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 Comfortably relaxed and mildly upmarket in a country way, this bustling place always has a good mix of both locals and visitors and a good balance between drinkers and diners. It's run by a particularly charming landlord and his genuinely helpful and friendly staff who will open any of their 400 wines for just a glass from a quite extraordinarily good list; 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 piped 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 for 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 ballotine of chicken with confit leg rillettes and poultry sauce, lamb rump with slow-roast loin, crispy sweetbreads and thyme sauce, and skate wing with caper nut brown butter.

Good Pub Information

Dogs allowed in: Dogs Anywhere

Rating

  • Currently 3/5 Stars.
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Rating: 3/5 (658 votes cast)

Reader Comments

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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