Rising Sun Hotel

Turned up in Lynmouth on a November evening having not booked anywhere to stay. Rising Sun looked cosy and we were quoted £40 p.p. B&B for 3 of us (one double, one double for single occupancy) with the chance to view our rooms before booking. Very friendly service from the lady on reception, and amazing olde world charm with the sloping corridors and steep, narrow stairs to the rooms. In fact we concluded that encouraging people to traverse the stairs and view the rooms allows the proprietors to filter the guests - for only those who can fit up the stairs could squeeze into the shower in at least one of the rooms! We were given rooms 3 and 5 (as I remember) - both at the front of the hotel with beautful views directly onto the pretty harbour, and beyond to the sea. In accordance with previous reviews, the decor in the two rooms reflected the apparent ongoing refurbishment of the hotel - one room (pictured) being a little dated, with the other being very contemporary. Both rooms were fairly compact, albeit with character features such as beams and sloping floors (although why they have retained the 1970's Italian restaurant- style swirling Artex, even in the redecorated areas, was beyond us). The bathroom in the more dated room was adequate, although the water pressure in the shower was low and the temperature was variable. The newer bathroom was OK, except for the aforementioned shower which would trouble anyone with a wider girth. Beds in both rooms were fine, although the older bed was quite hard. General decor was pleasent, even in the more dated room. There was some noise late into the night from the pub downstairs, but nothing too bad. We ate in the bar as it had a cosy atmosphere with a (gas) wood burner and plenty of local chat. The food was excellent - one of the best steaks ever (real melt-in-the-mouth stuff) and some good fish and chips. The only slight downsides were the lemon sole, which was a bit fussy and not so fresh, and the rather humourless and abrupt service from the array of eastern European staff. Some customer service training would not go amiss here. However, especially after a few pints of the excellent local real ales, these points were relatively minor, and the pleasent staff behind the bar compensated for the charmless dinner staff. One notable feature of our evening was using the newly-refurbished downstairs toilets - literally the poshest pub toilets anywhere! The Dyson Airblade hand dryer is worth a trip in itself! Our real highlight, though, was breakfast, which was served in the restaurant by an excellent and lovely member of staff with, we think, a Portugese or Spanish accent. Well done to her, first rate service. The breakfast itself was generous and well-cooked, using what looked like local bacon and sausages with hand-cut thick toast and good coffee. Simple details like warm plates and unusually tasty brown sauce added to the impression. All in all, whilst there are some niggles, we really enjoyed our stay here and would glady recommend it, with the proviso that you wouldn't want to pay a fortune and to choose your rooms if possible. For a 'get away from it all' stay in a perfect seaside location, it has much to offer.

Booked a deal through laterooms. The hotel has a great deal of character and it is easy to understand why there is much demand to stay here. It is difficult to give a general opinion of the hotel as all the rooms appear to be quite different. We stayed in room 10, which had a very comfortable bed and a view over the harbour. However, there was obviously a damp problem in the room which was not masked by the air freshener. The room looked tired - it had an old wash basin in the corner, an old defunct radio attached to the wall. The en-suite shower/toilet had a cracked ceiling and there was a good deal of mould in the shower room, in particular on the ceiling and around the tiles. Considering the price of the rooms, I would expect there to be some investment made in the property. This wasn't evident in this particular room. The pub was cosy and the bar food excellent, if a little overpriced. I'm glad I didn't pay full price for the accommodation. I would head to the Rising Sun for a night out and some good food, but I would be surprised if I couldn't find better value accommodation elsewhere in town.

A Truly romantic place with lovely surroundings. The food is a seafood paradise for seafood lovers which was extremely good value for money, the owners were nice and friendly. Had a wonderful time and would certainly go back there.

We enjoyed a wonderful meal here. Exceptional quality of food, and at very reasonable prices! Keep up the great work! Will definitely go back when in North Devon again.

Stayed here in September 2006. Not the cheapest pub with rooms, but sooo lovely. We stayed in room 4 which is in the original part of the hotel, small but perfectly formed, if you are happy to accept the quirks of the building ( uphill corridors, stairs similar to the Eiger in parts, and floors which mean that the furniture in the room is not always vertical ), and a harbour view. The ensuite had a corner bath big enough for a small two, and also views over the harbour. Decor and finish is of a high standard, within the restrictions a very old building like this will impose. Breakfast was tremendous, bar service good ( I'd recommend the Fox bitter. ) We did not trouble the restaurant as we enjoy the chat and banter which you get in a bar, so no comments about that. Bar food was really good though, we had half lobster salads at £14, and Crab salads at £8.50. We'd certainly return. Parking is a challenge in Lynmouth and we would advise buying a multi day parking ticket which ( notwithstanding the sign in the car park ) can be bought at the litle kiosk at the putting green. £8 for 4 days.

Stayed here 5 years ago, but has changed hands, not for the better. Excellent site by the harbour, but the prices are high for a small hotel on Exmoor. The food was very imaginative and beautifully presented, but the fish was overcooked. I would entirely agree with the last reviewer, we had a very similar experience. It has a nice location but so do many other hotels in the West Country, we found the Rising Sun overpriced for what was on offer and not particularly good value for money at all. Having said that the Lynmouth area has some stunningly beautiful coastline and countryside.

Arrived in Lynmouth with nothing booked so was very happy to get a room at The Rising Sun with a view of the harbour at a very reasonable rate. The room was big enough, the bathroom was fine. The position could not be better. Lynmouth is a great little place with lots of things to see and do. We ate in the bar and had the best fish and chips I think I have tasted and an upmarket version of bread and butter pudding. We didn't use the restaurant as 1. it was a little expensive for our budget and 2. I had outgrown all of my "going out clothes" and had "nothing to wear". I'm sure that the bar food came out of the same kitchen though - it was wonderful. I would definately stay here again even if one set of stairs I had to come down backwards!

We stayed here for one night at the end of a touring holiday. We had a room in the annex which was clean but very small. We also paid extra for the view which was lovely, across the harbour to the sea. For what you get the room seemed a little expensive but, at the end of the day you are paying for the location. We did not try the restaurant for dinner as we were to tired for the more formal setting but we ate in the bar and it was very enjoyable. Breakfast the next morning was in the restaurant area and it was faultless - the best breakfast of the trip!

Stayed in this hotel in May on a three night mid-week B&B deal. The location of this hotel is great, right on the harbourfront, and if you have a sea view room the view is beautiful, particularly in the mornings when the sun is on the front of the hotel. Our room was small but we knew this when we booked, more importantly the fabrics and furnishings were very good quality and the bathroom was fine, if a little quirky. This is a very old hotel and because of this it will not suit all. Stairs are narrow and steep, floors are uneven and sloping, but if you want bags of character then it's great. The hotel has a bar which is very nice and does bar food (didn't try but looked good). It also has an a-la-carte restaurant that we did try and it is good / v. good but some of the dishes are overpriced (lamb £25 - too much). The dining room is attractive and the service of the more experienced staff is excellent, inevitably there are some newbies though. Go off season if you can, Lynmouth is a much more pleasant place then and parking is a great deal easier.