Bearslake Inn Hotel

Devon, England

The Devon market towns of Okehampton and Tavistock have forever been the gateways to great yomps on Dartmoor and in this 13th-century, Grade II-listed pub with six rooms (four of them dog friendly), they’ve got the perfect hikers and bikers retreat handily located between them.

The thatched – naturally – Bearslake Inn offers comfy rooms, with great showers, overlooking the Moors with a soundtrack provided by the stream running through their huge garden. The kitchen is West Country-first on the produce front, serving up the best of Devon’s surf and turf, be it mussels from the south coast, local game or Devon blue and Cornish yarg on the cheeseboard. There’s a classic comfort feel to the menu to help you scratch any culinary itch, be it a hankering for scampi and chips or desire to feast on seared lamb’s liver, smoked bacon, mushroom and herb butter. Sunday lunches are big news too, offering up roast sirloin of West Country beef and beer-braised brisket, and roast loin of Elston Farm pork and crackling.

Breakfast is ordered the night before and then delivered to your room in a wicker basket which, is once again, full of local produce, from meats and cheeses to juices, cereals and yoghurt.

Owners Julian and Lisa have been polishing their act at the Bearslake for almost 15 years and it shows in every aspect, from the thatched roof down to the welcome given to four-legged friends.

Doubles from £120. 01837 861334, bearslakeinn.com

Words by Tim Broad.

This review was taken from the April 2023 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.