The Black Venus in North Devon

Lovely old pub on the edge of Dartmoor.

A good traditional pub with a good range of wholesome pub food. This is a great pub to enjoy a range of good publishes and with a great atmosphere. Can't go wrong,, nice staff and good selection of beers and non alcoholic tonics etc.

So this was my go to pub lunch for special occasions - today was my birthday, and I'd booked a while ago and was really looking forward to it- however it was the worst lunch of my life. When we arrived it was apparent that there was also a private function booked - not in a function room (place is too small snd quaint to have such a thing) but in the main dining area - to be more precise at the table next to us. I initially asked if we could be moved but was told that other tables were booked by regulars and it was their spot- fair enough. As we were waiting for our food, the party guests arrived and my God they were loud and obnoxious. They stood around our table and knocked into us - paying no consideration to other diners. Fine in a private area, but not when there are other diners trying to have a quiet Sunday meal together. I have a hearing impediment and wear hearing aids so you can imagine the noise was disorientating and unnerving. We didn't finish our meal, or drinks as I wanted to get out of there before I had a panic attack. Absolutely gutted by the way my birthday lunch turned out. I know the landlord cannot be responsible for the actions of its guests, but given the opportunity I would like to have been advised that there was a function on beforehand, and I would have saved the Black Venus for another day - as now I will never return!

Absolutely insane food & impeccable service. The wonderful welcome, incredible attention to my partner’s gluten free diet and the food itself just blew us away

Ideal country pub,tasty modern food, efficient polite staff and a pared back century old space to eat and drink.

Big party of us...food really good...nice selection of beers .

Lovely pub, lovely staff.I enjoyed my goats cheese with salad but my wife ordered pasta .The sauce was tomato only and far to sweet.My daughter had mushroom pate which very weirdly was also to sweet?also on the menu was vegetarian parmesan to go with my wife's pasta(she's vegetarian)which can be a bit confusing because parmesan is a protected name since 1996 and can only be called that if it has animal rennet Etc ? But we do like the inn apart from some off the food unfortunately.

The Black Venus Inn is a charming village pub, booking is essential as it seems to be the locals favourite! There is a large carpark across the (not busy) road and some lovely poultry to look at in the adjoining field. The welcome is warm and the bar well stocked, dogs very welcome in certain areas. The menu we were presented with was varied and well priced, something for everyone. We asked for a couple of amendments with our meals which were happily catered for. Food arrived promptly, was freshly cooked and all plates were cleared, delicious. We will most definitely be back again.

Fantastic setting. Menu is extensive and absolutely first class! Highly highly recommended! Also a wide selection of local ales and ciders on offer. The pub also sells some local produce to take away. Having visited most pubs/restaurants on exmoor - I’d rate this at the top.

I am visiting the UK from the USA and I have to say this was one of the best meals I had on my trip. I had the seabass and it was excellent!

Today I had mushroom parfait for lunch at this pub. Previously I had always has garlic mushrooms on toast which were delicious. Although the mushroom seemed ok, this evening I have had chronic diarrhoea and been violently sick. When I reported this to the pub I was told ‘ I had that for lunch and I’m perfectly fine. You must have got it somewhere else. ‘ I had not eaten anything since lunch. I will not be going back.

Stopped for food on way home food was was a tasteless halloumi burger with nice chips older women behind bar seemed stressed that filtered in to the pub a couple near us said the same

One of the best halloumi burgers I have ever had. The food, staff and atmosphere of this pub is wonderful cannot recommend it highly enough.

Brilliant 👍 really good menu, good to die for and not too expensive. Highly recommended.

Very nice pub, large selection of foods that look and taste delicious. Friendly staff and reasonable prices

Lovely old pub in beautiful Devon countryside. They kindly fitted us in on a busy evening and then arranged their bookings so we didn’t have to rush our meal - superb service. But the best thing about this pub is the amazing food from a very wide menu. From our starters, mains and puddings, all were beautifully presented and delicious. Lots of fresh fish options and local produce, with a note on the menu where the different ingredients were from ie local farms. Lots of delicious home made puddings as well. A fabulous meal, great service and lovely venue, which was very family friendly. We will definitely be back!

A party of three of us went for dinner last night here and it was superb. The meal from the starters to the puddings was outstanding. Service was top quality. You felt really looked after. The atmosphere in there was lovely two. Food: 5/5 | Service: 5/5

A party of three of us went for dinner last night here and it was superb. The meal from the starters to the puddings was outstanding. Service was top quality. You felt really looked after. The atmosphere in there was lovely two.

Great service, great food and generous portions, highly recommended 😊😊😊😊

The most amazing meal we have all had in a long time. Generous portions but more importantly absolutely delicious and very reasonably priced. Throughly recommend

This is a Great restaurant, the food was delicious and service fast and efficient, staff very friendly. The Black Venus was apparently named after an extinct breed of sheep that was good for meat but not for wool. Look out for the original pictures on the walls they are done by a local artist and are really awesome, I particularly liked the one of hares. These are for sale This place is very busy so Booking is advised.

Great food, good service. Very patient while we completed a game of pool. Unfortunately, not really enough space for both darts and the pool table.

Excellent food here and very good value for money, especially compared to other pub/restaurants in the area. We've been visiting this area of North Devon for years and never managed to get a booking at the Black Venus until this year. We're glad we did. Some of the veg is grown in their own garden and everything was cooked to a very high standard. Excellent selection of beers and a pool table and dartboard, too. Easily recommended and would definitely visit again.

Wonderful pub and so friendly. We stay every summer in the village and we love ro end the day with s pint beer there. Our kids love to play billiard und we enjoy the warm atmosphere.

Great food at fair prices! It's a little bit too 'cosy' for me though. - That said, its not a huge place so space is very limited. Can't fault the food or service!

The best food in North Devon! Regularly visit when on holiday, consistently brilliant food, efficient service and very good with dietary requirements. Never had a bad meal (we have tried a wide range from the menu!), can’t recommend highly enough. Thank you!

What can I say,amazing amazing food,really friendly staff and a beautiful old pub,this place could not be bettered,our favourite ever place to eat

Great welcome great service Great food Great menu with food quality to match 100% recommend

OMG, what a first-class Sunday lunch. The staff were lovely and very friendly, the surroundings were great and the food was amazing. The Sunday Lunch menu was first class. Plenty of choice, even for me being a vegetarian . We will definitely be back for more 😃 would like to know if you are going to do xmas day Lunch.

By far and away the best pub meal I've ever ever had. And I've had many pub meals. Chicken pie was out of this world. Exmoor beast was an experience. Not to mention the setting. Perfect traditional English pub!

Duck dish was to die for, lovely atmosphere. Having dogs was not an issue as they were very dog friendly everywhere. Can tell it’s very popular I reccomend booking prior to your visit. Chef needs to open their gourmet restaurant!!

A nice quiet country pub and restaurant with nice garden. Food was top notch and was too full for pudding as it was only lunch but still a lovely sized portion. I had steak&onion ciabatta with salad and chips which were defo thrice cooked. My friend had the gammon,egg,and chips and again it was lovely. Well worth the visit. I live in ilfracombe a few miles away and it was a nice trip out to lunch. Not to far either.

Love this place, especially since the past couple of years. Food is fabulous, service prompt and charming. Vegan and veggie options, which is great. Highly recommended.

Excellent country pub with great locally sourced organic produce

What a wonderful gem of a place. Lovely beams inside, simply decorated so charm and history of the building can shine through. Found whilst on holiday. Loads of food choices (meat, fish, veg), food beautifully cooked and tasty, big portions! Delicious puddings (if you can fit them in). Staff welcoming and helpful. Took 4 year old that they catered for no problem. Large free car park. Would highly recommend.

Incredible pub food, with large portions and a really diverse British pub menu. Attentive and cheerful staff too. Great pub.

Fantastic meal first class service lovely pub in a beautiful park of Devon can't wait to go back

Wow! What a pub 👌 we were lucky enough to be staying just a short walk away and we ate there 4 times in one week 🙈 the food is so fantastic and after a disappointing meal elsewhere we found ourselves drawn to the Black Venus as the menu was so diverse we wanted to go trough as much of it as we could, the homemade pork scratchings were also fab, we will without a shadow of a doubt be back, only word of warning is should absolutely book as they get very busy 💗

Lovely meal and friendly staff in a beautiful oldy worldy location. What more can you ask for?

You are gonna need to book ! Great food and a lovely atmosphere. Definitely a destination restaurant with superb service. Try and avoid being seated in the back room which is rather bland and soulless.

One of the best pubs on Exmoor. Very good and quick service, delicious food and good atmosphere. Make sure you reserve in advance

As soon as i arrived (7.30 p.m.) i was met by a real buzz from people clearly enjoying their evening. One of the waiting staff greeted me with a big smile ,showed me to my table by a window and left food and wine menus. Food was superb throughout paired with really excellent wines (viognier & montepulciano ). Amazing scallops,black pudding and a carrot puree to start and really tasty Pork burger for mains. I intended to have a dessert course but was to full ,but settled for a sweet wine which was every bit as good as the others. I would suggest their wine buyer knows his stuff. To find a gem like this high up on Exmoor is a revelation. Do try it and enjoy.

Welcoming pub in the countryside. Friendly and attentive staff along with great food and local ale. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the surrounding area

We stopped here for lunch on a rainy Tuesday and the service was warm and friendly. We had the most delicious lunch - the ingredients felt fresh and high quality and the standard of cooking was very high. A really nice selection of food available on the menu and the strawberry meringue dessert was fantastic. We would return again if we are in the area for sure.

One of the best Sunday roasts we've ever had. We didn't book a table, but they let us in the playing room because dining tables are fully occupied on Sunday lunch time. All staff are very friendly and helpful. Many young staff are working in dining and behind the counter. Free parking in front of the pub. They sell fresh eggs.

We were greeted by lovely friendly staff, who were very attentive to our needs. The food was lovely and good value for money . We left with having a great meal in a beautiful pub. Thank you we will be back

Nice welcome. Very friendly. Great Sunday lunch, especially the home made sweet menu. Very dog friendly. Excellent toilets. Certainly recommend and looking forward to revisit.

Get pub . Food was excellent, one of the best pub meals I have ever had . Good choice of drinks , and dog friendly 👌

Came here for Sunday lunch today as a group of 9 (7 adults, 2 children plus a dog). Staff were great, food was served very quickly and was delicious. Very nice roast dinner. Would definitely recommend this place for both quality of the food and service.

Lovely location and the pub was beautiful. Staff very friendly and helpful Food very hot and a lovely selection of veg, but it just didn't have any flavour it tasted bland

Great little place with lovely food and dog friendly

Very welcoming pub, we felt at ease as soon as we walked through the door. The staff were so attentive and helpful, nothing was too much trouble! Will be returning at some point in the future! Highly recommend!!

Food was as good as I remembered it, excellent service and bustling.

Staff very friendly, a warm welcome into a packed pub, always a good sign. Good variety of drinks, 3 Exmoor ales on, an expensive menu, sometimes this can put me off but the food here is superb. We had ribeye and lamb curry. Both excellent, curry without rice but with salad/naan was a welcome change too! Staff could not have been more helpful, very attentive and brought water for our dog. All in all could not recommend black venus enough.

Wonderful friendly pub, great service with excellent food. Mouthwatering flavours. Will definitely be back, thank you 👌

A beautiful old pub, family-run and very friendly. Delicious food and a lovely atmosphere. We have visited The Black Venus several times and it never disappoints. Good portions, freshly cooked and very tasty!

Wow! What great food soo much to choose from Food stayed hot the whole time eating Great friendly staff Warm welcoming environment Will definitely book to go again You will not be disappointed

Stylish pub!! Very nice lady running it

Just incredible! We had a 3 course valentines lunch and could not fault a thing! So full and happy! Absolutely delicious! Thank you so much and will definitely be returning soon!

Recommended the Black Venus by neighbours. Easy parking opposite although, due to the weather, very muddy. Acknowledged as soon as we went in, but waited a while as the one FOH person was busy. All tables sat but a relaxed atmosphere. A very extensive menu, which made choosing a challenge. Our starters of garlic mushrooms, £8 and the prawn & trout tower, £9 were just delicious and beautifully presented. Our main courses, lamb curry, £19 and the 'Exmoor Beast' at £19.50 were equally as good. Great flavours, good portions, nice and hot. It was a pleasant change to enjoy a curry with salad instead of rice, not so filling. Finishing off with a strawberry meringue, clotted cream and ice cream at £8, it made a perfect end to a perfect lunch. A bill of £78.50 which included 3 pints of guest ale, £5 a pint, we thought, was quite reasonable. Looking at the wine list, averaging £7-8 for a glass, would bump a bill up considerably. A friendly farewell as we left. Given the time of year and miserable weather, it's an ideal place to go for great food, roaring fires and cosiness. When the tourists are a plenty, I would imagine it'd be a struggle to park and get a table, so I'd highly recommend booking ahead. Thank you Black Venus, we really enjoyed our visit today 14.02.24.

Once again, a fabulous visit to the Venus. Food is always top notch. Wish we lived closer

Amazing food as always. We visit the area twice yearly and always visit the Venus, as usual it didn't disappoint. Food is always spot on, really can't fault a single thing. Best food ever!! If I'd make one comment, and that's I wish they'd change the menu slightly as it doesn't seem to have changed in the three years we've been coming. Can highly recommend the Duo of Duck 😋

Great food ,very friendly owners will be going again..

Beautiful old pub. Lovely staff, great ales on tap and fantastic local produce on the menu. Family friendly. Would come again.

Excellent home cooked food. Swift, accurate staff. Busy yet organized, polite Team.

Wow! Amazing food, lovely service and cozy pub. I had the duck and I think it’s the best pub food I’ve had. Two boys had the sirloin and again it was cooked to perfection. Thank you!

Absolutely amazing evening here. Great food and service with an acceptable Rioja. 👌

Great food and variety and lovely friendly atmosphere in a good old Exmoor Pub. All staff very welcoming and attentive and food great and at reasonable price.

Amazing food and service, one of the best places to eat in this area, highly reccomended, and dog friendly

Once again a lovely meal, prawn and trout tower, and venison pie superb with good cask ales.

Been here many times so the Venus was an assured go to. Sadly our family birthday lunch of 10, was pretty miserable today. There was a Christmas menu on but no crackers on the table, OK I can get past that even though the menu was pricey and we are 7 days away from Christmas. Music bass was loud and faulty so sounded like a boy racer had rocked up outside. Quite a few patrons looked unimpressed. Staff looked like they didn't want to be there no one was really that attentive. No one came up to ask us if our meals were alright. What I can't do is get over is how shocking our roast meal was. The veg was disgusting. Some of us had roast beef - just a slice and a bit roast beef. The only nice bit was the 2 roast potatoes on my plate. Not a hearty delicious feast we have enjoyed here for many years. A pathetic offering sadly, for which I could also pass by and never return however for £17.00 for a roast beef in comparison to other pub roasts around, we felt ripped off and were pretty annoyed. Thankfully we just ordered a main. As it was a birthday we kept a low profile on this so as not to end on a negative. But you've just lost a few customers for being so greedy.

Great food, great staff, great atmosphere.

Lovely place to go for a fabulous meal

First class food and service. We will be back again ...... and again.

Stopped for light lunch. It was delicious...but had to wait a while. Lovely pub in fantastic setting.

Went for a roast lunch. Delicious food, good service and a lovely location.

Very very good and obviously popular. We would go again!

Amazing food and so welcoming. We were a large table of 10 and the food was perfect. Love the atmosphere-full of happy locals.

Lovely meal out. Soup was delicious as was the steak. Friendly service and atmosphere.

Lovely venue, friendly staff. Prices higher than I like paying, but the food was really nice and good portion sizes.

This place is amazing, we came as a big group whilst on holiday and they took us in their stride. All the food was amazing, beers and ciders were tasty and the server was friendly and never too far away. Couldn't recommend this place enough, a great little cosy pub with a car park over the road. Meant to take a picture of the meals but it was so tasty I only managed an empty plate. There were 15 of us on our booking and every single plate went back empty 👌

What an experience! Lovely cosey country pub. Service was great. Food was just unreal. We had the scallops to start and both had duo of duck for main which was just amazing. For dessert we had baileys cheesecake and the brownie and couldn't fault a thing. Best food we've had in a very very long time! We are local to North Devon and will 100% be back again bringing our family.

Very nice, reasonably priced food in a lovely countryside pub. Well stocked bar and friendly staff. Booking for a Friday or Saturday night is essential.

Great food. We had excellent starters: scallops and prawn tower. The mains polished it off nicely. The duck duo was as good as duck I’ve had anywhere. Happy to recommend

Delicious meal with my family, staff were very friendly, lovely atmosphere. Had a very tasty chicken pie - only improvement could have had more chips! Would recommend.

Absolutely fabulous experience A very busy pub serving excellent food. Great menu, good portions and family & dog friendly. Great atmosphere and friendly staff

Food was really nice, not alot of selection but the food was nice...

We came here as a group of 9 and it was superb. The chips were honestly the best chips we have had! We had a range of dishes and each one was delicious. Some of us had starters and desserts and they were also delicious. Very generous portion sizes and we would definitely return if we were in the are. It really was outstanding.

Booked a table for lunch without knowing anything about the pub. Great decision. Food was outstanding. Drinks were also excellent. Pub was busy but staff were very nice. More expensive than your typical pub but well worth it. Highly recommended.

Absolutely fantastic. We’ve known the Black Venus for many years and the standard and service are as high as they’ve ever been. Will be calling back again, soon. Over 30 guests in for Friday lunch. All well served

I had duck pate and ribeye steak which were absolutely gorgeous! The coffee was delicious too. Staff were friendly and attentive. I will definitely come back.

Outstanding food, lovely staff, beautiful old pub. Soo happy I found it! The home made chicken pie and steak mains were superb, and soo nice to have good wine at a pub too. Who knew chips could be to die for. Will be back to try more, especially the desserts. Thank you

Great friendly service and food. Nice place for a drink or meal out.

A favourite, excellent food, good choice from a varied menu at sensible prices.

Must visit, incredible food, dog friendly, wish we had booked in advance as the menu was terrific we would have gone back every day.

We stayed in the village and The Black Venus was our ‘local’. It catered for our large party complete with dogs. The quality of the food was consistently high and appealed to all ages in the group. We frequented the restaurant a few times…

Staying close by, we booked for Sunday lunch. Glad we did as they could only just fit us in. This small pub is a little gem. Full of character, it was bustling and busy. We were immediately welcomed and shown to our table. The menu has a good range of classics. The roast pork was excellent and very generous portions. Delicious! Highly recommend.

Our Go To pub in this area, it's a must! Very dog friendly.

Superb food and service. Highlight of our holiday

A great pub, we booked as last time they were full. Well worth it food was fresh and the ribeye steak I had was so tasty and tender. We had two dogs with us and they were well looked after. A must if you are in the area.