Tyme Restaurant at Trimstone Manor in North Devon

Probably the best Devon cream tea in Devon. Home made scones great service and lovely grounds will definitely be back.

Probably the best Devon cream tea in Devon. Home made scones great service and lovely grounds will definitely be back.

Earlier today, we went into Croydon for a cream tea. Extremely disappointed. Then on the drive back to the campsite, we found a sign for this place. Freshly cooked scones, amazing grounds and a great cup of tea. When we think of Devonshire cream tea, this is what we expected! And the peacocks roaming free was a lovely touch.

Earlier today, we went into Croydon for a cream tea. Extremely disappointed. Then on the drive back to the campsite, we found a sign for this place. Freshly cooked scones, amazing grounds and a great cup of tea. When we think of Devonshire cream tea, this is what we expected! And the peacocks roaming free was a lovely touch.

We had a lovely dinner on the Friday night of our holidayAndy and Carole very good hostsFurniture and general decor very old and dated, dining chairs not very comfy and the braid was coming off mine. Carpet seen better days too, windows could have done with a cleanOurs meal was lovely and nicely cooked and presented, we also had a lovely breakfast on the Saturday morning before we left to return home.The present managers leave after the Bank Holiday weekend so not sure what is available after. Cottages will still be let.

Nos dieron un vale experiencia gourmet restaurantes y al planificar una visita a Devon decidimos visitar Trimstone Manor.Nos dieron una bienvenida muy amable y informativo de Sue que fue un anfitrión perfecto con gran habilidades interpersonales y un sentido del humor.Cuando nos dieron el menú al principio desilusionarse por la falta de elección (3 artículos) sin embargo derecho había una de nuestras comidas favoritas que probablemente habríamos elegido si había cientos de artículos en el menú, y entiendo por qué el menú restringido era necesario dado que éramos los únicos restaurantes esa noche.La comida era perfectamente cocinada por Debbie que mostró ella cuidado y mostró interés genuino en nuestro disfrute de sus creaciones.La mansión y los jardines son preciosos, aunque no tuvimos tiempo para explorar antes de que oscureciera.Volveremos cuando esté en la zona, y ojalá el personal y el dueño mayor nivel de éxito a lo encontramos un oasis en la bella campiña de Devon.

Sólo un coche al azar vimos un letrero para tés fuimos y nada era demasiado problema. Bollos eran geniales y un precio muy razonable. Creo que el punto de venta para el Manor es Sue ella es todavía relativamente nuevo, pero creo que ella había estado allí por años! Ella tomó tiempo para mostrarnos que vimos el bebé avestruz, a continuación, en la piscina donde la gran rueda de agua permanece y es una característica del edificio. La mansión tiene muchos tipos diferentes de habitaciones y incluso puedes alojarte con perros. Sue nos mostraron las habitaciones para el perro y una preciosa habitación en el edificio principal. Era maravilloso mirar alrededor y tenía tanto tiempo! En el verano será diferente de nuevo los jardines con pavos reales son preciosas. Sin duda volveré, pero la próxima vez nos alojaremos durante un par de días y eso es todo a Sue. Los dueños de la Mansión necesita saber lo una auténtica estrellas Sue es xx

Vinimos aquí para una cena de celebración y queríamos ir a algún lugar un poco diferente a un pub tradicional o, más este lugar bistro estaba a una corta distancia de donde alojarse en vacaciones.La mansión es un lugar encantador, situado en unos jardines hermosos. La mansión es muy tradicional, la cual era muy relajante.Cuando llegamos, nos sentamos en el bar/salón mientras esperábamos para nuestra comida, que era cocinado y servido en una manera oportuna. La comida era de buena calidad y muy agradable.Lo apreciamos, fue una llamada de seguimiento por teléfono más temprano en el día comprobando que todavía estábamos yendo y no tenemos problemas de dieta, que muestra la atención al detalle.También tienen una excelente selección de vinos.La señorita que nos sirven y preparan la comida, era muy amable y servicial, y al final de la tarde nos proporcionó una selección de números de taxi.

The Hotel setting is lovely as are the self catering cottages but not convinced by the restaurant. I have only eaten there once and perhaps they had a bad night. At £30 a head for a fixed menu selected in advance I expected better than "ok" food and expected what we had pre-ordered two days before not changes, frozen food and salad on hot plates for example.

There are good reviews so perhaps we had an "off night" but 58 others restaurants would have to close down before I returned. Not bad food, some was very nice but some was just "strange", plates too hot to touch and salad for example.

Last night my family and I went to the Tyme Restaurant at Trimstone Manor for my birthday. We booked a table for four. Arrived a little early, found a space in the back car park and admired the beautiful garden around the property. We were greeted by Joe in the Reception area. She was courteous and friendly. We sat in a lovely and comfortable living room full of interesting local features and had a drink before dinner. We felt completely at ease. We then moved on to the Dining area. The menu offered choices, the products were local and fresh. The round table we sat at was by the window and we had ample space to sit and chat. Debbie helped us with the menu and the wine. Our son is not easy to please but Debbie cooked him a beautiful steak and some fries that he enjoyed very much. She was very professional and we all had a pleasant little chat with her too. Overall, we all loved it. You both made my birthday very special. Thank you for the experience. We will come back again.

Average meal, not worthy of £30 per head. Shame as the surroundings are lovely. If you stay, probably best not to dine in - there was only 1 other couple there when we went and they did tell us that the chef had left!

Mi marido y yo viajábamos en la a361 buscando un lugar agradable para comer. Vimos la increíblemente detallada señales por el lado de la carretera y aunque no pudimos sacar más y leer el ensayo completo y muy largo que era la junta de publicidad nos dieron la esencia que era un restaurante y jardines de té helado así que con gran entusiasmo en la perspectiva de un almuerzo en el campo a lo largo de la carretera de viento que llevó a este lugar extraño. - ahora que visto las otras críticas de Tripadvisor, ahora sé cuenta de que estaban entrando en la Twilight Zone! Como en una película de horror donde la confiados en la unidad de víctimas doble de la casa espeluznante! Cue la música espeluznante!Fuimos en s hotel económico (alfombras viejas, muertos cosas en las paredes), pero no pude ver realmente un restaurante, nos preguntamos por una recepción preparada en una pequeña zona de bar situado en una habitación que sólo podría describir como una desierta casa de la entrada principal, que me impactó como un área de recepción de un 1970.Nos preguntamos alrededor gritando "hola" y encontrar nadie alrededor de abandonar este lugar, ya que obviamente no era el restaurante campestre que esperábamos. Teníamos apenas llegado a la puerta cuando un hombre salió de una puerta lateral. Él era un extraño personaje con un traje que buscan colocación y una gran satchel. El 'jaws (cue) Que música nos preguntó si podía ayudarnos, nos explicó que estábamos buscando el restaurante y señaló una puerta y dijo que sus "agitatedly Pero qué quieres, no es abierto. Expresé sorpresa ya que era la hora del almuerzo y su respuesta fue su cerrado porque no hay clientes hoy en día. Pregunté si quizás luego podíamos participar de la merienda deliciosa como anuncian en la calle y me dijo que no, que no los chefs van a casa. Cuando me expresó nuevamente un poco de sorpresa, por lo tanto, - 'retorta aspecto, no estamos abiertos no se puede tomar un té helado si no el personal en la cocina obviamente, sugiero que si quieres algo de comer vas a donde estoy seguro Ifracombe encontrará muchas cafeterías baratas y salones de té (y en este los comas con los dedos invertidos) y un wetherspoons. Si quieres comer aquí tienes que reservar, ahora puedes mover tu coche estás bloqueando el viaje!Me doy cuenta en retrospectiva ahora después de hablar con los lugareños en el pub que habíamos tenido un infame con el propietario de este establecimiento y había sido uno de los más afortunados que logró escapar y vivió relativamente posteriormente para contar la historia. Uno se pregunta por qué este hombre está en la industria de la hospitalidad en primer lugar? El restaurante está en un entorno encantador y podría ser un buen lugar si algo de dinero y pensamos y el servicio al cliente era invertido en ella - pero no has perdido esta experiencia para el mundo como siempre tenemos una divertida historia en fiestas.No me puedo imaginar a la diatriba de una respuesta que se siga esta crítica. Pero debo decir que ahora sé donde las ideas para los caracteres en Royston Vaisey. Qué pérdida de un lugar encantador y este tipo de behaivour da un mal nombre Devon. No es una sorpresa, no había clientes allí.

Me & My wife went to this country Manor and had a really great meal at The Tyme Restaurant. I had some Delicious Seared Queens Scallops on a bead of pea puree to start, with followed by fresh local Sea Bass in a mixed vegetable broth topped with fresh Samphire. with some really gorgeous local sorbets ( one was blood orange) really different. My wife had Fresh Asparagus, & Parma Ham, followed by really harty mouthwatering Local Lamb Cutlets, followed by Home Made Lemon meringue pie & Clotted Cream Emmmmmmm Great Meal.

Excellent food for this area. This good home cooked food.

We went there for Afternoon Tea and it was fantastic.The chef Cooks everything from fresh and bakes all the cakes himself the scones we're scrumptious and the best ones I have had freshly baked that morning.True credit to the young and talented chef he was so friendly and welcoming and nothing was too much trouble for him.Highly recommended going here for afternoon tea.Will return again and try the evening menu as well.

Nos tomamos el desayuno en el restaurante el sábado por la mañana antes de salir a casa. Como era temporada baja solo estábamos tomando el desayuno pero, sin embargo, el servicio era amable sin ser invasivo y el desayuno era una buena porción de tamaño medio. Teníamos una mesa junto a la ventana con una hermosa vista de las colinas de north Devon. Buena relación calidad-precio. No puede referirse a los comentarios negativos de aquí y no dudaría en recomendarlo.

Acabamos de regresar de un almuerzo muy agradable en este encantador lugar escondido. Fue una reunión familiar de 10. Nos dieron una cálida bienvenida a la llegada, y nos llevaron al salón para tomar algo antes de cenar y hacer que nuestra selección de comida. Hicimos nuestro camino a nuestra mesa, el que era grande y ancho que permita participar en la conversación.La comida era abundante y deliciosa. El almuerzo de todos era de primera categoría, con un atento servicio.En general, una gran experiencia, y ahora que hemos encontrado, sin duda volveremos cuando estemos en la zona.

excellent meal, attentive yet unobtrusive staff all worked together to make our one day mini conference a pleasant experience for all concerned.

Our small shooting party have now stayed and of course sampled the Tyme restaurant 3 years in a row. We will be back again. It's easy to say what makes Trimstone so good, the team, wonderful, a delight to be with, nothing is a problem. Yes the location is good, the rooms as you would expect, clean and tidy, the food.....well we did not eat out once during our stay. But the delightful team are just a wining factor. Thank you all and see you next year.

We had an evening meal at thyme restaurant, what a pleasant surprise, a real hidden gem of a place.Beautiful setting, extremely friendly staff and the food was to die for.Beautifully cooked and presented. Thank you so much for a lovely evening.Will diffenately return.

we had a great day here, with high tea, hog roast, and other treats set on by our host. everything was well organised, the food was great, the views were incredible.

I stayed as part of my South West Coastal Path Walk and thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and the lovely bath I could take at the end of the day.

Very nice restaurant staff very friendly.Thought bit expensive for meal ..Very friendly hotel relaxed atmosphere.enjoyed our two night break.

Ett trevligt alternativ till alla enklare pubar och restauranger. Ligger lantligt och erbjuder en fantastisk miljö med mycket trevlig personal. Vi åt trerätters och allt smakade utsökt. Rekommenderas varmt - ta denna lilla avstickare från vägen.

The food in this quaint hotel is excellent. The menu has the right amount.of variation and despite having no childrens menu our waiter was very flexible.in helping out with our 3 young boys. Spoke with the owner- very friendly. Can only imagine how nice this location would be on a sunny day.

We visited last Sunday and had a fantastic 3 course meal. Plenty of choice, very quick, massive bar, wonderful staff,lovely venue, can't wait to return. It is hidden away and we have passed it many times but wish we had found it earlier. Very flexible menus and versatile with food. Tried hard to meet individual requirements. In fact they can tailor make a menu, they said, given a couple of days.Maybe we could persuade them to have theme evenings? Murder mystery for a start as the restaurant has a great deal of charm and history. A newsletter would be good.We met Philip the owner, very pleasant and helpful.We are intending to take our Australian visitors there next week, out of all the restaurants we can choose from, we think this is the most interesting and great food.Also they take gourmet and taste card,fantastic. Lucky us.

Fantastic service! We served breakfast for two mornings in a row. The staff was very friendly and even helped me to organize a small birthday surprise - an excellent chocolate cake and two glasses of white dry wine.

A great place to dine in a super part of the Country! Thorough;y recommend it and at excellent prices too! You won't be disappointed!

Varied and interesting menu, we felt the food was very good indeed and there were certainly generous portions too. The service was great and the staff friendly and attentive

Had an excellent meal earlier this week at Trimstone Manor's "Thyme Restaurant", while staying in the hotel. Excellent choice offered of all courses, overall a varied well judged menu. The proprietor also found a very good bottle of red for us. Most restaurants these days seem to have some sort of theme going on, so it's nice to find somewhere cooking proper English dishes. By English I certainly don't mean boring, just quality food as it should be, well cooked, fresh, and delicious. Service is relaxed and unhurried, not at all stuffy or pretentious. Location fantastic, well worth a visit for views alone on a fine day (alas it was raining). The proprietor's adorable English Setter, Monty, came over to say hello while we were having coffee in the lounge after the meal!

After an interesting and informative "Business Breakfast" I thoroughly enjoyed my well cooked breakfast this morning thank you for inviting me Philip!

Great location, friendly owners and the freshest fish in town.we have eaten there many time and Tara the owners cooks excellent food and fair prices.

Liked the service, food and wine. It was nice to meet the owner and he obviously cares for the restaurant and the hotel, which was nice to see. We had a lovely time. You must pop by if in the area and explore the menu and wine list.

If these reviews weren't so sad, this page would be hilarious. I have been researching where to eat in Ilfracombe, and don't worry, Philip, it won't be with you because you sound like a VERY AGGRESSIVE BULLY.

Philip holds a breakfast meeting at 7:15am on Thursdays for people interested in having a business discussion or two and an excellent cooked breakfast to boot. Worth a visit.

There is a breakfast meeting at Trimstone at 7am on Thursday mornings when a group of business people get together to discuss topics that business people wish to discuss. At a recent meeting taxation was on the agenda. What's more a good cooked breakfast is also provided for a small fee. Go along and take a look.

Had an evening meal in this lovely old building. Beautiful location complete with resident peacock. Wonderful food and first class wines from an extensive menu, charming service in a very pleasant restaurant.

Apparently untrained staff, chef running reception, tired unloved building & it was supposed to be a unique dining experience. Limited menu, food ok but overpriced. We could have had a better meal for half the price elsewhere. Waiter did his best & helped out where he could.

Stopped for Afternoon tea. Telephoned prior to arriving and was advised that we could come along. Arrived within the hour, asked for an afternoon tea, was given a menu which didnt have it on there, waited whilst one was printed out. Were left in a lounge area which is quite dark and dated so asked if we could sit in the dining room as it overlooks such a pretty garden, the view is truly lovely. Tea and scones arrived- they dont look like they do in the picture. The cream wasnt clotted cream which was such a dissapointment being in Devon. They tasted lovely but the service, presentation and the cleanliness of the house could be improved. The staff were lovely, but were not dressed as if they were staff in a "manor". There was no atmosphere in the room we were in, there were 2 other people in the room sounded like they were in a business meeting, maybe some music to create an atmosphere would be nice? The raidiator by the table had cobwebs and dust near the floor, the table appeared to have been laid a few days before. The scones came out on a normal plate not tiered or presented nicely. We had a 50% off voucher so we paid £11.00 but i would have been really disappointed to have paid full price £22.00. Minor tweaks i feel would make a massive improvement to the overall experience and customer satisfaction.

My wife and I and our 2 children visited this place last year. We came across it while driving and saw a sign advertising Sunday lunches, so we thought we'd have lunch there.The service was poor. We were given a menu on arrival and asked what we wanted to drink. We got our drinks immediately. We waited 20 minutes before someone came back to take our order. As you can imagine with 2 young children they were getting restless just sitting doing nothing. When our food arrived we couldn't believe our eyes. It was the smallest portions we had ever seen. When we asked the waitress why the portions were so small, she pointed out that it was an a-la-carte menu. (Though there was no mention of this on the menu or the advertising flag on the main road).We asked to see the manager but was told that he wasn't available. We were given no condiments and had to ask for them.All the time the waitress gave us no eye contact and didn't smile. She was a young girl and it looked as if she didn't want to be there. Again when we paid our bill, no eye contact from her, no thank you or anything. Very poor service. We left (hungry) . We paid £60.00 for this. Would not recommend this place, poor service, miserable staff.

Spent a very relaxing afternoon having a lovely cream tea with a large group of ladies. Great home made scones, lashings of cream and jam and plenty of tea and coffee. We were looked after very well and were given time and space to enjoy eachothers company. Thank you

I hope that this type of event will be available again. Everyone enjoyed themselves and the wines available were very palatable. I'd go to another event like this.

We only ate in the restaurant but as the owner is the hotel owner I think you should read this before visiting!Read to the end - you would think I was on candid camera (or kitchen nightmares)!!!We had a dining experience for 2 voucher, which was for 2 or 3 courses depending on venue. I booked here as we were staying local over xmas) and they said they could not confirm whether 2 or 3 courses until they saw the voucher! When we arrived I checked it with them, and the 14yr old waitress went to ask her father (owner) who looked up cost of voucher on sellers website (£49) and told us it only covered this value for food only, as there was 1 menu starters, 4 mains, 4 desserts) and 2 courses were £51 for 2 we would have to pay the extra! We then ordered our starters (we also had our 11 yr with us and had pre organised that we could bring her and they had said they would do smaller portions and charge less for her meal - however this meal and drinks would have to be paid for). My hubby and daughter ordered the wedges with bbq sauce, chicken and bacon to start, however when it came out it had cheese on it and not chicken. My daughter had asked for hers with no bacon ( as she doesn't like it) so hers was just wedges in BBQ with cheese. When we were in the lounge prior to dining (there was 1 elderly couple staying in the hotel that were talking with us) we had a discussion about how even the smell of cheese makes my husband gag, our waitress was present at the time! Anyway, there was no other starters my husband liked and as we no longer had the menus, so could only assume they had misread cheese as chicken and the waitress was no-where to be seen he picked off the cheese and put it on my daughter plate. When the waitress appeared I asked for a copy of the menu when this was brought I asked for a Pineapple and Lemonade and then mentioned the starter issue to her - she spoke to the cook, who just sent back 'it is a mistake on the menu, and if you werent happy you should have sent it back!) I will add here that my starter of creamy garlic mushrooms was nice!I also in the meantime had logged into the voucher website on my phone so when the waitress cleared our plates I showed her the text that stated 2 or 3 courses, and told her that I had confirmed that it would be FULL COURSES with the person I booked with. She said she would get her father to discuss it with me- as we would be eating our mains shortly I asked her to wait until we had finished eating. (I know it was only £2 overcharge, but it was the principle!) Our mains arrived - I ordered a Medium steak and my husband ordered his blue. These came as well done and medium!. My daughter ordered apricot stuffed chicken. I also chased for my drink I had ordered!! The drink arrived - and the pineapple juice was poured from a carton and the drink was almost green in colour and tasted strange, leading me to the conclusion that it had been open for more than a few days. I requested mustard for my steak (no condiments were offered, you had to ask!) as my daughters meal arrived. her chicken was wrapped in bacon (no mention on the menu) as they were aware she didn't like bacon from her request it be removed from her starter I would have assumed they would have checked before serving it on her main (there were only 5 in the restaurant, the other being the afore mentioned couple) it cannot be that hard to remember the fact she didn't like bacon.A few minutes into this meal the owner came over and told me that he was only prepared to offer the voucher cost value off the meal, and then told me that it didnt matter what the booking person said to me! I then mentioned the problem with the starters and my drink, he then was quite rude and told me that I am the customer and am not always right! he then told me that I was being abusive as I was challenging him! (at no point did I ever swear or threaten him, all I did was challenge him over the voucher and advise him politely of problems with the meals) he spent 5 mins at our table (still no mustard!) at which point my food was cold. I pointed out to him that I had asked for him to come AFTER we had eaten as I didn't want cold food - he said he thought it urgent that he point out that he would NOT honour the 2 courses minimum! and would charge us the extra. I then pointed out that I could no longer eat my meal as it was cold, my husband had left most of his (overcooked steak) and my daughter could not eat hers as it was wrapped in (and flavoured by the bacon). I therefore said I was not happy to redeem the voucher as we had not even had 2 complete courses and I was only willing to pay for what had been as ordered and edible. He told me to give him the voucher and pay for the drinks (which were undrunk on the table) or he would call the police. I pointed out that he could do this as we were willing to pay for what was ok, just not the value of the voucher and asked him to charge me for ONLY the ok items. He then told me he would not call the police until I had had 5 mins to rethink - I stated I did not want to rethink and again he kept stating he would give me time. At this point my 11 year old daughter was becoming upset by the way this rude man was speaking to us, so my husband just agreed to pay and take her home - 2 days to Xmas and her magical holiday was at risk of becoming 1 unhappy experience.I asked him for a receipt so I could write a complaint letter to the voucher company, while we were waiting in the reception for this I got out my pen to write in his 'guest book' - he then came at full speed down the corridor and snatched it off me, pushing me out the way and told me he was NOT going to let me write in it, and as the licencee was now evicting me from the premises, and if I didnt leave he would call the police! So I told him that he could do that, and even went to get my phone to call them myself - at this point my daughter is next to me in floods of tears, and has not uttered a word or made any interaction towards him, in fact she had been very polite and a real young lady throughout the experience so far and her only crime was to become upset.... he then goes up to her and has a go at her, telling her to get some manners and such like in an aggressive tone.... I must admit at this point I saw red and stepped between then and with my face close to his (no contact!) I asked him 'how dare you threaten and intimidate my daughter'. My husband came back into the foyer at the point (having gone to get the car) and I thought it best for us all to leave as my daughter was almost hysterical and my only interest was in not exposing her to any more of this man. NEVER NEVER NEVER VISIT unless there is a change of owners. I have eaten in MANY restaurants and have never had such an unpleasant experience,..... to have both poor food and rude threatening behaviour in 1 place is a first and an experience I NEVER want to repea

I made a return trip to North Devon on business and thought I'd treat myself and do the same with this Hotel and it's excellent restaurant.Being on a business trip I'd already 'eaten out' twice that day - a 'breakfast meeting' at a multiple with under warm over cooked food and lunch a 'hot buffet style' at a medium range hotel - lots of basic over cooked food standing in a very slow moving line in an overcrowded restaurant.What a pleasant difference for my evening meal! The menu wasn't extensive but then it didn't need to be, there were sufficient choices on offer that made my choosing rather difficult - many favourite dishes to choose between.The high point of the meal was the fact that my steak came cooked to perfection and tasted superb. The peppercorn sauce was spot on too complementing the obviously freshly prepared fresh vegetables for a really satisfying and enjoyable meal.Service was attentive but not overbearing with no fuss or lack of attention to detail to mar what was a fine meal.

My husband and I have recently been to Tyme Restaurant at Timstone Manor to have a three course evening meal to celebrate our anniversary.

This place is close to us but we had never been there for dinner. Vegetarian main course option was just a basic pasta bake....not what you want on a night out. So I had veggie spring rolls from the starter menu instead. Salad probably just emptied from a pack of a supermarket leaves....very dull. My husband's steak was well cooked but chips poor and it came with a few mushrooms and tomato halves only. Desert was OK but uninspired. We found the venue very cold and unwelcoming and would not go back for an evening. For a summer ,if we get one, it looked a pretty place to sit outside for lunch ....but it is very expensive for what you get.

Living in North Devon I had heard of Trimstone Manor but never visited so when a deal was emailed to me from Travel Zoo I looked on the website. It looked like posh nosh which we both enjoy so bought the voucher for somewhere to take my Fiancée for her Birthday last October. I booked a table on a Saturday night in October only to receive a phone call on the day telling me that the girl that had taken my booking shouldn't have as the chef wanted the night off! I was offered a very early slot but we would be the only ones there! And I had visions of an angry chef having his evening off interrupted! The next opportunity was Valentine's weekend so booked a table for last Saturday 16th and was assured that it would not be cancelled this time. I saw an advert in the local paper advertising Valentine's weekend so was reassured all would be fine. It was at this point that I read the Trip Advisor reviews on the Restaurant and could not believe the "Basil Faulty-sequence responses that the owner adds to negative reviews. To be honest we found these hysterical with the "don't bother coming back" and "we don't want your sort here" so similar to Basil's "no riff raff"! So we went with an open mind no longer expecting quite the posh nosh we had been looking forward to and were hoping for an amusing night! Before I start my review may I say that I will happily eat anywhere from McDonald's to Gastropubs (there are many in North Devon) to Michelin star establishments. We have stayed in countless hotels some good some bad and have experienced many different levels of service.From what we could see in the dark (no outside lighting making the walk from car park a bit tricky) the hotel looks a fine building but on closer inspection has not been sympathetically restored and on entering the bar area we finally found a member of staff and where we were offered a drink. This room has a stone fireplace but why not light the fire? And the bar area is not in keeping with the rest of the room. We chose from the menu and were then shown through to the restaurant (we were on our own!) again a fine room but cold what a difference a fire would make! We lit our own candle and were then brought our food. At this point two other couples joined us and a music player was switched on, I agree with a previous review the music is very sombre and it kept sticking and as it was Valentine's how about a bit of romantic music...The owner mentions bringing good company with you to enjoy your evening this is clearly because the the restaurant simply has no atmosphere! But the sad thing is bit a bit of thought and care and it could be so different.I will not dwell on the food other than to say it is not posh nosh, it is not gastro pub food but simply hotel food typical of many hotels we have stayed in that enjoys a captive audience. I will however say that the Lamb was delicious, the Chicken new yorker was not so good and the cheesecake had not defrosted properly.The owner seems to be against visitors on deals but in that case why does he offer them? If this restaurant really wants to stand alone from the hotel then it needs to raise its game and what's wrong with becoming a Michelin star restaurant or at least of that ilk surely North Devon could do with that and what a venue to create it! However if he is happy for it to be just for hotel guests and to entertain friends of family then maybe it's best left alone.

We live in the west midlands it was my husbands birthday on the 24 october2012 so i thought it would be nice to book a meal for us both, I searched the internet and found Tyme restaurant then called and booked a table, the menu I had seen offered a Mushroom risotto which I knew my husband enjoyed as a vegetarian,We were met by a young man who showed us into the bar area which was very nice and we had a drink.The starter we picked was a cream of vegetable soup it looked like a packet soup there was no flavour and few diced carrots all the same size and some peas, our main was Plaice for myself which was good the pan fried potatoes were hard in the middle and the white parsley sauce was milk with little or no parsley.My husbands birthday meal looked awful it was a mass off rice with mushrooms and not much else there was no sign of cream and the cheese on top was cheddar?

Awful experience for a family get together of 9, the poor staff included, unbelievable really! Grey looking fish was served with no sauce aside a grey potato, 6 leather steaks served with a thick dollop of gunge, steak knives appeared eventually but really a chainsaw was necessary. Funeral type music started to play, perhaps to liven up the atmosphere as there were no other customers....it would be perfect for a "Murder Mystery" weekend, but otherwise this place should be avoided at all costs (the menu was grossly over priced too).

We ate in this restaurant over the bank holiday week-end, and have to say it was excellent, really good value for money great choice and large portions, although we are large eaters we could not finish the meal, I ordered cheese and biscuits on one of the evenings and had a selection of 7 different cheeses, wow, we would thoroughly recommend

My wife and I found the restaurant by chance and decided to give it a go, we called up 2 hours before and they were able to fit us in. Off we went not knowing what to expect and enjoyed a chilled out pre dinner drink in the bar and then shown into the restaurant and enjoyed what can only be described as the best slow roasted belly pork we 've ever had, the starters were simple but cooked and presented beautifully and dessert was a large slice of cheese cake, lovely. All accompanied by a nice glass of white wine.If we had to describe the meal in one word, it would be PERFECTION.The staff were very pleasant and quick to please, would definately reccommend.

I recently had dinner here while staying at the hotel on a business trip to the area. The food was very good and service very friendly. I think some of the comments left by others are a bit unfair. Its not a five star restaurant but very good value for money. The crab cakes were lovely and the pork as a main was fantastic. Its a nice relaxed atmosphere.

Starter, main course and dessert were all very good quality for all three diners. There is a limited selection on the dinner menu, but they do have other possibles if none of the mains are suitable (this is not advertised though.) Two had Sirlion Steak, ordered medium rare and was correctly cooked. My wife had the trout and said the cheese board for dessert was great.

After reading the last review and after a friends recent visit, I feel Tyme restaurant needs to look at its menu and cooking. We ate on a two for one and the supposedly fresh vegetables were frozen peas and carrots, not very inspiring. The meal itself was ok but more like an old pub standard meal rather than the description Trimstone give of themselves. Staff great but meal lacked that extra something, a 2 for 1 should entice me back, but probably wont.My friends meal was also uninspired, the beef was tough and fish overcooked and again vegetables questionable, I am reporting as a 3rd party, but would not question their judgement.

We booked a special offer through a local Devon newspaper for our wedding anniversary meal, the restaurant is advertised as having mainly locally sourced fresh produce. We were the only diners in the restaurant all eveningWe ordered in the bar then were shown through to the restaurant once our starters were ready. I ordered Crab cakes and my husband ordered a game terrine. The two Crab cakes were very bland and looked and tasted as though they had been deep fried, they were served on a bed of dreary lettuce leaves, the terrine was ok, we were offered either white or brown bread and were given one bread roll each and were not asked if we would like more.For the main course I ordered a vegetarian (mushroom, hazelnut and brie) Wellington that said it came with fresh vegetables of the day and buttered mash and thick gravy, my husband ordered Pork Loin that also came with fresh vegetables of the day and potatoes and a thick Jus. I got carrots and broccoli my husband carrots and cauliflower, the carrots were perfectly shaped in smooth round 1 inch lengths, about a centimetre in thickness and rounded ends and were hard in the middle both the broccoli and cauliflower were watery this would suggest that all the vegetables were frozen and not fresh!!!!! The Gravy and Jus was the same on each plate and smothered everything it looked and tasted exactly the same and after asking I was told that it was a vegetarian gravy on my Wellington and a meat Jus on the Pork, which I doubt very much that it was, I believe that it was a meat gravy pored over a vegetarian dish!!!For dessert my husband ordered a platter of local cheeses and I ordered sticky toffee pudding which came with clotted cream and custard, when this was brought to the table my husband wasn't told what cheeses were on the plate and when the sticky toffee pudding was put in front of me there was a very distinctive smell of burning, it was a square of brown sponge, no sticky toffee sauce and a spoonful of clotted cream on the side, I picked the warm sponge up with my hand to see if the bottom was burnt and it looked ok, I then put my dessert fork into it to split it so I could pour over the custard which came separately and hit a rock solid burnt to a crisp black middle, which means that it was microwaved for too long. I waited for a least 5 minutes for the waitress (who might I add was the receptionist and bar person for the hotel as well) to come back into the restaurant and asked her to take it away, she came back from the kitchen after doing so and said the chef apologised and tha she asked if I would like anything else, I declined.The menu for the evening states " we hope you have a memorable evening" and tells you about the previous experience of the chef who is called Darren, when we asked the waitress about certain things on the menu she went to the kitchen and asked the question and on returning referred to the chef as "she" !!!!! When we left for the evening we had to walk past the kitchen and there was only one female in there.It must of been the chefs night off because the chef was described as a male in the information on the restaurant but our chef was refereed to as "she" and perhaps that’s why the meal was so awful, yes it was a "memorable evening" and all for the wrong reasons

Loved the wide selection of breakfasts, especially my smoked haddock and perfect poached eggs

Took the family and grandparents to Tyme restaurant for Sunday lunch, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The food and wines are excellent. For me you cant beat Beef and Yorkshire pudding but others also enjoyed the most delicious pate ever following by fresh salmon. The staff are very attentive, they gave excellent service and created a very friendly atmosphere to ensure we enjoyed ourselves. The children loved seeing the pets after lunch and we had a lovely afternoon.

I recently stayed at the hotel with a colleague and we were very pleased with the friendly staff and lovely atmosphere. We had a delicious meal in the restaurant. A huge portion of smoked salmon, followed by Monkfish wrapped in bacon. Delicious. It was such a shame that we didn't get much of a chance to take in the local area but driving through it was lovely.

Had salmon to start - lots of it and very yummy. Monkfish wrapped in bacon for main - this was delicious, cooked really well with a gorgeous shrimp sauce. Vegetables cooked just the way I like - not overcooked but not too raw. Good choice on the menu too.

I had booked an evening meal here to celebrate my 50th birthday. After looking on the Internet I chose Trimstone Manor because it looked "classy" and somewhere a bit different. The first problem was trying to park the car as the car park was full and had to resort to parking on the grass verge on the main road although the restaurant was almost empty!!We were greeted very warmly and guided through to the bar area where we were given menus and ordered drinks. My partner and I both agreed that the choice on the menu, especially for vegetarians, was very limited. To start we both had the Veg Dim Sum which was divine for the mains I had a T bone steak which was rather bland and very fatty and my partner a butternut squash with feta cheese and olives which again was wonderful. Service throughout was good apart from being let down by the dress code of some of the other diners. This was supposed to be a high class place to eat but was more like a campsite refectory and not what I had expected. Overal the place seems very tired and in need of some tlc and plants in the garden and not weeds would help make a better first impression.

Wonderful setting, excellent hospitality and an innovative menu - we dined at The America's themed evening and throughly enjoyed. My dessert of peanut butter ice cream pie was just glorious! I understand there are more themed evenings coming up soon too - a great idea for a fun evening out.

The first thing to say is that Trimstone Manor is in a really beautiful setting in the North Devon countryside. We went there for a themed evening entitled 'The Americas' and thought it was wonderful. From the bison meat starter to the cajun-rub salmon to the New York style cheesecake, it was all really delicious and very well cooked. The service was excellent and the atmosphere very friendly and relaxed. This was a fantastic evening and the themed menu was a great success.

We dined here this evening and, sadly, all we can say is that it was disappointing. The food was bland and unattractive, lacking in presentation, flavouring and was overcooked. The venue is in a lovely location and the staff were helpful. The decor was a bit tired. The menu was limited to a fixed dinner with no a la carte choice. Service was rushed so much do we were finished in a hour and a half. The only upside was that we used our tastecard and got 50% off the food bill. It's a shame this has potential but is lacking on a number of areas.

Thoroughly enjoyable altogether.My fiancee and I went for a meal here, the approach to the Manor and Restaurant is easily accessible down a short beautiful country lane just off the main road.We had a friendly greeting and ordered some drinks and handed a menu.The order was taken from us in a friendly and timely manner.We were shown to our table which had a beautiful view over the gardens and the surrounding countryside.The meal arrived in a good time which was very well presented and enjoyable.We were attentively served in polite pleasant manner.Overall, a very enjoyable experience and thoroughly recommended.... and it's a Tastecard restaurant too!

We had been planning to visit Trimstone Manor for some time as it looked interesting. Apparently it was updated in 1976 so there were no disabled toilets for the restaurant. Access was also difficult.We arrived in the rain and the front porch was dangerously wet. We entered the restaurant for lunch. It was old fashioned but that was in keeping with the hotel in general. The service was reasonable and discreet. The food was very poor. My husband had roast beef - well one small slice. His roast potatoes and yorkshire pudding were tired and overcooked and his vegetables were poor. I tried the asparagus and it was obviously not that fresh before it was cooked. My meal was worse. I am a vegetarian and the choice for us was very poor. I had dry falafal and dry flatbread with a very tired cucumber mix. I left most of it. I wonder if the chef has actually tried the combination? Surely falafal and a moist salad would be more palatible. We tried the desserts. My hasband had a dry and tired chocolate tart. I fared slightly better with creme brulee. The cutlery on the table was dirty.The prices were for fine dining. This is not what we had.

I looked in at Trimstone for lunch whilst on business in North Devon and received a very warm welcome from the reception team. My meal combined a traditional main (liver) with an inventive, locally-sourced first course ('Devon Candy' - a delicious dish made from fresh fish and veg). I didn't have room for a pudding but together with coffee and a decent glass of wine the bill seemed very reasonable. Worth a detour (and, incidentally, much easier to find than you might think).

Having not been able to get to Trimstone Manor for over a year due to absences abroad, it was a please to attend an informal evening's entertainment early in May 2011.Staff were welcoming and efficient, the hot and cold buffet food imaginative and delicious. It is evident that Trimstone is not just a "Country Manor" hotel and restaurant, but is the treasured "home" of the Milton family - as the homely ambience and personal attention to detail adequately reflects.

We have visited Trimstone several times now and have stayed overnight. The setting of the place is beautiful and we enjoyed walking around the grounds. The service is excellent and the natives are very friendly. We would certainly be happy to visit again. Our room was well appointed and decorated. The full english breakfast did not disappoint. There are cottages attached for families and there is a good pool.

Grim! It’s definitely best to avoid this place, as it resembles a morgue. The decor and furnishings are very tired and out of keeping with a fine old building such as this – more like filling the space with cheap bits and pieces picked up from a Saturday morning sale room. It seems to have had no money invested in order to improve the tatty state in which it languishes. The food is pretty terrible, too – if it had been taken home to the dog, she would probably have turned her nose up and walked away. As you are unlikely to see anyone else in the restaurant and there is no ‘front of house’, it lacks atmosphere, so it can be a very lonely and regrettable experience. Prices are high for what is most definitely not a ‘fine dining’ experience. The menu makes promises it doesn’t deliver. Having read the responses to previous bad reviews, the person in charge obviously suffers from an inflated ego, can’t take negative comments of any sort and is unable to recognise major failings. It is truly a woeful state of affairs. Not to be recommended under any circumstances.

I had intended the meal in the Tyme restaurant to be a memorable experience for our friends. Unfortunately, the restaurant aspires to 'fine dining' standards which, judging by our experience, can fall short. Portions were small and our request for more vegetables brought forth a few partially cooked cauliflower florets and some dryish swede. Crab cakes had no semblance of crab flavour and the 'soup' was of the consistency of wallpaper paste. All in all, for £161 for four, including wine, this was not an experience I would wish to repeat.

Lovely location, great views and ambience. Menu was varied and focused on local and in season ingredients. Presentation was good, however, flavour was lacking, and my venison was not cooked very well, asked for medium rare got medium well done. Wine selection was good and relatively inexpensive. Overall OK but disappointing in food content.

My wife and I were guests for a celebratory meal at Trimstone, comprising four courses punctuated by an interesting series of 'quiz questions' that went a long, long way to making everyone feel integrated into the event. (Rather important given that few of us knew many of the several guests attending this event). The meal was very, very good indeed - beautifully cooked and presented. The serving staff were quietly efficient, and well-presented. It was a very successful evening. Prior to the event, and for part of the following day, we enjoyed the quiet and solitude of the hotel grounds, feeling very much detached from the hustle and bustle of the wider-world a few miles away. Yes, the immediate area in front of the hotel is not especially large, and the old tennis court could do with being either re-surfaced or removed to permit this space to be improved. (Yet beyond the fence there is a delightful marshy area to be explored, with some fascinating bird and insect life to be found if that interests you). Sandwiched in between was a night spent in one of the hotel's clean, comfortable rooms. Altogether, the visit was a very nice one indeed. The premises are 'a work in progress' so, with the present owners completely new to the hotel business, do not expect perfection. It was, therefore, with sadness that we read a recent review about a meal taken at these premises that was extraordinary for the viciousness of it's criticism of this hotel, sadness because we would not want people to be put off from attending either the restaurant, or taking a short stay there. That review has prompted this review of ours which is intended to give the views of two individuals - my wife and I - who found our experience of Trimstone a positive one.

Didn't stay overnight but enjoyed the restaurant very much and thought the service was excellent, friendly and helpful staff. The setting is fabulous. Thers's ample parking.

Braunton Diners Club Dinner at Tyme restuarant, 38 members,with wives or partners enjoyed an excellent annual dinner, nice wine, and good service from friendly staff. thanks you very much.

My Wife and I visited Trimstone for an evening meal, we found the staff competent and helpful, the meal was excellent with just enough choice to be interesting, served at a leisurely pace which suited the mood.a choice of wines was available to-gether with a range of soft drinks, to follow coffee and mints This was a good quality meal relatively inexpensive and I would have no hesitation in recommending a visit to Trimstone either as a Hotel Guest or just for a meal.

My wife and I and our children went to Trimstone Manor for a Sunday roast. The Manor sits in the lovely North Devon countryside of rolling green hils.The roast meat was local and very tender and tasty. The trimmings were plentiful and well prepared (for a change the vegetables were crisp not mush as carveries often serve). We had the cheese board which was a lovely selection of local cheeses. The children had a variety of desserts whch they appeared to enjoy since there was scant left on the plate. Service has polite and timely - we didn't have to wait for any aspect of the meal.A thoroughly enjoyable meal of solid Devonian fare in a lovely rural setting.My only negative experience is my own poor navigation as I missed my turning and got temporarily lost but some sorted my bearings.

Trimstone has a welcoming atmosphere and is generous hearted in space and choice of dish. The food is prepared with an imaginative twist that make it stand out as a distinctive meal - I still remember clearly my first taste of lavender flavoured short bread! I would definately recommend this establishment to others.

This was an aesthetic and gourmet disaster. I booked for a birthday lunch but it was undoubtedly the worst dining experience we can recall. We arrived soaked following a sudden downpour and made our way towards reception 'hidden under the stairs' but the receptionist, although perfectly pleasant, was too busy 'doing the menu' to notice our state of disarray and simply directed us to the lounge. This was a dull and dismal room, shabby but with no chic whatsoever. The small round tables were covered with crumbs and the reading material consisted mostly of old copies of Telegraph colour supplements, stamp collecting and Jaguar car magazines. The receptionist/waitress/only-person-around came to ask what we would like to drink and present the menus. I first asked if she would take our wet coats, and when she returned ordered a tomato juice but was told none was available. I then asked for a 'coke' which arrived promptly but was flat despite being bottled. Next I enquired as to one of the fish dishes, where it was from and how caught. Kindly she went away to enquire from the chef but returned shortly to admit they didn't know, so being a pescatarian I ordered the one vegetarian option - butternut squash. In a dining room totally lacking in imaginative decor, my husband and I agreed that both the starter (bruchetta) and main course were a great disappointment, being dull and tasteless. To be honest we couldn't wait to make our exit and skipped the dessert and coffee.The only good thing we would say is that the young lady doing all the front of house single handedly was polite and obliging. Although live nearby, we wont be returning.