Holt Bar & Restaurant

The Holt may be owned & run by the family behind the nearby Otter Brewery – with a full complement of ales on the pumps – but an open kitchen is at the heart of things here, & it delivers some accomplished modern Brit food. You can eat in the bar (sofas, rustic wooden furniture, bare boards) or venture upstairs to the relaxed, light & airy dining room. Either way, expect capable cooking based on West Country ingredients, bolstered by specialities from the Holt’s own smokery – perhaps crispy smoked mussels as an accompaniment to grilled fillet of bream, tartare sauce & olive-crushed potatoes. The repertoire also extends to slow-roast lamb shoulder with couscous, butternut squash & red wine jus, while puds might promise chocolate & hazelnut terrine with raspberry sauce & praline. Tapas & light dishes are the mainstays at lunchtime.