly.

Fantastic food at this lovely pub. Some of us had the 3 roast carvery, which was absolutely delicious - beautifully cooked beef, chicken and pork, with excellent vegetables -and others chose dishes from the tapas menu. All very good. Lovely atmosphere, good service and dog friendly. Well worth a trip.

Friendly local pub in classic Devon village with outstanding food. Four of us shared 8 tapas dishes with seemed to just keep arriving. This gives an excellent selection to share. A great variety of flavours and textures and easy to select vegetarian options if you wish.

had a lovely dinner which was tapas based. we had the pork, chicken wings, asparagus, mushrooms, camembert and cheese board. it was all excellent and very well priced.

A delicious sharing platter style Sunday roast. Great local produce, great tasting meat and great value. Highly recommend!!

Went for Saturday lunch and had an unexpected Tapas. Absolutely delicious. My husband said the loos were spotless and great! 😄.

2nd visit here now in 2 years whilst on holiday. Enjoyed the changing menu and the small plates so much, food was beautifully cooked without taking much away from the natural flavours of each dish. Roaring log fire was cosy and snug. Thank you!

Great food. Very different. Very enjoyable. Loved it.

Our second visit and definitely not our last, amazing food - some of the best food we've ever had in the UK

Searching for a good pub within half an hour of home I came across The Black River Inn and made a late Sunday lunch booking. It’s a lovely old building with a relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff. The best part was the food which was excellent. We had the three meats roast with a huge selection of veg. Each meat was cooked beautifully on their open fire which gave the succulent chicken especially a lovely smoked taste. I think there were around 10 veg on the sharing board, and I don’t exaggerate in saying they were all perfectly cooked, which is a real accomplishment! Highly recommend. I’ll be back there soon.

The food is excellent, there was a great selection of dishes and all of our group enjoyed lunch. Really fair prices for the dishes too.

Amazing place to eat would highly recommend it

We visited for the second time and had the Sunday roast rather then the Tapas. Was delicious food, excellent service and good wine and beer. We have booked to come back on New Year’s Eve and would highly recommend their English Tapas and Sunday roast.

Food was excellent with roasts all round, the only complaint from a couple of the 9 of us was that the smoked broccoli was like an ashtray, having said that the rest of us thought it was good. Prices were very reasonable

Outstanding food and a wide selection of spirits and things on tap. The staff are always exceptional and friendly. I highly recommend checking out their themed nights as the food is truly on another level. Price wise, the food is worth every penny and drinks are reasonable. 10/10 go if you're in the area!

Brilliant food well worth a visit will be going back tomorrow the tapas

Lovely food and a good feel to the pub service was excellent, could fault it

Wonderful evening with incredible Tapas .....cosy and comfortable with excellent staff!!

This was my first experience of tapas, and I can honestly say that I was not disappointed it was amazing. I was with a group who normally ordered from a fixed menu in advance. The host was very happy to extend the full menu to us to order on arrival. The service was prompt. The staff were very friendly, we felt at home.

After reading all the reviews I pick this pub for a special birthday surprise but I am so so disappointed with it when we arrived the pub was empty we ordered our drinks and taken to our table as we had arrived a little early we sat and waited before we ordered to be told the shef could not take it because there was a party of six coming. eventually we did order our food and sat for about twenty minutes. It finally arrived apart from our fries which tuned up twenty five minutes later after that we payed and left so I would not recommend.

What a boon to our village is the Black River Inn. Chef Pallatt is a magician with food and Gill Pallatt is the perfect host and manages her restaurant, bar and team with flair, style and a smile. I have never had anything but amazing food at the BRI but last night’s eating experience was exceptional. Thank you Gill and Alex for raising me to new heights of enjoyment and eating satisfaction.

It's no surprise it has great reviews. The concept and food choice and quality is a real winner. I think we had 7 different dishes from sirloin steak to soft shell crab, tuscan sausage, cray fish, chicken of the woods to name a few.... it's been a long time since we have had such an enjoyable experience, in fact I can't remember...but will certainly remember this one. And to think, due to the parking being a bit tight/limited (we were in the campervan) we nearly gave up, if it wasn't for the local chimney sweep man (thank you!) coming out & moving his van ! We could have miss out !

Wow. Fruits De Mer theme night was amazing. Everything was perfect. Staff were friendly and the food was delicious. Wonderful evening. Thank you.

Nous nous sommes arrêtés dans ce pub pour déjeuner. Des sandwichs et des petits plats (comme des tapas) sont proposés. Nous avons testé les 2 options, tout était délicieux !

Great ..restored my faith in the pub Sunday lunch ..

Love this pub. Great beer Lovely atmosphere. Food to die for, completely different. Spanish and Devon tapas cooked to perfection. Excellent cook, friendly and helpful staff. Going back on Thursday for more tasty tapas. Go there for a wonderful experience. Thank you.

Super, real country pub. The food was first class as was the service, even though ,the lovely landlady told us , they were runming short staffed!! We had a seafood tapas selection which my wife and I shared! All in all, we would most definitely return!!

Fantastic food, knowledgeable staff and really good service levels. This is a gem of a place serving a unique range of pub tapas produced on an open wood fired grill. Highly recommended.

Fantastic... amazing food..service..atmosphere...highly recommend❤❤

Very nice food and not to expensive

Me and my wife had a meal here last night , Freindly helpful staff food very nice especially the puddings .

Traditional local pub, great food, ales and wines. Warm and cosy with lovely village atmosphere. Very helpful friendly staff. Carpark and beer garden. You'll need to book for a meal at weekends. Highly recommended.

Located in a quaint Devon village, the Black River Inn is a lovely country pub/restaurant serving a small but exquisite selection of dishes. The staff are very friendly and welcoming and as locals, it rates as one of our favourites. Highly recommended.

Decent food but slightly short on supplies. Only 1 whisky, small menu etc. Possibly tight times from covid.

Lovely friendly staff, and amazing food. Delightful pub to have a drink and a meal.

Had Lovely Sunday lunch with friends at The Black River. It was delicious and the service was good too. Thank you. Will definitely be back.

Lovely atmosphere as you walk in. Staff welcoming. Excellent service and last but not least the food was excellent. Oh and no washing up. Thankyou for a lovely evening .

We had a table for four in the restaurant on Saturday night. The service was great and the menu is really different with tapas and more traditional favourites. The food was superb and a reasonable cost for the quality. I would highly recommend this pub, but leave a table free for us because we'll definitely be back soon. Thanks, Gary, Julie, Joe and Kelsey.

The staff were welcoming and friendly. The food was great, will be returning soon

Fabulous food, excellent service

Went to the Black River Inn for Sunday lunch, which was very nice and excellent value for money. Great real ales available too.

A smoked roast dinner on a Autumns day... you can't knock it! lovely

Lovely tapas we really enjoyed it

Fantastic concept brilliant views and food all the staff are fabulous but a really big Thank you to Eve who has looked after us amazingly!

VERY PLEASANT FRONT OF HOUSE SHE ADDS A PERFECT WELCOME, BETTER THAN OUR LAST VISIT WELL DONE

Brilliant evening out, despite the kitchen problems..... The staff are friendly, helpful and a real treasure that I hope the owner realises he has..... they handled an unexpected situation brilliantly..... we enjoyed everything so much we booked again for the following night but unfortunately it was cancelled as they were unable to do meals that night. The food is amazing, completely different from the usual pub fare you expect.... although that is available too. We will definitely be back to visit again

Superb food, friendly and efficient service with a great atmosphere.

A great pub run very well with great service,excellent food and beer

Lovely food and friendly staff.

Great, fast service and loved the food, will definitely be returning

Great food in a lovely village pub and good service, thank you.

Lovely 3 meat Sunday lunch! Also had tapas which my son enjoyed so we are all going back on Friday so we can all have some. Great food, welcoming team and dog friendly... also generous chef! Edited version to include our return on Friday night... so glad we booked again! The tapas was delicious, we ordered loads because we were on holiday and what the heck?! Each dish was wonderful and we didn't leave anything on our plates. My son really wanted to try the mussels for the first time and wasn't disappointed, a new firm favourite now. Thanks to the team at B-R-I who made us so welcome... especially our son who got the thumbs up from the kitchen as he settled in again (always great to see the food prep). Also loved the eco and sustainability message including the locally sourced produce. 5 stars doesn't do this one justice, would recommend booking to avoid missing out.

Lovely pub, great beer garden and great staff but on my visit the menu seemed to be aimed towards fish lovers with the only steak available ruined by something melting on top which made it greasy, a salad swimming in something watery (I did ask but got no reply) and a few chips. Sorry but for £21 it wasn't good enough. We would have complained but our friend paid the bill without us knowing as a treat. Can only say I won't be eating there again

Excellent food and fantastic service. The 3 roast board is generous and the meat is incredibly tasty. Staff are very good and discreet

Lovely meal last night. Tapas choices excellent and plenty of food. Pretty garden with lots of tables and sun shade. Staff attentive and helpful. Will be back for more. We'll done!

Great food and service,booking a must!

Really nice food , highly recommended with nice and friendly staff - had to wait a while for our sweet but that was because they were a chief down due to illness and the chief and his partner worked really hard to produce lovely food !!

Wonderful food and service. Really couldn't fault anything. An excellent meal. Thank you.

Food was absolutely incredible, will be back again

Fantastic food, great atmosphere and very welcoming staff. They deserve all the many awards they've received.

Amazing staff as always, fabulous food. They really do go above and beyond even during Covid with brilliant take aways.

We enjoyed it, nice meal & friendly staff, not rushed, cosy

There menu looks really yummy and I wish I still leaves in the village to try it ☺️

Expensive. Substandard poor quality and cheap tasting food. Had pork ribs tasted the same as I used to get from pappers takeaway torquay.

Just had a Sunday lunch. Tasted top notch from first course to last. Mums and dads take a Sunday off and have a roast !!!

Excellent food and service with good Covid policies.

Lovely menu and superb food. Friendly staff.

Great starters and mains, the dessert (tart) wasn't great but maybe just steer clear of this as everything else was incredible! The two young waiters were rushed off their feet all evening so felt a bit sorry for them...but they tried their hardest and did a great job in the circumstances.

Set in a sleepy village in Mid Devon is a lovely, traditional village pub that serves up fantastic, seasonal dishes which are all locally sourced. We stayed nearby for 4 nights and ate here three times and still hadn't cleared the menu of everything that appealed to us. Here are some highlights of the excellently executed dishes that we enjoyed: Machego and whiped Manchego with homemade toast; lemon sole with capers and butter, mushroom burger with lebanese style salsa verde, toulouse sausage and duck leg cassoulet, slow roast pork belly with carraway and schezhan crackling, poky sri lankan monkfish and vegetable curry and super deluxe fish pie. All absolutely delicious, perfectly seasoned and presented. Lovely, friendly staff dealing with covid in a cheerful way and excellent skills and imagination from the kitchen. You must eat here if you are within 15 mile radius!

Typical village pub, community hub and excellent restaurant. All Covid guidelines adhered to. Masks, sanitiser etc. Food was excellent. All freshly cooked, no chef ping here!! Cannot fault this place at all. From the warm welcome, the attentiveness of the staff and the superb food. This is a must if you are ever in the area.

Nice pub, good food would recommend.

Great traditional pub. Recommend the dripping on toast and the crispy pork 🤤

Superb meal, really enjoyed it. A very convivial atmosphere and friendly, welcoming staff.

The best prawn toast I've ever tasted

When we booked our holiday lodge, we asked for recommendations for a Sunday roast on the day we arrived as a starting point for our break. We were not disappointed at all. In fact, we were sad to discover they were closed on Monday when we got back from Ilfracombe... Choosing the roast board (three meats with lush veg selection) it arrived beautifully presented on - a board. We thought it looked generous, when we scooped it onto our plates, it turned out to be very generous. So much so, our plan was to have dessert as well but we had no space left for it. Where do we start. The chicken was melt in your mouth good, the pork was moist and the beef was just perfect. The veg was not mushy, cooked to perfection. If I would change anything, this is where my wife would say cook it your bloody self, thanks to my late Irish gran I like my gravy thicker than most. But that would have made it beyond excellent. As it was, it was bloody good.Let's put some context to the pub itself. It has a lovely village feel to it. Good quality wood furniture, comfortable. We were made to feel welcome, without being harassed. It was a great way to settle down after a five hour drive. We are definitely going back before we leave.And now the most important thing. The bill. Being from Birmingham, where to be honest a lot of pubs are trying to charge London prices for mediocre grub, the bill was a massive shock. To call it value for money would be an understatement. I would have been happy to, and being fair given where we are, pay more.I wish this pub was in my home town!

Really really good, food excellent and young staff a real credit thank you for a great meal.

Excellent, I have dined twice now at the black river Inn in a week. We went back second time as it was by far the best place to eat in the area.

Booked a romantic dinner as I had been told that this pub had changed hands and was highly recommended. Looked on the website and it looked like a gourmet place so we dressed up accordingly........... Don’t bother dressing up for this place its definitely a jeans and t-shirts pub or flip flops and shorts!!!!! HOWEVER, the front of house is run by young people who are polite and efficient. Although crammed in and during these Covid times felt a bit claustrophobic, the food was lovely and would go again. Parking however is compact and bijou!!

Nice pub very nice meal, interesting walk back to campsite. Suggest a cab!! Can't fault waitresses they were helpful, friendly and not all over you like a cheap suit. Never felt under pressure to either order quickly or that we had to leave in a certain time

Very good food. Very polite staff.

Love it. Great food and real ale.

Very good food and excellent service