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

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.

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.

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

What a charming pub! I was there last night with a group of friends for our regular get together. Crop Circle beer delicious, food superb and the staff were absolutely lovely. What a tremendous bunch and all in an idyllic spot/village. Highly recommend to one and all!

We had a pleasant meal here, on a lovely day outside. The soufflé was delicious, although we would've preferred homemade chips. Minor thing really. Would recommend stopping.

Fantastic Saturday lunch in Dorset. Excellent food ( Goats cheese soufflé and beef with horseradish mash ) good red wine and a divine panacotta with hand made turkish delight... bookings a must, very recommended.

This is the place to go for something different. The place is light and airy with plenty of space between the tables. The service is excellent. The menu gives you the opportunity to try something different. I really recommend this as a place to go and try.

Our party of 9 thoroughly enjoyed our lunch at the Elms. Atmosphere was good, food was excellent and the waitress service was excellent too. A very nice restaurant to wine and dine your party in.

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

Amazing little restaurant with great atmosphere and the most amazing food!

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. 😊

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.

Delightful cafe with a good range of options on the menu and lovely choice of cakes. The quiches we had were delicious and I loved my mocha. Service is prompt and friendly.

Only had drinks here this visit. They were really good and we enjoyed our visit. Drinks were really worth the money

Had a delicious lunch sitting outside with friends... super attentive and charming team, good choice, easy going atmosphere and good coffee (smooth not citrus). Checked out the others nearby, except the usual high street brands and this is a great spot, location and so chose it. Recommended.

Nice little cafe serving excellent food and very friendly staff. The tables are very close to each other, so be mindful of that. Food was served quickly, and it appears to be a local favourite.

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.

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.

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 rang up after we had been recommend and we were so pleased! Sunday lunch was delicious, beef perfectly done and my veggie nut roast was perfect. Lovely seasonal veg, will be returning soon! Thanks so much

Visited the pub as a group of 8 friends, the staff were friendly, helpful and worked together well as a team. The pub is beautifully rustic, a nice old country pub with a lounge bar, bar area and restaurant. Nicely decorated with lovely flagstone floors and a raging fire in the lounge. They have a good selection of drinks and varied menu. For pub grub the food was next level, personally I had the beef shin ragu which was absolutely delicious. Overall, loved it, I just wish it was my local instead of being 3 hours away! Well done guys.

A great find - had a fab lunch there yesterday. Really good quality food cooked well, and a very welcoming front of house (dog-friendly, too). Busy for Saturday lunch, and rightly so. Recommended!

Best Sunday lunch ever. Friendly staff and our waitress Jess in particular was lovely and very accommodating. Have told all our friends and family about the amazing roast dinners. Perfect for children and four legged friends. Thank you for a helping us spend our Sunday in the best way ♥️

Lovely late lunch. Quality food and friendly, accommodating staff. The outside looks fairly drab and some of the Italian signage is slightly incongruous (are Wadsworths synonymous with Italian dining? No), but don't be put off, the inside is far, far better with modern styling in a traditional setting. Not cheap but where is these days.

Absolutely gorgeous pub situated centrally in the lovely historic town of Sherborne in Dorset. The staff were so friendly and helpful. We stayed in The Hayloft for one night, like a lovely mini apartment overlooking the courtyard of the pub. Super comfy bed, great little bathroom and really lovely breakfast in the morning.

An incredible meal at the plume! We were turned away from another restaurant despite having a reservation, but when we came to the Plume they were happy to help and sat us promptly. The meal was absolutely delicious and filled us up nicely. We had 6 dishes between 4 adults and were stuffed! The service was great and the atmosphere was so lovely.

What a surprise treat! I visited this restaurant with family when staying in the area for a weekend away, and what a gorgeous find this was! Situated right in the heart of Sherborne (which is a charming town to visit regardless) this restaurant was just fabulous. The menu was fab, tapas dishes inspired by Italy but using West Country produce - what's not to love! Staff were friendly and accommodating, the drinks selection was vast and impressive and the food quality was truly 10/10. Would definitely be back if I lived closer! This place gets very busy over weekend so definitely book in advance, and also would recommend arriving for an earlier sitting rather than later before it gets too busy.

The best Italian food I’ve had in the UK - it’s tasty and authentic. So many options to choose from on the menu. Most of the staff are nice and happy to share their knowledge about the food. The kitchen closes at 9pm, not 11pm.

I took a party of 26 to the Sherborne restaurant and was throughly pleased with the evening. Staff made us very welcome and were attentive during service. The food was great and the feedback from my party was positive. I'd recommend Tamburino Sherborne for a good night out.

Amazing food and great service. Was truly a flavoursome experience. Went with some close friends and we all were blown away by the cuisine that was offered here.

Dined here solo on a weekday evening. Atmosphere was lovely with the restaurant feeling very open to take advantage of the lovely weather. It took a little longer than expected to take my order, but once this was done, food came out promptly and tasted delicious. I return to the area multiple times a year for work and will definitely visit this restaurant again.

We had an incredible experience at the Cross Keys. Mo and his team hosted my Father's funeral wake yesterday. The whole experience was incredible - made so special by Mo, Lucy, David and the girls. Nothing was too much trouble, and we felt completely wrapped up in their arms from the moment we walked through the door to make the arrangements, right through to the day itself. I cannot thank the team enough for creating such a special celebration, which you planned so incredibly well. The delicious food platters were superb, and all the guests said what a beautiful venue it was. I was personally nurtured throughout the whole day, with Mo and Lucy checking in with me to make sure everything was perfect - and even David coming in on his day off to make sure my Dad's favourite music was being played. I can't thank them all enough from the bottom of my heart for all their kindness. We stayed in their family suite for the night. Our room was superb, with the biggest bed I've ever slept in, and beautiful views out onto the market square and the Conduit. I can thoroughly recommend a stay at the Cross Keys - the service is exceptional, the rooms amazing, and the breakfast was superb. We also had our evening meal in the restaurant, and it was exceptional. THANK YOU TO THE WHOLE TEAM AT THE CROSS KEYS - YOU ARE ALL AMAZING.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Love this pub. An authentic, old-style pub with a lot of charm and a great local vibe. Good selection of beers and ales.

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.