The Poltimore Arms in North Devon

If you follow the postcode for this establishment you'll end up in a field miles away! If you go to co-ordinates; N52.06.329, W 03.49.370 you will get a good pint and you'll meet probably one of the best landlords in the country. Enjoy

We have been here a few times. As a family, we needed an honest pub, good food, great and honest hospitality and a place to breathe. Steve, Claire and their regulars gave all of the above. Cottage pie and the accompanying sides were perfect. Wine: perfect. Real ale on tap “ flat, warm, delicious” and that is a rave review from an old Londoner. We were left alone yet blagged some rollies from the landlord. Who wanted nothing in return. Thank you for making a terrible time much better for a few hours xxx

What an unexpectedly amazing experience! We walked into the pub which was empty apart from the cat behind the bar waiting to serve us and Steve in his chair in front of the fire. We spent an hour having a couple of pints and a good chat with him about everything from polo to skydiving. What a pleasure and a very generous host! It’s a proper spit and sawdust pub with great beer and a wonderful feel about it. It’s cash only as Steve is done with card machines breaking, and it’s run off solar panels and water from a spring in Exmoor. So a properly off grid drinking experience. Highly recommend this place if you like a proper old fashioned adult pub from the past: no menu, no bank cards, no kids. One sort of playable piano, four dead ones in the back and a pool table. There’s one choice of meal on Thursday, pizza on Friday and you can bring your own pudding; it was gammon and parsley sauce this week. Old school! Thanks Steve. You’re a rare breed! As an aside there’s also camping in the field behind.

Amazing pub, friendly, unique and good pints. Such a cosy atmosphere and the locals are fabulous. Great pricing also.

well, called by on a wet afternoon and enjoyed a couple of hours with the one of a kind landlord and his cat. Lovely welcome ! and well kept ale. Some of which i poured myself. The most friendly pub on Exmoor. Please never change.

Fabulous off-grid pub full of friendly people - a smorgasbord of farmers, eccentrics and the odd arty type - where everyone is welcome, regardless of whether you've lived all your life in Devon or you've never visited the county in your life before. Difficult to find, because it's in the middle of nowhere down narrow Exmoor lanes in the lee of the high moorland, you definitely won't regret seeking it out. There are people who come back to this pub whenever they can, once they've first discovered it, who live all around the world - its lure is so strong. HOWEVER many of the other reviews confuse it with the similarly named Poltimore Inn a few miles away in North Molton. This one is NOT a restaurant (although food is sometimes available - see their Facebook page). It is a drinkers pub local of the old school, specialising in log fires, good refreshment and even better conversation. Totally excellent.

A lovely old pub which is cosy and clean with really friendly staff. Celebrated a family birthday with dinner in the dining room where we were all impressed with the stunning views and changing twilight sky! The food was fabulous and the service was spot on! Looking forward to staying a few nights in one of the double rooms soon and checking out the breakfast menu!

Stopped here for our dinner on a Wednesday evening, a good selection on the menu with a specials board, there was only two vegan selections and sadly one of these was out of stock but I was told the vegan soup was delicious. The choice of food we made was also delicious. This is a lovely pub inside, we ate in the dining room and the view from the large windows was breathtaking, staff were very friendly and helpful. This pub does not have a car park but there is parking opposite. If in the area I highly recommend this pub and would not hesitate to go back if in the area.

Stumbled on this splendid establishment on the way home from dropping off son for camping trip. Instantly felt at home. Steve the landlord and the other extremely friendly customers / business owners were completely welcoming. Steve is master of banter. I didn't try the menu due to schedule requirements. But I'll certainly be making further pilgrimages to this gem of a pub. NB locally produced cider and other comestibles available. A visit is highly recommended

We decided to try to find this pub travelling back from Minehead, where we had been for a short break, to Exeter. Our Sat Nav got us there and it's been a long time since both of us enjoyed a pub like this unique place. The hour we were there in front of the log fire just flew by and the conversation with Steve the landlord was worth every penny of the price we paid for our drinks. Certainly not a place for the woke, but a memory we will both remember. Thank you Steve and your lovely cat, Fred.

We were staying locally and this was the nearest pub, what a brilliant place. Steve, the landlord, sat and chatted with us and everybody else was friendly. Decent prices and a proper wood fire. One of the best pubs I've been to in a long time

Let me start by saying the staff are lovely and very friendly. The restaurant is bright and spacious with a good view. My expectations were high as our friends had recommended this restaurant. Unfortunately for us the food was just ok. The steak and ale pie base was a bit stodgy although the meat was lean and tender but if I'm being honest it lacked flavour but the lasagne was nice enough.

We have not visited this pub for some time as moved away but last week we were out for a walk on the moors and decided to pop in on the way back. I had forgotten what a gem this place is. We stopped for a drink, ended up chatting and a few friendly faces arrived which led to wanting to stay longer. A solution was found. Steve the “famous” landlord said that he had a field that we could wild camp at the rear of the pub so lucky we had the van and we decided to stay. What a night. I cannot remember the last time i laughed so much, debated the world issues and covered many subjects. What a really enjoyable random night. Ended with us sat in the field watching a spectacular meteor shower filling the sky. Woke up next day and looked out of the window to see 2 horses, some sheep and a beautiful summer morning. Chatted to a couple of other campers and steve the landlord came over and very kindly offered us a coffee before we left. Looking forward to a return visit very soon and will be more prepared. This is a truly unique hidden gem on exmoor and expect the unexpected. A night to remember for a very long time

Great food, service, value for money. Stayed in one of the pods and it was super clean and noise proof 😁 Local shop wasn’t very welcoming though. We popped in to get a drink and it was very obvious we were weren’t wanted in the shop as tourists 🤷‍♀️

Excellent food and friendly service. Good selection of local cask beers. Excellent classic Sunday lunch

We came back to the Poltimore Inn 3 times in 3 days. Great food and the service is amazing. Everyone is so friendly. Great value for money too!

Thank you for a lovely evening. A pub like no other. Very welcoming and friendly. Enjoyed some debating and putting the worlds to right with steve the landlord. Even offered a field to camp in.

Fantastic service, great tasty food and brilliant service. Popped in on the way to bideford for holiday for a lunch. Booked on the day and was brilliant. Service was great, the view at the back of the restaurant is amazing. Food was great, had a variety from omelettes, baguettes, soup and jacket potatoes. All were amazing and the chips were the best chips I’ve had. Service was brilliant, really chatty smiley ladies. Lunch and a couple of drinks was around £12 each. Would 100% recommend.

Had a meal here, the staff were very welcoming, well though out positioning of tables. The meal was excellent, the pie was the best my wife had ever eaten, the fish was thick with a crisp batter, the steak excellent, all beautifully served, my first draft beer was wonderful. First meal since lockdown will take a lot of beating, thank you.

Thank you Natasha for our stay in the Polti Tent, It was everything we expected and more! Everyone was so welcoming and we had such a fun weekend full of surprises we wouldn't find anywhere else! We loved the Yurt, the pub and the surroundings we squeezed so much into a little weekend away and despite the rain it did not stop us having fun! Short drives and walks to local villages, Combe Martin, Ilfracombe, Bideford, Simonsbath, Tarr Steps, Exmoor National Park and even a horse hack through the national parks! (Highly recommend) Access to the pub toilets (although we took a bucket just in case) Love the little touches inside the Yurt too such as blankets, logs, picnic set, eggs, jam and local beverages! We were lucky to stay on the weekend of the Landlords Steve's special birthday and we were kindly invited to join- we had a brilliant evening outdoors listening to an incredible band and enjoying a drink. We have never been to a place like it but that's what we loved, we will definitely be back what a blast we had at the Poltimore Arms with Fred the cat! Thanks Steve, Fred and Natasha! The Bristols

We enjoyed a lovely calamari starter, the burger is to die for. The batter on the fish is light and crispy. Puddings were delightful. Beautiful Devon setting with stunning views over the hills. The staff were incredibly helpful. Will definitely return and hope to try the pie if it hasn’t sold out.

Took my cousin here for the Sunday Carvery. The service was excellent and the food was wonderful. There was a great selection of meat all cooked the way I like it and a lovely selection of veg.

Ok most importantly food was brilliant....However down side when we walked in shown straight to our table... lovely.....except for not being asked for any drinks, we were asked straight away what food can I get you....almost seemed a little rude and back to front... progressing on.... once again I will state carvery was lovely....however gravy slightly rich for kids but this once again personal preference... overall food finished by all adults, children not so as gravy put them off the taste. However we let this go as one of those things and didn't complain.... my main moan has to be when our dinner plates were still on the table whilst taking our pudding order and then still when our pudding arrived. Which also included a pudding order that missed a scoop of chocolate ice cream that was also meant to go with our daughters strawberry ice cream and still no cutlery after approx 7 min of other family orders being on the table. Therefore those that had ice cream on this day of approx 18 degrees heat plus window sunshine may as well of licked the bowl as that was what was left. But however once again those that had the likes of sticky toffee enjoyed. The biggest surprise to us was despite talking with regards to this between our family and being slightly annoyed at this during our pudding service a lovely lady on the table next to us provided us with pudding spoons and cleared our table for us seeming disgraced that it hadn't been done before at such point. This lovely lady I presume is something to do with the pub and therefore saved the day from a complaint from ourselves. However despite this I have to say food was lovely however our return to this once before favorite and possible venue for a large meal for renewal of vows was understaffed with only one waitress and therefore I wonder for such event if it will be for us on such a special occasion.

We are staying nearby and heard about this pub which seems to be quite well known! We were not disappointed AS THIS IS HOW PUBS USED TO BE! Everyone made us very welcome and we really enjoyed our time there ( went for 1 hour and stayed 2 hours) Will be going to the party day on Saturday, for sure!

We sought this pub out be a use of the good reviews it had, but just have visited it on an off day. The plus points - the beer was very good, and the garden caught the afternoon sun. The minus points - car parking for 5 cars, others have to park on the narrow lane, there were only two items on the menu -chilli and Bolognese (and neither appealed), the peace of the garden was disturbed by a petrol generator running, and finally, two of the four tables in the garden had dilapidated, bordering on dangerous chairs. I don't know if the power was off or what the problem was - but we were very disappointed.

The Ale was just right . The atmosphere relaxed, the staff very Happy , The landlord excitable . I very much enjoyed 2-3 hours just sat , relaxed and cosy. candle light flickered, the fire danced. I couldn't have felt better.

Staying locally we decided that we would walk to the pub for a drink in the afternoon. As it was Halloween our daughters had insisted they make us up beforehand so we looked like zombies. The landlord was more than welcoming and neither he nor the other customers mentioned the dressing up at all! Great and quirky little place where the landlord deals in whole pounds and only accepts cash. Friendly and full of helpful local information. If you are after food then that can be hit or miss as to when they are serving, otherwise fires and candles make you feel that you are in a pub of yesteryear, great fun.

Lovely atmosphere. Friendly staff and locals. Excellent food. Would definitely recommend. Relaxed atmosphere. Food served every night.

My wife is an avid real ale fanatic and wanted to visit this pub. We drove 15 miles to get there, every one was worth it. An eclectic mix of local characters, all engaging in friendly chat. Despite the landlord’s protestations to the contrary, we found the beer to be excellent and the company warm and welcoming. Fantastic, but very small bar, probably a welcome end to a winter walk. Would definitely return.

Another great revisit to this unique pub on the Exmoor border. Quirky landlord and excellent location for post walk drinks.

Always been a lovely quirky pub with a unique landlord and now really good food A small emnu but well balanced for all tastes.Not seen sturgeon on an Exmoor pub menu before We all enjoyed our evening and will be back.

This is a unique pub with a special landlord who takes advice from his cat on all things esoteric . The menu is limited but you can choose and get a good meal which is value for money . If you are looking for slick and sophisticated or quick and exclusive then this place is not for you and I am sorry for you . When we went the electric lights were off but the landlord had thoughtfully provided candles , no doubt at the suggestion of the cat

Landlord Steve has found a superb new chef Scott Lancelles and meals are now available on Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings plus Sunday lunch. All freshly prepared there is a choice of just 3 starters, 3 or 4 mains and 3 puds. Mains include pork tenderloin, Thai chicken curry, pan seared cod & a veggie - the menu will change weekly whilst Scott gathers feedback and can be viewed on Facebook. There is no landline telephone at the pub at the moment but Scott can be texted on 07969356278 for reservations.

This pub is out in the middle of nowhere and is a great place to stop for a drink and crisps after a waklk on Exmoor. It has a long history and We have been going there for over twenty years on and off. I would definitely recommend it for the ambience!!

Sought out this pub as recommended in the Guardian and after looking at pub website which seemed very inviting. However, arrived for lunch to be told by landlord that he no longer provides meals only serving drinks. If you want to eat...bring your own or use his kitchen!

OK so if you've got a trapped clientele and tourists you can get away with murder. The locals of which we are some don't go and tourists have nothing else for miles around. This could be made a great business as the setting is lovely.

Pub rústico encantador con la cálida bienvenida de madera quemadores visitamos con amigos para el almuerzo. Varios de nosotros disfrutamos de un entrante como un almuerzo ligero y fueron muy abundantes, aunque hubiera preferido un bollo crujiente recién horneadas en lugar de una rebanada de pan con la mía. Las comidas principales parecía encantador y venía con tuberías verduras caliente fresco. Bien merece una visita.

Went here for a get together with friends, the food was beyond perfect! A wide choice of food and all arrived around the same time and piping hot! A great experience, very open plan and relaxing! Would come again and again!

Cosy, quirky, welcoming, everything a country pub should be. Highly recommended. By far the best pub in this area.

El propietario es uno de los grandes excéntricos de Inglaterra. Él colecciona y reparaciones pianos viejos y puede cubrir una sintonía de jazz también. Muy amable y muy divertido. La comida era normal, pero sirve de pub por el chef con una breve historia de...

El poltimore es una auténtica joya y uno. He estado visitando aquí desde que era un niño, y el lugar no ha cambiado un poco. Buena comida y cervezas de barril y un encantador pub antiguo que data de cientos de años. Una chimenea enorme...

El amable personal tiene los brazos Poltimore y excelente comida. Este pub fue recomendado y no me decepcionó.

Lovely pub with great food, child and dog friendly too! The lasagne wasa delicious and the staff were fabulous. Will definitely eat there next year.

A gang of us do regular sorties over Exmoor visiting various pubs. This pub is always on the list even though others come and go. Everything you require from an English pub is here - eccentricity, good beer, good food, a warm welcome and last but not least, more eccentricity. I would highly recommend this establishment to anyone who appreciates traditional pub values and is not of a faint hearted disposition. Many thanks to Steve, the cat and all of the very friendly staff. We will return!

On way back from business meeting saw roadside sign stopped off an me and my colleagues were treated to a lovely light lunch, a great view and good service.

Called in to quench our thirst. We have heard about this pub and enjoyed its eccentricity. No mains electricity, candles, oil lamps and an occasional generator to supplement its solar panels and batteries. Good pint of ale and pleasant atmosphere. A little shop attached to the pub served all sorts of food necessities and some lovely pictures and photos. A real old pub.

If your anywhere near this pub it's well worth a visit And make up your own mindUnique!!!!!I / we would go back again Time seems to have stood still

Alright, alright, seen the reviews etc etc etc. This isn't a place to go for high end dining in a party, but it is a place to go to enjoy the eccentricity of the landlord, Steve and the friendliness of the locals. It has to be the greenest pub in Devon and even has a shop!Don't be put off by the negative reviews, this place really is good, it has good beer and food, sometimes, apparently!It's the ambience and it's wacky charm you come here for, excellent!!!

This has to be one of the most remote pubs I have ever been to in the UK. If you put the post code into your sat nav you will end up in a field, so google it first before you set off.The pub comprises of a local shop come art gallery, a restaurant serving great food and there is a good selection of local beer and cider served in the pub. Steve the landlord is a friendly chap and so are all the locals.

What a mistake to go here when the local hunters are in town. Heard some snickers and nasty comments when I enquired what was on offer for vegetarian, downright rude. I do not make comments when meat eaters are discussing how tender a baby lambs flesh is. If I wasn't so embarrassed to get up, we would have left. The barman/owner is a bit strange, you don't know if he is having a go at you or having a laugh with you. There was limited drinks, very average pub food on offer, grubby ladies. Seems to be popular with some in the community but will give it a wide berth in future.

A nice friendly country pub, nice food, lovely view, amazing location. Very atmospheric. Will definitely visit again

Been here many times over the years and met a number of different landlords, the current one, Steve, is a real character. This last visit was the Boxing Day hunt meet. Great crowd and atmosphere and they pull a great ale, cider or Guiness. This is a true local pub!

I have been coming here for years and seen a variety of landlords each with there own style steve the present incumbent is by far the most eccentric plays the piano has a cat as a barman and often dissapears for ages but you have to have places like this to keep you sane

This is a real locals pub. It was hard to find and right out in the sticks. It has open fires and wood burners. The food was nice pub grub. Friendly people and good Exmoor ale. It also has a general stores and gallery attached. Worth a visit if only to see a pub that has not been "tarted up".

Finding good food in North Devon can be difficult as we don't have many places who do it consistently well. Looking for a new alternative, we booked the Poltimore Arms at Yarde Down on Saturday night as the reviews seemed good enough. Cutting to the chase, here are all the things that would need to be dealt with - it is August but nevertheless the pub was cold, one fire burning low wasn't enough; range of drinks was very limited; the table was grubby even though it wasn't particularly busy; the menu was uninspiring and there was a definite feeling that it was "straight out of the packet", with a few exceptions; the desserts in particular were limited in range and the one we had (chocolate fondant) was inedible and "no, we can't give you extra chocolate sauce, it is how it comes"; one flavour of ice cream as "not enough space in the freezer" (to be fair maybe the generator providing the electricity is the problem); mould in the ladies toilet; and to cap it all, coffee would have been the instant variety had we not cancelled it. The staff were nevertheless cheerful, the building has charm and the location is the very beautiful Exmoor area. So not all bad. However, all of the negative issues are largely unnecessary and capable of being fixed. That would turn a poor experience into an acceptable one.....How hard can it be?

While bicycle touring through England my wife and I were lucky enough to have Poltimore Arms on our route. Even though we were a little late for lunch when we arrived they made us a great meals with some shrimp and a ploughman's lunch.The owner was an interesting character with a passion for traditional pubs. The only electricity is from a generator which they turn off at night so I would imagine that the evening atmosphere is amazing.

We called into this really lovely pub/restaurant for lunch on the way to Croyde. The menu was really interesting, the food superb and the service first class. It's only a few minutes off the main road to Barnstaple and well worth it. The prices are extremely reasonable and it was a very enjoyable experience in all respects. Highly recommended.

Steve the landlord has saved this pub from being turned into a house, and I am grateful that he has. Steve is what a landlord should be, friendly, full of stories about the history of the place and the locals! This little gem serves great food at a good price, and is full of character and characters. Doesn't take cards so take plenty of cash to support this beautiful boozer. If we are ever back in the area we will definitely return. there is a shop attached that was closed when we went but when we come back I hope to be able to have a look.

Went away for the bank holiday weekend in May and popped into this little gem. This pub is what pubs should be like. Real ale, cider and a great landlord and regulars. There is a little shop attatched that sells a good range of goods. Food is spot on. Basically my favourite pub of all time. Mart and Deb. Birmingham.

Read the reviews, looked at the website, and thought we would check it out for Sunday lunch.I pre-booked by telephone just in case it was busy.We got there and parked right in front of a blackboard sign which read "Just an average pub". Hence the title.We went in go the rather cramped bar and read "No cards accepted" above the bar.First we new of this. No mention on the website and certainly no mdntion when I made the table booking. As cards are, rightly or wrongly, the norm these days you would think it wise to advise customers/patrons in advance of the fact that they were not accepted.Fortunately, we managed to have a whip round between the four of us and raised enough cash to sit down for our Sunday lunch.Roast pork or beef were the options. £8.95 for either. I should have to say that the meat was pretty reasonable, though the whole meal could have been a lot hotter. The yorkshire puddings were a little burnt and the roast potatoes appeared to be of the frozen variety.Not a very good meal considering we were the only ones eating at the time. One other group of four came in for a meal as we were almost finished.We didn't have any other courses as we didn't have enough cash on us.Our experience certainly did not match that of the other reviewers which leads me to believe that they are either locals, or friends of the owners, or perhaps it was the wrong Poltimore! Either way, we will not be returning.

Very welcoming pub/restaurant ....landlord steve was so friendly and told us so much about the pub& the area,so did the locals, food very good & great value, don't confuse with the poltimore inn which was v poor....this one well off the beaten track and runs off a generator & has a shop connected...

Stumbled across this little beauty of a pub by accident !!!! ( do not get confused with the poltimore inn ) Steve the landlord welcomed us with open arms and served us fabulous ale straight from the barrel . While the very reasonably priced food from the extensive menu was being cooked Steve told us numerous stories and jokes about the pub and it's former owners and interesting customers.The food arrived IT WAS ALL cooked to perfection and there was plenty of it ! We will DEFINITELY be revisiting ! All the very best to Steve and his staff xx

As this is one of my local pubs I took friends to eat there . It is a friendly pub with great food and very good friendly people .

What a cracking pub. Been four times over the last 8 years. Always good food and great beer. In the middle of nowhere and runs on a generator. Lamb chops were superb

My husband and I were going for a walk on Exmoor and stumbled across this little pub. We walked in and asked if they knew any scenic routes and the staff were so friendly and they suggested so many routes! The owner started telling us a story about the 'Exmoor beast' which was entertaining! After our walk, we decided to go back into the pub and have something to eat. The staff were again, very friendly and told us what food they could rustle up for us. We both had one of their full English breakfasts and oh my, they were huge! There was everything you would expect in a full English and more! The plate was piled up and when we went to pay, we could not believe the price! You get so much food for such an amazing price. I completely recommended this lovely little pub to anyone! I will definitely be coming back when I'm in the area!

All success to the new owner!The Poltimore Arms oozes with character. We enjoyed our meals there - just what we'd expect for the price and ambience. (Please don't go there if you want to pay £7.75 for a main course and expect Michelin Two stars as those ignorant people on the table next to us seemed to imagine was feasible, before offering their advice to the new owner as to how he could make the necessary improvements to his business).The wines are at exceedingly good price but the selection as limited as you should expect and the same with ales, etc - and no, that's not a criticism. However, The Poltimore was not and is not about expensive prices, extensive choices, haute cuisine and pretentious people.Go and taste what is on offer in all senses of the words and if you're open to the historic (13th Century) Exmoor character of the Place and the distance from the next habitation, without mains water or electricity and can imagine being stranded there by snow on a bleak Winter's night - and enjoy! If not, as friendly as the owner and the staff will be please don't as it's not for you.This is the sort of place that the London foodie writers would love to find and share as a secret with their friends as it is not available anywhere else - a rustic charm from a very previous era.

One Sunday last September while on holiday we drove through the mist,parked next to the generator and entered the Poltimore Arms for Sunday lunch. Exceptional home cooked food served by friendly staff in a welcoming warm atmosphere. we loved it so much we returned this May and were not let down . Would highly recommend

A world away from the real world - No mains electricity, just a generator.Superb hosts who offer super food with a welcoming smile. Clientelle are mostly country folk, good natured and relaxed atmosphere. Can throughly recommend the cheese board.Great place to go in the summer but can't wait till the winter. Has two huge log burners so it must be a joy when it's cold and snowing