The Blue Vinny in West Dorset

Went here with a group of friends for Sunday lunch. The waitresses were lovely and friendly but the food was disappointing. We all had the roast which is the only option on a Sunday, the veg was bland and under cooked (parsnips seemed like they had just been boiled and were hard), potatoes were also hard and hadn't been roasted for long. We had to ask for more veg as there wasn't much initially bought out for the 6 of us. All in all the roast was not the best and we would not visit again for the food. There was no cranberry sauce for the turkey and it took ages for the vegetarian gravy to arrive and by the time it did my friend had eaten her meal. They had no fresh coffee, only instant and no dairy free milk. The cakes for pudding were OK but not amazing. Like I said the staff serving were lovely, I am aware they are under new management so maybe it is just teething problems.

Have eaten here twice and find the food very exceptable , always a great atmosphere in the evening, always busy Friday nights( meat draw) and Saturdays, Always look forward to evenings ,and very friendly staff x

I understand this pub is under new management. Plenty of staff on, service good but they lacked enthusiasm , the pub lacked atmosphere. Very poor lunch menu- fish and chips, gammon and chips, sandwiches and panini and jackets with choice of 5 bland fillings. Only one vegetarian choice - cheese in your sandwich, panini or jacket! And a cup of a rather a pot of tea- dreadful . Wont be back, shame as it was lovely in the past.

Was really looking forward to going back to the Vinny now it's reopened but was quite disappointed. As previously commented, the pub was cold so not the cosy pub I remember.We had the carvery but no crackling. Gravy was lovely but large shared veg wasn't warm. Lots of staff but not very attentive. Will go back again when hopefully things are improved.

I appreciate this pub may be under new management and experiencing some teething issues but I wouldn’t rush back. Service was very slow and inattentive even though they had more than enough staff to cover. And worst of all, no fires were lit inside the pub so everyone had to wear their coats to keep warm while eating their meals. It definitely didn’t give us those cosy pub vibes we remember. The Sunday carvery was very underwhelming. The plates came out each with 3 slices of meat, 3 small roasted potatoes and a sad looking Yorkshire. I ordered the pork and there was no crackling to be had! The shared cauliflower cheese was more watery than cheesy. There was, however, a large plate of veg for us to share which was more than we needed, the one compliment I can give. Unfortunately, so much more could have been done to improve the presentation and quality of their menu items and re-establish the reputation held by the old Blue Vinny. Until then, I’d look elsewhere.

Driven past here lots & we’re keen to try somewhere local. Massive carpark but set out so there are barely any spaces. On arrival it’s the type of pub everyone turns & stares. Pointed to our table which was blocking a fire exit. Nice setting, pub was a bit grubby with random uncomfy chairs. Waiter was great, served v quickly. Starters all nice soup & pate. Mains were ok, my burger was salty & for £16 seemed a bit pricey with a small portion of chips. Curry was nice. I wouldn’t rush back Thimble is more welcoming

Nice old pub. Could do with being a bit cleaner, but staff very friendly & helpful & food was delicious. Dog friendly & wheelchair accessible

Visited this nice country pub on a Friday evening for dinner, did not book. Food was very tasty, large portions and reasonably priced. A few different beers to choose from too. Would recommend.

Fantastic place, easy to park, just off a35. great staff and delicious food. Definately go again. We had soup and a pudding. Saw other peoples meals and they loojed lovely. see you again soon.

We decided to ‘go out’ and called The Vinny. They had space so booked for two, 7.30. Pub was buzzing, had a drink at the bar, sat down and ordered - fantastic steaks, asked for a third one to come later as someone was joining us. It arrived at the last possible minute the chef could do which was good of him/her. Sensational pud too! Everything was just wonderful, thanks Vinny for a good evening out!

First visit to this pub and was expecting fabulous things. Well the food was good but it ends there. No welcome, place has so many laminated signs stating what you shouldn't do !!. Feels like being in a classroom ! Loads of ridiculous signs/orders in the ladies/gents toilets too. Anyone would think the place was full of wild , young reprobates!!. Will not be returning , The Thimble Inn is much more welcoming and doesn't have an attitude problem. What a shame as the food is very tasty and reasonably priced.

Had a great lunch, with all three courses being perfect. Our first time eating here but we'll definitely be back. Friendly service, and they have a really good chef.

Experienced terrible customer service this evening - rang to book a table, left a message, no call back so rang again, received ansaphone message again. Tried for a third time and someone picked up but asked that I ring back in two minutes… rang for a fourth time to be told he would check availability - he obviously thought he had put the call on ‘silent’ …but hadn’t, so we heard him shouting to someone about the toilets. He then put me on hold, where I remained for a couple of minutes, before I ended the call. Shame, as l was trying to book on a recommendation, but won’t be trying again anytime soon…

Stopped off for a light lunch while travelling on a Sunday. The menu was full roast only, but the chef kindly offered to do us cheddar sandwiches. Sandwiches were lovely, lots of cheese, but could have had a bit more side salad and maybe crisps. Just a small improvement. My husbands coffee was cold. The staff were very friendly. The other food did look lovely. Good service and nice setting. Would recommend and will return. Good stop just off A31

Have eaten here many times and have normally enjoyed the food, however we recently visited and were rather disappointed, I had the smoked haddock pie...the description said it contained bacon and potato....I did not expect it to be three quarters potato I left at least 8 new potatoes cut in half and could not detect any bacon, I showed all the potato that I'd left to the waiter, but he didn't comment. We both had rice pudding for dessert, and this too was not good...very dry and stodgy

This is a roomy pub with a decent menu, friendly staff, and a relaxed atmosphere, nothing too fancy, but the prices are reasonable.

We stopped off for lunch on our way to visit sculptures by the lakes What a great village pub Friendly staff, good value food and something for everyone We had a sandwich each with a small portion of chips The bread was lovely and fresh and the fillings generous and tasty It just goes to show, you don’t have to over complicate things. Just use great local ingredients and charge a fair price Highly recommended

We had a great supper experience on Thursday with 3 adults and 2 children. The staff were friendly and professional - the food was definitely above average pub grub. I had the Caribbean fish curry - it was simply wonderful and I would highly recommend that you try it. Our party also ordered a quinoa salad, rump steak, burger and sea bass. All in all a really lovely evening - highly recommend

Only live 10 minutes away, why haven’t we visited before🙄 A pub that was like going back in time to pre Covid. Packed with happy drinkers and diners, lots of staff happily buzzing around serving customers food and drinks. Ahh the joy. I had almost forgotten what that was like. Great food, both had fish and chips. Hoorah for decent and well fried chips/fries, great batter on fish and well priced at £16. Will be back very soon.

We have been going to the Blue Vinny for many years when staying in Puddletown and, sadly, have seen a decline in the food served there. In our last visit, we ordered fish and chips, but asked that the peas be swapped for a salad. We have done this in countless restaurants over many years and always (up to now) had a very positive response. However, the Blue Vinny decided that they wanted to charge for extra side salads, despite the peas not being served and wouldn’t swap peas for salad. The server wasn’t even that polite about it. When the food came there was no salad garnish at all. Just fish and chips. The fish was pretty small and the chips weren’t plentiful. They were ok but nothing special. If they had swapped the peas for a small salad I would have walked away and not complained but they wanted to charge us extra. Not impressed at all.

We called in to this large country pub for a snack lunch. Our order of sandwiches was served quickly and freshly made. There is a good varied menu for more serious diners.

Stopped at this pub on our way to and coming back from Cornwall, as we have done in previous years. As usual a friendly welcome from the staff. The food was fresh and well cooked. We had a pork dish and fish and chips. Both were excellent. Puds selection were just as good. Prices are reasonable. Cannot fault in any way. Lovely garden for children and dogs. Dogs are also welcome in a section of the pub. Great place. Wish I lived nearer so that I could go more often.

Staff very friendly, warm and welcoming. Decent food. Good beer garden and play area for children. Good for all ages.

Went for a light lunch and a pint. Impressed with the service & helpful staff. Good beer, had a favourite of mine, Butcombe Original. We had starters as not wanting a full meal, both were excellent. I had the whitebait and thoroughly recommend, glad it was a generous portion. We were lucky with the weather, glorious sunshine, and found a table outside in the shade. Would just say that there were a number of other people there and a family came and went as it seemed they were looking for a table with some shade. Think it would be beneficial to have umbrellas at some tables, especially when the weather is so hot. Would certainly like to visit again and enjoy more of the lovely food.

Booked to eat on Saturday, the service and food were first class. The portions were large and we'll cooked and presented. The staff were attentive and helpful. The following day we called in only wanting drinks due to the football it was booking only, yet they found us a table.

Ellie was looking after us, she was lovely. Louis also helped out and was very nice too. I ordered the Welsh rarebit and it was delicious, I was very happy indeed! Partner had ploughman’s and it was spectacular. Highly recommend

We are a family of four adults and dine out most evenings of our holiday.Visited here towards the end of our 2 week holiday and pleased that we did.The two members of staff were hard working, well-mannered and friendly.The food we had was good and a reasonable price.We will keep the details of the Blue Vinney as we will definitely visit it a few times during our next holiday.Recommend

Stopped off en-route and though a busy Sunday they were able to accommodate a table inside (though there are plenty of seats out for sunny days) menu had everything plus sandwiches and though staff were very busy everyone was friendly and attentive. The Sunday lunches looked amazing so if passing I’d pop in again.

Great pub doing its best in these crazy times!! Stopped here for socially distanced pint after a visit to Athelhampton Hall. Friendly staff and locals, great service and a tasty burger from the BBQ on a sunny lawn. No Hop House lager sadly ;-)

Really lovely tasty meal here today with friends. Well organised and very clear directions as regarding COVID. Staff very friendly and service was efficient. Definitely recommend. We sat in the’ annex ‘ so that we could share a table but still nice and warm with the heaters.

A lovely place to meet up as two households in a safe, relaxing and very comfortable environment. Friendly and attentive staff and a short menu to fit the CV19 circumstances. The food was excellent and great value for the quality. The 'While you wait' options were a nice touch if you didn't want to go for a full starter - especially the Pork Crackling and Apple Sauce. Sunday roast was lovely (though the small option was more than enough) and my Poached Pear, Brandy Snap and salted Caramel ice cream desert was divine. A great experience.

Visited the Blue Vinny for dinner whilst in the area on holiday and it did not disappoint. The staff were attentive and friendly. Food was delicious, fresh and tasty- great hearty pub food. Everywhere was COVID safe with hand sanitiser and one way system through the restaurant. Would definitely visit again and would recommend to others who want a relaxed experience and great food.

My husband and I stopped as a convenient stop while traveling with the dog, lovely food, friendly staff and great big beer garden to sit in the sun with the dog and enjoy our meal.they also had dog friendly area inside (in case if visiting on a rainy day) Not far off the main road so easy to get to. Great little find

We were going to eat in, our family and another family we had met up with (at a distance) on holiday, then we decided last minute we didn’t want to cook. After several rejections from other pubs, Chinese restaurants we found the number for the Blue Vinny in the information book in our holiday cottage. They immediately accommodated us, on two tables with very little notice indeed and we’re very glad they did! Everything we ordered, from Thai green curry to gammon and chips, schnitzel, burgers and all the pudding we managed to squeeze in, were delicious. My daughter is Coeliac and they had excellent gluten free knowledge too. The environment felt safe and spacious and the service, I think it was the young couple who own the business, was really attentive, they worked very hard indeed at getting it right and they did. Thanks Blue Vinny for a great holiday meal out!

We visited The Blue Vinny for an evening meal whilst on holiday in the area and were absolutely delighted with the service offered initially on the phone when enquiring about availability for the size of party, two families, and also when at the venue. Staff were extremely friendly and efficient, very knowledgeable concerning Covid-19 regulations and requirements, and the meal itself was superb. Would highly recommend, you won't be disappointed.

First time that I have been out for a meal since the restrictions had been lifted.i would like to thank the Bkue Vinny staff for making me feel very safe tonight.The service was excellent and well organised. The food was superb, so tasty and excellent value for money Well done to the Blue Vinny I had a great evening surrounded by family and felt safe

We booked a table for outside and as we arrived we queued at the door for around 10 minutes as they was no clear direction of what to do but they was a sign saying stay seated and we will come to you, so our friend found our table and we went to sit at it, 20 minutes later no one had come to serve us so I went to ask to be told we had to queue and order at the bar as we had booked outside even though the sign said otherwise. We started to queue but was now 45 minutes past our booking so asked if it was possible to sit inside which was fine but then was told there was no beer as the cellar broke so they only had cans of fosters which were still priced at £3. The food was lovely as always (arrived 2 hours after the booking) but the whole experience was awful and expensive. I understand that it was their first day opening but this should be reflected in the price if this is the case. Also, the one at a time toilet system was not working or clear.

A first class pub for eating at. It is not a pretentious gastro-pub, but its menu is well above the standard pub fare. Good food, well cooked, reasonably priced. Worth travelling a little way for to bypass the more ordinary pub offerings in the area. Booking recommended.

The reserved table was ready, the service was efficient, the excellent food was all served hot and quickly for 18 people. Ambience excellent with no loud music (any music??). The whole family enjoyed the day with the boisterous grandsons having a great time with a football in the garden. Thank you all for a splendid 70th birthday party!

Family meal, 5 of us out for evening dinner. Spending well over £100 I guess was expecting more really. Although the food was not bad, it was mediocre.. Dry limp attempt at a salad garnish with mains, frozen chips, miserly starter portions of olives and balsamic with bread. As I say not bad food at all but lacking nevertheless. Staff were working hard, no problem there. When you go out for dinner you're expecting a little excitement on your plate. We are well done for gastro pubs at home which all excel at achieving this and when we visit Puddletown we want to support local people and business.

Fantastic quality food at very reasonable prices. Real ale looked after very well. Varied dairy free menu. Very much enjoyed our trip here. My wife and I both had the muscles which were excellent. Not one closed muscle between us and zero grit. The chef adapted an adults meal for our 4 year old. Friendly service from the staff. We wi defiantly be back

We met one of our friends here for lunch, its a really nice pub and very clean and up together. Its light and airy, the table had been reserved with our name on it. Service was very friendly, the chef wasnt happy with the quality of one the meats for the roast so they didnt serve it but offered an alternative. We found this really refreshing!!There are tables where dogs are welcome.

I went to the Blue Vinny this evening with three friends for a ladies monthly night out . We have been been there before and it was very nice. I have been coming ever since Roly took over the pub. Unfortunately tonight was a disaster. One starter,which was good. 4 main courses. 2 were fish cakes and were good. 2 should have been venison specials but the waitress managed to order the sausages instead. We waited ages for our correct meals to then be brought out. They were good when they eventually arrived. The other 2 had completely finished their meals by then. We were given a 50% discount for the 2 very late meals. 3 deserts were ordered. One ice-cream and 2 bread and butter puddings. Only the ice cream and one bread and butter pudding arrived. Eventually the other followed. The first one (my one) was so hard you couldn't eat it. The spoon couldn't break it up. I declined a replacement and just had a scoop of ice-cream. I was not charged for my pudding or the scoop of ice cream. Then followed the coffees. One expresso. OK. One americano with hot milk. OK. One flat white (mine) It was very weak wishy washy coffee. Not even resembling a flat white. We did tell the waitress what a very disappointing meal we had and she apologised without much enthusiasm. I had recommended this pub to my friends and wished I hadn't. They said they felt that they would not be coming again.

Some of the fabulous food which is available for lunch and dinner. Set in a gorgeous village which is easily accessed just off the A35. Ample parking with a large garden area for outside dining in the summer

4 of us had lunch there Sat 25th January. Lovely large table with proper linen napkins.Ladies opted for starters of wild mushrooms with whisky cream on sour dough toast- Delicious.Boys had mushroom rarebit and home cooked ham, egg and chips. Finished with chocolate and Orange steam pudding with clotted cream. Diets went out the window. Well done staff and chef.Will be back.

Met some friends for lunch and wasn’t disappointed. Nice beer, good food and company. Good choices on the menu both cold and hot.

We have eaten at The Blue Vinny on at least five occasions during the past 12 months and have had a very pleasant experience every time, so some of the recent poor reviews must have been a blip. The menu offers something for everyone and the Sunday roasts are particularly good. A generous serving of beef, great roasties and a delicious gravy/sauce to bring out the flavours. The sweets are good, too. A silky smooth lemon cheesecake, for example, or a good size cheeseboard offering (of course) Dorset Blue Vinny and several others.The staff are very friendly and welcoming and it's an ideal pub if you have the dogs with you after a long walk in Puddletown Forest, perhaps. There is a "dog friendly" area immediately inside the door to the left, near the wood burner, allowing diners who do not want dogs near their table to eat in peace in the larger area near the bar. This system works very well and caters for locals and passing trade.The pub seems very popular so it is probably best to book a table, especially at weekends, especially if you want to bring the dogs as that section has only three or four tables. Strongly recommended.

Often come here to eat, always good quality food, highly recommended, good staff, very attentive, though it is probably best to book ahead, as it can be busy

Friendly pub on outskirts of Puddletown. Not busy at all when we visited on a Monday lunchtime. Good food, not too much which was ideal for lunch. I had Welsh Rarebit. Lovely.

A superb pub and eating venue! Highly recommend a visit, very efficiently run with friendly staff and a superb and original menu with high class standard of dining. We always enjoy our visits to the Blue Vinny.

If I’m honest really pretty disappointed, I went with my wife and children. We ordered at 2 o’clock on a Sunday and I had already run out of beef for Sunday lunch. My wife ordered pork which was incredibly fatty and the vegetables were overcooked. My daughter had the children’s sausage which again was not a particularly good quality sausage very fatty. I had pheasant which was okay but the potatoes again with overcooked.

I visited this establishment recently on a Sunday for dinner. I was appalled at the attitude of the staff. There was a hair in the falafel. It was brought to the attention of the staff who did not seem to be particularly concerned. No alternative was offered or any reduction in the bill. The pub was empty, which should have been a clue. The service was very poor. It saddens me to find a pub with such poor standards in this present climate, when pubs are frequently closing down.

Having been rescued off the nearly A35 dual carriageway by the RAC, I still need to be towed to the garage, so the RAC got me to this delightful country pub, to wait for the appropriate truck to take me and my motorcycle home. I enjoyed the largest Rarebit made with Blue Vinny cheese and huge mushrooms! I warmed up by the wood burner and awaited my collection. Great service, ambience and staff, I highly recommend this traditional British Pub!

Called in for a light lunch after viewing the build on our new home. The Blue Vinney is going to be our new local very soon.

The food was ok but nothing special. We were disappointed with the warm not hot food. It was also disappointing in taste.

Lovely village pub with very nice food, great staff and a nice pint. Looks after the locals and has good events eg quizzes etc. Well worth a visit. Landlord and landlady can't do enough for you.

Shame the place is being renovated but all the same - this is a dull little place and the food just old style pub

Not quite sure how they describe themselves as vegetarian friendly. I just visited with friends - the menu had a single vegetarian option, and the waitress preferred to argue about whether cheddar cheese was vegetarian, rather than offer any help with alternatives.

Came for a lovely lunch on our journey back from a holiday in Weymouth. Service was prompt, food was delicious (especially my salmon) and they had everything we needed for my toddler- little play area in the garden, high chairs and good children's menu. Staff couldn't have been more helpful and would 100% recommend!

Among people in the village, the Vinny has the reputation for being somewhat variable when it comes to food. We have had some really great meals there and one or two pretty rough ones too.

We were going to have lunch here today and went to sit at the table my other half has sat at with our dog on ALL of his previous visits. The waiter, who clearly suffered from small man syndrome (think John Bercow!!) told us dogs have never been allowed in that section. We will be having lunch elsewhere. It’s that type of small mindedness that causes rural businesses to fold

Booked for 14 of us for Mum's 80th birthday and we had such a brilliant lunch at The Blue Vinny. The staff could not have been more helpful - they kindly hung up some bunting that I dropped off. We pre-ordered our meals but were not rushed at all, the food was excellent and they happily brought out our birthday cake for Mum. I cannot thank them enough for looking after us and thoroughly recommend. We will certainly be back!

We were recommend to try here by the guy who owned our holiday cottage. He was right, very good food, the crab timbale is excellent. Small menu but both our meals were good. The beer was good too. The exterior was under going renovation work and was covered in scaffolding when we visited.

Took some friends over from Chicago to this place as they were looking for good quality real ales and some great food. We all came away very happy. The beers were perfect, they even had a beer from Chicago lol. The food was so delicious and fantastic quality. The service was great and it was excellent value for money

I had never been to this pub before but my wife had, all be it, a long time ago. What a find! We both had roast loin of pork which was accompanied by home made Yorkshire, very crispy roast potatoes ( home peeled, not bought in peeled, you can tell the difference) and 3 types of veg. All very tasty and well presented. The wife had 3 types of ice cream served in a triple dish (nice) and I had a cheese board! 5 different local cheeses with a nice chutney, grapes, butter and more than enough biscuits (for a change! Why do chefs skimp on biscuits? It's the cheapest part of a cheese board?) Anyway, we would seriously recommend the blue vinny. Even the staff were pleasant and polite!

Just been served with the best pizzas outside of Italy!!! Would definitely recommend, cooked to perfection and a very chilled atmosphere..... 😊

10 out of 10 for a super evening at the Blue Vinny, Puddletown. We went there on a very busy day with lots of other families. Our children amused themselves in the lovely garden, while we relaxed in a warm and welcoming environment. The food arrived and it was Delicious with super service from smiley and chatty staff. Well done guys. Keep it up. See you again soon. SM and family.

Visited for lunch on a Sunday, and although there was 45 minute wait for food, the beer garden is a nice place to pass the time and the food was certainly worth the wait. I had mussels in cream and white wine sauce, with fries. All very good and reasonably priced.

Lovely pub with a garden and slide.

Booked for 6:30 Thursday evening for six 4 adults 2 kids. Waited an hour and a quarter to receive any food. No explanation despite enquiries.

Excellent quality food and service. Very helpful polite staff. Plenty of parking great outdoor area. Excellent selection of beers and ciders etc. The food was really top quality, not the usual frozen quick microwave rubbish. The food is clearly all made on the premises. The blue vinney burger I had was top quality. The herb butter roasted chicken brest was also to die for. A great seafood selection too. A recommend without doubt.

We had a very nice light lunch here recently. There is a good menu selection and the bar and restaurant scrupulously clean and comfortable.

A friendly welcome brought us into this intimate pub-restaurant and ensured we were in a good mood for what was a very pleasant meal. I think the menu size and range of choice was excellent and I wish we could have tried more of what was on offer but what we did have was very good (my two friends had steak which they claimed to have been near the top of their lists for flavour and tenderness.)

Held my sons wedding reception here. Food was amazing. Service excellent. Staff very helpful and catered for our every need We were obviously given a choice of food in advance of the day. Staff worked tirelessly into the evening to make it a special day.

One minute off the A35 and a perfect spot to break our journey. Easy parking and a large, safe garden with activities for children. About 1pm on a Friday when we arrived. Just in time as it soon began to fill up with diners so must have a good reputation. We only required liquid refreshment so cannot comment on the food. We would stop again.

Arrived towards the end of lunch service and chose to sit in the garden as we had our dog with us. Other half had the ploughman’s, I had cheese baguette. Was disappointed it wasn’t fresh bread but a over cooked ‘part-baked’ baguette. Garden looked unloved and scruffy, as did the covered area which is a shame as the inside appeared nice.

A fantastic village pub with excellent service and menu. The facilities including garden is outstandingly maintained and faultless.

Just popped in for a pint and some chunky chips! Chips were amazing! Worth visiting! Gluten free and vegetarian options available too.

My friends and I came across The Blue Vinney on our way to Athelhampton House. We stopped in for a meal and a drink and we found the hospitality to be very friendly and the atmosphere homely.

The Blue Vinny was a lovely local pub with wonderful fresh food and very accommodating staff who were happy to go the extra mile I would recommend it both for food and hospitality I certainly will be making a return.

We waited ages for our starters and then main courses only to be told that we only had 10 mins left for desert and coffee as they were closing at 3pm!

Have not visited the Blue Vinny for a little while and was not disappointed. We had a excellent lunch as is good value. Service was attentive but not intrusive and have no problem in recommending to family and friends.

Delicious food. I’m very fussy being a half decent cook myself. Very accommodating with our 7 year old grandson whose food was.brought first. Thank you for your hospitality.

It's a long story and no, I wouldn't usually book a pub for a child's birthday but I was stuck with nowhere for them to eat after playing on the ski slopes at Wareham. I descended on the poor staff with about 10 very excited children. I had booked and ordered food in advance. They played outside while they waited for food but this only took 10 minutes. They then ran outside again and ice cream was done in another 10 minutes. Cannot fault the service at all. The food was fabulous. Some of the children wanted more chips so I ordered an extra bowl half way through the meal and these were brought out almost immediately. The parents who chose to wait for their children enjoyed a quiet drink at the other end of the pub! Having worked in pubs before I can say that I would have dreaded a party of 10 children but I didn't get that impression from the staff, they hid it exceptionally well!

This is a lovely pub for those on the way through to Devon/Dorset/Cornwall - just off the A35 where it’s usually a challenge to find somewhere good to eat. Had a lovely roast dinner and puddings good also - will make this one a regular stop now!

Had dinner here with friends, been here before but this time the food was not as good. Interesting menu, with some different dishes than the normal pub grub.

Stopped for late lunch- very accommodating staff, warm friendly service. Main meals of steak, calves liver and linguine were all excellent as were the desserts - sticky toffee pud and Rhubarb and ginger brûlée, works of art as well as truly delicious. We will be back!

Four of us had a good lunch today. There was a spacious table, under which our dogs dozed in comfort.

Excellent place for lunch with your business partners. Lovely place, great food and excellent service

Went for Sunday lunch. The pub was surprisingly quiet which I guess is not a good sign. However, the staff are welcoming.

We visited for lunch in December. There was a lunch menu with baguettes and a larger menu plus some specials to choose from. It was nice to see some unusual choices for a pub menu, such as venison, pheasant, scallops and mussels. I would think something for most people. Two of us chose the wild mushroom arancini with Blue Vinny cheese,which was extremely tasty and a good sized portion and cost £12.50.

My wife and I have eaten regularly at the Blue Vinny for nearly 11 years, taking many of our friends and family there. Throughout this time, we have always had fabulous food. It is a delightful and welcoming restaurant/pub and Garth and his staff do a great job in looking after their guests; nothing is too much trouble for them. We cannot recommend the Blue Vinny too highly. Sadly, we have now moved from Puddletown but one group of our friends (who are frequent visitors) have suggested that in the future we arrange Blue Vinny re-union visits.

We came here for Sunday lunch for six people. The menu choice was excellent - something for all tastes. The roast was generous but you could order a small size which was a nice touch as not all of us have a large appetites. Deserts were very good too and generous sizes. It's a bit of the beaten track but worth the effort of getting there.

This is a very pleasant place to spend a couple of hours. They are very aware of what is needed for a gluten-free-friendly menu and I had a superb ploughman's with good quality gf rolls. Over twenty people were in for lunch, and they were efficiently served. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the place very clean. Definitely on my list to return to.

We stopped halfway on our journey from Sussex to Cornwall and had an extremely good lunch in this welcoming pub-restaurant. We will keep this establishment in mind if traveling in Dorset again. The food was freshly cooked and was simply delicious.

There is strong local loyalty to The Blue Vinny which is a recommendation in itself and the place was busy with most of the tables prebooked for a midweek evening. Warm welcome from friendly staff and very good table service (well done Izzy). 3 Yr old Granddaughter demolished her "kids meal" fish chips & peas and we enjoyed the hake & duck, followed by delicious fruit possets. Typical pub wine list, the malbec was very acceptable and not overpriced at £19.95

We've been back to the Blue Vinny a few times. The service is always good. I am so pleased to find a good place to eat with such a good dairy fee menu.

Located immediately off the A35, this venue is convenient if you need a break from driving. Access is easy with a large car park. We visited for a coffee which was excellent, served in sensible sized cups. Who wants a massive cup which takes forever to cool down??

Based on reviews popped in for coffee but very disappointed - not only did it close at 3 pm but decor very shabby - one teenager serving who spent her entire time moaning to one person (friend) sat at the bar

Seems a very busy pub restaurant but would say that it is typically average pub food. Service wasn’t great. Food ok. Nothing special though.