Nearby Restaurants And Bars
The area local to our properties is bursting with atmospheric inns, quant tea-shops and top-class restaurants. We’ve listed some of our favourites and top recommendations below, so you can head out with your group and get someone else to cook the food and do the dishes to finish up a great day of holidaying in the countryside!
The Cotley Inn, Wambrook, Chard, Somerset
The award-winning Cotley Inn has the most idyllic setting, on the side of a hill overlooking fields and woods in an unspoilt corner of Somerset. The feels are relaxed, whether you’re inside by the fireside in winter, out on the terrace or in the beer garden in the summer.
The service and the food are both excellent and the former comes with a good choice, depending on how hungry you are. If you just want to fill a gap have a pork pie or a scotch egg, if you want something more substantial choose from mains of Beer battered haddock fillet, minted crushed peas, chunky chips and curried tartare sauce, Crispy halloumi burger, roasted red pepper hummus, rocket, grilled courgette, house slaw and chunky chips, or Honey & cardamom glazed guinea fowl, celeriac dauphinoise, tenderstem broccoli, celeriac & apple puree, pickled brambly sauce and Somerset cider jus. In the summer you can dine alfresco on sourdough wood fired pizzas served from a converted horsebox.
They follow principles of nose to tail, ensuring as little waste as possible, and of minimal food miles, so meat comes from the local estate, game from the fields, fish from the south coast, and greens and herbs from the kitchen garden.
Dogs and muddy boots are welcome, so it’s good to come here after a walk in the hills.
The Five Dials, Horton, Ilminster, Somerset
The Five Dials near Ilminster in Somerset has got that balance of village pub and renowned restaurant just right, which is no easy feat these days. It’s a lovely place to be, the atmosphere is lively, the service is excellent and the food is delicious, so there’s every reason to go there.
On the lunch menu are open sandwiches served with triple cooked chips, or you can choose from more substantial dishes like Beef, ale & vegetable pie with mash and seasonal veg, Venison & chorizo burger with flat mushroom, blue cheese, red onion & tomato relish, triple cooked chips and dressed leaves, or Spinach, sweet potato, courgette, pepper, feta and pine nut strudel with pumpkin seed pesto and autumn vegetable. Sundays is traditional roast day and rest assured, it's very, very good.
In the colder months it’s warm and cosy inside by the fire, in the summer there’s a peaceful beer garden where you can enjoy a leisurely pint in the sunshine.
The New Inn, Dowlish Wake, Ilminster, Somerset
Who doesn’t love a traditional village pub? That’s exactly what you’ll find when you go to The New Inn at Dowlish Wake – with a warm welcome and a lovely setting in a picturesque Somerset village to boot.
If you’re staying at our luxury large group holiday houses, Beaverbrook 20 or Churchill 20, you can climb the stile across the lane and wander through the fields to The New Inn. Settle down with a pint of local cider or real ale, tuck into home cooked food from a menu of pub classics and chef’s specials; things like Fish pie, Beef lasagne, Southern fried chicken burger, Scampi & chips, and Veggie bean burger. Go on Tuesday for Steak Night, Wednesday for Curry Night, and Sundays for a full-on roast with all the trimmings.
If you’re in these parts in the autumn or winter, picture this: a long walk round the lanes and footpaths, the glorious countryside laid out before you, then back to The New Inn for lamb casserole and apple crumble beside the fire. In the summer, there’s a pretty beer garden out the back where you can put the world to rights over a drink or two and a bag of crisps.
Large groups should book in advance. Dogs welcome.
Lord Poulett Arms, Hinton St George, Somerset
If you’re looking for somewhere very special to go for dinner when you’re on your large group holiday in Somerset, the Lord Poulett Arms at Hinton St George ought to be on your list. Standing on the main street in one of the most picturesque villages in the county, this thatched pub is a seamless blend of traditional and elegant. Think thick stone walls, wood panelling, hop draped beams, classic furniture, candles, and log fires in the colder months.
When the sun is shining and you’re tempted to sit outside, there are two gardens to choose from. One is a French inspired knot garden with box, bay and lavender, and a wisteria covered pergola, the other is more old English style, more wild, with mistletoe strung apple trees, hammocks and love seats. Both are gorgeous.
They may serve wines from around the world, but there’s a very big focus on what’s local at the Lord Poulett Arms, which is how you’d expect things to be. Beers come from nearby breweries, gins from regional distilleries and cider is made locally from apples mellowed in the sunshine of Somerset orchards. Likewise the menu keeps pace with the seasons and the surrounding landscape – meat and game from local farms, fish landed daily on the South West coast, salad leaves and herbs picked just a few steps away in the kitchen garden.
It's all put to such good use – a treat for your eyes, your tastebuds and your bellies. Book for supper and you might start with Ham hock terrine, smoked chilli & tomato chutney, or Chilled pea & mint soup with feta. Moving onto mains, you could have Creedy Carver duck breast, spinach & watercress, beetroot, and beer sauce, Pan-fried bream, spring greens, and tarragon cream sauce, or from the Pub menu, a 6oz beef burger with Yarlington blue cheese, tomato, baby gem lettuce, and chips. Puddings come in the form of exquisite delights like Blackcurrant cheesecake with ginger crumb, Baked lemon tart with raspberries, and Dark chocolate mousse with Cheddar valley strawberries.
The Ship Inn, Axmouth, Devon
When you’re spending your large group holidays in the South West, it helps to have an idea of the local pubs that are worth going to. Well, here’s one – The Ship Inn, at Axmouth.
Axmouth is the pretty little village you drive through on the way to Seaton on the East Devon coast; just as you drop down the hill, The Ship Inn is on the right. And it’s a good pub, family run and reliable, the food is tasty, the welcome is warm and the service attentive. Inside it’s all been modernised, which probably works well considering how busy it can get in the summer - like most pubs near the beach.
The menu is varied, and it's all made using locally sourced meats, fresh fish from Lyme Bay, hand-picked crabs landed on the shore at Beer, and vegetables from nearby farms. Mains include pub favourites and things like Local lambs liver & smokey bacon, Pan fried Lyme Bay scallops in creamy chilli sauce, and Slow roasted belly pork with mash and gravy. There's also a range of steaks from the Grill, homemade burgers and chilli dogs, salads, and a children’s menu.
At the back of the pub there’s a big beer garden with views over the River Axe; in the summer they have an outdoor bar with a Black Rock grill and pizza oven, and sometimes they do a hog roast and host live bands. It’s all jolly convivial at The Ship, that’s what matters, and the fact that the locals come here all year round, driving from the nearby towns and villages is a good thing. It shows they like it.
Best advice is to book in advance, especially if there’s a big group of you, but plan it well and call in for dinner after a day on the beach at Seaton or Beer, or after rockpooling or crabbing from Axmouth harbour. Watch the sun set over the estuary, go home with your bellies full and your hearts content.