The Tuckers Arms - Carte

The Old Inn Kilmington

➤ Axminster, East Devon, United Kingdom

Carte • Steak • Seafood • British • Vegetarian

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"An absolute pleasure to find ourselves here for lunch. A charming and picturesque inn, with thatch roof and an old English charm to it, we were very happy and full by the end of our meal. Everything was beautiful, especially the locally sourced beef and we couldn't help but have dessert to finish. A lovely couple who were polite and fast with service. Parking was easy and cost very reasonable considering where we were. I honestly would highly recommend for couples or families. They had toys to keep my youngest busy whilst we waited and by the end she didn't want to go home. I just wished I'd have taken a photo because the property is honestly stunning. With the cottage feel and the low beams and thatching, it really does look like something out of a fairytale. Very clean and quaint. Parking: Lots of space, easy to access. Kid-friendliness: Toys available to keep them busy, lots of space outside, easy access to the toilets for children. Wheelchair accessibility: There is a ramp on the door for east entry and throughout the property. Price per person: £10–20 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Recommended dishes: Warm Chocolate Fudge Cake Parking space: Plenty of parking Parking options: Free parking lot"

New Inn

➤ The Hill, EX13 7SF, East Devon, United Kingdom

Carte • Pub • Steak • Seafood • British

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"Ate here twice during our stay in Kilmington. We had eaten here about a year ago and remembered the service and food to be fabulous and we weren’t disappointed on our return. Hayley gave amazing service throughout and was very welcoming to all the customers we saw there. The choice of dishes was extremely good and there were gluten free choices too. I would go for the gluten free fish cakes on the first visit and corn fritters on the second both delicious. All our food was generously portioned, very well cooked and tasty. The prices too here are very reasonable. So with the added warm welcome and great service it’s no wonder people come back here. Unfortunately it was a bit too cool for us to sit outside this time as this place has a wonderful beer garden overlooking the hills. Inside though it has a lovely cosy feel without being cramped. Highly recommended."

The White Hart Inn

➤ A35, Honiton, EX14 9, United Kingdom, East Devon

Carte • Pub • Seafood • British • Vegetarian

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"This pub has been tastefully refurbished. It has new management from Jan 2024. We visited today 24th April. My wife is in a wheelchair and staff were immediately on hand to open the french doors for access. In the space of two hours we were the only diners apart from two couples having coffee and two fellows who had soup. Despite this the service was slow, staff were frequently absent. I had to knock on the kitchen door to get someone to give me a bill. We felt there was too much emphasis on trying to be different but some dishes, like deep fried bread and butter pudding were slightly weird. The meal was o.k. but service and staff attentiveness could be better. A mild disappointment for what promised to be a great experience. Little touches, like serving biscoff or mints with the coffee would have been good. My belly pork was quite good but served with 'apple mash ' which I took to be an alternative to apple sauce, turned out to be mashed potato, therefore the chips ordered as an extra were superfluous. After three months, even a midweek lunchtime should be busier, but perhaps other locals have been reluctant to make a return visit."

High Grange Devon

➤ High Grange, Burrow Knap Way, Dalwood, Dalwood, England, United Kingdom, EX13 7ES

Carte • Wine • Fish • Meat • British

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"We were so looking forward to our Christmas Feast Night at High Grange, the menu looked amazing and we had heard such good things. The 9th December came and with it rain and high winds, with news of regional flooding we set out from Exeter with some trepidation. As it was the journey was easy, all main roads apart from a few wide lanes and no issues with any floodwater at all, we pulled into the drive to be greeted by beautiful lights in trees and bushes and the most amazing smells wafting our way. As we met with the staff we were presented with some locally sourced warmed mulled wine, it was cold so this was a godsend and as we drank our glasses were liberally refilled. The canapes were exceptional – the smoked stilton and pear tartlet was sumptuous, real melt in the mouth stuff, the dairy beef fillet so delicious and soft but the star was the smoked eel – stunning and all cooked by the jovial Luke before our eyes. From here we proceeded to the indoors dining area, beautifully decorated and lovely and warm, the perfect surroundings to await what would follow. There were good choices of drink, a range of prices, accessible to every pocket – the cucumber Kombucha a real favourite of my wife’s. The house wine at £7.50 for 225mml was perfectly acceptable hitting all the right notes and not hitting the pocket too hard. Anyone can sell expensive wine but can they get the ‘value’ wine right? They did. What came next was just stunning – course after course each one as good as the last, each one cooked to perfection and worthy of the title ‘feast’. The Jerusalem artichoke velouté was light and airy hiding a buttery, delicious crumb adorned with delicate artichoke crisps. The Lyme Bay Sea bass, fresh crab and ‘crack dust’ ‘prawn crackers were so delicious and all set on a soft and creamy curry sauce. But it is the details that count, the skin was crispy and everything was perfectly hot, literally plated a few feet away. Next was brioche prawn toast, steak tartare and caviar! Yes all three on the same plate – the poshest surf and turf I have had in my life and easily the best. There was a lightness to the brioche, the tartar perfectly seasoned with a hint of sharpness and caviar a hint of the sea atop, there just to remind us we were really being spoilt! But maybe the star was the goose: confit leg shredded, delicately smoked sliced of the softest most delicious goose on the richest of gravy with a celeriac puree that was so light and airy and accompanying veg – an utter delight. We ended with a fabulous cheesecake, again light but the Pedro Ximenez bringing a depth and feel of luxury, sweetened with apple puree. Maybe it didn’t need the ice cream, my wife thought it did but by then we were very full and ready to end with our complimentary coffees. We were nicely full but not over so, we were attended to brilliantly by the staff who had just the right tone and presence and we left truly feeling spoilt. The cost for this was £85 per head, clearly not something we would do every day but something we would definitely do again. It felt like a treat and it also felt good value. Luke clearly loves cooking and loves food that showed in every mouthful – as a festive banquet I can genuinely say that there wasn’t a misstep – flavour, portions, variety, presentation, service and atmosphere were all top notch, it was truly a feast and we look to return again next year. Thank you again to Luke and all the staff, it truly was a night to remember for all the right reasons."

Home Farm

➤ Near Honiton, EX14 9JR, East Devon, United Kingdom

Carte • Fish • Wine • Seafood • Chicken

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"We had two dinners and breakfast from this restaurant because we stayed in the Home Farm Hotel. We wanted to have the dinner and breakfast during our stay, but had to cancel our plans due to VERY POOR customer service received from Richard and also...because of his wife's cooking due to overcooked and burned full cook breakfast we received from the restaurant. Day 1, Richard introduced his wife to us, but she totally ignored us and in addition, she did not even bother to acknowledged and smiled with us. She seems to be very upset or very distance from everything or stressed/fed up about something at the time. Not sure this was due to over working… Day 1, Richard requested us to come down stairs for the dinner at 18:00, but instead of taking us to the restaurant for dinner, he tried his best to hard sell the alcohols he had in the bar to us and also to all the other guests. This happened even after we told him several times that we only want the meal and no alcohol from his bar. After about two hours, I had to tell him that I’m a diabetic and heart patient therefore I do really want to eat the meal and have a rest. He gave us the menu and I asked for lamb which was on the menu and he went crazy and said to us that they do not provide English food in this restaurant. I showed him what was on the menu, but he did not even apologise to us. He said lamb run out and asked us to select something else from the menu, again we selected duck, but that was run out as well!!! By then, Richard was sarcastic and rude to us as well as to other guests… In the end, we asked what we can have for our dinner. He almost shouted at us saying he and his wife only there to run the hotel without any staff therefore, we have to eat whatever his wife can cook!!! Finally, at about 21:00, we managed to have our dinner and I asked Richard to cancel our breakfast and dinner booking for the rest of the days however, he said we have to take the breakfast for next day because it was too late to cancel it. Next morning (Day 2), we were near the restaurant since 08:00 as Richard requested but as usual, past 09:00 we received burnt and overcooked full breakfast for two of us. They had a very large menu but it seems like most of the food either his wife did not know how to cook or had run out. Richard charged full price for our meals, BUT he FORGOT to provide the good quality food and services to the customers…"