The Best Restaurants in Alton Pancras, Dorset, United Kingdom (2025)

Visited today ( sat 5th oct) and enjoyed good food and service. The young ladies who were serving were extremely polite, good knowledge of the food offered, and had a good sense of humour. Compliments to the kitchen staff as the food was great, and just enough for lunch. There is no doubt that my friends and I will be revisiting this lovely establishment.

Went couple of days ago with husband and a friend and had a lovely meal. Food was delicious, although the stuffing in my friends chicken breast had a strange taste. Portion size generous, Mia our waitress was fab! Just moved to the area so a nice find. Will definitely be back.

We ate here for our 2 year wedding anniversary, and were served by the lovely Claudia who was super friendly. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. Will definitely be back again soon.

Lovely family meal on Christmas Eve. Friendly knowledgeable staff, quick service and tasty food!

Could not fault a single dish and we tried many. Each plate of food was full of flavour, perfectly seasoned and mouthwateringly delightful. Honestly could have eaten every single dish on the menu. If you’re looking for something a bit special and different from the norm then do not miss the delights that Lilac has to offer.

Upscale menu in an unpretentious basement "cave." Small plate (and I mean small!) offerings of exquisitely executed dishes that present a culinary experience for the palate. I wish there were 30% more on every dish we sampled (wouldn't really describe it as "ate," given the amount). But... they were all quite well done. You just need to order a lot of dishes. We had the Flatbread w Pickled Ewe's Cheese, Fig & Roasted (yumm) Pumpkin Seeds, Beetroot Carparccio (outstanding take), Soused Mackerel, Dartmoor Lamb (tender), Polenta w Girolles (mushroon), Ricotta & Cheddar, Fennel Truffles (not to miss for a chocolate lover) & Apricot & Thyme Sorbet (the only small miss: would have preferred a gentler herb like mint).

We didn't book, and the restaurant was full, but the server offered us the bar table or outside dining, and as it as a sunny warm evening we landed on the outdoor dining. This is a rare find. Not only was the outdoor dining stylish and intimate, it offered wonderful service, and a 10/10 experience. The dinner was wonderful, from small bites all the way to the main the meal was wonderful. The menu is seasonal and delicious, this was a menu that didn't offer comfortable favourites, but diverse delicious plates that we talked about all the way home. They even made us a tailor made cocktail which was spicy and lovely. We had 3 servings. We are thrilled we got in, and would recommend it to anyone who is a food lover.

Exceptional food, locally sourced and foraged. The chef often came out to serve the dishes and was more than happy to talk about the ingredients, where he had foraged some of them and how the dish was made. Every plate was well conceived, light and tasty, even the bigger dishes such as the ox cheek or venison. Wine suggestions were excellent and every wine we tried was surprising and delicious. Staff were friendly and helpful, the venue small and welcoming. This rates as one of the best food experiences I've had. Get there now while it's still small and relatively undiscovered because it deserves to get better known and booked up months in advance.

This is an absolutely amazing place. The staff were extremely attentive, the food was phenominal and definitely worthy of a Michelin star and excellent value too. They really care about service and quality here . The best food that I have eaten in a long time. Thank you so much.

Absolutely wonderful overnight stay, with excellent breakfast and dinner, extremely comfortable accommodation, highly professional and friendly staff... need I go on? I would unhesitatingly recommend this charming hotel.

Lovely place to stay. Food was beautifully presented and cooked to perfection. The one thing that I would of appreciated (as an older lady) would of been a bath mat in a very slippy bath. Fabulous, would certainly visit again.

We stayed over the bank holiday in Aug and it’s so quiet and peaceful. Food was amazing and my husband said it was the best breakfast. All the staff went above and beyond especially Haley and another lady whose name we didn’t know. Fantastic little find.

We stayed here one night in early July ( visiting from Australia but born in Dorset).. A lovely atmospheric room with modern bathroom. We opted for dinner in the restaurant and had probably the best sunday roast we have ever had , roast beef done just right with yorkshire pud my mother would be proud of - high praise indeed! Accompanied by a range of vegetables that were great but almost too many to finish. Ditto for Breakfast the following day . Staff ( owners? ) took great pride in this establishment and delightful to boot. So thoroughly recommend the New Inn. .

A perfect place to stay and visit the beautiful Cerne valley and the surrounding area. we loved the very comfortable beds big fluffy duvets and perfect pillows. Great bar and restaurant amazing breakfast with a wide choice of dishes. Annette and Julian with their team deliver fantastic service. Highly recommend.

My husband and I were on holiday in Cerne Abbas and came across this very special place on our first day walk. What a wonderful find, we were warmly received by Annette and Julian, who showed a great interest in us and where we had come from and checking out where we may visit while in Dorset. We loved this place so much we visited 4 times for evening drinks and meals. The recommendations for local beers, wine and Gin were excellent. They were always interested on our daily adventures. We can honestly say the place had a wonderful vibe with pleasant background music not to loud, and listening to the local banter was heart- warming. Also lovely to see all dog visitors getting doggy treats from the owners. Always served with a smile The food was absolutely delicious, they have a very talented chef, the presentation and food portions were spot on and there was no waste from us ! Thank you for a marvellous time at The new Inn and we will be back again soon and will definitely book a stay as well . If we could give you 6 stars we would

Fabulous Gardens. We visited in Early May and saw the stunning rhododendrons at their best. It was so much better than we had expected, with lovely walks through long established gardens. A real treat.

Visited today with 3 adults, 1 teen, 1 child. Lovely serene gardens. We did the fairy and dragon trail which was loved by all. The variety of plants, trees and flowers is amazing with all the different colours. The river walk is stunning with all the mini waterfalls and the big bridge at the end. Will be revisiting. A hidden gem 💎

Lovely eccentric gardens with a very grand sandstone house which is used as a wedding venue. Check for the occasional partial closure. Gardens are quirky and most enjoyable. Nice cafe terrace with everything from panini to a variety of salad specials. Very visit able.

Amazing house and gardens nestled in the Dorset countryside with a lovely tea terrace. Very quiet and peaceful as we wondered through the garden walk, enjoying the tranquility and beauty of nature. There was a Himalayan hut and gorgeous riverside walk as well as a Japanese pagoda. All so serene! Will definitely come again. All lit up at Christmas, I believe.

Stayed as a group of 6 for a walking weekend in October 2024. Very helpful and clear on booking as 2 large dogs were coming as well. Parking good and close to rooms. Very warm and helpful welcome. Rooms very clean, fluffy white towels and plenty of hot water. Nice tea/coffee/ biscuits in room and readily topped up. Food EXCELLENT with choice for all taste's, specials menus, good friendly helpful table service and great wine list. Fab stay and we will all come again. Thank you

Lovely, homely, welcoming feel. Food and service was fantastic, everyone went out of their way to make it a pleasant stay. Area is wonderfully rural, but close to all the attractions. Very friendly for dogs.

A quintessential English pub in a beautiful location. Fantastic service from friendly, helpful staff. The long term chef is passionate about the menu and is more than happy to openly discuss the recipes with you. Whether you are calling in for a pint of ale, straight from the barrel, for dinner or staying in one of the beautiful rooms, you can be assured of having an experience that you remember and will look forward to returning.

We had a fabulous one night stay here, what a beautiful part of the world. The room was excellent, rainforest shower and huge bathtub, comfy beds, spotlessly clean. We had dinner in the evening and food was just perfect, every dish was mouth-wateringly tasty. The breakfast was very very good, fresh sourdough, good coffee and a non greasy fry up! Highly recommend.

Excellent pub with high quality food, good beer, service and a lovely ambience. Was staying at TDOC Poundbury. This place was far better for food, drink and price.

We’ve been coming to the Saxon Arms for years, and with good reason: the pub is lovely, the welcoming service from all the staff is exemplary and the food is a cut above the average. I don’t normally write reviews, especially for places I visit frequently, however I ordered the Beef Wellington for lunch today from their varied specials board and it was simply superb. It’s a favourite dish, but I rarely have it when I’m out as it’s easy to mess up - tiny steaks that are overcooked and pastry that’s soggy and tasteless, and the whole lot is more often than not outrageously overpriced, but today’s was outstanding. It was beautifully presented, perfectly cooked and tasted fabulous. The last Beef Wellington I had that was this good was at Hawksmoor in Spitalfields, a world away from this relaxed, quiet country pub in the middle of Dorset. I can honestly say that the Saxon Arms never fails to meet expectations and would always get my hearty recommendation, but today’s lunch was worthy of an establishment charging many times more for its food. Outstanding.

We did enjoy coming here, however the food wasn't up to par this time round. It was super busy ( Christmas) and for the price, I expected something more treat worthy. First time we visited. The food was tremendous, hence the revisit and I felt spoiled which is how we should feel when choosing to eat out. This saddened me because I thought we had found a real gem 💎. Sorry guys x

Lovely Christmas dinner. The food was very nice but there was so much of it it was hard to enjoy it. My feedback would be to have the veg in dishes on the table so we can pick out how much we need. Would save a lot of waste and far easier to eat as not so much. The staff are always very welcoming and friendly x

Lovely local pub in the heart of the Dorset Countryside. Lots of nice walks around and rural spots to explore!

Charming olde world pub. Great food and friendly staff. Our room was lovely.

We visited on a weekday. We chose this pub over others in the village because of the reviews and because the food looked good value. There was one bartender on quite a busy lunchtime. She was good humored and efficient, taking drink and food orders, and delivering the food to the tables. We ordered our food and took drinks out to the garden at the back. Our food soon arrived despite being warned it might be a time. Simple fare, but generous portions. I ordered ham, egg and chips. The ham was delicious, three thick slices cut from a ham leg. Not the normal plastic ham in a prepacked plastic container. My partner had Nachos with a vegetarian chili. She enjoyed it. After lunch we walked around the village and came back for another pint before leaving on the bus. Good collection of beers including a local beer brewed in the village The pub has music events as well.

Absolutely delicious Sunday lunch. The vegetarian options were just as good as the meat roast options. Treacle tart pudding was wonderful. So glad we stumbled upon this little gem!

We booked to go for Sunday lunch. The food was delicious and hot. Vegetables cooked to perfection. Cosy setting and quiet atmosphere even though fairly busy which we like. Staff friendly and attentive. Recommend.

Came in on the off chance, staff were very warm and welcoming, food was delicious and good value for money, My husband loved the homemade tartar sauce. Did use the facilities the toilet clean and fresh. Will definitely pop in again whenever we are in Cerne abbas. The place was bright and light and spacious

This is a wonderful old English inn dated from 1540. Has loads of character & charm. We had Sunday roast here... Was fabulous, prices are very reasonable. Staff are friendly, helpful... Inn has wonderful atmosphere. We also stopped here for afternoon tea with Dorset Apple Cake... Again fabulous. Highly recommend

A stunning pub, with friendly and helpful staff. Sadly the kitchen's were closed at the time we visited, but they were offering various puddings to stave off the hunger. The Apple cake and cream was lush along with a pint of the local ale. Just the thing on a very wet day, as it was when we visited. Only downside is, It would be a 240 mile commute for me to call it "my local". A title I'd love to call it.

Lovely welcoming traditional pub. We only stopped for coffee and dessert but really enjoyed it. Pets are welcome. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Food a little pricey but good size portions and tasty.

Very cosy pub with friendly staff loved the soup as it was delicious, definitely recommend a visit.