Turned up in Lynmouth on a November evening having not booked anywhere to stay. Rising Sun looked cosy and we were quoted £40 p.p. B&B for 3 of us (one double, one double for single occupancy) with the chance to view our rooms before booking. Very friendly service from the lady on reception, and amazing olde world charm with the sloping corridors and steep, narrow stairs to the rooms.

In fact we concluded that encouraging people to traverse the stairs and view the rooms allows the proprietors to filter the guests - for only those who can fit up the stairs could squeeze into the shower in at least one of the rooms!

We were given rooms 3 and 5 (as I remember) - both at the front of the hotel with beautful views directly onto the pretty harbour, and beyond to the sea. In accordance with previous reviews, the decor in the two rooms reflected the apparent ongoing refurbishment of the hotel - one room (pictured) being a little dated, with the other being very contemporary. Both rooms were fairly compact, albeit with character features such as beams and sloping floors (although why they have retained the 1970's Italian restaurant- style swirling Artex, even in the redecorated areas, was beyond us). The bathroom in the more dated room was adequate, although the water pressure in the shower was low and the temperature was variable. The newer bathroom was OK, except for the aforementioned shower which would trouble anyone with a wider girth. Beds in both rooms were fine, although the older bed was quite hard. General decor was pleasent, even in the more dated room. There was some noise late into the night from the pub downstairs, but nothing too bad.

We ate in the bar as it had a cosy atmosphere with a (gas) wood burner and plenty of local chat. The food was excellent - one of the best steaks ever (real melt-in-the-mouth stuff) and some good fish and chips. The only slight downsides were the lemon sole, which was a bit fussy and not so fresh, and the rather humourless and abrupt service from the array of eastern European staff. Some customer service training would not go amiss here.

However, especially after a few pints of the excellent local real ales, these points were relatively minor, and the pleasent staff behind the bar compensated for the charmless dinner staff. One notable feature of our evening was using the newly-refurbished downstairs toilets - literally the poshest pub toilets anywhere! The Dyson Airblade hand dryer is worth a trip in itself!

Our real highlight, though, was breakfast, which was served in the restaurant by an excellent and lovely member of staff with, we think, a Portugese or Spanish accent. Well done to her, first rate service. The breakfast itself was generous and well-cooked, using what looked like local bacon and sausages with hand-cut thick toast and good coffee. Simple details like warm plates and unusually tasty brown sauce added to the impression.

All in all, whilst there are some niggles, we really enjoyed our stay here and would glady recommend it, with the proviso that you wouldn't want to pay a fortune and to choose your rooms if possible. For a 'get away from it all' stay in a perfect seaside location, it has much to offer.