Royal Oak in West Dorset

We made a late booking and the staff went out of their way to make us feel welcome. With 8 of us in the party, we expected a wait for the food but it arrived in good time. The food was reasonable value and excellent, especially the Dorset apple cake.

We stayed overnight at the adjoining accommodation back in May. The pub had great beers and atmosphere. Unfortunately our impromptu stay was on a night that the kitchen was closed but we had a really nice time chatting with Bob and Denise. The upper floor rooms were very spacious and comfortable and the church next door was pleasant to sit and view in the quiet of the evening. I highly recommend visiting if you are in the area. The Cerne Giant was an added bonus.

We stayed in the Royal Oak accommodation which is beside the pub making it much quieter than normal pub accommodation if you want to retire early. The flat we stayed in had three comfortable bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large open plan kitchen dining living area. It also had beautiful views of the village church and ancient buildings. It includes all mod cons with all the facilities needed for self catering. There are two smaller flats also available. After sampling the range of local beers on offer, we had a fantastic dinner in the pub. I can strongly recommend the home made pies (we had chicken and leek, but steak and ale was available too) served with chips or mash and a selection of fresh vegetables. These pies really are home made being created on the premises by the terrific chef. We accompanied our pies with a great NZ Pinot Noir. But perhaps the best part is the home made desserts. I would kill for the recipe of the chef’s Chocolate Brownie, but it’s a closely guarded secret. My wife had a generously proportioned Eton Mess which she loved. I’m told by other guests that the other deserts are equally good. We went back next morning at opening time (11am) for coffee and cake (also home made). All in all this is a great pub, with a friendly atmosphere, great staff and landlord and landlady. There is cosy indoor seating or a large outdoor area when the weather permits. If you are considering Cerne Abbas as a holiday destination then as an experienced traveler I recommend booking the Royal Oak.

Disappointed, the pub is in a good spot, as a nice sort of pub feel to it. However the beer was not in the best condition. I had a pint of bitter which I have enjoyed in many a pub over the years. However this pint had the odd taste that only comes from unclean pipes, or the cleaning agent not being removed correctly. That and the very sticky table made a second pint, or a second visit very unlikely.

Had a wonderful weekend in Cerne Abbas for a family wedding. We stayed at the Royal Oak & was met by Denise, who was so friendly & we were lucky enough to stay for Sunday lunch. I can honestly say this was one of the best meals I’ve had! Thank you so much. Hope to come to visit again soon. Highly recommend!!

We were on holiday in a cottage in the village so decided to have a drink one early evening. An older man served us and we went into the beer garden at the rear which was pleasant. Decided to have another drink but were told to sit on the benches out the front as he was closing the rear beer garden, this was around 7pm so still early. The front of the pub were we sat needs tidying up. We felt out of place as the barman came out and sat with the locals, we decided not to have another drink. Didn't return for the rest of our stay.

A lovely atmosphere in a quaint British pub. Service unfortunately was slow with long waiting times on food. Once food arrived we ordered 3 pies which were all very good with ample filling. Veg unfortunately was very limp and soggy and limited for 3 meals- as well as limited gravy. Another meal was a burger which was dry and the fries cold. Overall a nice meal but more staff and finer attention to detail of meals would improve this experience.

Highly recommended! Beautiful roast dinner with exceptionally good potatoes and the Dorset apple cake was gorgeous!

This pub has had mixed reviews but we gave it a try and we enjoyed our visit. The bar had a mix of tourists and locals and a friendly atmosphere. The beers we had tasted really good. The Sunday roast was delicious - we tried the roast beef and the chicken. Everybody enjoyed their food. The meat was cooked well, lots of gravy and a good amount of well cooked veggies on the side along with homemade Yorkshire puddings. We had dessert - Dorset apple cake (very good) and sticky toffee pudding (very good but would have liked a bit more sticky toffee sauce!) The staff were friendly and efficient and we would happily return.

Lovely atmosphere in a great village pub. Had Sunday lunch table booked well in advance.Long wait as pub was busy. Food was very well cooked and presented but portions were small. Although advertised no Yorkshire puddings available with roast beef couldn’t believe at 1pm they had run out nothing extra offered in exchange.

I booked with Denise on their website for our family of 10 folk we preordered our meals and were very pleased with the quality and service.

Shame, the lady at the bar was really nice and was very helpful, had 3 different beers and each one smelt and tasted of vinegar, would hate to see the state of the lines and the cellar.

We were very impressed with the Royal Oak. The staff members were very friendly, the food was excellent, my husband had the game pie and I had the beef madras curry both meals were delicious, there is also a good choice of ales. I would definitely go back for another visit. Highly recommend.

We arrived in the village on a late Friday afternoon and decided to try and find somewhere to eat. Everywhere was booked up except this place. As we walked in, it smells of stale old beer. The floor of a sticky as was the table, which had not been cleaned in sometime. Just had a feeling that I didn’t want to stay. We went to the bar where a girl was on her own. I asked if there was any of the seating and she said no, I return to the table answer to my husband. I didn’t want to eat here as a family as it wasn’t clean. She then came over and offered drinks. We declined and politely left. Thankfully the road truck had arrived so we ate then had a beautiful meal our Airbnb. I know the owners are not going to be like this, but it does say something when all the other establishments are booked up and yours has three old man and a dog sitting in it

Great pub serving excellent pub food. We walked in to this lovely characterful pub on a busy Bank Holiday Monday said we had not booked and asked for a table for four. The staff were all very pleasant and we all chose various pies and they were really good. Lovely homemade fare. Good beers and a great atmosphere. This pub has not been changed to a gastro pub but kept its history. We will be back

Delicious Sunday roast! Best roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings, lovely! We also enjoyed the huge chocolate brownies and Dorset apple cake. Great service, friendly cheerful staff and great atmosphere. Dog friendly too!

Wonderful old English pub with lots of atmosphere Good selection of beers and cider. We had the Sunday roast, the pork belly was cooked well, and a good selection of veg. Cerne Abbas is an amazing village to look around and the Cerne Abbas giant is always worth a look

Terrible experience at this pub yesterday lunch. Ordered two flat whites and a slice of apple cake, over £9, fair enough if decent. The girl serving was clearly not pleased to have customers, and pulled a few faces she thought wouldn’t register. We should’ve walked out at this point. The coffees were utter slop, literally as if they’d just poured the drip tray into two cups. Tea leaves and coffee grounds in my coffee. Literally two sips each and we had to leave it. The cake didn’t arrive for a while. Went inside to investigate, and the kitchen door was open. They’ve got a sign saying ‘HOT BEER, LOUSY FOOD, BAD SERVICE’ inside. Oh, how they must laugh at the customers as they dish up this absolute dishwater. Wish we’d gone to one of the other pubs a stone’s throw away.

Besides the lovely picturesque exterior, the cosy atmosphere inside, good food and great beer garden, we greatly enjoyed the warm welcome. Mark

Had a bad experience today, had Sunday lunch with 2019 award winning food, so was highly recommended, however since then I guess the chef must have left.. I never trust Beef as I do not like chewy meat which it can be, my Wife loves beef and is not sensitive to chewy or even gristly meat, it arrives, my Wife looked at it and said how pale the beef looked, took a bite and was still chewing it after a full minute, so decided it was inedible, the Lovely mature Aus/NZ lady apologised and offered chicken/belly pork or Salmon as an alternative, my Wife chose Salmon, as the Lady said it would be quicker to cook than any of the meat, & I was already halfway thru my belly pork choice, around 12 minutes past and the Salmon arrived, I had finished my meal, and my Wife now started hers, biting into the Salmon, it felt jelly like, on closer inspection, unfortunately it was clearly raw, that was enough, we left without my Wife eating, and although the apologies came flooding in, we paid full price for my meal and our 2 drinks, kind of thought 1 drink might have been knocked off of our bill or even my meal, or a sweet offered as this was a disastrous experience, My Wife was a little sensitive for the rest of the day, unfed and miffed, all due to an incompetent chef, how you can undercook a small piece of Salmon is unfathomable. But it happened, staff very pleasant, food extremely disappointing

Lovely roast today! Friendly staff great service all round. Desert was also spot on very tasty. Definitely returning soon

Excellent food. Top notch in fact. Great service and very pleasant too. Would definitley go back if in the area again.

We popped in today and had lunch ,it was fantastic meal ,my grandson had the burger which he loved ,my wife had the steak pie and I had the chicken and leak .All was cooked to perfection,well done ,we will be back again,a lovely old pub and great staff.

Husband drawn in by the sign for Dorset Apple Cake! It was nice, nice coffee we had with it too. But far too many sultans for me, there were more sultanas than cake in my slice. But the bit of apple and sponge I tasted...

Last minute booking for a Sunday lunch made by phone , lady was very friendly on the phone. We had a negative experience the day before so were not expecting much to be honest but we were very pleasantly surprised by the food the atmosphere...

We’re staying at the cottage at Cerne Abbey and the Royal Oak is a five minute walk away. We have been to this pub twice now for dinner and have found the food, reception and beer fabulous. It’s dog friendly and nothing is too much...

Lovely old building, really friendly staff, great beers and exceptional food at very competitive prices. Definately going back! The pork belly was the best I've ever had.

We had an excellent evening meal in the Royal Oak with good quality food, very reasonably priced and served by friendly and efficient staff. The pub is traditional inside, lots of wood and brass and the log fire made it very cosy. Highly recommended.

After and long and chilly walk over the beautiful Dorset hills to Cerne Abbas we popped in for a drink and some chips to refuel. Gorgeous pub with a warm fire and very friendly staff. Nice and relaxed atmosphere and the food looked delicious! Dog...

The Sunday roast was absolutely fantastic, it’s the best I’ve had for longer than I care to remember. Lovely character filled pub the food was great.

We were taking an elderly couple out for a traditional pub meal and the Royal Oak came up with a warm welcome and perfect meals. They specialise in pies and 3 of us very tasty pies. The fourth meal was a tasty chicken curry. All...

Very cold place, not inviting.My husbands beer was off. Not very clean. One person doing bar and serving. Not very organised. Long wait for food, 45mins, although not very busy, 10 people. Food presentation very poor. Broken fried egg. Waitress offered another egg, only when...

We had a great meal last week at The Royal Oak. There was six of us in our party and we all had superb meals.Very busy for a Wednesday evening and we received very good service

A lovely old pub seeming a little down at heel and needing a little tlc. Food very average and bland.

We came in on the off chance with two starving hungry teenagers after a disappointing experience over the road. Burgers not on the menu but very kindly offered, and I had a delicious scampi & chips. The lady at the bar was so friendly and...

We enjoyed an evening meal at the Royal Oak. There is a pretty beer garden, with grapes hanging from a pergola and cottage garden planting, attracting bees. We had a feta, olive and beetroot salad, that was so fresh in the heat and a steak...

We had a very pleasant meal at The Royal Oak. It was well cooked and good pub food. My only criticism was that it isn't open as often as stated on the Internet.

Six of us came to the Royal Oak last night, and despite the kitchen not being open (it was a little late), they reopened it for us and provided six fantastic meals. We had been unable to get food in the other pubs, and the...

There were 4 of us for Saturday lunch and we sat out in the beer garden shielded from the sun by an attractive overhead vine - other folk there to chat to also. A good place to relax, take your time and savour some of...

Came for Sunday Lunch. The food was nice but the amount of vegetables served was inadequate. No gravy with the pie. Not one person asked if everything was ok with the meals. Took more than half an hour for our plates to be cleared. We...

Could not fault our roast lunch everybody enjoyed it good selection of meats lamb was a bonus good portion size puddings were also good will definitely be back ( just get some better cutlery)

We have been before and were looking forward to it . The place was busy but they just didnt seem interested in serving us and didn't even know what the specials were . Things were forgotten that we had asked for and then eventually appeared...

Booked a table for lunch for my mothers birthday. So wish I hadn't! One poor lad was left on his own to run a bar, take orders, clear tables and serve food.. Ordered food eventually and it took an hour to serve. The curry was...

Such a cozy friendly pub where we stopped after a very muddy walk today. Although we got there after kitchen hours, they were happy to offer soup and it was fabulous. Hearty leek and potato with a hunk of warm crusty bread went down very...

Called in on spec, found a table for two by the window. Lots of atmosphere it this old pub. Excellent Sunday Roast, well cooked . Veg very good as well. Local beer available. Also excellent dessert. Highly recommended

Lovely lunch, roast beef. We sat in a enchanting garden with grapevines above us. A robin visited us and sat on our table. Polite staff.

My wife and I have just had a beautiful lunch in the Royal oak.The service was great and the food was excellent and extremely tasty thank you Sonya and Paul

We called in for a meal last night, not very impressed, lots of items not available. My lasagne was dry and tasteless, obviously a bit left over that was warmed up. The chicken pie with mash looked okay but no gravy made it a dry...

We had plans in Beaminster and looking for somewhere for a Sunday roast after. By chance booked this Royal Oak Cerne Abbas and what a find! We all had the roast beef with all the trimmings and it was delicious. Quite probably the best yorkshire...

The food was wonderful, we each had different meals, and ate everything. We had dessert too, and all delicious. Good service,

We went for a meal here on 2nd July. It was ok but the waiter was surly and when my husband asked him if he would be pleased when the 19th July came round to be not having to wear a mask we were treated...

We all had the same food of salmon, salad and new pots. Very average and funny sweet dressing on the salad. But the kind waiter made up for the shortcomings on the food!

Nice pub but very poor service, took 15 minutes to be served for a round of drinks and then another 20 minutes to take our food order. 60 minutes later our food eventually arrived, 2 steaks, a scampi and a steak and ale pie. Both...

We had a delicious roast on Sunday 27th June. The meat was good quality and cooked perfectly, served with a delicious gravy and a good selection of vegetables. The homemade sticky toffee pudding was also really good. The pub is full of character with attentive...

Went to this pub on Sunday 13th June both the service and the food were great. One of our party has a gluten allergy and the landlady was very helpful and interested in knowing about gluten free Gins. She even gave Willow are lab a...

Went got a quick drink with my sister and brother in law, would say if you drink Guinness don’t go there and if you drink don’t go there. He started with a Guinness was horrible, they swapped it fair play,,then went for kronenbourg was worse!...

We arrived on a Sunday, a bit late for lunch, we had two dogs but we made welcome inside or out. The menu range was small but catered for all our needs, although we were disappointed with some of the items missing from the desert...

Beautiful proper pub. Wonderful beams and an open fire. Lovely welcoming staff, perfect way to spend a rainy evening.

Visited Cerne Abbas for the day. Found the Royal Oak to have a light lunch. The staff were really friendly, all COVID procedures in place and it had a good atmosphere. I had soup which I can only say was pretty much the best I’ve...

Nice looking traditional low beamed pub, but after eating there I could see why it was empty on a Friday night. Veggie quiche was tiny and looked like it had been run over but apparently tasted ok. Pie was quite nice but served with almost...

Very disappointing meal. The landlady was lovely but the food was well below average. Negligible gluten free options despite advertised. Fish of the day not available. My partner had the worst chicken and mushroom pie he had ever eaten. Perhaps the clue is the board...

Food took well over an hour to come with no warning or update, food very average at best and that’s being polite, over priced for poor food, also pub freezing, would not return

Visited today and waited 2 hours for an extremely mean portion of Sunday roast. Had to share one bowl of vegetables and request a batter for the pork roast which upon arrival can only be described as a laughable excuse for a batter! We heard...

We called in on the off chance and were greeted warmly and offered a table. Social distancing measures in place and felt so comfortable. Food was excellent we were told in advance there would be a wait but it really wasnt long at all and...

What can I say, beautiful old English proper pub with a great atmosphere, friendly staff, delicious food and excellent value for money, dog friendly too.

After the lockdown we were so excited to go out for a Sunday pub lunch. I read around and was looking forward to visiting the ‘2019 Dorset pub of the year’. Sadly this was far from an accurate description. First we were delivered the wrong...

Visited this charming pub and enjoyed the quaint surroundings. The food was excellent and there was plenty of it. The staff were all very friendly and courteous. The added bonus is that it is dog friendly so it was a great place to stop off...

Throughout lockdown we have used the Royal Oak for lunches and the occasional dinner when I was staying living in at casterbridge manor. we have enjoyed every meal we have ordered. It was made easy for us to order and collect at the best time for us. We normally pick a variety of items from the menu, for fresh filled rolls to a warming curry. The food never disappointed. Upon collection we were greated welcoming manner. We will continue to use the Royal Oak for our treat meal weekly and thank all the staff. Can't wait for Friday.

I have had the pleasure of eating food from this pub on several occasions. The food is always amazing. I cannot fault the pub, the food or the staff. Keep up the good work everyone 🙂

My partner and I visited the royal Oak and were very pleased with the service, the staff were very pleasant and helpful during our visit. The food was amazing and we didn't wait long for it to be delivered to the table, we would highly...

We have been going here for dinner for over a year and the food has gone from good to poor we have complained to the landlords twice before and all he did was offer one meal free. After the long lock down we decided to try it once more, as we were told they had a new chef but the food wasn't any better I ordered off the new menu but not everything that was on the order was on the plate we didn’t see any point complaining , we spent £50 for a meal I could have made at home for half that price. We were still hungry so we went and got fish and chips on the way home.nice pub but won't eat here again.

Last time I visited a pub was mid March, not that I have taken the pledge, but it's been this bloody virus!Booked a table for five for lunch, and we were quite happy with the anti-virus precautions taken.Menu was somewhat restricted, but this was quite understandable in the current conditions.We all chose something different, and five clean plates resulted. Not sophisticated food, but good quality well cooked food,served with a smile.Avoided desserts, could have added weight with limited outside exercise!After all we normally are a walking group, but walking, particularly around The Giant is currently beyond us!

I am in two minds about this establishment. We arrived for lunch to find a lovely cosy pub where the staff were friendly, efficient and the food was cooked well and it all arrived very quickly. We were a little downhearted to find that the menu lacked imagination in our mind, a little boring and basic “pub” fare available everywhere. It was saved by the specials board but that seemed aimed at evening dining in our mind. The food was a little rustic in presentation and that made it look a little boring too and with so little effort it could have been lifted. I stress, the food was very good indeed and tasty, we enjoyed it and that’s what matters in the end. If I have major gripe, it was the beer. I am not sure if it was husbandry or selection but it was not to my taste. If you are happy with a good plate of basic Pub food, you will find this pub right up your street. If you are looking for something a little different from the normal then you will be disappointed. They are very nice people, doing a good job and we enjoyed our visit so I am not going to downgrade them just because the menu was not to my preference. In the end, only the food and service count and they were very good indeed.

Four of us went for lunch after a five mile walk round the giant.We were warmly welcomed and ordering and paying was efficient.I had mushroom soup which came with a tasty granary baguette.Everyone enjoyed the food - I had a beer which was good.Would have been a five star review if the food had arrived a bit earlier.Recommended.

Last summer after a walk around Cerne Abbas, we decided on The Royal Oak for lunch.We sat outside under the grape vine, and enjoyed refreshing beers and ciders before our mealsThis time we booked a table near the log fire as it was a bit fresh outside.This time our orders were essentially the same as last summer as we had enjoyed them so much.Two of us ordered smoked seafood platters, but we were advised by the waitress that a sharing platter would suffice.The other orders were a ploghmans, and venison faggots.All were accompanied by delicious hot breadThe waitress was right and we just managed to stagger through the sharing platter.There was only one thing left that we should have as a dessert, this being Dorset Apple cake.Yummy.CONCLUSIONThis is a pub for all seasons with constant high quality food,located in a really great old village.

Ordered in advance as there were about twenty people attending the pub. Good atmosphere, good food and good Friday night music.Have eaten there before three and four years ago, third management team since our first visit. Food has always been good whether lunch time or supper time.

We had a great lunch here after viewing the Giant. Both meals were excellent and well priced. The service was pleasant and friendly. The sticky toffee pudding made to the chef's grandmother's recipe goes into my top 3!

Short break in a cottage, with a dog in tow - The Royal Oak was extremely welcoming, lovely atmosphere on a quiet November mid-week lunch and two evenings; fresh well-cooked and presented food at the right price, an array of local beers with names like 'Bucket of Blood', and enough dog biscuits to spoil the pooch. With I lived closer

After visiting in August we decided on a return visit.All three of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals.All involved seafood.One a linguine, and two seafood platters.The platter consisted of prawns, crayfish, smoked salmon, smoked mackerel, with artichoke, salad and warm crusty bread.Universal Apple cake completed the meal, all washed down with excellent coffee.

Beautiful pub set in a beautiful village. Great place to stop after walking the hills to see the Cerne Giant. Excellent service, lovely warm friendly welcome, Dog Friendly. And the food they Serve is delicious. Would highly recommend!

Friendly and very helpful staff. Food good quality, good portions and fair prices Made to feel very welcome, going back for Sunday lunch Don’t judge the book by its cover

All you would expect from a traditional country pub. Good food, a range of ales and helpful friendly staff.

Eating in this pub was a lovely experience especially as it was the day an historical reenactment was taking place in Cerne Abbas. There were several people in costume walking through the pub and that seemed appropriate giving the age of the pub.Like other pubs you have to place your order at the bar. We were each given a menu but there was also a special board. The food came came quite quickly and was well presented and cooked. All the staff were very polite and friendly and it was nice to see so many locals enjoying their pub.

Dropped in after a couple of detours for lunch and had a great lunch. The veggie roast was fantastic with an amazing array of sides and veg, and the ploughmans lunch had delicious cheese and a whole (!) baguette!

Having lived nearby until a couple of years ago I had been before and it was good.since then the ownership has changed and wow what was good is now terrific

We called in for lunch, before walking, to a warm welcome and dog treats for our dog before we even had a drink. This is a real pub, flagstone floor, great choice of beer, plus good food.

We found The Royal Oak on google search while driving to Dorchester, so we stopped off for lunch. So glad we did. It is a proper pub with good beer and wine, good service and brilliant food. My wife and I had the cauliflower cheese with bacon and triple cooked chips. I’d say this was perfect! I really could not fault it.

Stopped in on a rainy day for a quick drying off. Stayed for lunch.

We had a lovely pub lunch at the Royal Oak whilst exploring Cerne Abbas. The staff were really friendly, there were some good ales on cask, lots of food options and fair pricing. Between us we had the steak baguette, seafood platter and prawns and scallops. Everything was very tasty - I would recommend this pub!

We stay a week in Cerne Abbas and ended up eating here 3 times. The food was very tasty and good sized portions. The staff are very helpful and even managed to find 2 portions of their chocolate brownie for us when it wasn't even on the menu. A good selections of ales, the local 'legless jester' wa my favourite.

Popped in here to escape the rain. Staff were friendly, very helpful and accommodating. Food was delicious and they have a good selection of drinks, including different flavours of gin!

We were walking along the bottom of The Giant's hill, by the river, towards the old abbey, and strangely we all felt hungry.

While staying nearby on holiday, we visited the Royal Oak for dinner on two evenings. The food was delicious, freshly prepared, generous, and well served. We enjoyed a couple of local ales too. Definately recommend a visit.

We picked the Royal Oak over the new Inn because it looked to have a range of different beers and an interesting specials menu. There is a lovely shady garden although we chose to eat inside as it was cooler. My husband's belly pork was excellent, huge portion and lots of vegetables. My Provencal fish Stew was unlike anything I have actually eaten in Provence - far too much tomato rather overpowering the fish, although there was a good helping of fish it was mostly unidentifiable. It was filling all the same. Typical prices for a good pub lunch in this area. But an atmospheric pub with history in a historic village. It's easy to walk up to the Giant viewing point and back along the river from here as well.

Very good pub food with plenty of choice, The home-made sweets are not as expensive as you might expect. Recommended.

We went to the Royal Oak for a reunion family dinner. A nice little pub, slightly on the cosy side as 8 of us were cuddled up in a corner.

after a visit to a local shop and seeing this pub we decided to have a meal there a couple of days later as we were stopping in a holiday home a couple of miles down the road. we both had items off the specials board the sole and the prawn and scallops both were excellent would call again if ever in the area

Had the most amazing Sunday lunch here, we stopped here by pure chance and had a quick drink at the pub further along but unimpressed by there menu we stopped in here, food was outstanding and melt in the mouth, will happily drive the 30 miles again just to visit here, superb.

We called in for lunch having found the pub whilst having a wander around Cerne Abbas. My partner had the burger which was massive and great quality, I had the ham, egg and chips which was also a decent portion with good quality hand cut gammon ham. We would definitely eat here again, the staff were all friendly and chatty and the pub was filling up quickly for a Saturday lunch time!

Happy to have well behaved dogs. Specials on the board . Tasty food and pleasant service. The beer was good too.