The Anchor Inn at Seatown in West Dorset

What an incredible spot! Used it as a meeting spot for a family get together and were treated to fantastic service and wonderful food. Quite possibly the best roast I have had!

The Anchor Inn is amazing. It has three rooms available, and we stayed for three nights in October 2024 and ate all dinners and breakfasts there, and one lunch. Each meal was great as was the service. It was our second stay in two years and it was even better this time. We had a room at the front overlooking the beach and ocean. On a sunny day, they have large outside eating areas all with a gorgeous view of the water. If you go for lunch or dinner, it will be busy, but it is worth it. The bar is also well stocked and you are well taken care of. Thanks to the staff for taking such good care of us.

Brilliantly located along with South West Coastal Path, offering the perfect spot to reward yourself following a challenging walk. Came over the hill from West Bay to specifically enjoy a ploughmans and a pint.

At last, a pub in a prime location which has great staff and top quality pub food. Amazing pies on the winter menu but everything else was also good.

After a walk along the beach, we decided to stop for lunch. Very pleasant atmosphere with friendly, helpful staff. The menu looked a little pricy but I have to say it was worth every penny. Best meal we have had for quite some time. We had the duck, which was cooked to perfection. Wish we had trued this place years ago.

After a walk from Charmouth over Golden Cap, this pub was very welcome for a delicious lunch and excellent views. Choice of beer and cider was good too. The crab brioche was delicious and the chips were perfect.

This has to be one of the best pubs in Britain. The location and views are great, the service we received was efficient and friendly, and the food and drink were excellent.

We stayed for two nights in one of the Anchor's beautiful rooms. Honestly couldn't fault anything. The room was spotlessly clean, very well-appointed and had the most stunning view of the sea and hills. Food exceptional - both dinner and breakfast. Staff couldn't have been more welcoming and friendly and are definitely the biggest asset of this beautiful pub. We'll definitely be back!

Decided to stop here for lunch after fossil hunting on Seatown beach. Can't comment about the inside of the pub as we didn't step foot indoors - the weather was reasonable for the time of year and we were seated outside. Service was prompt, polite and efficient. I ordered the butternut squash soup which was absolutely delicious (10/10 for that), my partner was happy with his ham and cheese baguette, my aunt liked the flavours in her baguette (can't remember exactly what one she had other than there was beetroot in it) but the filling rather minimal. I did think that portions overall were on the small side (soup bowl was wide but shallow) and wasn't overly impressed that it was an extra £3 to have 2 slices of sourdough bread. To sum up - nice food, but portions could have done with being a little bigger/more fillings and pricing was a little high for the quantity of food given.

Stayed one night in beautiful modern room with sea view. Staff professional and friendly. Car parking reserved for stay. Dinner and breakfast good choice excellent food.

Stopped by for a late lunch with a few friends and our dog. Had the whole front room with a great little view to ourselves, the guy who greeted us was very warming and looked like he loves what he does. The waitress who took our order was also really nice. Would recommend, lovely atmosphere, great decor and view and Dog friendly too. what more could you ask for! Would come again if we venture this way again!

A great pub in a great location. Superb food and a good range of beers, but make sure you book as it gets very busy. Cosy inside and great views outside if you want to brave the weather. If you're on the Dorset coast, easy to reach by bus and a short walk from Chideock - the car park often fills up in the summer.

We stayed & ate at The Anchor Inn over the past weekend. We cannot praise it highly enough. From the warm, friendly welcome, to the amazing food to the gorgeous room. We stayed in the Thorncombe which had amazing views over the beach and out to Portland. Breakfast was delicious, lots of choice. We ate there both evenings and cannot fault the food. I would definitely recommend booking as there are not many tables and they were full both nights. The staff are so friendly and cannot do enough for you. We walked to West Bay on one of the days and arrived back at The Anchor Inn at about 2.30pm. The sun was shining and it was busy, there was a wait for tables inside but there were tables available outside to sit and enjoy the view on a lovely February afternoon. We will definitely be returning.

Disappointing reception for the fourth time! Directed to order a drink before finding a table, without the opportunity to see what was on offer at the bar. We were not allowed into the bar! I could understand such rules in the height of the season, but felt very unwelcoming and unnatural on a quiet Saturday in February. Waited 10 mins for the beer to arrive to our table, to be spilt & therefore not a full pint.

After a very muddy walk over Golden Cap we popped in for lunch with our dog, sat outside and had great service then it rained! Was very busy inside so we sheltered in a doorway until the rain subsided. Staff were brilliant & offered us a table as soon as there was one free without us even asking for one! The food was excellent & we were very impressed! Will return soon

Great lunch in an atmospheric pub right on the coast. Pub is small so must book ahead, otherwise, they won't even let you have a drink inside on a rainy day, just not enough room, but plenty of space outside if the weather is nice enough.

Walked over the coast path from West bay for a special treat at the Anchor. Very welcoming staff, great food and beers and super dog friendly. Always a treat, thanks all

Visited before but not on a Sunday. Had beef and pork belly roasts. Absolutely fantastic quality. Love the place, atmosphere is eclectic, views phenomenal, service great, drinks selection works well. Would definitely recommend.

Lovely location on the beach, great service, friendly helpful staff. Delicious food, we had the fish stew. Fantastic cider. Dog friendly, would highly recommend and we can’t wait to return.

We came across this place almost by accident just needing a lunch break in our journey from Devon to the New Forest. The setting was idyllic and inside was so cosy and atmospheric Food was really good - a crab brioche and salad with fries and a ploughman's. Staff were very friendly. Totally recommend !

Me and a mate thought we’d pop in for a pint of Guinness during our long hike. We were greeted by a nice lady at the entrance who asked if we’d like to sit in the cliff garden. It sounded nice so we agreed. We paid around £13 for two pints and she then explained how to get to the beer garden and to wait there and our drinks will be brought out. A different lady then brought over our drinks and just plainly said we should have waited by the front door of the pub for our drinks. I then explained that another member of staff told us specifically to wait in the garden. She then just said that it was our fault as apparently the First Lady shouted back at us, to which neither of us heard a thing. The view was amazing and we were in great spirits until the mood was dampened by very poor customer service and clearly poor communication between colleagues. Especially considering we were the only people in the garden when we sat there. Can’t imagine how they would operate if it was actually busy.

Offered a table outside which we took, then poured down either rain? Us sling with several other tables keft dripping wet, serving staff didn’t even have waterproofs, I feel it’s very poor management to take bookings when you can’t check the weather prior to your service.

Very welcoming pub and all of the staff were very nice. Food was good although the burgers felt a bit overcooked or dry. The fish and chips were good but putting onions in mushy peas is a no for me.

Excellent. We stayed for two nights and ate in both evenings. The room was great, not fussy, comfortable, large and warm. Naturally hearing the waves on the shingle beach helps with the atmosphere in, The food at dinner and breakfast was first class. First evening we had the fish stew which came with a generous portion of white crab meat on top, a nice touch. Second evening we had a mix of several starters, all generous size and delicious. Breakfasts were great too, plus lashings of coffee. Staff friendly! Polite and efficient. A lovely pub in a lovely location. Well done

We were staying in a cottage near this pub and booked for the first night, so we had somewhere to eat on our first night. As soon as we’d finished our meal we booked for our remaining nights as well. The food is fantastic, I had the fish special the second night, whole plaice which was cooked to perfection but the sauce, that was simply incredible!!! We ended up eating three amazing meals at The Anchor but what raises our experience even higher were the staff, they were brilliant. My wife is gluten free (not out of choice), the menu clearly identified GF dishes and the staff knew how to adjust dishes if possible to make them GF if the could. The pub is also dog friendly, as are all the staff. They made such a fuss of our dog, who also really enjoyed his visits. Well done to all the staff for really making us feel welcome. 5⭐️ food and 5⭐️ staff

Worth coming all the way from Australia…….the cod special lived up to its name - one of the tastiest meals in a long time. Thank you all and for the wine recommendation

Stayed here 3 days fantastic rooms and best fish chips I have ever had. Staff so friendly and helpful

A lovely spot by the sea. Friendly service. Amazing sharing pie with especially fantastic chips. Lots of choice on the menu

Brilliant food and service great staff food delicious and very reasonably priced beer also excellent thank you

So so good! The team were unbelievably professional, friendly and helpful. Food was utterly delicious we had a 7 hour epic Sunday lunch. Couldn’t stop eating and relaxing! Thank you “The Achor” you are amazing

Dinner was a great experience, unusually the vegetarian selection was multilayered and interesting. The reality was that this was fabulous food. The cauliflower truffle hazelnut and parsnip soup was so rich, so many flavours and textures with the parsnip crisps - really yummy. My daughter...

Three generations had a lovely dinner on a stormy night. A very cosy Inn with a great ambience. A great menu, loads of choices, all delicious.

Walked up Golden Cap and drove down to the Anchor for a late lunch. Delighted to see they serve until 4pm. Sat outside overlooking the sea. (it was only the thought of lunch at the Anchor that kept me walking up the steepest cliff on...

Excellent food and service Limited menu but all dishes well freshly prepared. Highly recommend. You will need to book Right on the beach.

Disappointed as it's changed hands since we last used it. It's very expensive now and we felt it was more of a restaurant than a pub. As soon as we approached the bar they tried to give us a menu and we had to tell...

What a dramatic two nights’ stay during Storm Ciaran! Great atmosphere, good food and plenty of sea drama. Recommend for an anniversary as great place for walking as well.

Superb service and great food. We had 14 people and 4 wet dogs and were greeted at the door with a nice welcome. The attentiveness of the staff, great beer and fabulous local food make this place a little gem on the Devon coast and...

Absolutely fantastic lunch. From the moment I called to book until we left, the staff were friendly, helpful, polite and courteous. Caroline was brilliant in accommodating 14 of us and 4 dogs! All table service so no messing about at the bar and the waitresses...

Superb meal at Anchor Inn. We sat outside with our dogs. Although busy, due to half term, we were served very quickly. Fish and chips arrived , very hot and on hot plate . Absolutely delicious. Staff were very attentive. With sun shinning as well...

Stunning views, with fantastic service. Everyone was polite, fast and efficient. Despite being busy food took no longer than 10 mins from ordering. Food quality was super. As soon as the food was cleared I asked for the bill and it came straight away. Lots...

Very disappointing Wonderful location right on the beach but inside is quite dismal. Dirty, paint peeling off the walls. The table I was given was in a side room and there were about a dozen flies buzzing around the light in the middle of the room. In fact a table of 4 left saying “there are too many flies”. One of the 4 asked the waitress where all the flies were coming from and she laughed and said “the weather is so bad outside that they’ve decided to come in here. Lunch very poor - Brie arancini to start, tasty but luke warm. Main of crab in brioche bun …. Crab was not fresh but mixed in some sort of mayonnaise and served in a hot dog roll May come back for a drink on a nice day but certainly not to eat.

Fantastic mussels and fish pie for2 just simply the best. Amazing staff especially Sam. Nothing was too much trouble, dog chewed his stick under table n made a right mess, i asked for dust pan n brush but Sam was having none of it lol....

Loved this pub/restaurant. The management and staff are superb. Visited for a coffee. Then returned for an evening meal. The feeling of the place is warm and cosy. The staff are attentive and alert. I like the venue. Would go back.

Magical place. The staff were welcoming and professional. The vegetarian food was delicious and beautifully presented. The location and view ... very special. We loved it.

The food, service and atmosphere exceeded our expectations. What a charming pub! Ideal location, attentive and friendly service, delicious food, great selection of ales. We ate there twice in 2 days and wished we had found this little gem sooner. Very dog friendly which is...

I can't recommend The Anchor Inn enough. I have eaten here on numerous occasions and the food, service and atmosphere always exceeds expectation. I most recently stayed for one night with my partner in September 2023 and we had the best time. Our room was...

Beautiful views and good number of outside tables. DH had the crab brioche with chips and I had mussels with fennel, chilli, cider, cream and chives, also with chips. Both meals were fantastic, bug fat mussels and sweetest crab meat, flavours were incredible. Service was...

Great menu with original ingredients and prepared to perfection, efficient table service in or out with minimum wait.

The Anchor in Seatown was an absolute delight. I had haddock & chips, also we ordered the pork loin with potato salad, & it was delicious. What made the dining experience even more remarkable was the stunning views from my seat, I had a picturesque...

Lovely to be visiting The Anchor again when the sun was shining. It’s one of our very favourite places and it is always a pleasure to return. We have invariably found the staff to be cheerful and friendly (even when some of the customers aren’t...

Fabulous staff, wonderful food and lovely position ☺️ our third visit in 2 days, had dinner, lunch and popped in for a drink, very welcoming staff, super service and really delicious food…. I can’t believe it’s being called a gastro pub as this is not...

Lovely pub, great location. Food and drinks quite expensive. The menu was quite limited and quite expensive for a pub and it wasn't that good, but its location probably warrants that. Drinks were very expensive.

Just had the most delicious meal (catch of the day) in the most picturesque spot with fabulous views & friendly staff! You have to try it! You will not regret it! Sooo dog/people friendly 👌🍻

We enjoyed a fabulous lunch here at The Anchor Inn. Beautiful spot with great views from the terrace. The staff were very helpful, attentive and very friendly. The menu was varied, and a good choice of local Palmers beers. Having eaten fish most days during...

You know that you are not welcome inside Whether to eat or drink, you are parked outside whatever the lack of heat So forget about choosing your place because you are told!!!

We both had battered haddock and chips, there was more batter than fish, chips were frozen and not made freshly, for £19.00 each it was way overpriced.

Lovely village pub, home-cooked food, great atmosphere large car park. Second visit here and wont be my last. Sean and the staff are extremely friendly chatting and very welcoming.

This place used to be great but it's changed a lot. The staff and the food aren't as great as they were, plus, there's alway a queue. Beautiful location, would go baack.

It’s such a shame as this used to be such a friendly, laid back pub where you could get pub grub, stand or drink around the bar, and it generally had a lovely traditional and cosy English pub atmosphere. I understand they are trying to...

Setting is stunning but they know that and charge accordingly. £14 for a glass of mediocre red wine and a ginger ale is akin to central London prices. We did look at the food menu but prices are high for what looked like pub grub.

We’ve always visited this place when in the area which is quite often over the course of the year, but unfortunately won’t be returning, firstly if you want to eat lunch you are now Ripped off at the car park, used to be £4 and...

Really excellent food and great service. The gluten and dairy free options on the menu are clearly labelled. Would definitely recommend.

Used the pizza place run by the pub on the beach. Was told at car park £2 off a pizza if you told the staff. So ordered a pizza half hour wait, told the lad I had parking ticket, at pay out after he took...

Really busy even after the school hols, but a good flow to seating, ordering and serving. Food was lovely and waiting staff very friendly. Fantastic location

Just the best ambience and brilliant food made all the mire special by lovely staff Kerry and Caroline.

Only ate here once whilst staying at the holiday park. Menu is very limited and very expensive. I ordered a ploughman’s - presented very well but over priced in my opinion. But suppose you’re paying for the views which were beautiful :)

The food was spectacular- so near a campsite, my expectations weren't high and yet it was a beautiful surprise. So much so our group decided (unanimously) to go 2 nights in a row. We had truly lovely waitresses both nights - Megs and Cerys. Enjoyed...

I had some great food, the staff was very friendly, and the view was just fantastic! Would 100% go again!

We had an enjoyable lunch at the Anchor though there were a few points of note. Our choices were the crab brioche rolls and several ploughman’s in our group. We felt the crab rolls were rather on the small side and so was the filling....

We used to come here a lot each time we are in the area but not anymore and we will tell friends to avoid too. It is such a shame as the views are stunning. We sat outside today and they have now changed it...

Good local fresh food and great service. Bream was locally caught and atmosphere inside pub/ resturant was pleasing

Came for a special lunch. Friendly staff, good menu choices. Surprised not to find and crab dishes but good range of meals. It seems to have gone up quite a lot in price but it was a delicious lunch. Only slightly marred by the waiter...

Wow what an amazing pub. I went with my boyfriend for dinner last weekend and we were beyond impressed with everything about this pub. We both had the mussels and my goodness they were amazing. The best mussels we’ve both ever had, better than Rick...

Called in for Sunday lunch, even though they don’t do traditional roasts in the summer the meal was very good. Opted for pardon peppers, large plate of muscles and chips along with a ploughman’s lunch. Excellent quality and service, thank you. It’s in a great...

We couldn’t book a table for evening as we’d hoped but the beach was fantastic so we stayed all day! Early dinner as we had an 8 year old with us. We all had fish based meal (a starter sized mussels for 8year old who...

Often called in for lunch as we stayed at the local campsite. Food always delicious and staff are great.

We had the most fantastic stay at the Anchor Inn. Amazing room with amazing view, amazing food and amazing staff. Thank you for looking after us so well. Nothing was too much trouble and we will definitely be back. Breakfast and Dinner was fantastic. Lobster...

Visited for lunch. Very attentive staff, helpful and friendly. Nothing was too much trouble. Prompt service Food well presented and tasty Will definitely visit again Thankyou

Food was good (fish main perhaps better than profiterole pudding) and staff were friendly and efficient. And it's clearly a great spot. But was v surprised to be charged £8 to park in the adjoining carpark (the restaurant doesn't have one) just to eat It's...

We spent 2 wonderful nights at The Anchor Inn in Seatown to celebrate our wedding anniversary. From the moment we arrived (to a very welcome reserved parking spot in this bustling seaside slice of heaven) we were treated with excellent service, fabulous food and beautiful...

Food very good and service friendly and efficient while looking out at the sea. Best possible company, the two of us, I recommend to everyone

Was having a walk and found this lovely welcoming retreat, was only going to have a quick drink but 2 hours later and lunch we witnessed Team work amongst the very friendly staff, as well as our lovely pizza and the view we had a...

What an amazing location to enjoy some lunch by the sea. We sat outside and could watch the waves crash against the shore. The food was also amazing and great service.

Visited for our anniversary lunch & we were so pleased with our meals. The food was exemplary. The staff were extremely professional & welcoming. Wonderful terrace views in the sunshine. Easy to park, if not on their front car park, there is a large car...

My wife and I stayed 3 nights (4 - 7 July) in the Thorncombe room. We had a very stressful journey down, travelling through at times, torrential downpours of rain. Needless to say, we were somewhat stressed after our 3.5 hour car journey. However upon...

Always a pleasure to visit the Anchor in Seatown. Fantastic beer, equally impressive food, and excellent service. MC has been particularly friendly and attentive during our week's stay, and we have always felt very welcome and accommodated for. The outside views are superb, and the...

The Anchor Inn at Seatown is quite possibly my favourite pub in England. The food is not your usual pub fare, in fact it's the sort you might expect at a Michelin star restaurant. Their head chef creates a carefully curated menu adapted to the...

We had scallops, Tagliatelle and Hake. All ingredients fresh, beautifully cooked and delicious to eat. Best meal we have eaten in Dorset so far. Congratulations to all who work here it was a true pleasure.

Lovely views, however completely ruined by the utterly rude waitress who we were greeted by. Tried to embarrass us by implying we were not the sort of people she wished to serve. So we simply didn’t bother and left. 10/10 would recommend Seatown, but take...

We enjoyed a wonderful couple of nights at The Anchor. The inn has only three rooms. Ours was spacious with a huge modern bathroom with shower and roll-top bath and views looking down on the beach. We enjoyed excellent dinners on both nights with dishes...

Not a good experience. Very rude member of staff who greeted us with 'stay out' when we arrived at 11.55am. She later made other strange comments about it being seated only service and which door to enter the pub by, all done in a passive-aggressive...

The pub is lovely and to be able to sit overlooking the sea is just stunning only problem is the parking. There are only 6 spaces or you have to park in the car park which charges only one price of £6 to park there....

Once again outstanding, which other Inns should take not. The manager led from the front and appeared to be in control of everything that was going on, managing the details in a very organised way. We ate in the beer garden and restaurant, both of...

This is such a magical place, that I'm slightly reticent in writing the review I intend to, as I don't really want to share it! But as we're a 3 hour drive away that would seem rather ridiculous. Just returned from a two-night stay in...

I just wanted to thank you for a lovely evening meal. Myself and hubby came down on our motorbike for a meal and we certainly weren’t disappointed. Minty was our waitress and she was absolutely lovely, polite and helpful. The food was excellent, haddock and...

We visited the Anchor on a Monday evening and decided to sit inside. No booking, just first come first served. The are very dog friendly and Caroline our waitress loved our dog and wanted to take him home. Caroline provided a fantastic service, was attentive...

Don't miss this seaside restaurant if you are anywhere near this areat. Great welcome and friendly staff at our initial lunch and for dinner later in the week. Really wonderful food in a relaxing atmosphere. Well presented and no measly portions. Would highly recommend the...

Fantastic food, with great views of the beach. Freindly serice and dolphins put in an appearance. A must visit.

This really is a fantastic place. The staff are all cheerful, welcoming – and very knowledgeable. If you’re not sure what you want to drink or eat, just ask for recommendations and you’ll be delighted with what they suggest. This time we had some lovely...

Absolutely great pub, excellent food and fantastic friendly staff, and of course a beautiful view. Highly recommend this perfect location.