The Merry Monk in Taunton Deane

Amazing service, food gorgeous, staff couldn’t do enough especially for the grandkids! We are local and for sure will be back! Thank you staff and chef!

Been here a few times now, over a few years. I appreciate it is not a gastro pub, but the food this time was distinctly below average, we ate off the standard menu, burgers and chips. My pint of San Miguel Zero was undrinkable, it smelt and tasted of apples. I took it back to the bar and the bar person agreed but said that they didn't drink beer or lager and that this was normal. Little attempt at customer service or communication and the full amount charged. We will not be revisiting, which is a shame as till now it has been a pub that you could rely on for a pint and food. This evening was poor, not awful just poor on a few basic levels, food staff and beer.

Came here with some friends visiting from the north. First time eating out since being fitted with a gastric balloon, absolutely shocked that they refused to accommodate a smaller plate, despite even being prepared to show proof. Really disappointing and embarrassing.

Went with a friend for midweek (Friday lunchtime) carvery. They had offer on if you had 2x carvery. Decent enough grub - good value for plateful of assorted roasts. Lacked a bit of coziness and seemed to have a bit of a conveyor belt feel but I guess that’s what you need if you are going to get a lot of covers served in a single sitting.

What an awful experience at the Merry Monk tonight 12/10/24. Such a shame some of the staff are clearly not cut out for the hospitality industry. We were made to feel uncomfortable and an inconvenience. Met by rolling eyes and looks of disdain. Disappointed with the service we have received, which unfortunately was not our first complaint raised to the manager regarding the same waitress that we found extremely unwelcoming and rude. Manager was more interested in making excuses for a very poor service than addressing the issue. Which is unfortunate as this is our local and we will be avoiding in the future.

Good pub internally with bar and restaurant. I've given it 4 stars because we were put in the bar and it it was a bit noisy with children. But what it does have is an absolutely top class carvery. Everything superbly cooked and very tasty, probably because it's very popular and has a quick turnover of fresh food - even on a Monday which is when we went. I saw that in the restaurant all tables were reserved so booking is essential.

Sunday Roast was just amazing yesterday,we all said it was the best ever and we visit for Sunday roast about every 5 weeks,just wish I lived nearer as it's a long way from Westbay!!!.we are so happy to have discovered the merry monk about 2 years ago,keep doing what you do amazing,kind,friendly well done and thankyou..xx

We both had the Sirloin Steak this evening, came with mushroom, home made onion rings, peas, proper chunky chips. Im usually a fillet man but I have honestly never had sirloin as soft as that before, cooked amazing and definitely quality. No messing here, presented perfectly.

Best carvery I’ve had. You can tell it’s not just your run of the mill meat and veg. Everything is seasoned beautifully. The cauliflower cheese was SO good. Absolute recommend.

We booked a table for 11 for a birthday meal. The car park was full and had to park on the street when we was seated and a drinks order was taken it was 25/30 mins before the drinks arrived. One of our guests decided to order something else and not the carvery and we had to wait another 20 mins before that was brought out. We were then called up for the carvery. The food was ok nothing special in my opinion. Some of the staff seemed clueless as to what was going on. Apart from the long wait it was ok. Wouldn’t go back there in the evening

Fabulous carvery, great selection of well cooked meats and veg. But, you know what? The great staff are what makes it a brilliant place to visit.

No parsnips yet again ! Limited veg Service not very attentive and slow Gin and tonic no ice no fruit at all Again a little disappointed so will avoid next time

I saw this online when I booked the Premier Inn nearby and thought the carvery sounded great, we were not disappointed, the food was delicious and the staff friendly, the only think that let it down was once we had ordered we were given no instructions as to what to do, in our local one you get a ticket and hand it to the carver but we just sat there, after 5 minutes we just decided to go up and at that point the carver said he was just coming to get us with our plates, he was very friendly and apologized, it would have just been nice to be told by the waiting staff what would happen but I would definitely go again as very nice food

After travelling for 6 hours due to traffic from West Yorkshire to Taunton, 4 adults and 2 children were very hungry and desperately trying to find somewhere for us all to eat at 7pm at night. We tried the pub next to premier in, full. Harvester, full. We were very close to ending up with KFC until my sister stumbled upon the merry monk. An amazing find!!! Service staff were lovely and couldn’t do enough for our little ones (2 and 9 months) and even brought over a Yorkshire pudding each for them to snack on before their meal arrived. Food was absolutely gorgeous! We were so glad we found this place and should we find ourselves in Taunton again we will certainly want to come visit here again. Thank you!

First time visiting The Merry Monk today, but it won't be our last. We both had the carvery and everything was perfect. Highly recommended. Staff were polite and friendly .

Can't fault the staff, service or choice of menu! Second to none for it's carvery but easily caters for those wanting to choose from the menu too and great for children!

The best carvery I have ever eaten. The vegetables all perfectly cooked, tasty and varied. The staff were very efficient and friendly. I recommend this establishment for your Sunday roast every time.

Just have to say one of the nicest places I've eaten in. Friendly, welcoming staff, clean and tidy and an amazing carvery. And the desserts are very tempting! Too marks all round.

Visited on a Friday evening, we had booked and a real live person answered the phone (not a drab boring "book on line system") we were seated promptly and the food was absolutely delicious, well presented and excellent value, they would put some of our local hostelries in the Purbecks to shame.We sincerely hope to pass this way again.

A lovely carvery but we particularly went on a Sunday because 2 out of 4 of us desperately wanted lamb! We don’t cook lamb at home because it is only a 50/50 So I won’t lie we were sad - especially as it was one of the lamb lovers 76th birthday!!!! If we’d have known lamb wasn’t on the carvery we’d have cooked it for him at homeThe beef was beautiful and moist, the Turkey the same.

We booked a table for 4 last Sunday (essential!). Good welcome, nice table -- spaced from others, staff all masked. It was very busy, so we had to wait a while to be called to the carvery, but the carvery meats were fresh and refreshed as necessary. The beef was the best I have ever had, beautifully pink and tender, the pork and turkey still moist, plenty of crackling, and a great extensive selection of vegetables, including creamy mashed and roast potatoes. I had excellent ice cream (3 scoops). The staff were friendly if busy. With drinks and tip it came to £72.

Pizza was sound g, did chef up some ops which was bare long but it’s clam cah mandem backed it styll

AMAZING!! Best carvery around that’s for sure! I can never fault the food or the service at the merry monk! We always can get in as a group booking to! They also allow you to have dessert to take away. The chocolate cake is always the one to go for

We were staying at Tanpits Cider Farm, a 15-20 minute walk away and prebooked a table for our arrival day. So glad we did as it was really busy. We returned on Moday lunchtime too!

Drove from Bridgwater to this place specifically for the “superb play area” advertised on their website - only to find it completely shut off. Whilst I understand the need for caution due to covid, we have frequently visited playgrounds across the country during July and August including others in pubs and not one has been closed. If it is closed it should be clearly stated on the website. Another family with young children also arrived while we we there and expected to use the play area and were also disappointed. Also - the food… if you like fried food you’ll be very happy here but if you’re looking forward to a meal with anything other than chips, I’d suggest going elsewhere.

This was our first visit to The Merry Monk and it will certainly not be our last. We opted for the carvery and both the meat and vegetable selection were tasty and nice and hot. We also sampled the lemon roulade which delicious and nicely presented. If there is just one small recommendation I could give, is that they include a drinks menu on the table (not just a wine list) as it was difficult to know what was on offer and at what price.Looking forward to our next visit where we hope to try something off of the menu next time.

Came for a mid week carvery, no drinks menus which was slightly annoying with small children as put on spot on what to get, the food was lovely had got half way through my roast before finding a hair on my cauliflower cheese at this point I was done and didn’t bother to complain and the thought of having to go up and re plate was of putting! Everyone else’s food was petect, kids had huge portion which is in pic, could of done with a few more child veggies like peas or brocli! It is a lovely quiet pub and worth a visit if your passing

Three us us went for lunch on a very busy Sunday.We weren't kept waiting very long before being shown to our table. Didn't wait long for our drinks and then to be called up for food There was a good variety of meats and what seemed an endless variety of very fresh looking veg I had the beef which was cooked to perfection ,all the meats looked very appetising. All at a very reasonable price. Definitely an eleven out of ten experience and will be visiting again. The best carvery in Taunton.

Absolutely amazing place staff superb nothing to much bother work amazingly as a team food absolutely superb quality... The spicy nut mix is superb with a pint too... Special mention to Emily customer service second to none! She's always happy and smiling no matter how busy! Ryan at the bar nice guy too went beyond his duty to fetch me some serviettes whilst working the bar great customer service skills. The carvery is best by far... Eat and drink here you won't be disappointed!

We stopped off here on the way home from Cornwall as the traffic on the M5 was at a standstill. What a fabulous find. We didn’t need to book, however I would recommend it to avoid disappointment. A lovely young lady seated us in the bar area as the restaurant was full. All the staff were wearing masks and the drinks and food were table service. We had 2 beautiful carvery’s. The beef was so tender and the choice of potatoes and veg are vast. My boys shared pizza which are huge and again tasty. It’s immaculately clean and the staff are friendly and efficient. We had a lovely 1.5 hours here, so much so I’d do it again next year on the way home. Thanks the Merry Monk team

First visit in years, had a really tasty carvery and the puddings were fantastic. Great environment. Very attentive young waitresses. Efficient and great service. Well done, we will be back.

Excellent service. Brilliant Carvery So much choice. Very Covid safe. Plenty of parking. Terrific space inside. Definitely visit again really soon plenty to chose from on ordinary menu also

Beautiful Carvery Unfortunately there was a mix up with the booking, this was addressed. Beautiful carvery with a great selection of vegetables. Good table service from attentive staff. I will definately visit again when in Taunton. Highly recommeded

Went Out for a meal and was nice to see that the staff are still keeping safety measures in place ! have been to several places in the last couple of weeks and all safety measures have been dropped Food was first class as usualHave booked a couple of tables for 9 family members visiting for the first time in nearly 2 years

Ended up here by accident as the pub we were going to wasn’t open. Superb selection on the menu. My friend and I shared the chilli beef nachos for starters and they were delicious. The chilli was tasty and plentiful. My friend had the lasagne and loved it. I had the Monk style chicken and it was incredible. Portions were huge. We are big eaters, but we couldn’t finish ours. Staff were friendly and welcoming.

During a weekend away with friends staying in West Monkton, we booked to have dinner at The Merry Monk as it was in walking distance to our Air BNB. We had a lovely three course meal off the main menu, and as a vegetarian I felt there was a good amount of choice to choose from too. The service was good on the night, and we were nice and spaced out too in keeping with COVID guidelines. Thanks for a great visit.

We came for dinner and had starters as well as a main course. For a starter we had Nachos and squid. The squid was good but we only had 5 pieces which for nearly £7 was pretty insulting. The nachos were ok, way too much greasy chilli which was bland and didn’t add to the meal. The main courses arrived after some time. We had 3 pizzas, the meat pizza and cheese pizza were undercooked. The meat pizza had some really cheap meat on it. The third one was epic. Overall the food was overpriced and the quality definitely wasn’t there. Won’t be returning!

Booked here for a Sunday roast. greeted by a rude woman on the door, who was less than accommodating (probably not suited to a front of house roll) When making the booking we specified that we would be bringing a pushchair but when arriving we were given one of the only tables up some stairs and no thought about moving us. The woman who showed us to the table then proceeded to stand on the stairs and talk to other guests as we were trying to carry our stuff up. The meal it’s self wasn’t too bad, if not expensive about £18 for 2 courses and I wouldn’t expect to have frozen parsnips, frozen Yorkshire puddings and a pre-made dessert. The lady on the door was as rude on the way out as the way in but at least she was consistent. Don’t think we’ll be returning somehow.

Well, it's so good to be able to go out to eat in as The Merry Monk Taunton. A BIG Thank you to the team for a lovely lunch and great service. See you again soon Ev, Mark & Nanny

We live very locally to The Merry Monk and love the food and atmosphere - it's great to have the pub back open for dining inside and to be able to come regularly again

I never been here before so thought benice to hear whatsoever good ratings I heard realising the times we in eating outside. WE arrived promptly but still had to wait 10 minutes till we got acknowledgement from a staff member when acknowledged were taken into the marque which was a great idea we got sitted the our drinks order was taken also without no menus waitress said 3 carverys is it we had no option to look at the starter menu or get our drinks first then order was felt rushed at that point as a starter would been nice while waiting for a our carvery to be brought to us our drinks arrived with covid we thought we had to remain seated but was OK for children to run around screaming like its a playground.Our food arrived within 15 minutes the night waitress just left us to eat with no option of sauces etc.THE food was a lukewarm on cold plates hot p,ates would of bee nice as eating outside,thefood tasted ok but everything was dumped on plate so couldn't tell what you were actually eating and the meal was soaked in gravy.Ha d no check back etc finished our meal with screaming children and their parents just moving tables obviously a large group and had no plates cleared of offering of dessert although the staff could see we had finished,we asked for the bill after asking 3 times we got it 20 minutes later as leaving could see people waiting to get in with one coup,e we noticed being there for 15 mins as we left so did they as had enough of waiting.I definitely would of had more staff on as customer service is the key element and no organisation with carverys 12.95 for a sub standard roast dinner where the sprouts were not fresh etc we felt disappointed maybe we try when open up prpoperly as might be different but staff acknowledgement hot food and a smile from staff would of been nice and staff not allowing children running about screaming

I booked a table over the phone and was not told it would only be carvery. None of us wanted a carvery and we had 1 vegetarian who went without as the only choice was nut roast carvery! Had we been told this in advance we would have gone elsewhere! I understand places are doing a reduced menu because of Covid but this is ridiculous, not even starters! Service was poor.

The food at The Merry Monk is never disappointing. The staff are always nice and the service is great. A good place to have great time.

Well done to the Merry Monk, what great covid precautions, felt so safe. Staff amazing. Tables cleaned very quickly after people left. Such a well organised system at the carvery. The Chefs served up all the food on your plate, so no worries about anyone else touching the serving spoons. All staff were working hard to make sure everyone was happy. Definitely be back highly recommend.

Excellent standard of COVID-19 precautions. We had the carvery lunch - very generous portions and outstanding range of vegetables. Food served hot and was very tasty. Normally, I could not eat so much food however it was delicious and I ate it all. Staff very pleasant. Highly recommend.

We have been going to the Merry Monk for a few years now, every first Sunday of the month. Would not go anywhere else, the food is fantastic and the staff are amazing, they are always very friendly and very professional at the same time. You will not find better. Thank you to Angie and all the staff, 2020 has been a difficult year but you have all made it a little more bearable. Thank you and see you in 4 weeks!

visted here on 8th October 2020, well spaced out tables in these difficult times.Tables and chairs were all cleaned between each customer.the staff were nice and friendly, the food was excellent, didn't order the carvery but it looked plentiful.the only let down I found was a group of roofers/workmen one in particular who when visiting the toilets didn't was his hands, bad on you !!

Really well spaced out tables in these difficult covid times.Tables and chairs all well cleaned between each customer I noticed.Staff were lovely and friendly.What I like about here is how well organised it is for a carvery - some are like a free for all food scrum and I cant bear it! All the food areas well stocked with plenty of food.Whilst Ive read reviews that the service of dishing up the carvery is slow - I would say - give the poor staff a break!!! Its not an ideal situation for anyone and everyone is trying their best in very challenging times!!Delicious food - but very full so had to bring desert home!!!!Thanks

For such a lovely pub, staff all looked fed up on our arrival not a good start! Shown to a table ordered drinks which came quite quickly. Ordered our food my husband and daughter ordered a carvery, the rest of us ordered from the menu. Well where do I start for the carvery thin slices of meat, roast potatoes looked deep fried so hard to cut, cauliflower was so hard it couldn’t be cut, carrots over cooked and cabbage hardly seen the hot water, all in all worse carvery I’ve ever seen, asked for salt and pepper half way through meal had to ask for it again!! Had to call staff all the time for more drinks why can’t the staff walk around instead of gathering in a group near the desserts. After eating only half there lunch we decided to have some dessert’s well my son had the trio on offer cheesecake was vile nearly off I should think base was soft and rest tasted sour, raspberries all soggy, how they can justify serving this is beyond me, no one asked if it was ok, seeing how the staff where just couldn’t be bothered to complain the food should not of been served in the first place How others can rate this place for food is beyond me, wont be going again!!

My daughter treated me to a birthday lunch. Knowing head chef James Higgins, this is what prompted our visit. We both had the potted mushrooms, which was absolutely lovely, and quite a big serving for a starter. My daughter had the monk. style chicken, which was really moist and tasty. I had the ploughman's, served on a board, which I couldn't finish. Ended up taking it home, as I was so full. My only critique, was the ploughman's came with French brie rather than a local Somerset brie. We would return, as we've been before for the carvery.

Lovely meal and good service. Staff very friendly and helpful. Worth a visit and worth the money. Puddings very sweet and all with clotted cream.

Very strict Covid rules which of course is a good thing. Carvery ok but took an age for staff to dish up. There must be a better way?! Meat portions pretty sparse not reflecting the high price. Staff looked pretty grumpy, guess they must be overworked. Would we return? Maybe...

After a day walking around shops with the wife we decided we wanted a carvery. With the Toby just off the motorway being very poor in the past we used google to see what we could find. The merry monk came highly recommended by other visitors so we gave it a try. I have to say we both throughly enjoyed our meal. A choice of 3 meats mash roast potatoes veg even Brussel sprouts all cooked to perfection. The puddings were fantastic as well I have the white chocolate rocky road and my wife had the lemon curd cheese cake which were both absolutely gorgeous. The service was polite with a smile and quick all in all very enjoyable experience. We will definitely be visiting again well worth the money.

Great food with variety for different dietary requirements. Staff are nice and friendly and they are good with social distancing etc. Will be back

Family day out, four adults and two children. We chose The Merry Monk because we saw online they served Ploughman’s lunch, which we all wanted. The food was superb, the value for money was excellent, bearing in mind we were unaware of the discount scheme being applied, which made it even better, I would be more than happy to pay the full price anytime! We sat in the garden, after having been advised the service could be slow because they were very busy we actually got served quite quickly, waited probably about 10 minutes in the first instance then the drinks and food were served soon after, by a very polite and friendly girl named Georgia. Thank you for a lovely afternoon, everything was great and the staff did a brilliant job under very difficult circumstances.

Lovely lunch today, we opted to sit outside as the pub was fully booked inside. Beware of the wasps. Childrens play area was closed. Staff very attentive and pub very Covid 19 compliant. The chilli con carne was outstanding and even better with 50 per cent off. Would definitely visit again if we where in the area. Thank you for a lovely meal.

The amazing food and helpful staff make this place still the best.... We have had a takeaway carvery over lockdown and that was great too but it was lovely to be back. Thankyou for excellent food & aervice as always x

Visited on a Monday night for my partners birthday- it was the ‘eat out to help out’ scheme so we essentially got up to £10 off per person. We pre booked as we thought it may be busy. Pub itself was a nice looking pub, very welcoming as we came in. We sat at table 48 and were served by Izzy. Izzy was great- despite the COVID-19 restrictions and distancing in place, she provided excellent service and was on point. Exactly what you need in a decent server. Food in this place was awesome- literally some of the best pub food we have ever had. I have the Chilli & Nachos with Garlic Bread & Cheese side, my partner had Fried Halloumi & Chips. Both meals were impressive- all very high quality ingredients, very well put together and presented well. Not a long wait time either considering the restaurant was busy.Total bill came to £17.17 (inc Drinks). That’s after the £13.08 discount for the government backed deal mentioned earlier. We would have happily paid the full non discounted price as we enjoyed it all so much. If we are ever in the area again we will use this place again- it’s a firm favourite. If you are unsure about COVID-19 and it’s application in a restaurant- this place handled it very very well and will put you at ease.

We called into the merry monk by chance on the way home after a day out.especially they belonged to the scheme. On entering we were asked if we had booked a table which the answer was no. The staff were very helpful and found us a table explained we were Need to vacant the table in just under 2 hours as they have a reservation for later. Staff very helpful and polite explained the procedure. The food arrived lovely and hot, I had chicken in the sauce, which was first class, the chips were to die for. Realising we could find no room for a pudding, we ordered 2 to take away. Which were delicious. Will visit again discount or no discount.

This was our first meal out as a family after lockdown. Booked three weeks in advance for us and our friends. I booked over the phone and was told by the member of staff that due to their being ten of us we would need to be seated separately as due to current guidelines you can only have tables of up to six people. I was assured that although we couldn't sit together our tables would be adjacent to one another. The tables were booked in both famillies surnames. We arrived on time but our reservation couldn't be found. The Owner/Manager told us that we must have booked the Monkton Inn up the road. I assured her that I hadn't and showed her the link on my phone with the correct details. She said they had no booking and again questioned whether I'd booked the correct place. I told her that we had booked two tables beside one another and confirmed the date that I made the booking. I was told that I wouldn't have been told that the tables would be adjacent as all staff have been trained not to say that and that meant I had booked the wrong pub. After a lengthy discussion, with our honesty being brought into question on several occasions by the Owner/Manager our reservations were finally found. The bookings were incorrect. The guest numbers on each table were wrong and our surname had been recorded incorrectly. It became obvious a mistake had been made by the member of staff taking our reservation. We were informed that the two tables were in separate rooms and we wouldn't be sat anywhere near one another. Once the booking was found we were kept waiting and asked if we still wanted to eat there and had to insist on being seated. After being seated for five minutes the Owner/Manager approached us and offered for us to sit at another table in the same room with our friends, which we accepted. This is as far as she went to make any kind of apology for the farce of the booking. We were very embarrassed in front of the rest of the customers in the restaurant, through no fault of our own and received no apology at all for the embarrassment caused or the mistakes the pub staff had made when taking our booking. I'm giving two stars as the food was up to its normal high standard and the rest of the staff were friendly and helpful for the rest of our meal. Although the Owner/Manager stated training had been carried out it obviously needs to be revisted as we were misled on the phone being told that we could have two tables side by side. When taking a booking it is normal practice to read back surnames and phone numbers to ensure the correct details have been taken down. This could have avoided the mistakes that were made. Just to confirm, we were not asked to give our correct details so there will be no way to track and trace us which is bad practice.May be you were having a bad day but your customer service leaves a lot to be desired!

Turned up ordered our food, waited 40 mins for our food to turn up, was told were not allowed to order from the bar we have to stay seated yet no one come too see if we needed anymore drinks..you had to literally wave at staff for them to even notice you.. All staff dont even know what a smile looks like all staff grumpy, 2 more of our family members turned up was told no tables to go outside and order which they did to be told no orderes from outside because its busy inside, after finishing our food i ordered one more coca cola which after 5 mins i gave up of waiting for the coke i asked for reciept and left never comming back, zero customer service whatsoever..

We visited whilst on holiday and we both had the chicken with mushroom sauce. Nice meal and we would come back if in the area. Not busy and ni atmosphere because of COVID19.

We went to the Merry Monk and found the staff so helpful and friendly and the food delicious.It was our first time out as a family with the lockdown restrictions so we were all apprehensive but I was pleased and reassured to see how many steps the Merry Monk has taken to ensure a safe and happy dining atmosphere for dinners and for their staff.Lovely clean pub with delicious food, we will definitely be booking to go back again soon!

I went to the Merry monk last night with my wife and daughter its the first time we have ventured out to eat since Lock down in march I have been self shielding due to a lung problem that I had 3 years ago.I was a little bit apprehensive about how safe it would be and what measures would be in place!. I am pleased to say that there was no cause for concern The landlady Angie has done an excellent job in the way they have laid things out and all the hand sanitizer stations conveniently situated throughout the pub plus the one way in and one way out in operation made me feel safe !.They also are running a table service only for the bar.I was also concerned at how they could be running a carvery but they have that sorted as well with an extra chef behind the servery adding what people liked to their dishes for them . one lady on the table next to where we were sitting said they actually put more on her plate than she normally does ! the food as usual was spot on and it was a nice friendly environment to be in. all the waiting staff were very pleasant and were glad to see us .I will be going back very soon.Well done Angie Mike and all the team for being so professional but still making the experience very nice !.

Visited for family meal, best carvery we have had...staff very efficient and friendly, nothing was too much trouble with all the measures in place for COVID19.felt very safe during our visit. highly recommended to visit here.

I have visited the merry monk quite a few times and I have not been disappointed once, the carvery is always nice and the deserts always delicious. Staff always been very helpful and friendly, would definitely recommend.

I was a bit worried as it was the first time since 'Lockdown' that i had been to the Merry Monk. But it was all very safe, maybe a bit quiet, but the food was the same great value and taste. Staff were lovely and helpful. keep it up you deserve to do well! I will be back again soon!

Hello This was our first time eating at the Merry Monk, Upon entering the establishment, we were met with a "youve come in the wrong door" greeting, there were no signs anywhere saying exit or entrance especially now were in the convirus times, we felt rather sorry that we had walked in upon entering the correct door, we walked past a table full of wipes and towels and an address book - which i presume they wanted us to fill in and use, We simply dont believe in being like a shee and we think for ourselves, we dont believe in the con virus and wanted to enjoy a meal out after 4 months of house arrest The staff here were pleasant enough and efficient, very attentaive and polite, the food we ordered was 2 confit duck breasts and two kids mealswe ordered two whiskeys and coke, and 1 Strawberry and 1 Rhubarb drink for the children After waiting 40 mins the food arrived and i must say it was delicious, beautifully presented and well cooked, tasting and fulfillinghowever the cons of dining here tarnished our experience to the point we had to say so , we do hope the owmners take on board the constructive critism as this is what defines a fine dining experience over the more mundane pubs firstly charging £1.50 per person for PPE and & Cover is excessive at the very least, considering we didnt use the sanitizers, but had we done so, i would have expoected to buy a bottle at those prices - however as its a condition of opening, this is a cost you should bear should you not? maybe swallow it into your pricing structure so the client doesnt feel they are paying for every single thing...a 10% service charge was charged without authorisation and i have to say if this was to reflect the service, surely the costs of the meal has this taken into consideration , particularly when the staff member did not know what whiskey you had for sale and when she came back she could only reciet two whiskeys - Jack daniels and Monkey Shoulder..... yet later we noticed whilst waiting that you served jameson, corvosieer, grants to name but a few All in all the food was wonderful, but the dining experience was far from a good experience, the vibe had totally ben taken out of the air and it seemed somewhat forced and sterile, filled with aprehension to serve one last note which i must point out that the hand sintiser packets you give out per person, when opened is no bigger than two 2nd class postage stamps, we tried to unfold again to give a bigger area to clean with and couldnt believe you expected a customer to wipe a whole hand with what you gave us, it was somnething no bigger than being able to wrap around one finger?Thank you for charging us £93.00 for something which should have been a far better first time experience i dont feel we will return because you obviously know what your doing, your PPE is Over bearing and costly, your ffod amazing, but the dining experience lacks vibe and enjoyment, considering youve been open for a long time, i would exppect you to offer a better professional service for the money charged

Lunchtime visit was great so recommended friends to come for an evening. Sadly the 2nd visit was awful - waiting staff really couldn’t care and the fish pie very disappointing. Waited ages for service. Friends said they wouldn’t bother going again. Not sure how two fish pies can be so different- the first one at the lunchtime was delicious, the 2nd the worst.

Popped out for a family dinner, place was packed and still the service was excellent and we were seen and eating very quickly. Carvery was lovely and the meats were fantastically tender. I would hastily recommend this place. If there was only one issue that would be the lack of soya milk BUT my black coffee was just as nice

Spontaneous idea to visit and not booked in. Welcomed and found a table for us as one person is wheelchair bound. Lovely atmosphere and lots of room. Drinks, including wine were sorted and then we enjoyed the carvery. Excellent selection of meat and very good portions,lovely vegetables and all cooked to perfection. And all for less than a total of £50 for four. Thoroughly recommended, we'll be back.

Came here thinking it was OK... We waited for almost an hour, while people who came in afterwards were served, then the food turned up... TERRIBLE... dry & non inspiring... Toom a burger back because we couldn't even cut it with a knife... Bad attitude from the manageress, pushed £12 back in our hands and pissed off...!!

We'd booked tickets for a show at the Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre and as the theatre is only just around the corner, we thought it would be nice to have a pre-show dinner at this pub.We were quickly shown to our table in a part of the pub that looked a bit like a conservatory with an outside seating area, which would be nice in the summer months. The room was nicely decorated and furnished with comfortable chairs at the tables; there was good space between the tables so you didn't feel squashed in. The waitress took our oders for drinks and we advised her that we would be partaking of the carvery. She told us that we would be called when we could go to the carvery. The drinks arrived after a short wait and were told that we could go to the carvery. There was a choice of 3 meats (beef, pork and turkey) and good choice of vegetables plus the appropriate sauces, etc. and gravy. I opted for the beef which was a little overdone for my taste, but still tasty and my friend went for the turkey; he was advised by the lady chef that it was a bit crumbly and he did find it a bit dry. The vegetables were all perfectly cooked and we were advised that we could return for more vegetables if we wanted them!There were only 4 sweets and desserts listed on a blackboard and I opted to try the lemon meringue roulade which was very nice.The service was good and the waitresess were friendly; we didn't feel rushed to finish our meal, although it seemed that everybody else in the dining room was going to the show and at about 7.30pm, there was a mass exit which we joined!The bill for 2 carvery meals, 1 dessert and drinks came to £30 which we felt was good value and we'll certainly go back again.

We decided to venture out for a family meal this evening, a rarity when you have two children under five... Originally having tried booking a lunchtime table 24hrs previous we were offered a 6pm booking which we decided to go for and see how it would pan out.On arrival we waited in the bar area, the pub had a buzz about it, busy with a mix of ages. We were shown to our table shortly after 6pm and our drinks order taken. Whilst waiting a table of friends in their 20’s were seated and provided with drinks and offered their place to collect the carvery before our drinks had even arrived. The kids were just about hanging in there with a multitude of toys and distraction by us. When we raised the issue of the drinks to our waitress she showed relatively little concern until she realised we’d meant our original drinks order still hadn’t arrived then she went to see what the delay was. On return she said they’d lost our ticket, the drinks were re-ordered and we could go to the carvery. At the carvery the chef had no personal skills. She waited until I’d given my little boy a plate to then say erm these are the kids plates love handing me some from a pile behind her. Then rushed through. The food was okay. A good selection but the flavours were lacking. The meats were bland. The cauliflower cheese had no ‘cheese’ taste. The overpowering vinaigrette of the red cabbage seemed the only real flavour.Drinks arrived. We finish our meals and waited and waited and waited- with many a hint from my little boy about wanting the desserts...no sign of any table service. Another waitress came over just as we had decided to pay and leave, bribing the kids with snacks from their bags for dessert so we could go. My fiancé discussed the experience with the manger whilst leaving the table to go and pay direct due to the lack of service. She became defensive and said they worked to a ‘2hour’ ‘un-rushed’ approach so we could enjoy the meal. My partner said this was all well and good but more of an individualised approach needs to be provided for families with young children, their needs are different and as a ‘child friendly’ establishment surely they should see this?Needless to say-the lost ticket order, the lack of personal skills among staff and the blandness of the food meant the £55 spent within the 2hour window on 2 adult and 2 child Carverys with 2drinks seemed like a waste of time and money. A disappointing experience.

Visited here with some friends which we had prebooked. Good welcome on entry and very good service. The carvery was 3 meats and a good selection of veg of. We advised them of gluten for 1 person which they showed us the item and prepared special gravey and Cauliflower cheese. Very Good. Can't fault this place for a carvery. It does exactly what it says on the tin and at £14.95 for 2 meals is very good value.

Can’t fault always up to standard The carvery is always tasty Lots of choice highly recommend the merry monk best in Taunton

i visited the inn and chose a carvery meal. this was great,the food is on display under heat lamps for the carvery,perfectly good quality.up to 7 deserts could be available, there are 7 white wines, 2 rose , 5 red on the wine menu available,3 sparkling champagne including ;Gruet, Laurent perrier , Prosecco .carvery from Mon - sat is £9.45- in year 2020.Sunday carvery is £10.95,however i happened to visit on a Monday which was ok but not fully booked,for a meal especially at weekends/ Sunday daytime, you would be best advised to book by phone and reserve,5 vegetarian meals, salads , baguettes sandwiches,

I found my visit to the merry monk pleasant enough in all aspects. I would go there again, but I hope I would not have the same difficulty in finding a parking place.

Booked a table for 4 with friends. On arrival we were told we had no booking ! Found us a table. Service was slow and carvery was ok. Tables on top of each other. Ok as a fast food outlet. Not a pub by any stretch of the imagination.

7 of us went to the Merry Monk on Christmas Eve. It's only 10/15mins walk from home allowing the drivers of our party to have a drink or two.

We had a table for seven tonight booked for the Christmas Meal on Christmas Eve. We were all very pleased with the food, it was superb, thank you, we had a great evening. As we had pre-booked the service was great, with adequate time between courses. Thoroughly recommend.

Fantastic Carvery as always........ turned up with no booking on a busy Thursday Evening..... swiftly found a table in the restaurant...... food cooked beautiful........ thank you Angie & Team see you soon x

Went up for lunch on my birthday. Was so busy but looked after really well. The carvery was beautiful and the desert was out of this world. Thanks for looking after us.

Booked a table for car very at 2.15 last Sunday,arrived ordered drinks which took twenty mins to arrive,waited and waited to be told to go to carvery.Despite two requests we finally got our food at ten past three,very mean with the meat.I had half a slice of lamb and half a slice of beef,both were so red I couldn’t eat them horrible,some of it was cold some hot.Managed to grab a waitress for another drink.After dinner no one asked if we would like sweets or coffee,place was rammed.I suggest not booking so many in if you can’t cope.The dinner was not cheap 10.95 which is enough for what we had,will give it a miss for a long time.

Booked a table for 6 over a week ago but arrived today to be told there was no booking! Older lady who I am guessing is the manager basically questioned if I had 1) actually booked and 2) booked under my name, um yes I think I know my name! Then tried to make out I had phoned the Monkton elm garden centre not the merry monk! I was quick to show the call history on my phone to receive the response, IT HAPPENS! No sorry, no attempt to accommodate! Rude and if there was an option for no stars trust me I would have selected it! Poor management/poor customer service!

Over-priced and underwhelming food.

Would put zero stars, but unfortunately not able to select that... so 1 will do. Came home from University to surprise my family after not seeing them for 2 months... Booked a Sunday Lunch for 9 people to only turn up and find out they haven’t even got our booking... had a table booked for “4”, because this just is “9 people” as requested. The owner of the establishment responded with “well; it’s not my problem”. Well it is your problem, because we will never be coming back. AVOID AT ALL COSTS. I will take my money elsewhere. Shame that The Merry Monk has ruined my family weekend and now I have a 5 hour car journey on an empty stomach.

we often lunch at the Merry Monk as a party of 4.food is always very good and service is excellent .the whole place is always clean and attractive

After being shown to table with cloth chairs that were badly stained, l refused to sit on them and went and sat elsewhere. Once the waiter took our order, came back with drinks and said he would let us know when we could go for our meal, several people came and were eating long before us, so we got up and the waiter apologised saying he forgot us!

Im fussy when it comes to food but I have just moved to Taunton with my partner and my parents were coming down to visit so we decided to book a Sunday lunch here for 12:30! Well firstly you definitely need to book, this place is popular! Also the car park gets super busy when we left about 1:30 it was full.

Visited today for a family meal and left extremely happy.. the food was delicious and the staff were friendly. The lady serving the meat at the carvery counter was fab, great with the kids and just made us all smile

My partner and I visited The Merry Monk on a Sunday lunchtime. We hadn’t booked but were told we could have a table in the bar area. The food was excellent, all meats very tender and the veggies very tasty. I particularly enjoyed the dauphinois potatoes and the cauliflower cheese. The waiting staff were exemplary, nothing too much trouble. My partner enjoyed a very good pint of beer and I had a lovely gin and tonic all served with a smile. A great lunchtime treat at a very reasonable place. All in all a very nice experience. Well done Merry Monk.

My friend and I visited here one evening for a carvery and we will not be going again. The manager, an older lady, was rude and rushed us. The food was tasteless and the beef was tough and chewy. Not a good experience at all!!

First visit back after the revamp, and what a difference! Lovely, warm , welcoming atmosphere! As always.... the Carvery the best in the south west!

Great food along with super atmosphere. The revamp is a great improvement. The staff friendly, always there to help. Will return time and time again. Well done to all

Das Essen ist gut. Dafür, dass wir es auf dem Weg entdeckt haben, sogar sehr gut! Das Fleisch war nicht schlecht und die Fish and Chips waren auch gut. Ich würde aber definitiv (!!) dazu raten, wenn man zwischen 12 Uhr und 14:30 da ist, das All-you-can-eat zu nehmen. Wir waren leider zu spät aber selbst die Reste sahen gut aus. Ob es das Abends gibt, weiß ich nicht, wäre aber für meinen Geschmack aber einfach zu viel.

Having recently visited the merry monk for a carvery, whilst the food was ok, the service was appalling! Waited 40+ minutes then had to remind a waitress that we hadn't been called, was advised that they'd forgotten about us, no apology, not even from the manager and no reduction in the bill. Was told that it was our job to call staff for waiting so long, however when going out and paying for a meal you expect a certain service! Certainly won't be visiting again!

I got myself in a situation where I hadn't eaten all day and my only option at 4ish was going to be a pub grub. We stumbled upon Merry Monk and popped in for a try. I'm vego so was worried I wouldn't find anything. Well, i needn't have been concerned. I was actually spoilt for choice.

We drove past this place on our way to Street and decided to call in for our evening meal on our way back.

I recently went here with some friends for the pub quiz on a Thursday night. The carvery was fantastic. The pub was full. The beer was good. The quiz was fantastic. The quiz master is a bit rude but in a very PC world it was quite refreshing. If you don't like that side, don't go on a Thursday. The quiz was fun and when pubs are struggling so much these days it was really nice to see this place so busy. Doing a great job here. Keep it up