The Best Restaurants in Batcombe, Dorset, United Kingdom (2025)

We had a thoroughly enjoyable and delicious dining experience at the Clockspire Restaurant this evening. Food was excellent along with the service. The old school building has been beautifully restored and creates a delightful surrounding and atmosphere, complimenting the whole experience. This has just become my favorite restaurant. We shall return.

Oh my! ♥ What a magical experience visiting The Clockspire was. Where do I begin to describe the care and detail oozing from both the staff and the food, it truly is clear to see, even the toilet hand towels were folded beautifully! We decided to opt for an expensive treat due to a special birthday, but the restaurant also offers a very affordable day menu, so I would recommend for both a stunning meal out and for celebrating occasions.

Really nice experience. The decor inside was very appealing and comfortable. Went for the 3 course set menu and the food was very well presented and had a lot of flavour. Waiters/waitresses polite and attentive. Will recommend to friends/family.

Fantastic food! Really delicious. We will definitely return on our next trip to the area. The staff are lovely and welcoming, and we felt at ease for the whole visit.

We had another fabulous meal at the Cotley last night (28 Dec) As soon as you walk in someone says hi! Be with you in a second. Truly a great team here. Professional yet still retaining a common touch. That’s a good thing by the way! Table was waiting and menus were given and drinks were ordered. Smart service. But not rushed. The table is ours till we’ve eaten our fill. That doesn’t take long either. Portions are generous and delicious! We had everything from trout (my starter and so delicious) could go on. Duck. Venison. Burger. All absolutely delicious. Thank you for a wonderful meal.

My husband booked us a room at the inn for the night for my birthday (and our first night away since becoming parents!) and our stay was just the best treat! Our room was absolutely charming - gorgeous outdoor area and we loved the suite set up - having the beautiful lounge area and then separate mezzanine sleeping area. Everything from how the room was styled with gorgeous coffee table books to the luxurious bed etc was on point. The staff were warm and super helpful, our evening meal was excellent and the breakfast in the morning was amazing - high quality and gorgeous setting. We honestly can’t wait to stay again!

We enjoyed another fabulous dinner at the Cotley this evening. Packed with diners, and people at the bar yet it wasn’t noisy, the service was impeccable, and it was warm and cosy on a chilly evening. As for the food, sensational for a country pub that’s a cut above, without being pretentious. Thank you for squeezing us in at no notice. We’ll be back.

We came for Sunday lunch and were really bowled over by how good our whole experience was! The “Bloody Shame” was absolutely delicious, the pheasant katsu was a very creative dish, and the roasts were out of this world. All this was made even better by such a warm, personable staff at the pub. Thanks so much - we will come again!

The taster menu was superb. The experience was fun and there were surprises with every course. The setting is in a beautiful location and the staff are immaculate and attentive.

Wonderful meal what a gastonomic feast. Highly recommend. Only negative was the bar man after the meal was more interested in his admin than serving out the meal so we could get home.

Had the most amazing evening at the newly opened Osip. From the time we entered , the atmosphere was welcoming and relaxed. The tasting menu was creative and delicious and every course was a delight. The service was impeccable and delivered with such enthusiasm. All of the staff were knowledgeable and friendly and Millie in particular was fabulous. I can’t recommend this restaurant highly enough. Can’t wait to go back.

Today was one of those rare moments where you transcend your day to day life and sit in giddy awe of something magical. Every single element of the experience from arrival to the reluctant departure was so considered and full of surprise, wonder and delight. Genuinely happy and passionate people guiding you through moments of joy that don’t let up. This isn’t a restaurant, it’s a parallel dimension of bliss.

A group of us are lunch at the white horse yesterday, the food is exquisite, there were 7 of us and every plate we were served was exceptionally presented and tasted amazing!!!! We will be back, what a memorable time. Thankyou so much. The village this pub is situated in is idyllic, like a fairy tale.

Cracking little village pub, we popped in for a few drinks with friends and had a great time, we sat in the garden in the sun and it was extremely pleasant. Will be going back for some food in the future.

We stopped in while visiting from America. I would consider the White House to be an upscale pub. The ambience is great! Lots of stone and heavy wooden beams. There were lots of locals there when we were there which is always a good sign. The staff was wonderful! The food was truly excellent! Every starter and entree was done to perfection! If we lived in the area we would be here often!

Wonderful birthday dinner. Lamb Scrumpit, Tuna Carpaccio, Pork Belly, Dorset Crab Linguine, Tiramisu (a little heavy for my preference, but still delicious) and Cheese and crackers. We’ll be back!

Stopped off for a cold refreshing cider was lovley and very tastefully decorated to a high standard food looks amazing too would definitely recommend 👌

We had Sunday lunch here last month. This is a lovely pub, great lunch and most of all great service. Made our Sunday and fully recommended.

The food was delicious. Great customer service. Very nice pub and beautiful garden

Lovely Atmosphere, the Food was delicious at very reasonable prices and the Bar Staff and Landlady very pleasant. And exceptionally Dog Friendly. Well worth leaving our village and travelling a few miles.

Looking for somewhere to break our journey from Lyme Regis to the Midlands, and came across this inn that did breakfasts. Situated in a small village with some parking. Arrived at 10am and ordered their 'Big Bell' breakfast, which was tremendous. Well cooked, plenty of it. Friendly staff. Well worth the slight detour.

Lovely little pub. Lovely atmosphere and gorgeous inside. Owner is very welcoming and talkative. Only came in for a drink but look forward to coming here again for some food.

We had a last-minute visit here as the family members we visited were good enough to book two additionals for the table. The service was really great. 👌 The female who served is happy, helpful, and bubbly as well as attentive to our needs. The restaurant areas were clean, tidy, and welcoming with a cosy feel. However, the only downtown is the bar gets very busy and rowdy, so you have to have a meal with raised voices, and sometimes it can be hard to hear conversations with whom you're dining with again this cannot be helped but I tend as a preference to eat with a bit more stillness.

Excellent place for an idyllic stay. Staff would go above and beyond to ensure every need was catered for. Breakfast in the garden terrace was superb, excellent dishes prepared with local ingredients. The spa area was tidy and the pool temperature was just right.

My partner and I spent three wonderful days at Summer Lodge to celebrate her special birthday. The staff were consistently courteous, professional and friendly: we were received with a special birthday tea and a lovely welcoming message from the managers. Our room was perfect, the meals were delicious, the grounds are delightful and the location is ideal for exploring the glorious Hardy Country (incidentally, Thomas Hardy was an architect who designed a wing of Summer Lodge). We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will certainly return. Stephen Friar

We had a fabulous 2 night stay here. It's in a lovely little village, very quintessentially English. Staff were really lovely and couldn't do enough for us. Our room was really lovely, with a welcome drink and snack. We also tried a treatment in the spa and really enjoyed that too. There was even water and a cookie for our journey home.

Had a fantastic stay here. Room was spacious well presented and has a very comfortable bed. Great location for most of Somerset’s activities. Would very much recommend eating here too the food was excellent and the atmosphere in the restaurant too made it very enjoyable.

I have a home in Peasedown St John but now live in Manchester and own a cocktail bar on Canal Street called Oscars. My family still live here so we came for dinner for some family time. It was all wonderful but we have to call out Ollie for his superb customer service. He is first class and inspirational for anyone in hospitality. Your personality shone through. Thank you for a wonderful evening. Kevin and David

A great venue for Sunday lunch. I loved the layout of the different areas - super for meeting up with friends or family. Staff were great! Friendly and helpful. Food was excellent too - will definitely go again.

My wife, 4-year-old daughter and I stayed one night on a Friday before a bank holiday. The place is beautiful and nicely secluded in a tiny village. Very picturesque. The staff can't do enough for you and manage to somehow cultivate an laid-back yet luxurious feel to the place. The inn is a popular pub and restaurant too, so there is definitely some background noise in the evening but this is to be expected. Everything died down quickly after last orders at 11pm. The rooms were nicely appointed and clean throughout. The food at the restaurant was exceptional - especially the seafood options and the breakfast (my eggs were cooked exactly as I asked for them - a rare treat and worth big points in my book!). Overall we had a lovely stay and would definitely return, or perhaps book one of their sister venues to fill up our stamp card.

Great menu choice. The food was delicious, cooked to perfection. Lovely ambiance with log fire and beautiful Christmas decorations. The front of house staff were very welcoming from the time we entered. There service was spot on. Nothing was too much trouble. Would highly recommend for a special occasion or regular treat. We loved it there.

Ate here with a friend and her farther.. team here were great as needed extra space due to mobility but they happily accommodated... a great start. Then we ordered and they helped with food intolerant guests (me being Gluten intolerant, my wife Dairy). Food was incredible !

The room was clean, really good but in our room I think room 5, the heating was not working or quite difficult to manipulate. Anyway, it was a really good place to stay, comfortable bed, awesome restaurant - we had dinner and a complementary breakfast there, and it was very well-priced. We were charged initially for the food we didn't purchase, but it was easily rectified and refunded. Good service.

25 of my family booked this lovely pub for our annual Christmas get together on Sunday 17th November, as we chose halfway from all of us to meet up. Always a gamble when you book somewhere you not been before. Well, the Hunters Lodge Inn did not disappoint. It was really busy at 1:45pm, we had a whole section to ourselves, tables laid out, we put crackers on and had a corner for all our Secret Santa gifts. We asked for a rubbish bag so we could clean up afterwards. Jade was truly professional and a credit to the pub, she looked after us all. Service was amazing considering it was so busy. The food (carvery) was so tasty, hot, lots of it and served to you by a really lovely man. Everyone that worked here showed they really enjoy it. Car parking was fab and a lovely park for the kids. Thank you so much from us all and we look forward to seeing you all in 2025. Our new find 😃

Friendly and helpful staff, room was clean and the whole place had a rustic atmosphere. The breakfast bar was banging. Great value for money

Came here on an impromptu drive past. They were packed! But managed to fit us in. Very clear communication over table return time but we didn't feel rushed at all. Staff were really attentive, food was delicious and service was fabulous. Highly recommend