The Sawmills in North Devon

We found this gem on our recent holiday. The location is great and the pub has a lovely welcoming feel to it. We visited twice and had a great meal on both occasions.

Lovely site, be great for an Al fresco drink or dinner on summers evening. Food excellent especially compared to other restraints in the area. We dined on a Sunday evening out of season so it was understandably a reduced menu but don't let that put u off as selection still good and roast dinner was still available at 7pm. We ordered a variety of dishes between us and was all excellent and tasted like it was prepared by people with real passion to please. Ordered side of fries as was really hungry and instantly regretted this as was greeted with biggest portion of restaurant fries I've seen in my life (I genuinely thought our server had made a mistake and put us down for extra fries for everyone! ) All staff welcoming,helpful and service was excellent. Drink selection is great, nice atmosphere and dog friendly Popping in again this week

Great pub up the hill from combe martin. Excellent food, good beer and a very nice clean pub. Staff warm and friendly. 👍👍👍

We were staying locally and popped in for Sunday lunch. Had a fabulous meal. Service was impeccable. If you’re in the area it’s a must. Thanks

Really nice place and food was fantastic

Had the most delicious meal. Quality and quantity first class. Highly recommended

Lovely pub and restaurant great food and lovely decor Very friendly staff

We stayed in room 1 for 2 nights. Clean with big comfy (soft) bed with crisp sheets and fluffy towels. Loved the fact the pub was full of dogs. Breakfast delicious. Cooked with vegetarian options. Food was lovely as were the staff. About a 15 min walk to broadsands beach which was amazing. Hearing the owls at night was lovely. Will be back.

Stunning location with welcoming and friendly staff .with great value food

Lovely place staff and food very good highly recommend a visit never used rooms

Nice large place, semi rustic decor, with interesting old artefacts. We only had soup and drinks, soup was far too creamy for a low cholesterol diet!

Good food and great service. Came highly recommended & didn't disappoint. Booking recommended.

We went there for lunch and everything was cooked to perfection 👌

Wonderful breakfast, and the rest of the menu looked good. Nice friendly staff.and a fantastic view. Definitely recommend a visit

Family holiday, and we stopped to eat here. The place was welcoming and couldn't fault the food. Staff were polite, friendly, and helpful. We enjoyed it so much, we went back later in the week for another family meal. Dogs are welcome, too.

Stayed here for 3 nights early August. I know the area and my family were staying on the caravan park across the road so I thought this would be perfect. How right I was. I'm disabled and my son had visited the pub and asked about parking prior to my visit. When I arrived there were cones reserving a space for me by the door! Good start! My room was just lovely. Comfortable bed with crisp white sheets and a lovely ensuite shower room with big fluffy towels. Breakfast was amazing, the best I've had at any hotel. Beautifully hot and plentiful. My family joined me for breakfast one morning and an evening meal. Again the food was superb. We had nachos to share and they were lovely with plenty of dips. The main courses were plentiful and tasty and my chicken dish was really good. John and his staff looked after me really well. Special thanks to the lady who always seemed to be there!!! And the lady with wavy blonde hair who waited on us in the evening. I'd recommend this pub to anyone who wants a comfortable stay and good food!!

Good location, food ok, but a little pricey. Nice to eat by the river. Parking available but a little tricky.

The Sawmills is a warm, welcoming place to stay, eat or both and in a great location for sightseeing. The staff are so helpful and friendly nothing was too much trouble . The manager John was wonderful. We had breakfast and evening meals there, and the food was delicious, and the portions were large. The rooms are lovely suitable for just one night or a few days. They are clean, teas, coffees etc are well stocked. The shower was lovely and hot. We will definitely be returning.

Lovely to see that Sawmills are back to where they should be since covid.

Delicious food in beautiful surroundings.

Good staff, good location and lovely food👍

Very nice place, good cream tea and incredibly friendly staff.....even brought my dog out a bowl of iced water.

Stopped in here for dinner, gets very busy so advise booking. The staff were very helpful and found us a table in the restaurant area. The food was excellent and portions sizes are large definitely didn't leave feeling hungry! Pub grub at its finest! If I'm in the area again will definitely be stopping in again

Perfect location if staying in watermouth camping site

Had an excellent meal service was spot on by very friendly staff

Very nice pub. The food is well prepared and presented. The staff are friendly and helpful.

Visit Sawmills every time I come to ilfercombe and it never disappoints. Great good, staff and atmosphere. Special mention to Frankie, she is naturally friendly and welcoming. She has served us last year and on our visit this year. Thank you.

Really decent portions and quality for price! Comfortable seating inside and out. Great service, can’t complain.

Brilliant Sunday lunch the best around good great 👌 👍

We went there as it had my boyfriend's favorite pale ale 'Tribute' and it was comfortable and welcoming.

Rude staff. Not very welcoming. Your told what your having basically instead of having a choice.

As an early evening walk in, we were warmly welcomed and despite reservations, they found us an inside table. Service quick and friendly, good good and the banoffe pie lived up to its legendary status. Only downside, but not for everyone is that dogs are allowed inside, when there really is sufficient outside space to give a dog free area.

What a gorgeous setting for breakfast or lunch ..friendly helpful staff great breakfast .. booking reccom ended for lunch carvery on Sunday

Went here for my Partners Birthday meal, and we were certainly not disappointed. Quite possibly the best traditional fish and chips I've ever had the pleasure of eating. The fish in season was the haddock, which was quite popular at multiple restaurants in the area for late June/early July, however the Chef at the sawmill has set the standard very high. My partner had the pie which was simply delicious. Subtly rich in flavour, flaky pastry, and not an ounce of fat on the meat filling at all. Beautifully cooked. I would not usually go into so much detail about "pub" food, but it was tremendous for the price. If you're down near Combe Martin on holiday, you would definitely be missing out on a wonderful meal if you don't go here for dinner. Thank you to the kind staff and praise to the owner and chefs who have absolutely perfected creating a wonderful restaurant.

Fantastic meal, we had fish chowder and crab tagliatelle, and aswell as being delicious, it was a very generous portions, staff were friendly and helpful, can't fault it!

Just up on the main road out of Hele Bay to Combe Martin. A lovely modern take on a saw mill. Dog friendly! Loads of outside seating in a beautiful setting with a stream....staff are amazing, great customer service, great food, beautiful place 😍 definitely coming again! X

I went for Sunday lunch on 2 recommendations that the beef is good. I'm glad I did. Living locally, I can confirm it is the best Sunday lunch in the area. Thoroughly enjoyed all of it. Service was good, and it felt like some of the pre-covid Sawmills vibe was back. Will definitely make it a regular Sunday destination.

Delicious fresh food! Large portions and friendly staff

Came in to the pub and restaurant part as we had missed the bus. We where sat down very quickly in a lovely part of the restaurant. The decor and view is beautiful. Food was delicious and bought out within about ten minutes. Would definitely miss the bus again.

Nice pub (not a hotel Google) in a good location with plenty of room inside and a good amount of outside seating too. The menu is varied and the food is very good. The car park can fill up quite quickly, but you can park in the side road opposite, though that is limited with it becoming narrow away from the junction.

Only had burger, but a good one. Pricey though and menu not best. Some weird stuff on there.

Great food and generous portions. Obviously used to catering for hikers and surfers. We had done neither but are just fatties. Delicious.

Good pub food with friendly service. Dog friendly.

Amazing Sunday lunch! You must go! Highly recommended.

Top quality restaurant. Very welcoming and friendly. Great value for money. Fantastic options. Well done, team Sawmill.

Food was great. Service was excellent.

Been to this place a couple of times while on holiday. Their food is lovely. I get the Lasagne and it's the best Lasagne I've ever had. Inside and outside is beautiful. Can't wait to go back 😁

Really tasty food and generous portions. We went there twice during our holiday and can thoroughly recommend a visit. Dog friendly, too!

Enjoyed a meal here last night. Food was top notch. Service was a little hit and miss but we certainly would be back if in the area. I had the steak, Guinness and black pudding pie and it was fab. Meat was very succulent. We also had the famous bannoffee pie and that was also top notch!

We visited three times during our holiday, and it is our visit on our last night that prompts this review. I had already reviewed on TA, but had to put this out there... Firstly, this place is exceptional on every level. The food, the environment and surroundings, the staff and the service, I literally couldn't suggest any improvements. Secondly, I was served the best (and I don't say this lightly!) baked lemon curd cheesecake ever! So lemony, creamy and biscuity, you couldn't want for more from a cheesecake! During our trip, between us we had burgers, sweet potato curry, ribs, nachos, steak and black pudding pie, and a beef chilli burrito bowl. The only other thing to say, is make sure you book!

Food was lovely, Unfortunately found the lady with short blond hair to be quiet abrupt, not very welcoming. The gentleman with the dark hair and beard (Will) was alot nicer, made me fell more welcome! If it wasn't for Will I probably wouldn't come back. Thank you Will

Booked here for our last out on our holidays. Partners pie was what won the 4th star as he said it was really delicious and the "local legend" banoffee pie at the end was tasty too. My vegan burger was OK, but was really quite burnt/well done around the edges. The service however wasn't great, took a while for food to come out but we didn't mind waiting too much. However, no one came to check how the food was or if we would like more drinks. When we finished we were left sitting there for a long time. We had to ask someone if they wouldn't mind clearing the plates and if we could have a dessert menu. The service was just a bit lack lustre and wouldn't encourage me to recommend it to friends. They are dog friendly which is a plus for us, though didn't seem to be overly fussed about having dogs in.

Great pub and great food, staff friendly and helpful, parking is limited but we always seem to find a space. I recomend the homemade steak guiness and blackpudding pie, very nice indeed.

Stopped with family for a drink, told no tables available (4pm) so sat outside despite the place being practically empty. Started to rain heavily so headed inside. Stood at the bar to finish a drink but kept being told we had to move for service. No option of table, even though the majority were still empty. VERY rude staff and management.

Sadly we were not impressed by the food sold here. The food was bland and for the money they charged I really expected better. Maybe they were having a bad day in the kitchen but I won’t be eating there again.

Dog friendly pub serving good food, large portions, Sunday lunch impressive.

Stopped for dinner, having passed it the day before. Modern clean and very in keeping with its surroundings. Meals are amazing, and the side of chips was more a main so large was the serving. Very nice indeed.

Great place for just a drink, lunch or dinner, good outside seating area

We had Sunday lunch and it was absolutely brilliant. Its all lovely but I highly recommend the vegetarian pie. The atmosphere is relaxed and staff are really friendly.

Had a fabulous Roast today. Really lovely inside and out. Staff excellent

Friendly staff and great food. Thank you.

Fabulous food and fantastic service - highly recommended!

Nice food, Nice dog friendly pub , nice location, decent ish service. Expect to pay a little more, but I feel the owners are being pure greedy , the prices are astronomical. You can dine in the centre of London cheaper

Nice atmosphere and good ale and excellent food, very pleasant service

We just had an amazing Sunday lunch, kids roasts are a big portion, adults portions don’t leave much room for pudding. All come with a good selection of veggies, cooked to perfection! Staff were very helpful as we hadn’t booked. Defiantly a hidden gem, make sure your hungry before you come!

We stayed at a campsite down the road, it’s quite a nice looking pub and the food did look good. The price however not so much… we ordered a few drinks and exclaimed to the barkeep how expensive it was, they agreed! Don’t even look at the food prices 🫣 was really warm and cosy during the hai, rain and wind we’ve had recently.

Just had the most amazing carvery. Loads of meat (had lamb) lovely veg. A very warm welcome. Friendly staff. Would definitely recommend it. Whenever I'm down this way, again will definitely be returning.

Nicely nestled pub, with walking routes nearby. Stopped off for a cream tea, which was fantastic. The scones were super soft and served warm.

The food was very nice, didn't stay there

Having been to many different pubs over the years for sunday roasts, i would have to say this is hands down the best I've had. Big portions, locally sourced food and friendly staff. Some reviews I've read mention its pricey but for what you get its bang on the money. Location is good as wel.

After a major dip in the early 2020's the Sawmills is back. Excellent Sunday Roast today, absolutely delicious, top quality well cooked beef with tasty veggies and sides.

Review when out of season (between Christmas and New Year). Perfect location for me as family live close by. Menu, service and food really good despite the venue being let down by suppliers the day we attended. Stayed overnight. Room was spacious with everything you need for a comfortable stay. Single duvets and large double bed. Love that some of the other rooms were dog friendly. Not a traditional bed and breakfast location, yet breakfast consisted of packaged and fresh croissants, fruit, breakfast bars and porridge pots. Entry via the bar or via the separate entrance to just the guest rooms.

Had a lovely family meal just before Christmas. Food was 10/10. Staff where great. Definitely will be heading back when I visit my son in the new year

It’s lovely IF it’s ever open. It’s shut most of the time I try to visit.

Great little place on the road to Combe Martin Food is standard fayre burgers and grill. Some nice touch3s inside but felt a little pretentious and clinical for a holiday destination. Tables all lined up and greeted at the door so can't fault it but didn't feel welcoming. Bar staff were great and drink selection is good. Could just do with a little bit of atmosphere.

Lovely place,but shockingly expensive drinks !! Maybe that was the reason at 8pm on a Friday night we were the only people there. Been to plenty of 5 star hotels that provide cheaper drinks.We had a small bottle of prosecco(one and a third glasses) and a pint of carlsberg and it came to £16.90. I couldn't help but feel I've been horrendously ripped off,won't be returning, you have been warned....

Very warm and welcoming staff. Food was also great

Amazing food and generous portion sizes

Good food great service and lovely location will be back

We stopped here for a pint after completing a tough coast path hike, loved sitting on the deck in the autumn sun

We have been for Sunday lunch at Sawmills for the last few years when holidaying nearby and the food is always amazing. A limited menu outside of the Sunday roast if that’s your thing but the alternatives are just as good. Really nicely set out with friendly staff and a great drinks selection.

Lovely pub which is quite local to us. Nice chilled out atmosphere and the food and service are excellent

Fuimos al restaurante a probar el típico Roast Beef del domingo, fue una buena experiencia. El lugar el bonito y muy tranquilo.

Visited the Sawmills a couple of times when on holiday a very nice pub with a goof atmosphere and a decent selection of beers.

Very nice place. Dog friendly. We were recommended to eat here from some regular campers. It was our first time and was impressed by the quality of the food. We had the lobster and sea-bass. Very tasty.

Great find, able to sit outside with the dogs, had a quick drink before going for a walk, came back after the walk and had lunch. Food was lovely, service was excellent.

Great food, top drawer service, great location

Food was great, service was a bit slow but not terrible. Lovely location as well.

Went for a birthday lunch. Lovely meal, lovely atmosphere and the staff were friendly and attentative

A beautiful old fashion looking, but modern, staff friendly, fabulous location

Went for food. Was fast service and absolutely delicious.

Food is lovely lovely freehouse would have got 5+ for service other then maim meals had to big of a gap with other members in our party

Stopped in fir lunch whilst it was hooting down with rain, welcoming staff, dog and child friendly, spacious interior and good pub food with generous portions. Beer was good too.

Pleasant drink only spoilt by vaping/smoking at bar.

Lovely staff, lovely food and lively selection of drinks and puddings. Easy parking and great for small or large groups.

Just a 300 yard walk from our campsite we stayed at. Lovely drink and food

The food was really good. We had the bangers and mash and the Mac and cheese. Excellent. Dillon was our server and he was brilliant, always checking to make sure we had drinks and the that the food was good. He was so friendly and welcoming. Would definitely visit again due to his good service ! Thumbs up to him :)

Lovely restaurant in one of my favourite locations,

Really Really good food with great service and in a nice place 👍

Lovely place, pub food at restaurant prices though.