We read on the menu in our room that more simple food tastes could be accommodated willingly. In the dining room, my husband preferring simple food asked the barman if they could please make an omelette.

The reply was just "NO SIR" - no explanation and a taciturn, non explanatory response by the barman which spoiled our evening.

One would think that a good restaurant, that this is supposed to be, could do this. The food was expensive for the portion sizes and the service slow.

All other aspects of the visit were good - so probably worth staying at but eat elsewhere.

What is it with these north Devon hotels? Sometimes, the location just isn't enough. Take the Lynton Cottage. It's perched high above Lynmouth, the views are magnificent, and it's a mere stone's through from the wonderful little winding streets of Lynton. My boyfriend and I have just spent the weekend there. Upon arriving we walked into the foyer to be greeted by the chipped paint and tatty patterned carpets of a second rate old people’s care home. Our orange decorated and carpeted bedroom contained quite possibly the most uncomfortable, saggy and unsupportive bed I have ever encountered. I fear that I will be paying for this in osteopathy fees for some weeks to come. Having looked at the totally uninspiring dining room, not to mention the uninspiring and extremely limited menu, we cancelled our dinner reservation and wandered around the corner to the atmospheric ‘On The Steps’ restaurant, owned and run by a young, enthusiastic and personable couple. It was perhaps not haute cuisine, but the food was more than adequate, we were treated with respect and had a lot of fun.

Food at the Lynton Cottage is allegedly of huge importance, and it was with excitement that we bounded down the stairs on our first morning to taste the home made delights that we had been promised on the website. Our first encounter with the waitress, one of the co-owners, was when she requested what sort of toast we would like. We had notified the owners, both by telephone and by email, that I am ceoliac and therefore unable to eat any foods containing gluten, and had been assured that this ‘would not be a problem’. I therefore requested gluten free toast, at which point I was told that they couldn’t provide any gluten free bread. I was then offered some cereal which she assured me was gluten free. It wasn’t – thankfully I checked before starting to eat it. When it came to ordering a cooked breakfast, my request that I have certain things from two of the menu items so as to avoid anything gluten ridden was met with scorn and raised eyes. Indeed all of the staff at the hotel were unfriendly and unwelcoming. It made me feel as though we being a complete nuisance staying at the hotel and taking up their valuable time. We didn’t fair much better the second morning, my request for clean cutlery being met by the waitress not so much as acknowledging my request and storming off to the kitchen.

There are definitely some terrible problems with this place. It could quite clearly benefit from a make over, but also the interpersonal skills of the owners are severely lacking. I do wonder why they’re putting themselves through it. I did refer to Tripadvisor prior to booking. I guess I should have taken on board what everyone else said!

NOTE - This experience has also prompted me to write a review on Bandos, an Island in the Maldives that we visited in February. I have been meaning to do so for some time but kind of put it off ... The courtesy, kindness, understanding of my dietary needs and customer service we experienced during our stay there, in the middle of the Indian Ocean, was exceptional. It is astonishing that it so far surpasses our experience here in the South West of England.

Having just returned from our fifth visit I felt compelled to write a review.
The owners of the hotel, Heather, Dave, Allan and Bettina, work extremely hard to make every visit special. Whilst we were there they received a 5 star rating for cleanliness - there can't be many hotels in Devon that can boast this!
Apart from the stunning views from the Hotel, one of the reasons we revisit is the food. Well what can I say? It is just fabulous. Allan, the Chef (who is renowned locally) is worth his weight in gold - I'm not joking!
The standard is just so high. The presentation is beautiful AND he makes absolutely everything. If you love chocolate - just try one of his home-made chocolates after dinner mmm! I was tempted this visit by the vegetarian option for breakfast (no, I'm not a veggie) as it sounded interesting, well... I can't wait to go back to sample this again as it was delicious! I don't have enough room to rave anymore except to say that this Hotel really is one of Devon's best kept secrets which deserves to be shared. We will most definitely be visiting again.
Andrea, Berkshire

I booked one night at the Lynton Cottage Hotel and then saw the reviews on trip advisor! I did panic at first but told myself that people mostly write about bad experiences and not good ones.

Upon entering the hotel reception I noticed the guest book full of positive comments and started to relax! The staff were friendly and the room was very clean, comfortable and had great views.

In the evening we had a drink in the bar and were taken through to the restaurant when our table was prepared. The service was good but not stuffy and they did not top up our wine glasses after every sip!

The food was of a very high standard and we certainly did not leave feeling hungry! I believe the sign of a good chef is quality desserts, and they were amazing! As was the breakfast!

The commissioned paintings by a local artist in the restaurant were a nice touch. They will not be to everyones taste but I thought they were great and represented some of the fantastic views on offer from this hotel.

So to sum up..Great food, Great views, Great staff - a refreshing change!