The Sportsman's Inn in South Hams

Awesome. Don’t judge a book by its cover. I arrived late evening for work over a couple of days. The staff couldn’t have been more welcoming and helpful from getting me a taxi late evening at the train station to helping me get to my work venue in the morning. I had arrived past restaurant hours but the staff were more than happy to prepare food if I had wanted. I was also given a local delicacy from a local. I’m normally a poor sleeper but slept so well. Whilst the rooms at first appearance look a little dated the bed is so so comfy. The room also spotlessly clean. The question is - what’s more important to you - a great nights sleep or a sterile environment with mod cons? Sadly the first morning I didn’t have chance to sample the breakfast- I didn’t have time to wait. They have a sign saying ‘We don’t serve fast food. We serve fresh food as fast as we can”. Suffice to say I ordered my breakfast for the following morning before I went to bed so it was ready for me when I needed it. Now for the highlight DINNER. I eat a lot and this is definitely one of the best meals I had in a long time. Not the usual processed pub food. The main(stuffed chicken with root veg and dauphinois potatoes was delicious. I never order dessert but felt I had to - the main was so good. The sticky toffee pudding did not disappoint. Overall a really great stay. Thanks so much

Booked short notice for business trip. Nice respectable pub, with lovely staff, and a great ambiance. Carpark round the back which I liked. I ordered the Steak, which was the best I’ve eaten in years, very good quality. And the breakfast was equally delicious too. So hats off to the Chef. The room was lovely and clean, and I got a great nights sleep. All in all, a great experience, and I would defo come again .

First time we have been here and I must say it was very enjoyable, rooms clean, staff very friendly and food was excellent we will definitely be using again.

Lovely friendly staff, room clean. Old furniture, could feel springs in the mattress, walls paper thin - can hear neighbours peeing. On a noisy road but ok unless you need to have the window open. Doors heavy and slam when shutting them even when trying to be quiet - I get they’re fire doors but still super heavy and loud. Separate bathroom - old decor, smelled of greasy pub, previous guests hairs on the sink - vile. Toilet flush - works after about 3 - 4 tries. English breakfast wasn’t the best. Won’t stay again.

tried to book via agoda paid 63 for one night and the hotel cancelled it without telling me because they hadnt updated their prices on line.called twice and got a very dismissive reply ,most unprofessional avoid at all costs

We was ignored by staff for 20 minutes people came in 15 minutes after us served straight away been there many times with friends i will not be returning

My family and I went here tonight to have a meal and catch up. However, due to the 5 bag pipes and drummer that were playing we were unable to hear ourselves think, let alone hear each other. It would have been polite to have been prewarned when booking or before having our meal. One female member of staff was incredibally rude,to my mum telling her she was disrespectful because she didnt like the noise of the bagpipes. She told my mum Ivybridge was a military town 😂😂😂 and that it was a military band. It was clear that the landlord was not interested in our complaint, he came over and said something but we were unable to hear him due to the noise. The only member of staff who was polite and sympathetic and who apologized profusely was the manager. I suffer with anxiety and PTSD unexpected noises are a trigger for me, I left most of my meal as i just wanted to leave. To the chef the food was fantastic, we all enjoyed the food. We would have stayed for more drinks and deserts had this noise not been present. A small pub isnot the place for bagpipes and drums. We will not be back and will not recommend this pub to anyone we know.

We are just checking out of this fantastic hotel. We booked a night away due to a meeting today close by. Instantly made to feel welcome by Jan! She looked after us the whole evening! Owner/bar man Bill - great guy! Thanks for making us welcome also. Room was nice and clean, comfy bed! Very friendly cleaners on our way out. Food was absolutely fantastic, all freshly cooked and very generous portions. We had the steak and trimmings then a full ‘Devon’ fry up. We will be highly recommending and look forward to coming back. Emily 😄😄

Photos say it all! Absolutely filthy in every inch of the room even the tv remote had years of grime embedded into it. Fixtures literally falling off the walls, shower curtain brown, grime in the shower, toilet brush revolting. Really stuffy and extremely noisy from lorrys and traffic. Broken bed and matress that creaked all night, its safe to say the worst nights sleep and hotel ive ever stayed in. The advertised photos of this hotel are not reality, and no carvery in sight! At almost £100 a night this is a rip off. I have no words, as i said the photos say it all.

Restaurant brilliant try the onion rings best ever and burgers are good too. Staff are so friendly especially Sharon 😊

The owners at the Sportsman’s in were nothing less than terrific and were a great sigh of relief on my first day visiting the UK. I had a long day travelling from America, I was tired and famished, so stopped at the Sportsman’s Inn. When I asked about taxi’s to get me home the owner (Doh) explained the taxi’s have stopped for the evening. She must have seen how disheartened and disappointed I was, as I could do the walk to where I was staying. Unbelievably, she told me relax, order a nice meal and her husband would give me a ride (and she wouldn’t take any money for her generous offer.) The food was excellent, I ordered scampi and chips and Doh made sure I understood this was fried food, which I very much appreciated. Excellent food, scampi was done just right and the chips were crisp and not greasy. The food portions were generous, I was starved, I could not finish my meal. Great atmosphere, highly recommend.

We stayed here for two nights. The pub has good character, is very clean and has very good, friendly staff. Breakfast was very good. We ate in the restaurant on one evening, but thought that £60+ was a rather high price for a pint of beer, a bottle of cheap sauvignan blanc (£19.50 - the cheapest wine!), two battered cod and chips and two desserts; no coffee. The food was OK, although the batter could have been crisper. Service was very slow - over half an hour. The real problem was that the room which was quite small overlooked the main road. It was impossible to have the window open due to the noise (we did try it), so on a very warm night it was absolutely stifling - not helped by the extremely thick duvet! Other guests told us that they had the same problem. So disappointing.

I delievered a motorhome to a customer in Ivybridge and needed somewhere to stay. I live in Harrogate The bad weather in Feb mean't the 1st attempt to deliver was cancelled Unfortunately Booking.com rules mean't I was going to be charged a cancellation fee The team at the Sportsmans came up trumps I rearranged the date of stay, they put in place all necessary Covid protocols and my son and I had a lovely nights sleep and they sorted everything out with Booking.com so I was not out of pocket Very helpful and the room was clean, tidy and just what we needed Thankyou

Normally a good pub for a decent meal but on a recent Sunday carvery was served on cold plates and the meat was carved so thin it would blow of the plate. Come on Sportsman’s meat has never been cheaper don’t act as if it’s on ration. Exmoor Farmer

The Sportaman's Inn has long been in the hearts of locals of Ivybridge Bill the owner has been around for 35plus years trying this, trying that and still you get good value for your pound. The food is good and hearty you will not be disappointed the hotel side is very clean and comfortable I have many people come to Ivybridge on business and they always stay at the Sportsman.

Stayed for 2 nights in room 412. The staff here are so friendly and attentive and couldn't be more helpful. The hotel is above the main bar area but is separated by doors which you need the room key to access. It has a large free car park and free WiFi throughout if you can't get 4g... The bar is huge and well stocked and the resturant has an extensive menu for all tastes. The breakfast is part help yourself and the staff will take your cooked order ie a full English..I thought the food was excellent and really enjoyed the full English. There is also the usual selection of cereals and juices and also toasters if you want to do toast. Tea and coffee is brought to your table. We had a party of 8 for an evening meal and everyone enjoyed it. I was surprised how busy this place gets particularly as it was a mid week stay. The room we had was a good size but was overlooking the main busy road. However double glazed windows resolves most of the early evening and morning rush hour noise. We had a bath in our room which was nice as well as a shower above. Small toiletries were provided but we always bring our own. The towels were big and fluffy like the ones you get in top hotels! Overall a great place that is functional and not flash but considering the price you cannot do better. I understand that those who like walking up the moor stay here as it's close to the footpaths etc. 5 min stroll takes you into the town of Ivy bridge. Here you will find a few supermarkets and eateries including a decent indian restaurant. When we come again to meet with family we will be back.

Although the restaurant was fully booked, the friendly but busy waitress found us a table elsewhere in the pub. The menu offered fairly standard pub food and we decided upon gammon and rump steaks, lasagne and a burger. All were beautifully cooked and tasty. We also attended a birthday party at The Sportsman's in July and were amazed at the buffet they provided - first class.

Came here with the missus. Hadn't pre booked so asked if any tables were available, thankfully there were plenty and waitress pointed to one we could use so we went and sat down whilst she got us some menus.For starters i had The breaded mushrooms with garlic mayo (£5.90) and partner had Devilled Whitebait with garlic mayo (£6.90). Mushrooms were very nice and very hot and a good size portion, didn't get full before main which is good but certainly didn't feel cheated. Whitebait was nice and again good size portion. We did take awhile to eat are starters, just enjoying the food and each others company. could tell we were being watched by the waitress and could hear chefs calling to her from kitchen if ready to go with food yet. understand want to get food out and appreciate wouldn't want the customer to be left waiting to long but may be try to be a bit more subtle if have kitchen door open? also wounder if mains were ready to go out before we fished starters or just waiting to put it on as after staters my partner went out of a vape between courses and main was served soon as she came back and sat down so do have to wounder if food sat out long or not?I had Grilled Gammon with pineapple £11.90 (can be served with eggs instead) comes with chips, peas, mushrooms, tomato and onion rings. certainly can't complain about the portion size, no one is going home hungry after that dish. Gammon and everything with it was lovely and delicious with exception of the peas (sound like old man now) but did find them to be bit hard and maybe over boiled? but a very small minus as everything else was excellent. Partner had the Lasagne with garlic bread and salad (£9.90). found that the lasagne was quite chewy on top and tasteless and garlic bread was to hard, unforgettably left most of Lasagne and Garlic bread but did like the salad and dressing. no opportunity to mention about lasagne to waitress as never came back to ask if meals o.k after serving and getting sauces. All in all a pleasant evening and good size food portions for fair prices...but wouldn't recommend lasagne.

Treating the family to an evening meal was a joy here. Youthful but friendly, helpful staff made our visit a good experience and we look forward to returning.

Stayed here for a night after a long Dartmoor hike. Thoroughly enjoyable stay. The food was very good with generous portions. I had the sirloin and my son had pasta. Both well cooked and presented.Very friendly and courteous staff. Great atmosphere in the bar with some of the locals playing cards and a nice layout inside with a mix of seating. Stool, chairs sofas. Definitely recommended and a welcome oasis after a couple of days hiking.

My impression of The Sportsman's Inn was that I had walked into a time capsule from the 60's or 70's. That has a certain charm. It felt like it had seen better days, but it served it's purpose well. The staff was friendly.

Just the place for a light snack after a few beers , sadly this was anything but light. And my frustration boiled over , In protest I returned my plate empty . That will show em I thought .

We visited today very impressed with service food and lovely dining area Will certainly be coming back Many Thanks

Lovely carvery excellent value for money best in the area.&( I have tried them all) Very friendly staff,will definitely visit again, great atmosphere.

Rude staff, a coffee machine that wasn’t switched on and it seemed too much effort to do so, no high chairs provided, missed meals from the order (a 3 year old had to wait 15 minutes after everyone else for his meal and no apology was given) and perfectly average food.

Went here for sunday roast and for meal with my brother when him and his family were over from ireland. Very tasty food, good price, family run.

Food Was Amazing So Tasty I Had Ham Egg And Chips And I Have Also Had Burger And Chips, And Also A Desert And All Was Very Nice, staff are so polite and very friendly, and prices are outstanding.

We booked a family carvery on a Sunday afternoon not a special occasion just a gathering. I have been to this place about 6 year's ago and wasn't at all impressed then, so I wasn't overly excited when I was told this was the venue for our lovely autumn catch up carvery. I have 2 children 1 & 3 and my brother has two children newborn & 3 years old. On arrival I ran ahead to try to organise some high chairs when I entered it was like something from a film locals only everything stopped and looked with concern at my unfamiliar face. I then waited about 6 minutes at a counter where a host shuffled papers and didn't look up until my attention grabbing 3rd cough. I said we have a table of ten booked can I get some highchairs at the table she looked at me like I had insulted her and said I quote "We don't do highchairs?" To my utter amazement. They lost my custom that day at that point of appalling customer service. The reason there was no highchairs was muttered as something to do with the EU?? And being sued by customer's who's children hurt themselves on the chairs... I'm sorry but that's rubbish every other restaurant I have ever been to since being a parent (we eat out alot) have managed to avoid the EU highchair problem that causes the Sportsman Inn so many issues with accomodating families.

We went for a roast meal and was very good food but the service was poor. Only one lady to serve the whole place and no highchair for small kids which was really disappointing as we had a child with us.

If you dont want all the luxuries of a top hotel and just need a room for the night thats clean and comfortable then this is the place to go , its a little dated but the comfy bed and lovely breakfast far out weighed being a bit tired and dated.

The room had recently been upgraded and quite sufficient. A bar with good choice of beers, food available throughout the day and a very reasonably priced roast. Most of the staff offered good service.

We have visited Ivybridge many times when visiting our daughter and have always enjoyed our stay there. The breakfasts are very good and you can also get a good evening meal there.

Well what can i say about this place!! Stopped off on way back from torquay and never again. My meal was just about average and so was my mother in laws, we both had fish and chips. My fiance meal was horrible, he ordered the chilli burger and it was disgusting, the bap was rock hard, burger was like it had come out of microwave then to top it off, the lady who was seated us did not even come and ask us if everything was OK with our meals! Then again after we had finished she came to collect our plates she never asked us if everything was OK!!!!! What an alwful experience on our first visit here! We will be telling people we know about this pub! Avoid this pub, there are much nicer pubs/restaurants around.

Food....mediocre at best, breakfast shocking

Not been here for some years. It has been updated with the decor from how I remember it. The seating was comfortable, and being a quiet evening the service was prompt. I can recommend the lamb shank served with mash and separate dish of vegetables. Our friends enjoyed their chicken and mushroom dish. There is also a Hotel and I noticed some guests dining in. It is well established and the owners have been here for many years. There is entertainment on Saturday nights.

Good meal starting with a choice of breakfast porridge to a full English. And a good dinner I recommend the ham, peas and chips

We popped in on the off chance of an evening meal. We had a lovely welcome. The service was excellent I had fish and chips. It was the best fish I had had for a long time.

On the plus side: clean, warm and showers hot. Staff pleasant and friendly. The smoked salmon and scrambled egg breakfast was good. However, pretty run-down feel to it and a small room for the money. Shower panels are great but these had been installed badly and looked tatty. Poor value considering our two previous B&Bs; on the Two Moors Way were much better and cheaper. We had a room at the side which had triple glazing which kept out the traffic noise - could be noisy in summer if you wanted to open the windows.

I booked this over the phone for a night as we had a hot air Balloon trip early the next day. The bed was incredibly uncomfortable. the springs could be felt and heard with any movement. For somewhere that was £80 for the night, it was run down and dirty. Breakfast could not be provided before 7.30. They did provide an packed breakfast. We did not eat there .

A while ago I rated this establishment a mediocre place that was improving with good points but the main man Bill Boss has changed the whole scenario, not only has he managed to improve the internal ambience but he has also seemingly injected a feeling of homeliness into the overall pub/restaurant, It hits you as soon as you walk in with the addition of very comfy leather sofas and low tables for your drinks, Staff seem to have been re-trained and meals and drinks can be ordered from the bar or comfy seats without having to actually be present in the newly refurbished eating quadrangle.

If you haven't visited the Sportmans recently I would recommend popping in. We have eaten at least 5 times over the last month and each dinner has been thoroughly enjoyed and been of excellent value. In particular was the steak and wine night on the last Saturday of each month. The steaks were perfection. We are a working couple who like to pop into the local pub for a bit of 'tea' at least once a week. Nothing too expensive, but good home cooked food above a weatherspoons standard but still reasonable. The Sportsmans has nailed it. And the new interior makes it all the more inviting. Hooray!

Nos alojamos 22 de julio de 2017. Está a sólo 20 minutos a pie de la estación y a 5 minutos a pie del centro.

El Sportsmans Inn está idealmente situado para explorar el sur de Devon, hay buenas habitaciones, un agradable bar, un personal magnífico entusiasta para asegurar que su visita va bien.

La ubicación es estupenda, en el centro de Ivybridge es ideal si estás visitando la ciudad.

Stayed for one night as seeing a show at the nearby Watermark. Although accommodation and furnishings somewhat dated and tired, everything was spotlessly clean and tidy. Traditional old pub accommodation. Lovely friendly staff and amazing food. Would definitely stay again if in the area.

Friendly staff, nice food clean place to eat. This pub is not full of drunk people falling all over. Children are allowed tell 9 so great for a reasonably priced family meal.

Un poco decepcionado! ! ! ! Restaurante muy viejo, y cansado! Comida para 3 de nosotros estaba bien, el otro no era buena, rellenos pimientos que realmente no parece atractivo! ! ! ! No hay mucha gente en el restaurante, pero tenía una fiesta al...

Vine aquí para un bocado ligero la semana pasada y como fue después del almuerzo, nosotros éramos los únicos comensales. Qué lugar súper agradable, el personal era genial y muy acogedora y tuvimos un par de entrantes - absolutamente deliciosa, no me puedo quejar. A veces no hay nada mejor que la gran casa grub preparado. El lugar era grande y espaciosa, y parecía un magnífico lugar de fiesta, vienen aquí de nuevo!

Having eaten here more times than i can count, We again had another very good meal last Saturday evening , For me the staff make the pub, yes its seen better days, but havent we all? We are always warmly greeted, there is often some banter and it feels like they are pleased to see us .T bone steak was very good as was the rump steak the mrs had , i do question the weight of the rump, the menu states a 10oz but often the steak seems to be an 8 oz .That said , the service was excellent and we both enjoyed our meals .On the odd occasion things do slip a bit in the kitchen, only small things- like dumping a T bone steak on top of the chips, instead of placing the chips in a bowl, this didnt happen this time , but it has in the past .We really do like the Sportmans and Ivybridge would be a poorer place without it !

Popped in for evening meal. Met by a dark, dingy atmosphere. I had the steak which wasn't bad however couldn't eat the onion rings as they were just soggy with oil. Good portion size but wouldn't visit again.

We stayed overnight because most other places were booked. The carpets are dirty, the mattresses lumpy, the doors sticky, the staff surly. Could not wait to leave.

9 of us visited for lunch ranging in age from 0 to 78. Our meals were delicious and served by friendly staff. Reference made in pub to the local farms and businesses from which food was sourced. Good play area kept 5yr old well entertained.

I took my 80 year old father in law to the Sportsman's Inn at Ivybridge for a light lunch and drink this lunchtime. After considering the menu for a short time my father in law decided on sausage and egg muffin and chips, at that point I had narrowed my choice down to either fish and chips or bubble and squeak with bacon and egg and I decided to ask the chef as he was at the service counter, if the bubble and squeak was freshly made or frozen. He advised me it was homemade and the girl serving behind the bar said it was really lovely, and therefor my mind had been made up - Bubble and squeak for me, and a side order of onion rings to share with father in law.We didn't have to wait too long for our lunch - in fact that was part of the problem, the yolk in my father in laws egg was rock solid, the sausage had been cooked on several occasions by the look and feel of it but had then been cut in half and cooked again to reheat it (possibly microwaved for speed), the chips were frozen chips that were dry and tasteless and even the ketchup couldn't save them. I'm afraid I didn't fair too much better either, my bubble and squeak was made with left overs of cabbage and peas that had been cooked within an inch of their lives and were that terrible grey/green colour green veg turns to when it is overcooked - to make things worse the bubble and squeak had been dropped in a deep fat fryer for its cooking preparation, as had the onion rings. The batter was dark brown in colour and dripping with oil, both ended up increasingly greasy and only just edible. On that note I should have complained, but unfortunately we had been surrounded by a number of elderly people on an outing and didn't want to spoil their day by complaining, and also my father in law hates causing a fuss. We ate what we could of the food - the sausage unfortunately was beyond all hope - but didn't enjoy one single mouthful of it. I have to say the price of the meal was extremely reasonable - in fact cheap at £4.90 and my expectations I feel were extremely reasonable too - I expected a smallish portion of edible food that tasted nice and was of a good standard. Instead what we got was greasy or overcooked food, just about edible and a poor reflection of what great British pub food is all about. I notice other comments on the food are very good and maybe we just had a miserable one off, but I can only comment of what we had. Unfortunately we will not be going back when there are so many other great pubs out there serving good, reasonably priced food.

Good food, probably too much selection. I had curry not realising it was a vegetarian but it was ok . My partner had chilli which she was happy with, I thought it tasted nothing like chilli. Great portion sizes Overall just a little bit of money spent on this venue would go a long way.

We phoned at short notice to be warmly greeted by Mike who was happy to fit us in to an already extremely busy evening. Nothing was too much trouble. The service and food was excellent. Thanks again Mike for saving our evening!!

We had the most wonderful and unexpected meal out, the staff were very friendly and the food was exceptional. It was followed by karaoke that we all thoroughly enjoyed.

Have been here many times since moving to Ivybridge but unfortunatly the last few meals have not been very good. My Wife and I have taken advantage of their meal deals and until recently would have had no complaints. They seriously need some competition to improve their ways.

Rude,ignorant staff.Our family friend got told to go as they only served to regular locals after a certain time! Absolutely regret doing.

The first time that I've been back to this place since the mid 90's and it was like walking into a time warp! The decor and layout has not changed one single bit. Then it was the place to go, now it looks rather tired and in need of some serious TLC.Popped in for lunch at 13.30pm, in such a large place there were only six people in there, so all conversations were held in whispers, a bit like funeral parlour!The young man who was the bar staff, the waiting staff and everything else, was excellent and polite with his standard of service.Basic pub food, the meals that we had were fine, only if you like very laege portions, we wasted a fair amount which was not required.It's a shame to see such a place which had good memories now a place I don't think I would visit again.

The place for quite some distance where you can get all day food on a Sunday. Traditional pub grub served with a smile.

Despite reading other reviews, my wife and her friend had eaten there recently and were pleased with their meal, so we all went again today and were not disappointed. We all had steak and chips etc. it was served quickly and all were cooked perfectly to our different preferences. Granted the décor leaves a bit to be desired and could do with a facelift, but the pictures and memorabilia we found interesting and raised a few memories from our distant past ! Sadly it was not over busy and could benefit from a few more customers to further enhance the ambience. The staff members present were all amiable, courteous and very helpful. The meal was good for pub food, cooked properly and ample portions, with plenty of choice available on the menu.

After not using the Sportsmans for several years due to a previous bad experience, we decided to return and give it another chance. What a mistake.The landlord is still the same, offhand to the point of being rude and unhelpful or unknowledgeable about the products he is selling.Meals were ordered and arrived reasonably promptly and all at the same time. However, they were obviously microwaved. I really do wish that I could compiment this place, but the only one worthy of praise was our waitress. It is a shame that a pub like this that has so much potential can be run so badly and a surprise that it continues to trade.

I used to drink here in the 80's and 90's so when we drove past today I thought it would be fun to go in and have lunch there. Oh dear. I would say "how times have changed" but it actually hasn't been decorated at all since the 1980's (seriously) so is a mix of olde worlde charm and scruffiness which was a shame. The toilets are "gopping" and really need refurb even just to get rid of the 1970's wall tiles. This is also a hotel but never stayed here so cant comment on that, but I would think it is the sort of place that lost tourists or contractors would stay. Saying that, a couple of the rough characters who came thru the "residents only" door looked pretty much like DSS homeless claimants which judging by the state of the place it would not surprise me. The pub is large and roomy and is on Exeter road, near to the centre of Ivybridge although the place was dead when we arrived, only to be joined by some irritating pensioners soon after. The pub has several little nooks and crannies with lots of memorabilia on the walls. I would think the stupid smoking ban would have hit this place hard.I cant fault the landlord, top fella, very helpful and friendly. I have a feeling its the same fella from the 80's in fact?I had gammon and chips. It was served with the biggest onion rings I have ever had! Very nice but a bit greasy. Would def try again after a skinful of beer maybe.The gammon wasn't too bad, larger than expected but the whole meal was very greasy which let it down. Once again though, the landlord was very very helpful which was good to see and i can see he is probably trying hard under difficult times.The whole interior is scruffy and really needs a lick of paint here and there.This is a nice old pub with character and I would go again but for drinks rather than food.

Super Essen, viele gute Biere, absolut freundliches Personal. Darf man ruhig ein paar Stunden verbringen.

We visited The Sportsman's Inn on a Wednesday lunchtime. Arrived at 12.15 and the place was empty. Barman behind the bar checking stock. We got our drinks quickly enough, and a menu for lunch. We sat at a table to relax, but were assaulted by very loud taped music from a speaker right above us, we browsed the rather limited menu and I chose a Mississippi fried chicken sandwich and my husband ordered the gammon. When the food arrived, the portions were enormous, which put me off immediately, the gammon was very good but my chicken was dry,the bacon appeared reheated and the bread roll was soggy. I left most of mine.The beer was also flat and lifeless,the tables and chairs were scruffy and the table was sticky to the touch. The ladies toilet was clean but very shabby, paint peeling off door, toilet seat wedged with a piece of cardboard.When I went to pay I was ignored for fully five minutes, had to go and shout into the kitchen for someone to take my money.Never again!!!! very poor overall. The next time I am in this area I would rather go hungry that visit this pub again. Ivybridge as a town is nothing special, but a good carpark and all roads are well signposted.

Went in on a Saturday Night after spending the day Letterboxing on Dartmoor in a party of 10. Good choice of real ales available. We were made most welcome & the server was very attentive. A good selection of foods ordered and on the whole everyone enjoyed their food. I recommend the Hazelnut & Raspberry roulade.Would be happy to visit again.

We recently lost my father-in-law and following the funeral knew we would need a venue for his wake. Bill, the landlord agreed to hold this for us in the Sportsmans and arranged a buffet for 40+. The spread was fantastic, huge and covered all our dietary needs (vegetarian and gluten-free as well as hearty carnivores!). We came back from the crem at 4pm and I think the last of the group left the Inn at around midnight!! The service offered by Bill and his team was excellent and very personal; a fitting tribute to a fantastic man. Thanks Bill, you did dad proud

We found ourselves in Ivybridge because we were visiting my dad who was in hospital in Plymouth. It's not the most exciting town (how does it qualify as a town?) we've ever visited. There wasn't actually any tumbleweed blowing down the high street, nor was there anywhere to eat apart from takeaways.The Sportsman's Inn tried hard. It's got a bit of an identity crisis-not clear if it wants to mainly be a pub, hotel , restaurant or entertainment venue. I'm sure there's a need for entertainment in Ivybridge.Anyway, the waiter/hotel receptionist was very helpful and polite. Unfortunately, there was only one steak left in the kitchen ('Busy weekend !' We were informed-REALLY?). Selfishly, I nabbed the steak and my wife had fish and chips. My steak was pretty good but the fish only merited OK ('Tastes like it's frozen'.)Hats off to the Sportsman's Inn-at least it tries to provide visitors with decent food at a reasonable price. Our next break is in Paris or shall we return to Ivybridge? It's a tricky one!

We ate dinner (and breakfast) here as we were staying overnight after a long day walking and there did not seem to be many other options nearby in the town.I was not overly impressed with my pie (offly stodgy) which would only merit 2 stars alone, but my colleague's pork belly was a real hit with him and our breakfast was fine so I have awarded an extra star.That said, I will not be returning - even if it means extra walking!

Haven't been here for ages but was told the chef had changed. Nothing else had! The landlord was as rude as ever; ignoring the two of us standing at the desk/entrance. When we waylaid him - after the third time he walked past us - to ask if there was a table free his response was : no idea, someone will be here soon!The waitress obviously thought she was doing us a favour finding us a table; took our orders with no niceties or pleasantries whatever. She couldn't tell us what the fish was or whether the 'ham egg and chips' was actually ham or gammon. The house merlot and pino grigio were barely palatable and when the meals finally arrived we were not impressed with either the presentation or the taste. My eggs were runny and undercooked; the gammon chewy and well done; the chips dry and probably microwaved; my husband's fish was anaemic looking and also undercooked. Although we left most of both meals the waitress did not enquire why and we could see it was pointless complaining. A lesson learnt and we will not be returning. Why oh why has there never been anywhere decent to eat in Ivybridge for the past 20 years? It would be good not to have to drive elsewhere for a decent meal - especially as we eat out at least once a week.

Went in with my friend Sophie after a hard days caving locally. I don't eat chicken so asked for the chicken a rib combo without the chicken! I was offered a double portion of ribs for a little bit extra, but i turned it down...... Luckily, as the portion that came was huge!! Really tasty melt in your mouth ribs in a lovely dressing. Really nice, tasty pub grub! When i had to get a doggy bag for the ribs, the chef came out and advised on how to reheat them properly, which was a nice touch. Nice food and good service, will be coming back soon!! Thanks :-)

Well, we were visiting friends in Ivybridge and decided after going ice skating in Plymouth to have a bite to eat in the sportsmans on the way back home to sussex. My kids ordered a Margarita Pizza and another with mushrooms on it. I ordered the vegetable soup from the blackboard. My friends wife ordered the veg soup as well, and her 4 year old ordered chicken nugget, chips and beans.To say it was a disappointment is an understatement.Pizzas - my daughters describes as rank (when outside) they had a half of one slice each - the mushrooms were also wrinkled and the cheese was like a piece of rubber - the dough was disgustingThe Veg Soup - Totally disgusting - even an abundance of black pepper didn't helpChicken Nuggest - dry but ok itChips were the only thing that was any goodWe will never go back and my friends will never recommend itThe chap at the food counter was very abrupt as well almost to the point of being rude

I ate here with my boyfriend's family on a Sunday afternoon in December to celebrate his uncle's 50th. The waitress handled 16 excitable people without a problem, which was no mean feat when some of us were eating off the Sunday lunch set menu and some weren't. The starters for the set menu arrived incredibly promptly, and looked and apparently also tasted delicious. The roasts all seemed to go down very well, too. I had a chicken and bacon salad, which was enormous and very filling indeed. The three other people on our part of the table all had steak and everyone's specific cooking instructions had been met perfectly. Not many of us had dessert but I'm told that was great too. The pub was very nicely decorated for Christmas and the prices are fantastic so we all enjoyed ourselves very much, thanks!

I arrived with my wife and a friend for dinner. We were informed the kitchen was closed as the chef was ill. After a while the owner, Bill said that although we didn't have a booking, he would do us steaks. He did, and they were wonderful. Excellent customer service.

Was invited to one of the quizzes that the sportsmans regularly put on and was really impressed!!Great atmosphere and friendly service.Great fun.

My parents get to visit rarely and when they do we always head for the Sportsman's for a meal. The staff and landlord are always welcoming and helpful and accommodating for the kids (7 of them), often providing free colouring activities for them all as part of the service. The food is always plentiful and perfectly seasoned. I personally am always spoiled for choice and never disappointed and I am not easy to please especially consistently. Thanks to the Chef's sourcing of good, fresh produce we have even got the Mrs eating liver again! A feat in itself. The Ales are well kept and always go down very well indeed. Get another bottle of Single Malt on stock guys, we'll be back soon.

Upon visiting this pub in July 2014 with my partner we were persecuted to racism after I heard the landlord making a joke about us which I can not repeat on here. He is rude and condescending, and generally unpleasant. The food is far below average, and the beer is limited. There are several restaurants/ pubs all within five minutes of each other, so if you are visiting please avoid this one at all costs.

I ordered the special, Steak and Ale pie. There was more pastry than steak and ale... The chips were fine, but the garden peas were just bland. I didn't finish this meal (very rare for me) and passed on the opportunity of ordering dessert.

My wife and I have eaten here on several occasions. The price is very reasonable and the food has been excellent and plentiful.

A large group of us went to this pub for a meal and night out. Landlord was rude and to add insult to injury, not once were any of us charged the same amount for exactly the same round of drinks. It was not until the evening was almost over that we realised this. Check your change and make sure others know how much you were charged to save the same happening to them. Will never go again despite being local!

Visited this pub for lunch with my husband and a friend on Christmas Eve. Arrived at 12, pub was virtually empty and stayed that way for the extent of our visit. Ordered 3 rounds of sandwiches and chips, and after 1hr20mins had to enquire as to the whereabouts of our food, which hadn't materialised despite the relative small size of order and lack of other customers. Was taken aback at the rude response from both the man behind the bar and the woman manning the food station, who eventually ambled into the kitchen and returned immediately with our food (which had presumably been sitting there for upwards of an hour). What baffled me was the lack of apology or anything like embarrassment for the long wait; the woman told me that there had been a delay on food, but failed to say sorry and gave the distinct impression that I'd caused a nuisance for enquiring. Food was adequate but not worth the wait. AVOID.

I had the misfortune to stay here overnight on Friday 15th November 2013. £45.00 per night for bed and breakfast. The room was awful dated and drab. The bathroom? disgusting, the shower was pathetic having no pressure and and uncontrollable temperature. The television was broken and there is no communication from the room to reception.Breakfast was OK to be fair to them but the hotel facilities clearly need some attention. I did mention the shower and TV to the guy the following morning." Sorry about that ~Sir" is all I got.My advice drive a little further and find a better place to stay.

Excellent food, changing menues regularly to reflect seasonal changes and availability of local produce. Great value too when you consider the quality, with a range of typical pub grub complimented with an imaginative heute cuisine specials board. Great welcome too from Bill & Doh with a good selection of beer on tap and great care taken with cleaning pipes to maintain drinking quality. We go there to meet with friends regularly for meals and would highly recommend it.

Waitress "Jo" - Welsh lady rude throughout visit. Young lady at bar very friendly and helpful.Ordered bangers and mash with onion gravy had sausage and mash watered down gravy not onion gravy. Onion rings tasted of fat and were overcooked.No highchairs for small children not at all child friendly.Overall would not recommend or visit again.

Arrived at the Sportsmans arms at lunchtime today, 4th october, We were a group of seven, we asked if we could have two tables put together so we could all sit together, the waitress said but that's seating for ten. The fact that there was only one other person in the spacious eating area!! When seated we ordered our drinks, Three drinks and a jug of water for the others. This was placed on the table by the most miserable man ever! He informed us that he wouldn't make much profit from us, We thought it was a joke, but he was serious. The waitress took our orders and we waited and waited. Finally after thirty five minutes our meals arrived. I had the pie, the pastry was so hard on top I couldn't cut it, the pastry underneath was like soggy cardboard. The potato was cold and tasted disgusting, I asked my daughter to try it., she said it was awful. the first bite of the pie filling was a lump of gristle, the waitress came over and asked if everything was alright. When I told her it was awful,she thought I was joking! She did offer to take it back to the kitchen. What she was going to do to revive the meal was beyond me. Two other people in our group didn't eat their meals. They tasted, and left it. However, the sandwich and the prawn cocktail was fine, There again,hard to get that wrong!!! Needless to say we will never go there again.

I walked in for lunch escorting a 95 year old lady and told the blonde waitress we were a party of 7, she looked around the completely empty place, thinking about where she could place us. I suggested pushing two tables together, to which she said 'but that would make it a table for 10' Okay I answered, we'll sit on two separate tables then, no problem. She then pushed two tables together. I knew the Landlord was well known for being rude, but thought we'd give it a go anyway. He was polite to me, and even helpful, although the ladies in my party were not impressed by his 'sense of humour' In fact were rather insulted by it.The food ordered was,on the whole, awful. The mash, apart, from being luke warm was bitter and just plain nasty. The Liver looked fabulous, and was well presented, but my guest was convinced it was pork, not lambs, as advertised. My prawn cocktail was very nice, and told the waitress, who didn't even bother to smile or acknowledge the compliment. Perhaps she was annoyed that another guest in our party had told her it was the worst pub meal she had ever had, with gristle in the steak pie and totally inedible pastry. We will never be visiting this bizzarely decorated, awful place again-thank goodness!

Menu very clearly marked showing which items are gluten free. Waiting team knowledgeable and quite happy to answer any questions. Very good helping size.

I recently visited this establishment with two adults with learning disabilities one was clapping and making happy noises, the landlord said to us I cant have that in here IT is upsetting other customers we were actually the only ones in there at the time his review on his website says disabled friendly (that is a joke) maybe he means if they are in a wheelchair and don't speak they can come in. I was fuming with him but rather than upset the clients we left the landlord is the most rude man I have ever met it is discrimination.

my husband & i visited to try the offer of two meals for price of one.They have a fairly standard pub menu, my hubby had scampi and chips, which was lovely and i had the pasta in a spicy sauce, which was yum. we did not have puddings, there are a good selection of beers to chose fromservice was quick, staff were chatty, happy and friendly. The decor, although clean was dated, there is ample car parking.

Have visited twice since the update of the decor. The surrounding are very pleasant and the food, and the choices are really excellent

We arrived for an evening meal and the staff were great very helpful and polite there was a lovely atmosphere until the landlord came across and started shouting at the staff telling them they were doing it all wrong I wouldn't have minded except that it was all you could hear then when he finished with that one he started on another!!!! It made my friend and I very uncomfortable and you could tell that there is no respect for the staff from the owner. My friends and I will not go back unless the owner is locked in a back room by himself. It's a shame really as it would have been a perfect evening as the staff were great before and after the shameful show. Piece of advice for the owner would be respect your staff they do a great job and if you need to tell them off have some professionalism and take them to the office not at the reception desk!!!!!!

Its an absolute shame that what was once the saving grace of this place has now become as bad as every other food option - bland and tasteless!! We are sure the chef has changed as the sunday roast used to be full of flavour, a vast array of vegetables to choose from and succulent roast potatoes. During our latest visit, the vegetables looked and tasted like mush, and the potatoes were still uncooked. Very bland and disappointing.

The turkey roast was simply bootyful - loads of vegetables, but thankfully no garden peas!!!!! Thank you x

Excellent Sunday roast dinner - well worth the money, loads of vegetables, meaty gravy and a generous oration of sliced beef. The staff were both supportive and at tentative. The service was top notch . Thank you xx

Went for a bite of lunch having been there previously and been extremely impressed. However, appreciating they need to adapt to the everchanging market, the newly introduced 'american diner' is nothing short of a disaster! Such a shame as the choices are vast, but the delivery of greasy, inedible, tasteless course after course was so dissapointing. Left there wondering if its worth giving it another chance?! Not sure if the chef has changed too?!

I am a Welsh Mum who visited Plymouth on the 24th of March. On the 28th of March my family and i visited the Sportsman's for an evening meal. I had been busily shopping all day and needed to relax. I sipped a very fine bottle of shiraz while sitting by the Sportsman's fire place. The steak meal i ordered was cooked to perfection. I enjoyed every morsel of my meal and wished that i could have managed to eat it all (Large portions). The quality of the rib eye steak ,and the presentation of the meal was first rate. I sank into the leather chesterfields and my aches and pains drifted away as i continued to enjoy the ambiance of my surroundings. I was greeted by the owner of the Sportsman's and would like to thank him for his warm welcome.The staff all performed their duties very efficiently which resulted in a very enjoyable experience. A passion for excellent customer service appeared to be the norm here as i chatted with staff and heard of their excitement about the revamp of the restaurant and how the menu will be changing. After reading the comment of one of the reviews posted here mentioning that the Sportsman's is trying to up its game, i would like to comment that in my opinion the Sportsman's is on top of their game.I cant wait to return to Plymouth. I will be staying in Ivy bridge and will not eat anywhere other than the sportsman's. I will save myself no matter how hungry i get as i know it will be worth it.Keep my seat as warm as your welcome. kind regards to you all for my very fond memories..

only had sunday lunch but can totally recommend it!! great portion size and fresh produce. prices very reasonable, drink prices also reasonable. did not try the accommodation this time round

They are still doing the soup pre-starter but I haven't really noticed an improvement in quality at all over the past months; again I had a steak and ale pie; the sauce quite watery and bland. The chips were OK and the peas fine but nothing special. A friend had a steak which was overcooked. Service was pleasant but quite slow. The £5 menu also has now disappeared. OK but not really any good.

Dined as a party of six early on Saturday night. Pigeon with black pudding and leeks was very good indeed. Others enjoyed the prawns to start. Mains of rump steak and pork loin pretty tasty. Have eaten here before and would say that they are trying to up their game a bit which was reflected in higher prices than was previously charged, although still reasonable. Efficient friendly service in quirky surroundings made for a fun and relaxing evening.

I liked the price, yummy fish and chips, friendly staff. Being in a party of 10 I thought service maybe a bit slow but was excellent. I would definitely recommend for casual family dining.