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

Yalbury Cottage is a place where excellence, friendliness, and quality come together seamlessly. As someone who loves travelling and exploring new cities and places, I have stayed in numerous accommodations, but none compare to Yalbury Cottage. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and look forward to returning to the area. The staff at Yalbury Cottage consistently went out of their way to be friendly and did everything possible to ensure our stay was exceptional. The room exceeded my expectations significantly, with its stunning and unique view. We truly felt as if we were at home, but in a setting with beautiful new scenery. Situated in Dorchester, Yalbury Cottage offers a perfect base to explore the area and nearby cities such as Weymouth. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay, have recommended this place to others, and will continue to do so. The bed was incredibly comfortable, and everything was spotlessly and well-organised. Additionally, the thoughtful touch of leaving brownies in our room upon arrival exemplifies their dedication to Yalbury Cottage and their commitment to providing each guest with an exceptional experience. I personally can't wait to return to this charming cottage for another uniquely wonderful stay.

Absolutely wonderful overnight stay, with excellent breakfast and dinner, extremely comfortable accommodation, highly professional and friendly staff... need I go on? I would unhesitatingly recommend this charming hotel.

This is an absolutely amazing place. The staff were extremely attentive, the food was phenominal and definitely worthy of a Michelin star and excellent value too. They really care about service and quality here . The best food that I have eaten in a long time. Thank you so much.

Amazing dining experience and the staffs was very friendly and knowledgeable about each course. The food taste as good as they look. Would highly recommend.

Outstanding 8 course taster menu. Beautifully cooked meal, so much fresh fish and seafood. Carefully adapted the menu to food allergies too. Can't wait to come back again!

Outstanding!!!! From arrival to departure we were looked after. All the staff are exceptionally friendly and knowledgeable about each course and the wine. We will be returning! My only feedback was that I felt the restaurant was cold. However, it has high ceilings and is open plan! I imagine heating isn't easy and expensive! So I'll take a shawl next time it's not a problem.

Catch Weymouth WOW! WOW! WOW! What an experience!! We were very lucky to get a table at CATCH Weymouth  on september 11th and I completely messed up the times. We were meant to dine at 6pm and have the 4 course tasting menu and turned up at 6.45 by mistake. The host was so understanding and got us a table for 7pm with the 6 course evening tasting menu and we were so very grateful. This was one of those once in a lifetime opportunities where you experience a true culinary experience at a level unsurpassed.  Chef Mike Naidoo and his BOH team created a tasting menu beyond belief. Each course was delivered by the FOH team and then Mike would attend the table and give a full description how the dish was created and all the elements of cooking and ingredients. This for us, along with having our taste buds taken to on a journey of discovery and delight, to have chef at our table was the most amazing part of the evening,  to have such a highly esteemed and much respected chef spend time with us. Thank you chef for the most amazing and educational evening and for introducing us to the highest levels of culinary excellence Huge thank you hugs Andy and Miles

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.

Went for dinner and the food was fantastic! The staff were so lovely & attentive. They catered to my allergies (shellfish) really well, making notes for everything and making sure it was labelled with a little flag. It wasn't too busy when we went in, but as a very anxious person i quite liked that. Would recommend to anyone and looking to go back for my birthday next month!

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.

Staying at a local holiday park and after a quick google search for dinner recommendations, we decided to book a table at the black dog! Food was lovely, I had the green curry which was delicious and my husband had the gammon which he also enjoyed. Kids loved their dishes and after coming from Surrey the prices were very reasonable. Would definitely return.

Such friendly staff. Found us a table for 4 adults a baby and 2 dogs at very short notice. The food was amazing and great value for money. Would definitely recommend booking as it was very busy, but the service was spot on.

Dropped into the Black Dog for dinner for the first time in nearly 20 years. A fondly remembered pub delivered to the moment, well kept and served beers, but it was the food that blew me away. Went for the venison, black pudding and melted stilton burger off the specials board, wow! Seasonal menu and table decorations, nice touches all around, highly recomended. Whilst the venison burger becomes a must for me, great food selection, right across the board.

This was our first experience of Sambo. It was like no other dining experience that we have had before. The service was fantastic throughout. The way you dine is completely different to usual restaurants. You start by going up to the buffet station and loading your plate with suitable accompaniments for your meat. At that point you have a double sided card which you place green side up on the table. This signifies that you are ready to accept some meat. This is brought around by the waitresses on hanging skewers, and carved off as you grab it with mini tongs. Several different meats are brought around all of the tables and you can turn your card to the red side to take a pause, at any time returning to green to continue. It is a great way to dine and leaves time to enjoy your food without rushing. Mila and our other waitress, whose name I didn't get, was attentive and friendly without being intrusive. Would highly recommend and will definitely return.

Absolutely stunning , the meat was cooked perfectly, med rare . The staff are lovely and friendly, such good value for money. We came out stuffed , the salad bar had good choice too.

Incredible! Visited for my partners birthday today, and so glad we came! We'd visited the Sambo in Poole 2 years ago, and it was our first time visiting the weymouth one, definitely one we'd return to in a heartbeat! Service was incredible, the staff were amazing and so friendly, drinks and food both came super quickly and recommendations for drinks were on point too. Restaurant itself was spotless, kept brilliantly clean immediately after tables had ended, nice layout too and great atmosphere. Food speaks for itself here, it's unbeatable for a Brazilian rodizio chain and somewhere that sits comfortably at top of my restaurant recommendations! Would love for there to be more across the country but makes it worth it to come down south to eat here. Thanks for a brilliant night and to the staff working too for a great evening 💫

Fabulous gastro pub. We enjoyed the food so much we went there for a second evening whilst staying overnight locally. Really good value for money with generous portion sizes 😁 If you have the fish Friday, which includes a drink, you need to ask, which ones are included before ordering. We didn't realize that at the time and ordered drinks that weren't included.

Very cozy place! Had a table booked for 12:15 but showed up an hour early, we still were friendly welcomed and enjoyed a coffee and a pot of tea in the cozy sunny spot inside before we could order our lunch. Great selection and daily specials. We had a Camembert with sourdough to share and two starters as small Mains, salmon fish pie with cream cheese and watercress, breadcrumb battered feta with caramellised figs and honey glaze and two portions of chips. We even got the aioli requested from another main to dip the chips in! As dessert we shared grilled plums.. all very lovely presented. We were absolutely stuffed, even we had no breakfast and no mains! Two drinks. Card payment didn't work for ages and stuff was very helpful and patient!! We spent 3 lovely hours in here with delicious food for a very reasonable price!! Recommended!!

Lovely couldn't fault anything the food was delicious as were the desserts..Staff very friendly and welcoming..Definitely will be visiting again soon

Selfishly I would like to keep this little gem to myself so that I can always go when I want but in the spirit of generosity (and because these guys are so brilliant) I felt I needed to leave a review. All of it is outstanding - the food, the service, the ambience, the wine - and I’m a hard person to please! I have been for a quick soup and a sandwich, full-blown Sunday roast and a mid-week supper. All superb, freshly prepared food. Yes, maybe slightly pricier than other pubs, but if top quality food and a genuinely friendly service is your priority this is the place to come!

A really lovely pub in a beautiful village. Friendly, helpful staff, a sweet courtyard garden, plenty of seats inside and out, clean toilets. The food was good (especially the chips) but the best thing was the Chocolate Frozen Dream dessert. Definitely a pub we'll return to.

This was a very good place for a family celebration lunch for 12, including 3 children. My parsnip was inedible, but the roast beef was delicious. Our 3 vegetarians said their squash wellington was delicious. Leanne and Ben were very helpful in accommodating us. It is the fourth time I have had lunch at the pub and it has always been good.

Just had lunch at the Brewers Arms , fantastic food, brilliant Landlord and friendly staff , the best pub I’ve been in for years. I’ll definitely visit again when next in the area .

Had a nice experience.. The food was lovely and well-priced, great value for money. The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive, which made the visit even more enjoyable. Highly recommend!

We went on 23.11.24 to celebrate my brother-in-laws birthday. The staff are super friendly and very helpful. Great choice’s on the fixed menu and the food was superb, we couldn’t manage the dessert but we made our selection and it was boxed for us to take out. The drinks options were fantastic, including Estrella on draught, and a great selection of wines. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend Sea Beats.

Our second visit in as many summers. The scallops were divine, the sea bass superb and the cod outstanding. The chowder soup was good too with the accompanying bread pieces. No wonder they were the Best Seafood Establishment of the year for South in 2019 and 2022! We are looking at a third visit when we are in the Dorset area in the future.

Have had two visits over the Christmas holidays and both times and found the food, service and atmosphere really good. Have not had the carvery yet but the beef burger, chicken burger, pie of the day and cold cuts have been good value and filling. Many thanks to all at the Sun Inn

We found The Sun Inn on google maps last minute, are plans had changed. What a find, lovely welcome and a very nice carvery , roast beef or turkey loads of veg all hot and fresh. I recommend booking in advance as it was very busy, they squeezed us in on a barrel table, not suitable for everyone, we didn’t mind they asked us first.

Thank you for accommodating us as walk-ins for the Sunday Roast. The food was delicious, the staff were welcoming, the atmosphere was warm, relaxed and peaceful (some places can be very noisy during afternoon roast dinners). We have also tried the outdoor seating previously for some nibbles and the review remains exactly the same. We really enjoyed on both occasions and we will definitely return.

Amazing service, one of the best Sunday roasts I have ever had. Carvery is excellent for vegans and vegetarians too! Staff really friendly and helpful especially the two young lads who have helped us both times we were there.

Very fresh selection of seafood. Generous portions too. Had the white bait, the cod fish and chips as well as the mussels. Very impressed by the freshness and quality. Batter for the cod is very light and crisp. The cod was delicious and had the right texture, and ratio of cod:batter. The black mussels were very sweet and I enjoyed it very much when paired with fresh bread. Service was very organised. All in all a great experience and I’d definitely bring my friends here when we drive down to the south coast again.

What a wonderful experience visiting the Seven Stars Inn Wool, Moreton, Dorchester restaurant. The food was first class cooked with love and care by a really good head chef and his brigade. Couldn't fault the food in any way what so ever good flavours, textures and presented very well. A really great dining experience which I will remember for a long time. The front of house staff very very friendly, professional providing a great service to compliment the kitchen Definitely worthy of a 5 star review and I would definitely recommend visiting this wonderful restaurant and I hope I will be back here myself.

It was amazing. The dinner was really yummy. Huge portion, we had the steal & ale pie with chips and veggies. The meat was sooo tender, juicy and full of flavour. We stayed for one night in the little rooms they have in their fields. Very cozy and cute. Clean toilets and the shower was working really well. A nice warm bath after a hike to the beach. Breakfast was included, a nice english breakfast. I loved the sausages, very flavourfull. We had some tea or a coffee plus the Orange juice. I asked the staff if we could feed the pigs some apples that were in the floor and she said yes, very cute piggies! The staff is very kind and helpfull.

Very good food, value for money, traditional pub, log fire , a bit out of the way but worth the visit