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

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 💎

We have been to Minterne Gardens a few times, this time we went to see the rhododendrons and azaleas in flower, we weren't disappointed. Be aware that some of the paths are a bit steep and uneven, so may not be suitable for wheelchair users, pushchairs or anyone a bit unsteady on their feet. Teas, coffees and snacks are available on the terrace . Toilets available in the gardens.

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.

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.

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

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. .

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.

The most amazing quality for the money.. we stumbled across this pub on a wet Wednesday..even though it was 2 pm, the kitchen was open and all the menu was available. I was blown away with the quality of the food and hospitality..

Very cozy place! Had a table booked for 12:15 but showed up an hour early, we still were friendly welcomed and enjoyed a coffee and a pot of tea in the cozy sunny spot inside before we could order our lunch. Great selection and daily specials. We had a Camembert with sourdough to share and two starters as small Mains, salmon fish pie with cream cheese and watercress, breadcrumb battered feta with caramellised figs and honey glaze and two portions of chips. We even got the aioli requested from another main to dip the chips in! As dessert we shared grilled plums.. all very lovely presented. We were absolutely stuffed, even we had no breakfast and no mains! Two drinks. Card payment didn't work for ages and stuff was very helpful and patient!! We spent 3 lovely hours in here with delicious food for a very reasonable price!! Recommended!!

Fabulous gastro pub. We enjoyed the food so much we went there for a second evening whilst staying overnight locally. Really good value for money with generous portion sizes 😁 If you have the fish Friday, which includes a drink, you need to ask, which ones are included before ordering. We didn't realize that at the time and ordered drinks that weren't included.

Lovely couldn't fault anything the food was delicious as were the desserts..Staff very friendly and welcoming..Definitely will be visiting again soon

Selfishly I would like to keep this little gem to myself so that I can always go when I want but in the spirit of generosity (and because these guys are so brilliant) I felt I needed to leave a review. All of it is outstanding - the food, the service, the ambience, the wine - and I’m a hard person to please! I have been for a quick soup and a sandwich, full-blown Sunday roast and a mid-week supper. All superb, freshly prepared food. Yes, maybe slightly pricier than other pubs, but if top quality food and a genuinely friendly service is your priority this is the place to come!

We found this wonderful place after being at Minterne House and Gardens. Lovely village pub. Fantastic service, offered toys for my kid. Really lovely food. Great selection of drinks. Will definitely be returning.

My niece had her wedding here and the place was fantastic. Food for the event was brilliant and innovative. We also had Sunday lunch which was fabulous. Camping on site and lots of Airbnb in the area. Three cottages right next to pub with access through the gardens.

Absolutely amazing couple of days camping at the gaggle_of_geese_pub in Dorset. Cannot recommend this place enough. Loads of facilities for families. Double decker bus kitted out with soft play for kids. Pigmy goats and a small sports pitch. The campsite had warm showers, clean toilets. Pub served excellent food and beers. Will 100% be going back there. 📍 Gaggle of Geese Pub, Buckland Newton, Dorset

Fantastic, quiet beautiful campsite. Very clean site and clean toilets and shower block. Utensil washing area. Fire pits and wind breaks available to hire. Lovely campsite wardens, lovely friendly staff and hosts. Amazing food. 10mins drive to Cern Abbys brewery. Definitely recommend.

The food was good but pricey for what it was. 10% service charge added but politely told at bill stage and offered the choice, so that was appreciated. The landlord and staff made the experience, good banter so would return but not as often as I'd like due to cost.

Had a lovely stay at Hunters Moon. Staff are really friendly and I loved the dogs Dubury and Dilbert. Made it feel very homely. The rooms are small and cosy, they were quite cute and private. In the morning I could get ready with my door open as the room are not overlooked. The area is stunning! beautiful old listed buildings, beautiful nature, such a pretty area. The pub has quiz nights, live music and a great atmosphere. Breakfast was very good. Thank you :-)

We didn't stay overnight so cant score them as we just dropped in for a quick pint after a walk. The barman was very friendly and welcoming. My friend had a sandwich for lunch which looked lovely. It is what I call a 'proper pub' - beams for example that looked like they had been part of Noahs Ark! Well worth a visit!

We stayed for three nights and were very happy. Our room was bigger than we imagined and The River Piddle was just outside our window. The hosts were fabulous, the food and drinks were lovely and the locals were also friendly. We did two fairly long walks in the beautiful surrounding countryside which we found on the village website. If you fancy staying in a characterful Inn with gorgeous surroundings you can't go wrong.

Perfect stay! We had Room 2, and had a lovely view of the river and fields across the way! The room itself was big, as was the bathroom with bath and shower! The bed was very comfy too! As you can expect from a Inn it does get busy and quite noisy in the evening, especially at closing time when you're in bed and trying to sleep but what do you expect? The room/view itself is perfect so it didn't matter to us at all! The landlady was brilliant, hardworking, and friendly! The evening meals and drinks excellent and great value (Cheap!!) And the Breakfast was excellent too! What a lovely place to stay! We will be back one day! 👍👍👍

Seven of us just had a great long weekend at The Piddle Inn. You get the back of the pub all to yourself including a fully fitted kitchen, 4 bedrooms a massive lounge and a separate dining room. We also had a back garden to sit in as the weather was so nice. The property is a work in progress and not perfect but has that typical olde English feel. Our second year and we will be back again.

Had great long weekend here for an 80th birthday and could not have asked for more. You have the entire pub to yourself including a fully equipped industrial kitchen, many different inside seating areas, outside seating with BBQ and fire pit, plenty of parking, four good sized ensuite bedrooms and much more. Thoroughly recommended, hope to go back again in the not too distant future

My bestie Jane and I visited Moreton church, a beautiful tranquil place. We decided to be ladies that lunch and stopped at the Frampton Arms where we had a lovely lunch. The pub has a charming atmosphere, where the staff are chatty, friendly and our food was delicious and at a reasonable price, well worth a visit.

Just had a two night stay here at this beautifully presented pub/b&b. Staff were friendly and helpful, always polite. Room was clean and had everything we needed. It’s on the train line which doesn’t feel intrusive. The food was really nice in the evenings (didn’t eat lunch there), we were a big group one evening and there were two small issues but they were sorted. The first morning, arrived to breakfast and it wasn’t ready and staff didn’t know why, they quickly sorted it out tho. The only downside for us was breakfast, as there is no hot option.

On arrival, after making a online booking, we were nearly turned away as staff said there was no reservations in our name, we had to prove it was booked from our online correspondence. Staff then found us a table, but advised us we had to go because that table was booked out at a certain time. We had our main meal, but didn't have a desert as we would have outstayed our welcome, only to find that upon leaving most of the restaurant was practicly empty, very disappointing. Apart from the above, the food and service was very good.

Lovely place, nice spacious rooms with air conditioning, decent telly and comfortable bed. Very clean and tidy, with a nice powerful shower. I really had to dig deep to find any fault with the place, and the only thing I did find wrong was that the toilet roll holder was was a bit loose. The continental breakfast had a good range of food, and was a nice way to start the day.

Very quiet. Very comfortable and warm. Food is brilliant. Who does fried bread these days.. staff Very good. A wonderful sray

Gorgeous location, really quiet & relaxing. Room was lovely! Could use another pillow for the bed but I tend to take mine when I travel anyway so it was no bother to me! Food was delicious & all the team working there and super friendly & helpful. Was a pleasure to stay for a night and I absolutely would go back.

Amazingly friendly staff, they made such an effort to make me and especially my little one feel welcome. The food was very good, my little one said she really liked the seasoning on the chicken so the owner so kindly showed her pictures of where she grows it and cut her off a little piece to take home. A hard act to follow at home now it's her favourite meal 😅 will definitely stay again soon.