The Castle Inn

We found this lovely place just by chance on the way back from Exmoor Zoo. We had a pleasant welcome and a table was found for us. The service was fantastic and the food was excellent and reasonably priced. We would certainly go again.

I have eaten in many eating establishments all over the world and I must say the food here was stunning and up there with the best. There was an extra drink on the bill which was promptly removed without question, hopefully just an honest mistake. I always check my bill any where I go, as this happens quite often.

Gorgeous little gem of a pub serving great food and a good range of drinks. Fantastic atmosphere, a rarity now so many pubs have been modernised, this is proper olde worlde open fires, wood smoke scented bar serving local ales etc and low ceilinged but open and fresh dining areas.

Great old pub. Excellent food & bar. Dog friendly throughout. Rooms available, some dog friendly too.

Delicious meal out. I had the pan fried hake with a lime chilli butter, and husband had lamb steak. Both cooked perfectly, full of flavour. Finished with a white chocolate pannacotta with strawberries and home made honeycomb. Attentive staff, warm atmosphere, quiz happening in next door bar area.

Just had a fantastic 2 nights stay at the Castle Inn in Lydford. Can’t recommend it highly enough. Comfortable cosy room with super king sized bed, good selection of beers in the bar with open fireplace, tasty dinner menu, and fantastic breakfast. Great location for walks and sightseeing.

Real hospitality- the staff are so friendly and everything was excellent. Fresh milk delivered to rooms in the morning, delicious dinner menu and beautiful rooms. Got the winter deal which was a very reasonable price, delicious cooked breakfast included. Would love to come back.

We've stayed here a couple of times. And it's wonderful such lovely rooms and really lovely toiletries. All staff are really friendly and accommodating. The food breakfast and evening meal is excellent and to a very high standard. The surroundings, are incredible. So all round treat yourselves and enjoy

Fantastic pub! We visit here from time to time as my family have ancestral roots to this area! It’s a really warm welcoming pub, the rooms are very cozy and the grub is great. They have a fantastic selection of drinks. I’ve never had a bad experience and look forward to my next visit! Cheers 🍻 Mike @the_man_cave_est2021

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Pub is very cosy, clean, friendly. Service was quick and easy. Options for both food and drink were a plenty. I had the Devon Burger, it was fantastic. Other meals on the table were the La Capra Pizza which was received very well, and the fish and chips also went down well! Good options for beer/lager/IPA. Overall an absolute 10/10.

An incredible find, an amazing winter pub with local produce and hands down the best steak and ale pie I’ve ever had. Pet friendly and well equipped rooms. Staff were super helpful and friendly. Highly recommend.

The best place near Okehampton to get breakfast (their other meals are just as good)! Excellent food, amazing views out over Dartmoor. Highly recommended

Had a festive meal on 11th Dec for 5 people, food was very good quality, particularly the beef, very tender and full of flavour. Excellent drinks choice, prompt service with a smile. Liked the pre booking system so everyone could order easily especially making a note of dietary requirements and the text reminder, highly recommend!

Excellent roast beef. The service from the young team of waiters and waitresses was excellent. Great to explore the medieval castle next door and find out about all the Lydford silver coins nicked by the pesky Vikings.

Treated the family to roast on Sunday at The Castle Inn. Great location, cosy pub atmosphere, great service and the most amazing food! Thank you to the team for looking after us so well. Hope to see you again very soon.

Lovely old village pub with loads of character, good beers and nice food.

We stayed here recently for our mini-moon after getting married and it was fab. The room was lovely, the staff were friendly and welcoming and the food at the pub was delicious. Really quiet and picturesque little village, with some great natural beauty spots nearby and historical sites to explore in the village as well.

Absolutely stunning experience at the Castle Inn. The service was warm and attentive, and the food exceeded all expectations. The baked Camembert was rich and indulgent, and the sticky toffee pudding was hands-down one of the best I’ve ever had. I also discovered a great local beer—Jail Ale—which paired beautifully with the meal. Highly recommended for anyone in the area looking for quality food and a memorable atmosphere.

Purely luxury, absolutely beautiful rooms, food, staff, the place is immaculate. Sadly no ghost. Services are excellent

Had a wonderful stay at The Castle Inn in Lydford. Its a fabulous place. The room I stayed in was cosy (room 3) but probably perfect. Had a lovely dinner in the restaurant. As a loan diner they situated me in the snug area which was perfect. Dinner was delicious, as was breakfast. On checkout day there was a torrential downpour so I sat in the bar for a couple of hours by the fire waiting for it to stop and then get on with my bike ride to Plymouth. I was made to feel very welcome. What a lovely place.

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 unforgettable experience!

Great place. Staff were friendly and helpful even though they were manic busy.

Day six of a walking holiday. This place was perfect. Just perfect. Staff were friendly and welcoming, especially Alex who seemed to be my helper throughout the visit. The room (9) was exceptional — by far the largest and most luxurious I’ve had on this trip! Today’s breakfast was excellent, served in a lovely dining room and again with helpful and friendly staff. Highly recommended.

I haven't stayed here, just popped in for breakfast today and boy, was I glad I did? A top quality breakfast using proper, good ingredients all cooked perfectly and served nice 'n' hot. Two pieces of toast with lovely soft butter and a tasty pot of tea. Nice friendly people too, chatty and helpful. Perfect, I thank you.

Fantastic room with lovely bath and walk in shower. The bar had a lovely ambiance and really good local cider. The dinner was delicious, my wife had a whole cooked megrim that I had never seen on a menu before, it was out of this world. The breakfast set us up for the rest of the day. This was not our first time staying here and will definitely not be our last. Thanks to all!

We spent a lovely weekend here. The room was spacious but quaint, and very comfortable. Staff were all extremely friendly and hospitable. The delivery of fresh milk outside the door at 7am really nice touch. Wide choice of breakfast - all the food in the resraurant was delicious and beautifully presented. Perfect for a walking holiday on the moor. Fully recommend.

Stayed for 2 nights and had an amazing stay. The location is gorgeous and perfect for Moor walking. The place is fantastic - a combination of the best old cutesy pub you could possibly wish for (with open fire and real ales) combined with 4-star hotel quality accommodation and food. Our room was beautiful, with fine bedding, quality toiletries, tea & coffee, and fresh milk. Breakfast were the best breakfasts we’ve ever had - exceeding most hotel breakfasts - their chefs are excellent. They are clearly striving to create a first-class guest experience and are doing a brilliant job. Honestly, I can’t praise The Castle Inn enough - we’re already looking forward to returning.

Gorgeous roast dinner to mark the last day of our holiday - so good, we've since booked again

Have stayed at The Castle Inn on multiple occasions and are never disappointed with the rooms. The service is great and the staff exceptional. The food is always very good quality and value for money. It really is an incredibly special place and I always leave feeling rejuvenated and trying to think when I can next return. Keep up the good work.

No idea why this inn is listed as 2* hotel on Google!! It is At least 4* hotel! And I’ve stayed in a lot of places all over the world! The bedrooms were so comfortable with luxury toiletries and delicious complimentary tray. Little touches like fresh milk outside our door in the morning made it for us. The food menu is really good, but I have to be honest here and say the actual food although it looked great, it did lack flavour a little- both at breakfast and dinner. However, the staff couldn’t have been nicer and the whole experience was comfortable and even edged into luxurious. thank you 🙏

This place never disappoints. Haven't stayed here as I don't live far away. It's just a safe bet that everyone is going to enjoy the evening. The food is great, the atmosphere is perfect and the fireworks on Guy Fawkes are out of this world.

Very attentive and welcoming staff - accommodated every request and nothing was too much trouble. Food was exquisite and service was absolutely first rate. Atmosphere in this beautiful old inn was very relaxed and cosy. The age and character of the building mean smallish bedrooms and slightly clunky plumbing, but these are definitely part of the package and make it a very different and unique experience.

My husband and I stayed here for 1 night as part of a round road trip from the North West. The pub is in a nice quiet, village location right near Lydford Gorge & Castle. It has lovely kerbside appeal with beautiful Japanese wisteria all around the outside and door. When we walked in, we were greeted with the lovely smell of a real fireplace that was lit and the pub had ye olde charm. Our room was in a separate building just over the road and it was really lovely. The only small issue was it was quite visible into our room from the street and the back car park when the blinds were open. The room itself was really well appointed, robes, free homemade shortbread and fresh milk. The breakfast was excellent as was our evening meal that we had. We would definitely return to this B&B and would recommend to others.

The food here is very good with a strong range of pub classics and restaurant dishes. The ambience and setting are also very good, warm, cosy, inviting, traditional vibes. We found the service was inattentive and slow (albeit friendly) which detracted from the overall experience however, would still go back.

After walking up and down to the Cauldron and White Lady waterfall, we decided to have dinner and the Castle Inn. They served pizzas and rolls then, so we had two pizzas, a beef roll and some chips and salad. All but the beef roll was really good. Couldn't cut the meat with a steak knife.. The location and interior is very nice and really breathes old times. Due to some hard wind, we decided to eat indoors, but the garden looked amazing.

Had lunch today with friends, food was very nice BUT service was slow and inattentive and I have to say the older lady behind the bar was actually rude and I felt like we were a nuisance rather than a customer. To be honest I will take my trade elsewhere in the future!

Lovely village pub in the village. Food and service...not so good! We brought our friends here as we have eaten here on a few occasions. The prices are high and the food is poor. My meal was forgotten then when it arrived part of it was not what I ordered so had to wait. The pie was dry, the veg was chewy and enough for a child! The fish was tasty but a very small meal again. We didn't bother with dessert. £80 including 4 regular drinks. The tables are so close together. The table squashed in next to us was occupied by 2 people with 3 large dogs and one small one! Did not enjoy dogs sniffing at our food, scrambling about and barking. Not a good experience!

Walked in and we were pretty much ignored by the staff, so we walked over and asked if they were serving food, we missed breakfast by 10 minutes (which of course was ok with us) but when we asked if they had any alternative food, the conversation felt over and the waitress was rude and gave us the cold shoulder. Not very welcoming and she acted like she had more pressing matters at hand. We were offered not even a drink. My girlfriend and I have worked in hospitality for years and we know that making people feel welcome is part of the job. Instead we were made to feel like trespassers. They didn’t even say hi or good morning.

Unfortunately, having previously had good food, today was an exception. Lack of food was the issue. Having booked a table, stating it was for Sunday roast, we arrived, greeted by a stoney faced waitress, to be told there were no roasts. Not just that but having been told this we were left at the door with no further information. It’s a shame when previously roasts were available till late in the afternoon. An apology was offered, and told food was available but only fish and chips, pizza or a sandwich, not something we had in mind when making a booking at pre 11am. Why a review, when booking double check they have food, and on a Sunday when they anticipate roasts will run out. If we had been told they had limited numbers we could easily have made it earlier. Shame, as normally both the food and service are great. Maybe a bad day for them but defo made it one for us. No roasts available anywhere else but had a great time at The Blacksmiths Arms, Lamerton, where there was plenty of excellent food and lovely welcoming staff.

I am disappointed everytime I visit The Castle Inn which is only about once a year as each time I conclude not to return. Last night was one such event arriving with optimism and leaving disappointed. A gathering of people to celebrate a friend’s birthday we arrived for our booking at 8pm. Service was unbearably slow despite a good number of staff. Food was slow to appear to the point that our main course did not arrive until 10pm! I had the fish and chips - it was dry, over cooked and tasteless. I would have enjoyed a better meal from the fish and chip shop in Tavistock for less money. My friends seemed to enjoy the lamb steak. But overall we weren’t enthralled with the food or service. There are plenty of other options in this area if you are seeking a “gastro-pub” experience. It’s a pity as The Castle used to be a good local pub with wholesome, hearty food and service with a smile. Nowadays it just seems focused on providing an overpriced, underwhelming menu for tourists. Will not be returning for sometime!

My partner and I stopped in for some lunch after a long walk. We were very hungry and excited for some good pub food. What we got was expensive tosh. The food, quite honestly, was horrible and overpriced. The pub itself it lovely with a nice garden. It's a shame the food let it down so much.

Me and my partner came in and only bought a started as a quick snack, going in he staff were very hostile. The young waitress was lovely but the older lady with short hair was extremely hostile and rude, gave her a nice friendly smile a couple of times and got a snarl back and when my partner spoke to her she was even ruder . It was a lovely pub overall but the one in particular person made it quite uncomfortable and unwelcoming.