Fox and Hounds in East Dorset

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 .

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

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

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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

Very nice venue, good food. Great service

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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!

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

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.

Arrive 18:45 Drinks arrive 19:30 Food arrived 20:30 50% of the specials sold out One of the cask Ales also sold out Had to go to the Bar myself and buy another drink as service was so slow no disrespect to the staff as they were working their socks off When food arrived 3 out of 6 were Ok but not great The Burgers we ordered were Average but edible my Steak arrived and was Cold so was sent back I requested to speak to the managemer basically they couldn’t be bothered and sent the nice hard working lady to deal with it we paid for our food and left feeling very disappointed as we have used The Fox and Hounds before and always been satisfied unfortunately we left feeling very disappointed and will not be returning

Great place ro eat New licencee I believe and food was top notch Recommended

We felt welcomed from the time we arrived. The service was excellent and friendly and we really enjoyed our meals. Too full to have a dessert this time but maybe next time!

One of those visits that little went right. On arrival and being taken to our table we were asked if we wanted any drinks. My wife can't drink alcoholic drinks for Health reasons so we asked if they had non-alcoholic wine or gin, to which the answer was no, so we ordered a sparking elderflower. After placing the order we discovered that they list non-alcoholic wine and cocktails. When we asked the waiter he said the wine had sold out over the weekend and he made no attempt to offer the cocktails. We ordered crispy squid and a rare rump steak. I realised about 20 minutes after placing the order that the waiter had not checked which potato option I wanted. Eventually the food arrived and the waiter brought the Squid and a steak sandwich, which was not rare. He offered to take it back and fet the steak but based on the time we had already waited I said I would accept the steak sandwich. My wife then tasted her squid and was very disappointed with the noticeable taste of the cooking oil so didn't eat it. When I went to pay I explained about the squid and the waiter took it off the bill. He apologised about the error with my order. It took 1.1/2 hours to get one disappointing meal, one wrong meal and a drink that we wouldn't have ordered if the waiter had referred us to the drinks list and given us time to look at it. The only thing that was satisfactory was my drink.

Very attentive and friendly service.

We have just eaten here today, having friends that regularly eat here. They endorsed this superb pub. What an amazing place to eat, having Sunday lunch (Turkey) I highly recommend you put this on your dinning out list. Thank you to Karen and Gareth that served us. Truly wonderful food, cooked and served by wonderful people. Thank you to you all

This place is a hidden gem with its flagstone floors, great atmosphere, attentive and friendly staff and great food. It has its own dog pen with seating for doggie parents to watch their fur babies play and meet other well behaved dogs. Plenty of parking and a great welcome from the landlords upon arrival completes this idyllic setting. We'll be back soon !

1st visit due to recommendation from friends that visited recently. All staff really friendly, food was lovely and to top it off it's very dog friendly, they have an enclosed area that you can let your dog off the lead. The garden area is really nice and very spacious. We will definitely return very soon.

New management, and it really shows. From the reservation, the service, to the delicious food. And don't forget to order the Sticky Toffee pudding, a true winner!

Great food at a reasonable price and good service.

The pub is under new management. Decent sized car park. Despite signs at the entrance warning you to register your car at reception or risk a penalty charge, you no longer have to do that. Perhaps they should take the signs down? We pre-booked over the telephone and this was doing using an AI program. Sat in the corner of the large dining space which was well lit. A few candles dotted around for "atmosphere ". Drinks order was taken immediately and soon arrived. Abbot Ale was fine. Food was fairly quickly ordered with a wait as the kitchens were busy. Meal arrived in good order. Steak and Ale pie was heavy on gravy light on meat. Nevertheless a proper plateful. The manager was keen to point out a new dogs' garden facility he had just created. Would I go again? Yes.

Friendly and welcoming staff, food was great, lots to choose from. Will definitely be coming more regularly

We ventured back to this lovely countryside pub after hearing there was new management. Wonderful setting, great atmosphere and fantastic food! The sticky toffee pudding was knockout! Was amazing to hear they now have a specific dog friendly garden. We will definitely be returning soon.

We have been here a few times now and it’s been a lovely lunch everytime. Russell and Steve were very welcoming and friendly throughout, and took time to make sure everything was ok even though it was a busy Sunday. I would definitely recommend this pub for a lovely lunch

Love this place , its my freind and mines meeting place , one thing , watch the gravel in carpark , my car dug down in it and thought i would need towing out !

Had the Roast Sirloin of Beef. Food was delicious with plenty of veg and gravy. First time visiting and it certainly won't be the last.

Second time of late we have eaten there, first time the service was so slow we didn't attempt a sweet but the food was OK. Giving it the benefit of the doubt we tried again this week ... big mistake. We ordered a starter of creamy garlic mushrooms £6.95 which when it arrived was in fact 2 mushrooms on a small thin slice of toasted bread which was a but of a shock. But not as big a shock as when the main meal of steak & totally cold (not even warm) chips arrived. The waitress was very helpful & fetched a plate of hot chips but in the meantime the rest of the meal was eaten. The waitress informed us the chef said the reason the chips were cold was that my husband had ordered steak & it takes longer to cook. Unbelievable that the chef can't plate up chips & steak at the same time & that it was clearly his fault for ordering steak, which I have to admit made us laugh as it was like a Faulty Towers sketch. No benefit of doubt this time ... we won't be back.

My husband and myself went for a lovely meal last night at ‘The Fox & Hounds’ The food was absolutely delicious and plenty of it for a very reasonable price, lovely friendly atmosphere & the service was great! We took our little dog and he enjoyed the experience too as they are very doggy friendly which is a plus for us! We will definitely frequent this pub from now on, very impressed!

A very good Sunday lunch with quality produce, well cooked and presented. Extra gravy and some lovely side dish vegetables. very nice selection of desserts. Above all - great value. The food was matched by the excellent, friendly service from Karen in very pleasant surroundings. Will definitely return with our friends

We had to send back two of the meals, one was incorrect and the other was cold, two of the waiters were great and one was a little off with us. We had to chase up one of the sent back meals because it took about 15mins.

Went here as had Tesco Clubcard vouchers for Chef and Brewer. Very pleased with quality of food, service a little slow but they were extremely busy and we weren't in any rush. Staff polite and friendly. Definitely go again

Visited twice this within the last 4 weeks for the Sunday roast, both times had amazing food and service. Sat in different parts of the restaurant each time and all equally as nice. Manager/Landlord spoke to us on both occasions. The lady who served us Sunday evening was really lovely and even though she was busy she made time to talk to us. We will be again very soon!

Lovely meal this evening at Fox and Hounds with the family. Very attentive staff, lovely food. Fantastic new owners! Really friendly. Also very dog friendly. 5 stars from us, and can't wait to come back!!!

Awful service since new management arrived.

Great food & the service was A*. 10 of us rocked up today, no booking, we sat in the bar area. Delicious food & very friendly. Thank you 🙌🙌

Couldnt book online as the website kept crashing, no answer on the phone, on arrival (plenty of empty tables) we were told they were fully booked, no option to have a table later or sit in the bar. It looked a nice country pub but the welcome was less than friendly. Edit 5/5/24 Visited the area again, after the poor experience last year we wanted to give the fox and hounds another chance to show us thier usual standard, as primised by thier reply. This time we managed to book online, so that was a plus from last time! The lady that greeted us (I use the term loosley) at the door, with "you booked?" and then proceeded to complain how hammered theyd been all day. Luckily we had a lovely waitress, definitely the best on shift, she took our order and looked after us well. Having waited half an hour for our two cokes to make the ten meter journey from bar to table, I went to the bar myself, the lady at the bar was also complaining about how busy they had been, and found my order on the printer. Almost as soon as I arrived back at the table with the drinks our food arrived, pie was lovely, carrots and peas however were cold and the broccoli almost raw! Not expecting a sympathetic response from 3/4 of the staff on shift, we didnt mention anything until our lovely waitress came to ask if everything was ok. As soon as she learnt that we were not satisfied with the veg she went straight to the kitchen to report the issue and returned apologetic with a generous offer to improve our experience. I hate leaving bad reviews, but as a catering professional with many years experience, I know how run ragged restaurant staff can be. Can I suggest management request staff take thier frustration out off the floor, rather than with guests, always keep a smile on and make sure the food is hot!!

We went for breakfast on a Sunday morning. A full English & a full Veggie breakfast plus extra toast! The food was superb, well cooked & nicely presented and a big shout out to the coffee which was also delicious. Friendly & efficient service in very comfortable surroundings. We will definitely be going back to try out more of the menu.

This is our local. We were served by Karen, Russ & Harvey. Really enjoyed the new seasonal Specials menu. Service was good too.

Great place with a good atmosphere. Very nice service. Large selection of beers. Great location at Nice place.

Great food and great service. My partner and I have been coming down every weekend or two for the last month or so to enjoy a quiet lunch. Food has always been delicious with the specials menu always offering new options. Most of the time we also have our 18 month old daughter with us and the staff are always very friendly and accommodating. Thank you very much guys and we will be down to see you again soon!

Perfect service from both Russel and Karen in the restaurant. Food was AMAZING visited for Sunday dinner and all I can say is wow!! They even have a space outdoors dedicated for dogs to run and play freely. See you next Sunday and thanks