The Castle Inn — Restaurant in West Devon

OK - this gives me no pleasure at all writing a poor review for a pub I have used for years. I drove the 23 miles to the Castle Inn as I was visiting my mother in Plymouth and wanted a nice meal as I don't see her much. I have eaten at the Castle Inn over a period of 20 years and always had great experiences and love the authenticity of the place. The lunch menu has always had options around £8.95 but I was aware it changed hands in 2019 - but have been there just after this and it was fine. But what has happened to the menu. Sure its now smarter appearance in its brown cover but the food I usually choose has gone. My usual was always ham, eggs and chips at £8.95 but that has gone. My partner (veggy) used to always have cauliflower and broccoli bake - also gone. OK - fair enough - new owners - new menu. The only think that looked OK for me was beer battered Cod and chips at £12.95 (I think). Most meals now at this price or quite a lot more. I thought this would be a safe bet as the South West generally has great fish as Plymouth wholesalers on on the doorstep. Sadly I was wrong. When the plate came out the first thing was that it was a very limited portion of chips - around 12! Now that is just mean so I initially asked for more chips and the lady serving went to the kitchen to ask. But when she went I looked at the cod - which also looked a bit odd. This clearly was a part fish and was around 5cm width, 23cm long - but less than 1cm depth. It also seemed dry when I prodded it with a knife. To get that in pespective last time I visited Devon I took my mum to a well known pub/restaurant at Torcross and had medium fish and chips in their resturant. It was beautifully cooked, at least 3 times the thickness of this and just overall excellent. Yes - that looked like a fish fillet shape and fantastic beer batter. It cost £8.95! I accept that £12.95 isn't a fortune if the meal is decent - but this was just rubbish and should not have been served up. I cannot say what it tasted like as I called the lady accross (she said she was the manageress) and said that I couldn't accept this low standard and returned it. It was that small a portion. What a shame. My mothers dish was tasty but also not huge. That was lamb tagine and was actually one of the dishes that was less money at £11.50. I just drank coffee which was good value at just £2 /person for a caffetiere (the same it has always been). The Manageress said she had taken the meal off the bill when I paid - which is good as I ate nothing. But there seemed little feedback on my complaints, even though I said again when I paid that it should never have been served like that. What can you do! My hope is that the pub notes these comments and gets decent fish fillets and stops being stingy with chips. Sadly I will not return for a meal. Ironically there were a number of other people eating and they seemed happy with other dishes so maybe it was just a bad fish...

Generally below average, but I wouldn't say bad. When the table was booked, it was specified that in our group of 4, there were 2 Coeliacs and a Vegan, which was also mentioned upon arrival. We ordered 3 out of 4 starters due to a lack of Vegan options (A staff member mentioned nothing could be made as a starter that was vegan - not even a salad). Although it was metioned that they were busy, the starters were very simple to make. 1 hour later, the starters came. Two Gluten Free Prawn Cocktails and Thai Fish cakes. The Prawn Cocktails came with a side of bread, which was NOT Gluten free, despite emphasizing the Prawn Cocktails to be made gluten free. The bread was taken back and there were no gluten free alternatives. Baring in mind these were nearly £7 each, I was expecting the Prawn Cocktails to be very nice. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The prawns were dry, shriveled and bland.The dressing also had little flavour. One member of our group mentioned that the Thai Fish Cakes -despite having a nice flavour- had an odd texture. After, the main courses arrived. We had no complaints here as these came fairly promptly, however the steak was quite tough which is quite normal, and not really an issue. Later in the evening, we ordered desserts. We were informed that the only Gluten free dessert was the Sorbet which wasn't actually listed on the menu. We asked why the Eton Mess was not Gluten Free and we were informed it "should be". We ordered 2 of those and although there was a long wait for them, they were very nice.

Overall, the food was generally okay, however the Staff seemed to lack some knowledge of the menu and also didn't have much common sense when it came to giving Coeliacs non gluten free bread. For an inn, it also generally lacked choices for food, especially for those with special dietary requirements. Apparently the lack of vegan options has been mentioned several times before with no real changes...

My Wife and I recently enjoyed an absolutely fantastic stay at The Castle Inn in Lydford, and we can't recommend it highly enough! From the moment we arrived, the staff were incredibly welcoming and couldn't do enough for us – truly a testament to their exceptional friendliness.

We were fortunate enough to stay in Room 14, and it was simply stunning. The room itself was beautifully appointed, but the real showstopper was the bathroom – absolutely huge, amazing, and spotlessly clean, just like the rest of the inn. It felt luxurious and was a real treat.

Dining at the inn's restaurant was another highlight. The food was superb, served in a wonderfully cosy atmosphere that made every meal feel special. As dog owners, we were thrilled to find how genuinely dog-friendly The Castle Inn is, making it a perfect spot for us and our furry companion. And let's talk about breakfast: it was truly excellent, with the scrambled eggs being hands-down the best I've ever tasted!

Beyond the comfort of the inn, the surrounding area is breathtaking, offering so much to see and do. We loved exploring the dramatic Lydford Gorge (National Trust), and the historic Lydford Castle is right on the doorstep. Being on the edge of Dartmoor National Park means endless opportunities for stunning walks and outdoor adventures.

We are already looking forward to planning our next visit and returning to this wonderful gem. Thank you, Castle Inn, for an...