Name: The Flying Fish Stables
Address: Wood Road Windmill Hill Ashill, Ilminster, TA19 9NX, GB

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jun 2026

Mr Ian

A great find. Lovely country pub with unique stable block accommodation. Big rooms.

The food at dinner was amazing. The Caribbean choices were outstanding.

Buddy and Kate are very attentive and friendly.

If we are ever back in the area we will definitely return.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 May 2026

Wyn

Amazing
My go to everytime I work down south

10/10

Exceptional

30 Apr 2026

Claire

Wow. This place is fabulous. The rooms are spacious and cosy. Lovely you can sit out front also. Great sunset views and fantastic food. Staff are lovely and so welcoming. I stayed for business but will be coming back for pleasure.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Mar 2026

Wyn

Epic

10/10

Exceptional

11 Sep 2025

David

Great room and fantastic service

Business

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jun 2025

David

Perfectly placed with fabulous views of the Somerset landscape, gorgeous in the brilliant sun!! The room was spacious with a wet room en suite.
Critically it had a power shower which makes accommodation for me - the bed was wide and very comfortable

Partner

4/10

Poor

10 Nov 2024

Ron

weding party

Very disappointing that after booking this room through hotel.com. I was charged an extra £65.00 for my room due to the visit being a wedding party

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 Oct 2024

Karen

Lovely place to stay

Another wonderful stay at The Flying Fish. Always a warm welcome. Rooms are spacious and comfortable and the food is excellent!

Business

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jun 2024

Caroline

Great accommodation

Perfect place for an overnight stay whilst travelling. Staff extremely friendly and helpful.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jun 2024

Christopher

Excellent in every respect

Excellent in every respect. Would not hesitate to stay here again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jun 2024

Peter

Great place to stay.

Excellent value. Evening meal and breakfast was very nice. Service and staff excellent.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

30 Apr 2024

Verified traveler

Ticked all our boxes

We loved our one night stay. Having checked previous reviews we had great expectations . We were not disappointed .Room was very spacious & comfortable with tea,coffee etc all to hand. The pub food was excellent with many menu choices. We plan to return when we are next in Somerset.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 Feb 2024

Shaun

The staff and owners made me feel very welcome and made my stay very pleasant. They even made sure I had a good breakfast before I left early in the morning. The stables were very clean and spacious as well as comfortable. I slept like a baby.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

02 Nov 2023

Joanne

Fantastic Flying Fish

The room was lovely. Each one has it’s own parking space in front. Loads of space, bath and separate walk-in shower. Tea and Nespresso provided too. Huge bed - bigger than a superking - and really, really comfy. We were late arriving but Kate had been in to turn the heating on and came over to make sure everything was ok. Tasty breakfast in the pub the following morning. Very amiable and relaxing atmosphere. We’d definitely stay again and highly recommend

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Sep 2023

Christopher

Spacious and comfortable in a lovely setting

We stayed for one night en route home from a holiday and visiting relatives. The inn was in a lovely position with great views over the countryside.
Our room was spacious, clean and comfortable with good amenities. Parking was right outside.
We had dinner in the restaurant which had a good and interesting menu and we enjoyed our meal. Breakfast was very good.
We would certainly recommend this inn and are keen to go back for a longer stay.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jun 2023

Craig D

Great accommodation and food of the highest quality
Staff were great highly recommend

Business

10/10

Exceptional

25 May 2023

David

Clean, comfortable rooms and great service, excellent food and drinks too

Business

10/10

Exceptional

11 May 2023

Karen

Nice place with fantastic food

Great place to stay. Nice and quiet but close to Taunton. Accommodation nice, staff lovely and food is amazing!!

Business

10/10

Exceptional

26 Nov 2022

Richard

Lovely room and a warm welcome

Lovely accommodation in a specially built building behind the pub. The welcome was friendly, the room spotlessly clean and well kept. Really good overnight stay. Would recommend.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Nov 2022

Virginia

Excellent and large accomodation

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

05 Aug 2022

peter

Really nice Stabel conversions with a pub what can possibly go wrong.
Nice menu (UK and Caribbean food) and nice freindy staff.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

25 Apr 2022

Siobhan

We had a room in \"The Stable\" block which is just opposite the pub. We were able to park right outside our room. The room was clean and beautifully warm. The bed was massive, which was great.
Kate & her bar staff were very friendly and we felt that nothing was too much trouble. Buddy was the chef whilst we were there & his Garlic mushrooms in cream were the best I have ever tasted!
Thank you to both of you for making our stay with you so pleasant.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Apr 2022

Steven

The pub is in a quiet location and the garden overviews open countryside. The rooms are large and pleasant to work from

Business

10/10

Exceptional

20 Sep 2021

Terry

A great little find with great hosts. Good clean spacious rooms - good restaurant / breakfast and bar.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Aug 2021

Elaine

Fantastic place

It was an amazing stay. Lovely room. Lovely food. Lovely staff. Top class. Loved it.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 Aug 2021

Mrs

Great place to stay

Fantastic place to stay
Food was amazing
Service was fantastic

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jul 2021

G

Fab menu and great rooms

This was our third stay on the way to Cornwall and we love this place. The rooms are large with a huge bed, very comfortable and everything is well sanitised. The restaurant has a great menu, the breakfast is very fresh and tasty. Buddy the owner is always friendly, professional and yet relaxed. We will be back

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jul 2021

M

Lovely B&B

This was a one night stay on a business trip I had 3 rooms which are located opposite the pub across the car park. The rooms were clean with a spacious bathroom and wet room, the shower was perfect, the bed was a large kingsize a comfy. The pub opened about 5.30pm we went there at 6.30 for dinner and the meal was delicious. The owners and staff were very polite and professional I will definitely be back on our next trip.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jun 2021

Verified traveler

The friendly atmosphere

Leisure Pet

8/10

Excellent

08 Aug 2020

GLYNIS

Family run - they go the extra mile

We have stayed here before and particularly liked the menu. We requested to eat at 8pm which they agreed but when we arrived they had forgotten and closed the restaurant because they were working on limited opening hours due to COVID19. The reason I'm mentioning this is that Barbara and her husband then went out of their way to cook whatever we wanted and in a good humoured way which didn't make us feel awkward. Breakfast was also good, the staff are excellent and we would stay here again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2020

Stefan

Good value.

Good value, beautiful location, great service & lovely food. Only stayed the one night whilst working in the area & would definitely stay again.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

20 Feb 2020

DB

Great food with really friendly staff would definitely recommend

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jan 2020

DEREK

Would definitely stay there again.

We had an Excellent stay. The food was very good. We had Sunday Carvery and although they didn’t put on food for people comlng in off the street they did for guests on Sunday evening.The bed was about 7ft wide and very comfortable. Very friendly staff.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

17 Nov 2019

Verified traveler

Good location, big room and huge bed. Friendly and helpful staff. Good breakfast.
Wi fi signal poor

Friends_and_family Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Nov 2019

Brian

Excellent room.

The room in the 'stables' by the side of the main building was excellent. Large, well-appointed, very clean and comfortable.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

14 Oct 2019

Phill

top small hotel food good room great bar well stoc

Fab fantastic place to stay all good

Business

8/10

Excellent

07 Sep 2019

Malcolm

Enjoyable overnight stay

Spacious, clean and comfortable accommodation in converted stable block. Hosts friendly and helpful. Breakfast choice, quality and quantity excellent. Evening meal and bar prices good value, Will definetly book again next time we are in the area.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jul 2019

Rachael

Nice stay

Best hotel bed I've slept in in a long time! Set out kind of like an american motel (which I much prefer), even the interior of the room reminded me of my trips to Florida!
Lovely little place - would recommend!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jun 2019

Howard

HJG stay

Brilliant family run pub with separate accomodation. Very comfortable beds and lovely room. Only very slight minus was that only 2 of the 6 spotlights in the bathroom worked, but that was no problem. 100% recommend.

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jun 2019

Phill

Top top place to stay . I will be back

Just amazing rooms superb . Food .fab . Staff brilliant . Whole experience was amazing

10/10

Exceptional

20 May 2019

linda

out in the country lovely and quite a place you can just get away and chill out.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

Wonderful small hotel off the beaten track. The staff here are excellent - very warm and friendly and went out of their way to accommodate us. The hotel has a very homely feel, the rooms are very large and the beds big and comfortable. There is a lovely restaurant and bar on site which serves simple but delicious meals and great cooked breakfasts that are included in the rate.

8/10

Excellent

22 Oct 2018

Norman

We used this as a stopover for our visit to Cornwall and we found it to be absolutely ideal for our needs. Good food and good accommodation.

8/10

Excellent

17 Sep 2018

Lisa

Great room, very comfortable bed. Great views from the hotel. The only let down was the food.

8/10

Excellent

08 Sep 2018

Verified traveler

Very friendly and accommodating staff

A number of school friends have stayed here once a year over past years and have always found it to be an ideal hotel for our needs. The new refurbishment has added to the overall ambiance and made it a more attractive place to dine. Opening up the view, by cutting down the hedge opposite, is a real \"winner\".
The friendly and attentive staff are the reason for our return each year, as nothing is too much trouble. Thank you. We hope to see you again in 2019.

Ps. Brighter lighting in the rooms outside would be beneficial for our ageing eyes???

8/10

Excellent

13 Aug 2018

sally

Good overnight stopover.

We had an overnight stop as we were travelling. The room was spacious nicely decorated and well equipped. We were lucky that we had one of the rooms furthest away from the barn as there was a wedding on and we had to be up for work the next day. We had dinner there which was ok as was breakfast the next morning. Our room was very clean and overall I would stay again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jul 2018

Verified traveler

Beautiful!

8/10

Excellent

20 Jul 2018

Verified traveler

Lovely room but very disappointed in the food

Myself, fiancée, sister & her partner traveled from Huddersfield & stayed for two nights for a family wedding. A staff member rang whilst we were traveling to ask to if we wanted a table booked for dinner which was appreciated. Check in was easy & we sat outside with a drink, lovely views! The rooms were really nice, clean & had plenty of tea coffee available, though the water bottle hadn’t been replaced so was left with a half drunk bottle of water from a previous person. We went for dinner, great choice of food & drinks available. When the food came, my fiancées Caribbean platter was very over cooked & over fried & didn’t really consist of very much to say it was a platter. My sisters partners steak resembled a thick slice of bacon, my sisters pie was completely burnt, & my chicken tomato pasta was extremely bland. The waitresses attitude towards us when we explained we weren’t happy with our meals was not the most pleasent, the same attitude when we declined breakfast on the second morning as the breakfast was just as over cooked & greasy. I really feel the food and some staff lets the place down as it is a lovely B&B!

8/10

Excellent

10 Jul 2018

Helen

Beautiful location

Disappointed with lack of air con or fans in room as room became very hot as leaving windows on ground level open during night posed a security risk. We were only given one small bottle of water in our double room for a two night stay which was not replaced by house keeper. Strong smell of coffee in room as loose coffee in a pot on tea tray .Only one hand towel and no choice to replace wet towels for 2nd day. House keeper walking in on us lol, Lovely big bathroom with walk in shower and bath but sadly the shower pump was inadequate and the whole bathroom floor became wet when showering which posed a slip hazered . Bed large a comfortable . Parking outside room. Lovely views . The breakfast was disappointing both days and service slow . Cereal on offer or cooked breakfast, a Continental choice would have been nice. The cooked breakfast was deep fried and less than one mushroom on my plate and the mixed omelette was forgettable. Sadly the poor breakfast stopped us choicing to eat there for our lunch or evening meal . On a positive note we would come again but would recommend some attention to detail with housekeeping and chef then I’d give the place full marks .

8/10

Excellent

26 Jun 2018

Susan

Beautiful Rooms, Breakfast a chore !

Rooms beautiful 10/10 couldn't fault - Welcome very good.
Breakfast like Fawlty Towers, asked to come in earlier, then told to wait as they had to cook previous tables food, cereal brought bowl by bowl, filled to the top so no room for milk (so wasteful, should have been laid out as help yourself) Fruit juice brought one by one (held at the top of the glass (not very hygienic) had to ask for more butter/jam etc. There was no fruit or yoghurt. Tea and coffee brought cup by cup - cooked food nice when it came but about 40 minute wait. One couple were told to come back later. Attitude of staff not very welcoming or accommodating. Totally let down the rooms side of the property. It would have been much better to have had a table with choice of cereals, juices etc. and help yourself.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jun 2018

Paul

Great place to stay, beautiful views over the country side.
The Rooms in the Stables (new) are very nice.
The hosts and staff could not have been more pleasant and more helpful.
Would stay there again.

8/10

Excellent

05 Jun 2018

Lira

Lovely big room that opened onto carpark/pub garden that was excellent for dogs

10/10

Exceptional

24 May 2018

Gary

Good VFM

Spacious, clean room. Ample parking and a pub within 20yds :)

8/10

Excellent

13 Apr 2018

Verified traveler

Excellent rooms

Rooms were much better than expected for the price. Well appointed and clean.

10/10

Exceptional

16 Sep 2017

Karen

We were very lucky to come across this little gem during our travels. A lovely big, comfortable bed, a big room ( in converted stables) and lovely food at the inn on site! Friendly staff just added to the experience - a good find!

10/10

Exceptional

09 Sep 2017

richard

Worth a visit

Easy access, good bed, nice pub good beer, super food, friendly staff
Good value for money and I will definitely stay here again
Quiet country location if that is what you like

2/10

Poor

05 Sep 2017

Roger

Expedia mistake

Whether this review will be made available to the public is debatable but regardless our experience does merit comment.
A catalogue of errors have been made by Expedia.co.uk, compounded by the attitude of the manager of the Square and Compass.
On 11/08/17 we tried to make a booking at the Square and Compass for the same evening, initially via Expedia but the booking was never verified due to poor communication, nor did we receive notification of confirmation or otherwise.
Now, it appears we had a booking for the Square and Compass over the past weekend, which is rather intriguing given that I am on scheduled work offshore The Gulf of Mexico and my wife is in The Netherlands.
When questions regarding the booking the manager talked over and down to my wife, basically saying it was nothing to do with him and wasn’t interested in what she had to say. Any future bookings in the area will not be to the Square and Compass due to his attitude.
So my main question is who made this booking for us and how did Expedia get our bank account details?

8/10

Excellent

30 Aug 2017

Courtney

Would love to stay again!

Brilliant relaxing stay, warmly welcomed and made to feel at ease.
Basically we arrived and were able to just relax, excellent choice of meals and breakfast - good quality and staff unassuming but welcoming

Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 Aug 2017

Steve

Famtastic

Amazon place highly recommend, and the mixed grill ..wow !!! Will definatly be back.

10/10

Exceptional

13 May 2017

Ian

Brilliant!

Great room, lovely staff and excellent service!

10/10

Exceptional

13 May 2017

John

You MUST stay here!

A last minute stay over- glad I made the choice. If Carlsberg did great value, friendly and comfortable hotels- this would be it. Brilliant service, wonderful room and some of the best pub food I've ever tasted. I can't speak highly enough of it- brilliant!

10/10

Exceptional

12 May 2017

Mike

Nice Location, very central to the area we require

The accommodation was pleasant enough and the staff were very warm and helpful. The menu was very varied and would suit most pockets and tastes. We stayed 7 nights and have to say all the food was prepared very well and that there was plenty of it.
My only gripe was the cost of 'mixers'. Whilst all the spirits were very reasonable a dash of lemonade in your whisky was a little steep. That said, I wasn't forced to drink as much of it as I did, LOL.
Good Luck to Chris, Janet, Mimi, Maria and Adina who made us welcome.

10/10

Exceptional

31 Jul 2016

jude

Lovely, friendly, family run establishment.

Small, family run pub/accommodation. Very friendly and welcoming. Food, excellent, brilliant value for money. Lovely. We really enjoyed our one night stay.

8/10

Excellent

12 Jul 2016

Amy

Lovely people

Stayed at this hotel on a business trip.
Bored of staying in soulless chain hotels so decided to try something new.
The staff were lovely. The food was lovely and I felt relaxed and comfortable sitting in the bar/restaurant on my own.
The little lodges made me feel as though I was on holiday!!
Would definitely stay again.

8/10

Excellent

29 May 2016

Brian

Great stay at the Square & Compass

Good Host & Family, Great service from Staff, Very friendly, Two meals not to good, Rump steak underdone & grissly ,not really chefs fault, Lasangne, overcooked, hard crust, this was fault of Chef, Last night could not bother to complain, Overall we both enjoyed stay of 4 - Nights, would recommend the Square and Compass.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 May 2016

Eddie

Hotel is in a quiet, relaxing location, Quick and hassle free check in. Stayed in room 1 which was clean and spacious. It had a bath and separate walk in shower. Had good wifi and mobile connection. Room had plenty of plug sockets so no problem charging laptop, phones etc. Evening meal and breakfast were very good quality. All staff were friendly and efficient. Biggest plus point for me was being able to park directly in front of my room, unlike hotels I usually stay in where I have to park 200 yards from the hotel and then walk a further 100 yards to my room. Would definitely stay here again when next in this area.

10/10

Exceptional

24 Apr 2016

Kevin

Great country retreat

Working in area. Chelat style new build barns. Very spacious and clean. Nice and peaceful area. Staff very helpful and polite. Food top quality. Overall a must stay if visiting the area.

10/10

Exceptional

11 Mar 2016

Mike

Loved the place

Great people lively accommodation very welcoming and excellent value for money food

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jan 2016

Carolyn

A very pleasant surprise!

Really nice idea with being able to park directly outside your \"stable\" a huge help with luggage and a disabled mother. Rooms were huge, beds were enormous and incredibly comfortable. Bathroom had both bath and walk in shower/wet room. Staff were very friendly, I would definitely use again.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 Oct 2015

John

Excellent

Welcomed upon arrival. Good food good venue good room. super bed. Dirty cups also water left in kettle. They are the only two faults to an excellent stay.

Family

8/10

Excellent

11 Oct 2015

Jason

Little gem

This place is a great little find. Rooms are of a good size, well equipped and nice and clean. The pub does nice homemade food and breakfast was spot on. The only negative for me is the poor wifi which was intermittent and slow. Apart from that it's a great little find and represents fantastic value for money. I will be staying again when in the area.

8/10

Excellent

07 Sep 2015

Verified traveler

Great stop over

We loved every second and our evening meal and breakfast were the best we've had in years. The only downside was a hairdryer that didn't work and one of the toilets could have been cleaner so maybe need checking more often.

Family

8/10

Excellent

02 Aug 2015

Roy

Spacious.

The room was nice and big though required a good dusting the bathroom/shower was large and very good apart from the staining of the chrome shower fittings and head, again in need of a good clean. Overall we would be pleased to stay again. The staff were very helpful and extremely nice. The food excellent.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Aug 2015

Jennifer

Quiet retreat

Lovely place to stay quiet and comfortable. Lovely pub and good breakfast well worth the money

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2015

Steph

Friendly relaxing atmosphere

Really enjoyed my one night stay. My room was large and very comfortable and my evening meal in the pub was delicious (as was the Scrumpy!). The staff were very friendly and professional; I would recommend as a single female travelling alone and would certainly stay again.