The Otter Inn — Restaurant in East Devon

We booked for a party of 9 and arranged to meet there. Ample parking and a short walk into the pub, however a distinct lack of pre-meal comfortable seating forced us to our table. The harshly lit dining room full of un clothed tables which were full with various family gatherings. After collecting our own menus an attentive waitress took our orders for starters and main meal selection. The wait for the starters was acceptable, however some of the starters were not as advertised. The Chicken liver pate was a mass produced Brussles and the Prawn cocktail lacked flair and looked " rushed ". Starters cleared the mains arrived within 15mins. The overall standard is 6 out of 10 with the Chicken Madras far too spicy and the rice soft and tasteless and i expect one of Uncle Bens selection. Two steaks made the grade in cooking but failed in presentation. The remaining meals in our party were again 6 out of 10 with nothing to write home about. Being a nominated driver, coffee was my tipple, nice touch with a mini mint ice cream with every cup. Its the small things that make the difference either good or bad, to add insult to injury the sauces were in SACHETS. For a busy lunch service i agree sachets are the the way to go but for evening service its not what we expect. In conclusion overall 6 out of 10, seen on many a school report " good effort but could try harder " would i visit the Otter again, it would not be at the top of my list, and the true test is would i reccomend it to...

What a gem of a find! We just had the Sunday “Easter” carvery at the inn and it was absolutely to die for! The meats (beef, pork, turkey and ham) were All so tender and juicy! The selection of veg was incredible! (Found it odd no mashed potatoes, but that’s a Canadian thing with any roast) the stuffing balls were the best we have ever had! Not sure if they make the horseradish but it’s AMAZING! Big chunks mmmmm I could have drank it 😂

The service is amazing! All the staff are so friendly and welcoming especially the manageress (we didn’t get her name but she’s from Sidmouth) was amazing! Thanks for making us feel so included! (besides the fellow working the food line at lunch he made us feel unwelcomed) bummer we didn’t get to meet our fellow Canadian! We could have shared a poutine 😂

But the food and experience here is a must if you’re in the area! Cuz if we come back to this area we are def coming back for the food and hospitality!

We walked in and were told that they are completely booked all day for all seatings… and we walked out to the car park and a lady came out after us and said someone had just left and we could have the table if we could be out by 2:15 for the 2:30 seating…. We snagged that up and were so greatful she came out to get us! Absolutely made our day!

We will be posting a YouTube of our lunch!...

Upon arriving at what appeared to be a charming pub, we were initially pleased by its atmosphere. However, our experience quickly took a turn. When we approached a waiter at 3:10 PM, we were curtly informed that the kitchen was closed until 5 PM. There was no attempt to retain us as customers, no offer to stay and have drinks—just a flat refusal.

Determined, we waited until 4:50 PM and returned to order food. Strangely, despite the pub being nearly empty, the waiter claimed she needed to check if there was an available table, even though we were already seated. This was baffling, but she miraculously managed to "find" us a table.

Once we finally placed our order, we were left waiting for over 35 minutes, even though others—some who ordered after us—received their food well before we did. When I eventually inquired about our order, the waiter brought the food out immediately, as if it had been ready all along.

As for the food itself, it was average at best. The chicken breast and chips, as well as the burger, were nothing special—neither particularly good nor bad. The overall experience was deeply disappointing due to the shockingly poor service. Based on this visit, I doubt we'll be returning, and if I were the owner, I'd seriously reconsider the quality of the service...