Red Lion Inn in East Dorset

Booked a table for two we were taken to a table shown a specials leaflet with about 8 items on it 7 were crossed off, ordered 2 drinks and given the main menus not told if any of the meals were sold out, drinks arrived were asked what we wanted to eat I chose a steak pie none left I said I would have the pork belly none left this was only 7.15pm, only spicy food left or fish & chips so ordered the fish & chips nearly an hour later my meal arrived, the pub was not busy. We ate up asked for the bill waited, 15 minutes later asked again finally got the bill I usually give a tip not today would not eat here again

The staff were really friendly and helpful. It is nice to go to a pub that actually cooks the food on the premises. The meals were excellent and of good value. Thank You.

Lovely local village pub. Lovely and friendly staff. Good service. Nice home cooked food. Nice garden. Would’ve given 5 stars but only gripe was that sat in the garden to eat and was surrounded several tables of people smoking. Would be good if, like lots of other places, there was an allocated smoking area for smokers, or they could smoke in the car park, as not nice when people are eating and young children are playing in this area and if you are a non smoker. We went with our son and ended up leaving half our food as constantly getting tobacco smoke blown onto our table which was a shame whilst trying to eat. Other than that it’s a lovely place.

We visited The Red Lion twice this week. On both occasions our meals were excellent. The waiting staff were friendly and helpful. The food was interesting, well cooked and hot. What more is there to say? Thank you.

A great gluten free menu, really delicious brie and cranberry toast followed by melt in your mouth pork belly. I only wish I had room for dessert as there were lots of choices, maybe next time .

Decided to go here after a number of years. Been twice since for lunch for OAP meals. Excellent value and good food served by friendly staff.

We booked a table for Sunday Lunch. The service was very good. BUT, there were a few tables that were empty but we were Shen to a cramped table across the passage way through in a converted skittle alley. Every time someone came through I was nudged and pushed. It ruined our lunch. The pub is obviously popular. The food is great. But I feel the popularity is making the pub a little greedy in cramming in tables where you cannot relax. If you book make sure you get a good table away from the walkway to the garden. Very disappointing

Good food, fabulous friendly service that went above and beyond. Great atmosphere in a friendly village. Landlords were perfect.

Excellent meal celebrating our wedding anniversary. Mains & desserts were delicious and served quickly. Service was also excellent. Highly recommended if you’re in the area.

We attended the Red Lion on Easter Sunday for a family meal (5 adults and 2 children). 4 of us had a Roast Dinner which were all very good and I had the Crispy Pork Belly with Hassleback potato’s which was delicious. We were all very impressed with both the service and the food, the kids meals were equally as good! We’re very lucky to have such a great pub in the village.

lovely atmosphere, staff were very helpful and brilliant and amazing food, especially as such a choice for gluten free.

Whilst on holiday in Weymouth, we visited the local football club in October 2023, after the match we was invited back to their local pub and sponsors. Me and my wife arrived at the pub and needed the toilet whilst i ordered the drinks. The landlady saw that i was on a walking frame and told me to sit down and bought the drinks over to the table. When the football club arrived she bought out food for them and then bought us some out as well. A real nice village pub

Birthday lunch for 34 family and friends. Had a very slightly reduced menu as we were a big group, but everyone commented what great choice was offered. The food was fabulous. The room for the meal was superb and had been decorated and had fairy lights. Sarah and the team were so efficient at getting the food out for such a big group. Catered for 2 Coeliacs - my LO loved the food and was so happy to have a choice. Everyone had a fantastic time. Would definitely book again for a group event or just pop in for lunch one weekend. Especially as the menu is so good for coeliacs. Thank you!

We’ve just had an absolutely wonderful Sunday lunch here. Generous portions at a reasonable price (even for those of us who had the smaller plates), meats cooked beautifully, a superb selection of flavourful veggies, and a cauliflower cheese side to die for. All served promptly by a team of friendly and competent staff, despite the large number of other diners enjoying their meals at the same time. And dog-friendly too. We picked this pub on the off-chance as a convenient location to meet family, but we’ll certainly be back again. Thanks to all the staff who worked so hard to make our meal enjoyable.

Have visited previously but only for a snack lunch. So this was our first time for dinner - party of 4, all had different choices and I can honestly say that each was excellent - could not fault anything. Great menu choice and specials and all at a fair price. Very warm welcome and the young waiting staff superb. Will most definitely return and would recommend to anyone. Thank you for a very pleasant evening.

Great food, hot plates, served without a fuss, just smiles, good price, lovely staff. My second trip there and everything was so good it won't be my last.

Visited for lunch whilst on a visit to Wimborne to see family. Received a very friendly welcome on arrival and the service from our super friendly & efficient waitress was top notch. The food arrived steaming hot and was delicious. The steak & ale pie was a proper filled pie & very tasty. The pork belly & lambs liver dishes were thoroughly enjoyed too. We all agreed it was good value for money.

Friends in Blandford recommended this pub for lunch. What a great find! Three of us thoroughly enjoyed the delicious and plentiful hog roast Delicious Sunday roast. Tender juicy meat and real crackling, accompanied by a medley of vegetables and potatoes. The only (minor) gripe - the plates could have been larger to do full justice to the lunch!

Brilliant food,excellent choice of real beers.The staff are lovely,a step above the usual pub assortment.Well done all.

One of the best Sunday Roast ever had in a pub. Prompt table service. Nice ambience. Well done chef & staff. Just passing so popped in on the off chance & very happy.

This pub is local to a family member so have eaten there several times. Food has always been very good but went for Sunday lunch and had a really great roast. Quantities were very generous and the parsnips and roasties were fab.Was very busy but young serving staff coped well and were very pleasant.Lovely little local pub.

We were passing through the village of Sturminster en route to Kingston Lacy and thought this pub looked so nice - so on the way back we popped in for a drink. It was a Sunday afternoon so fairly busy, but had a lovely friendly and cosy vibe, and we loved its olde worlds character and charm. There's plenty of room inside, and you can see this is a popular and well-run pub that people really love and seek out. I just wanted to mention the music they had on while we were there - so often bad music can ruin the atmosphere of a pub, but here it was perfect, with a selection of cool 80s hits that had us quietly singing along! We really enjoyed our visit and will def come back next time we're in the area.

Excellent inn , great food and friendly staff. Thoroughly enjoyed meals, wish we were in the area longer to go again. 10/10.

I was passing through with a couple of work colleagues and found this gem of a pub. We were immediately welcomed by the owners, Jody and Sarah, who fitted us in for food despite being super busy with a quiz night. The food was home...

Went to a friends wedding Blessing which was held in the grounds Hog roast during the day fish and chips in the evening fantastic entertainment Disco/Live Band/Acoustic set. The whole day and evening were a resounding success the attention to details By Sarah & Jodie...

Today we had lunch with friends in the lovely beer garden. The service and food were superb. All very reasonably priced. The service was prompt, polite and attentive. A thoroughly enjoyable visit.

Excellent food, good service and the night we went a great band playing to celebrate 2 years of the new licensees Perfect

Wonderful food and service! Highly recommend this pub. We came for a family birthday lunch and was not disappointed. Plenty of food options and great outside area for families and dogs. Will definitely be returning.

We booked this Pub as we would be travelling by having never been here before, Main reason for booking here was they offered a Gluten Free Menu, My Wife is A Coeliac. Quickly shown a table on arrival and served drinks, My wife had Gluten...

We were a walk-in on a busy and glorious sunny Sunday. The pub was busy but we were quickly found a table, which was booked from 2.00pm which left us with a gap of 75 minutes to have lunch which was perfect for our needs....

Travelling to meet relatives we thought about a snack at a National Trust property. Despite poor weather it was overflowing with day trippers so we got in the car and drove off, cold and miserable! Look, sais my wife there is a pub there and...

A fantastic proper village / country pub, the staff were all very friendly and helpful. The food was excellent and delicious, a good selection of beers and gins too , we had a really great evening and enjoyed our visit . Thank you

We needed a Sunday Roast and are so pleased to have chosen the Red Lion. We all chose something different, Lamb, Beef and vegetarian Chicken. We all loved our food, my veg Chicken was amazing as the chicken was plant based and looked and tasted...

The Sunday lunch menu is quite limited - choice of 3 meat roasts or a couple of specials - but what we had was very good: sea bass on a bed of vegetable Thai red curry. The curry wasn't very spicy - you wouldn't expect...

Five of us visited today for lunch. For starters, 2 prawn cocktails, a s&p squid, falafel and fish cake. Main course, 3 chicken curries, one aubergine chilli curry and a burger. We all enjoyed every mouthful! Reasonably priced, well presented, lovely atmosphere. Couldn't ask for...

One of the best Sunday lunches I have had in a pub , the roast lamb was excellent the veg were fresh and perfectly cooked . The staff were friendly and helpful I asked for cutlery for my 3 year old granddaughter and instead of...

My friend and I went for lunch greeted by pleasant staff. The main course off the specials board the fish hot pot was excellent sadly the dessert posset was not set, it was liquid. I do not think orange is acidic enough to set the...

Popped in on the off chance last Sunday for lunch. We hadn’t booked but were accommodated in the restaurant. It was our first visit since the new landlady had taken over. The staff were all wonderful checking everything was ok. My husband and I both had the roast which was very tasty and brilliant value for money. My Son had the New Yorker chicken burger and said it was one of the best chicken burgers he had had. The chips he had with it were chunky with the skin on. They were cooked to perfection crunchy on the outside and fluffy inside. The desserts were great all home cooked. We actually popped back today again with a friend for a coffee and cake and sat outside in the garden and it was again a very pleasant visit. We live in the village and will certainly be frequent visitors. I wish the new landlady and her staff good luck and carry on the way you are!

Disappointing visit to the Red Lion, wouldn’t recommend and won’t be revisiting unfortunately. Upon arrival our booking was missing but they managed to still seat us which was good. Unfortunately the menu which we were presented in the pub differed massively to the one advertised on their website. There was about 75% less to choose from on the pub menu and it really didn’t have a great variety. We made the decision to visit this pub mostly based on their menu so this was very disappointing as they didn’t offer the dishes that were advertised online. Our starters were fine and we all had a chicken burger for main course which was fairly below average for pub food expectations. The service was quite stressful and chaotic and it took us a long time to get our second round of drinks despite not being particularly busy at this time.Fairly disappointed with the overall experience as this was our first dining visit out since Covid regulations were relaxed and it did not live up to expectations.

Camping in Dorset went to this lovely village pub ...fabulous home cooked food with friendly service in a pretty location what more could you ask for!! Thankyou new owners only had it 3 weeks give it a go you won’t regret it hope it goes well for them!

We have had takeaways three times during lockdowns which helped us celebrate our birthdays and we will continue to use this pub when we are all let out. The portion sizes are quite generous, the presentation wonderful with all little plastic tubs etc as well as salt & pepper. Quick & Efficient & tasty. Great menu choices. Fair pricing too! I wish them well in the coming year.

Absolutely love this pub, food always high quality, lovely owners and staff, always a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. I always recommend this place to my own customers to visit while we are working on their Motorhome.

My wife and I were without company this Christmas Day (like many others),so we decided to have our Christmas Dinner at the Red Lion. The meal was excellent as was the atmosphere (socially distanced!) Thanks to Dave and Louise. Enjoyed so much we went back again yesterday for our Sunday lunch.

New to the area & found the Red Lion from TripAdvisor reviews. Visited as a family mid week, really nice venue & restaurant, although would have been nice to have the fire on as a bit chilly. Great food & generous portions...the meat feast calzone my son had was superb & huge!!

Had lunch here on impulse and we were pleased we did. The ambiance is good, the food varied and well done and the Badger beers well kept. Social distancing applied effectively. The pub is bright and clean and well worth the visit.

Very nice food, great service with good beers on tap. The pub also has a very nice beer garden and the village is lovely

Have visited the pub a number of times since reopening.They have a perfect setup Covid wise.The menu is varied with generous portions served by friendly staff.Well worth a visit.

I visited the pub for dinner with my partner and lovey the cosy atmosphere and great selection of drinks they had to offer. The food was great too - tasted lovely and good portion size too.

Brilliant beer garden with excellent food and service from absolutely lovely staff. Good range of beers on offer too.

Had several fantastic evenings here, made up by the lovely ambiance indoors or in the pretty garden, the friendly staff and the wonderful food!

My friends and I spent an evening at the Red Lion In their lively beer garden. The food was excellent, highly recommend the Brie burger, and a good selection of beers. The staff were very friendly and attentive.

Fantastic service from some dedicated staff. Meals were all delicious and very generous portions. Lovely garden outside for when the weather is nice but inside is cosy and clean.

Spent a delightful evening at the red lion with some friends. The dinner portions were large, the service friendly, the garden was nice, and the staff were very conscious about covid and did everything within their power to make us feel safe. Highly recommended!

Found this pub on a rainy day when we needed cheering up and it did cheer us up.! Really enjoyed the home cooked pizza and found the service excellent.

Visited whilst staying in the locality for the week and visited the Red Lion on a number of occasions, the choice and quality of the food was excellent and the service was superb. A great local pub for those living nearby. Impressed with the hygience and COVID standards and felt safe at all times.

I called into the Red Lion with my husband, 4yr old & 7 month old when our plans took a detour. We were delighted with our find! We were welcomed in, given a very safe table where we could socially distance and even had sanitiser right by the table. Staff were friendly and constantly attentive. They also all socially distanced when I walked through with my children. The food was delicious. I had a roast which remind me of my grandmother’s cooking. My 4yr old devoured her children’s meal and asked to come back everyday. My husband had the chicken burger which he said was also delicious. Food cooked by someone who actually cares and knows what they are doing. Can’t wait to come back.

Fantastic Pub with friendly owners. They are really helpful and happy. The food is always delicious and fresh. They are set up perfectly Covid wise. We sat in the pub garden with our dog as it was such a lovely day weather wise. We had the scampi and chips which was delicious. It’s a lovely pub in a really pretty setting. We shall definitely return again.

Lovely pub with fantastic food. I had the burger with brie and it was so good! Dog friendly and was surprised it had room for us turning up without booking given how good it was. Good protection in place Covid wise. We all really enjoyed our food! Unfortunately we live a long way away but will remember if we are back in the area!

A traditional country pub dealing with Covid 19 restrictions, we had a family meal to celebrate a birthday. The food and service were fabulous with gluten free options available for my wife and daughter. We had pre-ordered the food which was cooked to perfection and served efficiently, Highly recommended.

Our evening visit was friendly waitress but ignored by landlord and landlady (only 3 other tables so busy wasn't a reason). Hunter's chicken wasn't great and husband couldn't finish the chicken, bacon and pasta. It was described as being in a creamy sauce, but his hadn't seen any cream and tasted like it had all been boiled in a veg stock cube. Second visit (we weren't put off completely) - we had lovely sweet potato fries and a perfect goat's cheese pizza so we put the mains down to a bad evening. We also had a really nice welcome from both the landlord and landlady this time, which makes such a difference.

Lovely welcoming village pub. Clean and tasteful decor. Super staff. Friendly lady behind the bar and really polite young waiter and waitress. A credit to the business. Great food. Would definitely recommend. We will be going back when next in the area.

Great pub. Visited while on holiday. Called in advance and they kindly kept the kitchen open as we would have arrived just as it was due to close. Fantastic menu and food was fresh and cooked to order. Best GF fish and chips I’ve had. Staff were so friendly. Very clean with auto hand sanitizer available by door. Would highly recommend. Excellent value for money

Food was good, garden was lovely , but pre-payment requests were a little strange! As our main courses were being put down on the table I was asked to go and pay for them at the payment counter. I had already been requested to do the same for drinks. It was put down to COVID precautions but I didn't see the relevance! Surely the pub could wait until the meal was finished before we were told to pay?

Our first dining out experience since the "lockdown". We were slightly anxious about our visit, but all of our fears were totally unfounded at this venue. My family dined here last night, food excellent, friendly and welcoming service. We were given a large, clean table. Social distancing was completely adhered to through out the pub. Sanitizers were available to us. When a table was vacated, the staff cleaned it, sanitized it completely, even wiping down the legs of the table and seat covers of the chairs. Please support this local venue - you can dine "carefree". They must be struggling financially as not many people there, so book with confidence.

Been here several times over the years as we have family nearby. Since the recent change in management have had some lovely visits both for food and drinks.

Went here with my boyfriend on Sunday and we were booked in and given a lovely big table for extra space. I loved how they gave you the option of having a meal from the main menu or a cheaper resort menu of two courses for only £12! Perfect if you’re driving through the area and need a pick up meal as food came so fast. Staff were all very chatting and very friendly. The beer battered fish I had was lovely too! And so was the desserts. I believe the waitress was chloe who served us and she was very helpful. Will be back soon!

First time we have been to this place and we were very impressed,the food was excellent with a good choice of menu which included gluten free. You had the choice of sitting in the bar area or in the restaurant which was a lot quieter.The service given was also very good and it is a dog friendly pub.

Called in for light lunch. Very helpful, friendly staff and great cosy atmosphere. Had a couple of starters and a desert to share. All very good pub food. Recommended.

Sunday lunch with friends made all the more special by the young man who attended to our order with drinks, food and desserts. He was attentive and courteous . Much appreciated . The food was well cooked , hot and plentiful, The game pie was a hit. our only criticism was we would have preferred hand cut beef rather than the thin sliced type .on the whole it was very tasty. Puddings really good standard , seemed home made and faultless. Definitely worth another visit. Thankyou

We had been out for a walk with the dog at Badbury Rings and needed a bite to eat. Came across this wonderful pub. Yes we could bring our dog in. Always a plus!!Wonderful atmosphere, pleasant surroundings, friendly staff and a menu to suit every taste and appetite. The meal we had, although only sandwiches was substantial. If you’re ever passing you must pay a visit. You won’t be disappointed.

We were disappointed with our experience at the Red Lion. Our friend had booked a table because she had enjoyed very good food on recent visits. However we did not share her opinion. Everything was very rushed. The food was O.K. - we all had the coconut prawn skewers which were quite tasty but stuck to the wooden sticks as if with super glue, the pork belly was fine, as was the chicken curry but the waitress just wanted to see the back of us! She came for the order before our friend (who had been held up) had even had time to look at the menu and tried to take our plates away before we had finished. Same with the coffee. Unfortunate as we had hoped that the change of ownership since our last visit would add another fairly local pub to the list of those we enjoy going to occasionally. Sadly not the case.

Had a great meal with friends on Saturday evening. Good choice of dishes on the menu, reasonable prices, Proper home cooked food, well kept beer and friendly attentive staff. Well worth a visit and deserves to be busier.

Lovely very choice of gins. Friendly attentive staff. Especially good to see the choice for customers with food allergies / preferences .

Absolutely perfect, new owners since last time, and what an improvement feed was 100% better, and we will be back a lot quicker than we have this time,

Great night at the gin fest that is in our local here at the red lion!!

Booked for lunch at 12.30, thought this gave me plenty of time to eat before I had to leave at 2.30. Food OK but service was very slow. Waiting staff failed to bring menus, cutlery, condiments etc and had to be asked for them numerous times. Had just main course and pudding, but everything took so long that the pudding wasn’t served until shortly before 2.30 so I had to leave it half-eaten. When I went to the bar to pay, I mentioned the slow service and the landlady was very snappy. She gestured to the other diners and said “Well, we are full”. As most of them were at reserved tables, they were clearly expecting a busy lunchtime, so that’s no excuse. An apology rather than aggression would have been the correct response.

Bar staff busy talking ( not serving ) and ignored waiting customers. Lobster burger was pretty dreadfull.

Wow! Was looking for somewhere to meet with friends for a drink and bite to eat. Decided to try the Red Lion and we are so glad we did. Landlord and staff were all very friendly and helpful. Although we had booked a table, our friends got lost trying to find the pub so we were sitting down to eat a lot later than planned/booked - the staff were fine with this and we did not feel rushed or that we inconvenienced them. Menu was great - there is a lot to choose from. Our food arrived and was delicious - well presented, good portion size and very tasty. We all had pudding and these too were really good - not a problem to make the odd tweak (i.e custard instead of icecream or less cream on the pudding). We ate in the restaurant but quite a few people were also eating in the bar/main pub area which was equally pleasant. So glad we tried the Red Lion - will definitely be going back!

We are now regulars at the Red Lion since Dave and Louise took the helm. The quality of the food is excellent and great value. Tonight we attended with friends to be surprised by the addition of stone baked pizzas on the menu. 2 of our party were impressed with the quality and taste of theirs. I stuck with the Lamb kofta and our friend lapped up the mixed grill. The atmosphere is really friendly and the team are courteous friendly and efficient. Tonight we had the pleasure of being looked after by Jess, she was friendly, attentive and jovial. If you need a good night out, with great food, good beer and a friendly and local atmosphere, you would have to go some to beat the Red Lion in Stur Marshall

Was told about this pub by my sister and luckily the couple we are holidaying with booked a table.

Excellent choice of food. Especially good to see the choice for customers with food allergies. They can choose from a very extensive menu without having to ask. At last somewhere i can take all my family!

We went to the Red lion for celebration drinks and snacks .Very friendly atmosphere . Seating area in garden allowed us to enjoy the sunshine in the evening ! Staff all very helpful especially Kim the barman who seemed keen to help. Would recommend a return visit .

10 of us went for my birthday.The landlord is very friendly and has been in the trade for a long time and he was very hands on.The food is very good pub food.We all enjoyed it.9 of us had desserts and they were very tasty.There is not much I can say other than his staff were very pleasant and it is a lovely pub.We are hoping to have our Xmas meal there for our walking group as we were very impressed

So our group of 8 people returned to the Red Lion tonight and took advantage of the fantastic valued 3 course set menu

A bit off the beaten track but so worth the trip! I had Torbay Sole cooked to perfection and at a very reasonable price. We all agreed that this was a lovely experience in a very pleasant atmosphere.

Visited on a busy Saturday night. Menu and specials were being served all fantastic! Jess was our server very efficient and friendly cannot fault our evening. Our friends had the cheesecake said the best dessert they had eaten in a while!

Visited this pub this week. Ordered chicken schnitzel and chicken tikka masala. Both meals tasty but tiny portions - about children sized!!

Went for lunch with friends and was served with a completely different dish to our order, after pointing this out the waitress was indifferent took our food away & later returned with another dish which was also not what we ordered! The food tasted old and reheated which was inedible to say the least. Would not recommend eating at this pub!

A good evening out with excellent food. Chloe was our very attentive and helpful waitress. Thank you.

Came in for a meal and beverage, with friends, great service and hospitality recommend . Second local to the Olive branch, being part of a great chain .

We were in Sturminster Marshall looking at properties for sale and decided to have a lunchtime drink, glad we did.

Looked on tripadvisor for a decent pub nearby. The Red Lion looked good so we booked. We were not disappointed. We arrived early so had a drink sat in comfy chairs in the quiet rear garden. When we went for the meal we found a very comprehensive menu with a good choice of gluten-free food. We all enjoy fish, so two ordered the cod loin and one went for the salmon. The food was beautifully presented and served, really delicious.The sweets were equally delicious. The staff were very attentive and friendly. The prices were very reasonable.

Visited this evening with my partner & family food was very tasty and service was quick. Friendly staff, good choice of food & drink. Would definitely visit again

Very nice pub with good two or three course meals.

On leaving our ferry behind us after a long drive across France at 8.30pm we agreed to stop at the first pub we saw for supper, if it looked promising was the agreed view, so on spotting the sign advising the Red Lion we turned right, we did so cautiously and after a short mile or so through the village we’re about to give up when the pub came into view to the right.

Having not visited for years we decided too try this local pub again today for a spot of food. We all had the Sunday lunch and it was super yummy! Just the right portion size. The service was very quick and the staff are really lovely and always smiling. We sat in the garden which is lovely when the sun is shining.

We visited the Red Lion with our friends having received a recommendation. We hadn't been for years and understood it was under new ownership from January. Well, the new landlord has certainly shaken things up. The menu was good, the food was fresh and the prices were reasonable. The service was also very attentive and the bar staff were friendly. We are definitely going back and will recommend to others.

Chances upon pub at end of a walk round local area. We enjoyed lunch in the pub garden which was a real sun trap. I have to comment that the interior of the pub itself was stunning and of a high standard. Staff were friendly and welcoming. We had sandwiches which were served on really high quality bread with fries. I had beer battered cod sandwich and wife had chicken Caesar Salad sandwich. Looking at menu for evening meals or more substantial dishes should a huge range of tempting options. Our lunch was very good. Would recommend this pub to anyone.

Visited the Red Lion with friends, we all had starters and main courses, all nicely cooked and presented. Service was very good, Staff all friendly, our waitress Jess was great fun and enjoyed the banter, will definitely visit again.

On a recommendation tried this place on a Sunday and found it closed.Owners seemed to miss an obvious weekend opportunity.