The Masons Arms, Knowstone in North Devon

I came her on a visit to Knowstone for 3 days and although the place was empty, we were told all tables were fully booked and could not accommodate us for a small meal. I find the staff are slightly unwelcoming to those who are not from the area and will not be recommending this venue to anyone visiting area. Steer clear of Masons Arms.

I think this is a nice place for somewhere different but I probably wouldn't return for the same reasons as some of the other reviews have stated. Its quite a bit of dosh for a meal which is leaving you peckish. It was nice food, better than your average pub. Staff were friendly, Bread was very nice. I wasn't enamoured by the ambience but that could be a personal preference. Its got the potential to be very good but its not quite there.

Good food but hardly worth a Michelin star. Quite expensive, well done but overrated

This has become one of my favourite places to dine. You might need to book a couple of weeks in advance. The service is impeccable and so is the food. You can definitely taste the Michelin quality. Worth every penny and more. Absolutely brilliant, highly recommended.

This was a very special celebration for myself and hubby. We've wanted to dine here for a very long time. Service,excellent ,setting,excellent Food, not Michelin star standard but very 'nice', thought the menu was a bit uninspiring, limiting, was very surprised that the evening menu doesn't change from one week to the next! Doesn't push chef or staff to gain inspiration or gain goals.....

Nothing short of divine. The beef was probably the best I have had. The tuna a delight. The soufflé exquisite. We even had a little chat with Mark Dodson who came to say hi! Great wine, they also made our dog feel very welcome. Thank you!

Arrived to a warm welcome and was immediately asked if I wanted to eat, I said that I wasn't sure if they would be able to fit me in but luckily 1 table was left. I chose to eat from the set lunch menu. Everything was superb as you would expect. Service second to none. Would highly recommend and hope to return one day.

Quaint country pub but not the sort that serves the usual pub grub. Really good service and a nice menu of classy dishes that are really well cooked and presented, and taste nice too. Perhaps a little pricey, but it's well worth it. I was driving, so I can't comment on the beer.

We went out to eat here and had a dream dinner. I will definitely be coming again when I visit Devon. I ordered a vegetarian meal, and I must say it was perfect. Every veg on its own was cooked to perfection. The dining room was remarkably beautiful, and the people were very nice. Thank you for this experience!🍽️🌟

A big thanks for fitting us in at late notice for dinner as we walked in off the 2MW, food was above expectations and the staff very helpful. Do not miss a chance to eat here.

We booked this restaurant as we saw it in the Michelin guide. When we first arrived we got taken to a small strange room for a cocktail or drink, the sofas wear from ikea like my first student one very outdated. All the chairs where facing in and No music so we couldn’t really speak at all felt very odd and awkward, the canapés came which was cheese straws and chicken liver parfait very 2002 but tasted ok but nothing to write home about. We were given then menus in this lounge room before we were taken to the table.the food came extremely quick before we could finish the bread Before the meal my partner went to the loo which was pitch black with the lights not working and very old outdated feel to them, none of us wanted to visit them after that!! The bread was delicious I think the best part of the meal! I had the steak which again was just average steak something you could easily cook at home, but not medium rare more like medium well! I did tell the lady but felt bad for saying as thought I was going to be told off! She shouted to the chef about us and nothing more was said! The fish my partner had and his mum was also bland and a good pub main we said. We didn’t pick dessert as thought would be better at home! We did feel like we wear watched a little but I guess it was very quiet. We left as soon as we could, not sure how it’s got a Michelin star let alone in the guide book! A real shame as wanted it to be fantastic, we won’t be going back unfortunately.

I was disappointed. I’ve rated this as a 4* experience in comparison the the ‘average’ restaurant/pub, had I rated this against any other Michelin Starred restaurant it would have been lower. It was a lovely start, a cocktail and canapés in a lovely snug. The service was warm and friendly. We chose our meals - peppered seared tuna with oriental salad (checked the sear was light so it was basically raw/rare), followed by roast Guinea Fowl with potato gratin and veg; hubby had rabbit and ham terrine with pickles and the pork belly. We were taken to our table, the warm unopened sparking water was on there along with butter/oil/balsamic. The water was never poured. We had bread - all very nice, shortly after while we were tucking into the bread the starters arrived, my tuna was three small cylinders, not peppered and because of the small shape not seared lightly but I’d describe as nearer medium. The salad was lovely, but the flavour was overwhelmed with seasame oil. The terrine was okay, but I’m told ‘nothing special’. Mains, the guinea fowl was a little dry, the potato was a wedge of buttery boulangere, a couple of steamed brocollini, half a roasted carrot, morels and a tasty gravy. I felt like I could have made everything to the same standard at home in less than an hour, except for the delicious gravy. The pork was okay (apparently mine in the airfryer is far superior), the potatoes very overworked so the starch made them sticky and gluey rather than light and fluffy - unpleasant to eat. There was a decent black pudding bonbon, and nice apple sauce. In under half an hour after sitting we were 2 courses in, it had felt rushed. We then waited around 40/45 mins for desert (we shared the platter). This was really average - trifle which was compote with cream floating on it, the tiniest cube of sticky toffee (if that was 1/4 of a full desert I’d have been very unhappy), a lovely crème brûlée type desert and a rhubarb crumble tart which had far too much thick pastry and very little crumble which lacked any crunch. We weren’t asked if we wanted any coffee at any point. We had to go hunting for the bill because 25 mins after the desert was cleared there was no sign of anyone. After the initial rush we now felt forgotten about. It was very off putting through the evening that the table next to us was used for trays to and from the kitchen; i get bringing trays of food out to serve tables at the same time but I’ll never understand picking dirty plates up, from a whole table to a table in the middle of the restaurant to stack them noisily before being taken to the kitchen, not dissimilar from a canteen. It was out of keeping with the situation. I was so excited to eat here, influenced by the chefs outstanding CV and reputation, and the Michelin Star - that’s why we travelled for this. When we ‘fine dine’ we expect to be excited, try interesting and inventive flavours, have outstanding service and eat food with the technique and skill a home cook couldn’t replicate. This felt more like a Sunday lunch in a pub up the road, not anything special and in many cases food I would cook to the same standard myself . Maybe we missed its heyday 🤷‍♀️. It’s not a patch on the Elephant which to me is what outstanding food and service is all about.

Delicious food and lovely complimentary mini deserts because it was our anniversary. We had a table by the window with a view of the beautiful gardens and contryside with deer in the distance. The whole experience was very pleasant and relaxing with exempliary service.

Stunning as always, the food was impeccable. I highly recommend their anise flavoured dessert, it's a fantastic twist of flavours!

Food was delicious, service impeccable and the setting beautiful. Will return.

We went for a 70th birthday meal. The setting is really great. It's been there for centuries. Originally, it was the accommodation for the masons building the church across the road. The food was prepared and presented beautifully. Cooked to perfection. We found it slightly expensive. We had hoped for traditional pub food as it used to be 30 yrs ago.

Just wow ! If you want fine dining then this is the place to go . From walking through the door ,such a warm welcome awaits. Fabulous menu executed to perfection . Lovely atmosphere, tentative waiting staff and knowledge of food being served . 18 years they have been awarded Michelin star and can see why . Family run business with a passion for food and the fine dining experience. Maximum of 26 covers but that is how they give the service they do ! Look forward to another visit in a different season to see what local sourced food is in offer . Thank you also for the birthday sweet platter you made for my husband ,the little things that make it extra special!

A warm welcome when we arrived after a mile walk in the rain from our B&B. We sat by the fire and the landlady said we wouldn't be walking back - she'd drive us! Amuse-bouches by the fire; arancini starters good, butternut squash ok. Good value wines. Petits-fours excellent. And in the end the chef himself drove us back after finishing his main course duties! A lovely evening.

Wonderful. Didn’t stay so cant comment on rooms. We had an amazing dinner for my husbands 70th. Food was lovely. Highly recommend

Travelled out to Knowstone during a break nearby for a special lunch for our wedding anniversary. We had the set lunch menu which I felt was great value. The star of the show for me was the lamb with Arancini main, the waitress told us it was the first time it’s been on the menu and I feel incredibly lucky that we opted for this day so we got to have it! Perfectly balanced, beautifully tender lamb with a nutty wild rice arancini and the jus tied it all together perfectly. The wine suggestions were excellent also, perfectly paired. I would come back in an instant if it wasn’t so remote, but will definitely recommend to everyone!

Great service, great food, lovely wine in a rural location in deepest Devon near Exmoor.

We had a lovely meal with great service, thanks!

Great evening here food was delicious service excellent

Fabulous food great service-never disappoints

Amazing food, great service and a lovely setting. I will definitely be visiting again

Lovely little pub and restaurant; amazing food, good atmosphere and great service. Would highly recommend a visit, it may a little bit out of the way, it’s definitely well worth making the effort for. Hope to visit again soon!

Fabulous lunch, highly recommend and great value too

Lovely lunch and staff, really enjoyed it. Liked the little touches like the bred oil whiles waiting for the starter and vinegar and petit fours after

Spectacularly brilliant! Thanks to Mark, Sarah and the team.

A special place for a special occasion. A wonderful lunch and great service.

Very lucky to visit this gorgeous pub today. We booked for lunch and they had a menu for a la carte and a separate set menu at a really reasonable price. The set menu had 2 options for each course with some good vegetarian options. Myself and my partner got a different item each and shared, such a good way of sampling a lot of the menu. A highlight for me was the cheesecake, I don't normally have a sweet tooth but it was delightful and so many different components. It was ideal that we were able to take our dog with us, we booked a few weeks in advance. Staff were super friendly and service was good. Definitely would revisit if we were in the area again. Outstanding food quality and you could tell it was very fresh.

A fantastic meal with friends - the food was delicious: I went with the scallops starter, monkfish in parma ham main and the British dessert selection for pud. We all had a taste of each other's choices as well, with the lamb and beef fillet also standing out! The views from the dining room are lovely and the staff brilliant - relaxed, efficient and clearly enjoying their work. We will definitely visit again!

The food and the service is always flawless. Highly recommend The Masons Arms.

Wonderful service and little touches. Delightful food. Thank you for making a Birthday celebration so special and your kindness

Fab place , travelled from Kingsteignton, to celebrate wife's birthday , Customer Service was friendly, attentive, starter , main and desert was a 10/10 , from me , if you want a treat , take yourself to The Mason s Arms, great food and great people, thank you

Exceptional dining experience! Affordable lunch menu with outstanding food & service. A must visit if you're in the area!

Excellent on all departments, staff, service , atmosphere and if ourselves the food. Simply sublime and not that expensive.

Just came up from Cornwall for a birthday dinner at the at the Masons Arms at Knowstone. It was recommended to us by some local friends, and was well worth the journey.Superb meal started smoked salmon with Devon crab and pink grapefruit. Followed by exmoor venison fillet cooked to perfection melt in your mouth with a deep,rich unctuous sauce. For dessert pistachio soufflé with ameretto and salted caramel sauce.With Hennessy XO and espresso to finish. There is an excellent wine list and all served by pleasant knowledgeable staff with maximum efficiency. All in all a very successful night would recommend it to all.

Beautiful! Chose from the set menu and each course was gorgeous. Generous portions, well presented. Each table is called through to restaurant individually so chef is never overwhelmed so service great. Drinks prices reasonable. At the end of meal opted for a cafetiere of coffee which came with petit fours. A steal at £4 pp! Definitely visiting again.

Very relaxed venue, absolutely brilliant staff and, off course, wonderful food! This is a MUST DO foodie experience, so if you are going to be near the Masons Arms, get it booked and savour the gastronomy!!

We had a really special dinner at The Masons Arms, definitely worth a visit!

An absolute Gem, we bring our old dogs, sit by the fire and enjoy the best food and sevice in the southwest! Perfect!

First visit while on holiday, fantastic, snowy Saturday in December a few locals and a very enjoyable time laughing and having fun 😄 😀

Amazing dining experience! The setting is relaxed and not stuffy. We called ahead to inform them of my dietary restrictions and they were so accommodating and really went out of their way to make me feel comfortable. The menu looked amazing and the food was spectacular (reasonably priced too!) Looking forward to going back!

Just returned home from our 4th visit toThe Masons Arms. We had the usual warm welcome from Sarah and her team on arrival. The meal was absolutely fantastic as always, cooked and served to perfection. 5* all round. Most definitely our favourite restaurant and well worth our 360 mile trip to visit!

Magic. Beautiful surroundings exceptional staff and exquisite food. Amazing from start to finish..highly recommended..thank you to you all.

Lovely place, very friendly staff and excellent food

Lovely traditional pub in a quintessential English village with absolutely super food great wine list and very good service:⁠-⁠)

Had a very pleasant meal with my son in a relaxed atmosphere , would highly recommend. Food and staff first class.

A great gastro pub with great food from a known chef.

Always great service, fantastic food, amazing scenery and all in all a must visit. We have been several times and every time we gave been so pleased with everything.

Delightful first visit here, despite living here for more than 20 years! Booked as a lunchtime treat for our wedding anniversary, it was everything we hoped for and more. Delightful setting and views, wonderful food and attentive staff. We will be back soon thank you!

Great dinner here last night. Really enjoyed the food. The beetroot arancini was really tasty, and it’s always nice to find grouse on the menu at this time of year. We met Olivier and Mark after as well, which added to the experience. Cheers.

Absolutely amazing food, amazing service and great setting! We'll definitely be visiting again. Pleasantly surprised by the prices considering it's a Michelin star they could definitely charge more.

The food is delicious, the restaurant itself is beautiful (we sat outside in the garden area which was lovely) and the staff are the friendliest I've experienced in any restaurant in the UK. Definitely worth a visit!

Really lovely place. Right from the start, the staff were very accommodating and friendly. They sat our table down in the little lounge area first where we could enjoy our drinks and nibbles, which was a lovely change from sitting at a table for ages. They also saw we had a toddler and went out of their way to make sure she got a specially made meal that she thoroughly enjoyed! Once we were moved to our table, all of the adult courses were perfect - cooked beautifully with immaculate balance in flavours, along with decent portion sizes that weren't too overbearing. Very impressed

Amazing, we booked dinner for seven people (4adults 3kids). The whole evening was fantastic, great family run restaurant, friendly staff and exceptional food with a vast wine menu. The beef accompanied with the smoked mash left a memorable taste. Would definitely recommend.

A beautiful lunch. Excellent service and well presented, delicious food

An amazing family ran restaurant, in a beautiful old country Inn on the edge of Exmoor. The food was absolutely sublime, the staff were friendly, helpful and around when needed, without hovering around you. Booking ahead is needed but definitely worth it. Probably the best meal I have ever eaten.

Very surprised to learn after I ate there that they have a Michelin star… food was just okay and service was good. The menu wasn’t very exciting, I read it online and planned to order the turbot, but found that it was replaced by Monkfish upon arrival. Good thing news, I love monkfish, unfortunately the monkfish was over cooked and rubbery. There was a hair in my husbands food and the crackers with the cheese were just a selection of HOVIS crackers, one of which even said the word HOVIS across it. They also served an old fashioned cocktail with crushed ice, I’ll give them a break though because it wasn’t on their menu and they agreed to try their best. Good prices, kind staff, but no rushing back, there are better gastro pubs in Devon you can go to— try the Farmers Arms instead!

Gnocchi-d my socks off. Came for a lunch after a good walk from the National Trust place in Tiverton. Dining on my own and was made welcome from start to finish by all the staff. Each course was well prepared and thoroughly enjoyed all 3 of them...the Gnocchi was a personal highlight as it was filling but not too heavy and packed with flavour the dessert was also a treat being both equal parts sweet and sour.

A bit special! The food, service and views! Faultless! Wow. Not the first time and it won't be the last. Book in advance!

Great restaurant for special occasion. Set price lunch menu is good value.

Fabulous first visit today. We both had the set lunch menu. Every course was excellent, including breads at the beginning and coffee with petit fours at the end. Quiet and calm, but with a little unobtrusive background music. Nicely spaced tables and beautiful views over countryside. Staff all friendly and professional. We never felt rushed. Plus we enjoyed meeting other guests in the lounge before the meal. A friendly place. Thank you!

Exceptional. Delicious food in a beautifully set pub. Incredibly attentive staff who know exactly who had ordered what and cared for every need. Wide wine list selection and all competitively priced, the lunch menu's value is unbeatable. On top of that it's a family business. Will be returning very soon.

We had a lovely time at the Masons Arms. Very welcoming and in a beautiful setting. It's the first time we went with our kids (almost 12 and our little one turning 9 tomorrow!). They both loved the food. Our oldest had the three course menu which he said it was awesome and the youngest had the smoky chicken salad as starter, which he loved!, and pasta for main. Both also tried the carrot and ginger soup that my husband had and liked it. Amazing food, good wines (we went for the wines with meals) and we also asked for a cake and they brought a delicious cake with candles to make my youngest day extra special. We had an interesting chat with the chef Mark after, who is very nice. The staff and service are amazing from the bar to the table. Excellent indeed.

Great little pub in the middle of nowhere. Staff were friendly and helpful. Spent a pleasant half hour in their sunny garden while enjoying a pint of Exmoor Ale. Not open every day so check before travelling

Delicious lunch here with friends. From the convivial welcome to the fantastic dessert🍨, what's not yo like. The venue had been on our list for a while. Its not 'near' anywhere, but perhaps thats one of the things that make it special. A 90 minute drive for us, but worth it. Tasty mackerel starter, tempura cauliflower main with delicately spiced Chinese veg, to a fab trio of rhubarb desserts ( crumble, souffle and trifle). All very reasonably priced, with a great varied wine list and interesting soft drinks. 😋 lovely.

A warm welcome and some wonderful appetisers whilst we waited for our table, sat comfortably with a drink in hand. Staff were delightful. We sat at our table in the small dining room but with plenty of space so conversation was easy. We had let them know in advance that we were all vegetarian and the staff were aware and guided us through the menu with alterations in hand to accommodate us where necessary. I had the arancini to start. These were delightful. Perhaps not the best I had ever had a I found the rice balls themselves and the pesto lacked a little punch for me. This was followed by a cauliflower dish (vegetarian not on the usual menu) which was almost perfect, but again just lacked a little something. The dessert though, wow! I had the trio of rhubarb delights, but not all were vegetarian so I opted to replace the non-vege with ginger ice cream. This with a little rhubarb crumble and the lightest rhubarb soufflé was just awesome and worth the trip in itself. We had pre meal drinks, three course dinner and coffees for three with tip at £180 all in. Excellent value, would highly recommend. Chef popped out at the end to check in with us and we were the last to leave with no suggestion of the staff trying to hurry us along. Go and enjoy!

Nice place and staff very attentive and polite. Not many options but high percentage is fish based. Food nicely presented, not great quantities but main thing is it's not cheap. Party of 4 had 3 courses and handful of drinks £250 plus. Ouch

Warm welcome from friendly staff and excellent service and, of course, wonderful food.

A truly delicious experience in a pub/restaurant that is so full of character. The staff were smiley and attentive, I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates delicious and considered food.

Has the outer appearance of a lovely little cosy village Pub where you can go after a walk for a nice pint. Unfortunately inside it has had the friendly atmosphere surgically removed and replaced with a frosty one. It is not a Pub but a stiff and out of place "posh" Restaurant serving pretentious and over priced food and no decent Ale. My overall impression was of a poor confused little historic building that now does not really know what it is.

Fantastic great food. Full of flavour, fresh and perfectly presented. Staff are friendly and attentive. Premises is a lovely old property, perfect setting for great food.

Very nice lunch. Food and service was excellent first time we've been. Wont be our last!

The pub was beautiful, the food was fantastic, the service was excellent, the atmosphere was cozy and welcoming. What a great experience all round.

Poor food, rude owner. Avoid like the plague, you’ll pay too much for food that’s bland, for service that’s terrible and an owner that’s just downright rude. Save your money!

Amazing food, fantastic service and impeccable wines!

I wish this delightful restaurant was closer, but we still make the 1 hour journey to visit as often as we can. The service is impeccable, and the food, simply stunning. Definitely recommend!!

Amazing lunch meal....friendly team. Definitely go again....

Delicious food, excellent service and great ambience. What's not to love!

excellent michelin starred pub.

Lovely food and a great atmosphere.

I can’t recommend The Masons Arms highly enough, we simply had a perfect night. The staff are nice, friendly, welcoming and really go the extra mile to make you really feel welcome and at home. The quality of the food and of the menu is excellent, you can really tell that the ingredients are high quality and every dish is carefully studied and prepared. I’ll definitely go back, thank you for having us!

We stayed at the Masons Arms for two nights and had a hugely positive experience in every category possible. The room was cosy but well looked after - it was clean, had good heating, good shower, comfortable bed, small wardrobe for our things, TeaPigs coffees and teas, etc. The location and building itself is charming - a gorgeous old fireplace, original stone walls, cosy seating areas, good facilities, plenty of parking, charming thatched roof, etc etc. The food served was absolutely delicious. The chefs provided a diverse menu with lots of options and we didn't have one bad dish. The moules were local and some of the best we've had, and the sticky toffee pudding is a MUST (which the servers will tell you too!). Complimentary breakfasts have fresh baked breads and danishes, and the team are sparky and happy even early in the morning after working evening shifts the night before. Speaking of the staff, what an incredible team they have found. Everyone was genuinely happy working there and really took the time to look after all the patrons (and their dogs). It was a true friendly family vibe. The pub owner has curated a dream team from the chefs to servers to groundskeepers (thank you especially to Paul, Patsy, and Gina for making us feel so welcome!). My only recommendation for others staying there would be to bring board games (if thats your thing) for playing by the fire and sipping an Irish coffee. There weren't any available, but they did have playing cards! We can't wait to come back for another long weekend to dust off the stresses of London. 5 stars from us! - Lydia & Arnon

Great food and service. Go and enjoy!

Excellent beer, good food and friendly service.

We had a meal at the Masons Arms yesterday, from the minute we entered the cosy cottage country pub there was a warm welcome, the service was impeccable and the food was absolutely fabulous. Thank you all for making our afternoon so thoroughly enjoyable and memorable, we will definitely be back!

The food at the Masons Arms is absolutely fantastic, our only regret was booking in just once during our visit to north Devon. The staff are warm and welcoming, we can’t wait to return again. Booking in advance is essential given the popularity.

Absolutely superb. Will definitely be back

Very homely pub with good food. It's not trying to be a fancy London Michelin star restaurant, but it is fine dining in a pub. Friendly staff and a relaxed meal. You won't be rushed.

Great food and hospitality. A rare thing. Would stay in the area again just to experience this amazing place.

Sub meal & excellent service - thankyou

Family-run fine dining experience in the heart of Devon. Highly recommended, especially if you cannot see the same pub menu again and again. Nice 13th century building.

Lovely staff with exceptional food, quality all round, not one single fault at all Would recommend and definitely be going again

Great 13th century pub with a Michelin starred restaurant. Make sure you book a table well ahead, currently booked for the next 5 to 6 weeks!

Out walking our dog today 20/07/21stopped for a drink and a spot of lunch the food and the service was absolutely top quality and would like to say a BIG thank you to mark,sarah and staff for the warm welcome as we mistakenly forgot to book a table but both my wife and I will definitely be coming back for lunch again. From kendra,graham and our chocolate Labrador 👍

5 stars I expect!!! ... but still not open yet!

We happened upon this wonderful little pub after we had broken down! We were hoping for at least some chips but stumbled into a bit of a fine dining experience, in the middle of nowhere. The staff were accommodating to us and our dog we all felt very welcome, especially our dog whom was given biscuits and fussed suitably. The food was brilliant, we both had the Sea Bass which was well cooked and delicately seasoned, all elements of the dish spot on! Bread & olives to start were a great touch. Thanks!

Food and service exceptional. Booked in last minute with a cancellation. The staff went above and beyond to accommodate my partner with a dairy intolerance. They made her feel so comfortable. Can't wait to revisit next time we are in the area. A fantastic place and for a michelin star great value.