The Passage House Inn, Exeter

Attractive old inn, with various rooms and part of the bar down several steps at one end. Hint of gastro-pub about the furniture, decor and menu. A few wooden benches out front, but many more across the road on the wintertime car park with a view of the river. Four handpumps, offering Otter Bitter and Amber (£3.60), Tribute and Dartmoor Jail Ale. Overall, worth a visit if in the area.

Official site of The Passage House Inn - passagehouseinntopsham.co.uk

This pub could be lovely - it's trying to appeal to well-heeled market, but is let down on the details. Staff were pleasant but disinterested, 4 ales on (2 Otter ales, Adnams Broadside and Butcombe Bitter). I had the Butcombe - no complaints but not worthy of the hefty £3+ price tag. Food was top-end pub/restaurant (steak & ale pie, scollops and chorizo salad, lobster rissoto) and was expensive for what it was (poorly cooked/reheated, old salad for around £13) Bare brick and timber walls, lovely tables and chairs, open plan with partition walls. Chaulkboards advertising pitchers of pimms and lager. It's a very good looking pub - Try it - a table of 4 and ourselves were the only people in, which may explain the bored looking staff, but the place didn't have any of the finishing touches to justify the prices. Could be so much better!