Harvester The Griffin, Taunton

The Griffin is a Harvester adjacent to a Holiday Inn and junction 25 of the M5, so a prime location for passing trade. I visited early on a recent Sunday evening in the hope of grabbing some food and thankfully there was only a 30 minute wait for a table. The bar area is to the left where there is an L-shaped counter that supports a standard keg range alongside San Miguel. This counter faces some high tables to the left that are separated from seating at the front by a large chimney breast and double sided fireplace. The much larger right hand side of the pub houses a salad bar and is used for dining. I found the food to be expensive for what it was and the surroundings are awful, like a creche crossed with a low rent restaurant. The service was polite, but this place isn’t value for money in my opinion.

A fairly new but nonetheless battered Harvester adjacent to a Holiday Inn. There is a substantially large car park serving both businesses, but little by way of garden. Inside, the single large room is demarcated into a tiny bar area and a much larger dining room with tables packed in to varying degrees. The staff were polite, the muzak truly awful and the food unappealing. The décor is better than many Harvesters – exposed brick walls, wooden floors and a couple of open fireplaces. Two ales on draft, Doombar and Atlantic, both over-chilled but in reasonable condition. It's functional, and it is convenient for a break from the motorway, but it's not somewhere I'd go deliberately for a relaxing evening.

Official site of Harvester The Griffin - www.harvester.co.uk

Official site of Harvester The Griffin - www.harvester.co.uk