The Best Restaurants in Mappowder, 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.

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.

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.

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.

The food was amazing here with a good choice of tapas. There were a good variety of gluten free options on the menu. The service was a little slow, but they had a huge party of people to deal with and kept us informed. Lovely choice of cocktails and mocktails, too.

This was our third time eating here and once again it didn't disappoint. There were 4 of us and we shared a number of dishes, all of which were delicious. The restaurant was busy with a great atmosphere and the staff were so helpful and friendly. Our waitress was brilliant and very patient with us as we tried to decide what to order. The manager was also very friendly, chatting to everyone and making sure we were all enjoying our meal. We will definitely be back.

Such a beautiful cafe, full of character and charm. Have visited a few times, with friends and with family. Each time I have visited, the service has been so welcoming, warm and friendly. The cakes are exceptional, the brownies in particular are a must try! The food is great value for money, so tasty and freshly cooked. We are so lucky to have this cafe in our town! (Also dog friendly with a little jar of biscuits on the side which I feel is a lovely extra bonus!)

On the main road which goes through stur. Ideal for a light lunch or snack. Did have a specials board which we sampled two dishes from. Staff friendly and overall it's very good value for money.

Made so welcome with our puppy on a really wet, windy Sunday. We were wet, the puppy was trying hard to be good. The Big Stur breakfast was epic. Filling and great ingredients. The plate was swept clean. Generous portions for the hungry traveller. Pleasant surroundings and friendly staff. They cared for us. We will be back.

This is a beautiful little place we found whilst on holiday. We was looking for somewhere to have a full English breakfast and this place delivered. The staff are so friendly and welcoming and the food was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. Prices are fair for what you get will 100% return when we next are in the area. Keep doing what your doing it's amazing.

We have stayed here three times since 1980. Still in the same expert ownership. Beautiful country manor house. Well maintained in a discreet style. Fabulous food, interesting wine list with a range of half bottles too. Good value for Londoners!!! Friendly relaxed service. Welcoming sitting room with open fire. Make a special journey to visit if you can.

We thoroughly enjoyed our one night at Plumber Manor. The staff were without exception helpful, friendly and efficient. We had a beautifully cooked dinner and the breakfast was first-rate. The hotel is in a quiet location and the grounds are kept very well with attractive topiary and well-planted borders. We would definitely return another time.

I have been all over the world and have stayed and dined at numerous hotels. Since 1991 I have stayed several times, every year, at Plumber Manor and I can in all honesty say that I have nowhere felt as comfortable and at home as in that wonderful little Country Hotel tucked away in lovely Dorset. Also the food and wine list are superb and the fact that Plumber Manor was elected best Hotel in Southern England in 2024 is totally justifiable.

The welcome, service, food and presentation were all of the very best. We had dinner here last time and this was a lunch visit. Our friends were obliged to bring their very difficult and antisocial dog. Nothing was too much trouble with the staff. . Everything was very good indeed

My husband and I ate at the Golden Fox after reading great reviews on the food, the staff and the facilities. We were not disappointed. Absolutely fantastic food. Wonderful staff and spotlessly clean facilities. The whole place had a wonderful ambiance which only enhanced the whole experience. They were also very welcoming of our dog Max.

Excellent friendly service. Nothing too much trouble. Delicious food sensibly priced. We had Pork schnitzel with a creamy freshly made mushroom sauce. Lovely. Our friends had sea bass and grilled salmon nicoise and very much enjoyed it. Highly recommended.

We picked the Golden Fox after reading reviews and we were not disappointed. I felt the bar area was a little dark, but we were soon accommodated in the restaurant. Really good to see that the restaurant is a no dog zone. The menu is not extensive but with the daily specials there should be something for everyone. It's worth noting they do not have a children's menu but modify some of the menu items to make a child's portion. Our 11 year old Granddaughter made short work of the adult 8 oz steak! The food was very well cooked and presented and portions were generous. Staff were welcoming, friendly and attentive. For the quality and portion sizes, the prices were good A great new find to add to our list of "must returns"

Great place and wonderful service. Nice and cosy.

A superb Cafe adjacent to the Green Man Pub serving great coffee,cakes and light bites. This is a regular stop for many, myself included. I can thoroughly recommend it to one and all.

Great little coffee shop in the heart of the village. Tasty treats and sandwiches. Coffee with a bang and lots of different milks available. Good Wi-Fi as well as I often come to work here for a couple of hours. ☕️👍🏻

Stumbled upon this gem by accident - a new, beautifully designed coffee shop added to the local pub. Perfect coffee and cakes and lots of outdoor tables so dog friendly, and super friendly service. Recommended!

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

Lovely, homely, welcoming feel. Food and service was fantastic, everyone went out of their way to make it a pleasant stay. Area is wonderfully rural, but close to all the attractions. Very friendly for dogs.

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.

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.

Visited again recently. A popular fave for us! I had a lovely Venison dish which is quite rare to find and hubby had a very nice Chunky Venison Chilli and one of our group had Steak which he said was cooked perfectly. The Dates in Mustard Sauce (starter) were very nice and lovely desserts. Staff always super welcoming and attentive.

Lovely welcome, good service and great food. I had mushroom, spinach and butternut squash risotto, which was superb. My partner had cod and chips which he said was very nice. Would definitely eat here again if in the area.

Holiday stop & family rendezvous for lunch. We arrived right on 2pm to be told food service was closing. Bar staff were superb and sorted out with kitchen staff to continue service for us. Food was superb (kids pizza and fish & chips for adults). Pub atmosphere inside and outside was great. Staff and service was great.

Down near this area for a week so thought to try the green man, the food was really nice and tasted fresh, good waiting times as well. The desserts were lovely get a decent portion as well so leaving the place with a full stomach.

Cosy and intimate, this family run cafe is an oasis of calm and an excellent place to recharge between the myriad gifting opportunities of Sturminster Newton’s high street. We came for the car show, headed in for a quick coffee, and felt such a warm welcome, we stayed for scones. Thank you for making us feel so at home.

We use this cafe regularly over the year, never disappointed.. Hadn't managed to visit for a few months due to life taking over but returned this weekend as usual and everyone remembers you, such friendly staff and me and my daughter always feel welcomed. Food always lovely and well cooked too. I would find it hard to imagine anyone wouldn't enjoy the experience Well done and keep it up team. 🥰

Nice little place, good English breakfast with proper bacon and sausages. Huge hot chocolates. Will be back for more!

Wonderful service and amazing atmosphere. Such a beautiful cafe with a gorgeous menu and selection of cakes! I couldn't recommend more!

We had drinks, dinner and then stayed over in our motorhome and it was absolutely wonderful! The food was exceptional, the service was excellent and the pub and beer garden are great. We were made to feel very welcome and would definitely recommend!

I have driven past this pub on more occasions than I could probably mention and always said must try that one. Well today was the day and so pleased that I did! I can honestly say this was one of the best (if not the best) pub food I have ever had. Our table of four all had different dishes and every single one was outstanding quality with a generous portion. Personally I opted for the ploughman's asking for it without the meat element which wasn't a problem at all. An excellent selection, fresh and tasty. I would highly recommend booking, even for lunch, as it was busy, and it's really not surprising why. The service was friendly and a good pub atmosphere made it a great experience and all at a fair price too. This will most definitely not be the last visit to this highly recommended Dorset pub. If you haven't been then add it to your 'must visit' list, but don't leave it as long as I did.

The pubs staff were friendly and funny, not just robots and also not too cheeky it becomes weird. The portions were the size youd give yourself at a buffet. The price was fine. And the menu had a decent selection. I had the pie and it almost had more stake than my girlfriends ribeye. Highly recommend.

We went there yesterday as a group of 15 and they were absolutely brilliant. We had the skittle alley to ourselves so the kids could play with the selection of toys in there which worked perfectly. We had a variety of meals across the table and everyone said how delicious it was. The pork belly bites as a starter were a definite stand out. Thank you to all the lovely team who served us.