The Best Restaurants in Dorset, United Kingdom (2025)

Good home cooked food, but on this occasion we visited for the real ale! Despite being only open 4 days a week, the beer quality is very good and it's one of the best places to drink in Dorchester.

This was a great experience of Sunday lunch at an old English pub (free house actually). My wife tried the lamb roast with vegetables, accompanied by a half pint of light ale. Absolutely loved it! I tried venison sausages and mash, accompanied by a locally made raspberry lemonade - the kind pubs served when I was a boy. Both great. We would have tried their deserts, but no room left after the big main course. Husband and wife hosts were lovely and the regulars also made us feel welcome. Small word of caution- they are only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

A friendly & welcoming pub- I've been here several times and the food and welcome has been top notch. Tonight I had the whitebait followed by the steak & kidney pie, while my companions had the pheasant & vernison burger, and the chicken & bacon pie. The dishes were geneous and fresh, and all plates went back to the kitchen spotlessly clean. Finished with a slice of their homemade cake now the day and all but rolled back to our hotel. *Highly* recommended 👌

This pub has been recommended to me many times but I had not been able to visit due to its limited opening days. I am pleased to report that it exceeded all expectations. Comfortable, clean, welcoming free house serving a good range of unpretentious ales at very reasonable prices. This pales alongside the food, which is hearty, wide-ranging, and offers several local game choices, incl. venison, pheasant and duck. I had a venison casserole, which was delicious and was accompanied by perfectly cooked vegetables. Again, excellent and unpretentious. Best pub in West Dorset, and that's going some!

What a little gem of a cafe/restaurant!!! We popped in for lunch today, Sunday, for 16.95 each had sirloin beef roast, generous portion, toasties, potato gratin, plenty of veg, Yorkshire pudding, just the right consistency of gravy. And a side of horseradish. Best roast we've had in a very long time.... I normally save room for a pudding... but no... I ate every mouthful...and at 6pm was still not hungry. Staff so pleasant . I almost didn't want to leave such a good review in case I can't get a table any time soon!!

Excellent service, food was incredible. I got the eggs Benedict with salmon and it was probably the best I’ve had. Yolk was perfectly runny n was well presented. Will be returning in future.

Just had our Christmas lunch a party of 13. Wonderful hot food ..great service lovely atmosphere would definitely recommend you won't be disappointed.

Cosy, licensed café restaurant offering everything from coffee and cake, a quick bite or fine lunch. Confit duck in Cointreau sauce was very good.

Our experience was dinner which we enjoyed the first time to warrant a return visit two days later. We were staying close by not in the hotel. Luckily I had pre-booked as gets very busy especially Mondays. The service was excellent and Matt made us feel very welcome on both occasions. Good food, good atmosphere and a great view from the conservatory.

Hiked a loop from abbotsbury and stopped here for lunch. As it was the off season, many places were closed. We were so glad to find that the manor was open. I had a local Dorset crab linguine and it was honestly one of the best meals I've ever had. The crab was flavorful and plentiful and the whole dish was cooked and seasoned perfectly. My husband enjoyed his aubergine platter as well. Beautiful spot, great service, highly recommend!

We recently had a delightful short break with our best friends. It was welcoming, and comfortable, with beautiful views, delicious food, friendly, helpful staff, and the whole atmosphere conducive to relaxation and allowing a recharging of the batteries. We arrived in thick fog and pouring rain which meant a quick change of our original plans. The management immediately arranged for us to take possession of our rooms four hours early, which to us was going the extra mile. Thank you so much to The Manor Hotel! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 The weather improved dramatically and the whole stay was a great success!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Amazing service, one of the best Sunday roasts I have ever had. Carvery is excellent for vegans and vegetarians too! Staff really friendly and helpful especially the two young lads who have helped us both times we were there.

I'm a tad bias to this establishment as I love the food and atmosphere here. Although it's a chain restaurant , i still feel like an individual as a customer. The staff treat you really well and give you a personal experience. The menu pricing is at the higher end of the market but as a treat, I think it's worth it. For those on a tighter budget, they offer a set meal menu before 7pm. The morning breakfast menu is also quite good. The reason I pay a little more to eat here is because I feel satisfied with my entire dining experience. I'm not a fan of the 10% gratuity that's automatically added to your bill. I feel the customer should decide what the service is worth, not the company.

A very lovely dinner, mussels were good & plenty of them. Had the cafe gourmand for dessert & that was nice. Service was good though a little slow on taking our order & when we wanted to settle up. They also gave us the wrong coffee & wrong dessert but quickly rectified the error. It’s not wow but lovely traditional French cuisine.

We were felt to be made very welcome and special by all the staff. The menu we chose was the set vegetarian which was explained to us in great detail. We were amazed at the choice and quality of the food.

Went for dinner and the food was fantastic! The staff were so lovely & attentive. They catered to my allergies (shellfish) really well, making notes for everything and making sure it was labelled with a little flag. It wasn't too busy when we went in, but as a very anxious person i quite liked that. Would recommend to anyone and looking to go back for my birthday next month!

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.

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!

Went here on Saturday with my family. Food was delicious and well priced. The service was above and beyond, with them trying to find us a table as it was busy. Menu is great dairy free and gluten free, it's all written on there and lots of choices. I would definitely go back here.

Beautiful food had 3 courses and all were beautiful, service was well paced and not fast so you get to enjoy the dishes . Steak was more than an 8oz fillet and my wife’s seafood linguine was in her words divine. Waiters were lovely and honoured to meet one of the chefs . Thank you

Have a lovely lunch here with my godmother. We had pork belly and it was very tender but abit too salty. It’s ok when eat with the mashed potato, it’s balanced out. Very friendly and attentive service 👍🏻

This place is remarkable. I honestly feel like I have to leave a review because I had a private room booking for party of 7 (engagement celebration). The team took care of us extremely well and I want to give special honour to our hostess Verity, so sweet, so patient, clear in her communication- 5 stars for her. The food was gorgeous and pretty affordable in my opinion . Some portions were small but I understand that it is more on fine dining side. The only critique I would give is about some cleaning aspects in which the rooms had like old cobwebs, spider webs on the windows, just could use a deep clean.

Incredible food. Went for my birthday and the food was absolutely amazing!! Best steak we’ve had and the portions were generous! Staff were extremely polite and friendly, we cant wait to go back !!

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.

Recently visited this tudor house and gardens. The weather had not been in our favour but had stopped raining for our visit so we walked the gardens first before entering the house. A little overcast but the gardens were still beautiful for our walk round. The house is very picturess and in very good order. You can wander around at your own leisure with loads of interesting things to read and see. It was quite nice as their wernt loads of visitors at one time so you didn't feel rushed. All staff were extremely friendly and polite. The lady on reception was very polite and also we were given a warm welcome in the restaurant where we had some delightful sandwiches and perfectly made lattes. A very intresting place to stop with the added great customer service. Thankyou all.

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

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.

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!

What a wonderful experience visiting the Seven Stars Inn Wool, Moreton, Dorchester restaurant. The food was first class cooked with love and care by a really good head chef and his brigade. Couldn't fault the food in any way what so ever good flavours, textures and presented very well. A really great dining experience which I will remember for a long time. The front of house staff very very friendly, professional providing a great service to compliment the kitchen Definitely worthy of a 5 star review and I would definitely recommend visiting this wonderful restaurant and I hope I will be back here myself.

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.

Very good food, value for money, traditional pub, log fire , a bit out of the way but worth the visit