The Best Restaurants in Buckland Newton, Dorset, United Kingdom (2025)

A fantastic pub, clean, friendly, lovely atmosphere. The garden is sheltered with plenty of seating. Dog friendly. Booking is reccomendationed. The menu is varied with plenty of choice for all dietary requirements. Along with sharing platters. The staff are attentive and friendly. The pub is historical. The old post office has been integrated into the front lounge area. If you love your Sunday lunch, book early as you won't get a seat.

Great food, fantastic service and really well priced. A kids meal for £8 with dessert and a drink is great value.

I can firmly recommend this restaurant. We came here for a dinner and were very surprised. Everything was exceptionally tasty and very well decorated. Service was fast, the waitresses were all friendly. The food took a while but the place was full. We sat in the dog friendly garden. We had three starters to share, prawns, the cauliflower and BBQ pulled pork. Especially the cauliflower was awesome. To the point. Lots of spices, great sauce, spicy. The fries were crisp even covered with sauce. We then shared the fish curry. Another surprise. Also spicy, the rice was perfect, crisp vegetables and a delightful sauce over the shrimps, the fish and the mussels which were outstanding huge. The prices for such high quality are very OK. The negative reviews could be explained by the season. We were told that during summer vacation the near campground is flooded with people who then also flood this place.

Absolutely amazing roast and I’ve eaten a lot of roasts!! Huge portions and the meal included cauliflower cheese at no extra cost. Lovely pub garden in a beautiful little village. Golden Cap on a nearby so I’d recommend a long walk along the gorgeous Jurassic coast followed by a roast at this gem of a pub

Had lunch one day and drinks another. Great place. Nice atmosphere. Pleasantly upmarket without being pretentious.

A stellar experience. Lovely service from the team, who clearly are passionate about what they do. The steak I had was maybe the best I have ever been served - a lovely cut and cooked perfectly. Just a great experience.

Really well looked after when they were busy with a birthday tea party. Delicious cream tea in a beautiful garden. Excellent staff. Made really welcome. Looks a pleasant place to stay too.

A lovely place which such an amazing team! We were well looked after celebrating our first wedding anniversary and the crispy lionsmane mushroom dish at the restaurant was one of the best I have ever had! We had the most perfect stay.

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.

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.

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.

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

Brilliant location, a beautiful country pub. Nicole was a superb host. Highly professional, organized and friendly. Amazing huge bed, enormous bath. Very comfortable room. Food available was delicious, hot, and served quickly. Thankyou.

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.

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 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.

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!

A group of 4 of us came in today at lunchtime, including a very disabled gentleman who is in a supportive wheelchair. Great choice of food and we all enjoyed it. Briony was serving behind the bar and bringing our food. She was so very helpful, friendly and attentive, we were really impressed. We'll come again!

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

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.

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

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

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.

We met friends here today for lunch, on their recommendation. Absolutely delicious food, beautifully cooked and served, excellent value for money and lovely, friendly staff. My new favourite place, especially as it's only 10 minutes away!

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

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! 👍👍👍

Very warm and welcoming dog friendly village pub. Spent a weekend here in November, pub has a good atmosphere with friendly staff. The room was clean, large, and really cosy. Dinner menu is varied and the food really good. Breakfast ... full English will keep you going all day. If you bring your dog then thereis good walking directly from the pub. This is a really nice place to stay and I look forward to the opportunity to visit again.

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.