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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
The Westleigh Inn
Review
About
Travellers' Choice
2024
Traditional welcoming Pub, serving delicious freshly cooked meals along with quality ales, lagers, ciders and exclusive wines. Family and dog friendly pub. With large garden with play area and bike racks Food served Monday -Friday 12pm-2.30pm 5.30pm-9pm Saturday 12pm-9pm and Sunday 12pm-4pm 5pm-9pm Please see website for sample of our menu
Features
CUISINES
Bar, British
Meal types
Lunch, Dinner
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
Free off-street parking
Free Wifi
Full Bar
Highchairs Available
Mastercard
Outdoor Seating
Parking Available
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Table Service
Visa
Wheelchair Accessible
Wine and Beer
Location
Free off-street parking, Parking Available
Does this restaurant have a TV?
Save this restaurant
Hours
Closed now
• Opens at 12:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 - 22:30
Monday
12:00 - 23:00
Tuesday
12:00 - 23:00
Wednesday
12:00 - 23:00
Thursday
12:00 - 23:00
Friday
12:00 - 23:00
Saturday
12:00 - 23:00
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4.5
705 reviews
Excellent
518
Very good
104
Average
33
Poor
27
Terrible
23
Neil M
20 contributions
Sept 2024 • couples
The Westleigh Inn is a lovely pub, full of character in the tiny village of Westleigh near Instow.
We went for Sunday roast and both chose the beef which was very good. At £15 it was also great value with veg served on the side including cauliflower cheese.
Most of all the service was outstanding. The staff were mostly young which doesn’t always bode well, but these youngsters were clearly well trained and were very proactive.
The restaurant was full and buzzing with atmosphere. A great experience - thank you!
Written 15 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Al’
Bideford17 contributions
May 2024 • couples
Have been meaning to come here for a while now, Friday night is date night so decided to finally come for a meal.
Thankfully it’s extremely well signposted from the main road as it’s up some not so wide country roads, without the signage you’d probably not find it. (Unless you use satnav).
It’s a lovely pub though, plenty of parking, beer garden with fabulous views and it’s also dog friendly (both inside and out).
My wife can’t eat dairy, which isn’t a problem as they can cater for this, some dishes are dairy free, others have dairy free options, they also have a decent vegan menu as well, fact we started our meal with Jackfruit chilli nachos which were delicious and pretty filling.
Our mains were just as delicious and filling, absolutely top notch food at a reasonable price.
Written 1 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1950DeanM
Basingstoke18 contributions
Jul 2024 • couples
Absolutely fantastic location with views over the estuary. Sunday lunchtime is busy, but the service was first class and the food was delicious as well as excellent value.
Can't think of anything adverse.. Strongly recommend.
Written 7 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susan T
Fremington1 contribution
Jun 2024 • friends
22/06/2024
We live in the locality, Westleigh Inn was recommended to us, we’ve visited a few times and had been impressed with the friendly good service, and tasty food, plus they cater very well for Gluten free.
Living in such a beautiful part of the country brings us many visitors and we are always looking for somewhere we can trust to take our visitors out for a meal, Westleigh Inn is on our list and we didn’t hesitate to book on this occasion.
Sadly all four of us were so disappointed to have had an awful evening this one time.
As usual we were warmly welcomed, our drinks were served and food order taken.
We were waiting a long time for our food, which we don’t mind as they were very busy. However when we saw people who had arrived after us being served their food we wondered if we had been forgotten, and mentioned to the manager we had been waiting a long time, we were assured our food was on its way. We waited longer and witnessed a couple who had arrived after us, be served and eat their meal, be brought menu’s for dessert, and then leave. Others who also entered after us were being served. We called over the waitress and she explained there had been a problem with our ticket. We asked why had no one come over to explain, we felt we were being ignored. We then spoke with the manager and he said there was no problem with the ticket they were just busy, and that our food was on the way, which didn’t really explain why others who had placed their orders after us were being served and we were not. By this time we were understandably cross and said if our meal isn’t served in the next five minutes we would pay for our drinks and leave. We waited longer then the five minutes and only when we went to pay for our drinks did the meals arrive, one hour and fifteen minutes after our order was taken. To make matters worst the food was not up to the standard we had come to expect, the fish pie was very dry. We didn’t complain about the food because we thought it would appear we were just trying to be difficult.
We did receive a small reduction in price, and apologies, which we accepted.
After such a disappointing evening I don’t think we would return or recommend to anyone, however judging by previous experience of eating here, we do believe this was an unfortunate one off and not the norm, and we're sure anyone visiting will have a nice meal and receive a polite friendly welcome. Quite what had gone wrong on this particular evening we're still not sure.
UPDATE:
7/07/2024
Following this review we were contacted by the manager, who explained what had gone wrong, and again offered his apology, and said he and the owner would like to invite us back for a free meal.
We returned yesterday to a friendly welcome, the service was excellent, the food was tasty and enjoyed by all four of us.
We think this goes a long way to show how much they care about their customers, we will return and look forward to doing so. We send a big thank you to the owner, the manager and all the staff, and we very much appreciate your apology and generous invite back, we had a lovely evening, thank you very much.
Written 7 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liane T
44 contributions
Dec 2024 • family
took my family of 8 adults for Sunday Xmas lunch last week ,
starters where delicious!!
Unfortunately when our roast main course hit the table to say I was shocked was an understatement-the meat was thin enough for a sandwich..appalling and tasteless is the only words I can use to describe what was put in front of us-aunt Bessie could have done a better job - a minimal amount of veg to share between 8 of us to which I later found out from reading trip advisor that I could ask for more ,I was not informed by the waitress ( my partner actually had to go without ) - as not enough to go around - it was frozen from a bag anyway ..the manager told me in my email complaint that this is the way they have been doing it for 7 years now bemuses me as to why anybody would return .. no I didn’t complain while there as was embarrassing infront of my family but did email immediately not sure what the difference is but this is the excuse they used not to give me a refund !
deserts again delicious- however the waitress brought the wrong ones to our table and when my daughter tried to explain that to the waitress ( who I also notice is mentioned in quite a few trip advisor reviews as rude ) she was incredibly rude to her with no apology… so I’m expecting a rude response to this also …
Upon speaking to the manager pete- he told me he would address this situation ..
I again emailed and asked for a refund which was refused due to me apparently having plenty of time to ask for more veg that I didn’t no I was allowed to do 🤷♀️.. he offered me 10% no thanks !! He also called my mother in law rude ( rude for stating clear facts I think not ) which saddens me this was a pure treat to my family I don’t have £££ to throw away … who does … was an absolute embarrassment infront of my in-laws as I had been raving about how good the food was last time we went - unfortunately it will be the last time we go …. Such a shame …
Don’t let this review stop you from going during the week - I’m not here to crumble anyone’s trade - but my advice don’t waste your money on Sunday lunch … it’s rank !
Written 26 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Colin H
3 contributions
May 2024 • family
After seeing many positive reviews, we thought we would visit for Sunday Lunch, and booked a table for six people, getting our joint opinions for our Hotel customers.
When we first arrived we was greeted by several friendly staff, unfortunately this changed quickly by a tall gentleman behind the bar, in this order:
1. We confirmed our booking
2. He asked if we would like a drink, we said yes and asked where are we sitting, he said "on the floor" (I took it as it was intended, a joke). A lady pointed at a table.
3. I ordered some drinks, and this is where he got very unfriendly, enough so that we left without eating.
He repeatedly disagreed with our ordered, and what I heard on the radio (a private discussion with a member of our group)...
We order 6 drinks, he managed to get them wrong three times, each time I repeated the order.
We just wanted to order some drinks and sit down and eat with our group.
We sat down and discussed what just happened, all six of us were in shock, we all agreed I placed the correct order, but irrelevant, even if I did make a mistake with the order, or misunderstood what I heard on the radio, he should have not have spoken to me in such a rood manor.
The pub looks very nice, but this man made us feel unwelcome and uncomfortable, we decided not stay for lunch.
The rest of the staff were nice, polite and friendly.
When we paid to leave, he had to have a few more digs and try and turn it around on me.
So long as this man is working at the Westleigh Inn, we will not be returning, also advising our Hotel guests to avoid.
Written 19 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark C
45 contributions
Nov 2023 • friends
Quite simply superb food, beautifully presented in unpretentious surroundings. A little off the beaten track, it is obviously popular and booking is a must.
The food was perfectly cooked, we were not rushed in any way and the staff had the right level of attentiveness.
If you are looking for a really good meal that is value for money it is worth a visit.
Written 17 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
G Y
United Kingdom4 contributions
Jun 2023 • couples
Very disappointing! Overpriced mediocre food. I don’t mind paying top prices if the food is good but all four of us were left feeling that the food didn’t warrant the price. I ordered a chicken Caesar salad. To be fair the chicken was fine but I would have discarded the leaves of the little gem outer lettuce leaves served, the dressing was just mayo not Caesar dressing, the “croutons” were three slices of plain baguette dry baked solid and absolutely tasteless and the Parmesan was sparse to say the least - for £17.50 I would have expected better. The pesto linguini £16.50 with added chicken £2.00 was advertised on the menu as linguini with a selection of Mediterranean vegetables in a pesto sauce. What came was indeed pesto linguini with 4 pieces of red pepper, again the chicken pieces were fine.
The scampi and chips £16.00 was ok but nothing to write home about. - the beef burger £16.00 with cheese £1.20 slice of bacon £1.20 and 2 onion rings £1.20 - so £19.60 was good but served with just warm chips. Overall a disappointing meal. Probably not going back for food!
Written 26 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rupy2014
St Austell8 contributions
Jun 2023 • family
We came to have a Sunday lunch today in the pub garden but on ordering we were told that the outside tables couldn’t order roasts. This left us with a very limited lunch menu. All of the adults had the scampi (£17) and for that kind of money it would have been nice to have had proper wholetail scampi. This was the cheap frozen scampi bites you can get from the frozen department at the supermarket which are small and watery. Our daughter had the chilli nachos which were lovely and I wish I had that myself. I don’t normally write reviews but I think almost £20 for a plate of scampi you’d expect it to be decent quality and wholetail at least!
Written 4 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephanie Dyer
We are sorry you didn't enjoy your meal, but let me reassure you we only use whole tail scampi, and its far from cheap! I had photographed the bag to add to this response but trip advisor don't have the facility to add photos in responses at present, sadly.
Our prices are developed but the cost of the products, the staff to cook, serve them and wash up after them and all the utilities it takes (gas, electric, water etc)
And for someone who says they don't usually write reviews, you seem to have written a fair few.
Written 5 June 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
clairewood82
10 contributions
Oct 2024 • family
I cannot praise the staff at this pub more, we were a party of 18 (11 adults, 7 children) and they were so helpful, patient and wonderful with the children. Nothing was too much trouble and the food was a great quality, reasonable priced and came out hot and fresh. Outdoor play area and pitch were a great touch! Happily come back on our next visit to Devon
Written 3 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dean W
3 contributions
Sept 2024 • family
Well what can I say we had the best experience in the Westleigh inn the food was amazing 10/10. The pub manager Garry is brilliant he took our orders very professional and his knowledge is outstanding he even had the time to come over and have a chat with us made us laugh all evening. One of my family members dropped a fork on the floor within 5 seconds he was there with a completely new set for us. I work in the hospitality trade and I can honestly say I’ve never known a place to be so friendly and accommodating. We’re on holiday at the moment but we will be definitely coming to stay in the local area again next year and we will be eating here most definitely again maybe every evening. One more thing the waiters/waitresses are outstanding too I honestly could not fault anything. See you again soon.
Written 8 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mari
Harvington91 contributions
Oct 2024 • couples
Best Sunday lunch in a long time. Absolutely delicious, a selection of lovely fresh vegetables and cauliflower cheese. The roasties were crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle- perfect. We had a roast beef and roast pork and they did not hold back on the portion size. The great thing also is that you have a choice of either a small or large plate. I would definitely recommend booking as they were very busy and I can see why.
Written 14 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Phil n Sandy.
Bideford52 contributions
Aug 2024 • couples
Table for 2 at 1730, what a treat. I had the steak and ale pie, Sandy had Thai home made fishcakes.
The pie had short crust pastry and was full of succulent steak in a fabulous gravy, accompanied with thick cut chips and peas, with an extra serving of gravy. It was pie heaven!
Homemade Thai fish cakes, served on a bed of crisp salad and a serving of fries. Two large thick and beautifully spiced fishcakes, not oily or greasy, delicious and substantial, a real treat for the palate.
Well done team Westleigh a superb evening, thanks.😁😋🧑🍳
Written 9 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vicki Hamlin
Basingstoke57 contributions
Aug 2022 • family
We visited on a Friday evening for a family dinner. Service started out excellent - the girl was very attentive and friendly with a good knowledge of the bar. Drinks and orders were taken quickly although there were some items they had already run out of even at 6:30pm.
Unfortunately once a few extra tables arrived the service became non existent and when the food arrived we were unfortunately underwhelmed. Gammon, egg and chips x 2 we’re pleasant enough, Cajun chicken burger wasn’t bad but the 2 fish pie specials we had were under seasoned and lacking any real flavour. The kids chicken goujons was a huge portion but the chicken was dry/ over cooked. Once we had finished and after about a 20 minute wait no wait staff had attempted to clear our table or offer us another round of drinks. We had to go up to the bar to ask them to take the plates away, and when the bill arrived no one came back with a card machine to take our payment.
It’s such a shame because the outside space is fantastic, and just coming here for drinks has always been nice I’m afraid they just missed the mark when it came to the dining experience.
Written 27 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kacie843
Bristol31 contributions
Sept 2023 • family
After reading the reviews myself and my mum came to try the special lasagne and it was delicious! £17 for a giant plateful of home made food, seasoned well, piping hot and the only downside was that we had no room for the puddings which sounded equally scrummy. We have decided to come back asap for those, the pub is set in a picturesque spot, very clean inside and all the staff were so welcoming, we will be back to try more soon 🦄
Written 24 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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