The Crown Inn, Tolldown — Restaurant in England

Booked just one night at the The Crown Inn, as we were travelling the area, on a road trip from Bristol, Wells, Glastonbury, Bath, Tetbury areas. Location of the hotel/restaurant: Great - just off the main road and a min or two from the motorway, it was rush hour when we were leaving the hotel - which was difficult to pull out onto the main road, as constant traffic. The hotel has a large carpark, and you need to pop your number plate into a i-pad at reception (in the bar area) this means you can leave your car there for 24hrs. Check-in was done via a link sent to my phone (and email) so when we arrived, it was a simple case of just collecting the room key. We stayed in number 8 - the rooms was very spacious and heated up quickly - so quickly, and hot and we passed out and had a snooze! It was clean and nicely decorated, but showing signs of wear - there was some paint peeling away in the far corner, near the wardrobe area - we found out the reason for this was because the chain (who own the hotel/pub) bought it just before lockdown -- so they couldnt have any guests stay or a while, and that combined with a leaking roof resulted in some damp, which has been a struggle to resolve - they said the plaster needs to come off entirely and be re-done. Thankfully, they have BIG plans - and the place will be full refurbished rooms and pub) soon i believe. Oh and here is a tip for you - i tried to have a bath, but the hot water wouldnt NOT get warm. Then my partner turned on and off the shower for a minute and the water then came through boiling in the sink and bath....odd?! ...so if you have the same probs, try that trick. we ate at the pub - had the seasonal soup (wild mushroom) followed by the squash Ravioli - both were lovely. we are vegan - and the menu clearly identifies what is veggie and plant based (pleeenty of options), and it also shows the calorie count (if you follow a diet). the following morning i asked for the recipe for the soup (its all made fresh in house) and they happily gave it me. oh, also - we had a bottle of wine - and out of (i think 6 options) all bar 1 was vegan, another winner and great that it was known by the staff already. We had breakfast the following morning (if you book directly you get breakfast included). we had the vegan breakfasts - again, really nice with locally sourced veggie sausages, and 3 plant based milks to chose from. The absolute winner for me - and the main reason to think about returning - is the staff. we were checked in, checked out and served in the evening and morning by the funniest, friendliest chap you would want to look after you, during your stay. I hope i have his name spelled correctly here (Kamil?) - he was Polish, with the most amazing accent and had myself and my partner in stitches with his quick dry wit - he's a great asset to the Pub/chain. He mentioned about the other ones owned by the chain - and that we can get discounts etc, so we plan to try out a few more in the somerset / south west area later in the year- as he said you can bring your pets too - which is a bonus. all in all - a great...

On a visit to a National Trust Property (Dyrham), as holiday makers we passed this Inn. So we thought we’d have an evening meal there before returning to where we were staying.|There was plenty of parking, and a blackboard message which read ‘Kirstie and team welcome you’. As we entered the front entrance we were welcomed by Jess who said yes to a table for two, which was great as we’d not booked. She also took our drinks order. Jolly smiley young local lady, with knowledge of the Inn and area.|This is an original characterful intriguing Inn. It was busy with families and their dogs, spacious, various tables with chairs or window seats, all clean and tidy.|The menu was varied, a little pricey but we were on holiday. Both Jess and Hannah waited on us once we had chosen .|We waited a reasonable time for the delivery of our meals, appreciating they were freshly prepared and the two girls were busy with other customers.|I chose a Thai Rice Noodle and Prawn Salad (large not small option), and my husband the Chicken/Leek/Mushroom Pie with Mash and Vegetables. To say my meal was a total disappointment would be an understatement and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Portion size was one I’d describe as a starter. I had a dish of little gem full lettuce leaves, a very sparce scatter of rice noodles, four thin shavings of carrot, the same of radish, and three king prawns sliced in half to look more, equaling six thin pieces. I noted on the menu sourced from Brixham. Brixham is in our home County, and I’ve never ever had king prawns halved!|My husband’s pie was a far better choice( but I don’t eat chicken), still a small portion, and one vegetable with the mash and gravy. We are used to good food, reasonable portion sizes, and do not mind paying a fair amount when enjoyed and have a full stomach. Needless to say we had room for dessert, to which we both chose apple and rhubarb crumble with custard.|I had mentioned several times to Hannah that I wasn’t happy with my mains, especially the lack of prawn content and made a point of half cut prawns. However, the crumble portion was generous, nicely presented and she fetched extra custard as it came out in an extremely small jug.|We didn’t order coffees, by now we just wanted the bill and go. This meal did not warrant the bill total nor did it come close to our expectations. Not the best end of what had been a truly lovely one at The National Trust House.|The staff here are just lovely. Very friendly, work hard, and I felt got the feeling we were not happy with our main courses. Not wanting to cause any bad feelings or atmosphere in a busy quaint Inn, the bill was paid and we left. We won’t...

We have just spent 5 nights with the crown at Tolldown. It was beyond our expectations. The staff including the assistant manager and manager were exceptionally helpful and friendly and nothing was too much trouble. In recent years other places we have stayed at are minimal contact from checking in to leaving and lack the human touch. Our room was surprisingly quiet and very warm and extremely comfortable. We had a dog friendly room as we have a small dog and it was spotless and also beautifully dressed. We joined the Butcombe loyalty club app and received a reduction of around £20 per night and 25% off Wednesday evenings meal. The breakfasts were delicious and included in the price of the room which made it even tastier ☺️ the dinner menus were a great mix of fish beef chicken etc and the portions were just right. We eat in the bar every night which is so lovely. It’s a traditional Dickensian style place with lush well thought out decor to match the exterior of the building. Both comfortable and pleasing on the eye. The choice of beer ciders and wines were excellent. There are lots of places to visit within 20 minutes or more. The staff were supper helpful in suggestions of places to go for shops and tearooms etc. altogether probably one of the best places we’ve stayed in from all aspects of our experience past to present. If the owners of this establishment read this we just want to say congratulations. the team you have in the crown at tolldown is a perfect balance of what the hospitality sector should be built on. Warm welcomes, great food. Exceptional service. And all round good standards from start to Finnish. we found the Crown to be all of the above and more. And thankyou to everyone involved for a wonderful and memorable stay. A successful business is built on a successful team and the crown at Butcombe has it in spades. Congratulations to all the team and thankyou again for a warm memorable 5 nights stay. We are looking forward to our next...