The Church House Inn, Marldon, Devon, TQ3 1SL in South Hams

Lovely inn, friendly and warm feel when I stopped for a drink but food looked and smells amazing. I will be back to dine

Great food and service. Dog friendly.

I am never disappointed whenever I eat at the Church House inn. The food is always more interesting than traditional pub fare.

Nice pub garden at the right spot for a break on a new walk I've found aling country lanes.

Popped in twice over a weekend trip, the food and service were excellent

A really great relaxed evening dinner in the bar. The food (as always) was excellent and the service spot on.

Just popped in for a quick drink. Sat in the beer garden in the sun. Lovely gardens, great atmosphere!

Our first visit and we won't be recommending! Greeting from young lady was pleasant although they didn't seem ready for service at noon. Things went downhill from there. Beer cloudy! To say it's a new barrel and that you'd tasted it was a poor excuse! If it's a new barrel, leave it to settle before you draw from it, simple. I felt like I was in the wrong for saying it was cloudy!.. I could have said it was the worst looking pint of Jail Ale I'd seen in a long time! Personally I would have offered a different ale and apologised profusely, not tried to infer it was the customers problem and give them another pint of cloudy Jail! The food was pretty average (overcooked veg, not enough veg potatoes or gravy, lamb fatty and tough) and £5 extra if you want cauliflower cheese! Didn't try the puddings. All in all a disappointment!

Booked The Church House Inn to take my mother in law for a roast for mother’s day. I booked the table two weeks before with no issues. I get a phone call the day before to request a deposit of £25, which I wasn’t aware of. Not an issue but if they wanted a deposit they should have asked for it when I booked the table. We arrive on time and got seated too our table. Waitress saw to us and explained there was items missing off the menu as they had been busy over the weekend (you would think they would take this into account as it’s a Mother’s Day weekend!) we had to choose from 2 choices from the starters and only 2 choices from the main menu!! Ridiculous! On the menu it was crossed out what they didn’t have in the roast section, cauliflower cheese was crossed out as apart of the roast but available on the extra sides. So they wanted us to pay an additional £5 for us to have what was originally on the menu for roasts! Our starters arrive, I take one bite and a huge hair was in the chorizo! Waitress took the starter back and took it off the bill. The waitress came back to suggest it was my hair as there wasn’t anyone in the kitchen with long hair. We weren’t making a big deal about it so not sure why she was being argumentative with us and causing an issue. The main dishes arrive an hour and half after us arriving to them being Luke warm! The roast was nice to taste but cold. I’ve never experienced such an awful meal or service for a very long time and would have expected more from this establishment. I won’t be returning or recommending.

After a pint or two of Jail, we shared a crispy belly pork starter and a mixed platter. The crispy pork was absolutely delicious! (I would love the recipe)! The sharing platter ham was particularly moist and flavoursome and we both enjoyed the crisp salad, coleslaw and chutney (which I think was home made). The cheddar was mature and tasty. Altogether, a lovely lunch, served with friendly service from Jonathan and Oskar. Thank you!

My partner took me here on mothers day with my child too. The roast dinner was nice but the portion size was absolutely ridiculous. The menu states comes with cauliflower cheese and stuffing which it did not. We got half a carrot half a parsnip and a tiny ramekin of microwaved veg (TO SHARE!) we had to cut one shrivelled up broccoli floret in half and had not even a teaspoon each of the rest of the veg that was in the ramekin. The server forgot one of our drinks which was fine but they weren't very welcoming and didn't make any kind of engagement with us. My son had a burger which he enjoyed very much and it was a substantial amount on the plate. They really need to work on their portion size of veg for the roast dinners because £18.95 for a roast dinner that is basically a plate of meat sat on top of a couple of roast potatoes is ludicrous!

We booked as we were staying in the local area and we were all blown away by the welcome we received (and the dogs), the service was amazing and the food was stunning! Would definitely recommend, such a lovely little pub and a gem.

Mothers Day Treat . Food was ok we had a roast but the tiniest of veg portions for two people and they charged £5 for cauliflower cheese which was lukewarm . We did tell the young man at the bar and he apologised. It was a busy service but it was 3pm and it was chaotic . Twice the wrong food came to our table . We waited ages for our mains . We wouldn’t return again

This is a really difficult review as we loved our meal at the Church House Inn, and have eaten here a few times in the last couple of years. It was Mother's Day, a lovely treat for my Mom. We arrived, albeit about 11.58 and had to wait a fee mins for the Inn to open (understand Sunday opening rules). When we went in we were greeted very pleasantly, but in a little bit of a disorganised manner, our waitress herself had to go and check whether we were actually booked at the table before we sat down. If we hadn't already prebooked, I could have ignored this, but sadly it set the scene for the rest of our visit. Our food, was lovely, I cannot fault our meal in any way at all, but the service, I can only describe as distracted and slightly innatentive. The staff themselves were pleasant, but it always felt like they were thinking about the next table to be served. We were never offered any more drinks, even when glasses on the table were empty. We had to ask twice to see where our deserts were, and this was after 1.5 hours of being there. Beautiful pub, lovely food, sadly let down by clearly not enough staff on which was a real shame, as I feel most of us were prebooked, so expectations of customer levels should have been catered for.

Had a lovely lunch time meal. Food was good and friendly staff. Have been before and every time not been disappointed. Will definitely visit again. Ample parking and outside space on a sunny day.

I agree totally with the other reviews that since the new owners the quality and portion size is not good any longer, which is a shame. The prices are for a gourmet restaurant but the food is certainly not Gourmet.

A lovely country pub with a great atmosphere. We hadn't been for sometime and really enjoyed the Sunday Lunch. Good selection of roast meats and veg. When asked for custard toaccompany the apple crumble it was made especially, which really impressed us. We will certainly be back

Friendly and efficient service. Freshly cooked food at old prices. Excellent

Shocking lack of service. Popped in for a pint today - 4th March - after a long walk. No one at the bar and two staff members behind the bar faffing about with a bottle of wine. It's lunch time so I'm not expecting immediate service but I do expect, at the very least, acknowledgement of my presence. Just a simple "Hi, be with you asap" would have been fine. I'm about to give up and leave when finally my custom is seen as worthwhile and they deign to speak to me. I order my drink but instead of fulfilling my order they turn their attention to another chap who has just come to the bar and start - ineptly - trying to process his lunch bill. I ask why she isn't serving me and I get a blank look before being told that she would get my London Pride in a second. I had ordered an Atlantic. At this point I left. I don't normally leave bad reviews but I really, really fancied a pint!

We have visited Paignton every year since 2021 and have visited this pub in 2021, 2022 and 2023. We most recently visited for Sunday lunch. The menu looks the same as previous years but unfortunately it was not the same standard, The starters were actually very tasty but the presentation and size of the portions was not the same as previous years but the price was the same. We ordered roast dinners and the veg that accompanied it for 4 people was such a small portion. Literally one teaspoonful for each of us. Again in previous years the veg was overflowing. I asked for some more but it didn’t arrive. The roast itself was nice and the meat was good quality. The desserts were varied. The crumble was again a very small portion but tasty. The sticky toffee pudding was excellent and a huge portion. There just seems to be a disparity between different courses and the quality we had come to expect from this pub. The service was good but slow. In fairness there has been a change of ownership I think so could be teething problems. I would still come back and hope that these small issues will resolve over time. I am fully aware portions have probably been cut to help the business stay afloat. It was just a little disappointing after so many years of visiting this lovely pub.

Lovely food and a great atmosphere. Friendly and welcoming staff. Our first visit here and was not disappointed. Complete with log burners and pleasant gardens.

The service was friendly and attentive. The food excellent both for quality and price. Our little group had a lovely reunion. Many thanks!

Had lunch today, service was great, food just didn't hit the mark.

Lovely old village pub, next to the church. Quiet in January mid- week, but we got lots of attention. Food is very good and a nice wide range of beer, spirits and wines. We visit regularly throughout the year and have done for over a decade.

Popped in for lunch. Fantastic people lovely food. Really good value. Large car park attached. Local produce warm and friendly

This was our first visit to this pub as it had been highly recommended , the staff were very pleasant and extremely welcoming , unfortunately we visited on a day when the normal chef was not on duty.The food was not marvellous I had the pork which was nice but quite a small portion but the vegetables were slightly burnt and the plate was cold . My friend had the lamb which she said was nice but again the plate was cold and the vegetables that were on the plate slightly burnt, she did ask if it came with more vegetables there was just a single leek and some potatoes. Our other friend went for the homity pie off the specials board which is a traditional pastry case filled with vegetables onion and cheese but not at this pub it was a load of vegetables including lots of undercooked potatoes covered in mashed potato!!! Again served on a cold plate with a load of unappealing veg onion the side . We ventured desert two of us had sticky toffee pudding which was ok but quite heavy and our friend had the lemon tart which she said was nice but was a very small slice. I will say that the staff were excellent they were apologetic and did not charge us for the Homity pie!! but it tainted what we were hoping was a local pub we would have enjoyed visiting on numerous occasions . I’m afraid we will not be back.

We had a great Sunday lunch. We brought our daughter, her husband and our grand children. We enjoyed the food and the kids loved it. We have been once before but we'll certainly be back. Lovely food, good choice and attentive staff. Well done.

We have visited this beautiful village pub a few times now over the last few months,each time was a good experience.The roast was delicious,the tapas great value and tasty,casual omelette and chips recommended.Great decor,friendly staff,courteous and prompt service,all round a very lovely village pub.Thoroughly recommend 😊

Great village pub (600 years old!) with lovely food and staff - will visit again. Dog friendly and kids menu available.

We were made to feel very welcome. Food was delicious. Very homey feel!

Delicious meal, excellent service. Great atmosphere. Thank you

Beautiful pup great service and food use it as much as possible.

Beautiful pub, great staff and amazing food.

A lovely country pub so close to the not so delightful town of Paignton. An extensive choice of food for lunch, all very well cooked and presented.

Lovely place to have a meal out. The staff were excellent and the food was extremely enjoyable. I would recommend it to anyone.

Excellent steaks on offer, good beer and cider and red wine as part of steak deal.

Absolutely fabulous service and the atmosphere was warm abd inviting as for the food the Hake special was outstanding ..the steak cooked perfectly..we are definitely returning

Great atmosphere and lovely food. Always a warm welcome o

Another excellent evening at The Church House, super food and friendly attentative hosts. Blessed to have this as our local!

Beautiful pub in the village... the Sunday roast was banging, probably the most tender roast beef I've had. The large is big so be prepared! Really good range of veg and great staff and atmosphere to boot... Will be back

Dinner measly and was left feeling rather hungry. For the price (£17) I expected a bit more than a postage stamp sized meal (if you can call it that). It was tasty, but I won't be returning.

A country pub at its best. Historic building in the village of Marldon right by the old church. We stumbled on this place looking for Sunday dinner. The roast Lamb was delicious, drinks choices were great and service was really friendly and very efficient. So good, we went back on the Tuesday for a meal and joined in with the pub quiz. Couldn't stay away and went back for food and drinks on Friday too. The pub is only a few miles from the A380 and is absolutely worth a detour.

We recently stayed nearby and wandered into this lovely pub. First impressions were great, happy, smiling staff led us through to the bar area (as we had two small dogs with us). A really 'buzzy' atmosphere where friendly locals drank alongside a few tourists. Over a very nice Marlborough Sauvignon, we checked out the menu, which had much to offer. I chose the vegetarian option of stuffed pepper with a very tasty ratatouille and roast baby new potatoes. My friend opted for the salmon and prawn salad with warm crusty bread, which she said was lovely. The waiter who served us was warm and attentive but not overly so when she table checked. We enjoyed our evening so much we returned the following day where the general manager immediately remembered our drink order and had reserved the same table near the bar for us to enjoy another lovely meal. We have booked to stay in this beautiful village again in December and will certainly revisit this cosy pub for another memorable meal. Thank you.

A charming traditional styled inn with a good variety of excellent food.

On the plus side, the wine and the starter (scallops) were good. However we had the pork chop as a main. Both had to be sent back as it was undercooked and bordering on inedible. They kindly recooked the dishes, but my wife's mashed potato/champs was cold and my pork crackling was so thin that it couldn't be eaten, just a solid piece of uncuttable skin. We did have Sunday lunch booked for the next day, but cancelled immediately. The Church House Inn comes recommended, but I really couldn't, in all conscience, do the same.

Excellent Sunday roast. We were staying at Widdecombe Farm Tourist Park and on Sunday morning decided to go for a walk and accidentally stumbled across this gem. We were greeted by a young man (Oscar) behind the bar who was very friendly, helpful and cheerful. So often you are greeted by a person who are just doing their job but he was going beyond that and we were very impressed. We were going to just have a drink but decided to have the Sunday roast as well. There was a choice of beef, pork, lamb, nut roast or meatless. I normally like Turkey or chicken so I had the meatless roast and it was so tasty I didn’t even miss not having meat. The flavours were gorgeous and it came with a portion of cauliflower chicken which was probably the best tasting one we’ve ever had. Unfortunately we didn’t have room for a sweet but we will definitely go back next time we we are at the Park and hopefully leave room. Highly recommended.

Cold food and no apology....slow service...had to ask for dessert menu. Very disappointed

We popped in by chance for lunch and were very happy with our meals. We chose from the smaller lunchtime menu. Would happily return if in the area.

We visited for a light bite for lunch on a Friday and decided to take advantage of the weather and sat in the garden. We order 2 baguettes to have half each to share. We waited over 45 minutes still without our food order. When we asked we were told that it was just being done, one baguette was stale the other fresh. Very disappointing as being bread the chef would have known this and still served it anyway. Also overpriced. Perhaps the restaurant would have been better 🤷🏻‍♀️

Excellent place for a Sunday lunch. Fabulous service, wonderful staff

Beautiful pub with a lovely garden. Food was excellent. Good choice of beers. The staff made you feel welcome and were friendly.

Lovely village pub where they serve a very generous Sunday Lunch. Desserts are decadent and delicious and the whole pub atmosphere is inviting and cosy.

Had a super lunch in this great country pub set in a rural village. Staff were friendly and welcoming. Ample parking and a lovely garden. Lovely old building with several fireplaces. Children's menu available.

Very friendly staff, typical local pub environment, friendly feel. Food was okay, meat for the burger was good, tasted fresh. Definitely got my money worth with the fries, tasted nice and a generous portion size. However, for the price, I was expecting more of a wow factor from the burger, it was good, but unfortunately it did not wow me.

We visited this evening for the Monday steaks. It was amazing and the lady and gentleman behind the bar were so accommodating.

Lovley pub I have been using this for many weeks but the new manager seems to close the outside door if the pub is not busy this makes it look as though it is not open for trade and keeps the pub quiet ! maybe he don't want it busy .

Arrived at 2pm even though its open till 3pm only doing sandwiches, lazy bar staff

Was the pub of choice for our stay in Marldon. Didn't disappoint, staff were so friendly, great interactions. Food was spot on and ales were a great accompaniment

Best roasties ever. Pint of Salcombe to with them. Just yum.

Great country pub with an excellent menu.

Our last visit to the Church House Inn was very very disappointing Previous visits were very good, and was the go to pub when my family are down from London for a good quality meal. The starters were poor the crab cakes were small thin and quite tasteless in a small pot, the calamari was 7 small pieces in a small pot, both dishes served with a small pot of dip no garnish. The halloumi was again served in a dish with a small pot of dip my wife had to ask for a plate and again no garnish. It would appear the waitress serving us was more intent on finishing her shift than attention to detail. The service for the main course was slightly better although the food was below average the fish was tasteless the pastry for the pies was hard thankfully we had gravy to soften it. On our previous visits the food has been of a high standard and worthy of the prices charged. On our last visit the service and food served is not worth the money charged. I would question if there was a qualified chef in the kitchen as the presentation and quality of the starters would suggest not. We will not be returning. I did phone the Church House Inn expressed my views leaving my number for the owner/manager to call me which they have not done so hence my review.

Delightful setting. Beautiful stain glass windows and stone work inside. Very peaceful and good for contemplation and remembering passed loved ones.

We had another fantastic meal at the Church House. We dropped in at the last minute for Sunday lunch, the meal was just wonderful. We had brilliant service as always. We still think the Church House is best we have been going there for 25 years plus.

We had a wonderful evening, the staff are really helpful especially the chef who prepared my venison the way I asked him to. A great choice of 🍷 🍷

Not bad place for a drink , foods quite pricey. A lot quieter than it used to be.

What an amazing find if you want a wonderful meal and super service, this is the place to visit. We stumbled across this charming place and would definitely recommend to all.

Came here for Sunday lunch on recommendation. You have to drive through windy lanes to get there, but it is a really charming place and a beautiful old building and ‘traditional’ pub. There is a restaurant but we deliberately sat in the window of the bar with a lovely view. There is choice of other dishes but we deliberately went for Sunday roast - having a ‘small’ loin of pork dish. This comprised of 2 slices of meat with a wonderful array of vegetables, Yorkshire pudding,stuffing and gravy. The quality and quantity was excellent and the cost with a glass of wine was less than £20. The service was equally efficient and friendly. The only slight downside was the number of dirty dogs that were coming into the bar, before being asked to go to the area with no carpet. Full recommend

Came here for Sunday lunch on recommendation. You have to drive through windy lanes to get there, but it is a really charming place and a beautiful old building and ‘traditional’ pub. There is a restaurant but we deliberately sat in the window of the bar with a lovely view. There is choice of other dishes but we deliberately went for Sunday roast - having a ‘small’ loin of pork dish. This comprised of 2 slices of meat with a wonderful array of vegetables, Yorkshire pudding,stuffing and gravy. The quality and quantity was excellent and the cost with a glass of wine was less than £20. The service was equally efficient and friendly. The only slight downside was the number of dirty dogs that were coming into the bar, before being asked to go to the area with no carpet. Full recommend

We arrived on spec with our dog having been many times in the past. It was good to find a pub open for food on a Tuesday in March! We were made very welcome and although we were only looking for a snack lunch we ended up having £10 lunch. The food was good and very tasty and excellent value for money. Thank you, will will be returning on our next visit to the area.

Just come back from the Church House where 5 of us had a meal that can only be described as perfection! The food was not good..it was amazingly fabulous! Piping hot from start to finish. We all had different starters and all agreed it was extremely good. The staff, particularly the manager were brilliant All 5 of us have vowed to go back soon.

Lovely place , really nice vegetation sunday roast ,

Went Jan 2024 for birthday meal. My main course was cold. It was sent back. Trouble is they didn’t take my partners food back. So she had her meal on her own. Then my meal arrived again, it was still stone cold. First time I could make allowance for, to come back stone cold is beyond poor. We chose to pay up and leave. On settling the bill the person said ‘we won’t charge you for your meal’ ! I said what the meal I haven’t had? So, nothing at all was offered to make up for an awful experience. They simply didn’t charge for the meal I didn’t have. Everything else was paid for. The old owners were amazing the food more so. This was really really poor food and worse service and customer care. I will never go there again.

Very good" up market " rather than pub nosebag. Fair price,good service. Early in the meal some children were running about. I really detest other people not controlling their brats. They left,thankfully. A good night.

Went for new year's lunch as a special occasion as my friend was visiting from Singapore. 3 things on the menu sold out by the time we arrived. Why wasn't NYE Sunday lunch catered for? Service was really slow considering we were the only table left to serve. Staff seemed preoccupied with the evening's proceedings and no attention to lunchtime clientele. No atmosphere, not what the Church House once was sadly.

The Dinner service provided for a midweek, pre-booked, large party of diners was dreadful. Not sure whether it was a shortage of staff serving or just a total lack of interest and expediency from the kitchen, but one thing is for sure, we will not be returning. Attitude and response from management when we queried why there was such a delay to our food being served (over 70 minutes after ordering), was unrepeatable.

Lovely Sunday roast ! Not been here before would definitely be back. Sunday roast was delicious. Lovely atmosphere and great staff. Look forward to visiting again !

Had an amazing Sunday lunch with family. Great food,amazing service, such a beautiful country pub.

Luckily we live in the village because they do some of the best food you can get around here! Delicious quality food in a beautiful setting, we all love a meal out at the Church House.

Our first time at this lovely pub and it will not be the last. Sunday lunch was amazing, excellent portions. Staff were friendly as soon as we walked in and continued up to us leaving. We hadn’t booked, just thought we would have a drive from Churston Ferrers and we were lucky they had a table. Thank you and keep up the good work 👍

Probably the best meal out I have ever had. Big portions af fabulous good. Welcoming staff and good service.

Chips were rock hard half the menu wasn't available not impressed at all

Enjoyed a lovely meal with daughter and husband. Requested a table in the bar as we had our dog with us. Husband and daughter both had the burger which they said was excellent. I had the rump steak with peppercorn sauce... the steak was cooked to perfection, lovely and thick, possibly one of the tastiest I have had. Super meal.

Well worth a visit, a very typical english pub with excellent food and service. Very dog friendly and dogs are allowed in the bar area. Very good menus which should cater for all tastes and appetites

Fabulous food! Definitely going again, and again!

Didn't stay here but went in for drinks and meals, can recommend it the food was good and plenty of it .

Fabulous food served in a wonderful setting. Great ambiance. Great, unobtrusive service. We had the seafood sharing platter, pie of the day, sea bream and a chocolate delice all of which were delicious. Would definitely recommend for all round food and service.

Wot a beautiful little gem this is, amazing staff, amazing food, lovely locals all in a beautiful setting. 5⭐

Excellent pub, lots of room, brilliant HOMEMADE food, lovely people. Good prices. What more can I say,!

Great food and a lovely location 👌

Had two fantastic lunches there this week grate service from new and old staff very friendly clean good choice of food wine and beer lovley beer garden clean loos chatty dog friendly cheff thank you guys keep up your good work

We feel very lucky to call this our local. The food is fabulous. This is such a lovely pub to go for food or even just a drink. In such a lovely setting. We highly recommend you trying it here.

This used to be a great Inn. Called in over Apple Pie Fair and the welcome wasn't great. Poor is not very imaginative and quite pricey. There used to be an extensive specials board but sadly that's no more.

Thoroughly enjoyed the Apple Pie Fair on Saturday. Unfortunately it did not end that way. My partner was stung in the mouth by a wasp while eating an apple pie The st Johns ambulance were amazing and gave good advice We went over to the church house. Ordered drinks and ice to take the sting diwn His mouth and face stsrted to swell badly so I asked the bar manager, Emma, if the could move one of the staff cars blocking the entrance so I could get my car out and get him home ( 5 of us had dinner the night before and walked home) she said I am moving any cars until 5 30pm so you will have to wait ( this was 3 30pm) We decided to walk home but suddenly things got serious and he could no longer speak and the swelling increased . They took him in the bsck of St John's ambulance to assess Blood pressure and heart rate though the roof he needed immediate hospital treatment There was a wait for ambulances and paramedic wasn't close so I ran back into the church house to beg for car to he removed so I could take him to hospital. Again Emma said she was serving and I had to wait! Luckily a man in the bar said to her you either give me the keys to move the car or we will go out on mass and lift it! Shortly after a young member of staff dashed out to move her car and help.. Luckily I got him to hospital in time though allergic reaction so severe he will need to carry epi pen from now on My point is this was a life threatening emergency. Emma was callous and deliberately lied saying the cars were not the staff cars. I understand they were busy and under pressure. We are regulars of the church house . Have stayed loyal to it through all the staff changes but this was disgraceful and could have ended in tragedy. We are both still in shock.

Amazing food, served by very friendly staff. Great atmosphere. Dog 🐕 also welcome, which was a bonus. Best meal we have had in years.

Poor experience. Food not good and expensive for what it was. Service not like it used to be. Staff have changed. Indeed ownership has changed and won’t be going back.

I had the misfortune of visiting today with my children. The place was a morgue. Everything well overpriced. £10 for 2 kids apple juices & a coffee which was extra small & barely hot. Worst of all, the blonde lady behind the bar was rude & obnoxious to me & my children who were playing in the garden. I could tell straight away that she wasn’t a ‘people person’. They’ve got no chance with her involved with the business. No wonder it’s reputation has dive-bombed! We won’t be back & will be recommending to anyone local or visiting to stay away!

Great selection of drinks, and quality pub classics served by friendly staff in generous portions. A well kept pub with a nice atmosphere.

A lovely village pub - staff were very friendly and attentive. We were seated near the bar and the atmosphere was pleasant. There was a good range of food on the menu, including vegetarian options and we both really enjoyed all 3 courses.

Fantastic food, excellent friendly staff. Nice to gave indoors or garden to choose from. We'll be back!

Delightful 1360 built, atmospheric village pub serving lovely real ales, yet to try the food, but hope to very soon! Definitely recommend!!