The Pig at Combe - Devon

The most comfortable bed and pillows in beautiful East Devon, we had the most amazing stay! Service was exceptional.

Wow! What an incredible stay we had at the Pig Hotel Combe. This was the second piggy we have ticked off our list, but in all honesty we might just stick at this one and keep going back. From the moment we arrived everything was exceptional. We had lunch in the Folly which was relaxed, laid-back and set the tone for our two night break. I had booked the steam wagons and they were perfect. They have all the little luxuries of staying in the main hotel, but the added bonus of being a bit more private. The outdoor bath was a lovely experience, relaxing under the stars with a chilled glass of Hambledon. We were only a short courtesy Land Rover ride away from the main hotel. We really enjoyed being transported back to our wagon each evening as it gave us the opportunity to chat to staff who really do seem to love working at The Pig. Breakfast and dinner was faultless in my opinion. The quality of the local and home grown produce speaks for itself. We also both had treatments in the lovely potting sheds. I had a bespoke massage by Emily and was so relaxed by the end of it. I would highly recommend having a treatment as part of your stay. I think what made our stay so wonderful was largely down to the staff. Everyone was attentive, friendly and just seemed really happy in their work. We honestly cannot wait to come back!

This is our third time visiting a Pig. On arrival, the drive up was very impressive and on entering, the decor was in the typical style of the brand. Sadly we were put in the stable block, I would have preferred a room in the main building but the room was fine just a little bit dark, we had a very big bathroom. There was a heatwave while there so this made the stay even better, the grounds and gardens were fabulous and we went on one of the suggested walks around the area. We ate in the main restaurant and also The Folly which had a singer on and it had a really great atmosphere. It’s not cheap to stay here but would definitely recommend as it’s in a lovely setting.

We so wanted to be wowed by our first visit to the Pig. We went for dinner and it was so beautiful from the outside. The staff were very friendly. The dining room ambience was pleasant, but the chairs were wooden and creaky and it was so loud it was hard to hear the waiters. Locally sourced, farm-to-table food is just what we love, but the menu was a bit underwhelming. We skipped starters because there just wasn’t anything that grabbed us. The main courses were tasty, but I ordered a side dish of fresh greens that were supposed to be lemony, but when they arrived they were leathery and bitter-the knife could barely cut through them. The staff explained that we are between seasons, but for such a high end restaurant, this feels a bit disappointing. All in all we paid well over £100 for a shared nibble plate, two main courses, one glass of wine and a non alcoholic cocktail, in a less than comfortable setting, and it all felt a bit disappointing.

I don’t usually write reviews, but after our experience I felt compelled to mainly because we left feeling disappointed and, honestly, a little short changed. We had recently celebrated our wedding at The Deer Park (also local), and although we tried not to compare, it’s hard not to put venues of a similar calibre side by side. Unfortunately, The Pig at Combe just didn’t measure up. Our visit was a thoughtful and generous gift, a £120 voucher for a three course meal from the 25 mile menu. We were touched by the gesture and arrived with high hopes. The drive up is undeniably stunning and the house itself is full of rustic charm. Sadly, once seated, the experience began to unravel. We were placed side by side at a table for two. When my wife moved her chair so we could sit opposite one another, she was asked to move back in case she blocked staff walking through. It felt unnecessary and set the wrong tone. When we arrived, we were also very upfront with the staff, we explained that we didn’t intend to spend beyond the £120 voucher, which we thought was more than enough for two people. We advised them that it was a wedding gift but the response wasn’t overly exciting. The only person who seemed to fully understand this was a young blonde member of staff, who was warm and attentive. The others, not so much. For food, we ordered scallops and pork belly bites to start, followed by pork chop and chips, with one beer and a small Diet Coke. With £120 to spend, we expected to comfortably enjoy three courses but we quickly realised how steep the prices were. Sides of vegetables were £6.50–£6.75 each, which felt excessive. We were offered half a slice of bread (with oil and salt pushed across, but no butter), and it wasn’t clear if this was complimentary. The starters were fine, but nothing remarkable. The main course was disappointing, we declined the pork pink which is how they normally serve it and asked for it cooked through, but it was still bland. The chips were no better than those from a local takeaway. We were then offered a dessert which we had calculated that we were £105 into our voucher leaving £15 for a dessert even if we had to share. We asked and the waitress came back to say that’s it’s up to £118, naively I didn’t question it as couldn’t wait to leave but have since woken up feeling cheated. The waitress put it through and then asked if we would like to see it but a little too late. On reflection, I suspect we were charged for the bread and possibly even the tap water. A discretionary service charge had also been added without discussion, which I would have removed if given the choice. Staff were polite but unengaged overall. Definitely felt like a number. The service and food simply didn’t match the reputation or the prices. It left us feeling let down, especially given that this was a generous gift from dear friends who spent their hard earned money with the best of intentions. I sincerely hope they don’t read this review, as the

Super comfy bedding, powerful shower and really exceptional customer centred staff made my solo stay very comfortable and enjoyable. Breakfast is expensive if not part of an offer, but there's plenty of choice - juices, smoothies, fruit, pastries, cereals, toast, cheese, boil your own eggs .. as well as a cooked option. I got a great deal on a veg and bed basis so dinner was also included. Only a few dishes were vegetarian and the menu didn't really change much over my 2 night stay but all well cooked and mostly from their beautiful kitchen gardens. Looking forward to my fourth visit!