Royal - Torridge

The carvery at this restaurant is excellent, and the staff provides great service. The food choices are plentiful with a variety of options. The decor of the restaurant is stunning, making it a lovely place to dine. I have been to many places that appear tired, but this restaurant is not one of them.

I went to the Royal Hotel to celebrate my partner's birthday. The food was delicious and the portion sizes were generous. My son's meal was especially impressive, kudos to the chef and the team. The wait staff were attentive and friendly. Even as the restaurant got busier, they continued to check in on us. I have already made a reservation for the family to have Christmas dinner there and can't wait for my next visit. Thank you for a wonderful evening!

We waited a long time for our food order to be taken and eventually had to call a waiter over. The menu was very small and uninteresting. The food was bland and definitely not worth the money. We also waited a long time for the Parmesan that was offered, it felt like it had been imported from Italy. We were not offered any water, even though there were water glasses on the table. We were not given the specials menu until we were nearly finished with our meal. When we paid, one of the owners asked if we enjoyed our meal. We told them we were underwhelmed and that it was not up to standard, but they did not even respond, leaving us wondering why they asked in the first place.

Amazing carvery, fantastic food, friendly staff, dogs allowed in the bistro section which was opulently furnished and very comfortable and welcoming. Couldn’t have asked for more.

The food was fine and the staff ok but I am personally not sure about the decor, the paper napkins and barking dogs. My main criticism however is the shambolic payment arrangements which involve queueing in a narrow open doorway while staff endeavour to pass with dirty dishes or diners try to leave.