The Ferry Inn, Salcombe

Chaos ruling on the start of the new covid rule of 6. You are met at a little gate by a team of a couple of youths who are insistent that everybody (not just a leader) has to sign into their QR code activated web app. This caused a huge bottle jam on the little steps outside - where others are queuing for the Ferry - and undoubtedly put you in closer contact with strangers than if you could just get one person in the party to sign in and move to your table. Booking essential if you want food - even though many tables were free. So, outside patio was the obvious place to sit - with superb views over the estuary. The pub is a tied Palmers house and I was surprised to find one in Devon. I was told this is their most distant one. Mistakenly, I thought Glastonbury (where I first found Palmers) was further. My Dorset Gold was superb. Food was also excellent. Just the prices to moan about. £5.40 a pint and my Son's Bierre Moritti was over £6. Locatation, location, location!

A large pub on three levels in the heart of Salcombe and with a good sized terrace offering great views across the estuary, this pub should be an absolute gem. Unfortunately as can often be the case with pubs in such prime locations, service levels seem to have slipped, perhaps because they know that in the decent weather at least, they really don’t have to try too hard to attract the punters in. The main bar area of the pub is the upper of the three levels and this is a long room with a cosy enough ambience being carpeted throughout and having various nautical artefacts around such as a ship’s barometer and an oar. Numerous flags were covering the ceiling, and there were brick fire-places at each end with wood burning stoves. The paintwork was a khaki shade of green with wood panelling lower down, and some exposed stonework elsewhere, particularly at the far end. A large glass case displayed a number of giant crustaceans and there was bench seating all along the front wall of the pub with plenty of windows giving good views across the water. On the middle floor was a dining area that had a much more contemporary feel to it, and on the ground floor a much smaller and more basic bar with blue and white paintwork again giving it a somewhat nautical feel and whose primary function was, I suspect, to act as a serving area for the large patio. We were waiting to be served at the top floor bar for some time as there were no staff members present. Eventually someone turned up, the same guy that I had noticed whist I was waiting collecting glasses out on the patio. One member of staff to cover a three story pub? When he did get to us he seemed somewhat disinterested, and was easily distracted such as stopping to take a phone message from another member of staff (OK, so there was more than one. Shame she wasn’t serving while he was collecting the glasses). The pub was very quiet on what should be their peak time of the year with only half a dozen or so punters on the patio, another two or three in the top bar and nobody in the dining room. Admittedly it wasn’t the weekend, and the schools had yet to break up, but it was still July and a rare sunny day in amongst lots of rain should have seen them much busier. Perhaps the prices may be a contributory factor - £8.40 for a Thatcher’s Gold and a G&T seems a little steep, and although I didn’t check the menu, I noticed a small specials board that listed a Chicken Curry and a Chilli Con Carne, both over £11. Beers on tap were Palmer’s Copper Ale and Palmer’s Best. Ciders were Thatcher’s Gold and Gaymer’s Pear.

The Ferry Inn is located at the jetty used by the Portlemouth and Kingsbridge ferries and is on three levels as you drop down from the road to the water side There is a top bar at street level, and below this an area set up for dining. And the lower level bar opens onto a sheltered waterside terrace with fantastic views. I found it a bit of a tatty pub , poor service and rushed off their feet staff, but fortunately the beer garden has a view to die for across the Salcombe estuary so stayed for a pint. And my pint of Palmers Copper Ale was decent enough, but take away the location and the view and I'm not sure you'd bother.