The Grill Room at the Royal Castle Hotel in South Hams

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Staff were amazing and couldn't do enough for you. Food was excellent. Great room. Lovely and quiet and very comfortable. Wishing the staff good luck on their upcoming refurbishment. See you again soon x

We had a fabulous meal here last night (Saturday). Staff were very welcoming and friendly, the food was excellent as was he service by our waitress, Rebecca. Dog friendly restaurant too so an all round great place.

I can't thank you enough everyone at the hotel. From reception to all the other staff. Our stay was absolutely fantastic. Lovely rooms great food and drinks and beautiful atmosphere. And a big thank you to Harry that made our stay perfect.

The Royal Castle serves excellent food and drink at reasonable prices. Once the food was ordered it arrived quickly and was hot. Staff were friendly and efficient. Could not ask for better.

Absolutely fantastic dedicated staff, who are friendly and attentive.

Outstanding location, with great staff who are fantastically attentive and kind. Food is good and beer is great (would welcome a Devon guest beer!). Definitely back again regularly.

Excellent experience made better, if possible by the service provided by Joy who served our breakfast and then in the bar in the evening. She deserves a pay rise.

Great location. We went for lunch with family and a trip down memory lane. Aberdeen Angus burger was excellent and well up on my favourite burger list😊.

We had a good evening at The Royal Castle on Xmas Eve, with lovely views and friendly service. It was very festive, a nice atmosphere and a good meal.

We enjoyed a lovely New Year’s Eve at the castle hotel. The restaurant, food and the amazing view of the harbour was just perfect. A very special shout out to Itor, who always makes us feel extremely welcome and definitely went above and beyond to make sure we had a wonderful evening.

Joy is the greatest of all time

My partner and I went for breakfast at the Royal castle hotel.. seated at the window views are amazing ,, to look out over the river dart. So beautiful especially at christmas with all the lights. Food was excellent freshly cooked, JODY was our server ,she provided excellent service, very friendly and happy. A welcoming smile upon entry with a friendly greeting informing us to help ourselves to the continental buffet and juices. Would definitely recommend the full English breakfast eggs were cooked to perfection ( poached ) Thank you.. We will definitely be back , great atmosphere friendly and welcoming

Joy was the pinnacle of the evening, unrivalled service and made us feel so at home. Cannot wait to return, this is a no brainer if you’re in Dartmouth!

Joy Beauchamp was a delight from start to finish, Joy was fun, fast, fancy, and five stars. I’ll be recommending to all friends.

Joy Beauchamp was an absolute LEGEND. Best service and smile I’ve ever had in the mouth of Dart.

Joy Beecham. Enough said. We were a loud and rowdy family dinner party and she was kind, efficient, funny, and a great added energy to the evening. Will come again, but only if Joy is our server.

Joy was phenomenal and made the experience incredible for our group!

Lovely atmosphere , we ate supper in the bar , good food , good wine and beer with excellent service . We will go back very soon .

Delicious food and great service. Great value and warm welcome. Warm friendly atmosphere just perfect for a cold December day.

Had a Christmas party, perfect service and food. Excellent live music to dance the night away.

Wonderful hotel. Amazing staff - lead so well by Harry and his lovely wife. Great location. Excellent food. Can’t fault it. Thanks so much for a delightful stay.

Atmospheric hostelry dressed beautifully for the festive season🎄🤗

Had a meeting here, reception team was very helpful and the service throughout was top notch 👌 Another fabulous visit 😊

What a lovely experience. We didn’t book and arrived to a very warm welcome from the Manager and staff. We chose our table and ordered. A wonderful atmosphere all around. Our food arrived in perfect time with staff ensuring we had everything we needed. Absolutely delicious crab sandwich and fries and my husband had his favourite padron peppers and chorizo bites. The wine was gorgeous too. The dog was equally welcomed and enjoyed her watering hole with treats and doggy beer. A really lovely experience thank you.

Great hotel in a great location

Really good food. Venison maggot to start and seabass for main . Both were delicious and served with a smile. I must congratulate all the staff for their friendliness and professionalism. We will certainly return

Multiple visit here to the royal castle and can’t fault Matthew(macca) and his teams work, please keep up all the hard work

One of the best if not the best place for Sunday Roast!

Excellent atmosphere and service staff were extremely helpful

Always a great service and ambience

Great service, great food. Leanne is fantastic, I have been coming for a while and her service is always on point.

The service in this hotel is absolutely first class especially Leanne. The food is delicious… freshly cooked breakfasts and lovely heartwarming evening meals. The hotel is also in a prime location with views across the river. The rooms are big, well lit, lots of power points and a nice shower. The hotel needs some work and has an impending refurb but it maintains all of its character. We love it and will be back.

Had a great stay at the Royal Castle Hotel. Room was lovely and the food was delicious, would like to especially thank Leanne for her great sense of humour behind the bar and recommendations of local things to do in the area. We will be back!

Had a lovely breakfast in the castle with my son. Jody served us and she was exceptional! She was extra patient with my young son and went the extra mile to make him smile! The food was delicious and the castle had a cosy atmosphere. All in all can't wait to return! Jody also really reminded me of Monica from friends which made me laugh 😃

Lucky enough to stay here for work over the last couple of years. Hospitality is always great. Thankyou Leanne and the bar team.

Enjoyed another great evening at the Royal Castle Hotel, Leanne really looked after us and was such a laugh. Always recommend to people! Will definitely be back again soon!

The restaurant was exceptional; the food was outstanding, and the customer service was excellent. We would especially like to thank Harry for enhancing our experience.

Had a fantastic lunch, today, with our large walking group. Wonderful service from all the staff , especially our cheery waitress. We received excellent care and attention. Nothing was too much. We can be a fussy crowd, but no one had any complaints. The food was top class. Thank you. Looking forward to another visit.

Visited while staying in Dartmouth great service sunday roast was excellent, pleasant outlook of river Thanks

Very welcoming with a wide selection of delicious non alcoholic drinks, family friendly, perfect for groups with a quality menu and excellent presentation. Definitely recommend.

I did not have a room at the Royal Castle but called in for a drink in the ground floor restaurant. The manner of the male waiter was unfriendly, unprofessional and rude. The coffee and drinking chocolate were good but the experience spoiled by the employee. I live in Preston, Paignton and will not give them my business in the future. Owner please take note and make changes.

Room is disgusting. We stayed in the top floor and it’s clearly forgotten about. Ceiling wallpaper is peeling. Mould on shower, complementary shower gel, shampoo and conditioner are clearly not authentic. Fire alarm went off and when staff were asked why their reason was ‘it’s an old building’. Would not recommend staying here AT ALL

Very friendly and welcoming establishment with excellent food and service. Only stayed for lunch.

We ate here on Sunday and had a lovely Sunday roast. With this in mind, we decided to book to return the following day. When we arrived, we were told the chefs had gone home as it was quiet! Our booking was at 8:45pm-as this was the only time showing as available when booking online. We did receive confirmation of booking and when we arrived at the restaurant for our allocated time, staff acknowledged they could see our booking. If it was quiet and the chefs wanted to go home early then should contact the customer on the contact number (that must be provided at the time of booking) and ask if it is possible to come in earlier. It is poor customer service not to check you have any more bookings before going home for the night. We were not offered to come back another day nor offered perhaps a complimentary drink for the inconvenience-this would have been a kind gesture and much appreciated.

Lovely restaurant, ate here 3 times on our holiday, excellent meal each time, staff are great and friendly as are the local clientele. We will certainly be dining here again when next in Dartmouth.

Been for food only, lovely food, reasonable prices and lovely staff very cosy atmosphere and not too loud.

I absolutely love this cute and cosy placex the food os delicious and very tasty . Thank youx

Great service from all staff, especially Leanne. Food is good and reasonably priced. Not stayed here but have heard great things about the rooms also.

Really lovely bar, nice food, great & friendly service, very good pint Tribute too. Used this hotel bar all week during our stay in Dartmouth & would highly recommend for just a drink or a meal also

Awesome Grade 1 listed hotel in the heart of Dartmouth overlooking the harbour. Fantastic staff and super dog friendly too.

We had dinner here last night and it was awful. We had the soup to start and when the waitress bought it to the table she spilt my partner’s as she put it down on the table and gave him a serviette to clean up the spill. We then had the steak and ale pie with mash and carrots, the pie pastry was rock hard, the mash was hard and the carrots were over roasted. Avoid there are so many more nicer places to eat and drink in Dartmouth.

We all had the roast beef Sunday Lunch. It was gorgeous and really enjoyed the vegetables. They catered amazingly for a Coeliac too, all separate dishes etc. Great quick service also!

Popped in for a late afternoon meal. Good choice of drinks. Great range of food options from pie (lovely) to wraps and sandwiches; crab and southern fried chicken highly recommend. Few non standard pub dishes and specials so worth a look. Great dining area. Speedy service in fact lots of staff on duty, all friendly. Very dog friendly including dog treats and a dog menu.

Delicious local foods in a cozy atmosphere. Starters are single portions, very satisfying. Looking forward to coming back for dinner.

The menu was good and the food was excellent. Would recommend.

My friend and I arrived very late for our stay hoping for a friendly welcome and a drink at the bar. We weren’t disappointed. This might be the friendliest hotel in the south west. Lovely olde worlde Devon atmosphere. Nothing was too much trouble.

Ate here tonight and although the food was lovely we had a really horrible experience and had to leave without eating our pudding or drinking the wine my husband had just paid for. I get that most pubs are now dog friendly but I think it would be helpful to everyone, dog owners and non dog owners if pubs spell out what the ground rules are on this so people can make informed choices. We ate in the bar as that's the only place they had tables. As we were eating our meal a young couple came in with a dog and sat at the next table to us. The tables were very close and the dog kept begging at our table, which we ignored. My husband went to the bar and the woman patted the seat to get the dog to sit on the bench seat next to me. I said to her that i didn't want the dog on the seat next to me and she said. ' This is a dog hotel'. I said it was also a people hotel and I didn't want to share the seat with a dog. The man with her became angry and abusive and kept making comments. Something about it not being 1932 which I wasn't sure whether he was inferring I was a nazi or being rude about my age. He kept making rude comments saying he needed to go somewhere to calm down but not moving, and swearing. He made it do uncomfortable that I went to find my husband and we left despite him just paying for desert and wine. I think the hotel needs to make it clear that being dog friendly doesn't mean that dogs have the complete run of the place at the expense of other guests, or if they do, then make that clear too so we know to avoid it. Just adding the response I received from the company - quite different tone from the one posted by manager. Which they are really committed to I'm not sure. Good afternoon, Thank you for contacting us following your experience at the Royal Castle. I’m Emily, and I’m the Customer Experience Executive, part of the Customer Experience team for St Austell Brewery including our pubs, inns and hotels. Customer experience is our number one priority and we always strive to deliver excellent standards, so we are sorry to hear that some aspects of your experience fell short of expectations on this visit. On receiving your feedback, I have shared this with the management team for the Royal Castle and we would like to apologise that your experience wasn’t a reflection of the standards that the team pride themselves on. After communicating with the general manager, Matthew, I understand that there will be a change to policy when the pub re-opens its doors after the renovation planned at the end of this year. Matthew has explained that although we are dog friendly, there will be a paws to the floor policy in place and all team members will be trained in how to manage this appropriately. I am sorry for any disappointment on your recent visit however, would like to reassure you that your comments have been listened too. Whilst we generally find our guest experience to be outstanding, occasionally feedback such as yours remind us there is room for improvement. I’m sorry for any disappointment your recent visit may have caused. Creating a great customer experience is one of our biggest priorities within our guest journey and ensuring that our guests are welcomed into our venues and leave happy is vital within our training standards. Matthew has asked me to thank you for your feedback as comments such as yours help us ensure we are striving for the best standards for all of our guests. One of the best ways for us to improve is through feedback from our guests which is why your comments have been invaluable. I would like to offer you a £20 gift card for some drinks on us to use once e have re-opened our doors to the Royal Castle next year. To help re-build your faith in us and so we can show you that our teams learn from feedback such as yours. If you would like to receive this, please do reply to this email and I can have this sent over via email for you. We do hope that we will have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future for a more improved experience. Best wishes, Emil

Called in for a drink with friends and ended up staying all evening. Good beer and lovely atmosphere.

We wanted to do something special for our 20th wedding anniversary. We caught the steam train from Paignton to Kingswear then ferry to Dartmouth. Had lunch at The Royal Castle. The service was fab from start to finish. The food was really tasty. The owner, we believe, gave us a complimentary drink each. Thank you for making our day a bit more special.

Very disappointing food. Like 90s pub grub at 2024 hotel prices. Not good, sadly.

Excellent, imaginative seafood dishes. Great ambience, cheerful, friendly service in lovely Dartmouth.

I recently stayed here on my way to Salcombe. I managed to find some free parking less then 3 minutes walk from the hotel on Victoria Road. I arrived early at the hotel and was greeted by the lovely Jodie who managed to get me into my room slightly early. I enjoyed having a pint in the bar whilst I was waiting. The hotel has some really unusual features and is in a great central location. My room had air con and a jacuzzi bath with I made full use of. The bed was really comfy and the room was quiet which made for a great sleep. Breakfast was excellent with a nice choice of cooked options and a good continental selection. All in all a lovely stay!

Enjoyed a lovely Sunday roast at the Royal Castle. Quaint ol building. Good service and value for money. Would recommend 👌

I enjoyed a nice meal with my friend today. Rebecca was extremely helpful professional and nothing was too much trouble. She was extremely kind and worked above and beyond with such a lovely ,kind and friendly face. So nice to meet you Rebecca and the team.

Friendly staff and good service. Very busy as the regatta week begins.

Only called in for a drink whilst on a day trip. This was a very old pub, very comfortable, historic. Friendly staff, good choice of drinks.

What lovely staff, welcoming and efficient A great Menu to suit all tastes, flavour full Crab dishes Good location with good atmosphere. Jo & James looked after us very well. Thank you

We stayed at the hotel for 3 nights. It is in a great location and is an old and characterful building. However we were initially given a room with only an interior facing window which opened on to the main staircase of the hotel. This was not mentioned in the listing or advertising of the hotel. The room was noisy and stifling. Curtains would need to be permanently drawn to give any privacy, and obviously no fresh air or peace. When we arrived this was not mentioned but we were told we had a room ‘with the biggest bed in the hotel’ and ‘a bath’. This suggested there is a known problem with these interior facing rooms and this was preparatory patter, which felt deceitful. We had no other option but to upgrade to a room with a window ( which was lovely but expensive) or to leave. Overall we had a pleasant stay, but the hotel should be clearer in their advertising - to say rooms differ is not sufficient.

We dashed into The Royal Castle from a boat on the River at 8.30 hoping to be able to order dinner. No problem! Friendly, helpful staff. Beautiful dinner of Crab salad and fries. Lovely bottle of New Zealand white and we were very happy. Many thanks

Great location, amazing staff, worth staying at.

Really quirky hotel Very welcoming and cosy when you first walk into restaurant/ bar area Really nice greeting and shown to a table quickly Orders taken for food and drinks arrived Food was well presented and everything tasted good Husband had the squid and seafood linguine to follow I had bruschetta and a steak to follow Drinks were well priced Friendly service Dog friendly ( we had 2 small dogs ) Really nice evening to be honest Would recommend

Went there for breakfast the other morning and it was spectacular Food cooked to perfection, toast and preserves on hand, croissants to start What more do you need ? How about a view across the Dart. Perfect!! Will go again as we live in Paignton. Oh forgot to mention the lady serving, she was very charming and helpful.

Didn't stay in the hotel but dropped in for food. Lovely hake and chips and superb sea bass with orzo. Spot on.

Came here for a few drinks and a lovely meal! We were not disappointed.. Food is top notch, and the beer isn't too bad, neither 😋

Great pub-like atmosphere, good wine and a lovely roast. Beer is good too.

We dined here on our last night of visiting Dartmouth and was served by Joy. We had a wonderful, flavoursome dinner which was elevated by the attention that Joy showed to our table specifically our children. Dining out with under 5s is not always easy however Joy made us feel at ease and we were able to enjoy an extra glass of wine or two at the end of our meal. Thank you so much to Joy & your team for a wonderful last night. We will be back, thank you so much!

Stayed here a few times and thought it had lost its way on our last visit,but very pleasantly surprised this time.. Lovely old hotel, excellent breakfast,and very good staff..Hope to visit again before the refurbishment in Nov. Nothing too drastic I hope.

Lovely location, staff are helpful , and the hotel is clean with good food. Just parking is an issue, you can have a free place in the park and ride if you're staying for more than two nights. 😉

Absolutely loved this hotel in Dartmouth. Prime location. Fascinating building. Perhaps not the best if you have mobility issues but the staff are so lovely that they do everything they can to assist which I appreciated very much. Just the one night stay for my sister and I but we enjoyed our visit very much. Our room was spotlessly clean. Fabulous bathroom. Lovely house keeping ladies. Both bar areas were friendly and really friendly. The bar/restaurant was full of character and we had the most delicious meal and we were looked after by a very efficient young lady, I think her name was Sarah, she new her restaurant well and was very efficient and polite to all of the guests. I loved it there and wouldn't want to go anywhere else when visiting Dartmouth.

We booked a table for a family lunch, when we arrived the staff were incredibly helpful in helping us move to a different table. We found the menu excellent as our party included a wide range of food preferences. The banana blossom fish and chips were outstanding! Thank you The Castle staff for a very enjoyable lunch and the location is perfect if arriving from the jetty (we came over on the passenger ferry from Kingswear). (our rooms rating is not for the hotel rooms as we did not stay overnight)

Second time staying here. The hotel has real character. Great food. Excellent drink selection. Helpful staff. Will be back.

We only had a pint each and the fat chips. Excellent 👌

It's great, but during the summer the prices increase by around 150% because of the holidaymakers, lovely and historical place but that level of greed isn't nice to see as a local.

First class service in lovely surroundings, would definitely recommend.

Only used the pub/restaurant for lunch. Pub was packed with few empty seats. Reasonable menu with varied choices. Good service, great food. The pasty ploughman's was excellent.

Our second time visiting here for dining and both times the food and service have been amazing . Thankyou and we will be back .

Mac the Fish was brilliant!! Bob and Cosmo from the Cherub suggested we give it a go. So glad we listened......

Scrumptious fish and chips, great service, friendly staff, so good we went back the next day

Very poor food. Soggy lumps of breadcrumbs described as scampi! Bullet hard peas and vaguely warm chips The worst scampi and chips I can ever recall having. Hardly a special birthday treat for my friend

Came here for the music and have had the pleasure of the lovely josie serving me in the harbour bar, lovely music on and great service thank you josie!!

What a beautiful building. Customer service was great, food was tasty and loads of different options, breakfast was a great start to the day with the view. Amazing part of the country. I was only down for 1 night on business but I have found the place I want to retire to.Thank you.

Loved the ambience on Sunday evening, just having a drink. Called back Monday to try breakfast prior to booking an overnight stay. What a shame that half an hour after ordering breakfast it still hadn't arrived...a few minutes later it did 😞 mine was cold and my husband's was overcooked and at best warm. Clearly left forgotten on the side. Nobody asked us how our meal was. Tourist season hasn't started yet, I dread to think how it will be when it does. Needless to say we left without booking to stay, which is regrettable as I always loved this hotel in the past.

Very friendly service, nothing was too much trouble.

I recently had the pleasure of having breakfast at a delightful restaurant, and it was an experience worth sharing. From the moment I walked in, I was greeted with warm smiles and a genuinely welcoming atmosphere. The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive, making sure I felt comfortable and well taken care of throughout my visit. The restaurant itself was impeccably maintained, with a clean and inviting ambiance. The decor was tasteful, creating a cozy environment perfect for starting the day on a positive note. It was evident that great care is taken to ensure the cleanliness and overall upkeep of the place, which I truly appreciated. As for the breakfast, I opted for a traditional English breakfast, and it was absolutely delicious. The platter included perfectly cooked eggs, crispy bacon, juicy sausages, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, and golden toast. Every bite was flavorful and satisfying, setting a high standard for breakfast dining. Additionally, there was a buffet that looked incredible, offering a wide variety of options to suit all tastes. The spread included fresh fruits, pastries, cereals, and a selection of beverages, all beautifully presented and tempting. What really stood out was the efficiency and organization of the staff. Despite the morning rush, they managed to provide prompt service without compromising on quality. Their professionalism and genuine kindness made the experience even more enjoyable. In summary, my breakfast at this restaurant was outstanding. The combination of a delicious traditional English breakfast, an amazing buffet, friendly service, and a well-maintained environment made for a perfect start to the day. I highly recommend this place for anyone looking to enjoy a great breakfast in a welcoming setting.

Great food good beer and very nice staff. Thanks the guises from Somerset

We had a crew meal here after a fantastic sail with Academy Sailing. We were treated to a pleasant and buzzing atmosphere; fine fayre and great service by Joy and the team. Highly recommended for all of the above. (Personal note - Joy, you were a Joy).

Joy She is her name personified. Calm efficient and attentive.

Front of house & particularly Joy, brought Joy to our evening dinner get-together. Attentive service with a twist.

Review changed since last visit .

Really enjoyed it here, came here for Sunday lunch and had the lamb, really nice, the service was really good as well, we got there and was greeted by the woman on reception who gave our dog a freindly greeting and showed us to our table. We didn't have to wait long for our food at all. So I would definitely recommend this place to have your Sunday lunch.