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

I came across this restaurant by chance when in Sherborne. The food was absolutely delicious. I had a starter and main dish. The duck was superb - so tasty and delicious. The service was really good too. I will come back again with my husband next time. I haven't tasted such delicious food in a long time. 😊

What a lovely surprise 30th meal for my partners birthday. Gabriela is such an amazing host, couldn’t thank her enough for all her help with organising. The food was outstanding! I had the goats cheese mousse to start and it’s the best starter I’ve ever had! Have been before and will definitely return. Great value for money and lovely/friendly staff. 10/10

Decent lunch. I would have preferred a bit less of the “brulee” and a bit more crab meat, maybe with a bit of a citrus twist. We saved our bread and butter that came out at the start as it does need that. The meat (chicken and duck) were good quality but maybe lacked a bit of seasoning. Fries were tasty.

Fantastic meal - everything delicious but the highlights were a goats cheddar mousse, lamb with Jerusalem artichokes and a beetroot sticky toffee pudding. Lovely vibe - busy but you can hear each other speak, great art on the walls and friendly service. Wish I lived nearer for this to be my local!

Amazing atmosphere. Really friendly staff. Lovely area and great garden. Fireworks were amazing too.

Good old traditional English pub. Good hearty food. Cosy & welcoming. Just what I want when I visit the country side. One of those pubs you can just rock up to without having to be suited & booted. Wellies welcome. Glad the new owners didn't turn it into an expensive posh nosh Queens Arms.

Lovely pub. Comfortable room with nice bathroom and powerful shower. Wonderful breakfast, freshly cooked to order. We didn't eat other meals here but will if we stay again. Will definitely book again if we visit this area in the future

Proper pub in a beautiful village. Good choice of ales, excellent pub grub, and a really friendly welcome from staff and locals. The gardens are being substantially improved, as has been the parking. Watch out for the regular music nights. This lovely traditional pub has recently been taken over but retains its village charm.

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.

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.

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.

Overall is good, the quality it's top as the price and service. Lovely place with good atmosphere. If you're on rush, don't go, take your time and enjoy the food.

Amazing food, we went for the Sunday carvery and there was a good choice of meats , plenty of vegetables and condiments including crackling for the pork. The staff were very friendly and helpful . Parking was easy, very family friendly will definitely be visiting again!

Best pub food we have had for a long time...highly recommend

Great location, good beer, really nice coffee with excellent service and reasonable prices, didn't try the food. Camping space behind, ideal for events.

Lovely food and service. But if you eat in the big room it feels a bit like a canteen of refectory. There is a smaller room the other end which is nicer. Otherwise excellent.

Loved our burgers but not the overpriced coke zero instead of diet coke! I ordered. Great food. Be quick if you want a seat!! Will definitely be back to try some others!

Lovely place with amazing food options, especially for meat eaters, veggies and vegans! would recommend to all :)

Came here with local friends who recommended the food and hospital and wow they were right! Beautiful food bang bang cauliflower was amazing, halloumi fries were gorgeous, salads and burgers just wow! Thank you Hummingbird x ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Visited with friends today for a Sunday lunch. A very pleasant experience. Reception dealt efficiently with the booking and queries before the day. The room was comfortable, the decor was contemporary and the service good. There was a slight delay between bringing the main course and the vegetables arriving, but the food was excellent and the plates were hot. We will definitely return and wish we had found you earlier.

We had a lovely one night stay at this independent hotel. The hotel is very quirky and really well thought out with lovely touches all around. I took my 2 children and they loved playing in the big garden and our room was very spacious with a huge bed and double sofa bed. The bar is really cosy and the food at dinner and breakfast was really lovely. All the staff were very welcoming and the resident cat was a huge hit with my daughters. The location was perfect for us, just a 5 minute drive to Sherborne but in a quiet village location. Would definitely recommend this hotel and would love to stay again.

This hotel is absolutely stunning! The pictures do not do it justice. The hotel is charming, beautiful, unique, vintage and quirky. There is lots to see around the hotel and it was beautifully decorated for Christmas. We booked for the festive getaway deal which was an amazing price for all it included, we upgraded our room prior to arriving and on arrival got told we were upgraded again for free which was a wonderful surprise. Our room was absolutely beautiful! The hotel was very peaceful and the food and drinks were delicious. Our room and the hotel was very clean. We absolutely love the friendly, cute hotel cat Neptune!! Breakfast didn't come with all items included on the menu (we didn't get any potatoes, mushrooms or tomatoes like stated) they also hadn't had their delivery of bacon so breakfast seemed a little chaotic, but other than that everything was perfect, staff were friendly and attentive and we absolutely cannot wait to come back and stay here again! I highly recommend this hotel, really beautiful and peaceful and great value for money.

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!

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.

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.

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.

I often stop off here on a Friday after work, The staff are lovely, the beer is fab. I've yet to try the food but plan on coming back with family. Well worth giving it a go. Just a few mins off the A 37.

Fantastic staff, food and atmosphere. My father is an elderly man who came to eat here on his own one evening. The staff looked after him wonderfully well. Big thank you to you all.

Excellent evening at the cross keys whilst staying in Sherbourne for the weekend visiting the castle for the classic car show. Friendly welcome upon arrival, very nice decor & a lovely dining area. Service was efficient & friendly, nice range of drinks including a good wine list. Food was very good, squid starter was very well cooked, burger was excellent & the panacotta dessert was a delight. Would certainly recommend & will visit again if in the area.

Had a Christmas meal here this afternoon. The best Christmas meal I've had. Turkey was super tasty. The vegetables were beautifully cooked. Tasty gravy. Super service , all the meals were piping hot. Thank you very much , will be recommending to all my friends.

The Cross Keys ALWAYS delivers the best service, best quality food and superb live music. We had a fabulous stay (as always). Thanks to Mo and his team for such a wonderful experience.

We popped in for a pint and some lunch, but the kitchen had closed. However, they kindly made us sandwiches to go with the delicious ale and stout. A friendly, proper, old-fashioned pub.

Visited today. As someone who prefers an unpretentious "Traditional Ale House" with excellent real ales and good straightforward food, on the basis of today's lunch this is the best pub I've ever been in. Our pints were spot on, and our meals were outstanding. A real gem of a discovery, only shortcoming is it's a tad over 200 miles from home!

The best pub in Sherborne and beyond! Excellent food, real ale and great value for money. Friendly staff and always a great atmosphere. One of the few 'proper pubs' left.

Visited this pub for a pint and some food for lunch. Chosen because of good reviews and reasonable prices for a snack. Yes that is true. Good selection of beers and well priced options for lunch, far better than the high street where a sandwich would set you back £10. Nothing grand, but all good value.