Toby Carvery Lympstone — Restaurant in East Devon

We’ve frequented many different Toby Carveries across the country and by far this has been the best tasting food of them all. We had a 6pm seating, restaurant was immensely busy, seated within 10 mins after arrival and our orders, including drinks were promptly taken. I asked what the difference was between a standard and king carvery, and was politely told that the king carvery has an extra Yorkshire, two chipolata’s and an extra slice of meat. Perfect for the carnivore like me. Despite how very busy the restaurant was, and staff running and jumping around like cats on a hot tin roof, it was all complimented with lovely warm welcoming smiles, professional pleasantries and attentive service. Orders were taken and we all frequented to the carvery station. I fully appreciate that behind the grill it’s very hot, exceptionally busy and the chefs are understandably under pressure, hot and bothered. I was given one good fluffy Yorkshire and one that was flatter than a pancake, 3 cuts of meat, pork, gammon and beef as per standard and I asked for my extra slice to be beef. I was cut a pitiful fatty bit that in comparison to my first slice, Goliath, this was midget David. I politely asked the chef surely that does not constitute to a standard slice of beef. The Oliver in me politely asked, please may he cut a bit more, only to be grumpily, abruptly and unprofessionally shot down that was all I’m getting. After filling up my plate with all the delicious trimmings, I sauntered away, feeling all the daggers of the waiting punters, into the abyss of the gravy pot where I drowned my plate and also my embarrassment. Sitting down with a face redder than the cabbage and Aunt Gladys’s dodgy lipstick, an Angel and saviour appears, blessing our table in the beautiful light of Lydia, asking if all is well with the food. I couldn’t hold back and explained my embarrassing interaction with the chef. Lydia, I later discovered, is the assistant manageress, was profoundly shocked and sincerely could not apologise enough and would have words with the chef. Lydia returned a short while later, profusely still apologetic and said that my meal was comped and the chef was reprimanded with possibly no ears left. I was merely offering my awful experience and I was not expecting such kind gestures of good will and, above and beyond service. Despite the awful experience with the chef, the food and choice was delicious, and under the very busy circumstances, the service was efficient and exceptional. we would possibly still return to dine in the future but now thanks to the amazing Lydia, we will definitely be returning and recommending, unequivocally one of the finest Toby restaurants we’ve had the pleasure to dine in. Massive shout out to you Lydia, Toby has a true gem in their...

We were tempted by a social media campaign offering a mid-week carvery for £6 if we signed up to ‘the carvery club’. After much scanning of barcodes and screen-shots, we booked for 7.00 on a Wednesday evening. Unknown to us, so did half of Exmouth.

We arrived to an un-manned meet-and-greet podium so elected to make our way to the bar instead, where 2 servers were doing their best to keep up with the waiting customers plus the servers trying to place orders for seated customers.

When we were seated, it was at a small table for two that was so dark that when we ate I could not see what was on my plate an d we asked to be moved to a better lit part of the restaurant.

We were told on being seated that due to a high number of diners they were operating a ‘queue management system’ and we would be called in a strict order when we could go up. When the call came, the queue snaked back on itself twice, like a letter ’S’ , and on joining it I counted 24 people ahead of us. When we got to the front, there were over 30 people behind us. I have been in shorter queues for security checks at Heathrow Airport, never mind a six-quid roast.

So first the food; I opted for the beef and got the end of what was once a large joint; most of what I tried to eat ended up in my napkin as it was completely inedible. Veg were average at best; cauliflower was hard and undercooked with very little cheese sauce; roast potatoes would have benefited from another 10 minutes in the oven. If I was to return, I would go for turkey as apart from being too dry, is a difficult meat to get wrong. The resulting meal on the night was more school dinner than an evening out, and was only made worse by some of our fellow diners.

Perhaps the lengthy queues put people of returning to the buffet for more veg, which resulted in some of the most extreme plate-piling I have ever seen. It would have been impossible to guess what was at the bottom of the plate as the stack of food was so high. An exhibition of pure greed and gluttony and the very worst example of ‘man versus food’ that I have ever seen, nor indeed ever wish to see again. Not an experience I would wish to repeat in a hurry.

By the time we left at around 8.00 there was no queue and the place was emptying fast. Should however you wish to give this experience a go, I would recommend booking for 8.00 and steering away from the beef. Also only go on a voucher code promotion, as there is no way on earth that this could ever in a million years be worth £12 per head with so many good, independent pubs in...

Absolutely Awful! We was a party of seven that choose to dine here midweek of our holiday at Devon cliffs holiday park. We booked 5 days before our arrival to your pub. We had a wait of 10 minutes. Tables was left extremely dirty with plates, glasses, whilst staff was doing nothing but standing chatting. Once we sat to a table we was able to see that the carvery area was extremely dirty, food on floor, counter. Food not replenish had to ask and wait, with then staff not being happy about it. Extremely miserable and unprofessional. I booked for my family to come here and was very upset at the conditions we felt. I wanted to walk straight back out, felt so embarrassed. I remember this being the Nutwell Lodge and a beautiful restaurant. What happened here? Hardly any of us had eaten what we choose from carvery, after deciding to give it a try!

All of it was just Awful! Thinking about it now I still feel sick. I wished we started on our holiday park and had a take away. I don't ever do reviews or feedback. But feel I need to at this place to make sure that no-one else makes mistakes. Unfortunately I will also be making other reviews of our experience. Dirty restaurant, dirty miserable carvery staff, dirty carvery area, Dishes of vegetables, piled 2 high to replace, but had a wait on yorkers, roasters, stuffing. We will never return! Hopefully our extended family who will also be holidaying at devon cliff's will not...