The Cott Inn Restaurant in South Hams

We went to the Cott Inn for a family Sunday roast lunch. It was a disappointing experience. Overworked young waiters did their best, however, none of it felt very relaxing, especially as we were in the marquee. The food was served lukewarm; both the lamb and beef were tough, the cauliflower cheese was mushy (something I would give to a toddler) and the vegetables were generally over cooked. We did give our feedback at the time and were told that it would be passed on to a manager. No manager came to the table, however, we were then offered 'fresh meat' which was all a little too late. It genuinely felt like we were in a fast-food restaurant. There are definitely better places for Sunday lunch in the area.

Spent 3 nights at the Cott Inn and had a great time. The rooms were great but the food and service were amazing. The staff couldn’t do enough for you and made you feel very welcome. We will definitely be back!

Great food and service- very friendly. Best sticky toffee pudding I’ve ever tasted! Meals were wonderful too. Will definitely return. A great place for lunch

We enjoyed our delicious food tremendously. The staff were pleasant and professional. The atmosphere was relaxing a cheery. We would happily visit again.

Visiting my friend so had no idea about Dartington or The Cott Inn but was incredibly happy with everything. The staff were exceptional; friendly, attentive but to the right degree and the food was spot on. Atmosphere and ambience to match. Absolutely loved it. Huge thanks for running such a beautiful establishment of which you should be proud.

It is a while since we were at this beautiful place. We approached from the Exeter direction and nearly drove past - the sign is more visible going the other way. But thank goodness we did not drive on. This is a delightful place which we would have hated to miss. The food is absolutely superb and the service is first class. Five of us each had something different to eat and no one was disappointed with a thing. And when they hadn't the ingredients for my cocktail they gave me TWO of the next nearest thing for me to try (and both were great). I feel guilty that it has taken me this long to write a review but unfortunately life got in the way. We intend to go back to the Cott Inn very soon and are certainly looking forward to it.

Came for the Sunday roast, recommended by our daughter and wasn't disappointed. Fabulous food and drink, attentive staff and beautiful setting. Would definitely recommend

Greeted by a lovely lady at the door & shown to our table. She made us feel very welcome. The staff were all very friendly. Lovely meal and great evening spent at the Cott. Seen off by the lovely lady who took our photographs before we left. Thank you to all. Sue

Found this place whilst searching out somewhere for the last night of holiday meal. What a find! Friendly warm and genuine welcome. This continued through the meal. Lovely relaxed atmosphere and the food... Two of us are vegetarian and although not much choice for us the food we had was superb. The salad and pasta were beautifully presented and imaginative. My 85 mum was equally impressed with her pie and mash. The puddings were delicious too. A great find and we would highly recommend. Many thanks.

On the advice of some friends we thought we'd give the Cott Inn a try for Sunday lunch. We had a table in the covered area of the garden terrace. The roast lamb was lovely, with nice crispy roast potatoes and delicious cauliflower cheese. We shared a STP which was a delightful way to finish a very enjoyable meal.

Came for dinner with family this Friday- had a wonderful experience, highly recommend! Good food and a brilliant server, very attentive girl with red braids who looked after us for the evening. Really personalised the experience for us, will definitely be coming back!

Lovely thatched country pub with a garden, ideal for summer lunches and dinners. We ate inside this 700 year old atmospheric longhouse. The service was friendly, attentive and efficient. The food was delicious, We both chose a fish dish from the specials board and the quality was excellent. This is far more restaurant-standard fare than pub grub, by a long way! We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will be back to this countryside idyll on our next trip down south..

I got to know the chef at Cott Inn, viewed the web site was impressed so booked. Visited with my wife and daughter. Nice location, and with a great atmosphere on arrival and a pleasant greeting from staff we sat at our table. Attended to perfectly by staff even though very busy we placed our orders. Excellent prawn cocktail. Fillet steak was fantastic, almond and blue frangipane was equally fantastic. Pricing was spot on too. We were so impressed with the whole experience it really was a great evening. We moved to Devon three years ago and this is definitely the best dinning experience we’ve had. Well done everyone at Cott Inn. Hope to see you soon.

The Cott at dartington is probably considered to be the most consistent pub with excellent food in this area of south Devon.........naturally over the past few years , prices have risen in step with rising costs, and maybe wages....... The place is nearly always full and all the " both young and not so young are helpful......dogs and children and zimmer frames are all mixed together which seems to work well.....

Fantastic meal, such attention to detail. I’m so pleased I chose this pub, I will definitely be back again in the near future.

Another perfect dinner at the Cott. The food was spot on. It's like fine dinning on steroids! They are so well organised and it's incredible how they turn out such high quality food and service on this scale. The Cott has a wonderful old pub feel and character, can't wait for next time.

Sunday roast disappointing to be honest. We went for mixed meats at £24 and its not good value. The meat must be cut on a slicer as its so thin you can hardly taste it there roast potatoes that were not good not crispy but had a leather skin. The Red cabbage just taste of spices, Cauliflowe /Calabrese cheese not good. The chestnut stuffing how every was excellent so was the small amount of cream mint sauce. Service was very good little slow with the drinks. The cool plates are large and go cold very quickly. So will I go back for Sunday roast again ? Sorry No there are other Pub doing better Roasts at a lower price,

Eaten here twice now (and my partner 4 times). Once In Jan where we had an amazing roast and the other night where I had the burger which was amazing. My girlfriend had the fish which was equally good. It's such a lovely place too. Definitely the number one spot for food in Totnes

I took my mum for Saturday lunch and we could not have been more impressed. The service was impeccable, the waiters were so kind and well presented. The décor/atmosphere was impeccable. But the food was out of this world. The portions were very generous and the flavours were outstanding. I can see why you were so busy, an easy 10/10, will be regular customers!!!

This place is a rare gem. After years of searching for the ideal place to stay for my annual cookery course at the Ashbuton, I found it three years ago. Fabulous food. Nice, unpretentious accommodation, and a fabulous team of happy staff.

Wow what a beautiful unspoilt pub! It was our first visit last night, after hearing so many good reviews we were not disappointed. So welcoming, excellent service. The gentleman that served us was especially funny. Food was beautifully presented and well portioned! Such a treat! Definitely coming again!

Food was 'ok' but not special. The worst bit was, with the temperature outside firmly in single figures, the main door was kept open all the time. The result was a constant cold draught past one's legs and by the end of our meal, our feet were frozen. The radiator next to our table was not on so we had to keep our coats on to stay warm (a relative term as we were cold). We did not have a starter, just a main, which took some time to come, people who came in after us getting their food before we did. Unfortunately, because of the open door and cold air, the food went cold very quickly. Regarding quality, it was ok but the chicken & ham 'pie' was a bit short on content and was the cop out of a stew in a dish with a pastry (not flaky, thank goodness). I have had better and for a more reasonable price. For what we got, it was pushing the price so not great value. We did not stay for a dessert or coffee. We went somewhere else where we could get warm. Overall, a disappointing experience.

Beyond excellent! You can certainly see why this place is heaving all the time! Perfect food, perfect service.....this is one of the best restaurants I've ever visited!

This was a birthday celebration. Managed to book on the famous 'fish and chips' night. Crowded bar and restaurant as expected if we'd thought about it. All handled efficiently and calmly by Mark and his crew. Unbelievably, our dinner, including starters, arrived quickly. We were all delighted with our choices, all cooked to perfection. My main was pork Wellington and was, quite simply, the best dish I have ever tasted. Mind blowing.

I gave this pub a little space after my last visit. (See review) I guess coming down from West Berkshire I needed to change my views. Spoilt for choice up there! Alas, here in the South Hams great eateries are few and far between. I’m glad to say this pub sticks out from most. Why I hear you ask! Well, it’s a cosy pub, that serves fabulous food and drink. Some great wines on their list. Just 3 of us, all meals really good. My hake was cooked well and lovely additions to the dish.I ordered a Panna cotta for pudding, oh my gosh! Best I’ve ever had! And the macaron along side, truly a lemony scrumptious delight! The South Hams is a very affluent area, yet there are many places that lack good quality food, drink and service. I’m pleased to say The Cott Inn is now in a league where I am confident to frequent. Thank you to the team at The Cott Inn, your work is noticed and I truly appreciate the work that is involved. See you soon.

Excellent one of the best places I have dined and stayed at in a very long time. The hospitality and friendly atmosphere was second to none, the food was piping hot and first class. I will certainly recommend this establishment.

It really is a special pub and I couldn’t fault it at all. We came, a large group of noisy grownups and kids, all at different times, all ordering different things and then paying separately but the staff were impeccable, polite and treated us like the most special table. The food is simply delicious. Rarely do you pay a high price and feel you are receiving a quality that matches, but in this case it really does. Delicious, hearty, fancy but not too fancy and beautifully presented. An absolute treat. We will return every year, to mark a birthday, because we couldn’t go anywhere else now!

What a place. Cosy with a great ambience and superb staff. Had my 2 kids with us and they couldn’t do enough to make them feel welcome. To top it off the food was exceptional. Chicken and chorizo pie. Yum! Thank you all. Can’t wait to come back again.

Met with old school friends for a fabulous lunch. Service was perfect, food very good and plentiful. The staff went beyond the call of duty as i left my gloves behind and was passing early the next morning to return to France and they put them in a bag attached to the door. Thank you x

We had a great experience when we had lunch at The Cott yesterday, there were four of us, two of which are vegans but we all ate the vegan options as they were so good, it was all delicious and the chocolate ganache was heavenly. It’s so nice to be able to have something fresh and different from the usual vegan burger or pizza here in Devon so thank you to the chef. The service was friendly and attentive, can’t wait to go back.

Last minute decision to grab lunch and booked table. Not disappointed. Food, venue and service all outstanding. We shared a starter and chose from Specials Board. Menu and options would meet most needs. The lamb was outstanding as was the rump steak. Superbly cooked meat with amazing accompaniments. Great sized portions. Will definitely be back and would recommend all our friends to try here.

This pub is a little out of the way for us so I've never been here before but we popped in last weekend and were both really impressed. Usually when I walk into a busy pub or restaurant and ask for a table when I haven't booked I get looked at by surely staff like I've been placed on the world just to make their job difficult. Not so here. The staff were mature, friendly, helpful, clearly experienced and professional. The food was excellent. Not cheap but we felt given the quality the price was fair. A good choice too. The pub itself is stunning, and unlike some older places that have had the heart ripped out of them to fit a couple more tables in, the owners have retained it's character and charm.

A really beautiful setting I have been several times before and was very impressed with the food and service. On this occasion, however, the food and the service were mediocre. Not the experience I had had previously, The server was rather cold and off-hand and she made me feel unwelcome. The food was served in a good time frame but lacked flavour in my opinion. Still a pleasant evening and I would return, but on this occasion, I felt a little disappointed.

New Year’s day and we hadn’t booked! Fantastic staff . so friendly . Found us a table and we ate some delicious exceptionally good value food Fabulous place and such warm welcoming staff

We have just got home from the Cott Inn after a fabulous meal my husband & I both had roast it was beautiful !! The service was excellent will definitely go back

The food, atmosphere and service in this establishment is second to none. I had the burger which was cooked to perfection and my wife had the fish. Both dishes were 10/10. There was live music on which was a bonus.

Flagged average not because of the food but due to the fact that we ended up stuck on a 2 seater table tight to the entrance door at the busy bar end. Appreciate it was Christmas but the space became very cramped as people queued for the bar. Not the best experience having peoples backsides and coats thrust in your face as you try to eat. Would definitely suggest anyone decline that table if allocated.

Exceptional good Exceptional service Well done to Finn, excellent service Today was incredible, the roast was delicious. Well done team. Finn your communication skills are excellent !

Best meal I’ve had in ages, couldn’t be better. I had the “Mushroom, brie & cranberry Wellington, fondant potato, smoked almonds, greens (shredded cabbage and samphire), madeira cream sauce” - every element was an essential part of the whole, the wellington was really meaty, and...

Such a quaint and wonderful little Devonshire pub. The food was beyond delicious and the service was personable, warm and friendly. If I could give this 6 stars I would! Jack was very accommodating! Thank you 😊

First time myself and friend (who lives nearby) had been there,lovely looking pub,friends staff and great food,I had a burger and it was delicious,my friend had a vegetarian option that he liked,would go again if I was in the area

Very busy for a November evening which is great to see. We had to park offsite in a nearby residential area. So good to choose from a menu that includes ethically sourced meats. I chose from the specials board, excited by the offer of venison....

This had been recommended to us, so we went with rather high expectations. There were some interesting items on the menu, sadly some unavailable. I ordered chicken, and had eaten about 80% of it when I came across a chunk that looked suspiciously raw. It...

Lovely to see a gorgeous pub busy. Comms were satisfactory, truth be said could be better. I loved standing at the bar as it’s a great atmosphere, but we did have to ask about the table. Food was amazing! Prawn Cocktail was a reboot from...

I paid £20 for basically some spuds and flour (gnocchi), a sauce which may have had a crab walk past it once and a sprig of salad. Like a lot of places these days its all hype with nothing of substance. I remember now I...

Really excellent experience with the Cott Inn. 13 people for Sunday lunch and they could not have been mroe accomodating and helpful. The service overall was amazing, very high quality with evertying done with a smile. We had a celiac as part of our group...

Never fails to meet the 5 star rating ! Impressed as ever by the swift and efficient and friendly service, great menu choices, delicious food, good portions, and lovely ambience. I feel so lucky to live nearby ! The Sunday roasts are also fabulous.

On arriving we were shown to a table in the marquee .. it was nicely decorated but was so dark we had to use torches on our phones to see the menus .. the main courses arrived but were totally different to what we ordered...

Absolutely amazing! Can't praise it enough, the food was sensational and perfect quantities. The waiters amd waitresses were lovely and super attentive, a big thank you to Josie who was really kind and understanding! Thank you, it wasn't our first and won't be out last...

Just back from another brilliant meal at The Cott we both had the roast beef/chicken so delicious so tasty lots of everything brilliant

Had an excellent dinner at The Cott Inn - so good we came back a couple of nights later! Great service, absolutely delicious food, and very dog friendly too.

Had a graduation celebration meal here last week. Food was good but a little pricey, my question is when does a pub charge restaurant prices instead of pub prices. I know everyone has to make a living but honestly I ordered 3 pints of Lime...

What a great evening, lovely welcome by a lovely lady he made sure our table was ready with very little delay. Great ambience, great friendly knowledgeable staff and superb food what’s not to like!!! It was this wonderful ladies last shift before leaving for Spain,...

We had a really fabulous meal last night , a happy family Birthday Celebration, The Hake dish was 10/10, thank you .

Fantastic evening at the cott inn with family. The food and the atmosphere in the restaurant was amazing, relaxed but also buzzing. 7 of us all had mains and desserts, seafood chowder, steak and ale pie (wow!!) Burger and baked camerbert salad. Filling portion sizes,...

Took two Australian friends- faultless English Pub dining Lovely historic unspoilt pub great service and really very good food Friends had fish and I had a fantastic pork and leek pie And the best bit yes we got vegetables without asking!!! So nice to get...

We visited for lunch after a trip to Dartington Hall. The ambience is great and they have a varied menu with something for everyone. The service was great - really friendly and efficient.

We waited 1.5 hours to get our meal! The staff gave an excuse that because they had not sent back the starter plate to the kitchen they didn’t start our main course!!! It seems we were to blame in some way!

We had booked for our 47th Wedding Anniversary Meal and we were not disappointed. The welcome was very good and we had a table just inside the restaurant.The service was impeccable and the food was superb .Great night was had and would recommend it highly...

We visited the Cott for dinner on Saturday night and could not recommend it more. All of the staff we incredibly friendly and attentive and we waited no more than 10 minutes between each course. The beetroot and ricotta tortellini was the best pasta dish...

Last minute booking, for bank holiday Monday evening meal. Sat outside, but with enough heat from a stand alone heater. Loads of gluten free options, with plenty more that could be made GF. Had the ‘Ultimate Prawn Cocktail’ that they kindly served with gluten free...

I ate here five years ago when they just had covers in the pub and it was fantastic but what has happened since is the cott is clearly being greedy for money. They have achieved this by placing a large temporary marquee in the beer...

Despite hosting a wedding they still did us proud for lunch. I asked whether to have the burger or the seafood salad or seafood chowder. I was asked "How hungry are you?", I answered "Famished ", the advice was "Have the burger". Great advice Glendale...

Wonderful lunch ,perfection on a plate , could not fault anything .Beautiful local roast beef, roast pork so tender melted in your mouth . A burger like no other , juicy and full of flavour . A seafood chowder, flavour outstanding . Sweets well what...

Having booked on-line we requested an indoor table in a dog-friendly part of the restaurant. We were disappointed to find we had been seated outdoors in the covered area (like a tent) and because the weather wasn’t exactly summer-like it was very draughty. The food...

Started off great seated straight away drink brought to the table shortly after the waitress took a table opposite ours order then a couple of minutes later came and took our order. We ordered 2 starters and 2 mains after about 20 minutes the table...

We hadn’t been to the Cott inn for over a year, and they very kindly squeezed us in, at late notice, for Sunday lunch when we had family visiting. We had the most delicious lunch and the service was really prompt and friendly. Grandparents and...

Hub and I have stayed at the pub three times over the last seven years and twice before the food was to die for and our stays have always been very pleasant. The menu doesn't seem to change much. I discovered that I had the...

An excellent lamb and red wine pie. Large pieces of tender lamb with a delicious gravy to go with the runner beans, peas, and cabbage side. Excellent, crispy, chips. But anywhere can do that. The Cott Inn staff provide welcoming, but unobtrusive, service and that...

I could not have chosen a better experience for my farewell to friends. Warm atmosphere, ancient building and friendly attentive staff matched by exceptional food.

The Cott in was such a fabulous experience that we booked our second table of the week whilst still enjoying the first! Our first visit was for dinner midweek whilst on holiday in the area. We instantly loved the Inn and all it has to...

We always look forward to coming to the Cott because of the attention to detail, quality ingredients and great service. Both the Chowder and the roast pork were great examples of this. Will keep coming back and working through the menu.

Delicious food and beautifully presented, with wonderful staff and prompt service. It’s definitely one of the most expensive pubs in the local area with a 3 course dinner setting you back around £40 - £50 per person but it is reflected in the quality of...

After long weeks work we were looking forward to our Friday meal out with your son. We went for steak for a treat but regretted this when we ended up with what can only be described as meat chewing gum for 30 quid. I ended...

Lovely pub. We aren’t local so found it on here. So glad we did! The outside is just beautiful! Inside also lovely and great buzz. Service was excellent we were well looked after. Food was delicious!

The food was great, but we had a succession of errors. We had one vegetarian burger, 3 meat burgers - one with a gluten free bun. The vegetarian and gluten free burgers were muddled up so had to go back. As the waiter picked the...

Relaxed atmosphere.. burger was delicious drinks good . Lovely service... If you want a treat this is a great place to start

We love coming here and the service was as good as always, the only negative this time was the food, the Pie Special was a hot pot with a pastry topping, not really a pie. It was also lacking Chicken but loaded with Ham. We...

What a place! We had an amazing dinner and spent the night in one of the incredibly comfortable rooms. I’m tricky to feed with extensive dietary requirements, which were very happily met with one of the most delicious meals I’ve ever had. The staff were...

We do not live far away but our stay felt like we had been on a perfect holiday even though it was only overnight. The spotless rooms were full of cottage charm and were surprisingly light for a thatched property with small windows. The beds...

We visited here after reading reviews and we were not disappointed. We had chicken supreme and sea bream (from the specials board) then finished with frangipane sponge. All cooked to perfection. Service was warm and welcoming and dog friendly! We enjoyed it so much we...

Probably the best pub food I’ve ever had… and I’ve been to a few! Every plate looked spectacular, I had a seafood chowder which was superb. Asking as I always do for recommendations for deserts I was steered towards the sticky toffee pudding which really...

Flawless from start to finish. All staff were warm and welcoming. The service was amazing, and everyone was very attentive without being disruptive to the meal. The food was delightful and full of flavour and all cooked to perfection. Have already recommended to family &...

Evening with family at the beautiful cott inn.... never disappoints!! The food and atmosphere was perfect. I had the pie of the day, chicken and ham, and partner and mother in law had baked camerbert salad..... desserts all sounded amazing and spoilt for choice! Between...

My husbands birthday treat - fabulous food, kind and fun service, quick bringing food out, very organised, great ambience in the garden. A really great experience and thoroughly recommended.

Absolutely gorgeous spot, we had dinner on the terrace. Staff were attentive and polite, nothing was to much trouble. The food was lovely too. Can’t recommend this enough. We will defiantly be going back.

Having previously visited twice before and had excellent food and service, we thought it'd be a good idea to go back - sadly, we should have gone elsewhere. We (3 adults and 2 children under 3) arrived just before our reservation and was promptly seated...

Fantastic little gem of a place in Dartington near Totnes South Hams Devon Fabulous food and really nice staff Would recommend highly

Absolutely beautiful food and wonderful service too. The menu caters for all, which is always good to see - I can highly recommend the gluten free fish and chips. The inn itself is stunning too. A must visit!

This is a very cosy pub with very friendly staff and the food is absolutely fantastic. It was that good We have booked again for Sunday Lunch.

The food was excellent, I'm glutten free and they had a good choice for me, overall a lovely eating out experience,

Delightful, atmospheric, dogfriendly pub with rooms. Thank you to Mark, as well as ALL the staff who served us at dinner and breakfast (Anita) and Jack in the bar, not forgetting the brilliant musician Richard.

On a recent visit to family in Somerset from Norfolk, we wanted to visit our father's grave in the churchyard at Staverton. We thought it would be good to book somewhere nearby for a good pub lunch and up popped the Cott Inn at Dartington,...

We visited the Cott Inn for a Date night and the place was buzzing! Really friendly welcome and quickly shown to a table. Great service from a member of staff (Louise I think). Friendly efficient and unobtrusive which made our evening especially my wife’s as...

Family of 11 had lunch at the Cott Inn to celebrate a birthday and all of us were blown away by the quality of service, amazing food and impressive portion sizes! Most had three courses despite being full as the food is that fantastic. Highly...

Fabulous lunch visit as a treat for my mum’s 88th birthday. Staff were all attentive and kind. Sea Bream for all three of us was absolutely wonderful. Glad we had room for desserts which were beautifully presented and very tasty. The place was buzzing on...

After getting several recommendations for this place we decided to try it out & were overall disappointed! Initially when we arrived we waited outside at the ‘please wait to be seated sign’ & no one came to us for a good while so I decided...

Beautiful place that we used to love to visit all day around. The live music is fantastic and we had brilliant food however is always a male member of the staff ( probably is the manager we really don't know but is the bold "gentleman")...

Lovely old pub/restaurant, giving a great atmosphere. However, food is overpriced e.g. £28+ for a rump steak, although it was very tasty. Service wasn’t brilliant, we did need to prompt them for a couple of things such as steak knives and condiments. The prawn cocktail...

Amazing Service Outstanding food Easter week and they very kindly at short notice fitted in a table of 19 for our parents joint 80th Birthday meal, from the moment we walked in they could not do enough for us. Highly recommend will definitely visit again...