The Dolphin Inn

We had an amazing meal here. The menu included an 8oz sirloin which was cooked to perfection, as I asked, rare. Mega compliments to the chef which wete passed on. Lovely ambience which is all credit to the new owners. They made us very welcome. What a gem of a find.

Had the most delicious Sunday lunch today. Husband and I both chose lamb and it was beautifully cooked. Absolutely scrummy. Veg, Yorkshire pudding, roasties and veg were all so good. We followed with sticky toffee pudding with ice cream. Just so good. Highly recommended.

The Dolphin Inn is set in a pretty South Hams village just outside Kingsbridge. After a lovely coastal walk, coming to the Dolphin for food & drink is just perfect. This is a village pub with everything you’d expect from a very traditional public house.

We arrived after a 2 hr walk from Bigbury- on-Sea with a VERY DIRTY Springer Spaniel. I asked the landlord to refill our drinking bottles and explained that I was attempting to wash off our muddy dog, he kindly offered the use of a hose pipe which was really appreciated. The food was great and the pub itself is full of character. We had a genuine and lovely welcome and will definitely revisit the next time we are in the area. The current landlord and landlady have only been running the pub for 4 weeks and if my experience is anything to go by they will have a thriving business in no time.

We stayed in Kingston because we wanted to „shortcut“´a long stage of the South Coast Path. We received a very friendly welcome, the hosts were great, and the Dolphin Inn Pub and the rooms have lots of athmosphere! We liked it a lot!

I would not recommend a stay at the Dolphin Inn at all. The overall experience was terrible. The room was small and inadequately lit. The sheets and pillow cases, although obviously clean, were placed on old and very badly stained pillows and mattress. The shower holder was broken and as a result the shower head was difficult to direct. The towels and bathroom mat were ancient and threadbare. There was no cooked breakfast, as had been advertised, and what we were given had to be eaten sat on the side of the bed. We had hoped to have a meal in the evening but was presented with a very small menu (as the chef was only part time) and the appearance of the room did not fill us with much confidence. Had a great meal elsewhere! I have learned my lesson- look at the most recent reviews - not general reviews and average ratings. -The place has obviously been good in the past but has not been cared for recently. As a place for a drink it is probably ok, but for somewhere to stay, keep away!

The excuse was a lack of staff. BUT the beer was stale but not as stale as the breakfast muffin. The room had inadequate lighting. A broken shower tile was hanging off the wall. There were no toiletries. There were no meals on offer. The towels were very old and scratchy. Breakfast was almost inedible with old, tired fruit and a defrosted muffin. It was so disappointing since we were looking forward to staying there. As walkers, this was a very poor place to stay.

The staff were super friendly and welcoming. We arrived quite late, having walked all day, and the kitchen was closed but they had menus of the local take away in the pub and they ordered for us and laid out a table for us in the pub to eat. They also had an outdoor area where we enjoyed breakfast in the sunshine the following morning.

Hard bed, broken shower head height adjuster, breakfast left outside room. No table in room to use for breakfast. Had to sit on bed for breakfast. Room not serviced overnight so had to ask for new toilet roll. A 2 inchx2 inch block of eco soap was the only item to use in the wash basin and shower. Only two sockets in the room so had to play plug roulette with TV, hair dryer, kettle and chargers. Ate in the pub one night. Choice of fish, scampi and squid each with chips and peas. Nothing else. No dessert or coffee offered . At £115 per night I could have stayed in Plymouth in a chain hotel with better service and facilities for less and travelled to the memorial service I was in the area to attend. Price gouging based on scarcity of hotels in immediate area. Only bright spot was the quality of the breakfast though greatly lacking in quantity. 1 croissant, 1 muffin per person though plenty of cereal. Have been staying in hotels of all standards all over the world since being a child 70 years ago and was a professional conference organiser so well used to dealing with and staying in hotels. If this stay had been on the 4 in a Bed TV show where BandB owners visit and rate each others hotels, I would have deducted £30 a night. Next time I visit the area I’ll look for an Air BnB where eating breakfast can be on a chair at a table and I won’t end up with indigestion.