King's Arms in South Somerset - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Met some friends here for Sunday Lunch and can only describe it as mediocre. Staff were very good but the food let the establishment down really. The roast beef was wafer thin and had been machine sliced and was more what you would ask a butcher to do for your sandwiches. It was however, plentiful and very tasty. The roast potatoes were not really roasted and were lukewarm and there were no green vegetables and the carrots and red cabbage that were provided were again lukewarm. We had to go in search of the horseradish - we should have been asked. Although it was pleasant to sit in the outside space under the marquee the seating is very hard - cushions would be a great asset. In our view not worth the money. Shame, it looks as though it should be as upmarket establishment.

What a little gem The Kings Arms is. Beautiful rooms, extensive grounds, lovely accommodating staff especially Tony the proprietor. The rooms were spacious and clean. We had a beautiful walk in shower that was powerful and hot. The food available was delicious and the staff were friendly, nothing was too much trouble, would definitely stay there again 😁 breakfast ess of a very high quality and lots of choice. 😁 Jacqui

Travelling from London to Cornwall but needed lunch away from the A303 This was a great choice. Bar area has a quiet but good feel and it’s where we ate. Pizza was beautifully cooked along with a pint of Butcombe. Some very nice things on the menu but kept it simple as heading to Rick Stein’s. Mrs P had sweetcorn fritter and gorgeous chips. Well done the King’s Arms.

Booked in for one night B&B with friends for New Year’s Eve. Very quiet and comfortable night. Excellent breakfast. Charming, helpful and friendly staff.

Thank you to everyone at the Kings arms, we had a family Birthday party on the 28th DEC, amazing food in this lovely pub , the food quality was perfect , above all amazing service , out waitress and all staff were just so welcoming , it really made it a special night

As per previous reviews, found the restaurant manager didn’t have much passion for his job. The roast was a bit meagre with 2 wafer thin strips of beef. We have eaten here before and it wasn’t great but thought we would give it another go. We won’t be back in a rush. The pizza base was rock hard. The building and gardens are great it’s such a shame the food and service is so poor.

I had never been before but will be back. Very efficient and friendly staff. Good beers – clean pipes – and choice of drinks. The menu has enough choice to please everyone, I think. I had a very tasty pizza (the base could have been a little more crispy) and my husband had the haddock and chips. He really liked every item on the plate – the mushy peas, tartare sauce, chips, and fish. He is quite critical, so this is high praise. We both had a rocket and Parmesan side salad – a quarter of a packet of rocket in a bowl, topped with lots of Parmesan flakes and an excellent dressing. My only complaint is that I ordered two double espressos and we got the coffees with petit fours, costing £5 each. Is there no option for just coffee? We thought the petit fours were complementary and were delighted until we got the bill. We didn’t complain because we had eaten them and enjoyed the meal. It is, however, cheeky.

On Weds March1st following a visit to the church yard at Charlton Horethorne to place flowers on my families Grave we visited the Kings Arms for lunch. and it was a delightful experience. although there were not many other customers dining we had a warm welcome and a well cooked very tasty meal all at a reasonable price. The Pub had been updated to a high standard since I had last visited . Charlton Horethorne is my Happy place village having spent all my school holidays with my Nan n Granfer Dyer, at Hillside cottage the last house on the left out of the village on the to Blackford rd. There were many other relatives in the village in those days it was small and everyone knew each other. Thank you staff for this pleasant happy moment. I shall be back and maybe stay at the Kings Arms for another moment when I can wander around and Reminisce , it has been a long time as I am now 78yrs. Maureen Cooper x

We all had a lovely time here with the staff being nice and friendly to the food being divine. Good menu and wide selection. Service could’ve been quicker and one of the young waiters could’ve cracked a smile but on the whole, a wonderful experience!

Lovely hotel. Room was excellent, under floor heating, thick walls - lovely and quiet. Wet room to die form. Staff were all lovely and attentive, food was good. Lots of walks from the front door over the most beautiful countryside.

The setting is nice. Plenty of space in the restaurant area off the bar…so far so good. Food moderately good, although very modest serving of Moroccan flavoured monkfish… during our evening meal four members of staff served us. The proprietor Tony at least sometimes smiled, but otherwise all staff appeared gloomy and in a bad mood as if there had been a team row in the kitchen spilling over to the restaurant / bar and reflecting on customer service. The proprietor and wife are friends of a friend with whom I have dined here before…but I’ll not be returning. When challenged on her somewhat surly demeanour, the waitress did not deny her’s, or other servers apparent mood, stating that they had a busy night ahead on the following evening (Saturday)… so if you book here, be sure they’ve not got a busy day ahead of them! Food 3/5 . Setting 4/5. Service 2/5

I visited the KA with a business associate and we had a very good lunch. The food was very nice and service was good. There is plenty of room and the situation in the centre of the village is good.

I was very disappointed with the restaurant in general it looks more like a church hall than a cosy restaurant the lights were awful curtains were bad taste and the seating looks cheap Plus very disappointed in the menu and the food was not great will definitely not be going back there again

Overall good experience with a couple of things that could easily be improved on. The foccia bread and olives for example, huge bowl of olives and big bowl of tapenade but two measily slices of bread. We didn’t really want the olives just the bread that was in bold on the menu so this was disappointing. Also slightly sketchy and abrupt service when asking for horseradish sauce, apparently this has to be spooned out for you and you have to know exactly how many spoonfuls you need before you start! Why not just leave the pot on the table like you did with the tomato sauce? Other than these minor points we really enjoyed our lunch at the Kings Arms.

We had lunch at the King's Arms, as part of a large party. The meal was superb, and the staff were very helpful and friendly.

Stayed here for a long overdue works get-together - 4 couples, 4 double rooms, dinner and breakfast. My wife and I stayed in the Topaz room - nicely decorated but I must say that the bed's mattress had seen better days. Every time you moved, the springs clunked underneath you. En-suite was very nice. Unfortunately, the B-road at the front is quite busy so either have the window open and get woken up through the night or keep it closed and swelter - we chose the latter, not a great night's sleep. We all ate in the restaurant. Starter and main were very nice, although i would say expensive. £22 for 2 lamb chops as a main course then sides extra... That said, no complaints with freshness or taste. Other members of the party thought likewise. Also had desserts and wine. My main disappointment was after the meal. We asked about coffee (about 10:30 ish), to be told that the coffee machine had been switched off and it was filter coffee only. Ordered some more wine instead. Shocked shortly before 11pm to be told that we had to go to our rooms - "you must go to your rooms now, but don't worry, you can take your wine to bed...". No place for hotel residents to socialise so that was it, evening over! All in all, we were all completely taken aback. So, be aware, this is not really a hotel, more an expensive pub that offers b&b as well. To wrap it up, breakfast was very nice, with plenty of good quality of produce.

We have made many visits to the Kings Arms but this was our first visit during the pandemic. We have always enjoyed our visits. This time we were invited to join two friends who were staying at the hotel. We arrived and were shown to our table while we waited for our friends to come down. The waitress returned after 10 minutes and took our drinks order. These took 20 mins to arrive. Our friends then arrived and ordered drinks, again they took an age to be served. We eventually gave our food orders but the poor and tardy service continued throughout the evening. We got our main course some 2 hours after arriving! The food was as good as ever (although a reduced menu), it was the extremely poor service that I have a problem with. I think the waiting staff were also embarrassed and realised their efforts were not acceptable. If we had been by ourselves I think we would just have given up and walked, it was only because we had a good catch up that we saw things out. We will probably give it a while before visiting again in the hope they can return to their previous good reputation.

We held a family lunch at The Kings Arms ,in memory of my father who died last year . Absolutely delicious food and service and a huge Thankyou to Tony , Sarah and their team . It could not have been better

On 12th June 2021. Saturday evening. Booked by phone and asked specifically for the Restaurant. Dressed accordingly my wife and my two guests were shown to our table in the bar area. Despite protest no meaning full apology or offer of reparation! When served, waiter and waitress leaned over us, handing plates of food directly to my guests. Food was ok, but not actually worth the high price. Service was very slow. Finished main course at 9.15. As no one attended to clear the table, at 9.45 we decided to leave. When bill presented it was for another table! despite my protestations the waitress insisted it was. Eventually she presented me with correct one. Response from management later by phone, ambivalent and apparently unconcerned. If you desire a top class evening out, do not go to Kings Arms Charlton Horethorne.

Visited for a Sunday dinner as all other local pubs close early whereas this one serves in the evening between 6:30-9(?). Food was excellent had the pulled pork burgers definitely tasty, big portions and reasonable price at £14. Starters weren't that interesting however went for dessert some ice cream of course was horrified to find 2 scoops of sorbet cost a fiver definitely quite expensive for ice cream. However service was great and so was the food would recommend.

The worst afternoon tea that I have ever encountered.The cream for the scones was so runny you had to pour it.The sandwiches were dry with little filling and cut in large uneven fingers.For £20 per head it was a RIP off .

We ordered a lamb burger and fish and chips, both with triple-cooked chips. The lamb burger was presented in a burnt almost black brioche bun. and the chips were soggy, greasy and burnt. When we politely complained to the manager we were told that they were triple-cooked chips and were supposed to be like that and that is the colour of a brioche bun. The food was sent back and emerged 5 minutes later exactly the same. I would not be posting this bad review if the manager had dealt with the obvious issues in a professional manner. I note that they are currently recuiting for front of house staff to "deliver excellence to their customers"! Very disappointing as the setting is lovely and the decor and ambience inside is great. On a good note we went down the road to The Queens Arms at Corton Denham and had a very nice lunch . Thats how triple-cooked chips should taste and look like!!

Disappointed with the whole experience. Drinks menu delivered after we ordered drinks, menu took ages to arrive then tables that were sat down after us were served before us. Food took a very long time to be delivered. Limited gluten free options. Staff not wearing PPE or social distancing from the customers, they got far too close for my liking. Tables well socially distanced. All staff seemed to disappear towards the end of the evening and there was no one to get the bill from so eventually we headed to the bar to pay. Seemed we were not posh enough to be treated the same as the other customers.

Today was the first day of the Chancellor's Eat Out scheme, and we celebrated with a delicious (and ridiculously cheap) lunch at the King's Arms. Tables spaced under an airy awning, views over the herb beds to the fields beyond, tasty Fowey mussels, friendly service. We felt safe, well fed, and well looked after. Thanks to all involved!

So delighted to find this spot so close to our holiday rental. Brilliant service, beautiful garden, delicious drinks - what more could you want?!

The Kings Arms is always a most welcoming pub with excellent beers and fine food. The staff are friendly and helpful and its always a pleasure to spend an evening in such pleasant surroundings

We called in by chance and had a nice light lunch in the Bar. The welcome was lovely and the service was charming. We ate the hot smoked salmon ciabatta, a home-made pork pie with salad and drank house red and white wines and had coffee. All excellent and I could understand why so many people wished to eat here - very good indeed.

Lunch for five; pre-ordered Christmas menu. I have been here in many occasions and have never had a bad meal until now. The major complaint was with the traditional turkey and trimmings main course. The turkey was not good and the vegetables, especially the parsnips, were charred black and almost inedible. The service was intrusive . Sadly won't be going back in a hurry and never again at Christmas.

We had a beautiful walk around Stourhead in the cold, crisp, sunny Autumn weather. Afterwards we stopped at the King's Arms for a glass of merlot and a homemade pork pie. Quite divine.

Worth booking a table as it does get quite busy. A good selection on the menu and the food is lovely

We had a meal here for the first time very recently and pushed the boat out on all three courses. The service was warm and friendly with our server being patient with our various questions about the menu items. It did get to a point where it may have been beneficial for her to be more familiar with the rather 'cheffy' terminology on the menu but we all learned about cooking methods and accompaniments! The food was fresh, mostly locally sourced. Quite pricey compared to what we are used to, The fish pie was nice but nothing overtly special considering the price tag. Desserts were very nice and of a good size. The wine list was varied and they have a great selection of gins behind the bar. I would come back again for special occasions but as a Saturday night bite at the pub, it's a bit beyond our means to be more regular.

We come here a lot when we are on holiday as my parents live near by. The food is good. Service is good. Nice to have lots of local art around the place. We do feel it is a little pricey as the whilst it is good gastro-pub food, it is difficult to come away for a family of four for less then GBP100. We would recommend it though.

Visited for Sunday lunch in August 2019. Restaurant is spacious with outdoor seating option and good disabled access throughout. Food was consistently good however service was laid back verging on the horizontal.

Four of us had lunch in the outdoor area - super cool on a very hot day. We were welcomed nicely and the service at the table was easy and helpful. After drinks, we had mains of the ribeye steak, the chicken breast and the duck leg special with puds of ice creams and the bakewell tart all served with a nice Viognier. We finished with tasty coffees served with petit fours. A lovely relaxing meal!

The pub was recommended to us by the owner of our holiday rental. The greeting as we entered, was warm and welcoming. We ordered drinks from the bar before being shown to our table. Two of us had the Sunday beef lunch, which was delicious and reasonably priced. The others ordered vegetarian meals which they both enjoyed!I would definitely recommend this pub/restaurant and hope to return one day.

Beautiful little village pub with a glorious garden. Fine selection of real ales and some very decent wines. Friendly service and, definitely worth trying, are their haggis and whisky bites. McMoreish.

We stayed for 2 nights and had lovely rooms and exceptional food on both nights. All four of us enjoyed the dishes we choose and the Cod cheeks was one of the nicest dishes I’ve eaten for a long time. The food is on the pricy side but at this quality of cooking it’s decent value. We will be back for a third visit in the next few months no doubt.

Went for lunch whilst on holiday in the area. The steak burger is beautiful melt in the mouth rump steak, not ground/minced and the chips were proper hand cut ones. The local cider was lovely and the home made pork pie was a delight.

We were visiting the area for a long weekend and looking for somewhere to eat in the evening. The Kings Arms was recommended so we turned up on a Friday evening without a booking looking hopeful. We were welcomed and a table found really quickly even though it was fairly busy. The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming, the food was delicious and the service was superb. We enjoyed it so much we went back the following night for more of the same. If you are in the area I would highly recommend a visit.

Four of us met for a catch-up lunch on a busy Monday. A nice welcome to the front room and an interesting menu. We chose burgers, and fish cakes and a pappardale. With nice puds, wines and coffee this was mid £30s and very good value. Service was good and menu varied and suitable for all tastes.

Recommended by a dear friend and I am so pleased they did. Wonderful staff, food and ambiance. Beautifully decorated with well spaced comfortable tables

Wonderful standard of well everything, but effortlessly casual, but very spot on. A rare place indeed

We were meant to be walking the dogs, but the lure of the King’s Arms was irresistible! Despite being pretty busy we were made welcome, and in no time were sitting with a large drink, and tempura prawns, and a salad and French fries. I’ve never not enjoyed coming here.

We come here a lot as a family. Mostly more special occasions and the food is always great with a good selection of drinks. We also like sitting in the small room just off the bar where the kids can spread out.

I eat out at least 4 times s week and with that know what good looks like! This was really, really good!

This is a great hostelry with a wonderful choice of great food. the only difficulty is making a choice of what to have! The chef and all the staff are also extremely helpful in accommodating dietary limitations and providing delicious options. The bar, dining room and toilets are easily accessible for young, old and physically challenged. Dogs are welcome in the bar and the garden, which is a bonus for us. With friendly landlord and staff too, we can't fault it and we have been a number of times. Thank you!

Every lunch here has been perfect. Whether outside on the delightful patio, in the height of our glorious summer ( always umbrellas if needed) or in the restaurant or as our most recent visit, in the bar. I admit to being VERY fussy about roast beef, if not tender- back it goes and I choose something else!

I organised a dinner for my retired officers group and was very pleased with all the arrangements; communications excellent, a great menu at a reasonable price, good wines and reasonable corkage for externally sourced wine. On the night we were looked after in great style, the table layout, linen, place settings and name cards with menu choices all added very positively to a quality dinner and the service was excellent with a very quiet and efficient team. The food was well cooked, served hot, beautifully presented and tasted terrific. I have had nothing but glowing reports from my group and am already looking forward to a return in the future. BZ Tony, Michael Wendy and all at this quality restaurant.

Went as a guest in a large party for a family farewell meal. The food was wonderful we were all served together, the staff were friendly and good fun. this was my second visit and I must say I hope to go again soon. Well done everyone we had a great night!

Amazing owner / landlord made us feel very welcome . Excellent food and amazing service despite being very busy . Very good value

We had been let down by a local B&B; and these guys came to the rescue at the 11th hour.. What Luck .. great staff, excellent fare and the added bonus of an art gallery. Some ambient music in the dining room would have added a bit but will definitely be back.

We were staying in the villge and called in on our first night for drinks. Landlord just blanked us with no greeting at all when he eventually came to serve me still no dialogue just served drinks took money and walked to other end of the bar leaving my friend beside me still to be served. No smiles or anything like that from the other staff I can honestly say it is the most unfriendly hotel I have ever been to in this country. No customer service whatsoever and speaking to locals this seems to be the norm unless you have London accents and drive a Merc. Their loss as we would of drank and ate in there most nights of our 7 day break even though their food seemed over priced. Instead we paid £20 return taxi to Sherborne. Will never set foot in the place again if in the area.

Were getting out and about around the local areas.

My partner and I visited this pub for the first time last night. Very appealing exterior and beautiful interior. Even though there was no music in the dining room, the staff were very friendly throughout our visit, varied menu and lovely food. We will definitely be back! Highly recommend!

We booked for lunch on a friend’s recommendation and were very impressed from start to finish. Very friendly management and great service from all the staff. The menu is diverse with plenty of fish and vegetarian options. We chose the chilli and steak burger which were both delicious. Generous portion size and beautifully presented, freshly cooked and promptly served. Both dishes had steak rather than mince which was a nice touch. Our friends had plaice and the chicken burger, which were also delicious.

My partner and I popped in for Saturday lunch without having made a prior booking. The King's Arms staff are always friendly and accommodating and swiftly guided us to a spare table on our arrival. The extensive lunch menu gave us plenty of wonderful food options. Service was friendly and efficient.

Another great meal, we are never disappointed, sticky toffee pudding to die for, pork was excellent and so was the beef, well presented and very tasty, Rioja was a perfect match. Good value considering the quality.

We had a really enjoyable family dinner. The food and service were excellent and you would have to go a long way to find a better pint of beer. 👍

We had booked the Kings Arms for a special family occasion and found the customer service sorely lacking !

Had a special occasion ruined because I was so embarrassed by the extremely slow service. Had to wait over an hour for our main course to arrive after ordering. Nobody told us what was happeneing until we eventually asked! We were then made to feel that it was OUR fault because they were very busy and over-worked in the kitchen. If they don't have the staff to deal with 100 covers for lunch (as we were told) then they shouldn't take the bookings!

We had lunch which was excellent. The service was good and the food all fresh. We have visited many times before and never been dissapointed.

Big family birthday party. Twelve of us. Amazing restaurant. Some style. Great staff. Great menu. Great food. Well done.

We were invited by friends to join them for dinner, based on our recent recommendation. However our food that evening turned out to be terrible. We both ordered one of our all-time favourites (the Jospered Chicken dish) and it arrived with the chicken cooked almost dry, the 'roesti potato' (can't remember the actual name they use on the menu) burnt/blackened, and an excess of balsamic doused all over it. Underneath the two chicken breasts there were several small slivers of chicken overcooked to a point that you could hardly cut them. Terrible terrible terrible. Tony, I don't know what was going on in the kitchen that evening (Saturday 13 January).- I would have made a personal comment to you (because I did not want to embarrass our hosts) but you had left the restaurant by then. The service of dessert and coffees became really pedestrian and had to be chased up. A very unusual occurrence in our experience but something to be addressed seriously methinks.

Great village pub we had a fantastic Guinness, and local ginger beer. Super food . Lovely log fire . And dog friendly

The Kings Arms is a beautiful hotel nestled on the Somerset/Dorset border. When looking for local venues to hold our...

We drove past the Kings Arms some months ago & just from seeing the outside I stated I wanted to...

We often stay at this pub hotel and always dine here. Usually, we stay mid-week and it is fairly quiet....

Lokal mit Atmosphäre und wirklich ausgezeichneter Küche. Nicht ganz billig, aber auf jeden Fall seinen Preis wert. Gutes Real Ale.

A stylish hotel restaurant rather than a pub with prices to match (beer at £4 per pint) An innovative menu but my duck confit with beetroot didn't really come off as the beetroot and its juice dominated everything else likewise the construction of my wifes chicken marsala left it a bit sloppy, Very good service.

Stayed here for my friends wedding reception and it was pretty much perfect. Lovely comfortable luxurious room. Great food great breakfast and lovely staff who couldn't have done more to look after us. Many thanks.

Celebrating my wifes 70th B"day,with family who live in the area,sis in law is local and booked this on a sunday evening for 6 of us.whilst it was quiet,unsuprisingly on a sunday night,we created our own atmosphere.attention was great,food superb,her actual b"day is 14th April and I"m taking her up to Chester for the w/end..hope what I"ve booked is half as good as this,many thanks

Visité este pub ha oído mucho al respecto. Yo estaba con un grupo de amigos celebrando un cumpleaños y nos dieron una cálida bienvenida. El menú era extenso y muy servicial como algunos de nosotros tuvimos varios requisitos dietéticos. La comida es muy buena, pero que eran muy buenas y resistieron la llameantes. Servicio atento y recomiendo una visita.

Popped in for lunch... Lovely atmosphere, friendly staff, fabulous food! Loved the individual hand towels in the loos.

We had a most delicious lunch in the middle of the week. Friendly welcome, delightful decor, interesting paintings. Service was excellent and the food was too! Details such as salt and pepper grinders and linen napkins made a difference. Everything is made in house.

I came here for a meal with some colleagues who had eaten there before and had recommended it. I was really surprised to find this gem (almost) on my doorstep. The menu was interesting (although vegetarian starters and mains being goats cheese based is a bit lazy) with good seasonal selections. I had the duck and it was very good. The desserts were also very good and all in all the food is highly recommended. The only real issue was the slowness of service. It was reasonably busy but at one point we were the only people in the restaurant and it took for ever to get menus offered, orders taken etc. Some of the staff seemed to be pretty new but completely unsupervised so when they were obviously struggling with prioritisation etc there didn't seem to be any support. At one point I felt as though our service was part of a training programme with its not the individuals' fault but probably the fault of management.Apart from that minor quibble, I will definitely be back in the future.

Excellent friendly service, but this is not a five star establishment.Our de luxe double room was quite small, but comfortable. Clean, well equipped bathroom. The evening menu offered standard pub /restaurant fare, but was overpriced.Breakfast was even more disappointing. Freshly cooked eggs, but everything else had been pre- cooked and reheated. Soggy toast. No fresh bread, croissants, pastries etc. Only orange and grapefruit juices on offer.

Excellent all round. Service was timed just right, we arrived our table was really, staff attentive. Beautiful linen napkins, nothing to much trouble. Food was excellent, Tasty, hot and appealing presentation. Everyone went that extra mile, staff were friendly and engaging. We had drunk here before, this was our first proper meal and we will be back Thankyou.

Beautiful building, nice clean, well furnished rooms, pleasant and attentive staff, plus good food in the restaurant. What more could you ask for? I recommend this hotel and restaurant. I couldn't find a review for the hotel - just the restaurant.

We have chosen to go to this restaurant a number of times over a prolonged period particularly when celebrating. However, on this occasion the food was not really up to the standard we have come to expect. The staff are great, the choices are excellent and some dishes (the starters and puddings ) were fine. Two of the main courses we chose though had gravy/sauce/jus so sweet it would have been better served on icecream rather than the roast beef it came with! One of us was unable to finish the food as a result. Another dish had, as if often the style these days, all the component parts stacked on top of the rosti potatoes at the bottom. This meant all the gravy, juice and fat from the rest of the dish was soaked into the potatoes making them less than perfect.All in all a less good experience - hopefully just an off day and we will be pleased once more in the future!

I visited the Kings Arms for a meal following a recent business meeting there. both visits were excellent and the food superb. The steak that I had was perfect and the Venison my partner enjoyed. I was seated in the small room to the left of the entrance and I did find the sound of the other visitors echoed around and made easy conversation hard. The Art work around the premises was a joy and well worth the visit in itself. All the staff were attentive and I throughly enjoyed the evening. I would recommend this venue to others.

We where in the area of Sherborne and popped into the kings arms .A lovely ambience here and great staff, we had 2 main meals and shared dessert.The food was lovely the rump steak burger with blue cheese was very tasty.The creme brûlée was shared and enjoyed very much .The wine was very good as well And to finish two good quality coffees Good service and great food

my personal experience was well below expectation. I note some really positive recent reviews for the food here and it may well be that my visit coincided with a rare 'off' night.I was being 'treated' for this occasion and as a result I was far more 'accepting' during the evening than I would otherwise have been. I chose the fish & chips from the 'lite bite' section of the menu. The description is accurate - one of the smallest pieces of fish I have ever been presented with. Might have been acceptable if the fish had been well cooked but the texture of the batter (and possibly the skin of the fish) was dense/ chewy and hence distinctly unpleasant. For £15 this was really poor. My hosts (who had eaten here before) were also disappointed - one dish was served with a 'jus' that looked (and apparently tasted) very much like packet gravy. Across the starters and main courses we had there were some ok dishes but nothing that was anything close to a wow factor.Service in the restaurant was fine but noticeably unfriendly front of house (behind the bar). Wouldn't risk a second visit.

Local colleagues asked me to stay and eat. A great recommendation. Starting with local Butcombe beer, I followed with grilled Chèvre then lamb rump. Both served very well and perfect to taste. I avoided dessert because of a great, inexpensive Primitivo. Highly recommended.

Stayed a night at the Kings Arms and was really impressed with the restaurant which was fully booked. It was a beautiful evening and diners has the choice of eating on the terrace, in the bar area or the dining room. The service was excellent with homemade bread offered to start, the crab bruschetta to start was delicious, followed my aLighter meal and sorbet. Could not have managed a full larger meal but what I saw served to other diners looked great. The chips were the best I've had and crispy and golden on he outside. Decent wine menu and overall a great experience, excellent staff and impressive menu. I'd like to call on for lunch or afternoon tea.

We'd recommend this inn for anyone travelling through Dorset, rooms, food and staffall very good, good selection of beers, even sell local Bumble and Boots beef jerky

We have been a few times and whilst at the top of our budget it is always worth it for such fine food.I had venison this time which was cooked to perfection on a bed of veg that always complements the meat. Bakewell tart for pudding which was superb. Wine is always great and never had one that didn't taste like it was worth the cost.Have been about 10 times and it's always been great.

Lovely food yet again - nicely served pleasant ambience. The staff were a credit to Tony, the owner and made our experience most enjoyable - thank you.

Planning a birthday dinner for 2 wives is not an event that can be undertaken lightly so the proposal to visit The King's Arms for the first time was undertaken with circumspection and certain apprehension after having read some of the Trip Advisor reports. However, from the very moment we entered a full dining room - and it was a Monday - we were treated as if part of the family. When I asked where the restaurant manager was, Kate told me he was on holiday and she had been put in charge for the first time. She and her co waitress could not have been more attentive or helpful. As can be seen from the photos of the menu, there is a wide variety of options and so, apart from a change in the garnish from time to time and the specials board, it is a constant. 3 of us settled on the sardines starter and 1 on the lamb kebab. For mains we had 2 rib eye steaks - quite the most tender I have had so having it rare was a real treat and, without demur, the range of potatoes offered was exchanged for a variety of vegetables. The duck breast with fig and orange and duck and butternut Thai curry also received top marks. We had no room for Puddings - you would have needed to have been starved for a week or spent the day moving hay bales - but the range was mouth-wateringly tempting - see photo. The cappuccino and petits fours rounded the experience off well. As for the décor, well the photos speak for themselves - clean, bright, cheerful and the loos so obviously hygienic. It was slightly unnerving to have a lurcher watching my every mouthful but that was explained by a wide range of colourful artwork being on display in every nook and cranny. At about £35 a head with wine this was a wonderful find which should be experienced without delay. If my and my colleague's wife (who have birthdays on consecutive days) are still purring, we cannot have gone badly wrong!

Went on a Sunday evening, four of us. Nicely refurbished hotel/pub, not particularly busy. The menu was good and the food reasonably priced and nice. Decent wine list. Our friends who live locally had been before on several occasions and recommended the place. Service was good and we will go again.

Whilst staying in the area, popped in without a booking and had THE most fantastic meal! The fish cakes had a cream and tarragon sauce that was DIVINE. Had to stop myself going into the kitchen and demanding the recipe! My partner had a ribeye steak that he pronounced excellent! Wonderful food in a chic but relaxed environment. Please try it!

We visited the Kings Arms many years ago and re-visited last Sunday for Sunday lunch. The whole place has been refurbished and modernised, it is light and airy with beautiful tables, and has been decorated wonderfully. The menu was extensive with fresh salads and the traditional Sunday lunches were also served but with many different twists making the whole experience a very positive one.

Country pub/gastro pubby/pub-restaurant places are in the middle of a bit of a crisis – pretty well all over the UK. Having bounded onto the restaurant scene perhaps 10 or 15 years ago, latterly we’ve had an increasingly high proportion of poor experiences where previously things had been better. I’d suggest a UK Federation of Gastro Pubs with regular meetings to share ‘best practice’ with stakeholders ... or failing that, perhaps in this case just up the quality of the food. We’d been a couple of years before, and I don’t remember much about it – but Laura tells me I had sausages, and I didn’t seem to complain. On this visit, one of the very reliable warning signs showed itself fairly quickly: the earnest queries about whether everything is OK. This is a question that should never be asked of guests, except perhaps as a perfunctory sign off after an evidently wonderful meal. But since the King’s Arms insists on asking it repeatedly let me explain that when punters reply in response to the question ‘Yes, fine’ without looking at the questioner, with apparently no movement of the facial muscles and in a slightly low monotone – then that should be taken not as a reassurance of delight but a red flag warning sign that things are very far from fine. We were asked at least 6 times, the last as I was punching in my PIN to pay. Although I don’t know the chef, it seems that he hasn’t fully acquired the skill of tasting food for seasoning and balancing accordingly. Hence, the pork rilette-type starter was viciously oversalted – as was its accompanying slice of bread. I had a completely undistinguished hot smoked salmon salad, which was presented to me at not much higher than 4 degrees C, strongly suggesting it had recently resided in the chiller. It’s worth noting that no food at 4C tastes of anything, which is why most of the sandwiches consumed in the UK barely register as containing any meaningful ingredients. The Italians and French would never, even in the most humble outlet, ever let this happen. Our wine (a nice Rioja, not house red, about 30 quid) was opened and left on the table to ‘breathe’, and then for us to pour, which is certainly a novel way of presenting wine. There was some bread, I think, left on the table, but interestingly, nobody ate it. This is a phenomenon worth studying: it’s the OFFERING of bread that is such an important part of the meal. I imagine quite a lot of it is left at the Kings Arms. It looked sliced, if I remember correctly, and of course could have been there quite a long time.Three of us went for duck, and that was a trio of very bad decisions. I couldn’t make out what it had been seasoned with, but there was a lot of it, moderately unpleasant and wasn’t one of the traditional accompaniments of duck. It sat on a bitter bed of spinach; this should never be the final resting place of this fine bird. The dauphinoise potatoes, which should be meltingly creamy, weren’t, and were accordingly left in their separate pots. This suggests a production issue; they would normally be presented on the same plate as the main dish.Laura usually tries a sticky toffee pudding when it’s on offer, as it is one of those contemporary puddings (like Tiramisu) that’s quite difficult to make well. The portion was huge – about twice the size of the usual dinky square that already weighs in with about 2000 calories, so there was no chance that it would be finished. That’s very bad presentation. Too much sticky sauce, and a disproportionately small amount of ice-cream.I hope this beautifully furnished restaurant isn’t going through any kind of existential crisis (I say beautifully furnished, but chair upholstery was distinctly saggy, and bums ended up a little low if you happened to be less than average height). The menu is reasonably varied, but nothing looked especially taxing. Could it simply be that there are now too many pub-restaurants and not enough competent chefs? Urgent attention needed in this lovely building.

I have called them twice in teh past month and both times have been subjected a new-found buraeaucracy that tells you that they can only accpet reservation for 12:15 or 13:30 (or soemthing like that). The fact that we could only arrive at 12:45 seems to be completely incomprehensible to them. This used to to be one of my favourite restuarants but now their attitudes have become too arrogant for words - we're eating elsewhere. Luckily there is a good choice around.

The food is excellent. There is also a lovely garden with great views. I would highly recommend the hake and risotto. The sticky toffee pudding with homemade ice cream was delicious!

Met some friends for a very leisurely Sunday lunch which was very good. Two of us had roast beef which was nicely rare and thinly sliced. Only complaint was the vegetables which were roast carrots, parsnips and something creamy but nothing green and vibrant. The others had lamb and hicken, both very good. Would definently eat here again

Lunchtime visit with friends. Shown to reserved table immediately. Order taken relatively quickly though had to ask for someone to do it. Fish cakes were great, ham egg & chips seemed expensive for what you got, steak burger seemed a bit too much though steak was nice. Deserts were great. Whilst it was very busy when we arrived, by 2.30 tables were all clear accept ours. We ordered coffee but felt distinctly unwelcome as we were cleaned around and the tables laid for dinner service. We were asked several times if we had finished when we were clearly not, with staff hovering around waiting to clear our table. Have eaten here in the evenings many times and have always been impressed and had a great time. Not so impressed this time however but will return for an evening soon.

We went for lunch with friends to the Kings Arms. The dining room is light and airy and furnished stylishly. The service, though friendly and prompt, was light on information about the menu. Two of us had "jospered" chicken which was very good. The others went for the roast beef - which was a good average Sunday lunch fare.

The King's Arms is about 20 miles from home, but is well worth the drive. Always a good welcome and good food in a lovely setting. Bar and restaurant seating available (though I've not yet been in the restaurant). Probably the widest menu selection of the pubs I visit regularly, with changing specials available. Portions are more generous than most at this price point. Highly recommended.

Visiting friends in nearby Milborne Port, we had to stray further afield than usual as the village pubs were closed/not serving food just after Xmas. Luckily we found the Kings Arms, as it was brilliant.We only wanted a snack, but they were happy to serve us. The macaroni cheese was quite the best I've had for ages (though not very veggie as it had some big hunks of good ham mixed in the sauce). And my friend's ham and cheese toastie was definitely a superior breed of toastie, with good bread and a large amount of high quality filling. Plus a choice of good draught beers, made the lunch really enjoyable. Linen napkins somehow added to the quality feel. The only negative was that it wasn't cheap - but not bad value.It clearly wants to be a restaurant, not a pub, so booking might be a good idea. We were lucky and they had a table, but possibly the last one they had.

Excellent menu/wine list, quality and well presented food with good service. Front of the pub has better atmosphere than the main dining room.