White Hart Hotel

We booked Sunday lunch and were not disappointed. I am meat free/dairy free and the new chef provided the perfect option in a delicious Moroccan Cauliflower dish for the main course. The crab cake starter could have been smaller and crabbier but it was adapted to satisfy my dairy free request. My meat eating partner had 3 delicious courses.

The restaurant area of this hotel has been done up and has a good modern and quite high class feel to it. The rooms less so. On the positive side the mattress was firm and comfortable, the sheets and bedding were high quality . The staff were lovely - especially Meg, the warm and highly competent manager. On the downside, the rest of the bedroom and ensuite was in need of a refurb. There was a lot of black mould on one wall. The window did not seem to fit and let in air and noise even when closed. The shower was, literally, a dribble. There was a very basic desk but no desk lamp. There was a very bright central light bulb and bedside lights that were way too dim. I would sum up the decor as being c. 1990s sub-corporate. And don't be fooled by the "free breakfast". There was toast and packet croissants. Jam and Marmalade (and one morning they remembered to put out the jar of marmite). There was a selection of three different types of fruit. And a choice of tea or coffee. That's it. We also met the owner who seemed a bit disengaged.

My husband and I visited for dinner last evening, and here is my take: My husband’s starter of salad with chicken and bacon was very good but my choice of Brixham crab cake ran into trouble; I got no taste of crab whatsoever and so I asked how much crab should be included in the recipe. The waitress assured me she would ask the chef and the answer was that as no delivery of crab had arrived that day, then my “crab cake” was actually a plain fish cake She removed the cost of this from my bill. I felt very sorry for her having to front a significant error made by the chef who had failed to communicate with her and allowed the menu to go out either through pressure or arrogance. Mains were pleasant but underwhelming; my husband’s pan fried cod on saffron mash was not very flavourful and my ballotine of chicken was just short of disappointing. Our shared pudding of lemon meringue pie on raspberry coulis was pretty good. The waitress was very charming and not at all defensive in this awkward situation regarding the “ no crab “ crab cake ; entirely the fault of the chef. We were not charged for the fish cake but when the bill arrived we were charged for both an extra glass of wine and a plate of mussels neither of which we had The poor waitress explained that someone had sat at our table earlier that day and their bill had unfortunately been added to ours. This was resolved and we added a 10% tip solely because we were impressed by and sorry for the delightful waitress. Sorry chef but even Wivey locals can spot a “no crab “crab cake

With a newly refurbished pub and dining room, the improved White Hart has a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere but a sense of it being somewhere special to have a meal. The Sunday roast selection is superb. The Yorkshire puddings (available with all three options, not just the beef) are as big as a baby's head and the stuffing balls are a welcome surprise underneath. Crispy roasties and delicious gravy top it all off nicely. An option for a smaller child-sized roast would be good idea because the portion sizes are generous.

A regular venue for our annual cricket game in Brompton Ralph. Really pushed the boat out to make our stay very enjoyable. Lots of recent improvements under new ownership and very good value. The bar staff were exceptional in making us feel so welcome.

Really loved the welcome. I love this part of Somerset and it’s always fab over a bank holiday weekend, especially when you get great weather. Great independent hotel, great food and fab service, exceptional value. It was our first visit to the White Hart but plan to head back.