Tarr Farm

Lovely Exmoor setting looking over Tarr Steps and lots to do nearby, decent range of drinks, well liked food, and seats outside; bedrooms

From the slate-topped stone tables outside this remote but busy inn you can look down on Tarr Steps just below - that much-photographed clapper bridge of massive granite slabs for medieval packhorses crossing the River Barle as it winds through this lightly wooded combe. The pub part consists of a line of compact and unpretentious rooms, also with good views, slabby rustic tables, stall seating, wall seats and pub chairs, a woodburning stove at one end, salmon pink walls, nice game bird pictures and a pair of stuffed pheasants. The serving bar up a step or two has Exmoor Ale and Gold on handpump, eight wines by the glass and a good choice of other drinks. The residents' end has a smart little evening restaurant (you can eat from this menu in the bar), and a pleasant log-fire lounge with dark leather armchairs and sofas.

Bar food includes lunchtime sandwiches, soup, pork pâté with armagnac-soaked prunes wrapped in parma ham, honey-roast ham and free-range eggs, cod fishfingers with aioli, chicken roulade with morel and riesling sauce, calves liver and bacon with sage mash and shallot sauce, twice-baked goats cheese souffle with candied walnuts and date and walnut chutney, devon ruby rib-eye steak with béarnaise sauce, and puddings like lemon tart with lemon sorbet and a cassis and blueberry sauce and chocolate fondant with passion fruit ice-cream and hazelnut ice-cream.