please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Following the long saga of the court case etc. now has a new owner and landlord.
Started food again, from mid week on.. Good selection of ales, with the "Gundog" particularly good. Has events and music nights, normally at the weekend.
Great to see it doing well.
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Now opening from 16:00 until 22:00 and no longer does any food. However the beer selection remains good. Had the Gundog which was in good condition.
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Good selection of real ales and also real ciders too all at a fairly good price for the area.
Didn't eat but the food would have been decent I'm sure.
Trouble was the place was just too cold. A freezing day in November and no welcoming fire or heating on, this is a basic must for any pub in the winter time which is of course one of the main reasons we venture into a pub at this time of year!
5/10
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Returned to try the food. Found to very good, large portions at a reasonable price.
The Snowy owl was fine this time, as was the Teignworthy Gundog.
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Reopened a couple of weeks ago. This time as a community pub, run by village locals. Was quite busy with drinkers on Saturday night. Not much sign of anyone eating. Proper beers from Otter, Teignworthy and Cotleigh breweries. As before the barrels are hidden from view in a back room. With only some fizzy pop taps on view. I tried the Cotleigh Owl. Hadn't had before, seemed a little off, but not enough to send back.
Friendly enough and quite brightly lit. Will try again with Shandy Chica for food and to check on the ale.
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Closed as of April 30th. According to local paper, the landlady says that Enterprise inns have "collapsed" the lease and put the pub up for sale.
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Glad to see someone else has visited the Dog and Donkey.
I can understand that times are hard and the need to serve food, to make a living. However my concern for this place, is that it will struggle in Knowle, if it relies on food alone.
Thinking of other pub restaurants near by. At one extreame you have the Puffing Billy in Exton. A restaurant with a small bar attached, to the other end of the scale. The Grapevine in Exmouth. A pub that serves food. Both have good food and a decent pint on offer. Is it enough for the D & D not to offer some proper ale to attract in passing trade? Lets hope this is on the way, as the Landlady(?) suggested to me that a beer engine was on the cards.
Not being an expert on brewing beer. I have to go on taste alone. All I can say is that for the past thirty years or so. Every pint of Bass I have had in the Dog and Donkey has been excellent. In fact, that was the reason I visited.
Bass can be so variable, from the most horrible vinergary pap to a truly memorable pint. Often in the same pub on following days. But here its always been the same. Served from the barrel. Although not Bass, all beer from the best pub in the world (Bridge Inn in Topsham) comes right from the barrel too.
Yes you can get great beer through a clean pipe, and crap stuff from a barrel.
It down to the skill of the publican.
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definately good news about it opening again. when i visited last night there were a few people dotted about, but it was still clean and a lot nicer than it has been in the past. It seems right about concentrating on the food, but i had a good chat with the 2 staff there and they put the point across very well that in this day and age, they like to let the food pay the ever increasing bills and it means that the village gets to have an open pub rather than the boarded up building it was. I agree with the previous post - bit boring that its mostly keg lager and cider, but they are fairly cheap compared to others in the area. I dont agree with his.... or anyone views on "Bass" being special anywhere anymore. Its now brewed under licence by Marstons with burtonized (i.e. chemically treated) water. I used to work for Bass many years ago in their tech services department and know that with well looked after lines, absolutely nothing is gained from fetching the beer straight from the barrel. Just my opinion, but when i order a pint of bass i want it to come from a pump that has bass on it, not have the barman wander off to the cellar to fetch it.
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The Good News: Open again
The Not So Good News: No Bass
Very quiet when we visited, no one in the bar area. And now appears to be concentrating on food. Only top end Euro Fizz on tap. But we were told that they were awaiting a beer engine to be installed. Perhaps the Bass was always so good before, because it was served directly from the barrel. However will return again in a few weeks to see.
I just hope this once distinctive pub, does not become an another faceless
restaurant with bar attached.
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Currently closed due to a dispute between the landlord and Enterprise Inns.
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Popped in for a bite to eat with my wife, I was expecting to see the same old pub dishes from burgers to lasagna but was surprised to see proper restaurant dishes.
I had the lamb rack which was stunning and my wife had the cannelloni which was very rich but home made and tasted really good.
Very friendly enviroment and the landlady greeted us with a warm welcome which really set the tone for the evening, even booked a table for the following week when we settled up.
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A bizarrely nice exterior to the detached pub, it looks like an Austrian cottage - with its gables and flowers - it just needs the Von Trapp family singers! It is in cream and brick and also has the name Britannia Inn outside.
The interior is open plan, with a small side room that had TV. The is a clear dining and bar area. The decor has white walls with lots of pictures and other memorabilia that are mainly horse related. The seating did have that leather chair sofa mix, not quite to my taste. Service was fine and the place busy with a mixed clientele - though there were many locals in.
The Beer; usual tap tosh, with Bass, Otter Ale, St Austell Tribute and Courage The Dogs Bite on handpull. The tribute was fine. The chap went into the back to pour the real ales. For us Midlanders and for those up north, the beer looks flat here, but isnt!
Sofas apart, i liked the place. A nice community bar, worthy of a revist
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December 2009.
Food is above average but well above average for price. Large dining room gives pleanty of space to eat in (instead of being elbow to elbow). Don't ignor the specials board as the chef can be very creative.
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Pretty good food. Sadly, the most miserable service I've come across in some time. It wasn't exactly friendly when we entered the pub, but when we told them some of our party were going to be late (due to a hospital appointment), they almost flipped and had a right old go at us and that they turned 9 people away earlier (the place was almost empty).
We would have got up and left if there'd been anywhere else to go. The landlord and landlady remained rude to us for the rest of the evening. Avoid the Dog and Donkey in Knowle if you like anything resembling good service!
I felt a little sorry for the barmaids, who were fine. Unfortunately, they didn't get a tip, which wasn't their fault that they work for such rude people.
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Good village local. Built in the 20�s as a pub, and had the name changed to the Brittania, but everyone still called it the Dog and Donkey. The Bass is legendry. Changed hands a few years ago, but largly retained the character, built up over generations.
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Went in on a Saturday night. Locals chatting in the bar and a number of people were using the restaurant. The World Cup rugby was being shown on the TV but was not intrusive for those that did not want to watch it. Otter Bitter on gravity was excellent. Food is overpriced but well presented and tasty. This seems to be a pub that tries to cater for all. A pleasant evening was slightly spoiled by a customer with a yappy dog and another family who did not control their young children.
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The exterior gives the impression that this pub is a locals only affair. But it has draught beer from the cask, a good above average menu and friendly staff. Also very busy which is a good sign.
As it says on the website this is a pub that looks as if a landlord with some imagination has taken it over and made something of it.
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