The Best Restaurants in Puddletown, 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.

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.

Lovely place to stay. Food was beautifully presented and cooked to perfection. The one thing that I would of appreciated (as an older lady) would of been a bath mat in a very slippy bath. Fabulous, would certainly visit again.

A wonderful country pub! The breakfasts are excellent, the locally sourced bacon and eggs are delicious . The bedrooms are quiet and the bed was extremely comfortable. We also had a very good evening meal which was very well priced.

Lovely cute rural village pub. Good was superb. The rooms are small but perfectly adequate. I would highly recommend they replace the horrific mattress. Overall an okay stay.

Mid week, mid day, lovely atmosphere and by 13.00 at least 16 people all in having a spot of lunch and a drink. No idea about the rooms as i was only there to kill a couple of hours while a friend went to an appointment. Service prompt, food very nice and good quality, chiabatta came with salad and fries on a fairly large plate.

We had a really good meal at The Oak, one of the best steaks I've had when eating out in a very long time. The ambience is very relaxing and the staff were very friendly. Will definitely be visiting again!

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!

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

Really enjoyed our meal, great atmosphere and lovely food, not just the usual stuff either, some really interesting dishes. Staff were friendly and helpful.

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!!

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 .

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.

Really friendly welcome from all the staff. We didn't stay here, just a quick visit as we were in a shepherds hut down the road. Nice village pub with a lovely friendly feeling. The beer garden was good and the feedback from lunchtime was positive from all the customers. Definitely worth a visit.

Pub dinner- Just returned from the new inn pub. First visit, but not our last for sure. 3 x diners all left very pleased with the venue, great staff, and excellent menu. We had Angus burger and lamb burger, and we all enjoyed them. Very tasty and filling. Thank you.

We went for lunch as a party of 6. We had pre booked because it was the Christmas season. We were greeted by a very friendly member of the team. Shown to our table,allowed to settle, then had our drinks order taken and then shortly after that we had our meal order's taken by another charming team member. We didn't have to wait very long until all of our food was brought to the table. We had a gluten free option, a vegetarian option and 4 meals and starters off the Special menu. Every meal was beautifully cooked and presented. We had a really lovely time and will definitely be returning in the near future.

Came here for a lunch meal as a surprise birthday party, and can't praise the restaurant enough. The food was lovely, and they managed a large group very well. I've been to other places before as a large group and it has been a disaster, so it was really nice to see how well this place handled the 23 of us. If I lived closer, I'd definitely be back more often!

We didn't stay at the New Inn, but we did have a large family Christmas lunch. The food was delicious; the service was fun, attentive, and professional. The atmosphere was lovely. Everyone has commented on how special the afternoon was and will return. I've already recommended The New Inn to folks and will continue to do so. If you get the chance to visit, GO!

We met friends here today for lunch, on their recommendation. Absolutely delicious food, beautifully cooked and served, excellent value for money and lovely, friendly staff. My new favourite place, especially as it's only 10 minutes away!

Lovely local pub in the heart of the Dorset Countryside. Lots of nice walks around and rural spots to explore!

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

I recently visited the Seven Stars Inn, and it was an absolutely delightful experience! The staff and their service were outstanding, making me feel truly welcomed with their warmth and attentiveness. I ordered a chicken curry meal, chips, and wings as a takeaway, and as an Indian, I was amazed by the flavors—it was so delicious that I almost fell in love with the food. I highly recommend this place for anyone looking for amazing hospitality paired with excellent cuisine!

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.

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.

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.

We had a fabulous one night stay here, what a beautiful part of the world. The room was excellent, rainforest shower and huge bathtub, comfy beds, spotlessly clean. We had dinner in the evening and food was just perfect, every dish was mouth-wateringly tasty. The breakfast was very very good, fresh sourdough, good coffee and a non greasy fry up! Highly recommend.

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

It Was a very good carvery and reasonably priced. The staff were friendly and the locals were kind. Good selection of real ales... partner had a gin and she said that was good. They Squeezed us in on a Remembrance Sunday afternoon. Loads of space. Thank you all for the food and drinks.

Wanted to meet a friend and halfway was the Martyrs Inn. So pleased we chose there. The food was lush, I had the bacon, brie sandwich and oh my goodness! You don't only get a sandwich, but a garnish, chips and potato salad. Stuffed!!!! Very reasonably priced. Staff were lovely and friendly, on the ball and very welcoming. Highly recommend and with out a doubt will be back.

Great lunchtime pub with very generous portions. I chose the ploughman's lunch and could barely finish it! The waitress was new in the job and very friendly and efficient. The Martyrs Tree is just down the road.

The history of this village is fascinating. In 1833, a group of six farm workers from the Dorset village of Tolpuddle were concerned that their wages had been cut, so they formed a trade union to ask for guarantees that their wages wouldn’t be cut any further. Other farm workers wanted to join their trade union, and potential members were asked to swear an oath and pay a fee to join and do the trade union was born although not without controversy. Inside the pub an information board pays homage to the six workers and the endeavours. I visited with my son and I had a ‘light bite’ fish and chips and he had a burger with all the trimmings. The location, food and service were all fabulous and well worth a visit either on your way or returning from nearby Athelhampton House. Highly recommended!

A Dorset gem. I've only ever had the Sunday Carvery here because it's fantastic value (£14.50) and absolutely delicious. I always end up asking for a box so there is bubble and squeak to go home with! The staff are great and friendly. I'd say this is a proper pub and Sunday lunch experience! Booking very much recommended they are popular.

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.

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!

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.