Ship

Civilised and pleasantly updated roadside dining inn, offering a wide range of food

With welcoming and neatly dressed staff, this well cared-for roadside inn makes a comfortable place for a meal. On the right two carpeted dining rooms, with stripped pine dado and shutters, are furnished in a similar pleasantly informal style, and have some attractive contemporary nautical prints. The bar on the left, with a cool sage green décor and big sash windows, has a mix of seats around nice stripped tables on the dark boards or flagstones of its two smallish rooms; the gossipy inner one has a good log fire, and its bow window looks beyond the road and car park to a soothing view of rolling pastures; TV, darts, board games and piped music. As well as several malt whiskies, elderflower pressé and organic apple juices, they have good wines by the glass, and Otter Bitter, St Austell Tribute and a guest from a regional brewery such as Exmoor on handpump. The bedlington terrier is called Douglas. As there's a sharp nearby bend, keep your fingers crossed that drivers are obeying the 30mph limit when you walk from or to the car park opposite.

Served in generous helpings, food includes a wide choice of lunchtime baguettes, ciabattas and paninis, as well as soup, starters like mussels or home-made pâté, and main courses such as honey-baked ham, mussels, fish pie, sausages and mash, and spinach, mushroom and blue vinney roly-poly. The fresh fish specials board could offer whole bream with green beans, thyme and fennel, roast monkfish wrapped in pancetta with spinach mash, or roast cod fillet with a crab and herb crust; puddings like peach parfait with orange sorbet, belgian waffle with chocolate sauce, or lime, ginger and coconut cheesecake.