The Anvil Inn in North Dorset

Amazing food, lovely setting, gorgeous outdoor seating. Can't recommend highly enough!

Food was good, drinks reasonably priced. Atmosphere inside was a little clicky, too quiet, everyone could hear each other speak. £37 for 2 meals wasn’t too bad, the scampi was lovely as was the homemade tartar sauce. Only downfall is the car park, it’s so small. Even worse when they are digging up the road outside, it’s chaos. Would possibly come back if the menu changed as not a great deal of choice.

Becoming very expensive £13 for two pints.

Just had food in here . Literally the best steak I’ve ever had. And I’ve had many steaks!! Will be in here next time I’m working this way

Great place, the owners couldn't help us enough. The rooms are spacious,and all together, a great atmosphere in the place, the food is good

Wouldn’t recommend this pub to anyone. Staff need a long term course at a charm school, got the food order wrong, Food was poor, could have got Fish and Chips down the road in Blandford for half the price and 100% better Food. Definitely not Value for money… 1 x Fish and Chips, ( Batter like rock, it shattered when I tried cut it, should have had a Steak knife) , Burgers, (Charred or should should it say burnt) . 2 x Burger and Chips … Total £54.00 . Quantity of Chips with each …. No more than 20. London Prices, (1 x Fish and Chips, 2 x Burger and Chips, 1 x Lager Shandy, 2 x Cokes… Total £65.75p … unreal, it’ s Rolls Royce Prices and they are supplying at best the equivalent to a second hand Ford. Advice to the owners is, if you want to run a pub doing food, do it properly, supply good food, give value for money, don’t make basic mistakes, make sure your staff are trained properly, and don’t assume all the customers who come through your door have to be fleeced. As you probably gathered… it’s a very big No from me .

A sense of terror in the eyes of the blameless young staff. No pizza left at 7.30pm! One barman dealing with all food and drink orders. An owner hiding in the kitchen apparently. Very average food arrived after an hour. Just such a shame that a characterful ancient pub is being mismanaged like this. Dear owner you need some professional help. Call Gordon.

After our last visit, decided to give it another go. Pros: probably one of the best burgers I have eaten, pure beef, cooked with a slight char, bacon beautiful, altogether an absolute delight. Female waiting staff very friendly and helpful. Cons: no mayonnaise, another table wanted ketchup - no ketchup (both basics at a pub). Young male waiter could possibly do with a short course on customer service and attitude.

Lovely pub good food. Room we stayed in needs a bit of upkeep.

Consistently friendly and welcoming staff. Nice food. Good selection of local beers.

Just had one of the best Sunday roast beef lunches I have had in a long time. It was delicious!

Lunched here with friends. Very enjoyable although pub was very quiet for a Thursday! The minute steak came medium rare with good fries and rocket salad with Parmesan. Surprisingly good.

Their Sunday roast was amazing. The cauliflower cheese is one of the best I've ever had.

This pub is delightful. We booked a double and single room for 2 nights. Rooms were clean and beds comfortable. Tea and coffee in room. Good hot shower. Food in pub was delicious. Good selection at breakfast with good portions. Main menu had a good choice aswell and the crayfish salad was delicious 😋 Staff were lovely. Reece the Barman was on hand during our short stay and was very friendly. Would definitely recommend staying here

Dropped in for impromptu lunch, very friendly staff, served quickly. Really lovely food and not too pricey, will definitely visit again.

Stopped off for a drink after visiting Dorset Heavy Horse, good service, a good range of drinks that were required, lots of seating outside with a pond and outside cooking area.

Crayfish Bagette, salad and chip's, different and very nice.

We take an opportunity to visit a pub on our way home. The place looks simple but the food was very tasty and well served. There is a nice place to sit outside. The Restaurant offered picas on fire (from 3pm) which sad we were not able to try as came too early. It was the best fish and chips I ever ate, and my husband agreed with me.

Beautiful location, outstanding outside area with pizza kitchen in covered seating area, (pizza deals on quiz entry on Wednesdays, nod to Karl, best quiz master ever, the quiz was so much fun and pulled a crowd and great atmosphere). The outdoor elevated fish tank, beautiful natural flowers in little pots on tables and a view of the thatched pub makes this pub so cosy and idyllic. Inside charming decor and of course Badger Brewery ales so perfect for fans of Hall and Woodhouse like we are. Staff friendly and welcoming, Anna and Lawrence very friendly, attentive, smiley and polite. I had fish and chips, although a small cod the batter taste was beautiful, and it was enough food after all, peas slightly cold but again tasted very good. Outlander peach lager was amazing and on tap. The prices for a bottle of wine however are not balanced against each glass to give better value for the bottle, so it was cheaper to buy a glass each time. A bottle of Sileni was priced at £35 and a glass was approx. £9. I later bought a bottle from the brewery at £12 so very overpriced here for the bottle which is a shame, only small downside to an overall great experience here. Our room was one of the best we have ever stayed in, the bed was wonderful, decor gorgeous and we even had a rolled bath. For the fee of £75 (weekly rating) with a 10/10 cooked breakfast with beautiful ingredients it was an absolute steal. We will be back, this wins best Hall and Woodhouse pub so far for us...well done to all, you're doing a great job. 😊

Hall & Woodhouse pub friendly staff

Went for supper with friends with whom we were staying in Pimperne. It was quite busy as it was quiz night, so it took a while for the food to arrive, but we weren't in a hurry so that didn't matter. I had Anvil sausages and mash which was really delicious. Plenty of very tasty gravy with it, which is essential in my book! The others said their pizzas, burgers were good, although a vegetarian member of our party said the broccoli in her Buddha Bowl was undercooked. I certainly recommend a visit.

We had a great time here. Cosy room, pub feeling, gentle service and good food. Recommended if you are around.

Loved, loved, loved the character and atmosphere of the whole place. Modern with the best of the old building intact. Meals were excellent, served in the dining room or outside in the patio area. The staff were outstanding, so friendly and accommodating. Karl and Susy, the managers, and our server (whose name I didn't get, all came outside to wave me off as I sadly left in the taxi. Would have loved to have been able to stay with them longer.

Impromptu Sunday lunch after a local walk. Was very pleased to see some local steam engines. It gave it a good atmosphere and nostalgia. The food was also delicious, we shared a few dishes between us. Lovely pub with a nice outdoor area and undercover area as well.

Had a drink while listening to a live singer..Great.

Popped in on route home from Devon. Had the 3 meat Sunday carvery, which was delicious. I was stuffed. Pleasant and friendly staff, ample parking and selection of drinks.

Had a fantastic wood fired pizza here with a friend last weekend so decided on this sunny day to go with my husband. Arrived and the car park was full all bar two spaces - good sign. Sat outside in the sun then husband comes back to say that there would be no pizzas that lunchtime. I went in to enquire why. The pizza oven had not broken, they had just decided not to fire it up! We had just made a 32 mile round trip for their pizzas! If you advertise it - supply it…….

Loved this old place, the staff and the service. So much more history and character than bigger hotels. Great food, reasonable prices and Karl and Suzie were super-helpful and friendly. Loved it!

Stayed for two nights with my grandson, we were going to the Tiger Day at Bovington. The Anvil has extremely friendly staff, and they couldn’t do enough to help. The food was beautiful, and fast. The room we stayed in was spotless, the bed was very comfortable, and the Tea/Coffee facilities were satisfactory. Would highly recommend staying at the Anvil Inn as a great base for exploring the surrounding countryside, or visiting Bovington Tank Museum.

Had a lovely evening here. Food was delicious and happened to have a quiz on - which we lost but had a fun time. Great couple hours of entertainment for £2.50 pp. We throughly enjoyed our evening. The staff were also extremely accommodating to our young pup. It’s a shame we’re not local otherwise we’d be back again in a heartbeat. Highly recommend.

Friendly & welcoming. Outside area (with pizza oven) is great 👍

I stayed at home the Anvil Inn when travelling for business and it was a wonderful experience from start to finish. All the staff I encountered were friendly and helpful, the food was incredible and the managers were very welcoming and engaging. The room was clean and offered all the required amenities. I am in the process of booking a long weekend with my family, as it's an ideal location for days out, excursions etc.

We stopped here on a weekend away 2 adults and our 10 year old son , they fitted us in and the room was excellent and the food was outstanding aswell , attention to detail 100% definitely will return, Thanks guys

Excellent all round,good value,good service,good food

Great variety on menu. Excellent food. Good service. Cosy atmosphere.

Had an excellent Sunday lunch after a long walk. Great cider, great roast beef with outrageously wonderful giant Yorkshire puddings, excellent fish and chips, the staff were very good. The place was very busy but well managed and there was never an inconvenient wait. This is the second time we've been, and couldn't recommend it enough. Thanks for a great birthday lunch on a busy Sunday!

Staff are excellent,Anna looked after us from start to finish, Karl the landlord was brilliant and Reece working the bar Saturday night all looked after us, food was absolutely excellent, room was great, great power shower is lush, no noise at night, lovely nights sleep, great location for trekking out and about in beautiful Dorset thankyou everyone!

Lovely old pub, nice room and good food.

Excellent food, great service, really friendly and helpful staff, lovely atmosphere. Highly recommended. Gluten free options available.

Great on a Sunday for a roast. Lovely staff and atmosphere.

Lovely little village pub just outside of Blandford Forum. We only two minutes down the road but have never visited, until today. Took the family of three and the grand mum. Very generous portion sizes. My bangers and mash sourced locally were brilliant. Battered fish, solid. Pork belly, for me could have a lot crispier. Burger, not my order, but apparently average. Haloumi fries, outstanding. Less than five stars because food took a while to come out and sauces were served in sachets. I'm over sachets. Bring back the good sauces.

We meet here every 2 to 3 months with family. Great meal as always, service was good.

I chose this accommodation because it was the venue of our works "do". Very pleased with what I found. Room very charming and comfortable, staff friendly and efficient, breakfasts excellent. Maybe the Eggs Royale could've had just a little less salmon?? That might be just me though. Would definitely recommend this charming Inn to anyone who needs a stay in the area.

Re-opened under new management after an extensive refurbishment and altogether better than before. Pizza from the wood fire recommended. Back for another visit. Food good and service exemplary.

Beautiful little country pub excellent overnight stay room price... drinks in the bar a little pricey (£3.50 for half pint cider & £15.80 for a pint of lager and a gin spritzer!) but the rooms was beautiful, nicely decorated and very comfy bed.. young man behind the bar was very polite and helpful... breakfast was lovely.. would definitely stay again!

Absolutely fantastic food. Good service and friendly staff. Lovely history to hotel.

Loved the welcome, lots of space in the car park.. dogs welcome

Stopped in for a Sunday roast as we were passing through, a risky move as we have very high standards for roast dinners, but the Anvil did not disappoint! The best roast dinner we have had out in a long time. We both had the roast beef, which was pink in the middle and lovely and tender, came with a large Yorkshire pudding, roasted carrot and parsnip, al dente broccoli (no one wants mushy broccoli), super cheesy cauliflower cheese, perfectly crispy and fluffy roast potatoes and ample gravy. Good sized portions, prompt service and staff were all very accommodating and friendly.

We stayed for 3 nights and were so pleased with our choice. Rooms are clean and airy. Staff were so lovely including the cleaners. Breakfast was delicious and plentiful and we were joined by 4 friends for an evening meal on Sunday. We all enjoyed our food immensely. Would definitely stay here again when visiting this area. Lovely hosts

We went to the Anvil in August 2023 to sample their new outdoor pizza area. We spoke to two different members of staff on the phone, said we were coming specifically for pizza and booked a table for a Wednesday. One did say pizza wasn’t available on Mondays or Tuesdays. When we arrived we were told pizzas were not available on Wednesdays. Very disappointing. Hungry, we opted for the burgers which were okay. Echoing comments from others, reduced menu and a bit pricey. I emailed the Anvil noting the lack of staff knowledge when pizzas were actually available and suggesting their website note when they are available. No reply – like many other recent comments on TripAdvisor. When you have a bad experience you would like to think someone was listening and actually cared enough to reply.

Parking here is a joke, the spaces are far too small and disorganised. Two pints cost nearly 13£ and there was a bag of dog poo in the garden next to where people were eating. I know that's the dog owner's fault but none of the staff noticed. Just overall disappointing considering how beautiful the place is.

Staff were sullen, food was nothing special. I certainly would not be rushing back. Couple of mistakes with our food order, was put right when asked but a smile would have been nice.

A very enjoyable meal. Good pub food, efficiently served. Friendly staff and good value. There is an outdoor pizza oven and pleasant garden. Welcoming atmosphere.

Saturday night business, clearly a favourite with the locals! I was a bit disappointed by the variety on the menu, nothing very adventurous and our waitress failed to mention any specials. We shared a flatbread and both had burgers which were very yummy and far superior to their description on the menu!! The flatbread was raw dough but we ate it as we’d been waiting 45mins by then! It’s a shame because the food was actually very delicious! We were unfortunately located right next to the door which was repeatedly left open so we were rather cold! I kept getting up to close it as the staff kept walking past the open door and ignoring it! We asked for the bill but had to ask a second time when it didn’t turn up. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this for a couples romantic evening but for a impromptu catch up with pals in a busy environment, it’s perfect, although it is £19 a burger!

Lovely place , staff were very welcoming and helpful . Bar staff were brilliant and funny , really enjoyed my stay , breakfast system was very simple and efficient plus the room was clean and tidy . Will definitely come again .

Stayed for 2 nights and loved the place. A nice country Inn, full of character. The room was quiet, clean and comfortable. The food was excellent and the breakfast especially good. The staff were attentive at all times and a special shout out for Anna the bar manager, she made us feel most welcome throughout our visit.

Well popped by on a drive out with y daughter who is learning to drive. Stopped for lunch menu and had the chicken and bacon baguette. It was lovely. Tasty and the chips were also lovely. The service was a little slow but I think that because they are looking to hire staff like every restaurant today. Anyway I’m coming back and thank you for the lovely lunch.

I came here a few years back and the food was lovely so we decided to visit again for a friend's catch up one Saturday evening. The waitress was fab, very attentive and ordered our drinks quickly on arrival. That's where the positive ends sadly. Admittedly, it was a Saturday so a longer wait is expected (to an extent) but we waited over an hour for our mains to arrive. They came out one at a time which is a pet peeve of mine, so one friend was finished before the other had started. They blamed the fact that the pizzas have to be done one at a time which slows the process down - this was never explained to us when ordering which might have defused our frustrations. When my pizza did arrive, it was soggy in the middle so not even worth the wait. We did ask to speak to someone regarding our experience. The chef from the kitchen came out which was a little unfair on him I thought (didn't think it was his job to be dealing with unhappy customers!) And they did knock £60 off the bill. However, I won't be returning in a hurry as it was certainly nothing to rave about. Terrible service and mediocre (at best) food

Great place to go for a pint if you enjoy being deafened by the feral children of the local underclass running riot outside while their parents ignore their behaviour. Otherwise, give it a swerve

What a super find. Such great value and excellent team/hosts. Rooms clean, comfortable and perfect for a weekend with friends. Beds excellent and great white towels. Had dinner on our first night which was brilliant. Enjoyed every mouthful and well done to the kitchen team. Breakfast equally good especially as it is included in the room rate. Thank you to one and all at the Anvil. Sadly don’t think we will be back but you added to our weekend get together and memories.

Popped in with a mate who I’ve not seen in a while and couldn’t be bothered to cook at home glad we did the food was good (better than mine anyway) and the beer was good we both enjoyed our meal and not too expensive

On a visit to meet our latest grandson we were lucky enough to find The Anvil for our overnight stay. The inn is well kept, and sympathetically restored, with the added bonus of being warm, welcoming, and serving great food! We feel so lucky to...

We stayed here for two nights in order to attend a wedding Blandford. We were given a warm welcome and throughout found the young staff to be friendly, efficient and very welcoming. Our room had everything we needed - it was well equipped and had...

A very pleasant stay, Carl and the crew couldn’t do enough for us. Room was a little small for a weeks stay but very clean, good shower and a very comfortable bed. Life in the bar in the evenings is fun with the locals and...

Rooms badly need decorating and are very small.My daughter was given an extra bed for her daughter when the bed was up they couldnt open the door FIRE RISK.wifi dosent work .Food is terrible chicken was like rubber couldnt eat it ,buttermilk chicken was burnt...

great pizza and burger ,but the service is very poor ,sat outside ,had to go in to order a drink ,had to go in to get a menu ,food arrived ,asked for another drink was told go to the bar ,so went to get another...

The Anvil has benefitted massively from its complete makeover and refurbishment in the last couple of years. Before, it was a dreary uninviting place with not a lot to offer in either pub or restaurant terms - now it is a nice place to spend...

Stayed at The Anvil Inn for 2 nights at the end of July - the pub is picturesque and has a wood-fire pizza oven outside and a great menu in general. All the food tasted great and was big portions. Good selection of drinks at...

Attractive pub and garden, and we’re looking forward to being catered for as we had family staying with us, 3 strapping teenagers hungry after a day on the beach! We waited for our pizza …..and waited…..and waited😨😟. It was busy, but eventually one of our...

The pub is quite nice, Decent outdoor seating area. Unfortunately the meat served is pretty poor, I had Ribeye steak (£24 + £3ish pounds for peppercorn sauce) and was served a piece of steak that was full of gristle that I could not imagine having...

We had a four night break in Dorset with friends and ate at The Anvil three evenings. The food was superb and the staff very friendly and helpful.

Came to the Anvil for a family birthday meal on a Thursday night, my first visit to the pub. There was a really nice atmosphere to the pub which was quite busy early evening (always a good sign). The food we had was really good...

Enjoyable evening meal with friends with good food and excellent homemade pizzas cooked in a proper pizza oven. Would recommend the pizzas which had a good selection on the menu with quality toppings. Chicken curry is not on the menu but the kitchen very kindly...

my husband and myself decided to stay at the Anvil Inn for a short stay of 3 nights as it was central to alot of tourist attractions, we were not disappointed, the accommodation had alot of character the bedroom was exceptionally clean and had plenty...

We were camping in Blandford and wanted somewhere to eat on the Saturday lunch time which was dog friendly. We found this pub and went along. Very friendly staff, lovely atmosphere and good food. Nice outside space for humans and dogs alike. In fact we...

First class Pizzas from the new outdoor pizza oven. There is a big new wooden structure which meant we could sit under cover whilst eating our meal, Huge heaters were well received as its our first pizza in the snow experience. There were cushions and...

I recently took my family for lunch at this charming village inn everything was going well the staff were friendly the food was good then a large local family attended the bar/ restaurant area occupied a couple of tables and then started to vape at...

Remarkable value for money, we stayed here because we wanted to explore Dorset for a weekend, the cost was £50 a night…the room was comfortable, warm, lovely soft towels and everything worked. We ate here for 2 evenings and breakfasts, the food was hearty fare,...

Very nice village pub with friendly staff. Reasonable menu choice but could be better. 4 couples attended on a Saturday night and had a pleasant evening with good service from the staff. Only disappointment was the very poor cheese plate served which was very stingy...

My husband and I stayed the night in this super friendly place. I cannot fault it…. Early check in as our room was ready, polite friendly helpful staff, clean and well appointed rooms, lovely food, lovely pint of bitter (according to my husband) - a...

Called in for Drinks and was asked to take a table and would be waited on for drinks - after 15 mins of being ignored had to go and find the waitress that said she would serve us and even had to write down the...

Lovely place. Well maintained and clean. I am a sucker for pretty lights so the outside of this place really caught my eye, sadly a little too chilly to sit outside on this evening but definitely a lovely place to visit on warm summer evenings...

Clean bedroom , comfortable bed , hot shower , fluffy towels . Stayed 3 nights ,an average experience because the food let The Anvil down ! Over cooked belly pork along with overcooked garlic and herb spuds with burnt cabbage was what we were presented...

Just come back from a weekend break. The Anvil Inn was great value for money and the customer service was excellent.

The service was very good. The considerate allocation of table was much appreciated as we had a baby & buggy. Menu I'd hoped would have been larger but we all found something to eat. Presentation and food good. Prices on par with a Pub menu,...

Just an ok experience. Food was mediocre, service the same. I asked 5 times , for a jug of water, booked a table dining with a friend, upon the 5th time asking for some water it was near enough embarrassing. Atmosphere was really lacking as...

We had a lovely overnight stay in the anvil inn. The staff were super lovely and helpful and my husband said his burger was the best he has ever had. The beer was lovely and the inn was beautiful. There were a couple of flaws...

The service was very good and attentive, the food menu was varied and interesting and the food served was well recieved by everyone including our 1 & 3 year old grandchildren. Happy to return next time we are back in Blandford

My family stayed at this Inn for 4 nights and we had a fantastic experience. The kindness and politeness of all the staff members, plus their helpful nature was very well received. Checking in was easy and quick. We had breakfast every morning at the...

Myself and my fiance stayed at the Anvil Inn on the 2nd of August for 2 nights . The room was abit small but it's to be expected as its a 17th century Inn. The staff Katie Annabelle and Archie are great very welcoming and...

Spent a lovely evening there celebrating my birthday. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff, who were very friendly. The food was amazing and well worth the price. Will definitely be returning as love it here and would highly recommend.

My wife and I have just come back from the Anvil. 1st class experience, Susie and Carl go out of their way to make you welcome. The staff also go out of their way to help and are always cheerfull. The food is excellent and...

So we get a table in a very empty pub. Wait 10 minutes to be served, no issue so far albeit there are very few customers. Someone else arrives after 10mins and miracle are served before us. My friend says " we have been waiting...

We chose this pub to meet friends as it was almost halfway between both addresses. We had researched the menu in advance so knew that the variety wasn't huge. My wife had the Hog Dog hot dog while I had the BBQ Pitt beef burger...

This country pub looks the part, and has a convenient car park. Our meal was quite good, a very substantial burgher and a fish and chips. The young waiting staff were willing and tried hard, but needed more guidance and support to help them know...

Average food at best which unfortunately appeared to be overpriced cheap food. On balance, the drinks were fine and the servers were very good. Toilets were clean but the tables were sticky. The servers were attentive, professional and polite but let down by their manager/landlord...

I spotted the Anvil Inn earlier in the week and Googled to see what I could expect.. reading the chef was the owner and reading some of the menu I couldn’t wait to try it out. So disappointed!! The menu was too busy and it...

My wife and I visited and stayed at the Anvil. During our stay we dined on two occasions, and would not hesitate to return again. The food we chose was well presented and tasty, the staff were attentive and polite. The real ale was spot...

First meal out for us since Covid eased. Was a bit dubious as we really wanted a relaxing meal, and many friends eating at other pubs/restaurants had not found this so. The weather was good so we booked and managed to reserve a table, we...

We have been to the anvil twice in a month - the first time for a meal and I have to say ( and I’m sorry to) but expensive is t the word. Six lil whitebait and two pieces of squid £7 a salad with what equates to two little gems,qtr of chicken breast and one small slice of bacon chopped up with a few Parmesan shavings was £15. The second visit we went for a soft drink and a bag of crisps and a lemonade was £3.60 and it wasn’t even a pint ….. dear me what’s going on. It’s a real treat to be able to go out but don’t think it will be to Hall and wood house pubs…. There’s a nice micro brewery in blandford and the beer is fantastic and cheaper… sorry anvil … be back when I’ve had a lottery win