The Barley Mow in East Dorset

Dropped in for Saturday lunch, post piled up in porch, building felt cold & unloved. Greeted by cheerful waitress who at least was bubbly. Owner (?) took food order and nearly barked at us for asking about the thai dishes ingredients Food was actually really good & tasty but service haphazard, dirty glasses & cutlery having to be replaced. Won't return in a hurry

Went with my wife for an evening meal, we had booked for 6pm. When we arrived we were sad to see how neglected the garden looked. We had booked having heard how popular the Barley Mow was and were surprised that there seemed to be no other people eating there. We both ordered small appetite meals, mine was the steak and ale pie and my wife ordered the belly pork. We were both very disappointed with the meal. MY steak pie was rather dry and the chips overdone. The belly pork was also dry and the new potatoes were very hard. The broccoli was yellow the carrots were OK. A most disappointing meal overall.

Longtime fan of Hall & Woodhouse ales and have had the pleasure of visiting many of their wonderfully characterful venues across Dorset, with friends and family. Hard pushed to pick a favourite as the likes of the Angel and Wimborne’s Olive Branch offer welcoming warmth and meals, the Bear Cross and World’s End serving tasty roasts or fun gigs hosted by the Cricketers or Lord Nelson are enough to sway happy punters. True Lovers Knot or the Yachtsman, the list goes on… Think my top pick would be the Hoy as I love being on the Quay. Quelling my positivity for a second, I stopped by another pub yesterday, to catch up with an old pal visiting his inlaws. The Barley Mow. Having heard various legends based decades ago, from my parents concerning this location, I’ve always been curious to stop by for a well earned holiday pint. Didn’t realise it was one of Hall & Woodhouse’s brewery venues, so that was a pleasing discovery upon arrival. With the realisation that a pint of Badger Best might be on the cards, we keenly stepped inside. The visit was a complete fail. This can only be their worst pub. It was a quiet evening. We pulled up just after 6pm on a Thursday to discover an almost empty car park. Noticeably some inconsiderate individual had left his posh ride (looked like a Lancia?) with pretentious N1 BOV personalised plate straddling as many spaces as I’ve ever seen. My compatriot stopped to shoot this nonsense with his phone camera to share on a “parking idiocy group forum” as he is sad enough to frequent it for humour. He is an Aussie! Hardly any customers sat in. Few quiet tables and so the lad on the bar quickly provided service. To my absolute horror there were no beers on tap. Grant had a pint of Thatchers and the barman offered a solution to the temporary drought “we have bottled ale” - genius! So does Tescos but we’d arrived so I can only assume the brewery has forgotten the place exists. They’d hosted a wedding last weekend. Doesn’t really explain how nobody had managed to clean and hook up some lines 4 or 5 days later. A mystery of some kind. No other explanation was available from the barman, who stood behind 2 empty taps marked with both original and the newlook Fursty Ferret (no Best!) plus 1 Tanglefoot. Lacking any kind of vibe inside the taproom, we stepped outside. My friend enjoys a smoke so we picked a table at the front. It immediately dawned on me that we had an orchestra of revelry occuring behind us, coming from the upstairs windows of the pub. This created an unusual vibe in that it wasn’t interfering with our own conversations, as it could be ignored. But it was a totally unprofessional carry on though, whatever was happening up there, not involving customers. There was zero chance of us ordering so much as a snack based on the unwelcoming vibe. Unless it was everyone’s day off after a long hard week, it might be considered a better idea for somebody to hop in a car, straddled or otherwise, rattle across to the brewery HQ to grab a few kegs. Plugging those in to get the guests served. Some of us might then consider a return visit. Because I won’t be stopping by at this dilapidated excuse for a brewhouse again any time soon. Presumably the brewery has plans to shut this place as it is running itself down in the present circumstances.

There are better places. The vegetarian roast was literally a plate of veg for £10… service good but would not return here.

Visited for Sunday lunch. Excellent food and service at reasonable price. Provision for smaller roasts which is great as my wife only has a small appetite. Beautiful old pub and garden which, sadly, appears to have been neglected since we were last here several years ago. The inside beginning to look a bit tired and the outside looking very sad and neglected. The decking area needs attention and is full of broken chairs and tables. At the very least these could be cleared away to make the place look better. The rear garden, which could be lovely if attention was given to the weeds and overgrown shrubbery, is seriously in need of attention and the same can be said of the pubs appearance at the front which may put off some potential customers. Such a shame as this is a lovely place in a lovely setting.

Understaffed, one barmaid and the chef. A large group with other couples. Totally overwhelmed, food tepid, noodles congealed, vegetables cold. Overall, a vey disappointing experience.

The best steak pie, I have ever tasted.My husband’s rump steak was superb too. Good beer. We hadn’t booked but we felt very welcomed there.

This is a lovely old thatched inn with lots of ancient timber beams inside. The host when we visited was quirky but friendly and helpful. Our overall experience was a tad Faulty Towers, though. Drinks were very good. My fish and chips was a good size although parts of the batter could have done with a tiny bit more cooking time. The fish itself was very large. My wife had squid as a main which she said was very good and her accompanying salad was t( best she's had in England in our two weeks of travel. Lots of tables available when we visited on a weekday night.

No welcome when we arrived. The restaurant was cold and the welcome just as cold! No one asked if we enjoying our meal and we even had to ask at the bar for a refill for our drinks. The place was almost empty with only one person attending to the very few that were there. The food was quite reasonable though but what a pity the owner who was there, didn't take any interest in the patrons. Not a good experience to encourage us to return and definitely not a place to recommend to others. Very sad!

Do not waste your time and money. If the service attitude and dining area is the best they can offer.i dread to think what it is like in the kitchen area. It used to be a great pub with good food and service.

Had family lunch for ten with diverse tastes. Pleased to say everyone found what they wanted from the menu which was reasonably priced and enjoyed by all.

I used to go to the Barley Mow back in the 70’s and 80’s before it got converted. At that time it was a thriving, warm and welcoming place. Unfortunately, nowadays although the food is actually pretty ok for this type of restaurant with more variety than some other local ones, the atmosphere and friendliness is really poor. As others have mentioned it’s not that warm and we found that the service lacked any sort of customer care/friendliness. We almost felt like we were a nuisance just being there. Come on guys, this could be a super place if you started valuing your clients!!

We had not been for some time. And we’re always very happy with the food service and overall atmosphere. How disappointed we were when we arrived. The car park was completely empty on a Sunday early afternoon. Never seen that before here. Looked a little tired outside as well. What a shock when we went in. The place was empty and cold. It had lost its cosy atmosphere with no fires lite or heating on. We’ve just left a warm home.we do not want to pay money to sit in somewhere that’s not comfortable. As we went to leave one of the staff clearly mentioned to the owner we had decided to go because it’s cold. With this the owner laughed. Obviously providing value for money to their paying customers is not a priority to them. Whatever we do it has to be as good as home or better. Otherwise what’s the point. Can I recommend it. Absolutely not. It’s just a scruffy old pub now with a few tables.

Absolutely awful , bad atmosphere , the cook was constantly shouting at members of staff , freezing cold had to have a blower heater for the elder members , 3 meals were not edible , sent back , dirty crockery and glass ware filthy , shame as this was a family birthday of 14 people which we had booked week prior , so this was no surprise to them we were arriving ! ! One good thing the member of staff serving us was great friendly welcoming young lad seemed embarrassed . Shame as it’s a beautiful old 16th century pub ( hall and woodhouse ) will not be returning .

Terrible experience. We were staying around the corner and thought the pub and its reviews looked good. We arrived on the 26 December and initially thought the pub was closed as the blinds at the front were still down. We went into the main part of the pub where all tables were laid out for lunch and there was one family eating. We had two dogs with us and therefore went around the bar into the area at the front of the pub. All the lights were out and there was an elderly man sitting in a wheelchair who had only one tooth who kept grinning at us. We had ordered our drinks at the other bar and so had no choice but to sit down. We sat down by the fireplace which was not lit even on a cold day and there was loads of rubbish in the inglenook - cardboard boxes, general litter, crisp packets etc. The lights were not on and everything including the bar, seating areas, floors etc were filthy. We left after 5 minutes leaving our drinks. We then went to the other pub around the corner where everything was lovely and we got chatting to a local couple who confirmed our views. It is a lovely building from the outside but the outside was dire. Car park full of rubbish. Such a shame for what was I imagine a great pub in a lovely part of the county. We expected more from the lovey county of Dorset.

Needing a table for 7 at short notice the Barley Mow were able to accommodate for Sunday Lunch and having seen a couple of recent reviews we were a little nervous. We ended up being pleasantly surprised, the food and service were both great with no complaints from any of our party, served with a smile and piping hot, which is not always the case for Sunday lunch, Roast Potatoes getting a shout out! Everyone then also had desert, a great choice and again all consumed with gusto! The pub's in a great location and has a lovely garden, so definitely planning another visit when we have longer, warming sunny days.

Came for a family birthday meal. Dull atmosphere, we were the only people there. No starters on the menu. Went for the roast beef, which came overcooked and with plain boiled basic veg. Accompaniments looked congealed like they had been sat there for hours. I don’t write reviews but this was so bad I wouldn’t want anyone else wasting their money or evening. We won’t return.

Reasonable choice of food and drinks. Just one person covering bar and serving but doing ok. No atmosphere and very cold!

My wife & I are now in our late eighties and used to walk there from Colehill village at least twice a week, then cycle and now by car. The present staff and licensee are always very welcome when we book lunches for us and our great grandchildren, about 10 usually at least, sometimes 12 or more. 100% every time! Not one complaint.

Just awful! We went out for dinner and decided on a country pub. The Barley Mow pub offered chinese dishes, alongside traditional pub food. Our family went and we were hugely disappointed. Firstly, I never took my coat off as it was too cold. Chinese mix platter starter, nothing to write home about and expensive for what you get. Three chinese main meals ordered, very bland and inedible. Never had such terrible food. The lady waiting on us, shouted from the bar - everything OK? Great attentive customer service!! Clearly it wasn't, we couldn't eat the dishes. When I commented no, the waitress never came over to find out any information and went into the kitchen. When my husband came to pay and complained, he was told we don't get complaints! We didn't eat, no apology. We so wanted to support a country pub, wish we never went. Expensive mistake!!

Popped in for something to eat about 5pm the lady behind the bar is extremely loud ....sat us down in restaurant it was so cold she put fire on made no difference....asked us to wait 5 mins to order after 15 mins tried to order she again asked us to wait she was doing nothing the pub was empty....the food smells wasn't very nice so we decided to leave ......I wouldn't recommend this pub.....

Been in the summer and recently twice in two weeks. Sat inside in the evening. If you like your pubs to be dark, dingy and cold with zero atmosphere and no outside lighting so you cant see your way back to the car then you’ll like this place. If you like your burgers cooked in the oven(!!!) and the chips over cooked then you’ll like this place. If you like to eat just about ok food then pay good money for it then you’ll like this place. I don’t go out to eat very often but when i do i expect decent food. On the plus side, the staff seem friendly and it is nice outside in the summer although the garden could do with some TLC. Drink selection is fine.

Amazing social, local pub with incredible food. This pub is one of those local, market town county pub gems… Fab local pub feel with great staff and friendly atmosphere, great food and lovely atmosphere… winter is lovely sitting round the fire and summer brings a...

Good food in a very nice atmosphere. The menu is a mix of traditional pub food and some Asian dishes. Seemed to be only one person running the bar and serving guests but she did a great job keeping up with everything. We sat inside...

The vegetarian option for the advertised “Sunday Roast” was just to eat the vegetables, with no vegetarian roast alternative on offer. There were only two members of staff present, one of them a very bad-tempered youth who clearly didn’t want to be there. He banged...

The food was poor, the hygiene bad. Service poor. There were two desert plates with large chips out of the top edge.the servings were poor.we will not go again.

Naili has catered for a wedding reception and 60th birthday party this year for my family. It has been a lovely venue. We've thoroughly enjoyed both events. The Thai buffet, catering for special diets and vegan, was fantastic. Thanks so much.

Food excellent but that’s where it stops. A very brusque person doing all work. Damp smell. No atmosphere or music. However food is high standard.

We absolutely love this pub!!! Setting is amazing, easy menu, great food, with a charismatic owner who is loud and proud – and we love her for it! If you’re after a 3 star Michelin restaurant, then go to Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester. However,...

Nice food. Nice pub. Nice staff. Nice beer. All you need from a country pub. Keep up the ever consistent quality. One of my favorite places to go locally. Visit and enjoy.

We were a group of five walkers, all had homemade steak and ale pie which was excellent, good beer and wine as well. It was a Saturday night and restaurant was pretty busy. Only appeared to have two staff both young and competent, service was...

We had lunch with our walking group after good exercise on Holt Nature Reserve, sat eight at a long table, the young staff took our orders and served us all together, food was good, price was good, we were happy, thank you, we will come...

Went for a family lunch - 10 of us. We had a lovely time, we enjoyed the roast dinners and the puddings and the service was good. We will go again

Lovely pub but the food is quite grim. We had a lovely afternoon, service for drinks good, sat in the sun in the beer garden (which needed some tlc but still nice) but the food was well below average unfortunately. I’m still tasting it several...

Remember the beef you used to get in a school dinner? Well, it was that. The roast potato’s tasted like they were cooked the day before and then banged in the microwave, the Yorkshire was just crisp. If you’re looking for a good roast I...

Poor quality food. Service also extremely below where it should be. Menu says Homemade burger however it’s quite literally a burger from the freezer at a supermarket. Most desserts also are not home made and just shop bought. Restaurant was very quiet and I would...

45 mins with only 2 other people in the whole pub, 2 pies were burnt and very salty no sauce/gravy in the burnt pie. The mash was so peppery it was left by both of us. We stopped off after house hunting in Wimborne when...

We didn’t see the recent negative reviews until an hour before we arrived so obviously concerned but these comments didn’t reflect our experience at all. We received a warm welcome, the service was courteous and efficient and the food was very good. We had garlic mushrooms, tempura prawns, sea bass, chicken and Thai yellow curry - all served hot and delicious.

Fantastic meal. We were over charged for 3 items when we checked the bill. We sent an email to the restaurant but didn’t get a response so hence Trip advisor

We were concerned by some of the comments which in our experience were completely unfounded. The young lady who served us was polite and attentive throughout. The food was excellent and well presented. The table and its surroundings were clean and comfortable. No complaints at all.

Appalling food. The starter platter wasn’t cooked properly with the ribs cremated and the fish cakes cold. The chicken strips has practically no chicken at all and overall really bad. Main of Crispy Lamb was so bad I sent it back and was asked why did I order it if I didn’t like it. I ordered it as I was hoping it’d taste of crispy lamb not microwaved junk.To top it all of though asked for a bottle of Sauv Blanc. Was ok so asked for a second, the second bottle was a different one. Asked for wine menu to check price was told there isn’t one. Both bottles charged to me at £26 each but again no wine menu to confirm this random pricing.

Although we are within walking distance of the pub, we visited recently for the first time in over two years. It will however be some years before we go again. The food was inedible and the service dreadful.

We had friends down for the weekend and took them to The Barley Mow as we have been many times in the past. From the minute we entered everything was just TOO much trouble for the waitress. Despite the restaurant being empty the waitress was determined not to let us sit down for a drink saying that all the tables were reserved at 2.30 in the afternoon. We directed us to the bar area that was full. After asking if we could just have a drink at one of the many empty tables she’s begrudgingly huffed off to ‘find’ one. Everything we asked for was met with rude answers, eye rolling and huffing. Another couple walked in and also commented on her rudeness too. Why work in customer services if you clearly don’t like the general public?!!?!?!?Very disappointed after telling our friends what a lovely pub it was, previous recent reviews clearly show that an overhaul of the staff ( well this particular one) is long overdue.

Bad staff experience making us feel rushed the whole time. Would not rush to go back I'm afraid. It's a shame as it is a lovely pub in a great location.

Good food but agree with the other reviewers. Recommend yellow Thai curry. Service was not good at all. Would not rush to return

Average food Unprofessional staff. Pub was fairly quiet when we dined on a Thursday evening, however felt very rushed to be in and out. Will not be in a hurry to return.

The food here is consistently good and we find it much better than formula food from pub chains. However, the restaurant/dining room is dirty and needs a really big clean.

3 in our party are coeliac. 3 GF meals were ordered. One GF meal arrived. When we explained that the others needed to be GF the waitress who could not have been ruder just stood there. No effort was made by either the kitchen or the waitress to offer an alternative and no apology was made. At the end of our meal, the waitress turned the lights off and left us sitting in darkness. The white experience was awful.

A group of 8 of us visited. We sat outside and the landlady came out to greet us and took our drinks order. She also brought out a platter of spring rolls and whitebait on the house while we decided what food to have. Ordered the thai curry which was good. Helpful staff, quick service, good food.

Friends had booked this place. It has the appearance of being a traditional English pub. Service was good. The food was very average but did have an abundance of curry type options . Our friends had fish and chips which they enjoyed, my wife had the mushroom stroganoff which she found not very interesting and I opted for the traditional rump steak which was OK but not great. At the end of the day the pricing is not extortionate, the ambience and service are good, the choice of food more than adequate but is basic pub fayre and if that is what you want you will not be disappointed.

Disgraceful and lack of professional staff. Where do I start, Visited here last Sunday only to find a picturesque pub in the state of a war zone...dirty glasses all over the place, unkempt staff.After a few minutes, finally was asked if we would like drinks... the ones we wanted weren't available for what ever reason....! thought this was a pub!!!!! Came in dirty glasses, so asked for clean ones, got a load of verbal abuse!! I was so taken a back and shocked at the attitude..unbelievable. This put us totally off ordering any food, so we left. Upon leaving I couldn't belive that I was hearing the owner/manager being so rude to other customers. How do they expect to last in this business is beyond me... please leave and get new managers in, these clearly don't have any ideas on customer relations or decent food. Unless you want abuse DON'T EVER GO THERE.

My partner booked a table for 5 a week ahead for a visit on a late Sunday afternoon after a recommendation.Being that there are 2 Vegetarians in our party it was the usual for us to view the menu online.On arrival our first impressions weren't too good. Empty glasses on the tables outside, no doubt left there for sometime. This can only mean laziness or a lack of staff .On entering we were left standing near the entrance for sometime. Nobody came to us to show us to a table. We therefore guessed we had to approach someone behind the bar .After being shown to a table we were given the 'Sunday' menu. This isn't the menu shown online but a limited normal menu but with NO starters but added Sunday roasts.Beef, Pork ,Lamb and Vegetarian.There was no Beef. The Vegetarian roast was just vegetables in gravy. No nut roast apparently.So, no Beef, no starters, no suitable vegetarian dishes we asked the waitress if we could have something off the Mon-Sat menu?No, can't do- only Sunday menu.Needless to say we all got up and left.What kind of restaurant is this?This is the kind of establishment that spends a lot of money on the decor but neglects it's customers when it comes to customer service and customer choice.A big disappointment. We won't be back

Whilst having an appealing kerbside appearance and food that was passable I cannot recommend strongly enough that you do not darken the doorstep of this establishment. For why you may be asking, keep reading to find out... Once 'welcomed' inside the restaurant we were shown to our seats in the farthest reaches of the restaurant and our drinks were ordered, they arrived shortly after and the main order was placed. When it arrived we were dismayed to see a small supposed double serving of vegetables so requested more, which arrived...as we were about to finish our meals. Before we had all finished some of the plates were cleared away, very unprofessional, this should not happen if people are still dining. A couple who had arrived after us and finished after us were shown the dessert menu and ordered, we sat in anticipation of being offered the dessert menu to choose from also, this never happened. A lady, possibly the manager came and served the aforementioned couple their desserts after shouting/screaming across the restaurant 'Cecila!' about 3 times. Approximately 1 hour after finishing our mains the same potential manager stormed over to our tables and said/screamed ' FINISHED?' and proceeded to clear the table away in a violent manner. She then disappeared, only returning to shout at another member of staff about table layouts for a forthcoming booking. A while after this, after the couple had finished their desserts and had their table cleared, it became apparent that no dessert menu would be forthcoming so we requested the bill and after more waiting decided that we would go and pay it. I was lucky enough to be served by the shouty lady who seemed to almost view me paying as an inconvenience, and did not ask whether we had enjoyed our meal (we hadn't) nor apologise for the appalling service, to her credit there was no inference that a gratuity might be paid on top of the bill as it categorically would not. In all my years I have not experienced service as bad as today and will thoroughly dissuade anyone who mentions that they might go there as the manager/owner/shouty lady is enough to discourage the strongest of people from returning. They even had the cheek to charge for the additional vegetables despite the initial offering being so underwhelming. AVOID.

We just visited this establishment after being recommended by a customer of mine for a great Sunday roast. Well, where to begin. We were shown to our table and drinks order taken, followed by lunch menu and we ordered. When the meal arrived, bearing in mind we ordered 2 Sunday roasts, one small dish of vegetables arrived between 2 of us, certainly not enough for 2 people and also bearing in mind each roast was £13.95 so not the cheapest anyway. So, on arrival of said dinners, I requested some more vegetables which turned up shortly before we finished our dinner but also, when I asked the waitress for salt and pepper, she rolled her eyes at me like it was an inconvenience. Before I had finished my dinner, my friends plate was cleared from the table, which I found strange as surely you should wait until all the party have finished eating. Mine and my other friends plates were not collected and we waited and we waited until eventually, we think probably the Manageress who was not in any way, shape or form friendly, came up to the table and very aggressively said FINISHED?? Then we waited to be offered dessert!! That offer was not forthcoming and we didn't get offered dessert whereas a couple who came in AFTER us and had their meal AFTER us were offered dessert and given it. We sat there not quite believing what appalling service this is and decided we would ask for the bill. The bill arrived and we were actually charged for the extra vegetables, unbelievable!!! There were not enough vegetables in the measly first dish that arrived. The bill had a date of 28th January 2002 which we laughed at because it felt like we'd been sitting there since then. Overall, the roast was nice despite not enough vegetables, or gravy but on the service front, absolutely appalling service. I will not be EVER going back there, I wouldn't recommend it to anybody either, bad bad unfriendly service. Avoid at all costs!!

The Barley Mow proved to be an ideal setting for a family wake for a group of about 30 friends and family, with the marquee at the rear of the pub provided a perfect bright and airy location Excellently hosted by Naili who we cannot thank enough for her hard work on the day to give us such a perfect spot to gather and provide a first class buffet.A superb English country pub that we cannot recommend enough!

Party of 9 people and although the beer battered cod was very good x3 the chicken dish was exceptionally dry and bland & no salad whatsoever!! The Baileys Bread & Butter pudding had what. An only be described as a light sprinkling of Baileys (you would honestly never know !! ) Silly small portion & poor value for money. Dry as a bone too !!Lady proprietor didn’t have the time of day for me !!Male prop commendable Lady prop actually invited me to make comments on here about our lousy meal ? Can you believe that !!A victim of their own questionable success !!To the staff please just remember how hard it was during lockdown for your business and respect locals who have been going to this pub for over 30 years ?! Utterly pathetic

Good food and lovely old pub with lots of charm and nooks and crannies also attractive patio area. Good selection of specials away from normal pub grub. Lacked any good real ales and offered only Badgers

Great food .. good location.. busy pub however the very nice young chaps were clearly working hard to do what they can. Thai yellow curry just delish! Hubby had the roast and said the beef was very tender … on our revisit list! Thank you

Had the most amazing Thai yellow curry. Best I've ever had, amazing! Highly recommend. We will return before the end of our holiday.

Went there for lunch today. Food wasn’t bad but nothing to speak about either. Landlady extremely rude. We were charged for a drink we never had and when my husband brought this to the landlady’s attention there was no apology of any kind, was just told these things happen and it was taken of the bill. Will not go back again.

We visited the pub for sunday lunch with friends on 2nd May , wished we hadn't had bothered , none of the tables were cleared properly or cleaned between customers which in the present times I feel they should have been done !!! The landlady was extremely rude , she virtually threw the plates of food at us , when the food did arrive we had no cutlery or condiments , when i asked her condiments she told me very bluntly to get it myself . The food was nothing special and we won;t be going back again.

Lovely food and good friendly staff. Outdoor seating area is nice and relaxed, food for groups of all sizes, will definitely be returning when next in the area.

It’s a year to the day when I visited the Barley Mow for what was our last family meal ever out with my dad before he died of cancer. I’ve deliberated many times over whether to do this review and have decided I should. Six of us in the family arrived for the meal, it was extremely cold where we were asked to sit. We spoke to the tall, male waiter and asked if we could move tables and discretely told him that my dad was unwell and feeling cold (terminal cancer but didn’t want to go into this too much). He was very surly, huffed around with some chairs and then took us to a table with a fire which was not on. It was again extremely cold and we all gave our coats to my dad. If there had been anywhere nearby to eat instead, we would have left but stayed as my dad didn’t want to ‘make a fuss’. The waiter was unfriendly, cold and quite miserable the whole evening. We ate our meal and left quickly. Having said all this, the food was actually extremely nice. I regularly drive by the pub on my way to the burial ground and it upsets me every time that the last meal with my dad was such an unpleasant experience due to one person and I thought maybe some lessons could be learned from my awful experience.

This was the first time we have visited this pub which surprised us as we have lived in the area for a long time and can’t think why we haven’t been to this delightful pub before. The landlord was charming, the food excellent and the ambience amazing. We will be back.

Went for lunch with friends.don't go out very often due to COVD. The meal itself was ok, but some things advertised on the web were not available due to COVD, so the waiter told us. Found this to be misleading as we only went there for some of the food advertised. The restaurant was half empty. When asking for the bill, was told to pay by card if possible. We always work out what we individually owe. The waiter was getting impatient, and bought us a calculator. He begrudgingly accepted our cash payments, but kept saying this was not normal practice in this pub. Found his attitude very condescending, and my friends and I were glad to leave as soon as possible.

Normally we would walk to a local restaurant to meet fiends . However we choose to drive to this country pub which is still very easy and quick to find . The four of us really enjoyed every aspect of the visit which is why I choose to post a review which is rare for me . I choose the duck main which I really enjoyed and it was a nice portion as well .

Food was good and the one staff that served us was very polite. My concern was the cleanliness of the area in which we sat. There was dirty window area with dust and dead flies. Some of the outside area had full to the brim with cigarette buts.

Ordered two BLT sandwiches and were pleasantly surprised to find a good helping of chips and salad alongside. I say BLT but think they must have run out of lettuce as it had rocket instead. I guess ok but would have preferred lettuce.Anyway, polished it off as was hungry.

Our Tractor club choose the Barley Mow to host the start and finish of all our events. This is for good reason, the food is superb and the service so good

Although we live within walking distance of the Barley Mow we have not been for a couple of years, as things were so bad last time. However we had dinner at the pub this week and most things had improved.The food was good and arrived in a timely manner and the ambience and location is excellent. However in the present corona virus world the crowding at the bar to place the order and to pay the bill was a very poor experience. Also the menus are not disposable and passed from person to person and you are asked to sign in with a pen used by everybody else. Other pubs have sorted out much better arrangements and the management should note what they are doing.

lunch today with family..the food has to have been the worst food we have ever been served.The meals were brought out to us in less than 5 minutes, we started to cut up the childs sausage and realised it was stone cold, we sent it back, the waitress brought it back 2 minutes later saying it was a fresh one!! We questioned this but the waitress insisted it was fresh even though it was still cut up the same way from previously. The chips were not fresh, they were very hard, dark and tasteless.Not a good experience for us, a lot of people not sanitising as they came in and social distancing was not being adhered to.Certainly won't be returning or recommending.

We had a delicious meal, following Covid guidelines, one way system, hand gel, taking your details for track and trace, order food and drink at bar so no waiting. Worked a treat, prompt friendly service and food is so tasty. We had Salt & Pepper Squid, Whitebait, then Duck in Plum Sauce and Crispy Lamb with noodles, could not fault our visit and we will be back soon, thank you.

Took hubby’s ma n pa. tables a bit sticky as were the menus but the Thai curry is fab! As was the pie. Thank you.

Appalled by service on phone. Was greeted by “yep” and lady was rude and dismissive as I tried to book a table. Despite being fully booked and “had been for a while” I was not offered another table for another day and phone was put down before I could ask without even a thanks for calling. Tone was almost agressive in fact. Custom will be given elsewhere as a result...

Excellent evening meal in glorious surroundings in the garden with very helpful and attentive staff, on a busy summer night. We had Spring Rolls (shared) followed by Duck and Thai Chicken Curry. Very good and tasty, plentiful and decent beer/wine.

We visited early evening for a meal and enjoyed a lovely Thai meal (English menu items also available) served by a friendly Thai chef. I’m not a connoisseur of Thai food, but I really enjoyed the meal, which wasn’t over-hot, just tasty. We plan to visit again and maybe have a selection of the delicious-sounding Thai starter plates as a sort of tapas sharing meal.

Good food in a pleasant location. Traditional Old world building with garden tables and plenty of parking.

Had a lovely lunch today, food was excellent. The staff were pleasant and made us feel welcome. Staff have obviously work hard to make the pub safe for their customers and staff in these social distancing Covid times. Thank you 😊

Had takeaway from our local...Amazing Thai prawn curry spring rolls and Thai fish cakes..really lovely I hope the takeaway stays as well when the restaurant reopens on Saturday ...love the owner and chef she is great!

Highly recommended. Went for Sunday lunch, short notice booking for my family of 7. Excellent all around, welcome, surroundings, food, service, look forward to going again.

We have eaten here many times, primarily as it is a lovely pub in a beautiful setting. The staff are always friendly and helpful. Saying all this there is always something that lets it down.Four of us went for Sunday lunch, one had roast beed, one thai yellow curry , a roast lamb and a vegetarian roast.By far he best here was the Curry whilst the roast is a roast, difficult to elevate and almost impossible to ruin. The beef and the lamb was reasonable meal properly priced. They consisted or meat , yorkshire pudding potatoes and vegetables, no surprises there. Turning to the 'Vegetarian roast' My wife expected something that replaced the meat part of the meal as seems to be the norm in many restuarants. What she actually got was Yorkshire pudding, potatoes and twice the veg that the meat courses had. To say she felt dissapointed would be an understatement. This was not made clear on the menu and perhaps it should be. I only raise this so that vegetarians are aware.

Food and Flagons in Ye Old Thatched Pubs of Dorset. Barley Mow, Wimborne, BH21 7AH. The pub in the middle of nowhere, but on a road to somewhere. It is said that Oliver Cromwell, on the way to Corfe Castle asked God to bless his troops just up the road from here, hence the road name ‘GOD BLESSING LANE’. Me, I’d have been in the pub, well worth a visit, do some lovely Thai cooking.

Today we drove by this attractive pub and decided to visit it The furnishing was pleasant . We had a delicious yellow curry . .The Thai flavour was special and the rice was light and fluffy . We will return

Stopped at the Barley Mow with a friend for a meal and a pint & it was excellent, we both had the steak pie with shortcrust pastry, chips & gravy and we both thoroughly enjoyed it, 'Best Pie in a long time'. We will definitely visit again.

The roast potatoes were reheated and dark in colour. The steak was really tough and the mushroom were running in grease. The only plus is that they do FRESH vegetables.Think we will give this place a miss next time that we decide to eat out.

Can’t complain about the roast was delicious but you feel unwelcome on a busy day, short staffed on 3 occasions we have visited. Asian lady behind the bar was incredibly rude. Overall bad vibe would make us not visit again. A shame to say the least as the food is genuinely tasty.

I usually come here on weekday evenings for our Tractor meetings, but hadn't been here at lunchtime for over 20 years ! I suggested coming here for lunch with my family. We chose from the reasonable lunchtime menu. I chose the scampi and couldn't fault it. My wife had a very comprehensive and generous ploughmans lunch, again excellent. The Barley Mow will go on to my list of lunchtime venues in the future.

This was our first visit to the Barley Mow since moving to the area last year. We went for an early supper at around 6pm on a weekday. There was one person on the bar, who was very welcoming. The menu in itself was varied and a mixture of traditional, fish & thai options, there were also a few specials on the blackboard. My husband had the steak pie, which was made with the most beautifully tender meat & I had the yellow thai curry, which was superb and a very generous portion. The lovely landlady served the meals herself and also took the time out for a chat and to get to know us. The food & drink prices were very reasonable too. We can't wait to return and slowly work our way through the menu.

Did my tripadvisor research and this was on the list to go too.

The Barley Mow really needs to take a more friendly and warm approach towards its customers.

We visited this pub with our daughter for her 21st birthday treat we were abruptly told we had 5 minutes to order food, even though the sign states still serving food. We was told just sit there as landlord pointed to table.

Brilliant food,good friendly service plenty of choice. Would definitely go back. Highly recomend a visit if you are in the area

Although none of us had visited it for quite some time, my friends and I chose to have dinner in The Barley Mow, thinking it would be perfect for a summer’s evening. We were led through the pub to a table near the back but unfortunately, just behind us was a table full of dirty crockery and glasses. En route to the table I had glimpsed a specials menu, which had some interesting choices on it, however when we were given our menus we weren’t shown this board and as we were busy chatting I completely forgot about it until the table behind us was shown a copy. Annoying as we had already chosen from the main menu. One of my friends had kindly offered to drive and had asked for orange juice with ice- she received her orange juice without ice and had to ask three times before it was forthcoming, by which time she had almost finished her drink.

Put on a table out on a limb from the restaurant. Waiter had to go and ask what lager they sold. No one came to ask if everything was alright and we had to call a waiter over to ask for another drink. Brownie tasted ok but was very dry. Think they must have been short of staff.

Great local pub with freshly home cooked food. Nice atmosphere and good service made for a relaxing and enjoyable meal. Plenty of starters and mains to choose from, will certainly visit again.

We visited The Barley Mow for lunch today 08/08/19. Food is always top notch and the staff relaxed and friendly So not sure what happened today. Food was good but service was really not up to usual standards several of the tables needed to be wiped down and reset - we had to get our own napkins and cutlery and we were inside. A good 10-15 minute wait from drinks arriving to our food order being taken and then another 30 - 35 mins for it to arrive (omelette & scampi). The wait was noticed by the couple on the table behind us who then informed us they had waited over 45 minutes for their food as well. The restaurant was very quiet 11 including us inside and 6 on the deck. Nobody was asked how their meals were and the overall service was quite disappointing.

We visited on Mon 29th July 2019 for an anniversary lunch with our two dogs. We picked the only table on the grass for their comfort The garden area and patio quite a few of the tables were in poor upkeep (rotten wood). It seems as though the new decking area is the priority, although there was a group of glass bottles on the floor of that which must have been from the previous day/night. On ordering our food, was told they don't bring food out to the grass, so we said fine, and to bring it to the decking area (thinking it was an insurance issue, H&S; etc). We got the cutlery, condiments and our drinks and settled the dogs. After a very long wait, our food came out, and we were told by the young chap we had to move and were not allowed to eat our food on the grass. Reason given was 'we can't hose off the grass'. Erm, I'm 48 years old, I'm going to eat my food not throw it on the floor. After much upheaval, we got to eat although the dogs couldn't settle on the hard decking (being skinny sighthounds). The pork belly was over salty (husband had to spit out one mouthful it was so bad) and dried out top and bottom. The mash was also dry, and clearly had not seen any butter or milk, and the veg was...yes, you guessed it, dried out too. Looked like the previous days food warmed through, so I'm unsure why we had to wait so long as the place wasn't exactly busy. We ate most of it because we were starving. Did anyone come and ask if everything was ok?...No.... What poor customer service. We've been coming to this pub for years but we won't be coming back.

Having been here many many times and enjoyed fresh and tasty food today it was lacking. Now all the staff are great and very polite no problem there but the food was lacking today. Sunday July 21st.

The restaurant is thatched and has a genuine old world charm about it. The staff are polite, caring and helpful with giving advice about the menu. My wife and I ordered the Chicken breast stuffed with Cumberland sausage meat served with cubed sauteed potatoes and a large dish of assorted vegetables. Our friends had Fish pie and a huge piece of Pork again with large dishes of vegetables. The desserts were also very tasty, it is advisable to book your table as there was not a table free by 1 :15. Overall a very pleasant experience.

Table of 7 plus one young child for a birthday celebration booked for 6.30 pm on a Monday evening. Orders taken promptly and great choice on menu but food took what seemed ages to arrive although pub didn’t seem too busy. The child’s meal of chicken nuggets was brought out last of all. One staff member tending bar and waiting tables. He was very pleasant and helpful.