The Anchor Inn in West Dorset

On entering the pub we were shown to a table in a cold room. We ordered three roasts as it was Sunday lunch . I asked if the beef was rare ,the waitress replied of course. On receiving our meals she commented that the beef wasn’t as rare as usual. The beef was overcooked and dry and the accompanying vegetables of broccoli and cauliflower were watery. A tiny pot of horseradish sauce arrived so we asked for another. For dessert I ordered Dorset apple cake and cream, and three coffees to follow. The coffees arrived before the dessert and the apple cake was very disappointing tasting more like old fashioned bread pudding. The experience was mediocre at best and expensive

A special evening with friends, we brought a group of friends this time, having experienced superb fresh sea food previously. Although fish were not in abundance due to the weather, the quality of the scallops, prawns and mussels and the array of different Specials, meant we were delighted. Great service too.

I’ve been to this pub many times, but lunch was so good, that my family and I decided to book in for dinner. 🩷 The Anchor is split into two so you can have casual/fine dining or in ‘the stable bar’, a good pint of local ale and chat with your friends. They are also dog-friendly which is a win. We had lunch in the stable bar - my daughter went crazy for the prawn and crab sandwiches, and the puddings (all locally made) were fabulous. For dinner I chose the duo of fish washed down with a beautiful glass of white wine, and other members of my family had the linguine, liver and steaks - all feedback was that the food was tasty and well cooked. The service was great, Kate and Paul are a dynamic duo, oozing energy, wit and an infectious passion for what they do. They also like to laugh with their customers, which I know may not be for everyone, but this is a village pub where we are invited to relax and enjoy ourselves. Overall, a wonderful experience and we look forward to returning.

This was our first visit to The Anchor but it definitely won’t be our last. From the moment we walked through the door we received a lovely, friendly welcome. The pub is lovely inside with several separate seating areas. They are also dog-friendly. We had looked at the menu online before we went but the menu on the night was different. In addition to the printed menu there was at least as much again on the specials board. They serve a lot of seafood but there is plenty of choice if you don’t like or can’t eat fish or shellfish. We both really enjoyed our food very much. Definitely worth a visit if you are a local or staying in the area.

Very sub-par food, reminiscent of school dinners. For ‘red wine jus’ read salty catering gravy. No atmosphere and half empty, which says it all really.

Very nice pub, good food, mainly fish, we had an excellent meal , good friendly service, would recommend. As it’s quite busy you might be best to book

What an amazing place! Staff were very friendly and helpful, manager/owner was really chatting and engaging. Food was incredible. There were four of us, we had scallops and mussels to start, reef and beef and fish pie for main. All the food was perfectly cooked, super tasty and great portion sizes. Well cooked food at a reasonable price. Will definitely be back when we’re down here again!

Had two meals here during a recent holiday. Sunday roast was plentiful with three meat options. Grilled whole plaice and grilled fish duo (bream and sole) both excellent. Lively friendly atmosphere. Plenty more seafood options if you have the time. Would definitely visit again.

It was raining so we decided to go for a pub lunch. We could not have chosen better. Food was superb and so was the service 5* all round. The seafood was fresh and beautifully cooked. Husband and I chose the same lunch but different desserts. Couldn’t fault it.

Great pub and a must go to if you enjoy seafood. The service was excellent and the landlord was lovely and really accommodating. All food was cooked to order and was delicious.

A little gem that’s well worth a visit. We ate here on 13th August 2024 and had a fabulous meal. Great food, great service and a great selection of drinks. My only observation is that £105.00 for a meal for 2 ( mains, deserts and 2 drinks each) could be viewed as a little expensive however, was well worth it. The prawn stir fry is highly recommended. A fabulous dog friendly pub to visit.

This is the second time we have visited the Anchor Inn. We stopped for some crab sandwiches and a drink. The lovely landlord was under a bit of pressure as he had had to send an unwell member of staff home. But he coped brilliantly. His kitchen produced as good crab sandwiches as we have ever had, beautifully presented and garnished. Washed down with a pint of cider it couldn’t have been better. This pub is a huge asset to Burton Bradstock. Not to be missed

We stay in Burton Bradstock at least once a year, and have always been happy with the Anchor. Tonight’s visit was disappointing. It coincided with the England v Switzerland game, and this seemed to take priority. Toilets were poor, with no means to dry your hands and waste everywhere. The main course fish soup was sparsely populated with fish and a single scallop. The steak was cooked ok but over mid-rare as ordered. Disappointing there was no option for frites or chips. Opted for wedges, but was disappointed to overhear staff saying that this was because there were a lot of jacket potatoes left over and they’d been ‘recycled’. Come on guys, this is what you do at home with leftovers, you don’t expect it when ordering a la carte at a premium price!! For the price of the bill, I’ll not be rushing back unfortunately.

My wife and I planned a visit to Burton Bradstock for Father’s Day, along with my son and his partner. Following favourable reviews on Tripadvisor, we booked Sunday lunch at the Anchor Inn, Main Street, Burton Bradstock. My wife ordered the beef and with the remainder ordering the pork belly. After a small wait we were served fantastic meals by the friendly pub staff. My family and I throughly enjoyed our visit to the pub. Both staff and management made for an exceptional experience and would not hesitate to recommend the Anchor Inn to anyone who enjoys good food in a friendly atmosphere.

Out with the family and 2 dogs on a five mile walk, we stumbled across this place, very much in need of a refreshing drink to keep us going. The menu looked good so a quick stop turned into lunch as well. I cannot recommend this more highly for quality and value for money. With fresh lobster on the menu as well I will hopefully be back before we return home. Mark was very friendly to add to the charm of this excellent find

Booked ahead and had a lovely meal here on our first night staying in this beautiful county. Attractive pub both inside and out, good selection of food available especially if you like fish/seafood. Lovely staff. Happy to recommend.

We had the most amazing time in the Anchor on Saturday evening. Paul was such a great host. We had a fantastic roast dinner for 7 and can't speak highly enough about food and service The 3 hrs drive home was tempered knowing that we had crab sandwiches for supper.

Excellent surf and turf (6oz fillet steak and half lobster) Scallop starter also excellent. Very lovely staff, table decorated for my 50th birthday! Thank you!

I'm nearly 70 years old, and have spent more time than I should have in pubs. Have to say, the food is exceptional, quite possibly the best pub food I can recall. It isn't inexpensive, but you get what you pay for. All the staff helpful, friendly, and courteous. Beer well kept. I drank "Jail" from the Dartmoor brewery. Timothy Taylor landlord also available, my regular pint at home in Lincolnshire, so didn't partake. Hoping to visit again before we go home. Dogs are thought to be allowed, but we didn't encounter any, which was a massive bonus.

We called in on the off-chance at the end of a walk on a beautiful day. The landlady was welcoming and helpful and managed to fit us in. The food was outstanding and the atmosphere was welcoming. Best "walk-in" ever. We will definitely be back and will book next time!! Thank you for a lovely evening.

We have passed this restaurant many a time and said we must try it as we love seafood. So pleased that we did, when we walked in the staff welcomed us with a smile and very welcoming. There was so much to choose from especially if you like seafood There's a set menu plus the special boards. We had the ribs for starters then Steak and scallops for main finished off with lemon meringue pie. The food was hot and taste amazing. our only fault with the evening is people nearly sitting on our table trying to look at the specials board. So next time we will ask not to sit so close. The staff were friendly and helpful. You're in for a treat.

Popped in for dinner on Easter Saturday and lunch on Easter Monday; on both occasions all 4 of us thoroughly enjoyed the food, the venue and the service. I was a little concerned owing to some previous reviews but we prefer to make up our own minds. My 3 grilled fish in the evening and the Haddock Chowder (& prawn cocktail) lunch were excellent and we will be back when back in Burton.

Fantastic Sunday Lunch over the Easter weekend - two of us had roasts, one fish and one seafood - all were delicious. Service is excellent, friendly and nothing is too much trouble. They have great beers and there is a wonderful local feel to the pub, very family and dog friendly. Paul & Kate run a very welcoming pub and have a great chef whose seafood specials never disappoint. We eat at The Anchor regularly and always have a lovely meal.

Looks like great food, but if you are coeliac or have a serious allergy I would very strongly recommend that you avoid this resturant at all costs. We let the staff know that our daughter was coeliac they checked the dishes were suitable with the kitchen and said she could have anything other than the scallops and black pudding, she ordered the pork ribs and the menu suggested it had soy sauce in, I asked the waitress to double check, which she did and said it was OK, I asked again ( knowing how serious any gluten is for coeliacs and having to nurse my daughter though serious illness), the waitress checked again and said it was not suitable. Our daughter then chose the muscles and we reiterated she was coeliac, when the starters came out she had a half of baguette on the stater, we queried this with the watress who took the plate away and returned the same plate without the bread. I stared to get quite concerned at this point that despite numerous confirmatons and reassurance from the staff, that we were putting our daughter at serious risk. MAIN COURSE - We were told our daughter could have the linguini and that they would replace the pasta with gluten free pasta, unfortunately (yes you guessed it) it was served to her with bread, we queried this again it was suggested that the bread was taken off and when we asked to double check the pasta was gluten free it was not. By this point I was quite cross all be it polite and explained our frustration to one of the staff she said that the mistakes had happened and what did we want her to do about it. Unfortunately at this point our meals had been served although in all honesty I felt quite sick at the whole experience, our daughters meal was being reprepaired so ours would gave been cold when hers was served. Decided to cut our loses (to the extent we were leaving untouched drinks), and asked for the bill, after trying to charge us for everything we declined to pay for the main courses as these were not eaten and gave our untouched drinks to the next table. We will contact the Manager directly , as this completely ruined our last night here.

Myself and my partner visited the area on our camping trip and felt a nice pub dinner would be a good way to see out the day. The staff are attentive, friendly and helpful, with excellent customer service seemingly at the forefront of their business. Food arrived promptly, which was superb, and was also pretty reasonably priced compared to other local pubs. A quick mention to the lady who waited our table with a trainee in stow. Great to see a personable manager who supports their staff. The young man serving us was a very pleasant chap and he will do very well in time. Thank you both!

Great place for a spot of seafood although my mussels with chorizo were very average indeed - tough chorizo and tiny mussels. All told, we spent over £200 for 4 of us although admittedly we did manage to sink 2 x bottles of Malbec at £25 per bottle. Good service but my advice keep an eye on the prices.

I have been in the past and always enjoyed their specials. Always scrumptious fish dishes with lots of buttery sauces and yummy sides. I had a lovely seabass dish with prawns samphire and a delicious sauce. My husband went for the steak and by the speed he ate i'd say he enjoyed it! I really do love the varied dishes on offer and the kids menu was popular with my 3 & 7 year old as well. We wont leave it so long before we return again. Thank you to everyone at The Anchor for our jummy meals.

Thank you so much for a lovely Valentine's meal. The crab was very fresh, creamy and wonderful. Paul and Kate are great hosts. Nathan the Chef did us proud, good food, a special Valentine menu. Have been many times before, our favourite relaxed eateries.

Came here on recommendation with friends on New Years Eve. Had a amazing meal and the lobster was to die for. Will be visiting again when we are next in Bridport

We ate at the Anchor twice over the festive season. We had the Christmas menu with friends and what a lovely meal it was. There was definitely something for everyone. We opted for traditional turkey and it was the best we’ve ever had in a restaurant. On New Year’s Eve we treated ourselves to the special New Year’s Eve menu which was absolutely delicious and the whole experience felt like a really special occasion. The service, as always, was fantastic and we need to give a special mention to the chef, who put together two amazing menus. After our meal we joined friends on the bar for a disco to bring in the new year. Lovely to see a good mix of locals and visitors enjoying a brilliant evening.

Fabulous proprietors, excellent ambience, a tremendous range of tasty food. It was just the environment in which you felt you could relax. Reject the doctors, make an appointment with The Anchor instead - do you more good!

Really delicious food in friendly and comfortable environment. The staff were courteous and efficient. Highly recommended.

Absolutely amazing meal - cooked to perfection! We had the scallops and half a roast chicken Cajun style - can thoroughly recommend both. Portions were more than adequate - we were both stuffed but it was so delicious we kept eating until the plates were...

Fantastic food . The menu has Seaford and steaks and is quite expensive but well worth the money. All the food is freshly prepared and beautifully served.

The whole experience from start to finish was terrible! I am coeliac and they made me feel like it was a real hardship for them to cook gluten free food. But instead of saying no sorry we cannot cater for you, they said okay fine...

We were staying at a local site and were lucky that they were able to fit us in for Sunday Lunch. We were 4 adults and a toddler. The staff were all so helpful and friendly and the food was amazing. The roast pork was...

We watched the rugby here, arriving in the bar around 4.30pm and stayed for dinner too. We ate the Tomahawk Pork Chop and the Dover Sole, both from the specials. They were wonderful. The service was great - dogs were very welcomed and we had...

Visiting Burton Bradstock village has been a wonderful experience and the Anchor Inn was a place that anyone visiting the area should stop and enjoy, a warm and friendly welcome, excellent food , service and atmosphere ensure your visit is a memorable time. The team...

Trying to leave a review again because after leaving an average review, I was contacted by someone who was angry about our review, and it was removed, eveb though it was all true. We found the food here tasteless on two occasions, and whne we...

We called in Sunday for drinks to be greeted by a member of staff who was really rude , made us feel unwelcome she was chewing gum did not speak only pointed to show us to a seated , we was told the pub was...

We were a group booking of 17 friends, getting together to celebrate a special birthday. All the staff, especially the chef Nathan, made it an evening to remember both in organising it beforehand and on the day. The food was amazing, comments were 'best steak...

Went on a Sunday, which has a restricted menu. Lovely food, friendly staff and fast service. We both had 3 courses, which we wouldn't normally do but the desserts sounded so good that we couldn't resist. Going, back later in the week.

One of two excellent pubs in Burton Bradstock, each with a different type of menu and feel to it. We had a fabulous meal here, probably the highlight of our whole week in West Dorset, beautifully prepared and cooked food, lovely staff, excellent wine and...

We had heard good things about The Anchor so decided to pop in for lunch. We hadn't booked but the place seemed pretty empty which probably should have been a warning on a summer weekend! My husband ordered mussels to start - at least half...

Absolutely superb at The Anchor Inn, Burton Bradstock. Friday night and Jo and I just had a three course dinner and it was so good I thought I’d review immediately. We totally recommend eating here, it’s fab. Lovely environment, friendly staff and the food and...

What a fabulous place. I love fish. Husband doesn’t eat fish. We both had the best meals. I had scallops and a skate wing for my main. My husband had steak. .

Drove past and smelt good so decided to stop for a late lunch. Cosy and friendly,small but good menu. We ordered the fish platter and ham,duck egg and wedges. Perfect portion sizes,delicious and very reasonably priced. Would definitely return!

Most times we visit Burton Bradstock we like to have a meal at The Anchor. The staff are friendly and efficient without being too ‘fussy.’ The menu is fab and the food is delicious. Well worth a visit when in the area.

Good chose of Ales kept in good condition also wide choice of drinks to appeal to all. Menu looked good value for money

Exceptional food and service. The portions were big for starters but since the food was so good, it was hard to resist! Thankfully my daughter helped me eat mine. Some great options and the seafood spaghetti was the best I’ve had. Staff were really friendly...

We hadn't booked and arrived at 1.45 on Saturday. Luckily we were just in time before they stopped serving food. Ordered ham, egg & chips. Didn't wait long. The duck egg was perfect & fresh, lovely fresh salad, great amount of ham and the chips...

Ate at The Anchor this evening. Friendly, attentive, accommodating staff. We were able to choose where to sit. Food arrived swiftly, hot and impressive. If you like seafood you won’t be disappointed. Best meal out we’ve had in a long time. Oh yes, and it’s...

We ate here while staying nearby, we called in the afternoon to book and although it was busy they kindly managed to fit us in. The food was lovely and well presented but what really made it was the team of young ladies running the...

After reading the glowing reviews about the anchors seafood we decided to give it a go. We all really enjoyed our meals. Tasty, cooked to perfection and nice sized portions. The baileys crème brûlée was culinary genius! The staff were great and it was a...

Starters were fab issue with the lamb cutlets 2 out 3 under cooked.Staff didn’t address the issue in a professional manner stating we should have come to the bar with the our issue. The waitress did speak to the chef and came back to tell...

Disappointing Sunday Roast: the potatoes were rock hard, burnt Yorkshire pudding. Not acceptable or worth the cost

We had lunch at the Anchor and were seated at a large round table near the bar. The staff were very pleasant and the choice of food was very good with a wide variety of fish, non meat and meat options. We had different main...

My family and I try to come here every time we’re holidaying in the local area, and once again it did not disappoint. We shared the halloumi fires and buffalo cauliflower florets for stater, and the I had the half lobster Thermidor from the specials...

Disappointing. Steaks and fish nice, but not worth the inflated prices. Felt a bit 80's and pub could have been cleaner. Good service.

We were looking forward to trying the Anchor on our first night in the area. It is definitely a pub with food rather than a restaurant and dogs are welcome. As expected the menu was heavily biased towards seafood and what was produced was of...

The chef knows how to prepare and cook seafood to perfection. It is so fresh, tasty and beautifully cooked with other ingredients that do not overwhelm the fsh. The scallops with black pudding and Guiness sauce were divinev too. We will certainly return.

We were warned when we booked that traditional Sunday lunch wasn’t available which wasn’t a problem to us. It is difficult to find their menus on line as they are linked to Facebook. However, we found a very limited menu with most of the specials...

Couldn't serve us any food despite only being 2 tables (6 people) in there, but they were understaffed so understand, however, Pint of Madri and a coke £10.25, lord give me strength, am not made of money. Also, sat on my stool and a screw...

We had been recommended to come to The Anchor while staying in Burton Bradstock so we booked a family meal out at 6pm. We had 2 young children in the party which may not be their usual clients, so maybe they are not used to...

We prebooked as recommended and was glad we did. The pub is friendly and has a bar if you want drinks only. The restaurant seemed busy every night. I had lobster and fillet steak with scallops to start. It was beautifully cooked, well presented and...

Absolutely brilliant place. The staff were incredibly kind on two occasions and managed to squeeze us in for dinner even though we hadn’t booked (please book, it makes their lives easier). The third time we did book in. Food is wonderful, using fresh produce. Their...

We ate at the Anchor because of feedback saying it was the best place to go for fish in Burton Bradstock. Our meal was tasty but not outstanding and the puddings were particularly disappointing. We also had a couple of Fawlty Towers-esque moments during service...

We went for my husbands birthday meal. We had scallops and ribs for starters and then both had the tuna bowl main. The food was exceptional!!

Superb fish restaurant. Large portions and a variety of fresh fish changing daily. Staff are very friendly and efficient. It’s basically a pub with no refinements but the food is restaurant quality and priced accordingly. It is very popular so booking is really important. Wine...

Fantastic pub serving superb food with friendly staff. We chose the Anchor specifically because of the seafood. We both had crab which was caught locally and we can honestly say it was the best we have ever had. If we had been staying longer we...

We had a meal here on Saturday night and the food was superb. We had the beef and reef and mussels and both really were excellent. Kate was very helpful and attentive given they were really busy. The Jail Ale was spot on. We asked...

The staff were excellent, friendly and chatty. However the choice of what was available was very disappointing as quite a lot of things were unavailable. If you wanted to class yourself as a fish restaurant a wider choice should be available. Not what we would...

Brilliant, proper pub run by lovely people serving superb food. Two of us had turbot which was the best fish dish I've had for a very long time. All our party really enjoyed themselves. I can't believe a couple of the recent reviews which appear...

I visited here with my sister and was impressed with the interior when we arrived. We had prawns as a starter which was fine and ordered the lobster Thermidor ,which is not cheap but decided it would be good as it’s a fish restaurant/pub.. The...

We visited about 8 years ago decided to return. The menu is a mixture of blackboard specials and a small lunchtime menu. So I took photos of the blackboard’s dishes bit of a faff with drinkers at the bar. So decided to play it safe....

Lovely pub, great staff, but 3 of our party ordered the Anglers Platter, which should have comprised smoked mackerel pate, smoked salmon and prawn Marie rose. No pate, instead we were served crab claws, but weren't told of the substitution. Neither I nor my husband...

I haven't eaten your great looking food. I have experienced expertise in human kindness, medical assistance and life saving help from Paul, Kate,staff and clients.Two of which were nurses. My husband had a cardiac arrest here a couple of nights ago. Every one pulled together...

We managed to have the most wonderful meal in the pub. Staff were very friendly as soon as you walk through the door. Unfortunately there was a medical emergency. All staff responded immediately and professionally. There's no doubt the swift intervention of staff & other...

Fantastic local seafood and great staff. Doesn’t look like much from the outside, or even the inside really . But don’t be fooled, the good is wonderful. We have never tried meat as the seafood is so good . Lots comes from West Bay (3...

Wow! What an amazing experience. Wonderfully welcoming staff, informative and friendly. Scallops, lobster and chocolate-quite simply the food of gods for me. We will be back to sample different beer and seafood. 100% delicious! 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

We stayed in Dorset for one week. The first time we went to this restaurant was by casuality. We ordered lamk shanks which were so good our French friend would not believe it. Pavlova dessert was another great choice. In view of the 1st experience,...

Fantastic walk over the tops with a pub lunch in mind. We came to the Anchor first. Had heard of its rival but stuck with first impression. Two contrasting sharing boards were shared between two brothers in law. Superb. Could not be faulted. Girls said...

We arrived to a warm welcome & confronted with a wonderful choice of food. The Staff were excellent very knowledgeable about where the food had been sourced from. There were so many delicious sounding dishes on offer & we went for their seafood option The...

We had a most excellent lunch here with friends and though the weather had stopped the boats fishing for fresh crabs & lobsters the four seafood meals we had were absolutely delicious as was the beer. Definitely recommended!

During our holiday in Dorset we had a lunch and dinner at the Anchor. Both times service was excellent and the food. Really great place.

What a find, we came across the pub today when had to divert on our journey. We had s wonderful lunch, the good excellent and staff made you very welcome. The choice of food was great and we all had a problem deciding on what...

I came here for a meal with my parents on Good Friday evening. The pub was very busy, but service was still quick and all the staff were very friendly. I had the fish cakes to start, scallops for main and a lemon cheesecake for...

If the 3 Horseshoes is better than the Anchor, I really must try harder to get a table there as, the service and meals were excellent. I think Burton Bradstock is exceptionally lucky to have 2 such great pubs. Read some bad review on this...

Delicious food and great, friendly service at the Anchor Inn tonight. Fresh scallops beautifully cooked with pancetta, garlic butter and samphire, battered hake and chips and a meaty burger - we all enjoyed our meals. Tasty puddings including light lemon cheesecake. Definitely worth a visit.

We booked for my wife's birthday, great variety in the menu,local cider excellent. Large portions great service,great staff. Nothing was too much trouble.excellent venue.

What a fantastic find! Had the most wonderful meal here for my husband’s birthday last night. Booked an early evening table as dining with children and were friendly and helpful on the phone which was matched by the warm greeting when we arrived. The chef...

Visited yesterday, and the whole experience was really nice!Food fantastic as was service all the staff really friendly

I think this place is starting to trade on its reputation, the seafood is good but the service is well below par and some of the portions are tiny considering the prices.

We discovered this place 8 years ago during a camping trip. We now visit whenever we are in the area. The food is amazing without exception, the service is friendly and efficient and the pub is dog friendly. Can't recommend highly enough. My son declared the burger to be the best he has ever tasted (and that's a lot of burgers!)

Great to be back here to enjoy their superb range of foodCertainly not disappointedMy wife had the Scallops as a mainI had the Reef & Beef, excellent, beautifully cooked & presentedIts definitely the first place we book when holidaying in West Bay

What a fantastic find, super friendly staff, fantastic choices of fresh fish and seafood, all home prepared and cooked to perfection. The fresh Halibut was super tasty and cooked to perfection

We booked to visit but couldn't get in for a couple of nights. They were fully booked most of the time. We had the lobster and a large crab to share. It was so delicious. We loved the experience here. A dog friendly pub too. Would highly recommend especially if your a seafood lover.

If you enjoy flat lager then this is the place for you. Cant comment on the food as as didn't stay long enough to try it.The barman tried to get a head on the Morretti but failed miserably .

Stumbled across this place whilst out on a walk to get a quick bite to eat. Staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating and the food was amazing, we wanted to stay for longer!!! They said they'd been booked up solid for weeks and I can see why. Will definitely be back... Nice and dog friendly too!

Fantastic seafood! Had the whole crab - amazing! Grill available too. Friendly, efficient service, great wines. Just an excellent dining experience!