Ashburton Arms - South Hams

The restaurant will reopen next year after renovation.

The restaurant had a nice atmosphere and was welcoming, but when I inquired about the beer selection, they only had one option available. While the beer was decent, I prefer a wider variety to choose from. Due to this limited selection, we decided not to dine at the restaurant.

This restaurant is a terrible place to eat. We did not have a reservation and were seated at tables near the bar. We waited almost 20 minutes for our meals, which arrived lukewarm. The lady who served us seemed friendly, but the pub was scruffy and dated, with unprofessional staff. The chef, who appeared to be foreign, came out of the kitchen before our meal, swearing and complaining about his colleagues instead of focusing on our food. This may explain why our meals were cold and bland. As someone who has worked in catering for 17 years in similar and higher-rated establishments, I was appalled by this unprofessional behavior in front of customers. My order was loaded with cinnamon and star anise, making me question if anyone there knew how to make authentic barbecue sauce. The carpets felt sticky and the clientele consisted mostly of loud, intoxicated salesmen in the middle of the day. The atmosphere was dark and uninviting. We will not be returning to this restaurant, as it left a very negative impression.

We were away for a camping weekend in Slapton and unfortunately broke down on our 2nd day! Luckily right outside the Ashburton Arms and thank goodness. Can't thank Ray the landlord enough for his help, eventually 7 hours later the AA recovered us and our poorly campervan plus dog back home. Whilst there we sampled both beer and food, which were excellent, so although an unplanned stop, well worth a visit. We will return under better circumstances!

Don't let the pink paint job on the outside put you off this welcoming and lovely place. We had a great meal washed down with great beer good value and well worth the stop.