The Bull Inn — Restaurant in South Hams

We’ve been to The Bull several times and have always loved the experience. The food is consistently excellent, the cocktails are fantastic, and the staff are always polite and attentive.

However, after our most recent visit, we won’t be returning. What began as a lovely evening quickly turned sour due to the behaviour of the owner.

We started with cocktails outside in the square and then moved inside for dinner. There were three of us and our very well-behaved dog, and we were seated at a table for four — plenty of room to tuck him in where the fourth chair would be. Both the manager and our waiter commented on how lovely and calm he was.

Things changed when a woman approached us, introduced herself as the owner (a fact she seemed eager to repeat to several people), and asked us to move our dog so she could seat her father and his dog at the neighbouring table. It was a strange request, especially since our dog was already out of the way, under the table and on a lead — but we obliged without fuss.

Her father soon arrived, and we all exchanged pleasantries, including the dogs. But the owner returned shortly after, placed flowers on the table, and sternly told us, “You must control your dog — we get complaints.” This was baffling. Our dog hadn’t moved or made a sound. Meanwhile, other dogs in the restaurant were clearly visible and active around their tables.

At first, we wondered if it was just her dry sense of humour. But her tone and expression made it clear that she was entirely serious — and angry. She continued to address us unprovoked several more times, asking us to reposition the dog who remained quietly by our feet, completely out of the way.

We were left sitting in silence, stunned by the treatment. Our food arrived, but the enjoyment had gone. It became painfully obvious to us — and even to nearby diners — that we were being singled out. At one point, a woman at the next table, dining alone, came over and said loudly (while looking directly at the owner), “This must be one of the most well-behaved dogs I’ve ever seen,” before stroking his head and smiling at us. That meant a lot.

Later, when another dog barked from a different table, the owner stood up and glared in our direction. We pointed out, politely, that it wasn’t our dog. Her response? “You really are too sensitive.” That was the final straw.

We immediately asked for the bill and left before finishing our meal. What could have been another enjoyable evening at one of our favourite places was completely ruined.

We fully understand the importance of well-behaved dogs in dining spaces — that’s why we’ve trained ours so well. Ironically, he was probably the calmest dog in the entire restaurant that night. Unfortunately, we can only assume the owner had taken a personal dislike to us, for reasons...

Can’t believe it’s taken me this long to stay here, it definitely exceeded my expectations. ||Pros: Food is lovely (but expensive). Really lovely bedrooms, mine was number 4 and is a very good size with a nice bathroom. I like there wasn’t a TV in the room, and loved the different flavoured teas with empty tea bags so you could make your own. (Would have loved some decaf breakfast tea as a side note). They even have a little compost pot for collecting waste from your tea bags and coffee. The rooms and products are so quirky, I’d have loved to have a little tasty treat of some sort from downstairs when I checked in, or just to munch while I was here. ||The soap and bathroom products are also lovely, I love it when I find something new that I’ve not seen before in a hotel room. Bed super comfy, pillows lovely, plenty of water. Really nicely designed. ||Cons: there was a distinct smell of fish which rose to the upstairs floors on both nights I stayed which wasn’t a nice fish smell unfortunately. Guess the ventilators pass the bedrooms or perhaps the smell was seeping outside mine more, but it wasn’t what I wanted to be smelling in my bedroom on arrival or when waking up - as it was still lingering. ||I also loved the soaps in the downstairs bathrooms - really cool and not seen those before… ||My room was extremely noisy, from the bar/restaurant downstairs to the road and pavement outside and my neighbour clattering around when they came home. Each of these things woke me up, but as you’re on a main road, somewhere with very thin walls it’s to be expected. The light under the door was also so bright all night that I had to put pillows across it. ||The bath is nice but the way you switch from shower to bath means that you’ll get drenched by the shower if you accidentally turn it too far - which you will because you won’t have used it before… I did this both nights even though I tried not to!||I was charged a different price to what was listed for one of my menu items but I couldn’t be bothered to contest it. I also expected more of a change in the items on the menu from night one but there were only minor changes so I opted to eat elsewhere on the...

Can’t believe it’s taken me this long to stay here, it definitely exceeded my expectations. ||Pros: Food is lovely (but expensive). Really lovely bedrooms, mine was number 4 and is a very good size with a nice bathroom. I like there wasn’t a TV in the room, and loved the different flavoured teas with empty tea bags so you could make your own. (Would have loved some decaf breakfast tea as a side note). They even have a little compost pot for collecting waste from your tea bags and coffee. The rooms and products are so quirky, I’d have loved to have a little tasty treat of some sort from downstairs when I checked in, or just to munch while I was here. ||The soap and bathroom products are also lovely, I love it when I find something new that I’ve not seen before in a hotel room. Bed super comfy, pillows lovely, plenty of water. Really nicely designed. ||Cons: there was a distinct smell of fish which rose to the upstairs floors on both nights I stayed which wasn’t a nice fish smell unfortunately. Guess the ventilators pass the bedrooms or perhaps the smell was seeping outside mine more, but it wasn’t what I wanted to be smelling in my bedroom on arrival or when waking up - as it was still lingering. ||I also loved the soaps in the downstairs bathrooms - really cool and not seen those before… ||My room was extremely noisy, from the bar/restaurant downstairs to the road and pavement outside and my neighbour clattering around when they came home. Each of these things woke me up, but as you’re on a main road, somewhere with very thin walls it’s to be expected. The light under the door was also so bright all night that I had to put pillows across it. ||The bath is nice but the way you switch from shower to bath means that you’ll get drenched by the shower if you accidentally turn it too far - which you will because you won’t have used it before… I did this both nights even though I tried not to!||I was charged a different price to what was listed for one of my menu items but I couldn’t be bothered to contest it. I also expected more of a change in the items on the menu from night one but there were only minor changes so I opted to eat elsewhere on the...