Instow Arms — Restaurant in North Devon

Ah, the Instow Arms. We stopped there on a quintessentially British summer day. You know the type: drizzle falling relentlessly, like the sky’s apologizing for something. Seeking refuge from the damp, we stumbled into this delightful establishment.

We opted for the covered shed outside, equipped with its own heater—a marvel of necessity given our country's perpetual flirtation with hypothermia in June. The views over the beach were, dare I say, rather splendid, even with the rain adding that extra touch of gloom to the landscape.

Now, let’s get to the meat of it. Quite literally. A massive plate of roast beef landed before us, accompanied by all the trimmings one could hope for. Yorkshire puddings that were the size of small planets, potatoes roasted to perfection, and gravy that was positively exquisite. It was the sort of Sunday lunch that makes you forgive all of Britain’s meteorological shortcomings.

And the beer—oh, the beer! A pretty decent pint that paired perfectly with the hearty fare. Nothing too fancy, but exactly what you want when you’re dripping wet and in need of something to warm your very soul.

So, in summary, the Instow Arms is well worth a visit. You get a cracking meal, a decent brew, and a rather nice view over the beach, all while staying warm and dry in your personal heated shed. If that's not the perfect British summer experience, I don't...

Attended the pub early fornour booking with a few friends for a quick pint before a our full range of guests arrived. Which was enjoyable and the food that other tables were ordering looked nice. Which made for a positive looking forward experience. We were called to our table when all the guests arrived and we sat upstairs. All was good at this point. One of my children who is only 15 months started to cry, so I took them for a walk down the beach for half hour allowing for enough time for food to be ordered and brought to the table. Hoping re entry to the establishment the food was brought to to the table which was good timing. As the food was being brought out I was disappointed at the site. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to sample the food before a very young waitress (all floor and bar staff were young) came over to ask if I could make my child be quiet as there are other guests are present. To which I assumed this meant I must leave due to the fact I wasn't welcome with said child. My family stayed tk finish their food as they were only a couple of mouthfuls into their meal, offering the benefit of the doubt. However they wished they didn't. Potatoes hard, cauliflower unresemabale etc etc pork looked like a Tesco finest sandwich packet special. Overall enthusiasm from the staff was poor had to prompt for drinks etc. Just a great position for a one...

We had called into the Instow Arms the night before we made the booking, and it seemed very nice and quiet. I phoned the following morning and made a booking for a table in the bar as the restaurant upstairs was fully booked. Given that we are in the middle of Covid it looked as if it was really well organised. However, the following night when we went there was hardly any sign of social distancing. On arrival, we followed the one way system and entered through the appropriate door and was shown to our table. We were served by a young man in shorts who thought it was ok to wear his mask below his chin. There was a seating area outside but as soon as it started raining they came inside through the exit door. There was a family of 8 sitting at a table ( that was booked for another party) having drinks but the children were in and out of the exit door and when the other party came in and they were asked to leave the staff just sprayed the table and wiped it down with a dirty cloth. A sign above the bar asking the customers to observe social distancing stated only 2 people at the bar at any one time, but at one point there were 7 people stsnding at the bar. Although the food was very nice, the lack of social distancing and observation of lockdown rules made for a very unnerving...