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

This is a little gem of a restaurant! I'm a total novice when it comes to Korean and Japanese food so I went for the Siksa tasting menu which gave me the opportunity to try lots of new things. Honestly, everything was incredible and I look forward to going again and trying more things.

First visit since the new owners reopened earlier this month. The staff were welcoming and polite. Food was served promptly and it was delicious. Good selection of Korean and Japanese items on the menu. Will visit again.

No doubt about it: we will be back! The quiet atmosphere of the restaurant captures you at first, then the incredible and attentive service opens the door to the main thing: the delicious food! The presentation of the dishes is impeccable, the quality of the product is amazing and the combination of flavours is out of this world! You can see that there is a lot of work behind the scenes thinking about what should be on the menu and what quantity is perfect to eat! really amazed, taste, quality, good service and price more than appropriate. See you soon!

Wow! Wow!! Wow!!! I couldn’t name any of the courses, but every single one of them was absolutely delicious Fresh, tasty and unforgettable We could definitely come back and couldn’t recommend highly enough *****

Today my friend and I found this little gem of a Bistro by accident, and oh my the food was perfection! The food is all local produce and it was just beautiful tasting. We had come from Bournemouth and we will defo be coming back! Totally recommend this place!

We ate with friends and the food was exceptional. The service was “fine” but the inexperience of the young team came across as scripted and insincere. We’ve booked to go again at Christmas, it’s a great, intimate bistro with great food options.

This can be recommended for its food, service and ambience. We went with two friends and we all enjoyed our starters, main courses and dessert. The wine was reasonably priced and pleasant. The serving staff were helpful and pleasant. The decor was good and there was a relaxed atmosphere. This is a real Poundbury asset- I hope, for many years to come!

This is now my favourite restaurant and will be telling everyone I know to visit. Had a lovely Friday lunch here, the atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming. The staff are friendly and the food and drinks are wonderful. We had 3 courses and they were all well balanced and tasty with my favourite being the chocolate ale cake with caramel miso sauce and muscavodo ice cream. I would keep going back just for that dessert! My husband loved the cocktails including the Japanese sour cocktail which was just one example of the great and interesting selection of cocktails available. Definitely visit again as soon as we can.

Decided to give it a go on our holiday as we wanted to avoid the chain restaurants nearby. Very glad we did. Waiters fell over backwards trying to help and make sure everything was okay! Mussels weee delicious, the ravioli even better and the dessert was perfect too! Wonderful atmosphere and a great place to eat

Genuine Italian warmth and hospitality in Dorchester! I went with my Mum and boyfriend and we all had a fantastic meal and loved the atmosphere. The waitresses and chef were very welcoming and the chef even came out to offer my Mum some choices for the vegan option that evening. It's a small menu with everything cooked to perfection. We will definitely be back soon!

Outstanding food, exceptional service and a really welcoming atmosphere . The chef cooks exceptional food . We had a fabulous time and will definitely return.

Went to Il Nodo for our Christmas party. The food was fantastic, the Chef did an amazing job for all three courses. The staff were great, attentive but not overly so.

I had the fully vegan breakfast and was thoroughly impressed—it definitely didn’t disappoint! I followed it with the breakfast wrap, which was equally amazing. However, the lemon cake was the real highlight. Would have happily eaten more if we could. It was absolutely delicious!

Popped in here for breakfast while our car charge. Excellent breakfast menu with amazing vegan options, very tasty juices and great coffee. Left feeling full and well watered and bought some sweet treats for later. Very much worth checking out.

We don’t really know Dorchester but found ourselves at Brewery Square, just away from the town centre. It was a place full of unexciting corporate eateries with one exception - Vibes. We went in because it was dog friendly but stayed for the eye poppingly delicious vegan food. We ate a fantastic mushroom shawarma plate, a felafel wrap and some onion rings too. All were absolutely delicious. Really good. Add in some chilled music & calming decor & this was truly a place of positive, er, Vibes. Visit & be delighted.

Just dined at this very cute cafe with finger-licking good food!!! My family and I ordered Falafel Wrap, Mushroom Shawarma, Buddha Bowl, and Sourdough bread. In addition to this we also ordered their Sunshine Smoothy and Iced Latte. Everything we ordered here was flavourful and delicious. Their falafel was really good as well, which in my personal experience is a hard one to get right. It was crispy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. The owner and the server were really sweet and welcoming as well. In all my family and I had a very good experience with great food. :)

Amazing service, beautiful food and a really great selection of gluten free cakes and food options. We felt well looked after and well fed! Also, the coffee is on point!

Came bank holiday friday and was welcomed with open arms by the staff who interacted with us throughout. We havent been able to stop talking about how nice the food was and personally thought thw coffee was the nicest roast id ever had. Dog friendly as well. Although it feels pricey you have to take into account just how fresh everything is.

Incredible food, friendly staff and lovely atmosphere. Stopped for lunch with my sister when we were in the area. So glad we did! I had the chicken nourish bowl and it looked as good as it tasted. We look forward to returning to try the gorgeous desserts.

An absolutely brilliant cafe with delicious fresh food, friendly staff and very reasonable prices! The South African cuisine was one I had not tried before, but it was presented brilliantly to me with the wide array of inventive yet authentic dishes on offer. The coffee was also brilliant and the cakes were delicious.

Lovely lunch with friendly, efficient service. The food was very good. Nonalcoholic cocktails are great, and I appreciated the wine guidance on the menu to pair with my main course. We both had seafood main courses, which were nicely cooked and presented. Mini puddings with coffee were delicious, and very good value.

We were felt to be made very welcome and special by all the staff. The menu we chose was the set vegetarian which was explained to us in great detail. We were amazed at the choice and quality of the food.

I'm a tad bias to this establishment as I love the food and atmosphere here. Although it's a chain restaurant , i still feel like an individual as a customer. The staff treat you really well and give you a personal experience. The menu pricing is at the higher end of the market but as a treat, I think it's worth it. For those on a tighter budget, they offer a set meal menu before 7pm. The morning breakfast menu is also quite good. The reason I pay a little more to eat here is because I feel satisfied with my entire dining experience. I'm not a fan of the 10% gratuity that's automatically added to your bill. I feel the customer should decide what the service is worth, not the company.

A very lovely dinner, mussels were good & plenty of them. Had the cafe gourmand for dessert & that was nice. Service was good though a little slow on taking our order & when we wanted to settle up. They also gave us the wrong coffee & wrong dessert but quickly rectified the error. It’s not wow but lovely traditional French cuisine.

(We didn't stay - merely went for a celebration meal.) The food was really excellent, the service friendly and efficient, and the hotel's restoration after its long period of disuse could not be more sensitive. The bar and restaurant areas are simply beautiful!

We enjoyed our stay at the Kings Arms, we had an issue with a light fitting in our room which was dealt with very efficiently. Breakfast was delicious and there was lots of good quality food to choose from ! We also hired the Casterbridge room for a family wake, delicious food & a great space with history attached to the space. Would thoroughly recommend.

If you are looking for a change from the usual humdrum Prem Inn Travelodge that seem to be taking over most town centres then this exquisette steeped in history creaky floored no room the same Hotel is for you. Refurbished to an excellent standard whilst retaining the period features. Staff were very friendly and helpful from the 2 receptionists we met to the lady running the restaurant to the bar person to the excellent chef we really couldn't fault it. Our evening meal in the restaurant was delicious and breakfast the next morning cooked to order much nicer than buffet style hot foods from above mentioned hotels. Thank you to all the staff we met who couldn't do enough for us and really topped off an excellent stay.

Charming hotel at a great location, spotless, cosy rooms, excellent customer service and convenient free parking. We stayed 2 nights to celebrate my husband’s 40th and it was perfect. The restaurant staff catered to my dietary requirements with a smile. Good quality food, interesting vegetarian options although taste could’ve been better. But overall a wonderful experience.

Excellent service, food was incredible. I got the eggs Benedict with salmon and it was probably the best I’ve had. Yolk was perfectly runny n was well presented. Will be returning in future.

Just had our Christmas lunch a party of 13. Wonderful hot food ..great service lovely atmosphere would definitely recommend you won't be disappointed.

Cosy, licensed café restaurant offering everything from coffee and cake, a quick bite or fine lunch. Confit duck in Cointreau sauce was very good.

This place takes you by surprise as it looks small from the outside but there is a lot of seating inside, plus upstairs. The service was really welcoming and friendly. The scones were amazing! The menu had lots of choices including sandwiches and jacket potatoes.

Beautiful food had 3 courses and all were beautiful, service was well paced and not fast so you get to enjoy the dishes . Steak was more than an 8oz fillet and my wife’s seafood linguine was in her words divine. Waiters were lovely and honoured to meet one of the chefs . Thank you

Have a lovely lunch here with my godmother. We had pork belly and it was very tender but abit too salty. It’s ok when eat with the mashed potato, it’s balanced out. Very friendly and attentive service 👍🏻

Incredible food. Went for my birthday and the food was absolutely amazing!! Best steak we’ve had and the portions were generous! Staff were extremely polite and friendly, we cant wait to go back !!

Visited by chance on a wet Wednesday and so glad we chose Al Molo. Restaurant was busy but staff were excellent, very friendly and attentive and despite being rush off their feet always available when needed. Food was fabulous and when we visit Dorchester again will definitely be back.

Most amazing service by Amelia!!! We had just come from our first baby scan at the hospital and Amelia was so sweet, so attentive and the restaurant even gifted us a recipe book with the sweetest inscription 🥹 The food was delicious. We had juices, tea, an appetizer and mains. I especially loved the veggie corn dogs. We will definitely be back soon. xx

I popped in today for a menu from the Dorchester branch and was greeted by Adam the manager (what a lovely man) I decided to go back after work an order some food to go. Adam was there and may I say what exceptional service! I don't think I've ever experienced such great service before, he was so helpful and all his staff were amazing also. As always the food was fantastic and I can't compliment you all enough. We will be back very soon ☺️

You get what you pay for and here that means excellent service, lovely atmosphere and most importantly delicious food. High quality, fresh ingredients cooked to order with a huge range of dishes that are better than the run of the mill options.

Perfect in every way : seating, ambience, service, vibes, menu offerings, veg options, portions, presentation, taste, colour/ freshness of the salads and toppings. Very nice