The Greyhound Inn, Taunton

The Greyhound Inn is nestled in the Somerset village of Staple Fitzpaine, a ten minute drive south of Taunton and is a fine rural pub renowned for its upmarket (but not gastro) food menu. Internally this early 19th century pub exudes rural charm and is a series of rambling, interconnected rooms with a rustic mix of flagstone floors, old dark timbers and natural stone walls. Outside there is plenty of alfresco seating on multiple levels and a decent sized car park. This is a Hall & Woodhouse owned house and I’m not a great fan of their ales as they don’t do a lot for me. Fursty Ferret and Badger Bitter were available and to be fair both were both served in good condition. A decent pub menu and we tried three mains from it and they were all very good, especially the Liver and bacon ( very pleased to see that on a pub restaurant menu), and the Chicken schnitzel with a choice of sauces that I went for. And at £65 for these and a couple of rounds of drinks and with very good service levels from the pub staff this was an extreme good pub dining experience. If you find yourself in Taunton and fancy a decent evening pub meal you could do a lot worse than taking a short drive south to here.

An 18th Century village pub currently operated by Hall and Woodhouse. The building rambles, having been extended several times, and feels quite large inside, though the low ceilings, stone floors and architectural features such as brich chimney breasts and structural timbers mean it retains its country feel. There are at least two bar areas and a dining room. There is also B&B accommodation which is purported to house a resident ghost. There is a gravel car park at the side, and there is apparently a shelteerd garden, though we didn’t find it. There are tables and chairs at the front, mainly used by smokers. The staff are Eastern European, which gives the place a slightly odd feel, as though they’re actors playing the part of mine host. Food was basic pub grub, reasonably priced. Two ales on, Tanglefoot and Badger Bitter, both in good condition. A pretty good place to spend time away from the rat race.

Official site of The Greyhound Inn - thegreyhoundinntaunton.co.uk

Official site of The Greyhound Inn - thegreyhoundinntaunton.co.uk