The Ships Tavern in Plymouth - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Visited for the carvery, made aware on arrival that the beef was quite tough due to change in supplier, but it was really tasty and not too bad! The veg was nice, and the gravy was lovely. We didn't have a pudding. The alcoholic drinks we had tasted very watered down sadly, the pub is old and ful, tables were clean and staff friendly. Would like to try the menu during the week.

Quick service when we entered, ordered drinks & paid for carvery before being given little tickets for the chef when going up for our meals. The tables were pretty full,but by the time we'd finished the place was empty!, even though we'd booked for 2 o'clock. The tables were so sticky our napkins had stuck to the table !, Food was ok, gammon & turkey was cooked very well & was lovely & soft, but beef was very chewy & couldn't eat it 😔. The Yorkshire puddings very impressive. Roast potatoes weren't really roast potatoes!, swede & carrot mix was watery, apart from that I enjoyed it,would go again if the place has been deep cleaned, new carpet & some paint would help a lot, plus more atmospheric lighting .

Fab food, atmosphere is old school pub style which I prefer. Staff are amazing. Great parking and a dog friendly area but dogs are welcome everywhere in the pub. Lovely beer garden.

Already had two carverys, booked again for another. Had pub food during the week and it was delicious. Staff were friendly and obliging.

Goodness. We read the reviews and heard from others about the place and had high expectations. Too high unfortunately. Perhaps it was an off night, but expensive watered down drinks, slow food service and lacklustre. A shame, will perhaps try again another day, but not for us this evening.

We were a party of 10, 3 of us had finished before the rest of the meals were brought out. We were charged for a pint and only got a half, the barmaid was new and she told us they were pints! Decor was from the 80's and everything was sticky!!!

Visited for food and drinks, big portions of good homemade pub food, great burgers and friendly service all in an old traditional pub setting.

Very disappointed with the carvery here. We paid £16.95 each for large carvery. Turkey was very tasty & soft, but not many veggies. And the place was absolutely filthy. Tables were sticky, carpet looked grubby. And the women's toilets were dire. Filthy. The doors were dirty, needed a good clean, we elbowed the doors. So 5/10. Not going there again.

Had the best meal was waiting until I tried both. But had a great carvery then I had the ribs such flavor both meals were great would highly recommend

Had an amazing carvery here but also had food from the pub menu on a weekday. Was fab in all aspects, definitely worth visiting.

Amazing service and delicious food from Darren from their newly fitted kitchen 🇿🇦🇿🇦🤘🏻🤘🏻

This was a good carvery, I like that there's a small or large plate option rather than 'kids' and 'adults'. All of the trimmings were decent, tasty and fresh, nothing soggy or stodgy. A good variety to choose from. A nice rich flavoured gravy and well stocked sauces for the full works. There were three meats on offer (beef, pork, turkey) served with the nice option of crackling as well. Massive Yorkshire pudding which was delicious. It's a really easy carvery, well designed to keep things moving, we had no wait at all but it was very quiet when we were there.

Great music, bettet atmosphere. Love it. Snack shack will not disappoint. Friendly staff and Dog friendly Fantastic carvery

Unfortunately, we were there for a wake.

2 great beer gardens. Food very good. Very pleasant visit

Lovely pub, very friendly and efficient

Nice venue for live bands.... Plenty of parking... Reasonable prices

Just wanted to say how happy I was with the the service I received from the landlord and her husband. They went out of their way to make me and my family feel welcome. As well as that they went out of their way to make my birthday celebrations top class. I would highly recommend this pub before any other pubs in Plymouth.

Decent beer and friendly staff, I'd have no qualms going back.

High quality Live music, and family friendly, so supervised teenagers welcome - THANKS! Great atmosphere, very friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

What an amazing visit we had to the local pub. The service was so welcoming and friendly. Family friendly restaurant too. The roast we had was top class and so worth it for such a small price too. Cold beers to top it all off. Don’t bother with any other of the local pubs as they they don’t come close this little gem. Would give 10 stars if possible

The landlady and landlord have turned that place around. What amazing people. Great atmosphere, awesome food and great value for money. A family pub where children are welcome. Live music, friendly people. Well worth dropping in whether its for a quick half or for somewhere to post up for the night. They can handle large parties too no problem. Top drawer

Nice pub inside. Staff rubbish, unfriendly and drink behind the bar

Much better than my last trip good food and service well done 👏

THE ships tavern is a good place for a pint in the evening after work

Used to be a amazing place but afraid to say it's gone down hill

Charge £15.99 for a bottle of wine that cost £4 in shops and only 8%. Then pours a different wine from what’s asked. Prices are to high. Surprised the place is still going. Shocking. And still advertising Carvery when haven’t done any in years. Will make sure people are aware of the terrible management is. Make sure you bring your own drink.

Excellent service, excellent food, and plenty of it! Good covid precautions in place. Will definately visit again.

Just been for our 5th week in a row; its become a bit of an addiction! These guys do 300 covers on a Sunday - I think that says it all! The price is excellent, food excellent, service excellent. Pub is dark and old fashioned but clean - staff are helpful and polite. We drive a 20 mile round trip to visit for lunch and will carry on doing so! 😋

Well worth a visit , whatever the occasion . I had my 60th birthday 🎂 party last weekend . Wonderful spread ( buffet ) great service and fun all round !!! Try the Sunday carvery too 😃. Mark the landlord will accommodate whatever the occasion and adapt to suit your needs and wishes . The function room is suitable for 20 - 50 or more . So cosy or bigger it feels right . Thankyou to everyone, Mark and his staff for such a great time ...

Great carvery today with new chef. Cheesy cauliflower cheese, crispy roast potatoes, four choices of meat and fresh green beans and carrots. with a lovely chocolate fudge cake and cream for desert. Would definitely try it out.

Fabulous Christmas Day lunch with exceptional service from the landlord Mark as well as all the bar/service staff. The carvery way exceeded our expectations and portion sizes left us feeling very full!! New Year didn’t disappoint either. Great band and buffet & the right number of people to create a party atmosphere whilst not having to wait to be served. Excellent service again with a particular shout out to the young blonde bar maid who, despite working all over the Christmas & new year, never failed to serve us with a smile.

The BEST Sunday dinner by far. So tasty! Proper home cooked food. We go most weekends. Always delicious

Eat here every few months and particularly on steak night, staff are always friendly and helpful. Good always comes out piping hot and very tasty. One thing I may suggest is on steak night maybe offer a children’s steak.

We went today for a Sunday Roast previously this meal has been very good. Today the vegetables were cold, Roast Potatoes were warm not crunchy, the Beef very rare I like mine cooked, the Pork was tough, the Ham was wet tasting, had some cheesy vegetables they were awful I was nearly sick. All in all was not impressed.

After a day out the family fancied a roast we decided on the ships tavern as many times before it was top notch. Highly recommended

The food was good. I do eat fish so had sea bass, it was delicious. The family had steaks, one found a bit of a rough cut but tasty. The others enjoyed. Staff all friendly and attentive. I would eat here again.

Sunday lunch, staff, venue and ambience all very good. Food brilliant. I think this is easily the best carvery in town, amazing choice and top quality, really well presented.

The buffet was great (very generous portions) and tasty! All the staff were friendly and accommodating.Thank you for making it a special evening for us all!

A great little pub. The restaurant is always busy Sunday lunchtime. We booked a table for 1.00pm. The restaurant was full but the main bar was almost empty so we moved to a table in the bar. Plenty of space. The chairs were low and the staff gave my mother a cushion. The food was very good - plenty of choice. Good value for the money. The weather was good so we took our drinks to the tables outside. There is a garden with more tables across the car park. My mother took a shine to the glass she was given with her G&T; and asked if she could pay for the glass. She was given one for nothing. One of our favourite places for Sunday lunch.

Excellent value Cooked from fresh to order Wide selection of beverages Now offering vegan and gluten free Amazing special board Freindly and welcoming 😁

Love this place. Staff are always welcoming, great to talk to and the chicken wings are something else. Hot as hell though be warned.

I usually visit this pub once a week for a drink and sometimes food, either with work colleagues, friends or my partner. The welcome is always warm and genuine, the staff are well trained, very polite and conversational and the owner and chef work hard to source quality local food which is cooked and presented really well.

El pub ha bajado significativamente en estándar en tan poco tiempo. Había poco o ningún ambiente en el pub y la comida era absolutamente sin sabor. Las mujeres detrás del bar eran bastante groseras y el servicio no estaba a la altura. No volveremos otra vez a menos que ocurra un cambio serio.

Ayer fuimos al almuerzo del día de su madre, nos recibió una encantadora camarera que nos acomodó rápidamente. El menú fijo tiene una selección encantadora para elegir y los niños aún pueden elegir el menú para niños.

Revisado este pub para un asador y encontró que conserva la atmósfera. Aunque estaba muy ocupado con una gran fiesta, encontramos que el personal mantuvo un servicio amable, cortés y servicial. La comida era de excelente calidad, aunque nuestras verduras estaban frías (llegó antes de que se repongan los platos). Sigue siendo una buena relación calidad-precio.

Having spent the day fitting out an office and warehouse. We went for a drink and meal. The greeting was great, service very good and the meal very enjoyable. Thank you.

We often go to the ship for a carvery. Always found the food lovely and only 6.99 for a senior. The waitresses are very pleasant and nothing is too much trouble. I

We used to have this pub as a favourite.

Excellent steaks again, the ribeye was delicious and cooked to perfection, one suggestion would be maybe adding a children’s steak option as my children kept nicking my life away! Staff as always were friendly and helpful.

We went for a carvery, food was nice, service level was ok but the young waitress did muddle the drinks orders. My main concern was the welcome we got from the lady serving behind the bar. Most unfriendly, felt almost like she was being rude.

The food was good but the old woman behind the bar was awful and not helpful at all.it was like it was a pain to actually serve anyone . Won't be coming here again

I took my 2 children last night, greeted by a lovely member of the team, took our drink orders promptly. I ordered the ribeye and my daughter had the sirloin, both came out slightly over cooked to what we asked but the taste was amazing, my ribeye in particular was yum. Always very relaxed in there and staff are always friendly.

The restaurant is a little dated but the Carvery provided is great quality and well cooked. The staff were all really friendly and accomodating of our large party.

Bar staff and waitresses were friendly, carvery food was hot and fresh although had to wait for some of the vegetables to be refilled. Some things a little overpriced for a pub but we enjoyed what we had

We went for a late lunch whilst we had visitors. We have eaten here so many times before and it’s been ok. Our latest visit was definitely an eye opener so much so we definitely won’t be returning.

A fun pub very friendly staff, Sunday lunch is great. The pub has quite a few bands playing every month some a free enter and some you pay to get in depending on the band. New year's eve is a blast and popular venue which is a ticket event. A good night out.

The cutlery was dirty. The waitress was rude. Despite being first in and ordering, it took 45 minutes for food to arrive. The steak knife struggled to cut through the steak because it was so tough so wasn't eaten. When we asked to take it off the bill we were told it was 2 for 1 so I'd only pay for one anyway. I refused and eventually was offered to pay half price for one meal. The ship is walking distance and could have been somewhere to eat on a regular basis, as it is we won't ever go back there. And after discussion with the table of 8 next to us, neither will they. Avoid!

We have just celebrated our golden wedding here, with 70 guests and a swing band. Mark, the Landlord, could not have been more helpful and accommodated our special requests willingly. The food was great , the staff willing and very friendly and respectful. I would certainly recommend this venue .

Great food, great value, great service!

I had the pleasure of visiting the Ships Tavern as part of a very large party (20+) on a Sunday.

well cooked & presented roast lunch, staff friendly. desert also if you have room after large lunch.

Came to The Ship on 25th March and bought two drinks. Unfortunately to find they over charged me when I checked my statement the following day. I paid with contactless pay so I did not check or was supplied with the card machine. I politely called them the following day to make them aware of their error and was accused by a gentleman called Mark that I must of bought more drinks. I asked him to review the CCTV should he dispute my claims and was told again in a rude manner that he did but not for £4.50. At the very least I would of expected a polite conversation. Luckily the bank are going to refund this amount and The Ship will ultimately have to claim this back.

As a trainer for Hearing dogs we were surprised that the restaurant did not allow the hearing dog in the restaurant but only in the designated dog area. We tried to point out that they were not right with their stance but they would not listen. We undertook research and it is the recipient which comes under the Legislation not the dog so therefore they should be able to sit where they choose.

Came for a large family function on a weekday.

Sadly outdated barmaid did not know what she was doing and kept on about food when we had said twice judt drinking

We had our wedding vow reception on Friday and can't fault the staff nothing was too much trouble.

Generally been disappointed by this place finding it to be a soulless let down but must give it credit for the catering and attention given to the post funeral gathering last week for a well loved friend and mentor whose packed out funeral was held at St Mathews barely five minutes walk away.

Went to the ship today with my partners family (8 of us altogether) we hadn't booked and it was very busy inside so we expected a bit of a wait but the lady that greeted us assured us that we would be seated shortly and asked if we would mind just getting a drink at the bar while we waited, didn't take any longer than 10 minutes to get us a table and I couldn't fault anything, all the staff were very attentive and ensured we were happy with everything. We all went for carvery and none of us were disappointed, fresh veg and a lovely selection of meat. Would 100% recommend and will be going again shortly!!

We booked in plenty of time for an extended family Christmas Eve meal. It’s the worst Christmas Eve meal we have ever had. The service was slow and the main meal was cold. The puddings were huge. The tables were really sticky and the bar stunk of stale beer.

Visited with my wife just before Xmas and the place hasn’t changed in 30 years but the carvery was fantastic...

I organised an night out for Older Gents. We'd been before and had a lovely meal our pre-booked and ordered...

My Mother recently visited with a group of friends for a roast meal. She was really disappointed as the meal...

This Pub with a long history of being a small village Ale house to coming to be a large pub on the outskirts of Plymouth. Yes it probably do with a touch up (most pubs do) retains an atmosphere of being a local pub, especially on weekday lunch times.

What a wonderful place to go for a meal, the food was exceptional and the price very reasonable, we were also most impressed with the tavern itself which has a nautical feel and cosy atmosphere.

Excellent food at reasonable prices, great for Sunday roast. Tried out their 2 4 1 meals, again food very nice, big portions,. Friendly staff, beer good to.

Went with my husband for a meal on a Friday night he had garlic mushrooms to start and I had soup which was carrot and coriander, his was lovely and tasty, my soup was far to thick and lumpy and didn’t taste nice at all it was more like a purée than a soup, for main course he had a spicy burger which he said was really nice I had steak fajitas that came on a sizzling plate with onions, peppers, dips and wraps it was very nice apart from the steak which was inedible it was so chewy and fatty which was a shame as the rest was lovely, I left the whole steak strips and no one questioned if it was nice or why it had all been left. Would return but not for steak or soup!

We have just visited your restaurant the meals were very good. While we were eating , the staff were very attentive. After our first course, we tried to get hold of someone to take our sweet order , and clear away our plates. We waited so long , no one came . So we just paid and left.

Friendly waitress, excellent food at reasonable prices. Would definitely recommend, and will be returning

We decided quite late 2.30pm whilst out on a Sunday to go out to eat. I checked the website and saw their serving times, knowing it gets busy I phoned up to check space. They had a table free and said no problem we'll hold it for you. We arrived, we were seated quickly and joined the queue for the carvery. Nothing ever seems to run low and food is constantly replenished. We weren't disappointed, a choice of 4 meats and veg selection. There's usually a lovely extra, this week was a sausage in mushroom and onion gravy, previously there's been a steak and onion gravy. We all left incredibly fat and full and happy. Ps no room for pudding.

Having eaten here on a regular basis as the food is good and the staff are friendly, I decided to take my granddaughter for lunch. They advertise two meal for the price of one, which again I have enjoyed on previous occasions with my husband.My granddaughter ordered a burger from the children menu (which is listed on the main menu) and I had a main meal. On paying I was informed that the children's meals did not fall into the two for one and had to pay full price for mine an £6.99 for hers, I did protest and state that if she had ordered a burger from the main menu it would have been include. My advise to any adult going with a child order their meal from the main menu and save yourself £6.99.

Another faultless visit to this lovely pub, this time with 2 friends and my disabled mum, staff were so friendly and welcoming, food was absolutely delicious as always, love this place

I agree with other reviewers the place is looking old and tired; I hadn't been here for about 10 years but the decor was exactly the same. The food was OK and good value as there is the 2 for 1 deal on main courses.

This is a regular and a really reliable local to us. Very friendly, week days has special offers on of buy one main course get one free. It was delicious pub food and had good Childrens meal.

Visited here today with friends and superb hospitality from the waitresses and the "boss"!! The food was excellent, especially the fajitas and lamb burgher. All food was well presented, well cooked and hot. Good selection of drinks, especially the merlot. Lovely place to eat, atmosphere really good. Will definitely recommend and return.

First visit there to eat, there were 3 of us and we all ate different meals. The bar staff were very friendly and helpful with nothing being too much trouble, albeit the drinks were a little expensive but I'm told they served an excellent pint of Carling by one of our group. A veggie option was cooked fresh as they had run out which was very tasty and worth the wait, the other 2 in the group thoroughly enjoyed their choices of gammon and liver and bacon. Will be going back!

Came for lunch, food was ok and it was relatively expensive for pub grub. The saving grace seems to be that they have a permanent 2 for 1 offer on the food. The decor is very tired and not very clean. It has a small outside area by the carpark for smokers which you have to pass to enter the pub.

My partner and I recently visited for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. We were really impressed and would come again. The only negative I found was that the atmosphere was a little flat, and you can tell it's a 'locals' pub. However, we were the only ones in there for food so perhaps that was why.We both had the lamb burger and it was lovely!! Considering all meals for 2 for 1, our meal was brilliant value. For the quality of food offered, we would definitely recommend and visit again.

We were recommended here and as it was Easter Sunday were unsure if we would be able to get a table. The staff were friendly and helpful .We had an excellent carvery for 8.95 each with a wide range of dishes. The only down side drink prices a little of the steep side paying about £9 for a glass of wine and pint of lager. But would definitely return

Not been to the ships tavern for some time,pleasantly surprised the food was good and was very pleased to find out that when you buy one meal you get the other completely free.I would suggest that the meal deal is better advertised as it is great value.Worth a visit.

Helpful girls serving , roast was good, a lot better than others locally, will be back again for sure

Came for a family meal on a Sunday and felt like we were imposing on a family by just turning up at their house and expecting food and drinks. The ladies behind the bar were unhappy and unhelpful, and sometimes rude like we were an inconvenience to them. The soft drinks tasted gassy but were replaced free of charge, my whole family felt uncomfortable at the bar and had to often repeat our orders even though it was fairly quiet and we weren't asking for anything unusual. The only positive things were the guy doing the carvery had a great sense of humour and the food was of a good standard. Not going to rush back as don't think I can be bothered with the hassle of feeling like unwelcome guests

One of the dearest pubs around, but a friend, who drinks here, recommended it some time ago, so one evening we MTBed it over from Woolwell.Once you get past all the scruffy smokers sat outside the front door, and the stench from the toilets, you're into the grotty Lounge area and on your way to the bar, if anybody lets you near it, that is.My inner self was shouting at me to turn back, but I'm an optimist.The staff can't seem to be ar5ed to dust the beer pumps, they are polite but unfriendly with customers.Oh well. Not a great start, but the food and drink will surely make up for it.Oh Christ. No!The Doom Bar ale was awful, so I swapped it for Otter which wasn't much better.The food isn't of very good quality, you must be an idiot to return and spend your hard-earned money there.Not only that but the kitchen staff stand behind the bar knocking shots back and swearing loudly at the end of their shifts.Pi55-poor behaviour.Nobody begrudges them an after-work drink, but this is too much.Having been previously a Pub and Hotel Owner, I have to wonder what sort of Management model is at work here.Are they trying to run the business into the ground?Never again.Never.Ever.Again.

Went this evening with all my family. They gave us a lovely big room, the carvery was on outstanding and tasted amazing and all the staff were so helpful carrying the older family's plates for them! My new favourite carvery destination 10 out of 10 thanks

2 4 1 off of the main menu (not the carvery) is great value for money and the meals are of a really good standard.Took some house guests their on a Sunday evening and they all said how much they enjoyed it as well.Always a friendly welcome.

I arrived at the pub with a few friends on a Wednesday night. On entering the pub you are greeted with a stench of urine from the gent's toilets. Not pleasant! We went into the main bar where there were only 3 other people. The bar staff served our drinks looked overjoyed to actually serve someone. I ordered a coffee which would have been an ok cup apart from the mouthful of coffee grains I got when I reached the bottom, yuk! We browsed the menu as we were feeling peckish. The menu has a nice selection of dishes. I went off to the ladies to 'powder my nose' and was utterly disgusted at the state of the ladies toilets. Faeces was around the rim of two of the three toilets which looked and smelt like they hadn't been cleaned for months. Only one soap dispenser had soap in it and that was a struggle to get out. I couldn't get out fast enough. Went back to my friends and told them of the state of the loos. Now, rule of thumb for girls is that if the loos are dirty then the kitchen probably is too. We decided to get out of there quick. So Landlord take note. If you're wondering why your pub is empty - try giving the place a deep clean.

Having enjoyed carverys at this pub over a period of about 3 years my family and I went for a birthday celebration today.As always the food is second to none and today was no exception. The person serving my drinks order could have tried to be a little more pleasant but this was more than compensated for by the gent serving the carvery who,as always, was his usual jovial self. The landlord (the aforementioned gent) has always put himself about to greet us whenever we have set foot in his premises and certainly helps to make the occasion very agreeable.I certainly can't agree with a lot of the negative comments made in feedback recorded previously but each to his own I suppose.

Visited with my family for the Sunday Carvery. The staff were friendly and helpful - could not fault them. The food was okay but not great. Unfortunately, we will not be re-visiting as the place was filthy and run down. The toilets were dirty, tables sticky (I had to wipe our table with a baby wipe and it was black!) and everywhere you looked just needed a good clean. The baby change mat had to go on the floor and the floor was so dirty. As I was queuing I could not help but notice how dirty the floor was and the extractor hood was so dusty. This is a real shame, as this could be a lovely pub.

This was my second visit to this pub in 2016 and unfortunately it will be the last one. We booked the function room for our annual Boxing Day meal with the larger family and right from the start there was problems, the table plan had not been adhered to, the waitress was miserable, their coffee machine broke but it took 3 replacement coffee's for them to notice, bar staff friendly but not that clever (struggled to understand what a cappuccino was), the bill at the end was wrong and it was a nightmare to get the waitress to get it right, there was more smokers at the entrance then usual which filtered back into the pub. A few positives the food was good again and drinks were a reasonable price, the man serving the carvery like last time was a pleasure wish the rest of the staff had paid attention to his attitude! I wish the pub all the best as it has served us for many boxing day meals but we are not coming back.

The new menu has good choices and the food is tasty. The offer of 2 for 1 makes the food good value. The Carvery at the weekends is good quality and has an amazing array of vegetables on offer that are not sloppy like you find at some carverys.