"Until I moved from the area 14 years ago, I was a regular visitor to Dartington. Films, festivals, recitals and just sunny afternoons out. And of course, these were always accompanied by visits to the bar and to the restaurant. I was excited to be returning after such a long time to enjoy a Sunday lunch on a sunny day in September. Oh dear! First we were hit by a charge to park our car in the virtually empty car park £1.50 an hour. No mention of that on the website. Then the pub itself, that has all changed around. The cosy little bar has gone, and what was once a magnificent dining hall is now the Bar cum Dining Hall, a rather austere place to have a quiet drink, but a rather public place to have an intimate lunch or supper and the warning signs were there, of the ten tables set for dining. Only one, my booking, was used in the time that we were there, which was between 1 pm and 3 pm on a Sunday. The Food. My partner and I both ordered the roast topside of beef. When it came there was an instant visual disappointment. The “Yorkshire pudding“ was, in fact, a rather fat and floppy fried pancake with slightly greasy crispy edges. It was draped over two boiled potatoes and some slices of roast beef. Accompanying the plated food was a rather nice broccoli and cauliflower in cheese sauce, and some rather undercooked carrots and cabbage. The beef itself was quite tasty, but chewy at times. Service throughout was mediocre, borderline rude at times. It certainly didn’t leave a good impression. We were very disappointed with our meal, the ambience and the parking charges. I will not be returning. (note to chef try using plain flour in your Yorkies)."
