The Village Inn — Restaurant in England

We are new to the area and just getting to know the best places to go. The Village Inn has good reviews and the photos on their website and on here looked very welcoming so we thought we would give it a visit for a meal, we were also looking for somewhere to take friends when they visit. ||||Our first impressions were good, welcoming girls/ladies behind the bar and a nice ambiance. It was early (6:30) on weekday evening but already quite busy. We were shown to a table for 2 right beside the bar, by the main thoroughfare to the exit and at the bottom of the stairs. Here is where it started to go wrong. I was not comfortable with where the table was due to covid/distancing concerns but we felt under the circumstances we couldn't pick and choose so we sat down thinking maybe it would be ok. It wasn't!! For the whole evening there were people around us, walking out, bringing food down the stairs and queuing at the bar (which I didn't think was very appropriate or even allowed in this current environment??). This situation was very unsettling and I think this table needs to be removed, it became apparent later that there were other more suitable tables on the upper floors.||||So, to the food. We ordered starters and mains and it took 45 minutes from ordering to the food being delivered. I ordered deep fried brie which I would have expected to be soft (as per menu description) and "melt in the middle" , it was a solid lump and served on a cold plate which didn't help. Main course then arrived almost immediately after the starter plates were taken away. The scampi was also served on a cold plate and the food was lukewarm at best, breadcrumb coating was overdone and had a slightly oily taste. By contrast, the mushroom starter and burger were pretty good.||||Overall disappointing but the bar staff, there appeared to be only 2 who were run off their feet, were lovely. It's a shame that this was our first visit as it is unlikely we will return. If we had been before and enjoyed a visit like so many people on here then we would probably have put it down as an "off night", it is almost like we visited a different place!||||Sorry to not be able to write a better review and PLEASE REVIEW YOUR SEATING WITH COVID IN MIND, THAT TABLE BY THE BAR...

We are new to the area and just getting to know the best places to go. The Village Inn has good reviews and the photos on their website and on here looked very welcoming so we thought we would give it a visit for a meal, we were also looking for somewhere to take friends when they visit. ||||Our first impressions were good, welcoming girls/ladies behind the bar and a nice ambiance. It was early (6:30) on weekday evening but already quite busy. We were shown to a table for 2 right beside the bar, by the main thoroughfare to the exit and at the bottom of the stairs. Here is where it started to go wrong. I was not comfortable with where the table was due to covid/distancing concerns but we felt under the circumstances we couldn't pick and choose so we sat down thinking maybe it would be ok. It wasn't!! For the whole evening there were people around us, walking out, bringing food down the stairs and queuing at the bar (which I didn't think was very appropriate or even allowed in this current environment??). This situation was very unsettling and I think this table needs to be removed, it became apparent later that there were other more suitable tables on the upper floors.||||So, to the food. We ordered starters and mains and it took 45 minutes from ordering to the food being delivered. I ordered deep fried brie which I would have expected to be soft (as per menu description) and "melt in the middle" , it was a solid lump and served on a cold plate which didn't help. Main course then arrived almost immediately after the starter plates were taken away. The scampi was also served on a cold plate and the food was lukewarm at best, breadcrumb coating was overdone and had a slightly oily taste. By contrast, the mushroom starter and burger were pretty good.||||Overall disappointing but the bar staff, there appeared to be only 2 who were run off their feet, were lovely. It's a shame that this was our first visit as it is unlikely we will return. If we had been before and enjoyed a visit like so many people on here then we would probably have put it down as an "off night", it is almost like we visited a different place!||||Sorry to not be able to write a better review and PLEASE REVIEW YOUR SEATING WITH COVID IN MIND, THAT TABLE BY THE BAR...

The Village Inn B&B is a lovely little pub set right on the edge of the A697. There isn’t much parking available, we had to park down the road, not too far away, but it is a little frustrating.

The pub has the usual decor, old style look, with wooden benches out front. The staff are pleasant and very polite.

Our room was clean upon first inspection. Loved the red wall and the beams on the ceiling give it a rustic vibe. However, for some reason the room smelt strongly of BO, and no, it wasn’t me. It was definitely the room. There was also a strong pungent smell of stagnant water or sewerage when we first flushed the toilet.

The bathroom while clean at first glance, did have huge cobwebs strewn about. Just very pleased no huge spiders!

The double bed was very clean upon inspection, as were the towels. The bed was surprisingly very comfortable, but the curtains don’t reach the full width of the curtain rail, so on a morning when the sun is coming through, it hits you straight in the face because you can’t pull the curtain right up to the wall. Maybe have two curtains instead of one large one.

Food was genuine pub grub and very nice. Beers are limited but a good small range. The bar area is pleasant but it’s a shame they don’t utilise the upstairs eating area, the decor here is really good.

All in all, a lovely little B&B pub with polite staff and good food. You’d expect nothing else from the prices so no one can really complain about the lack of 4-star qualities, it’s a pub B&B, and a nice...