The Bull Tavern in North Dorset

I am going to struggle to articulate how poor this is. But here goes. We were visited by all the kids for the first time in ages so a Sunday lunch together seemed appropriate. We ate here 2 years ago and it was lovely. Its now under new management and I appreciate things take time to settle but really, the food was awful. There is no way ... and I mean, no way, this food was fresh. It was 'at best' cooked from frozen. The plate was swimming in liquid from the food. Tasteless. Just, really, really bad. So, disappointed.

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT: oh dear… Everything about this place now screams: ‘lack of enthusiasm and care’. First off, in this day and age to serve soft drinks from a big bottle is unbelievable. Flat soft drinks from a pub is just not acceptable. Secondly, the Sunday roast is maybe the worst I’ve ever had. School dinners are better than this. Rock solid veg, water disguised as gravy, thrice reheated potatoes… actually impossible to say anything positive about the roast. And I’ve now seen the pictures of the roast dinners served here in 2023 before the new management came in and they looked fantastic. Several steps back. Also we were sat in a cold, echoey barn conversion which doesn’t feel fully converted. All of which is a massive shame as it looks great from the outside and the main little pub building is full of character.

Came here for second time for a Mother's Day Roastie . Last time we came for lunch was last summer when land lady said they werer due to start thier sunday roasts again in winter months. We are So glad we booked here. Ladylady remembered us from last August which was nice. We had a roast beef and roast chicken. Portions were huge and so many items. Had a cosy little table and there was a really nice relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Bar and kitchen staff were great. Roast dinner was very tasty. Really enjoyed put visit. Thank you 😊

We visited this pub twice had two lovely meals staff very friendly and food served hot, we would highly recommend this pub especially the roast dinner .

If you want a traditional pub experience, The Bull is well worth a visit. We stopped here for lunch a few weeks ago and the food was delicious, with generous portions at reasonable prices. The desserts were to die for. They keep a good pint and both landlord and landlady are extremely friendly and welcoming. As a C15th pub, the surroundings and atmosphere are perfect, with old oak beams and a warm, cosy fire. We'll definitely be heading back soon!

Visiting the area and booked lunch, we hoped for a good lunch but you never know. We received a warm welcome, the bar lady was excellent, nothing was too much trouble. Service was excellent. Not a large menu, but the four of us felt that the food was excellent as was the beer. I had the jacket potato with prawns & the apple & rhubarb crumble. If in the area we will go again.

After a nice morning on the old railway path a Sunday roast was much needed. Decent value for money. A nice friendly atmosphere with a cosy feel. Was a little cramped sitting by the bar but staff were very welcoming. The beef was very good but my pork was a little thin and stringy and the cracking stick was a little big. Everything else though was delicious. Looking forward to returning.

Very small and old pub. Love the pictures of the history of the pub and loved the food especially the hunters chicken and love that it’s dog friendly

Great food. Super friendly. Generous portions. We're becoming regulars. Beer kept well and fair prices. What more d'you want?

Attended this pub for a sunday lunch while on holiday. My wife and i had the roast beef roast. The plate was full with beef, vegetables, pudding with gravy. All cooked well and hot. After we had apple and rhubarb crumble with ice cream and cheese cake and ice cream. This lot washed down with a few larger shandies. Staff warm and friendly, over all 5 ☆ experience. Tip. Best to book a table for sunday lunch.

We visit The Bull regularly when down from Kent. We love it, Lance and Marieanne are brilliant publicans and they serve 1st class food.

Booked in to The Bull with my Mum. We booked in advance and lady I spoke with on the phone was very friendly. Arrived a bit early and had a few moments looking around the Delhi. Looked very nice. Main pub is very traditional, lovely setting, relaxed atmosphere, and welcoming to dogs. Lots of options for seating inside or out. Mum ordered Hunters Chicken, and I had the chicken and mushroom linguine, and staff very helpful in that I was able to ask for an ingredient to be left out. Food was quick to come out and very tasty indeed. One of mums favourites in a Hunters Chicken and she has declared this one was the best shes ever had! Will definitely order those two choices again. Great kitchen team. Clientelle very friendly. An all round top pub to visit..we had a really nice time. Thank you very much .

Lovely food, good service, wonderful staff that make you feel very welcome. Very very dog friendly and all dogs get a treat

We went to the Bull Tavern after visiting Sturminster and Fiddleford mill, on a hot but beautiful day in Dorset. These were places I wanted to visit after seeing them many years ago on Old Country, a tv programme about rural pastimes presented by the late, great Jack Hargreaves. Stumbling across the Bull, we thoroughly enjoyed the lunch and liquid refreshment they offered at not a bad price.

Popped in for lunch whilst passing. Lovely beer garden to the rear and I had the steak and onion baguette with blue cheese which was delicious, highly recommend! Dog friendly, and service with a smile 😊

We love coming to our cottage in Dorset and the Bull makes it perfect. Marianne and Lance are the best public and ever, great food and hospitality.

Let down elsewhere to went in on spec to see if we could get a table. The main area was fully booked but they were very helpful and fitted us in in another room. The food was excellent, as was the service - large plates of perfectly-cooked roast beef with generous helpings of veg hit the spot, and the starters of squid tasty with a well-judged salad alongside. We will definitely be back.

Working in the area, we needed lunch as it was very cold. Went to nearest pub up road and was too busy so we kept looking. Came across this fantastic family run pub by mistake, the food is truly amazing and everyone made us feel...

Party of four on a Tuesday night, food was excellent and generous portions at a good price. Female behind the bar was friendly and very efficient with our orders. Had an excellent evening and wouldn't fail to recommend to anyone. A great choice.

Visited today having not been here for many years. We have 3 birthdays on the same day so took them to lunch. Food was excellent, reasonably priced and large portions. The service was very friendly and considerate. Really pleased we chose here and will definitely...

We've only been in the bull on 3 occasions. The owner remembered us from the second occasion and even asked our names.. Then on the 3rd occasion we were greeted as friends. The beers and ciders have always been fresh and at a good temperature....

Went here for lunch, it was a weekday, 10 to 12 customers in the pub. The staff were fine, but the food quality was well below the average pub grub. The menu looked good, but the actual meal was a disappointment, the worst thing was...

We have been popping into the bull now for afew months bringing our Dad for Sunday lunch, what can I say , I’m absolutely blown away by the standards of the great roast Sunday lunch, absolutely to die for , very happy people indeed, the...

We had a family meal here and the food was delicious, the service great and a lovely atmosphere. They made us feel welcome from the moment we arrived. Some of us ordered the Lamb Sizzler and the rest were pretty jealous!

Have never had a bad meal here and the selection of beers and ciders is unrivalled, coupled with the lovely staff and great service.

Had a wonderful week staying in lovely rural Dorset. Upon visiting the quintessential villages we found The Bull Tavern. Very pretty thatched property with large garden to the rear. Here we ate a huge All Day Breakfast for brunch. It was amazing. Cooked superbly with...

We had an evening meal here whilst on holiday. The food was amazing. Steaming hot. Well cooked. Delicious. Staff and locals were warm and friendly. Well worth a visit.

Myself and my partner were down in Dorset visiting her family and took a trip to Durdledoor. On the way up we passed by a lovely, quaint looking pub that caught our eye and we took note of it, so that we could contact them...

Popped in for a quick drink whilst working away from home. Greeted with a smiling face and a very attentive host whom introduced herself Marianne and couldn’t be more friendly. Went back three days later to be greeted with the same smile and this time...

Called the pub last minute and they fitted us in. A warm welcome awaited us on arrival. Great service from start to finish. Food was fresh and tasty.

This place has clearly had some cash spent on it recently and is very smart. The food was traditional pub fare at a very high standard and reasonably priced. It did take a while for the food to arrive, but it was worth the wait....

Lovely pub, quite small but tables really well spaced and very airy. Outside space too, So friendly and the breakfasts were delicious and really reasonable. It was all cooked beautifully and there was plenty of it. Definitely recommended.

Without out doubt the Bull Tavern is the best pub in the area, the food is fantastic, the beer is well kept and it has a brilliant beer garden, but what makes this pub stand out is Marianne & Lance and the staff who work...

Me and my wife have just had our First breakfast in the Bull . Service and food was top quality and I would recommend that anyone who is passing should call in and try for themselves. I would say that this was the best breakfast...

Called in for lunch yesterday, we had not been in since lockdown and the couple have really work hard to improve the Bull, we had a lovely lunch and the lady of the house was very friendly.

Lovely thatched pud in the Dorset countryside. We were given a friendly welcome and as we were staying in a cottage just up the road ate and drunk the local beer several time , good food and could not fault the pub and staff we...

Great little pub, found by chance. Friendly helpful staff and probably the best 4 cheese pizza I have ever tasted - brilliant - highly recommended and we will be back

We love the Bull, we visit when down from Kent, it is now better than ever, with breakfast! Dog friendly is such a bonus, Pip loves his treats!

Booked in to the Bull Tavern for a family Sunday lunch having read recent reviews and we weren’t disappointed. We had three different starters. Garlic prawn, chilli squid and pate. All were excellent. We followed that with the most enormous Sunday roasts you’ve ever seen....

My grandad, boyfriend and I came here tonight for dinner after being massively let down else where. We were lucky enough to get a table considering I had rang up literally 30 minutes before and we had an amazing evening. All 3 of us thoroughly...

We popped in for a swift half and didn’t leave for hours! Andy was fantastic and the regulars were so welcoming that we didn’t want to leave. Great beer, great company and a great atmosphere!

I have visited the Bull Tavern a few times with friends when visiting them. Not only are the landlord and landlady welcoming warm and friendly. I highly recommend the food from the fantastic breakfasts to having a meal later in the day excellent value not...

We booked a table for two for breakfast & definitely wasn't disappointed! We were warmly greeted by Marianne & shown to our table in the newly converted for covid reasons skittle alley, it's part restaurant & part deli with a lovely range of locally produced...

Enjoyed an absolutely beautiful meal here on Sunday. Lovely menu with choice of roasts and a varied alternative. The chicken I had was wonderful, so moist and tasty, best roast for a long while. They also have a deli counter

The new delicatessen and breakfast room in what was the old skittle alley is amazing. A real quality refurb selling everything Dorset. The breakfasts are amazing (didn’t need anything else for the rest of the day!) and Lance and Marianne offer a real personal service....

We met with some friends we had not seen for a while for lunch here. Food was good pub grub with a few specials available the landlord was welcoming. A selection of puddings were also available

Booked this for Sunday Lunch with only a couple of days notice for 10 people (inc 1 Five yr old) and also a 6 mth old puppy, we were staying locally for a weekend for a family gathering. Service and welcome was great and food...

The Bull is situated very close to our house in Dorset and has been completely turned around by Marieanne and Lance.We visited a couple of weeks ago with the family, including baby and toddler and ate in the Bull on Saturday evening and Sunday lunch. The food was amazing and nothing was too much trouble as far as the children were concerned. We were celebrating my birthday and I received a lovely bunch of flowers from Marieanne and Lance, such a kind thought.

Myself and my wife had a lovely evening meal at the Bull. I had the liver & bacon and my wife had the Chicken sizzler, both meal tasted lovely, the service is great and most importantly the atmosphere is very friendly & welcoming. I highly recommend a visit to the Bull for either Food or a drink.

My son and I had the most wonderful lunch at The Bull last week. The service was amazing and the food was lovely! 5*

Friendly, relaxed and local. The Bull Tavern was everything you would want from a local even though we were travelling from afar. Dogs welcome and you can go in wellies or a frock. Game pie was perfect and the sticky toffee pudding was some of the best we have had. The hand made pork scratchings behind the bar are local and yummy.Reasonable prices and you get a great welcome from the owners and the dogs alike! Hope locals continue to support this little gem.

Had a great meal this evening at The Bull. Great welcome from the owners, a warm, cozy place to be on a winter’s evening.

Visited Tuesday had a great offer of Fish andChips £12 for two great value very tasty. Lance & Marianne great hosts LLance and Marianne

Fantastic Lunch, Great food, great drink and brilliant atmosphere. Highly recommend a visit to the Bull.

We are regular visitors to Sturminster Newton and are so pleased the Bull is back on track with great atmosphere and delicious food, thanks to Lance and Marieanne. They are a great team and it’s once again a pleasure to drink and dine here.

Glad to see it back in good and competent hands. Excellent main course of Beef and Prawn Ragout and delicious puddings. Thoroughly recommend it for an evening meal and good wine.. Glad to know the local drinkers are also coming back for their pints and socializing which is always a good sign. Its a good local Dorset pub, what more do you want.

We are currently staying a couple of miles away and took a nice walk into Sturminster Newton, we stopped off at the bull for a drink and decided to stay for a few more drinks and dinner. We got chatting to Lance and Marianne and ended up having a really good evening, they were so welcoming and friendly. The food was excellent and I would highly recommended stopping off if you are passing through. When we were ready to leave Lance even dropped us back to our cottage. Lance and Marianne Thankyou for making us feel so welcome in your pub and for dropping us back, we realised on the drive back we wouldn’t have made the walk . Good luck for the future

When you find an affordable, dog friendly, child friendly pub in a strange town, you may have low expectations of the quality of the food. But the food was great! Well cooked chips, generous portions, good quality meat. Very happy! Not a vast menu but something all of us wanted to eat, the dog was welcome and the surroundings comfy.

An enjoyable visit on a very rainy day. This is a very attractive old inn, and Lance and his team are working hard to make it a success. The food is very good, decent wine and Hall & Woodhouse beers.

Wonderful friendly staff. Great food it’s a must .good beer garden .dogs allowed close to the town and sturminster milll great place to visit

Absolutely fantastic I've travelled all over UK Europe so friendly 5 star food if your in the area or near by stop it's a must absolutely fantastic great value

We popped in here for something to eat before going to the Exchange. We received a pleasant welcome!

Found this lovely little place in the countryside at the end of last week while visiting a friend from a neighbouring village. The landlord and landlady were so welcoming, and despite being extremely busy, made time to make myself, my friend, my 5yr old daughter and our 2 dogs feel very welcome and at home. The food was absolutely delicious and service was brilliant. Will certainly return for a longer visit soon! Thank you x

Myself my partner and our daughter went for a family dinner my partner had a steak meal i had a linguine dish and my daughter had homemade chicken goujons all of it was absolutley delicious and well worth the money plus the managers and staff are extremely welcoming and friendly in all aspects and accommodating would fully recommend a visit for every aspect of a family based pub! :)

A very warm welcome from the landlady and the pub is very dog friendly. Standard pub menu but well done. Excellent Badger beer! Sat in the little pub garden which we enjoyed but it is a lovely 15C old pub with thatched roof etc. Hope it continues to thrive.

Drawn in for the first time for a number of years due to previous dissapointments, by the sign saying under new management and open all day so glad we did Excellent had the fish and chips and the pasta carbonnara very very good. well kept beers although only Hall + Woodhouse dog friendly so good to see this lovely little pub being well looked after again by Lance and Marian

A great welcome followed by an excellent 3 course lunch. With meticulous attention to detail, Including the head chef coming to our table to talk us through some of the meals on offer that day. Would highly recommend visiting The Bull at anytime we will definitely be returning in the near future.

We visited on a Saturday lunchtime to try the place out with the new landlords in residence and were most definitely not disappointed.

A surprise visit to family landed us at this little pub for lunch, and what a delight it is.. old English pub charm with food that compares to a 5 star restaurant. Service was friendly.. welcoming and customer orientated.. nothing was too much! I had the Blade of beef and it was melt in the mouth..the scampi and calamari was cooked to perfection.. the home made faggots were delicious. If you're ever passing and have time to stop.. then do.. you wont regret it. The party we were with will be going back again tomorrow and more.

We stopped here for lunch during a day's walking. So glad we did. Friendly staff - apparently they'd only taken over the pub 6 weeks ago - lovely beer, and fantastic fish and chips! Would highly recommend

Called at this pub as we found it was dog friendly. I have a severe food intolerance to gluten and dairy and I acknowledge that this often difficult to cater for in most eateries. When advised most establishment make every effort to accommodate it. I arranged with this one to have a jacket potato with bacon beans and no butter. Sadly the microwaved partially cooked potat came with no bacon and 2 bits of melting butter! They did take this back to redo but it came back quite cold and I believe the butter was just scraped off and reserved with beans and bacon. I was quite unwell in the afternoon. If this was an actual allergy this could have had serious consequences. The food was unpleasant even if I didn’t have these concerns.

Last minute decision to eat out and a good choice! A very nice meal, loved my garlic mushrooms (though a bit of bread to finish the rather tasty sauce would have been a good addition), good serving of scampi. My partner enjoyed his squid starter, followed by the ham hock, and the very enjoyable hot chocolate pud.

Really enjoyed a super meal "The Bully Trail", made very pleasant with friendly locals, landlord Lance, his wife Marian and the chef Stephane. Good atmosphere and very welcoming - thoroughly recommend a visit!

With the fire glowing there is a homely, friendly atmosphere in this pub, everyone is welcome and the locals make you feel part of the community. It has something for everyone, well kept beer, great selection of wine, a ever growing collection of scotch to match all tastes. There's all the favourite pub grub on the menu cookec and presented well. Highly recommend a visit to the Bull for both locals and visitors to the town.

Old, atmospheric pub, but our past experience here was not good. Now under new management, and thought that we would give it a try. Very pleasant licencees, Lance, Marianne and Stephane.They are keen to please, and are determined to make a success of things. Early signs are very encouraging. Hall & Woodhouse ales, decent wines, and good pub food. We will be back.

The Bull has just re-opened and the new Landlord offers great hospitality and enhances the Bull's distinctive atmosphere. The Beer is first rate and clearly well-kept: the new Chef is producing superb dishes - simple in a way yet enhanced by first-class ingredients and excellent cooking. Three of us dined and two ordered the burgers and they were top notch in every way - even the buns were great. I had sausage and mash with a fine onion gravy and the veg was cooked to perfection. The menu is developing and the kitchen is open to suggestions as to what to add. A really good evening and one that can be wholly recommended. Steve and family

We went for an evening meal in this rustic old pub. It had a spit and sawdust feel about it, which provides its own ambience and authenticity of its age. The staff were friendly and helpful and the chef explained what gluten free options were available off the menu and specials board. The food was fresh well cooked and tasty. The service was prompt and efficient. Despite previous reviews there were children in the bar area and someone had their pet dog with them. They had 2 for one options which were good value for money, and the portions were of a good size.

A warm welcome from staff and the locals.

My husband and I had a lovely meal in The Bull Tavern. The staff and locals were friendly. I had the gluten free fish pie which was excellent, my husband had the Stilton chicken which was also gluten free he thoroughly enjoyed it.

Just as a Pub used to be and just as a Pub should be!

Week day meal out at The Bull, my partner had scampi and chips and I had Chicken with barbecue sauce, one of us had chips and salad, the other a jacket potato and salad. The food was served in super quick time, the portions were generous and the food tasted as good as it looked. Would have liked to try the deserts, but we were just too full!

We had booked ahead to have a meal before we attended a Searchers’ Concert at the nearby Exchange.

The choice of Sunday roasts was limited to beef or nut, and I think they rotate the choice each week. There were generous portions, and although the meat was overdone for my taste it was all generally well cooked. The pudding was a huge portion of excellent apple crumble with cream. This was the only pudding available. Lively atmosphere, friendly staff and very good value.

There isn't a fault! The food is brilliant, wider range of drinks and the owner is friendly and welcoming. Nothing is too much trouble and you always feel welcome! Spend many a Friday nights here for good company and great service.

Popped in with our friends after the Christmas tree lights were switched on in the town, what a welcome from the land lady could not do enough, great local and felt right at home, As important was the quality of the pint and that did not disappoint either.

Very quaint lovely little pub. We had a couple of drinks, played boardgames and enjoyed good quality pub food. They had an open fire going so was lovely and warm and staff were very friendly.

Rude staff, was supporting a service user out who was desperate for the toilet, told off for coming In without a chance for buying anything and told that there were toilets in the town! If it wasn’t for the rudeness of the staff we probably would of had a drink but I’m not paying money into somewhere where they can’t even use common courtesy and manners. Despite a disability they obviously don’t care!

Had the wild boar and leek faggots mash and onion gravy. Fabulous! Bar lady lovely, nothing was too much trouble. Very relaxing lunch with my mum whilst on the road.

Loved my dinner, food was piping hot and delicious!!!! Great local beer with a nice relaxed atmosphere, couldn't ask for more :)

Very cold in the pub and very quite, local people must of heard not to go. Food very poor, but...

The food is great and plenty of it. the staff are very helpful and polite worth a vist we eat here regularly as it's in walking distance of where we live.

I’ve been here twice now and have to say they are very welcoming. The food tastes great and there is lots of it. Good selection of drinks and a decent pint.

Superb little local , warm friendly welcome by the staff and land lady, nothing is too much trouble .. the food is just amazing with superb portion sizes .. cannot fault it whatsoever. I prefer this pub to my own village local .. due to the friendly welcome you get! I highly recommend this beautiful old little thatched pub .. the staff and landlady make this place very special

Just had a lovely evening here. Having enjoyed a couple of lunches over the last couple of months we decided to try an evening meal. Don't expect gourmet but for well priced tasty pub food you can't go far wrong. Good choice of ales and the most friendly staff. Very quiet when we went which I think is a shame.

A proper pub with great beer, try the fursty ferret, and great food, steak and lasagne recommended.. excellent service.. thank you

Spent most of my weekend in this cracking pub. Lovely landlady and staff so friendly and make you feel very welcome. Food is great and very clean. Would highly recommend. Keep up the good work!!

Lovely old, intimate pub. Very friendly staff and lovely very reasonably priced food.Service a little slow but not a problem as a very pleasant spot to spend some time.

Enjoyed this meal and was a nice place with lovely staff however I wouldn't recommend it for families because it is very much a local and it does get fairly loud/rowdy which is fine but not great for a family meal! Lovely food and steak and ale pie was great

On holiday in the area so popped in for dinner this eve- what a lovely place, good atmosphere, friendly staff and delicious food. Highly recommend.

I've been here a few times and eaten on many of those occasions. Never had a bad meal under the current team. Last time I went (~a week ago) the menu had been completely revamped and gone from the usual pub grub to a really nice selection. You could still get the usual things, but also stuff like Moules Mariniere, Pasta Arabiata, a fantastic fish platter with local smoked trout that was to die for... I could eat in there every night for a week quite happily now.