Review
Two Bridges Hotel, Dartmoor

As you head out over the moors towards Tavistock, you’ll find the charming and award-winning Two Bridges Hotel. Chef Mike Palmer leads the kitchen team and together they create outstanding dishes of Devon’s finest food, making the most of fresh, seasonal and local produce.

This charming hotel has views down to the West Dart River and across the moors. It’s open for lunches, light snacks, cream teas and Sunday lunches to residents and non-residents, while dinner is currently available to residents only. The hotel is busy with bookings for both dining and accommodation, so it is advisable to check if they are open for evening meals.

Inside, it’s warm and welcoming – the spacious lounge has large, comfy sofas. We enjoyed a drink from the bar when we arrived.

Our cosy table by the window in the Tors Restaurant was where we enjoyed watching the sunset and the resident geese waddling about, while being served warm homemade breads, butter, tapenade and pesto. For starters, we chose the monkfish pakora. This arrived in a balti bowl and smelt amazing. The delicate fish was coated in a light, crispy batter and came with a bhaji, king prawn masala and a cooling mint yoghurt.

My chicken main course was juicy and tender. Slithers of truffle added a delicate flavour, along with fresh asparagus and a perfectly poached egg yolk. My husband enjoyed a hake fillet with a crispy skin. A little smoked crab cake also sat on top of the rich bisque, while samphire added crunch and colour.

Our delightful desserts were my rhubarb cream pie and sorbet, along with my husband’s caramel panna cotta – silky smooth with a perfect wobble.

The simply written menu is interesting and inviting – your meal will be full of surprises, colours, flavours and textures when it arrives. The dishes change regularly, so you can enjoy what’s local and in season whenever you visit, which I recommend you do.