The Volunteer Inn in East Devon

Eaten here a couple of times.Food and drink very good,and most staff very helpful and friendly..A nice pub..However ,one particular barman lets the place down.He is rude ,arrogant and unhelpful. He really isn't bothered weather he serves you or not..Our last occasion we walked out without ordering food.If i were the Landlord i would have a serious word with Mike to put him straight regarding his attitude. Apparently,according to the locals he is always this way..Not good.We are reluctant to return when he is on shift.Such a shame .Neil Jones Kidderminster ..

Iv said it before and il happily say it again ... blimey ! Outstanding service and mouth watering brunch ! Stunning. If you havent tried it already its a must !

Absolutely dreadful. Table booked for 7. 30pm. Got there at 7.20. Told 45 minute wait for food. Ordered straight away. Told at 8.10, food is on its way. Told at 8. 20pm 10 to 15 minutes. We went!! Thanks for the free drinks. Had great chippy tea instead. What a disgrace.

We have visited the Volunteer on several occasions and never been disappointed. Lunch today was exceptional the Toma Hawk Pork chop was cooked to perfection, the lamb rump was superb and the chicken pie was delicious followed by Eton Mess 😋 We would highly recommend the staff are helpful cannot do enough. This is the best place for Sunday dinner.

Great place for food and drinks, very friendly people with lovely garden area out back. Does get busy so advisable to book table.

Great food, great beer. Friendly staff that were enjoying their job. It is a pub and you could just enjoy a beer or two but I would be a shame to miss the food. I had a great burger with best slaw ever. Booked in for another meal there and then.

Great Sunday dinner, beef brisket melted in ya mouth. Fantastic service and friendly staff. Lamb was delicious and accompanied by plenty of veg.

A massive thank you to Matt, Lindsey & your amazing team for the fantastic food & service you provided for my brother's birthday lunch. You all helped to make this special birthday even more special & we are filled with happy memories ❤️

Our group of 8 rowdy swimming pals went to the Volly for their Xmas menu... I've always thought of this as a folk festival/ music/ beer drinkers pub (which is is and a very good one) so was intrigued to try the food. Absolutely bloody brilliant. Starter of Confit Shallots and Goats Cheese mouse on a homemade blini was stunning. My roast turkey came moist and fresh, with the kind of Yorkshire pudding both soft to squeeze and crispy to bite into. One of the best pub roasts i've ever had. Sharp as a knife lemon posset for pud. My pals cheese board looked like a board for 2! Beautiful petit fours and strawberries as well. The service was warm, friendly and totally amenable to folks making a few last minute changes, once the mains were on the table offers of anything extra were made. Wines were bold and reasonably priced. Genuinely very impressed with this place. Staff seemed to be enjoying their work, we had a marvellous evening. (Apologies if we were a bit rowdy! LOL)

Moved from London in August & found this pub at the end of our road. How lucky were we! The food is amazing! The menu changes every week and always imaginative. Really talented chef. The Sunday roast is probably the best I’ve had. From day one we’re always made to feel welcome by all the staff and clientele. Really friendly pub with a warm homely atmosphere. Just how you’d want your local pub to be but more.

One of the tastiest Sunday roasts I've ever had. It was my wife's 70th birthday and there were 9 adults and 4 grandchildren. Everybody said the food was excellent and they made a special effort to bring out our lighted birthday cake.

We ate here recently and could not fault anything. The food and the service were both excellent. Well presented home cooked food and very tasty. We would not hesitate to eat here again!

Popped in for a drink with sister and sat at a table that was booked for 45 minutes later. 20 mins before the stated time we were reminded the table was booked at 7, to which we replied ‘yes we know’. 10 mins later another member of staff came and reminded us again because the people that had booked had arrived early. Once again we said ‘yes we know’. Then the barman apologised to them because the table wasn’t free! We then let him know how we felt about his poor customer service, which he defended, and left. Instead of making us feel unwelcome and that we were doing something wrong by finishing our drinks, the people that had booked the table should have just been informed that the table would be free at 7..the time they actually booked🤷‍♀️

Had a super Sunday lunch - the staff were welcoming and helpful. We both had brisket of beef which was tasty and tender and it was served with plenty of vegetables. Make sure you know where it is located as we got a bit lost after coming out of The Byes but luckily a nearby resident came to our rescue.

Rude from start to finish. Walked in having booked a table no welcome stood like lemons at the bar before anyone acknowledged us. Were told we had to order food and drink at the bar but when we tried to do so we were told to sit down and they would come and take our order! We waited for 30-45 minutes and still no one had taken our order so asked again at the bar to be told they would come over now again no smile no apology. Having a gluten and dairy free member of family with us who repeatedly had to ask if the meal could be dairy free to be then bought over her meal with coleslaw on which she was told she couldn’t have so had to be taken back. Chips were totally over cooked and inedible, when we complained the waiter came over with some more and banged them down on the table with again no apology. Why so rude? We were perfectly pleasant and polite and expected the same in return. Will not return and being local will definitely not recommend.

We were in Sidmouth for the weekend and friends that have a holiday home here recommended the Volley. The food is fantastic and so good that the menu changes weekly. My partner is Gluten intolerant and he was very pleased that there were so many choices. The owner went through the menu with him. We will definitely be back. Staff were all great and the atmosphere was lovely

This is a great friendly pub serving excellent food. 10 of us had dinner on the 16th September and the food was superb. I called the pub a couple of days before and asked for 3 vegan meals, they were the best Thai vegan curry’s we’ve ever had!! They have a great selection of ales and wines and the staff are friendly and very efficient. Highly recommended.

This was our first visit to the Volley in Sidmouth and we visited for a Sunday roast. Well we are so glad we visited! The staff were so friendly and welcoming and we were seated at our table very quickly - always advisable to book as it is very popular. My husband had the roast beef and I had the nut roast and we had a side of cauliflower cheese. It was very generous portions and a lovely mixture of Yorkshire pudding, roasters, a lovely selection of vegetables and generous servings of gravy and you can ask for more if you need to. It was so delicious - certainly the best roast dinner I have had in Sidmouth. It was so good I have booked to visit again in a couple of weeks time. Highly recommend. . Very quick responses to my messages to book and queries I had. What a gem.

Excellent meals in lovely atmosphere- helpful and friendly staff. Great varied menu - we had chicken supreme and haddock with crab croquettes. Very well cooked and presented. Would definitely return which we cannot say about the Anchor - you deserve a higher rating than them!!! Thanks for an enjoyable evening

We were visiting the area and met with some friends for lunch. Having read other reviews we called and booked, which I would recommend. We were welcomed by a lovely lad, I believe was Will/William. He was very attentive and friendly. We all had a roast and bar one of us had a small one. It was delicious and there was plenty of food and extra veg. The ginger sponge and custard was amazing!! Highly recommend a visit, they have two menus to choose from and it all looked very good

One of the best pub menus I have ever experienced with some of the best pub food we have eaten for some time. The choice on the menu is varied and not just the standard pub grub. The food was excellent. The only issue is that it is so good getting a table is not always easy. Keep it up! We will be back!

Liked this pub! We came on a weekend trip to Sidmouth. We were lucky with the weather at the time and had a few beers in the outside beer garden, and then had dinner inside. Dinner was a cut above the other places we went to in Sidmouth; we had scallops for starters and steak for the main course - both were cooked well. I would definitely return here again if visiting Sidmouth. Staff were professional and also checked back in to ask about the food.

Everything about this lovely pub is exceptional - the gardens (when it’s dry), the staff, the food and the drink. Just off the Byes in Sidmouth, the Volley changes menu every single week, using the best of local and seasonal produce. The Chef’s menu is inventive, delicious and impeccably served. Portions are generous and the staff friendly and knowledgeable. Look out for burnt ends, scotch eggs (to die for) and … well, to be honest, any of the plates on offer will not disappoint. Highly highly recommended. Booking essential.

Absolute hands down THE BEST place to eat in Sidmouth. No question about it. Every single plate that was on the table was excellent. EXCELLENT. 10/10 bloody brilliant.

Located just a few hundred yards out of the town centre, but well worth a visit. Friendly welcome and extensive varied menu, which is changed on a weekly basis and posted on their Facebook page. All meals freshly prepared, and excellent portion size. One of...

Local pub to where we are staying in Sidmouth, really nice beer garden with lots of seating, food is nice and big portions fish & chips was superb, could cut down on the peas Best is very dog friendly

3 nights in Sidmouth, 2 fabulous meals in The Volley. Would have been 3 if they were open on Monday. Definitely our go to place when we are in Sidmouth. Thank you guys. 😊

I visited this pub and was shocked to find a terrible atmosphere and very rude staff, the beer was also warm and tasted terrible!

Lovely meal with friendly staff and very generous portion sizes. Very flexible about catering for young children (our 3 year old was very happy with her fish fingers & chips). Nice atmosphere and beautiful garden. Table by the door has excellent view of buses up...

We are a massive fan of the anchor in sidmouth. We've been here 3 times this week , the service the food and value for money has been fantastic. Which the volley has been recommended by Gary and Linda at lynstead b+b. We will come...

Supporting the current Sidmouth jazz festival we visited this hugely popular pub. Beautiful and expansive rear flower decked garden. Pizza oven and award winning menu which changes weekly. A pub that serves food, not a restaurant that sells drinks. A locals' pub away from the...

Lovely pub, interesting menu,and nice atmosphere but disappointed with the batter on the fish and chips and more expensive than most of others in the area also under charged us(missed 2 drinks) i pointed this out to a staff member who added it on but...

My wife & I went for dinner tonight. What a treat. The food was superb. I had Gilthead Bream, my wife cod, haddock & salmon fishcakes. Portion were more than adequate with plenty of vegetables. Indeed so much that we couldn't have dessert which was...

I love coming here. It has a homely feel about it, and they really do look after you. Menu is always varied and exciting and changes weekly. You will not be disappointed here. Great place.

As we were staying nearby and this was so highly rated we thought that we would give it a try. First impressions weren't great as we were greeted in a somewhat offhand manner and we noted a sign about dogs which would have been so...

Matt and Lindsey run the best pub in Sidmouth in my opinion and I'd go as far as saying the surrounding area as well! Myself and the wife need very little excuse to head to the Volley for food! We've eaten here for years and...

Always a pleasure to eat at The Volley. I was accommodated at short notice, without a booking, on a busy Saturday night, and was happy to take a table in the bar as I had my dog with me and the restaurant was packed. The...

7 of us had starters & main course at the Volley. The menu was very different from other pubs which is what attracted us. All agreed the food was sublime & the chicken wings starters were probably the best I’ve ever had. It’s a shame...

Brilliant menu, almost too hard to choose, could have had them all. Food was great as was service. Will be back.

We came here whilst staying with friends in the area. We had a lovely dinner, with exceeding generous portions......almost too much! There are different sized portions which are not Immediately obvious on the menu boards, so make sure you look carefully. The food was excellent...

We had a lovely meal during our stay in Sidmouth. The food was delicious and the staff were welcoming and very attentive.

I had heard that the Volunteer was the best place to eat in town in its price bracket - and it did not disappoint. Four of us ate there and all the meals were delicious. The menu changes weekly and there is a good wide...

Lovely friendly and helpful staff, good atmosphere. Food was exceptional (brisket roast). I was more than pleased with everything, Highly recommended by this fuss pot!! and for me the fact that it is dog friendly in the bar is a big bonus.

Staff extremely friendly and helpful. Quality of food exceptional. Best Sunday lunch, ever. Have the brisket, it melts in the mouth No wonder you have to book it's a real find.

My husband and I visited early last Friday evening. The ambience was warm and welcoming and the place really had a Friday evening buzz. The food was quick, fresh, affordable and absolutely delicious. I have never heard my husband say ‘wow’ about food in nearly...

Enjoyed a great meal here on Saturday night early, the food was plentiful, pleasing on the eye and even better on the tongue! Proper hearty food which tasted delicious and how the Chef has over 10 mains is beyond belief, I would try them all...

We had our belated staff Christmas Party last Saturday at the Volley. What a great choice! Food and service were 10/10. Thanks so much to Team Volley for a great night. (Sorry about the noise 🤣🤣)

The menu and quality of food at this establishment is just utterly outstanding and I just cannot recommend it enough to do it justice! The thought and inventiveness that goes into offering such a wide range of dishes at reasonable prices is admirable and just...

Yet again, the most amazing food at the little pub by the bus stop. Never disappoints. Would highly recommend x

Excellent lunch, generous portions with a lovely and interesting range of meals. Good, friendly service, will definitely visit again if in area.

Their Sunday lunch is £14 when I visited in October, it’s well worth the money and the portions are massive. I ate there another night, they have a good choice of food.

Wow, what a great place! Nice friendly atmosphere, decent beers and stunning food. Our party loved the Sea Bass and Crab, the Bream and the Scallops. Every dish beautifully fresh and well presented. Thank you!

Thought the meals we had were very good. Generous portions. Good atmosphere and service. We booked after reading reviews and were not disappointed.

Like others have said, from outside, the pub is not very noticeable but we did read up on pubs in the area and the rave reviews lured us in. There were no tables as they were fully booked but by calling ahead we negotiated a...

We recently had an evening meal here ( 12/09/2022 ) it was absolutely fantastic, the service was excellent, the staff were very friendly and it was very reasonably priced. When I’m next in Sidmouth I will defiantly go back. My advice is book early to...

This was a return visit with friends with whom we went last time at their invitation, and I really did not want to go back! This time was no better and I shall definitely refuse if they ask again. We ordered our drinks and then...

Great food and really friendly atmosphere, the best pub in Sidmouth by far in my view. Has great outdoor seating area as well.

From the outside this pub looks totally unprepossessing but go inside and check out the boards with the main and specials menus and you realise this one is diiiferent. What a choice and to find roast monkfish tails was totally unexpected. They were delicious and...

Really friendly welcome for our family and two dogs. Food was beautiful and great value for money. Extensive menu with lots of choice.

Great food, great service. Myself and my better called in for the first time at the end of our week’s holiday. Best food we’ve had all week. Thank you the Volley

The Volley never fails to please Matt is an amazing chef and the food is fabulous. Real food cooked well unlike most pubs and restaurants. Highly recommended.

Good food cheerfully delivered and popular place to eat in Sidmouth . you can sit outside as well watching then world go by or inside as I did as the sun was too hot.

Very impressed with the Volunteer. Standard of the food was way above usual pub grub - beautifully fresh mackerel with a light mustard sauce and terrific perfectly cooked veg - not used to such healthy tasty food in a pub.

Fantastic meal, restaurant quality food in a pub setting. Can't speak highly enough of the food, all in all a lovely evening

We came across this pub after staying in Sidmouth in July. The food is very good. Not your typical pub food, The food we had was amazing (Brisket and a Risotto) and would certainly visit again. Friendly staff and enjoyable night.

Visited the Volunteer on our last day in Sidmouth,we had the best Meal we had eaten all week , steak pie and mash with green beans broccoli and cabbage with a marrowbone gravy , so tasty, I'd even say it was probably the best pie...

It fills me with joy to pop down to our local these days! Memories of the dowdy, empty pub The Volly used to be have been well and truly left far behind. The bar had a lovely buzz, with friends either chatting over a drink...

Went in on the off chance of getting a meal .. it’s usually fully booked . I had the chargrilled Tuna Nicoise . One of the best meals in ages .. perfectly seasoned and delicious . The menu changes every week and gives a good...

Without doubt this was the best Roast Dinner we have had in Sidmouth. A choice of 4 different roasts, we had the Pork and Turkey. Huge portions, really well cooked and the cauliflower cheese is a worthwhile addition. Add good wine and beer, excellwnt value...

What a roast dinner. The owner said the beef was top notch today and it definitely lived up to expectations! Amazing meal, very friendly staff!

Lovely homemade ham eggs and crispy chips. Friendly service. Will be visiting again soon and highly recommend.

We had the Sunday Roast at the Volunteer yesterday. Absolutely stonking meal. Everything you could hope for from a Sunday roast: Very pleasant hosts, melt-in-the-mouth meat, impressive selection of vegetables, Yorkshire puddings and a decent sized gravy boat full of hot, thick and rich gravy....

Highly recommend this lovely pub. The food is consistently excellent. The menu has lots of choice and made with fresh local produce. The staff were efficient and attentive. Can’t wait to return.

I'm hesitant to write this review, as we'd have liked to have kept this lovely old pub a secret. We haven't lived long in sunny Sidmouth and we are so lucky that The Volly is just down the road from us. The food is amazing...

first time back to sidmouth in 7 months and we came here twice, on saturday with two local friends and i had cod and today ordered crevettes and both were fantastic. My husband had meat options and was very happy with his choices. Matt is...

Went here with friends from work. Had an amazing meal in a lovely friendly atmosphere. Will definitely be returning in the near future

We all had one of the best roast dinners ever in this lovely Inn. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. We ordered a large and it filled up my 15 year old boys who seem to be constantly eating !! Not only was the...

Mothers day Sunday lunch large group of 12 food on time slight delay with desserts but all in all good value for money the roast lamb was nice but a bit over cooked just my preference All in all would recommend

Oh wow! That pork chop was absolutely delicious, melt in your mouth tender and the sauce velvety smoth bliss 😋 Very well done and thank you team Volley. Can't recomend you highly enough. 😘❤🥰

The Volley to locals (The Volounteer Inn) has a really great welcoming atmosphere. Omg..the Sunday Roast is the best that I have ever eaten (outside of my own kitchen of course!!) the brisket just melted in your mouth as did the belly pork. The veg?...

I drove down from London to visit locally. Had lunch here and would be tempted to drive the 4hrs on a regular basis, the food was that good! Haven’t had a roast that good in years. Excellent service too!

Yet again, another outstanding meal at this friendly local pub. The food here is an absolute treat and I would highly recommend it for a gathering of any sort. Will be back … x

FAB-U-LOUS!!!!!! Visited today with some good friends. Food and service both excellent. Will return x

Amazing takeaway roast - melt in the mouth brisket, tender stuffed pork belly and always the best pint of Guinness in the town

Lovely well cooked meal. Thoroughly enjoyable. Great environment, friendly staff and prompt and efficient service.

Absolutely blown away by the service and food that we had last night at the volly ! Me , my partner and two friends all said that was probably the best meals we have ever had ! If you haven't been it's a MUST! You...

Popped into this pub on a very wet and windy night and so glad I did, excellent food with a lovely beer. One thing that has to be said is the welcoming nature of the staff and the local customers with whom we had a...

Recently visited the Volly for food and drinks with friends and I have to say, it’s the best food I’ve ever eaten! Pub staff are very welcoming and looked after us very well, anything we needed they were there for us, I highly recommend visiting...

Second visit to this pub and not great really. With the reviews I was expecting far better! Menu was very poor and the pub is very much a ‘spit and sawdust’ type of place. Menu was poor! Even had outside toilets so don’t go there...

A lovely pub with nice grounds the food was really tasty with a good choice of different meals and dessert was lovely staff very friendly

Went with some friends last week & had an excellent meal, the brisket & bubble & squeak was delicious. Friendly service and reasonable prices. Will definitely return.

Set slightly away from “The Sidmouth Strip” you will come across this homely Inn. Well laid out and extremely clean, you’ll be served by the most enthusiastic staff. I booked Sunday lunch, and so glad I did. All good quality and nicely presented, and you...

We had two lovely meals here while visiting Sidmouth recently. The staff were friendly and helpful, while clearly working hard. The food was delicious. Others mentioned a limited menu but with the menu, the specials board and a pizza option, we had plenty to choose...

Nice little pub with decent bar seen and great people! And the food looks great too! Also very comfortable! Will be back!

Went for evening meal, on the negative the main menu looked limited but was boosted by the specials board unfortunately on our visit the fish wasn’t available and the kofta sold out. However what we did have was absolutely lovely and first class food. Because...

Good and varied food, a welcoming host Lindsey and staff Mike and Caitlin. Amazing pizza - they have a pizza oven in the back garden, with outdoor seating and a marquee although it was a little chilly when we were there so we ate inside....

Had a fabulous meal here. Very friendly staff. Would definitely recommend. Will return when next in Sidmouth

Delicious selection of food served in a wonderful sunny beer garden. Family friendly pub. Lovely, friendly staff. Definitely recommend.

I booked our table last minute for Sunday lunch whilst on holiday. The staff were very welcoming to us and our two dogs. The food consisted of roast lamb or brisket with a selection of lovely fresh vegetables, 2 dishes on the specials board plus...

Mediocre to be honest. Limited menu and many items weren’t available. I had dirty fries with brisket. It’s was dry and fairly bland. Staff were very friendly but wouldn’t rush back