please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
River Dart side (though not quite on the water) hotel, with two bars. Adequate - but, like Dartmouth itself, gets far to busy during the summer.
Parking is a nightmare - and, in recent years, a busy park and ride service has been very necessary.
The blue rinse brigade arrive in their hundreds - and the few historic streets and quayside are thronged.
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Straight off the boat and into the large and dominating Royal Castle Hotel that sits between shops and restaurants & sits back from the harbour.
2 bars, the smaller one on left as you enter is more of a sports bar and was busy, the larger bar at the back of the hotel just past the reception area is for drinkers and diners and that's the bar we headed to.
Lots of age to this hotel, the main dining area has low beams and dark furniture. The walls have a mix of sporting items on the walls, including guns and sailing memorabilia.
4 hand pumps on the bar, the ales on during my visit were Sharps Doombar, Otter Amber, Dartmoor Jail Ale & Exmoor Ales Crew @ 4.8% which was the pint I went for. Being my first visit to Dartmouth and also with it being Regatta time I soon learnt that all drinks are served in plastic. Not normally something I like to drink my ale out of but this does enable you to wander the streets with your drinks (which people were doing) so during my visit I accepted it.
Busy with diners with several locals drinking at the bar.
A good start to the day.
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Busy place when we visited.
We sat in the older style Galleon bar which was nice enough.
For some reason though we just could not settle here and the bar service was pretty bad too.
6/10
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The castle just gets better great food great Jail Beer
Mary & all the staff made us feel most welcome.
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Very traditional and comfortable interior and very popular. Even just after noon on a weekday we got one of the last tables. Several ales on tap. The Doom Bar was very palatable. Food excellent and the service friendly and professional. The proprietor made an appearance as the place was so busy and he is definitely a character! The gents is like being in a giant microwave and certainly doesn't match the rest of the decor.
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Jail ale very good. What a laugh is Mary the bar maid.
Had a great time.
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Busy hotel right on the quayside. Bays Golden was good while the Doom Bay was tired. Food reasonable although for some reason I had a large dollop of mash potatoes with my salt beef bap. Worth visiting for the space age gents.
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Friendly and good service, beer good and no more expensive than anywhere else. Food very good value for money, I had local mussels, fresh and well presented. Busy, I could imagine a nightmare in the high season. Left hand bar a bit weird - go right for traditional.
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Really friendly, good service. Beers good, if a little pricey. Nice place to stay with really good food.
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As mentioned below a very nice looking Regency hotel on the front by the gardens. Seemed a bit of a tourist trap when I popped in at a lunchtime , but then it was high season. Two bars as mentioned and the lounge is very pleasant with a few nautical themed bits of d�cor. Didn�t eat here although plenty of people were.
Beers on offer at the time of my visit were Sharps Doombar, Dartmoor Jail Ale and Bays Gold, although only tried the Bays and it was OK.
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Nice friendly pub with a good selection of pub grub .
Did have to wait to get served but it was a busy night however the staff where friedly and helpful all in all a good pub for a not so quiet evening out.
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Interesting old hotel with a grandiose Regency facade like a great castellated cake rather badly grafted onto a crooked Elizabethan inn. On the left is the former public bar which the owner did up in a bizarre yuppified style reportedly to get rid of his local regulars in favour of the wealthier visitors, and which is now therefore empty most of the year. The lounge bar on the right is much more pleasant and in character with the building and remains popular. Beer is generally ok, but no more than that. Food is quite good but decidedly overpriced.
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Stayed at The Castle a couple of years ago, and we really enjoyed our stay. Very eccentric hotel but is full of character. Two separate bar areas downstairs -one quite 'trendy' - more like a wine bar, the other more traditional and comfortable with a good range of beers and ales, food et al. Well worth a visit (along with the Cherub Inn) just up the road.
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Very good, in my opinion a second best to the Cherub.
For a hungry Yachtie this is a real haven. Food in the bar is good value, and good nosh. I've jumpe ashore more than once for celebratory beers and some fodder.
Host, Nigel Way, leads from the front and is not shy of any task (apart from running the new computerised till).
As mentioned in other reviews there are two Bars. The Harbour bar which is a sort of yuppie kiddie bar. Nice modern look and feel (and accommodates smokers). The Galleon Bar, well, the name tells it all.
Only one beer on tap that I would choose to drink Courage's Directors. OK, not to some a "real Ale" but still a damn good pint and the beer is well kept.
If you're not into Real Ale you'll find a very good selection of all of the other "beers". Not a purist Cider pub - be warned. Excellent selection of Single Malt and colonial whiskies.
Warning, can get very busy, can get very noisey
If you want to stay at this Inn it's best to plan and book in advance.
Restaurant food is good, breakfast room offers a fantastic view over the small boat camber (known as the boat float) and the harbour beyond.
lurgy - 26 Jun 2006 09:12 |
The selection of ale is not has good has last year go, Bass & one other.
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split into two bars, the one on the left thinking its a london bar, ends up looking like an aiport waiting room, the main bar is fairly pleasant, food is good, ale selection is quite poor though, for a main centre piece to the lovely town of Dartmouth the Royal Castle is a bittle of a let down. Still worth going for a drink just to admire the view of dartmouth harbour.
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Like most of the pubs in Dartmouth, this is very sedate and middle class at lunchtimes and a ravy young persons venue in the evenings. Good accommodation in a wonderful setting
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