The Best Restaurants in Sturminster Newton, Dorset, United Kingdom (2025)

5 stars across the board! Just had yet another pizza - these are literally like heaven on earth. I have never tasted pizza so good- the absolute best! 😍

Best authentic and delicious Italian pizzas made by Gia. And great value

We stopped in while visiting from America. I would consider the White House to be an upscale pub. The ambience is great! Lots of stone and heavy wooden beams. There were lots of locals there when we were there which is always a good sign. The staff was wonderful! The food was truly excellent! Every starter and entree was done to perfection! If we lived in the area we would be here often!

Wonderful birthday dinner. Lamb Scrumpit, Tuna Carpaccio, Pork Belly, Dorset Crab Linguine, Tiramisu (a little heavy for my preference, but still delicious) and Cheese and crackers. We’ll be back!

A group of us are lunch at the white horse yesterday, the food is exquisite, there were 7 of us and every plate we were served was exceptionally presented and tasted amazing!!!! We will be back, what a memorable time. Thankyou so much. The village this pub is situated in is idyllic, like a fairy tale.

What a lovely evening me and my family had last night at this lovely little pub. Thank you so much. The food was fabulous and your wine pickings for us were perfect. See you again soon.

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 went to Plumber Manor for a birthday meal whilst visiting Dorset. The service, comfort, ambience and food were all exceptional. This is a fabulous hotel and restaurant with a relaxed and efficient style set in beautiful gardens. The menu offers something for every taste and palette, the waiting staff are efficient, unobtrusive and professional. We would definitely visit again and we thank you for an enjoyable and memorable evening. Lin and family.

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.

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.

Been going there for years like gap when they all had a heart attack but he's back now and on the good days you can get the baklava with an Espresso and things are good friendly atmosphere and lots of Regular customers

Our office buys bacon sandwiches from here every Friday and they're always sensational! Highly recommend. We initially tried all the local cafes in the area and decided Poets Corner was the best.

Loved the food and the service the vegetarian breakfast is awesome and my friends enjoyed the quiche!

Whether your starting or completing a local walk or Cycle or Just visiting the town I can recommend The Poets cafe as a great cafe for Tea, Coffee or good english Breakfast. The cafe is named for its proximity to the former homes of Thomas Hardy and William Barnes among others and its current poet in Residence David Caddy. You will be hosted by Yasser who has owned the cafe for many years and is happy to answer any questions about touring or visiting the area. Ask him about the local wines... Well worth a visit,

Barrie & Ilze were wonderful! They made our stay perfect and nothing was too much trouble. Breakfast was delicious! Highly recommend this very friendly pub.

A great find today in the middle of a long car journey with the dog. We ordered the chicken supreme off the specials board and it was hands down the best meal we’ve had in a restaurant in a long while. Succulent chicken, delicious creamy sauce, crisp broccoli, and perfectly sautéed cherry tomatoes on (cooked twice?) roasted new potatoes ( I think 🤔) 😋 Worth every penny ✌🏼😎 Thanks

Went here for Sunday lunch as a group of 10 and the food was exceptional. Everyone was very happy with their food, we had a mixture of pork, lamb and beef orders. Desserts of crumble, Sundaes and waffles were also of a high standard. Staff were lovely and chatty and had a very welcoming and friendly atmosphere. Would recommend a visit and hope to be back in the area soon to visit again!

During these Covid times, this has been very worrying for a shielder, but this pub has done everything great, we were sat outside under a marquee and I thought I’d be cold, but a gas heater was out by us, which was very warm and lovely, we had a drink and food, which all was delicious, it was so nice and warm, I was able to take my chunky cardigan off, due to being nice and toastie. The service was great, very polite and friendly, there is an outside bar and the beers were on tap, they do Earl Grey Tea, which I don’t like, so I had water, the good was presented well and was really nice, the atmosphere was great to, not many people and we all had our own table, I was able to be calm and not worry at all. It’s definitely a nice pub and the dogs made it for me, being a dog lover, very friendly and enjoyed a good cuddle.

Brilliant pub with a great range of drinks, unfortunately on our last visit there was not enough staff behind the bar and possibly due to this they could not switch lighting on outside. As a group of 6 there was nowhere to sit inside which meant we didn't stay as long as we had planned. We look forward to visiting again in the future as the atmosphere is the best in town.

I have just had a farewell get together with colleagues from my work. Both managers and a member of staff went out of their way to make the gathering go with out a hitch. Thank you so much. See you soon. NC

We stopped in to while visiting from out of town. We spent a pleasant evening in the outdoor space in the back. We were there on Tuesday so no food was available. The bartender was very friendly. I had a beer and a gin and tonic. The gin and tonic was very nicely made. We enjoyed our time here.

Went here for dinner on a weekend away with friends. Arrived about 4pm and had a wait until 5:30 for food so had some drinks and played some card games in the bar, we were then moved through to the restaurant where we had three absolutely delicious courses; the portions were huge and everything was very well seasoned and cooked. The bar staff were amazing and kind throughout, and to top it off when we were looking to leave we asked if there was a local taxi number and were told unfortunately not, but that one of the bar staff would take us home instead. Needless to say that is massively above and beyond anything we expected and we are so incredibly grateful to both Shannon and the lovely lady who drove us home (whose name we didn't get - sorry!!) For looking after us tonight. Can't recommend Green Man enough :)

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.

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.

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.

Great atmosphere, would have preferred more choice of beer. Good place, dog friendly.

We had a really nice meal here recently. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. The food was incredible. It was all home made and absolutely delicious. This pub is a little gem!

Excellent location for this quaint historical pub nestled in the Blackmore Vale. Inviting interior with multiple fireplaces and cozy snug. Chess nights, darts, billiards and skittle alley all offered for those looking to game. Excellent rotation of quality beers on tap, plus bottles beer also. Generous selection of all other alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. What makes this place is there beautiful beer garden with wooden furniture and unbelievable sunsets. A great place for all ages, families and friends.

A great village pub with very friendly helpful staff, will be even better when food is served again

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.

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!

Lovely little tea room in the Heart of the town, amazing afternoon tea, a varied choice of delicious sandwiches mini pies & quiche, followed by light plain or fruit scones jam & clotted cream and a delicious selection of home baked cakes, a pot of tea or coffee to wash it all down! Amazing value, very friendly & obliging staff, I thoroughly recommend a try if looking for afternoon tea.