Woods

Pub Details

Address
4 Bank Square
Dulverton
Somerset
TA22 9BU
Telephone
(01398) 324007
Opening Times
Weekdays
11 - 3, 6 - midnight
Sundays
12 - 3, 7 - 11

Location

Good Pub Guide Recommended

Smartly informal place with exceptional wines, real ales, first-rate food, and a good mix of customers Our readers love this place and since many others do too, it's best to book a table in advance. It's run by a charming landlord and his helpful, courteous staff and attracts a really good mix of both locals and visitors. Many are here for the top-class food but the local beers and, particularly, the exceptional wines draw customers from far and wide. They will open any of their 400 wines for just a glass from the quite extraordinarily good list and there's also an unlisted collection of about 500 well aged, new world wines which Mr Groves will happily chat about. St Austell Dartmoor Best, Otter Head and a changing guest beer tapped from the cask, a farm cider, many sherries and some unusual spirits. As the pub is on the edge of Exmoor, there are plenty of good sporting prints on the salmon pink walls, some antlers, other hunting trophies, stuffed birds and a couple of salmon rods. There are bare boards on the left by the bar counter and daily papers to read, tables partly separated by stable-style timbering and masonry dividers and a bit on the right which is carpeted and has a woodburning stove in the big fireplace; maybe unobjectionable background music. Big windows keep you in touch with what's going on out in the quiet town centre (or you can sit out on the pavement at a couple of metal tables). A small suntrap back courtyard has a few picnic-sets.

Licensee information

Licensee name
Patrick Groves
Free house

Good Pub Guide Food

They breed their own pigs and chickens to use in the excellent food and as well as fair value light lunches like filled ciabatta rolls, honey-roast ham and egg, a good cheeseburger and seared steak with crispy bacon, the more pricey, restauranty choices include home-cured gravadlax with smoked salmon tartare, marinated squid and wasabi mayonnaise, bresaola with mustard ice-cream, tomato, red onion, olive and feta tart, ballotine of chicken stuffed with wild garlic with wild mushrooms, asparagus and poultry sauce, slow-roast lamb shoulder, rack of lamb and fried liver with caramelised onions, confit garlic and thyme sauce, and puddings like rhubarb eton mess with stem ginger ice-cream and sticky toffee pudding with walnut and toffee popcorn sauce and clotted cream.

Bar food times: 12 - 2, 7 - 9.30

Good Pub Information

Dogs allowed in: Dogs Anywhere

Rating

  • Currently 3/5 Stars.
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Rating: 3/5 (918 votes cast)

Reader Comments

timnewman

Monday 05 November 2012 12:49:14 pm

Wonderful pub - very helpful and accommodating staff. Nice, bustling atmosphere. Tasty food, delivered promptly. Would happily go back.

SheilaTopham

Thursday 12 April 2012 7:28:07 pm

This is a favourite place of mine on Exmoor and you will be just as welcome for a drink as a meal (and so will your dog). I'm a bit surprised by the criticism of the restaurant food as we've always eaten well off either menu. If pannacotta is on the dessert menu, don't miss it - I've never eaten better, even in Italy. If only more places were happy to do most any wines by the glass.....

seamus45

Tuesday 01 March 2011 8:29:21 am

Should you wish to dine in a very friendly pub and have great food stick to the bar menu. The restaurant food is genuinely a rip off, and i dont use that term lightly.

Yes it is very well cooked, yes it is very well presented, but £9.50 for 4 very small prawns and a dab of salad? Thats not value thats very very expensive.

£16.50 for 2 very small pieces of Sea Bream served with tinned toms and finely sliced peppers; again massively over priced.

The saving grace of the pub is the staff. They couldnt be any more attentive or helpful. The landlord is a gem when it comes to the out and out quality of his wine nad his expert wine knowledge.

In summary dont eat the restaurant food as it falls very short of the asking price, stick to the bar menu and enjoy one of the great bottles of wine on offer at the same time!!

exmoor

Thursday 07 October 2010 12:36:26 pm

My favourite place for both drinking and eating. Great beer, fantastic wine list and superb food. Bar menu is reasonably priced, restaurant is expensive but very good. Not great for vegatarians though. Very friendly staff and a nice mix of locals / visitors.

Richard

sally9

Wednesday 28 July 2010 1:46:27 pm

This place is reputedly anti-veggie. We stay locally often but have been warned to avoid this restaurant. Good advice?

Jon Boy

Saturday 17 April 2010 10:29:19 am

Friendly, comfortable, welcoming fire and most important great food and beer. Will certainly go again.

mads

Thursday 26 November 2009 8:28:38 pm

A very special place!
Have eaten at Woods several times, always leave 'feeling' you have had a very special time!
Everything about Woods is excellent enhanced by the woodburner and locals gathered around the bar area.
A real gem of a place!

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