the blue raddle in West Dorset

Booked here at short notice for a meal tonight. We've known this pub of old and food at the pub is always good, with the pub itself being one of the best in Dorchester.We had chicken and tarragon pie and chips. Well, it was delicious and a plum crumble and rhubarb crumble, both with custard were delicious too.Rick and Chris the owners are fab and we were chatting with a regular and having a wonderful time.

My Father and I and my dog's had lunch here. Very friendly. Food was delicious and homemade. The dog's snoozed happily. Its not on the main street, so I'm pleased I googled before our visit to Dorchester. Highly recommend xx

What a treat. Suggested as a rendezvous point by family members who live locally we were most impressed. Good selection of ales (I tried three of those on offer - all west country brews, all excellent). The food was great, I had Cajun chicken skewers which were filling and tasty. All eleven of us enjoyed our meals, and it's worth noting that the options for vegans and vegetarians are plentiful. It only opens at the weekends until 10PM at the moment, so do check before you go. It was busy with friendly locals and the selection of Private Eye covers on the walls in the gents kept you amused while availing yourself of the facilities. The landlord and landlady were very welcoming. If you are in the area, give it a try.

Visited here primarily for beer and then chose to have dinner there since the menu looked very nice. Great selection of real ales here, that regularly change. Good choice of food and great service.

Was visiting Dorchester for the day with friends and we passed this pub. Seeing as it is a freehouse was more inclined to visit. Great selection of real ales and a lovely traditional atmosphere.The food was clearly homemade and tasted great.However, the gentleman who served us did come across as a little militant regards CV19 protocols. Which I understand, but it's very difficult to insist on people wearing masks, when your own is constantly sat under your nose. Also, if you have rules, they should apply to all. One person sat drinking at the bar, everyone else had to be seated. Either it's order at bar or not. A real shame as otherwise it's a great place, hence my four stars.

Visited this pub for Sunday Lunch today and was not disappointed! A real English pub, that was serving lovely home cooked food with a good choice of beers.We also commented on how clean the pub was. Thank you for your hospitality and when we are in Dorchester again we will be sure to visit

What a lovey pub! Excellent find and we were so lucky to get in on a Friday evening at late notice. The landlord and landlady are lovely, with a great selection of beers. Dog friendly too. The food was well rated by all. Thank you.

A proper, very very good, pub.The landlord and landlady were friendly and couldn't do enough for customers.The drinks choices were excellent - several very good cask ales and ciders, and didn't break the bank.The food was absolutely fantastic - pheasant hot pot and beef and ale pie, and bread pudding in particular. All home made, piping hot, fresh and properly cooked veg, and wonderful custard (bread pudding only!).The pub had no TV, music of juke box, so conversation was the order of the day.The only bad thing about it is that it's many miles from where live so I can't make it a regular stopping point.

Such a great find. We were looking for a dog friendly pub with great local home cooked food.... bingo!We emailed ahead and got a quick response. Easy check in and great staff. The menu is extensive but better still the food is yummy. We tried the Mac n cheese, faggotts, chicken and bacon pie and venison casserole. All got the thumbs up. For pudding we had bread and butter pudding, banana split, choc sundae and Dorset apple cake. Mine was the Dorset cake and it didn’t disappoint. I would highly recommend this fab pub

Great pub grub! Extensive menu of home cooked food. Caters for veggie and vegan. A long list of cost effective "substantial meals" too 🤫 Super real ales.

Chose this place for dinner after reading the reviews and wasn’t disappointed. Landlord welcoming and good atmosphere. This is an independent pub good good choice beers and wine. British style food menu with good selection, the place had a local pub feel about it which was great

Thought I would try this after reading reviews, very nice landlady served us and place was clean throughout. Nice choice of meals from a blackboard and food did not take long to arrive. It was certainly hot as I lost the skin in the roof of my mouth but that's my fault as I was rather hungry. Nice meal, well presented and cooked but not very big portion on either of our meals and left hungry and went to get a cake from round the corner after we left. Glad we went but will not be rushing back, several places considerably better value than this in Dorchester.

We have visited this lovely pub in Dorchester several times when visiting our family in Dorset. The landlord and landlady are welcoming friendly and keep a good house serving good clean ales and honest food. I would recommend anyone visiting Dorchester to find this lovely interestingly decorated pub.

While recently in Dorchester we needed somewhere close to our hotel for our evening meal. We had previously tried the nearby Thai, which was nice, but now wanted something wholesome. After trawling the streets of Dorchester, and finding empty bars, pubs and restaurants, we stumbled upon the Blue Raddle. It was packed with people and we grabbed the last available table. The pub - it is a pub and not a restaurant - offers a wide choice of food and drninks, with some unusual beers. We chose the Pheasant Casserole and Lemon Chicken Tagine, both of which were delightful. Try the Gurt Coconut Rum Stout, it was quirky but very enjoyable.

Spent a very pleasant Sunday evening here, sampling the delights of several beers from smaller breweries. The Blue Raddle is the only free house in Dorchester. The regulars who were in the pub that evening, made us feel very much at home, and our only regret was that we could not return on another occasion, however our visit to Dorchester was time limited.Please note, this is a proper old fashioned pub, with good beer and an engaging clientele, and excellent owners- long may it continue. I wish my village pub was like this, instead of the fun pub it’s turned into. To everyone at the Blue Raddle, thank you for a very memorable evening.

Been here before , always good ales , service was very slap dash , not even , was it good ? , nothing.,,,,the food how ever this time , was very mediocre, we both had venison casarole, nice , but not brilliant , the real let down was the veg , a great selection of 5 -6 diff , but , absolutely tasteless , i would assume from this , it was "ping ping" , that's the only way you can knock all the flavor out of veg. Chips on the other hand were excellent.Another slightly annoying thing was , the landlord seamed more interested in talking to his 3 mates @ the end of the bar than serving his customers ( time for him to retire i think ) .Vote with our feet on this one.

Love finding places like this. If you like fantastic home cooked food, perfectly kept ales, appreciate a huge choice of veggie dishes but also a stonkingly good faggot, combined with the most convivial atmosphere, this is the place!!

The decor is everything sheep, but the food is freshly cooked, local produce, of excellent quality.Three of us sheepishly decided that this would be a good place to end our riverside stroll.We were not disappointed,the menu being exceptionally diverse.I started with a bowl of steaming soup which in addition to bacon contained a wide variety of vegetables, and was accompanied with a couple of hot bread rolls.I should have known better, because I had ordered rabbit pie to follow, and I was determined to finish both. A light flakey pastry covered a goodly amount of rabbit and gravy.My colleagues chose duck leg with plums and cottage pie, and were also very appreciative of the efforts of the cook.A good cup of coffee ended our meals.What an excellent quirky pub, with very friendly staff, and great food.

Wow what a find this lunchtime a lovely pub with exceptionally nice home cooked food..can’t wait to return! Thank you.

This is a very small traditional style pub with some quirky decoration. When we arrived at about 18:15 on a Friday night it was quiet but nearly all of the tables were reserved, we were lucky to get the last free one. The pub quickly filled up and it was getting really busy by the time we left.I can see why it has such a good reputation for food - the steak & ale pies we ordered were probably some of the best we've ever eaten. In fact all of the food, which is genuinely home cooked, looked lovely. At the bar there was a really good choice of cask ales and both of my pints were well kept - clear with a nice head.All of the staff were cheerful and obviously wanted everyone to have a good night out.If this place had more space I'm sure they could double or triple their turnover but maybe it would then end up losing it's cosy charm.

Local, friendly pub with wonderful atmosphere. Amazing food with such a great choice. Great service at affordable prices.

How good it is to find a traditional pub that serves great food. The customers all feel like locals and it is great that whilst they accept well behaved dogs, children under 14 are not allowed....bonus!!!

.... Just like a pub used to be - friendly, welcoming and with great beer. Sadly we'd just eaten so didn't get the chance to try the food. However, we did soak up the atmosphere and there's plenty of that!

Stunning menu so much food to choose from ! All beautifully cooked and served ! Very dog friendly and some smashing beers ! Lovely staff as well !

Went here whilst on a break in Dorset. Beer was good and food ok but it’s the atmosphere of the place that is so wonderful. All the locals seem slightly mad - there is even a cheese group who meet there every Sunday evening

This pub in the centre of Dorchester is still very much a pub that serves some food, not a restaurant that serves some drinks. It has a nice traditional pub atmosphere with a mainly older clientele. It serves a very good range of excellent beers and feels cosy and homely.

Situated just off the High Street. Cosy with interesting decor. Average selection of real ale and good selection of spirits. Opening times vary and during the week they only open lunchtimes and then again from 6pm. Friendly staff but wine was expensive, although we we told it was local

Called in with friends last week on Friday lunch time on a chilly day and wow what find! A really sociable place, Service at the bar and table spot on. 4 differently chosen meals ordered and all favourablly received, the real ale beers were well kept and poured. We shall certainly return. Well done to all of the staff.

Great pub food, like Venison sausages and gravy. Had atmosphere with customer base a mix of locals with tourists A warm glow emanates from the bar staff making one feel so very welcome.

Very welcoming. Beer is well kept and brilliantly poured. A good variety on offer. . Feels safe and comfortable. Beer is relatively expensive though.

Early sat eve , good atmosphere , large selection of quality real ale , quaity food, nice size portion , my only gripe was my main never came with veg , so had to order sepp , we will return again when in Dorchester.

Was recommended this place by where we were staying a short walk away.

Great local with genuine beer, lovely home cooked food and a fab atmosphere - what more could you want from a pub? I would recommend it any time.

We visited the blue raddle for the first time on Saturday. What a fantastic pub, wish this was my local. The staff/owners couldn't have been more helpful and friendly to us and the other customers, nothing seemed to be too much trouble. The food was extremely nice and very good value. We had the venison casserole which melted in you mouth and the steak ale and mushroom pie was packed full of meat and cooked perfectly. Followed up with the rhubarb and ginger crumble and custard - perfect for a wet Saturday lunchtime. I would thouroughly recommend and will return on our next day out. Many thanks.

We were in Dorchester for a holiday, first went for a beer and decided to go back for dinner. We both had the venison and it was delicious and they made our two Westies welcome with a bowl of water and some treats. Enjoyed it so much we are going back tomorrow evening again for dinner

This is free house pub that serves food on Thurs, Fri and Sat. The menu is very good especially for a pub and this and the quality of the food means it is very popular. My rabbit pie was excellent and my wife enjoyed her fishcakes. As far as I couls see they do not do starters or desserts, but we didn’t need either. In addition there is a wide and changing range of beers, but a limited range of wines available by the glass.

You want a bit of traditional Dorset then this is it . Cash only, traditional ales and ciders and clean friendly environment . If you are wanting a loud and fast paced pub this isn’t for you ! If you want to hear yourself talk and a good pint in pleasant surroundings then come along !

Great location centre of Dorchester. Good pub atmosphere and decor but I was not the only customer who missed the acclaimed food. Only offered soup.

Bar staff were more interested in wiping the bar than greeting us with a smile. When we realised it was cash only and were still being ignored we walked out. Found a better place called The Brew house Kitchen.

After trying a couplt of other places this was a breath of fresh air. Warm welcome, decent pint and a good selection of specials added to the menu choices. Food arrived quite quickly and was good value. Didn't try the desserts, maybe next time.

Nothing really to add to what's already been said ("real pub", "proper pub", etc.); just wanted to record another "Excellent" to keep the ratings up. They even had a (complete) pack of cards behind the bar. What more can you say?

Hot, tired and hungry - the place we were planning to lunch had been closed down so we sauntered through the town looking for somewhere not overrun with day trippers as it was market day. When we eventually happened on the Blue Raddle it looked just our sort of local, on entry we were not disappointed and received a warm welcome from Lou who was manning the bar. The menu is far superior to the average mass produced "pub grub" and clearly freshly cooked with a nice selection of vegetables, so you will have time to chat and take in the traditional décor. Great meal, nice welcome and spotless toilets - what could be nicer?

A lovely pub with great staff, a good choice of beverages, clean and welcoming. The food is plentiful and tasty. What is there not to like? Nothing at all.

Well this was just a delight to visit and eat in. It is so lovely, a real little pub. Our two dogs were given water and treats and the home-style, locally resourced food was delicious. It is quirky and fun which is reflected in the very friendly service. This wee pub is a must for those that love real ale houses.

Popped in on a Saturday lunch time... it’s a real locals pub but on entering you become a local... landlady was extremely welcoming... it does not have a garden but even muddy dogs were welcome and given a bowel of water and another one of treats.

Really enjoyed the unique atmosphere in The Blue Raddle. Friendly, helpful, chatty staff who work hard to make you feel welcome and ready to enjoy yourselves. Fabulous range of beers and an extensive selection of food from The chalkboard menu Everything was brilliant. Enough said.

What a gem of a little pub. You don't see many pubs like this anymore so make the most of this one if you get the chance. It's what all pubs used to be like only much better!! Pay and display car park just around the corner.

This is a must if your in Dorchester, very good selection of real ale, as well as good food reasonably priced. My Game Pie was the star of the show, although we both thought the Pear and Almond Tart needed more pear, it was sparse in our two slices and this would have given it more flavour. It would have been another star with a slightly better desert.

Made to feel welcome by the staff. Beer good. Garden at back to smoke. Obviously popular with locals.

We stayed in dorchester for 3 nights and ate in the Blue Raddle two nights. the food was excellent with a large and interesting menu. Service was excellent and so was the beer. Worth visiting if you are in Dorchester

We have been a couple of times recently. This time I thought I would add a review. The beer is always excellent and the staff very friendly and helpful. My wife and her work colleague have been taking part in veganjanuary. So they were all looking for something from the very extensive menu. I had the steak ale and mushroom pie, which came with chips and peas which was hot and full of flavour. I could not fault it. The others went for either the vegetable goulash, or vegetable shepards pie or meat loaf. They all shared a bowl of vegetables which as the main courses were hot. They all enjoyed their main courses, as all the plates were empty at the end. All I can add that the atmosphere is brilliant, the food reasonably priced. Rick and Chris do an excellent job and the regulars always give you a warm welcome. We will return

The menu was very comprehensive with something for everyone.The food was tasty and reasonably priced the staff were very friendly and the pub had a nice atmosphere. I had the Cajun chicken skewers with chips and salad and my partner had fish cakes.

Thanks to Trip Advisor we found this little gem. Popped in just after lunch for a pint just to check it out, we weren't disappointed a great selection of draft beers and many ciders. Greeted by the landlady and made very welcome had a pint of Otter and looked at the very extensive menu with well over 40 different dishes all home made with great choice for all tastes. We're told it gets busy if we wanted a table it was best to book so we did luckily. Arrived just before 7 to fine quite a few people in the pub, ordered 2 chicken and ham pies, 1 steak and kidney pie, and a macaroni

Quite small inside and clearly a local's pub. It was oddly pleasant, like being in someone's living room. Lots of beers, pleasant welcome, good food (Plenty of vegetarian choice). Happy to come again. CASH ONLY.

A group of six of us popped in for a few pints on the way to an Indian. Beer excellent, plenty of choice and well kept!

Probably one of the best kept secrets in Dorchester,a beautiful little English pub with a great selection of local beers and ciders,always friendly and welcoming,Food is always good,not a huge menu but a good selection of local ingredients.Children and well behaved dogs are welcome.A true English pub with no load music and fruit machines.

Fantastic quality food and great selection of ciders which pleased me. The food of high standard a pheasant and cider pie stuffed with filling cooked as Mum would have made it. Proper puddings. I tried bread pudding with custard, my friend apple and berry crumble served with little milk churns of cream. We booked a table as busy and a lovely buzzing atmosphere.

In the Raddle with friends, dinner and a few drinks. Now sat at home with too much food inside. Everybody emptied their plates of super cooking. Unfortunately ordered a dessert, which was also excellent forcing empty plates once more. What a great place to eat and socialise !

As if transported in time back to a 70/80s pub. Filled with families of people enjoying pub food in very local feel surrounds. No care in the world for decoration which is reminiscent of the nags head circa 1980. A truly wonderful evening in an old fashioned English pub.

Visitar la zona por negocios y me recomendó este lugar. Entré en el lugar dieron notablemente un poco más tranquila y yo pocos jefes se convirtió en mi dirección. Yo no podía ver fácilmente en cualquier lugar para sentarse/ocultar. No era lo suficientemente grande para perderse, había espacio abierto en el medio de la zona de bar. Pub tradicional, con pisos de madera, etc.. La comida podría haber sido buena, pero me resultó, y salimos rápidamente. Parecía popular y había un rumor, pero no era el lugar para mí.

Comimos en el Blue Raddle este fin de semana y era un paraíso muy bienvenida de las lluvias torrenciales. La comida, el ambiente, el precio era excelente y los propietarios eran muy amables y serviciales. Recomendaría este hotel a cualquiera que quiera visitar un agradable pub/restaurante.

Tenía algún respiro un día caluroso con una cerveza fría y almuerzo. Pastel de pescado tarta y vegetariana, ambos muy buenos no es barato, pero no excesivamente caro. Sentir la historia de este lugar y sin duda la gente en el bar son evidencia tiene seguidores locales siguientes. Un pequeño detalle es una estantería llena de títulos interesantes.

Llame a comer algo. Después de intentar conseguir personal a reconocer nosotros de pie detrás de la gente que se sentaba en el granero, finalmente nos sirvieron. Encontrar una mesa, leer el menú en la pared y luego fuimos al bar de nuevo a pedir más bebidas y comida. Por esta época se estaba llenando y con más gente llega mientras nos sttod en el bar y ellos recibiendo antes de nosotros, decidimos salir - no creo que sea de vuelta.

If you like real ale and people watching you will be at home here.A wall chart explains what Raddling is for those who are not from the deepest country background.The real ales are mainly local to the area and well kept.

Good food and excellent selection of real ales for the enthusiast.Very few pubs serve real ales well, this one does. Always lots of drinkers with views on what makes a good beer.

Very, friendly service, traditional, slightly old fashioned menu, meat and 2 veg, but all fresh and well cooked. Cash only, no cards. Meals £10 to £12, beer £3.40 per pint.No London Pride, too expensive for the locals according to the landlady

Just returned from a lovely night in the Blue Raddle. I ate the faggots, the wife had the curry - both excellent !The real ale quality was first class, the wife enjoyed the wine. A very friendly place to visit, and enjoy great beer, food and conversation.

I met up with the only ex school friend I get to see (we met over sixty years ago) and together with our wives we had another wonderful meal in the Blue Raddle.We go there about four times a year and have never been disappointed.The hosts are very friendly and make you fell so welcome. We usually have lunch at 12.30 and have to leave at closing time which is announced with a good old fashioned bell! One day I will hang around to the 6.30 opening time to try yet another good beer.

A proper pub. No children running about so it is a good old fashioned pub. Lots of real ales. Not a lot of seating as it is a nice small pub. There is a good and varied selection of food and bar snacks.

A cute, welcoming pub, with friendly locals & wall to wall character. The food however is the real gem; freshly cooked, with a huge menu to boot. Simply delicious!

Magnificent real pub atmosphere, superb range of guest beers and a whole row of proper draught ciders! Good food, too, at very reasonable prices. Busy and cheerful, without being overcrowded. A word to the wise: visit the cash point first - they don't take cards!

Luckily we turned up just as the doors opened or we wouldn't have got a table. Husband was impressed with the beer selection and I was happy with the cider! We ordered food which came promptly and was delicious. The gentleman behind the bar and lady in the kitchen worked extremely hard and the service was excellent.

A traditional pub with lots of character. We popped in for a drink on a very cold Friday evening prior to having dinner elsewhere and received a warm welcome from the bar-lady. I enjoyed an excellent pint of guest real ale and my partner a glass of wine. We'll try a meal on our next visit.

A friendly real pub full of carracter good ales and excellent food served of a very high standard. Staff friendly and very helpful

This is a place we often bring our American visitors. It just has a wonderful feel about it. Food and drink are good as well.

Looked for somewhere in Dorchester for lunch that was dog friendly. Saw this on line and decided to pop in, traditional old place with a very friendly welcome to our dog, a bowl of water and a bowl of treats bought over to our table was a nice touch. We ordered food which was really lovely, big fat chips - my favourite! And the beef and ale pie and beef casserole was delicious. Would happily go back.

Friendly, good food, welcoming staff and good atmosphere. Reasonably prices and beer and just as I remember a pub from my youth. Don't change a thing and keep the tradition.

I'd had an early start on the road, still had halfway to go and so a rest stop beckoned. Coming off the A35 this place is my stop of choice as it's only 2 minutes' walk from a couple of car parks and it's as friendly a pub as you could wish. There's a good selection of real ales (Cotleigh Brewery), really good cafetiere coffee if you don't fancy a pint, and home cooked food to suit all sizes of appetite and wallet (the smoked bacon and squash soup was excellent). Free newspaper (Independent), and they welcome dogs, too. If I lived in Dorchester I'd make this place my second home.

Wonderful pub, large frequently changing menu, good food, good beer, friendly landlady and locals. Best of all, no children allowed. Just as I remember good pubs were 40 years ago but now with good food. Highly recommended if you can find it.

A cosy local pub with decent pub grub at decent prices! Menu changes frequently depending on local ingredients - lots of veggie options which was a nice surprise. Would like to come back when they have a folk music night.

We actually went in search of somewhere different but, due to a technical issue, they were not opening until later on. Just a few metres away stood this little pub and it had also come up on our phone app for places to eat. The landlady very kindly asked a local to let us have his table which he did without a qualm. We made sure to thank them both and placed our orders off of the board.I had the gammon, egg, chips and peas and my partner a steak pie. Superb, home cooked pub food at a sensible price, quick service and all of the locals were chatty and friendly.I am glad we stumbled upon this place and as we only live 30 minutes away and Dorchester is a favourite haunt, we will be booking a table next time and ensuring we wander down for a hearty winter stew. Thank you for letting us have your table!

Popped in for a light lunch and drink whilst visiting friends and was surprised to see a sign saying no children and only well behaved dogs allowed. Landlady was welcoming and offered a try of local ciders before me making a decision. Food was fab, atmosphere peaceful and although slightly more expensive than we would usually pay for a baguette the quality of the food gave us the reason for the price. Looking forward to the next visit

This is the kind of pub you would like to call your local. Full of interesting characters, and run by a friendly landlord and landlady serving good beer (well it is for me - they serve my favourite - London Pride, as well as Buncombe). Not only this but the menu is interesting, and the food good quality. We took the chick pea and coriander cakes with salad and chips - at £8.95 each. Excellent. We could have taken a range of vegetarian and meat based dishes, all a little different from your usual pub fare- tarts, curries, and pies. So, we had an excellent lunch, with a pint and a white wine spritzer, all for £25. A word of warning though - they don't take cards, and they're closed on Mondays.

Great food, really busy though, had steak,ale and mushroom pie was really well cooked, great service proper pub ale and food

The Raddle serves well-kept beer with a variety of 'real' ales. The staff are very good, and it has the ambience of a local pub without the annoying loud music and tedious décor of many pubs.

This is a really lovely traditional pub with friendly staff, a good range of cask ales, and classic pub food done well. I had a steak and kidney pie with chips and peas, which was done very nicely with good quality meat and nice chunky chips. The bread pudding and custard was also delicious. The atmosphere is old-school pubby, in a good way, and it gives the impression of being a proper local boozer that happens to do decent food, rather than a touristy gastropub. Again, that's a good thing in my eyes!Note it's cash only which is a nuisance in this day and age, but sadly still fairly common in pubs. They do have free wifi though!

A quirky pub with a sense of humour. The beers were all excellently served by knowledgeable and helpful staff. Comfortable seating, and a selection of Private Eyes in the Gents.

Went to see Ab Fab at the brilliant plaza cinema in Dorchester And looked for a good food pub close by for dinner. The blue Raddle is a proper pub with a fantastic bar but equally fantastic food home made by the landlady . You order off the blackboard, no fancy menus to get most In. No credit card or chequers cash only. Prices from £3 to £12 and all home made treats. I had venison casserole with veg and hubby had faggots with chips and gravy. The pies looked amazing, chicken or venison or beef and Guinness. Also plenty choice for the veggie options and puddings like bread pudding and peas and almond tart . Such simple true quality food that is very hard to better. Loved it.

A small pub for which you need to get in early to get a table to eat at or book one. Typical pub food with a twist using locally produced ingredients. Food is tasty and hot and plentiful. Service is very good and not rushed giving you chance to enjoy the atmosphere of a local pub. There is a good choice of both starters and mains based on availability. The bar is well stocked often with guest beers. It's a lovely place to dine in the evening.

Called in after a longish business meeting. Attracted by the outside themed decor and self depreciating style. Well decorated and run pub with friendly staff and owner and good food and a good range of beers and cider which are well kept and served. The food is excellent, diverse, local and well cooked.The bits of history and amusing cartoons, jokes and bon mots around the bar and in the toilets are well worth investing a little time and another pint in. The copies of Private Eye covers in the loos are especially funny.The major pub chains killing off the English pub would do well to pay an instructional visit and learn what a good pub is all about. Power to the land lord's and staff's elbows and long may it continue.

What a warm welcome. It is indeed a place where regulars meet; it didn't matter we were visitors at all. The staff are very friendly and hospitable. The food is excellent; excellent portions and a varied menu. A proper pub. Thank you. You'll see us again next time we visit Dorchester.

If you want to experience what Pubs were like before being changed into themed gastro eating places then this little Pub is a "Must " . You can be assured of a warm welcome from the land lady .Excellent service and delicious home cooked food . It is small and cosy and always busy so booking is advisable .

We visited this pub at about 2:45 on a Saturday. They close at 3:00. We were welcomed and happily served with beer. We didn't leave until well after closing time but the staff were very tolerant of us. I wish we had realised the time of closing, so that we could have arrived earlier.The pub has an excellent range of well kept beer, and serves a wide ranging and ambitious menu.

Small pub with lovely food near centre of town. We had 2 Mains 2 Desert Bottle wine £50 with tip The food was excellent, better than many restaurants all fresh cooked by the Landlady whose a great cook. The Landlord was front of house providing great service & clean cleared tables. Booking is advised we were luck got last free table. Shame no Gluten Free deserts when we visited but ice cream + hot toffee sauce delicious!

What a amazing place real old school pub with plenty of character and the food was good pub food very nice host definitely worth a visit if you want good food. ;-)

What a pub, great food, ales and Peroni on draft, no wonder it was recommend tro us! We booked 3 tables via email and our food was held until the last 2 of our party arrived late. Will be back for sure. Many thanks to Richard and all his staff.

we were recommended this place by the Hotelier and we didn't book it which we should really have done. However got lucky with a table , good friendly service and the food was fantastic so if in Dorchester give it a go think we'll be pleased.

Friendly, welcoming and great food. Locally sourced pheasant was terrific, and the landlady came to the table with a detailed list of gluten free options for the menu, when I enquired.

If you want a pub with character and lots of locals this is for you. Good food, generous portions and just a great local pub.

A 'real' traditional pub with a good selection of real ales and ciders at reasonable prices. Excellent food and friendly and welcoming Landlord/Lady. Dog friendly and No stag/hen do's or children...