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

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.

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.

Really nice experience. The decor inside was very appealing and comfortable. Went for the 3 course set menu and the food was very well presented and had a lot of flavour. Waiters/waitresses polite and attentive. Will recommend to friends/family.

Oh my! ♥ What a magical experience visiting The Clockspire was. Where do I begin to describe the care and detail oozing from both the staff and the food, it truly is clear to see, even the toilet hand towels were folded beautifully! We decided to opt for an expensive treat due to a special birthday, but the restaurant also offers a very affordable day menu, so I would recommend for both a stunning meal out and for celebrating occasions.

We had a thoroughly enjoyable and delicious dining experience at the Clockspire Restaurant this evening. Food was excellent along with the service. The old school building has been beautifully restored and creates a delightful surrounding and atmosphere, complimenting the whole experience. This has just become my favorite restaurant. We shall return.

Fantastic food! Really delicious. We will definitely return on our next trip to the area. The staff are lovely and welcoming, and we felt at ease for the whole visit.

Amazing shop! Stopped here midway through a walk and enjoyed two glorious flat whites and a lovely chat with Phil and Lynn. Really made our day to meet such welcoming people on our short stay in the area - thank you for the beer and vodka hot chocolate too! ;)

Great friendly atmosphere, situated at the heart of this lovely, friendly Dorset village. Benefits from a new, state of the art coffee machine. Regular, well-priced culinary events include three course Tuesday lunch. Always on offer a selection of cakes, cream teas etc.

Brilliant little shop. All the basics and lots of interesting extras, including local brands. Excellent wine selection, super-fresh fruit & veg, and handy home-made frozen curries etc. Good cakes and a warm welcome!

Classic village store, well stocked with an incredible range of product. Staff are all volunteers and keen to give good service. Not quite Champs Elysees but better, nice coffee served indoors or on the charming veranda-on-the-street watching typical country village life happening. Fantastic cream teas or full cooked breakfast!! Oh yes and food for the guinea pig ☺️. Lovely, why not try it.

My wife and i just enjoyed the new taster menu here tonight, and honestly it was sublime, we wouldn't have changed a single thing. The staff and owner are welcoming, friendly, and attentive. The service is perfectly balanced. The food is exquisite and without fault, in my 44 years I have never left a restaurant feeling so thoroughly pleased as I have here. This was our second time eating here after celebrating our daughters A-Level results the first time, and we booked a table again on the way out for our third visit in a few weeks for my wife's birthday. Just astounding.

We visited for a roast dinner whilst on holiday and have to say it was very good and plenty of it, we also had the ginger pudding with whiskey caramel sauce and malt ice cream which was amazing. The staff were very attentive and friendly, and they are dog friendly, we would definitely come back when we next visit devon

Had a fabulous Sunday Roast here today. We were recommended by a local. The food was exceptional. Everything was cooked to perfection, generous portion sizes, good service. Expensive for a Sunday roast but worth every penny. You will not be disappointed

First time at the Tytherleigh Arms, but we'll be definitely coming back. My wife and I went for Sunday lunch (top tip - book for 2pm and after as it's less busy) and were treated with a great set of dishes. She had the beef roast and I had the chicken with peas and buttermilk. The beef roast came with a beautiful selection of vegetables; carrot and swede mash, beetroot and turnip and a perfect cauliflower and broccoli cheese. The dessert did not disappoint either - a chocolate mousse with hazelnut ice cream and smashed up soil. All beautifully cooked and carefully presented - whoever is doing the cooking here knows what they're doing! As Londoners, we eat out a lot and have high expectations - this place really is very good at what it does.

Had a fab overnight stay here this weekend. Everything was absolutely on point. Customer service was super friendly and intuitive, food was fantastic and there was a good drinks list. The room we stayed in was gorgeous and very well done and there were lots of nice little touches such as the guest’s pantry. Will definitely be going back

We had another fabulous meal at the Cotley last night (28 Dec) As soon as you walk in someone says hi! Be with you in a second. Truly a great team here. Professional yet still retaining a common touch. That’s a good thing by the way! Table was waiting and menus were given and drinks were ordered. Smart service. But not rushed. The table is ours till we’ve eaten our fill. That doesn’t take long either. Portions are generous and delicious! We had everything from trout (my starter and so delicious) could go on. Duck. Venison. Burger. All absolutely delicious. Thank you for a wonderful meal.

We enjoyed another fabulous dinner at the Cotley this evening. Packed with diners, and people at the bar yet it wasn’t noisy, the service was impeccable, and it was warm and cosy on a chilly evening. As for the food, sensational for a country pub that’s a cut above, without being pretentious. Thank you for squeezing us in at no notice. We’ll be back.

My husband booked us a room at the inn for the night for my birthday (and our first night away since becoming parents!) and our stay was just the best treat! Our room was absolutely charming - gorgeous outdoor area and we loved the suite set up - having the beautiful lounge area and then separate mezzanine sleeping area. Everything from how the room was styled with gorgeous coffee table books to the luxurious bed etc was on point. The staff were warm and super helpful, our evening meal was excellent and the breakfast in the morning was amazing - high quality and gorgeous setting. We honestly can’t wait to stay again!

The staff were very attentive , accommodating ( we have 2 toddlers) , and friendly we could not fault it . Im glad we booked as they called back to say we left a changing bag , where would we be without that!! We shared the platter for 2 and the food was insane! i could have had a whole bowl of the pork with that dirty mash it was sooo good. If youre staying anywhere within 15 miles of this place its def worth the trip if youre a foodie.

We had an absolutely lovely Sunday lunch platter here

We were staying in down for my birthday. I looked on Google for somewhere for a Sunday roast. Reviews looked good. Have yo say best roast I have had out. Well done to all the team who were working extremely hard to give good service and good food. Lady taking our payment said they do similar midweek. Give it a try.

We have just returned from a 2 night, last minute break away. We booked 2 Glamping tents and were absolutely delighted with them. All slept very well on the comfortable beds. The extras, like plates, bowls and cutlery were an added bonus. It is a lovely working farm and the children loved the animals and enjoyed feeding them grass. The views from the bell tents are beautiful and you feel at one with nature. This site has shower blocks and toilets, which were clean and well maintained. The owner, Ness, was very welcoming and helpful when we needed assistance. We will most definitely be returning.

Great campsite, very friendly helpful staff. Great price. Would highly recommend

A campsite, so no room's available more like glamping. Toilets and showers are very good and clean.

We had a fantastic holiday here. Its in a great location only 17mins from beach and various other locations. This is a working farm not a campsite so just have to be mindful they will be tractors buzzing around if you have children but in all honesty we never saw them much. You can buy Really top quality meat and eggs from the farm too which are really delicious and very reasonably priced for the quality you receive. The family are really friendly and we are very grateful they allowed us to share this beautiful space with them. Our little girl loved it there especially with the goats and sheep. Look forward to seeing you next time 😃

We recently had an amazing meal out here. The cosy pub setting was relaxing and pleasant to sit in. A great selection of drinks on tap and bottled as well. The service was very good indeed, polite and friendly, our food was served very (but not too) quickly! Three of the six of us had fish and chips, it was the best I have had for a very long time, with lovely light batter and delicate fish. The chips and onion rings are also proper pub standard, we enjoyed this very much! Our grandparents very much enjoyed the senior citizens options - these were a selection of slightly smaller and cheaper meals, but were still a generous amount of food and great value for money. We highly recommend and would return - an amazing choice of mains, specials, sides, desserts and 'small plates' for any occasion!

we stopped in for lunch and found the pub to be a very comfortable location to visit; eat and drink . We only had a sandwich and chips with drinks, but the meals other guests had looked very nice with good portions The staff were very helpful and this is a dog friendly location

The best lunch experience in the area! Lovely food at a very reasonable price! The Admiral Hood is often very busy (unsurprisingly!!), so make sure you book in advance! Staff are always kind and happy to accommodate any requests. Pleased to be a regular customer!

Absolutely amazing roast and I’ve eaten a lot of roasts!! Huge portions and the meal included cauliflower cheese at no extra cost. Lovely pub garden in a beautiful little village. Golden Cap on a nearby so I’d recommend a long walk along the gorgeous Jurassic coast followed by a roast at this gem of a pub

Great food, fantastic service and really well priced. A kids meal for £8 with dessert and a drink is great value.

A fantastic pub, clean, friendly, lovely atmosphere. The garden is sheltered with plenty of seating. Dog friendly. Booking is reccomendationed. The menu is varied with plenty of choice for all dietary requirements. Along with sharing platters. The staff are attentive and friendly. The pub is historical. The old post office has been integrated into the front lounge area. If you love your Sunday lunch, book early as you won't get a seat.

I can firmly recommend this restaurant. We came here for a dinner and were very surprised. Everything was exceptionally tasty and very well decorated. Service was fast, the waitresses were all friendly. The food took a while but the place was full. We sat in the dog friendly garden. We had three starters to share, prawns, the cauliflower and BBQ pulled pork. Especially the cauliflower was awesome. To the point. Lots of spices, great sauce, spicy. The fries were crisp even covered with sauce. We then shared the fish curry. Another surprise. Also spicy, the rice was perfect, crisp vegetables and a delightful sauce over the shrimps, the fish and the mussels which were outstanding huge. The prices for such high quality are very OK. The negative reviews could be explained by the season. We were told that during summer vacation the near campground is flooded with people who then also flood this place.

we went for an pre Xmas dinner x 8 of us and we all left stuffed. Pate in little pots served with salad and toast so you had to pile it on..turkey with all the trimmings and afters..I couldn't fault any of it really really good..perhaps more Brussels lol..drinks cheap as well too boot and a wide selection

Lovely quiet location. Food cooked fresh so don't expect a McDonalds service! Good selection of food incl vegan options. Food great and good price. Parking available Dog friendly too. Large beer garden.

Spent the evening here, at a friend's 80th Birthday Party. Great spot, friendly & helpful staff, excellent hot & cold buffet. My friend thoroughly enjoyed her celebrating.

Six of us ate here on a Friday night. The food was excellent and very reasonably priced. The staff were super friendly. I particularly liked the homemade cherry cheesecake that was packed with big, delicious cherries.