Fox and Hounds in East Dorset

What a fantastic experience, all four of us were raving about it! Such friendly staff and amazing food, the pudding was incredible! It was so Christmassy and so I've already booked in again! I can definitely see us making this our regular. Thanks so much!

Absolutely amazing food, I brought my parents when they visited from Ireland. From the moment we came in we were warmly greeted, and brought to our seats, we were served by the amazing Tony who made the experience even more special. We had the festive menu and the food was 10/10, plenty to eat and the taste was out of this world. A very relaxing day to end a trip and would 100% advice anyone to come in for a meal.

Just had the best roast in ages here! The week before Christmas - so was really busy. Despite this, food amazing and service polite, friendly, informative and helpful. Will certainly be back again soon. Merry Christmas to all who work there.

Incredible food, best Sunday roast we’ve had in ages. Tony was so lovely and helpful with my gluten allergy. Would highly recommend.

Booked for breakfast as we were meeting our daughter who lives nearby. Never been before but ended up with the best cooked breakfast I've had in ages. Fresh, good quality food. Pub nicely decorated for Christmas and with an added bonus - we had it served by Santa himself !

Excellent food. Excellent atmosphere. Child friendly and not too spenny on the wallet. Tony & Steve were very welcoming and could not do more to make our visit better. I certainly recommend for somewhere to take the whole family - a true country pub.

Not the best, time these chain restaurants employed proper chefs not reheaters

Great pub, great food and atmosphere

Had a drink here nice staff cosy pub

the beef ribs melt in your mouth, the best in dorset

Lovely Sunday lunch in a nice cosy setting. Good service too thank you, we'll be back soon.

Had a lovely lunch today. Cheese toastie was the best I've had for a long time, good value as served with chips and salad. Smothered chicken was also delicious. Only thing that I think could be improved is the eating area where dogs are allowed. Think it needs a bit of tlc and sprucing up.

The Fox and Hounds has been transformed under the new ownership. The quality of the food is great, the welcome from the staff (particularly the landlord) is fantastic and they have several dog friendly features (beds, water and treats). The whole place is wonderful all year round. Highly recommended.

We stopped at this delightful pub on our way to watch a football match. What a lovely pub…. Lovely bar staff very attentive and wonderful food. Highly recommended if your in the area.

Highly recommend the pork belly with marmalade glaze. Delicious, as are the vegetables. My only slight criticism is the hispi cabbage. It needs either slicing in 2 for cooking or you need sharper knives!😄 It's difficult to eat it all as it's hard to cut. I hate wasting tasty, quality food. 😊

We do enjoy a Chef & Brewer pub. This one had a good atmosphere and the staff were very friendly and helpful. Would recommend a visit; we will definitely be returning.

New managers (tookover 5 months ago), food was amazing and service was spectacular

Food and staff were amazing, can't wait to return, would absolutely recommend

Met with family for breakfast, great service and good breakfast menu choice in a relaxed atmosphere, definitely be back

Enjoyed a great meal, plenty of vegetarian and vegan dishes to choose from and at a good price. Well done, we'll see you again soon.

A fantastic, family-friendly, dog-friendly pub. The food was amazing, the service was brilliant, and the dog-friendly enclosure was the perfect finishing touch. We'll definitely be back! Thank you!

Again another lovely meal on Wednesday 16th Oct. Food as always was great and the staff very pleasant . If you have not been since Steve took over then give them another try. Will be back next month .

We had a very warm welcome and we were shown to our table. There was a wide choice of food both meat and vegetarian/vegan. The food and drink arrived quickly and the waitress was very helpful and cheerful. Great evening with good food and drink arrived quickly

Every time the food is great. Staff are lovely and help out in whatever you need. All round great place for dinner and drinks.

Very friendly staff. Lovely food. The cheesy garlic bread was the best I had eaten. Great atmosphere. Will definitely be returning.

I booked 6th October for 11 of us to celebrate my 80th birthday. I could not have wished for a better welcome. All 11 of us were seated at a long table which was great. The choice of food suitaed everyone. Service was very quick considering th4e high number.. Everyone declarede their choice of meal to be first class. A member of staf even took a photo of us all so that we were all in it and not the camera person missing as often happens. I would certainly recommend this venue for its friendly welcome and great food. Thank you Fox and Hounds for making my 80th so good and memorable.

Great food and amazing atmosphere. Definitely coming back!

What an amazing pub... friendly and really lovely.... Will definitely be back ! X

Amazing food 😋 and Holly was really lovely with Amazing service. Will be back for my mother in laws 90th birthday

I have had several meals at this pub, all have been excellent, especially the Sunday roast. Price is good and the service great.

Wonderful dog friendly pub, fantastic food with a warm welcome, from the new owners A choice of 2 bar areas to eat as we had dogs with us (and they're not allowed in restuarant, understandably), with comfy chairs and proper tables to eat from. Varied menu, our food was delicious. Dog mats, water bowls plus gravy bones free to help yourself. Garden is amazing, completely enclosed so totally dog friendly, with lots of seating areas. In addition there is a separate enclosed area with tables and chairs, so you can let your dogs off for a run. Fantastic, if youve had a a bit of a long travel like we had. A really welcoming dog friendly pub, give it a try - you won't be disappointed.

Busy, delayed service, average food. Staff trying very hard, just not enough of them. Disappointed.

A lovely friendly atmosphere, cheerful staff and delicious food. Thank you.

Food good. Service very poor! Need mire staff as very busy... Staff laying tables instead of serving.

Better food this time, no complaints.. new ownership..fantastic service had beef rib Sunday roast..served up quick..the Landlord and his staff were excellent 👌 great value for money.. beat the toby carvery anyday.. take Tesco reward vouchers..table in the bar great atmosphere..landlord and staff very attentive..definitely will go back

There was a problem with the booking system and although we had booked it didn't show but one of the staff found us a table el pronto. The food was delicious. My wife and grandson had the roasts and wow what a plateful. They were so impressed. We had the dessert and so refreshing to find a sundae with real cream not the canned variety.

A fabulous pub. Not the most extensive range of beers but met our needs. Food was fabulous, staff very helpful and the service was prompt. Nice atmosphere and we had a lovely time.

Went for Sunday lunch a couple of weeks ago ( apologies for late review) Well what can I say but completely fantastic staff food service atmosphere everything is 5* And so very very dog friendly I must try you will definitely be glad you did Thanks to all of you for making Sunday lunch one to remember

7 years since we were last here. Seems to have improved beyond all recognition since then! Food & service was superb. Thank You for a lovely visit.

We decided to have the steak pie and was very disappointed it was all gravy and no meat inside

Dog friendly with a large enclosure for your dog to run around in, there is water and toys for them to enjoy. The food is lovely and well presented we had a family birthday party there with two pets and was given an area at the Saied because of the dogs or we can go outside.. I felt it may have been slightly understaffed as it took awhile to clear our plates apart from that we enjoyed our visit and loved the dog enclosure (even the dog treats they gave us)

We had a wonderful Sunday roast here today, plenty of choice, lots of food and the staff were all polite, cheerful, kind and professional.

Stopped off for lunch, nice atmosphere and nice food, will be going again.

Staff were really nice, the, service was perfect, friendly and funny. The food was shocking. Dry chicken under bbq sauce for 2 people and a burger that was swimming in grease, pouring out. The fruit salad was the low quality tinned stuff. Nothing negative about the staff, they were busy and friendly. The car park top end was deep gravel thst will beach cars too. Been before and it wasn't like this,, shame really.

This was by far the best Sunday lunch I’ve had in years!! The food was insanely delicious and a great service too. You have to try it!!

We really liked the dog area, it was nice that our Vizlsa could wander around in it while we ate.

First time visiting for over 20 years. We had a full English breakfast which was lovely and we will definitely be going back! Well recommended

Had a reasonable meal here early evening shared fried squid to start which was very tasty & hot for main I had sea bass & my wife had the pork special both were good without being outstanding, we’ll definitely be back

Had a delicious lunch here yesterday. We were told there would be a 45 minute wait when we arrived, but it wasn't anything like that long. We got a warm welcome from the staff, the dog in particular was made to feel very welcome, & we had a really lovely meal from a varied & inclusive menu.

Easily the most dog friendly pub I've been to. There is an enclosed dog area in the garden with tables where you can let them off the lead, my dog was wiped after playing with other dogs whilst I enjoyed a pint. Food was great too and friendly service, will definitely be coming back again!

It was a great place for a spot of lunch, a nice country pub feel and wonderful service

Nice pub for food or a drink. We went on a hot day. There were lots of tables, but most were lacking shade, unfortunately.

Lovely food. Lovely place. The people welcoming and friendly

Really good choice of lunch stop. Lovely old pub. Friendly service. Good menu with lot of choices and most important, small appetite offers. Dog friendly with biscuits and water to help yourself to. Would return should we pass this way!

We had a full cooked breakfast on a Friday morning outside with the sun shining recently and could not fault the food or the service. The breakfast items were cooked superbly and tasted fantastic and we definitely had service with smile. We couldn't speak highly enough of our experience that morning. We will be back again very soon. New management took over a few months ago with new menus too.

Incredible Sunday breakfast in the most dog friendly pub I've come across. We even had our own dog friendly garden!

Lovely dog friendly pub with welcoming staff where dogs can eat in or out. Had a lovely meal with my husband. Free dog biscuits for the girls and plenty of water bowls about. Recommended if you're in the area, maybe visiting Kingston Lacy as we were.

The food is really outstanding! Every meal we had was full of flavor and cooked to perfection! 😁🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Perfect for a delicious, reasonably priced breakfast or lunch and very dog friendly. Separate, fenced-off, outside seated area where dogs are allowed off-lead without disturbing dog-free families. On edge of the Castleman Trailway so miles of beautiful walks. New management earlier this year which has improved the service, reliability, food and overall quality of the place.

Amazing and tasty food ,so far as to say exceptional ,desserts were incredibly delightful,definitely would recommend to family and friends and will most certainly be back, thank you to lucie and Steve our servers today lovely chilled atmosphere ,once again great pub to have visited this afternoon with my family just lovely

Good food, good atmosphere and a lovely setting. Recommendation of starter platter in particular. Cottage pie croquettes were a novel and enjoyable discovery

What a great pub to spend a lovely hot summers day sitting out in the sunshine in the garden. Don't order the Aspalls cider, it goes down too quickly haha. So had to order another just to make sure! The ploughman's was okay. It's certainly our new favourite pub, we'll be back.

We were camping in the area and popped in for lunch with the kids on a wet day. The staff were very welcoming, and the food was great. I’d definitely return if we are in the area again.

Me and my partner had a roast each which was ok but only ok, roast potatoes were not crispy and there was hardly any gravy, the problem was with dessert, i ordered the apple tart which i had to send back as it was cold and the tart case was not cooked, very soggy, the waiter apologised and got me another one, but it was exactly the same but probably put in the microwave to heat it up, so that got sent back too, another apology but no replacement this time so paid bill and left. Maybe a bad day on desserts. Don't think we will return. Tell your chef to cook a tart case first before putting the filling in. And it's known not none. How rude.

Wanted to write a review after lunch yesterday. Service from the lovely lady behind the bar was professional, friendly and she made us laugh. Food was brilliant. The cheesy mushrooms and the steak were absolutely delicious. Lovely gardens to sit out in the sun. We had a fab afternoon and will definitely be back. Thank you 5🌟

Had a lovely lunch after a nice holiday. Harvey are waiter was friendly and helpful. Also I believe Gareth was incharge. He was polite, friendly and made sure everything was OK.

Went there tonight for my husbands birthday meal, just the two of us.we got there at quarter to six was not busy, waited to be seated at our table. Sat for about 5 mins waitress came and took our drinks order, meanwhile a table of 3 was seated, then a table of 4 followed by a table of 3. The waitress went to the table of 4 asked if they wanted to order drinks but they went to the bar themselves. We still not had our drinks. The waitress then went to the first table after us and took there food order, then to the table of 4 then to the table of 3. She still had not taken our food order and we were seated first and we still not had our drinks. So we left. Very disappointed as the menu looked lovely and we were looking forward to having our meal there. I don't blame the waitress as she was on her own but should of took our order first. So need more staff. We will not returning. Never got our drinks left there about 6.40 went to the hourns at parley lovely meal.

Booked for 7pm , ordered drinks at 7 , after 30 mins no drinks no water no food order taken. After 35 mins spoke to a server who told us meals were taking 45 mins to arrive. We left. Spoke to someone on the way out, no apology and quite frankly was rude. Don’t bother there’s plenty of better places around.

Very nice venue, good food. Great service

Lunch here yesterday. New management has made a big difference. Staff very nice and good choice on the menu. Very nice food so would recommend. A play area would be great for kids

Excellent food & service Highly recommend the Steak & Ale Pie

Wonderful food and service, Pricing extremely fair. Will be back as this is the best pub we have found for months

Popped in for lunch ... lovely food and a wonderful atmosphere.will deffo be back

Went in for lunch last Friday with Mum and Sister. Got served by Russell and Maddie who provided friendly and professional service. The food (steak sandwich and the chicken and bacon sandwiches) were delicious, the beef dripping was amazing! Food was served in about 10 minutes once we had chosen from the varied menu, which was a lot quicker than a couple of years ago when I last visited as now under new management. Will definitely return and would recommend.

Very friendly. Lovely atmosphere. Dog friendly with fenced off Area, food arrived hot and plentiful. Staff were friendly and attentive.

Went for lunch today after hearing it had new owners. It was fantastic. A very warm welcome the moment we walked through the door. Our food was fantastic, the service was fantastic, I can not complain about anything. Also a huge bonus for us is that our dogs were very welcome too!

Great food and really friendly workers. Reasonable prices too- thank you!

Great food, service and excellent atmosphere. Great location and varid menue. Excellent overall experience.

We had a lovely meal for my son’s birthday and even more special that the dogs could join in, they got their very own meaty plate. A win win for all 🐶🐶😁

My new favourite pub! Tony and Steve are amazing, such friendly welcoming hosts. Absolutely love the food, always super tasty. Went for dinner this evening and impressed as always. So much so I'd half munched my starter before realising I wanted a photo for a review. Best mixed grill I have had in years, the steak melted in my mouth. I was in heaven. I cannot wait to see what else these amazing new managers have in store. Already waiting for Christmas bookings to be released as 100% sure that they will make the season AMAZING. I cannot wait to make more memories in such a lovely pub. See you soon!

Food was ok but welcome was awful, we came with my 89 year old parents but had not booked and we were made to feel like we were a being difficult because my mother is in a wheelchair . We would not have stayed but we were hungry but will not come again

Nice place. Cosy, out of the way. Nice food.

Lovely place. Great food. Fabulous staff. I definitely can recommend the Fox and Hounds for having a great time.

The Fox has been my local for over twenty years, in recent times it had been going down hill due to disinterested management. Since Steve took over recently he has shown a real interest in returning it to a fun and welcoming pub once again. Best of luck and welcome to the countryside :)

Found this by chance and really glad we did. A lovely local pub with fantastic food, friendly staff and owners and a dog friendly enclosure so we could relax and enjoy a chat and the dog was running around the enclosure with the toys. Lots of shaded spaces for the dog and plenty of water bowls so ideal for a sunny afternoon Would highly recommend. Food was hot and delicious.

I had written a great review after visiting and finding the designated dog area. Then I went back with my whole family and our dog for a special lunch as our dog was being put to sleep the next day. We had planned a really special day for her, with lunch at the Fox & Hound being a part of that. We had planned on all having lunch, desserts, drinks and of course grilled chicken for our pooch as a last special treat. Went in to order, was told due to staff shortages they only had one chef and they couldn’t serve us food. Disappointed but no ones fault, we all completely understood. I explained about it being our dogs last day and asked if we could please just order one piece of grilled chicken for her like we had before, we were happy to wait however long it took and was told no, point blank no and I was given some handy advice “Pre book next time”…... Sure thing, next time we have a dog that’s dying and we magically know you’re short staffed we will pre book. Oh and this was a weekday, no one sat outside apart from us and only 4 tables inside. We had no problem that all of us couldn’t eat, the day was about her, we just wanted to buy one piece of chicken for our little girl that she could enjoy whilst playing outside. Not everyone likes animals, that’s fine, but normal people have some compassion. It was one piece of grilled chicken, that was all I asked. We all ended up going to the Bakers Arms, they brought my little girl water, her own bowl with chicken and veg, all the family had starters, mains and desserts and most importantly they were kind to her. So in conclusion of my long a## review, Fox and the Hound sucks.

Website states food available to 9pm on Sunday. We got there at 8.40pm after travelling down from Manchester & were told several items were sold out & the chefs were tired. We didn't stay.

We had heard that they were under new management so went for a weekday lunch. We had the lamb rump and chicken pie which were both delicious and apple tart and salted caramel sundae for dessert. I would say the mains were better than the desserts but all were good. The service from Russell and the new manager was very friendly and prompt. The garden area is beautiful on a summer day, so we would probably sit there next time as the surrounding area is a nice backdrop to a meal. A very good country pub!

The prices are reasonable, but the food was very poor compared to past visits. Tiny portions, what you get doesn't match the menu, salad that's brown and stale. Hardly any staff so the poor woman actually working was running around like a headless chicken while the older couple toddled around behind the bar. No one asked how our meal was, the sauces we requested never arrived. Really disappointed and won't be back. Such a shame!

We've had some previous pub/restaurant dinner nightmares however this experience has reinstalled my faith in good quality food for an honest price, the food was cooked to perfection with roasted carrots and fresh peas not the usual frozen. Highly recommended especially as new owners have only had this business for 7 weeks will be coming back for certain. Colin

We had a lovely evening, lots of laughs, good food, great customer service. We will be back. Thanks Russell you helped make our night more fun. The quiet table of 7 🤣13/6/24

Great afternoon with excellent food and lovely atmosphere.

Local pub and popped in for a meal tonight with my husband. I went safe with fish and chips. Yet again the chips were undercooked. Took my plate to the bar and politely said "I'd like them properly cooked and crispy". Meanwhile husband sitting with his meal in front of him. We waited and waited and I told my husband not to let his be ruined and to make a start. Eventually he went to ask where mine was and was told they were cooking a whole new meal! The waiter was blamed for not informing us. (Waiter is a lovely guy btw and just rushed off his feet). When my meal arrived the chips were hot this time but still undercooked. The garden peas were so dry and the tartar sauce served in a ramekin which was missing a chunk ( badly chipped). I ate the fish and took the plate back to explain my disappointment. Re the ramekin the reply was " they're all like that". " So get rid and serve sauce on the plate" I replied. Honestly this place is just off the A31 and could be amazing. The potential is huge for bookings and passing trade. It needs a manager who cares about standards, more kitchen staff and a complete overhaul. It never changes. We go back in hope and every time its just as bad. Sad when going to your local pub is such a disappointment. Chef and Brewer need to sort this place out. A lick of paint and sandblasting the oak beams does not make a pub great.

Lovely typical English thatched pub. Great atmosphere, food and service. Thoroughly recommend.

Recently visited for dinner, it's under new management and they've already started to make positive changes. Friendly, warm welcome and lovely food. What makes it great for us is the addition of the "dog garden" a fenced off area where dogs can be off lead in a secure environment whilst you're enjoying a drink on one of the benches. Our pup had great fun playing with the Manager's dogs! Looking forward to seeing what they do next.

What are you waiting for? Go try it for yourself! Service and food is amazing! Under new management and you can tell! So friendly, chatty and cheerful. So much so it's become our local despite it being 8 miles away. Sunday lunch last week was gorgeous, really tasty and wholesome servings. Breakfast today was 5 star. I cannot believe the quality of food that was served, Fab-u-lous! This morning I had eggs benedict. OMG was it delicious! My daughter had the pancakes and bacon.. Slight food envy on both our parts, but next time.. Extensive menu choice too and they have not forgotten the kids as there is also mini portions too!

Lovely meal this lunch time, service and food was great. Would recommend as a lovely family pub

Recently taken over by new management and OMG Amazing!! Visited last Sunday for a roast dinner ....DEVINE! I noticed then they did breakfast...so here I am back again a week later! How on earth it isn't rammed for breakfast is beyond me! Beautiful coffee and food! Fabulous hosts. I cannot recommend this breakfast enough. I intend on making regular visits and trying all the delicious choices available!

Superb service and excellent food, would definitely recommend.

First visit in a while to find it is under management. We received a very warm welcome on arrival. There is plenty of space inside to spread out including for our rather large dog. Menus was pub grub but with some interesting options including several vegetarian. The food was really tasty and arrived in good time. All in all a really good friendly pub for a nice meal without breaking the bank. We will be back.