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

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.

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.

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.

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!!

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!

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.

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

We popped in for Guinness at lunchtime and really enjoyed our visit primarily because of the very friendly locals. It was my birthday and we decided to come back in the evening for dinner. Unfortunately our second visit was completely different from our first. My partner had anchovies for a starter which were lovely and beef scrumpet for his main, I had rump steak with chips. We had never heard of scrumpet, it was a thick square of brisket that had been coated in breadcrumbs and fried. I asked for my steak medium rare, but it was dry and over cooked. I had mine returned to the kitchen so another could be prepared. This meant my partner ate his dinner on his own. My dinner returned and it was perfect, but I ate mine on my own. It wasn’t the birthday dinner I had hoped for. No discount was offered, or complimentary dessert. Very disappointing!

After an emotional day, my partner and I decided we would stay over and booked our room on line. On arriving quite late, we received a very warm welcome and despite the kitchen having already closed, were offered fish and chips without hesitation. Our host did check with the kitchen first but it seemed absolutely no trouble. The rooms were worthy of the most historic public house but still provided all the home comforts one could wish for. After a comfortable nights sleep, interrupted only by the effects of alcohol consumes throughout our day, we descended the stairs to have breakfast. Eggs Benedict and cooked to perfection. The spread was fantastic and would satisfy the biggest of eaters and overall, the standard of what was offered was far in excess of expectations. Would recommend without hesitation and when we return to this quaint little place, we will definitely be booking our room here!

I visited this pub on Sunday on a staycation in Dorset, we just popped in, and were very pleasantly surprised. A girl named Ruby served us & recommended some cider for us (as we’re not from the area) which was great. She was so personable and helpful and made our experience great. Amazing service, thank you for your hospitality.

We popped in for a spot of lunch while visiting sights around Dorchester. The landlady of the cottages we rented highly recommended the pub and even contacted them about allergens in their foods to help support one of our party who is suffering some medically induced food issues at the moment. The staff were absolutely superb and did everything they could to ensure we had an excellent experience there. The food was typical pub grub, but at its finest and the prices were absolutely spot on. We will be visiting again.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Visited The Sun Inn whilst staying in a holiday cottage 5 mins walk away. We booked in for a second time that week because we enjoyed it so much! Highly recommend the carvery, it was delicious. Can’t fault the staff, they were all lovely and so attentive. Great atmosphere, and great pub in general. Would suggest booking in advance because it’s very popular.

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!

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.

Lovely little cafe, we drove past it multiple times whilst on holiday and kept saying we need to pop in. Finally did it before heading home and it was a really friendly place at good prices. Would happily pop there more often if we were local 😅

This lovely little road side cafe cooks the most wonderful tasty burgers locally sourced ingredients and lovely buns. My 1/4lb cheese burger was £4.9 my husband's sausage bap was £4.4 flat white coffee is £3 which was very good. We ate in our car as it was raining and the tables were outside. Worth the extra 3 miles down the road from the local McDonalds. There is a block of toilets next door but they are very basic. They also sell locally produced eggs jams etc

Fantastic breakfast butty! Well cooked, tasty & very good value. A lovely spot to stop off at, plenty of parking, picnic tables & very friendly people. Homemade cake, and local jams & chutneys too. Definitely the best road side cafe!

Just been and had food on way home. Really lovely sausage and eggs nice and fresh. Bun lovely and soft. Toilets could be a bit better but they are nothing to do with the guy who does the food but to be honest on a road trip as long as I can pee I am happy 😂 Definitely will be back!

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.

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.

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.

Had two superb lunches at the Oak with my family. Friendly service, lovely home-cooked food, and a stunning location. Loved the playlist and the old historical photos on the walls, too. Highly recommend - a proper family-run village pub.

Full of history, an interesting place to visit. Worth a stop between London and Devon. Great facilities and cafe and bar. The house and garden are well setup and maintained with enough to see for several hours. Will be returning.

A delightful and well presented house and gardens. The visual and audio displays make the visit entertaining and interesting and you get drawn into the history of the house without realising. The tea room was great with good food and fast friendly service. The team throughout were professional friendly and very helpful. A great day out

Such a beautiful property and the gardens were stunning, even in October. Highly recommend a visit here. There are lots of rooms to explore in the house and make sure you watch the videos to learn about the restoration too. I didn't visit the cafe but I did buy some local foods from the shop; there's a nice little selection.

Beautiful house and gardens and can't wait to come back in the spring/summer to see all the flowers! Staff are very friendly and knowledgeable.