The Compasses Inn Damerham in East Dorset - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

After struggling to find a place to have Sunday lunch, I called the Compass inn after another pub recommended it. The pub was very quiet in stark contrast to others in the area. However, the staff were friendly and helpful and the place was very clean. Myself and OH both had roast beef with all the trimmings and whilst it wasn’t the best we’ve ever had it certainly was not the worst. Some parts of the meal were definitely reheated and dry, the beef was tasty but very thinly sliced, parsnips and carrots were very tasty. Very reasonably priced.

Delicious Gurka food. Lovely old building. Comfortable bed, good size room, good bathroom. Excellent customer service.

Wonderful Gurkha dinner menu in this modest Inn. Lovely friendly staff, good well presented beer and nice garden. The rooms are appropriate for the rating of this hotel - it does exactly what it says in the tin. Nothing grand but with all amenities.

This Inn is so pretty. It's tucked away in the countryside & is so peaceful. We booked the large king size room & it was extremely good. Very clean, lovely nights sleep as comfortable. Wooden beams, low ceiling, traditional rather than your usual hotel chain where every room is the same. Bath/shower were great, water pressure great & very hot water. Plenty of essentials included, shower gel/shampoo/conditioner/hand-wash & plenty of towels for our 2 night stay. Tea/coffee making essentials & a carafe of drinking water. Iron/hairdryer/ironing board if needed. Incredibly friendly welcome, we were offered a tour so we knew where the bar/games room/garden/conservatory were & then shown personally to our room. Staff are polite & friendly & very kind. We had breakfast twice & were very impressed. Cooked to order, piping hot & presented beautifully. So much choice too. Fresh juices/variety of hot drinks unlimited too. Cereal/yoghurts/toast too. Plenty of condiments too. We'd definitely come back.

Myself and my friend had evening dinner at the Compasses Inn and it was delicious. The menu has lots to choose from Pub bistro or Nepalese Gurkha menu which was very hard as it all sounds very tasty. I would highly recommend that you should pop in for a drink and meal. Bish, Wad and Prayoub was very accommodating and served us promptly and was very charming. We will definitely return and highly recommended to anyone who loves food journey! Well done Compasses

Amazing food. Pork belly was the best I have had. Desserts were amazing- tasty & beautifully presented. Fantastic friendly service. Thank you for a great birthday meal.

Arrived to our pre-booked table and tried my hardest to get a smile from the bald guy waiting on us - but nope he did his level best to make us feel like an inconvenience, I explained I was celiac and dairy intolerant but was easily pleased with just a steak and green salad.... not once did our waiter acknowledge or smile, when the meal came out it was served with chips, so I asked that it be taken back to the kitchen and the fries removed and just have the green salad I asked for - HOW SODDING DIFFICULT IS A RARE STEAK AND GREEN SALAD ? how am I being awkward requesting a simple rare steak and a salad... Well for £17.50 no effort was given with the salad, no onion, no grated carrot, zero effort it was quite obvious that our custom did not matter... My steak was cold and very very chewy - I will say that my friend had the lamb and reported it to be very nice, So I guess I was just very very unlucky and how dare I darken the doorstep having an autoimmune disease that requires me not to be-able to eat certain foods and not want french fries.. I will add that all night I remained polite to our waiter - But when I thought about it the following day, I really wished I had not.... This guy should not be in the service industry

Lovely staff & food, good atmosphere, lovely garden. always enjoy visiting with my boyfriend!! Would recommend the lasagne as it’s amazing!!

Great food, friendly service reasonably priced in s pleasant setting. Had to sit outside on a rather chilly night but got a earn welcome and piping hot food.

Yes enjoyed our meal even though it was a different menu due to Covid very reasonable for burger and a drink. Staff very pleasant. And tables are nicely self distanced

We came for lunch yesterday, I am always dubious about visiting a pub on a weekday lunchtime in case the usual chef isn't in but the food we had was all homemade, fresh and absolutely delicious. They have a beautiful garden, a real sun trap. We soaked up the warmth and they were ever so accommodating for our dog and his bed! Plenty of space for him to not be in the way or bothering other guests. We had the beef burger and chicken burger, both cooked to perfection and deliciously seasoned. The handcut skin on fries were incredible - I am actually craving them as I write this review right now! For pudding we had creme brulee and sticky toffee pudding - I don't normally go for sticky toffee pudding but the whole thing is homemade and it was absolutely divine - not too sweet, just perfect and served with homemade honeycomb which just melted in the mouth!Comptitively priced for the area, we asked to see a bedroom which they did happily take us to look at, the one we saw was beautiful - dusky pink themed and looked really cute for a proper country weekend away! They also showed us one of the self contained cottages which would be perfect for the adventuring family to rent and have an amazing holiday cycling around the forest!The restaurant is large and has a beautiful conservatory which I can only imagine in winter will be beautiful to look out of whilst you stay cosy inside. We will definitely return for a place to stop after our early morning dog hikes and have recommended to all our doggy friends!After we had finished the owner then recommended a little farm shop a few doors down which I went to and bought some beautiful fresh cut flowers, there were eggs and marrows and all sorts of gorgeous produce - it all felt rather idyllic and we are looking forward to returning - maybe we might make a night of it next time as the rooms for the area are very well priced!

Come to the compasses fairly often, the staff are all very friendly and food is amazing! Always music on to set the mood,lots of covid measures in place keeping it safe. Massive improvement since the new landlord took over.

Great food but service needs improvement. On holiday in the location and wanted a dog friendly establishment. We booked 2 weeks before via their website but my request was ignored so I called ahead a week before to check and book - reservation for family of 4 and a dog. Upon arrival we noticed the outdoor space/ garden was extremely busy with drinkers. To be fair on the staff , they were very busy and after a queue at the bar we were shown a table. The manager informed me that there was no waiter service until 6pm so with that being the case, we decided on our order and I swiftly joined the queue at the bar. I ordered 2 nacho starters to share, 3 chicken burgers and 1 kids meal, I paid the bill in full at the time as I did it fancy the lengthy queue again. The manager took my order. There seemed to be a communication issue with the manager, initially with the drinks that I had not ordered, then a further issue when 5 meals came to the table rather than 4. The manager obliged and processed a refund ( which I am yet to receive but it is a BH so may be a wait). I get that mistakes occur during busy periods and maybe that’s why. I would add that the food was very nice and arrived promptly and all staff were very polite. Aesthetically the indoors was a bit tired and could do with a new carpet but the tables and cutlery were clean.

The food was amazing but the service didn’t match. We were told when shown to our table we had to go to the bar to order. My husband went to the bar to order and was gone for about 10 minutes. In the meantime everyone else around us ordered at the table! When the food arrived we weren’t given steak knives, although these arrived later. We wanted to order pudding but were told, as we hadn’t ordered main course at the table, we had to one again go to the bar! Pudding arrived and we were given soup spoons and knives to eat it with! All in all I would say the food is fantastic and it is a lovely pub but the service needs some serious sorting out. A couple of members of staff were very friendly and apologetic but still it wasn’t the service I would expect at a gastro type pub such as this!

We were camping locally so decided to eat here. It was a nice pub, sanitisers at door and not too busy. Dog friendly which was great for us. Food was nice and good service.

We booked 2 month in advance through the website and had confirmed this by phone. The girl who greeted us had little customer service skills and rudely told us our booking had been lost and we could not have food. Luckily we were found a table by another staff member, however the food we received was awful. I’m concerned why a restaurant would offer so many pizzas on the menu when it’s very clearly a supermarket frozen pizza they served, and for the grand price of £13. I wish I had photos as it was laughable.

We went for sunday roast. We have been here before and didn't enjoy our cold dinner but as we had heard its changed hands we thought we would give it a go as it's our local pub. I am so glad we did!! We had the best roast dinner we have had for a long time! So tasty and hot!! Staff were very pleasant and will definitely be going back for more!

Good. Great pint of Proper Job and great food. Always worth a visit. The garden is great for the summer time also. BBQ and Pimms....

We checked in to celebrate NYE with live band. Dinner prepared with local products were top of the world.Started with mouthwatering Salmon& Dill fish cake and Garlic King prawn followed with Rump of Lamb and Fillet of Salmon in main and Cheese Cake in dessert was equally good.Great selection of beverages (wine list) could be seen in the menu unexpectedly. Cocktails were to die for, we had Pinacolada and Espresso Martini after meal.We stayed in a cottage. Comfy and cosy bedding, high quality cotton sheets, very clean room and interesting decor. Love the fluffy soft towel and powerful flow of water in a shower with great bathroom amenities.We both enjoyed the incredible Full English breakfast and walked around the fabulous locations of New Forest. Can not wait for next visit. Highly recommend and would like to thank the entire team for the great hospitality.

It's always good to have a reliable decent value pub on your doorstep. Living a few hundred yards away I pop in for a beer fairly frequently. The pub changed hands over the summer and the new manager & his wife have I understand had problems with the chefs, but a new one is now in place. We'd eaten there over the summer & found it good with huge portions Over the weekend we also had some friends over & went down for a meal.Not hugely busy, but enough for some atmosphere. A couple of family groups also arrived & it was a lovely touch that the manager gave out some small wrapped presents to all of the kids. NIce!We ordered food & as the manager came round the corner with it, he unfortunately dropped one of the orders. Incredibly apologetic, and asked if we wanted the undropped food kept warm or remade up, while they redid the dropped. He then went away to sort this & on return came back with a bottle of Prosecco & glasses as an apology. No problem & again a nice touch. Things happen it's always how you react that counts.Anyway food arrives ( 2 chillis, fish&chips & a hunters chicken) & I have to say it was excellent, everybody happy. Desserts were a good size, not some tiny portion. Not silly money either. Decent value.It's good to have a decent food option on the doorstep & I know others feel the same way. Good to have a manager & staff that seem to be trying & care. Other plus point is dogs are welcome.I'll be back when I return from my travels!!

Myself and a group of friends came to the Compasses for a meal. 2 of the group were vegetarians and had dietary needs. The staff were extremely helpful and provided a great service. The food came out in good time and tasted fantastic. We all said we would be back and highly recommend it to any wanting some good food and very nice atmosphere.

The restaurant was empty for a Friday night no atmosphere at all the bar was also apart from 3 chaps drinking in public bar The food was at best average the steaks were pale with a strong overhung taste and on asking where they source their meats it’s a catering company not local - which is so sad for a village pub when there are good butchers locally / the steak came with the smallest mushroom and it was just the one! We laughed, Chips were ok sauce was not a Stilton as couldn’t taste any - the man & woman have very limited understanding of English as I had to repeat our order numerous times and no sense of humour ! He kept topping upOur wines hovering most uncomfortable ! For a country pub bar banter is a must - the young boys behind the bar didn’t have a clue served wrong drinks again no banter looked miserable - the place has gone down hill sadly - needing a good strong landlord or lady that is interested in their locals & village life as before - this isn’t a commercial hotel chain which it appears to be run like ? Then to top it we were OVERCHARGED -

excellent food. varied menu. Sunday roast had eight vegetables no peas. very good. The present ownr with many years of catering experience should serve this area very well. B n B available. Dogs welcome

Lovely big double room with tea making facilities. Nice selection of beer. Staff are very friendly and food is great. Will definitely stay again - thank you.

We called in at lunchtime quite by random on a car trip out when staying at Godshill. First impressions were a very stark pub with a small bar in the corner of the pub. No menus on tables and located them by bar area. We ordered meals and it took ages for meal to be served despite hardly anyone else in pub, not impressed. Would not return.

Excellent meal served by cheerful, friendly and obliging staff. Tables well spaced, though conservatory would benefit from sound-softening curtains. Good value!

I used to have Sunday lunch here every week, so now it is under new management I thought I would give it a try and I wasn't disappointed. Excellent taste, quantity and quality. Well done Compasses kitchen, I'll be back (plus the real ales are delicious)

Wij zijn gaan eten in deze pub / eetcafé en wat een leuke verassing !

Because I have always enjoyed eating here, I took some guests there as a ‘treat’ for Sunday roast. However, I was most disappointed. I wonder if it has changed hands as it was at best average - not somewhere to take guests, in my view ...... unless we simply caught them on a bad day! The meat was tough, the vegetables whilst varied were sparse & undercooked & the service left something to be desired. The staff were extremely young & one poor young girl had difficulty understanding the English language & lacked knowledge when it came to taking orders for drinks. Some items on the dessert menu were incomplete, but I did hear a waitress explaining that the kitchen staff were under pressure due to the loss of their chef.

We booked a table, and no mention was made of an impending party that would take over most of the pub, with loud music, shrieking and much jollity (no problem with that - it's a party - but not enjoyable when you've walked to the pub for a peaceful evening meal). Unfortunately, whilst the staff were delightful, the party caused the service to be so slow, that it was dark, and too late to walk home, so we had to call a taxi (with many thanks to the helpful lady who recommended a local taxi firm to us). With respect to the food, the main course was delicious, but let down by the dessert - lemon tart, which would have been at home in a supermarket budget section, and we were very disappointed. Perhaps an unfortunate set of circumstances, but we will not be returning.

I visited here on 27th July This place is awesome. Right in the middle of mother nature. Garden is very nice and peaceful. Local food and local atmosphere here is very tempting. I will definitely recommend this place to other as well. The cottages I stayed also has a fully furnished self catering but we choose to eat in the hotel.

We had a great evening, delicious food, highly recommend scallops and seabass, excellent new zealand sauvignon blanc, brilliant service. I will certainly return with friends and family.

The food was tasty but quite expensive. I would have liked an alternative to Brioche for the burgers.

Delicious roast dinner with my family. Lovely service friendly staff. Sat in the gardens after over looking the cricket field. Will definitely be coming back thank you.

Un luogo nelle campagne che vive un tempo tutto suo...il pub, le camere, il garden sono unici, distaccati da tutto il resto! Magico

Visited for the first time for lunch. The service by staff was very friendly and efficient. The food was delicious. Although it was a bit too chilly to sit outside, the gardens and surroundings looked a very relaxing way to spend a sunny afternoon, maybe even watching village cricket when a game is on. Lovely conservatory, lovely pub, food great. They have quite a few music events advertised also.

As we had a cottage let in Damerham we used the Compasses Inn a couple of times and found it comfortable and friendly the food was good a good variety and reasonably priced Would recommend this for value for money and a homely atmosphere

We visited this pub with friends so were a large group of two families. The roast lunches were excellent value.

We arrived late in the day for lunch but the girl behind the bar was very helpful and we just managed to catch the kitchen before it closed. Absolutely delicious salt beef with mash and greens, followed by excellent desserts. Very genuine feel to this old pub, which has not had its interior messed about with by designers. Cosy log fire in the grate, friendly and efficient service (although the place was full). An excellent "winter" pub which I can't wait to go back to.

Two night stay on a bike trip. Room good, landlady superb, staff attentive and food good. Great band on the Friday we stayed and the enthusiastic locals were very friendly. £120 a night for a twin is top end for a rural Inn but this didn't detract from our visit.

we was on holiday staying next door at Bramley Nook therefor it was close for us to eat there, also they are dog friendly. the service was good and reasonably quick. the food was plentiful and tasty the prices also very acceptable.

Arranged to meet with old friends.

Eight of us booked in for a special family Sunday lunch and spent some time choosing our meals including one vegan choice, three beef, three pork belly and a sea bass. Every single meal was served cold, the beef was virtually raw and the pork belly was just fatty belly - not rendered or crisped (the skin wasn’t even scored) and the roast potatoes were soggy. But worse still the vegan burger contained cheese!

We had a late lunch here - they serve food up to 3pm. It was freshly cooked and we really enjoyed our meal. There is plenty of space here and also a very pleasant large garden adjacent to the sports field.

Visited this pub when first refurbished and under new ownership, garden a mess but functional, revisited last week, couldn’t believe how untidy, unkempt the garden still was! Wonderful piece of land, great potential to look cared for but clearly no ones bothers or sees this as important, how sad.

Driven past this pub on numerous occasions. Thought we'd give it a try. The sirloin steak was tender, with rich buttery fat and cooked just as ordered. The accompaniments were great. Portobello mushroom, pea shoots, roasted tomatoes and dressed salad. Everything was really tasty. My friend had 'New-age lasagne with pulled-beef brisket, rich tomato sauce, truffled béchemel sauce, garlic bread and dressed salad leafs' Said she really enjoyed it and thought 7.5/10. I thought 9.5/10 for the steak. Staff friendly and helpful. On a hot summers day sat in the back garden in the shade of an apple tree looking over the fields behind the pub. Perfect. I've bumped the score up slightly as steak was SO good!

The Compasses is a real country pub with a large restaurant, good-sized conservatory and a large outside eating area. There is an interesting menu with new takes on old favourites as well as 'classics' and 'light bites'. It is ideal for groups as the conservatory can be closed off and the pub does an excellent private group buffet called their "banquet" with a generous selection of meats and vegetables. Good disabled access. TIP: Whille you're there, visit the medieval St George's Church just up the road.

We stumbled across this pub just outside Fordingbridge. It has a lovely large beer garden with plenty of room and shaded area if needed as it was a hot day. The lunch menu was standard pub fare with a twist, and the quality of the food was excellent. Good portion sizes , well presented and extremely tasty. We ordered a Chicken Caeser and a pulled beef lasagne. Both exceeded our expectations for a decent price too. Service was good and my other half said one of their ales is his new favourite!! We will definitely be returning

My wife and I had a lovely meal with family who were visiting the area for a family wedding.A great location just across the road from the reception venue.The food and service was first rate.We will certainly be returning some time soon.

I tried several times over the course of the day to book a table for three for their excellent Sunday roast. Each time I got their answering Twice I left a clear message leaving my name & telephone but did not receive the courtesy of a call back. Were they so busy they could not listen to the answer phone or were they so full they could not accommodate us???

Booked for a Sunday lunch while staying in the area. Menu was limited. I choose the sirloin beef roast which was ok but did not have that wow factor. For pudding I had the boozy brownie cheese cake. It was very nice although not sure why it was called boozy. Service was not bad. The beer was very good.

We were a bit lost for pubs still serving food late on a bank holiday when we happened upon the Compasses Inn and what a find!

Travelling back from Kent to Dorset I decided to break the monotony of the journey and take a detour through the New Forest , hopefully finding somewhere for lunch along the way. However as it turned out all the pubs we first encountered were either overcrowded tourist traps or frankly unappealing but as we travelled a little further beyond the New Forest into a part of the world that makes the idealised image of rural England reality purely by chance we happened upon The Compasses Inn at Damerhamand I am so glad we did. Everything about it is genuine and uncontrived, from warm welcome to the clean comfortable unpretentious dinning spaces ( there is also a good sized garden) to the presentation of the food. The food itself is honestly amongst the best I've eaten in a long time. Clearly cook with love and care it beats it's own path between pile em high sell em cheap pub grub and Hestonesque bistro pretentiousness. Neither cheap nor expensive it is certainly excellent value for money , I had that rare feeling that however much it cost I didn't resent a penny of it . So do yourself and those you love a favour visit Josh and the team at The Compasses. ( Don't worry the menu is very accessible with things that appeal to children and the more jaded adult palate.

We had two excellent meals.The service was very good as was the food. Our son and his wife joined us on the Sunday and agreed with our comments

I stayed here and the Evening Meal & Breakfast were very good and great value. I had Thai green fish curry very good & apple crumble great warm pudding.

we had sandwiches when we arrived that we ordered and they were like made yesterday rubber cheese no choice of bread for example white brown or anything it was just awful bread or white floury stuff no pickle no salad as such

Took some friends in January 2018, very pleased with the service and the food! Will be going again soon.

An eclectic mix of décor and furnishings make this pub/hotel an interesting cross between a country inn and a restaurant, however the service was helpful and pleasant, the choice of food good and the quality also very good. Don't go looking for an olde worlde country pub experience but good food no problem!

Had a lovely meal with family. home cooked and great service too. Nice and relaxed atmosphere. Would highly recommend.

Five of us had Saturday lunch at The Compasses Inn, one of our number being vegan and another vegetarian. The chef spoke to Teresa (the vegan) in person asking what she would like to eat. She chose the type of pasta she would like and the accompanying vegetables. After the meal when the chef checked that Teresa had enjoyed her meal, her comment was that it was one of the best vegan meals she had ever eaten. Her husband (the vegetarian) chose the falafel burger which he said was the best he had tasted as they can often be quite dry. The rest of us had fish and chips which were beautifully cooked and delicious. Our thanks to the chef for his excellent customer service.

We looked this up on Trip adviser and thought that we give it a go for Sunday Lunch. Car park was full but I think the dog group in the field was to blame for that! Once in w I asked for a table and...

We used this pub as a centre for a local walk, and asked permission to park in the car park...

We may have just booked at the wrong time on the wrong day.... We ate outside in the evening of...

We have visited 3 times now, each time we really enjoyed it. Lovely menu, venue and food,,, and friendly staff....

Tras haber sido testigos de la disminución constante de real vieja pubs locales de moda en los últimos años, es un placer haber encontrado la Brújulas Inn. Real cerveza, empresa buena, un gran ambiente y una estupenda comida. Bien hecho, Michelle y el Simon chicas!

Estoy trabajando en Inglaterra por unos 2 años y yo comimos en muchos restaurantes y muchos lugares. Soy vegetariano y no es fácil encontrar comida vegetariana en todos los restaurantes o un chef que quiere hacer algo para mí, incluso es muy fácil. En este...

Este habría sido de 5 estrellas, de no haber sido por un par de pequeños fallos en el servicio de personal debido a la escasez. La comida, la bebida y los alrededores eran excelentes y puedo recomendar especialmente el bistec de solomillo, las patatas fritas, la tabla de quesos y el vino Malbec. Sin duda volveremos cuando se resuelva la escasez temporal de personal con suerte.

Fuimos a cenar el viernes por la noche. También había una fiesta de cumpleaños en el otro bar, así que el pub estaba lleno.

This pub/ restaurant is run by very welcoming people. The setting is agreeable, nothing fancy but the food is an absolute delight.We ,my husband and I definitely return. Highly recommended,youwillnotbe desapointed.

We popped in hoping to get lunch. We hadn't booked so expected to wait but found the hosting skills really lacking. Felt like they were doing us a favour but we said we'd have a drink at the bar & wait. Sadly the landlord/bar man seemed to have lost his sense of humour & was quite curt which made us feel uncomfortable. Decided we didn't want to spend our time or money in a place that doesn't value or welcome new customers. Won't bother next time. There are plenty of other pubs near by that are friendly & warm. Shame

We called in here for the first time for a very long time, during a circular drive through the New Forest and Cranbourne Chase. We had very good memories of the place, and now they are even better. 3 real ales to choose from (mine's a Timothy Taylor Landlord, since you ask !) and a lovely sunny seat in the attractive conservatory. The menu was somewhat limited, but none the worse for that. We both had "catch of the day", cod on this occasion, and were delighted with it. Huge pieces of beautifully battered cod, hand-cut chips that resembled "Jenga" blocks in size, but crisp on the outside and fluffy in the middle, and crushed peas. If you do try "catch of the day" and have room for a dessert, then "you're a better man than I, Gunga Din" ! Hopefully it won't be so long until we visit again.

We had alovely stay in a largebedroom.the food was delicious we will be backthe dogs enjoyed it too

Found the Compasses on line when looking for a night away from our own b&b! Lovely big room, huge bed! Lovely old country pub, fabulous food and great hosts. Really good to see a busy, friendly pub with a lovely atmosphere ☺

I have eaten here several times in recent years and have always thought The Compasses offered one of the best Sunday roasts around. Unfortunately I booked a table for my family's New Year's Day lunch and was bitterly disappointed. We were seated in the conservatory - understandable as we had 3 small children with us - but it was chilly and quite isolating in an at the time nearly empty pub. All the adults ordered a roast dinner on my recommendation. A specific enquiry about the fish fingers being breaded and not battered for one fussy grandson was satisfied so childrens meals duly ordered. On arrival the fish fingers were battered and therefore not eaten, the roast turkey meal arrived without roast potatoes, the roast lamb was more fat than meat and quite unpalatable and the Yorkshire puddings with all meals were stone cold. The vegetables consisted of slices of undercooked parsnip with the odd carrot and some rather gloopy cauliflower cheese. Concerns were raised with the staff and our comments were passed to the kitchen and our bill was duly reduced which was decent of them and earned them an extra star but it has certainly put me off eating there again or recommending it to others. Such a shame!

Nice country pub with two bars and various rooms to eat in. Sizeable garden and good parking. Food is tasty and well presented & cosy. I enjoyed a Christmas party there last year and the food was very good as was the service, no long waits or mistakes that couldn't be rectified (normally the diners forget what they've pre-ordered not the kitchen!) Dog and child friendly. Would highly recommend. Lunch served also.

This beautiful building is located in a stunning part of the world. The staff were friendly and took us up to our room which was a nice personal touch.The room (Room 1) was nicely decorated with a lovely view over the garden and beyond. Dinner was served in a cosy room with candles and soft lighting. The food was presented as well as any top restaurant and it tasted delicious. I had a vegan meal whipped up for me by the chef and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also discovered a rhubarb gin in their vast choice of spirits. After a lovely meal we went through to the pub bar area where there were a number of locals. This room wasn't so cosy and the customers were annoyingly loud. We were able to go back to the other side of the bar into the cosier lounge to drink in a more peaceful environment. After a good night's sleep we had breakfast which is good for meat eaters, but lacking for vegans. I had beans on toast, which was not as exciting as I would normally get at venues nowadays.The owner was a relaxed guy who was friendly and welcoming. We really enjoyed our stay and would go back and recommend to others.Some of the furniture was a bit tired and could do with a little TLC and I think there should be full length mirrors and good lighting in all hotel / B&B rooms. It would be nice to see some more veggie / vegan options appear on the otherwise faultless menu.

Great food and service and friendly customers we felt like locals after the first few wines went down

We visited twice whilst on holiday with our dog. We were made very welcome, and the beer was good. The first visit was for lunch and the home made burgers were bang on. Later that week we went back for dinner which was also very good. Would highly recommend and is good value.

We popped in for a quick lunch break, unfortunately quick it was not.We ordered a drink and decided to sit in the garden while we looked at the menu.We ordered our mains which seemed to take forever arriving, the pub was not even busy.We must say though that the food was very good when we eventually got it.We then decided to have the cheese board , after waiting nearly 20 minutes we were getting quite inpatient. It yet again eventually arrived and was very good, a glass of port included.Would return again for the food, but not the welcome, too laid back and not professional enough.Staff should be in uniform, not casual clothes.

The pub was nice and clean with polite service and advice on local ales.The food was served very quickly with complimentary bread. But some of the food portions were very small. I had the bear battered cod and chips which was the cheapest meal and ironically had the largest portion and it was very nice, however my friends had more expensive meals in excess of £12 and only had a small bowl of food with a micro salad. On a plus side the cheese board was decent enough for the price and the local cheeses were excellent and the landlord very knowledgeable about them.The pub offered wi-fi, but it didn't stay working.I think if the plates of food had more on them... even more salad or bread, then this would have deserved a much higher rating.I liked the fact that it is a dog friendly pub and enjoyed the dogs roaming free. It made it feel relaxed.

We stopped there for lunch on an Easter weekend and ate from the Barsnacks menu. The food was good beer well kept and the staff very friendly and helpful. Relaxed about dogs in the bar area which was a big plus in our group

We were staying around the corner in a holiday let and had read about the Compass Inn from other reviews which all said great things and one commented about the prices.We received a warm welcome from the staff and promptly served with two glasses of red.. after the drive down from the Midlands ir was very much needed.We had a look at the menu and noticed it wasn't your normal pub grub but more a gastro pub and with some nice looking dishes on offer e decided to sit in.We ordered to share the moules mariniere and the liquor was to die for!! I then had the belly of pork with dauphinouse potatoes and poached pear and pea puree and braised baby gem.. yummy!!My partner's choice was the roasted cod with beetroot puree and vegetables, and another clean plate.Overall the food was delightful and the staff attentive and the prices were well below what we would have expected to pay for the standard of the food presented. .Top marks to the chef..

had a lovely trip here and some amazing food. Great big gardens for you to sit out in on a sunny day. The food was exceptional value for money. The ice cream was delicious. Nicely presented food. We sat in the conservatory area as there as eight of us.

Waited ages to be served even though very quiet. No gas behind the bar so they couldn't serve any drinks that were fizzy, soda or lager for instance. Seemed pretty ambivalent about the problem, when we said we were going elsewhere they said "we don't blame you", rather than come up with alternatives! Barmaid looked relieved that we were leaving as she then didn't have to serve us!

In stopping off at this pub for a meal we found the food very limited but when it arrived which was very quick service was very nice but a bit more choice would of been better ( fussy eaters) staff were pleasant . Only one dislike was dogs on loose in pub wondering around and sitting under table

We did return a few months later with our friends to try their Sunday lunch and we were pleased to discover that it was delicious. I liked that you can choose a bit of each type of meat and they gave you a jug a gravy when you asked for more. We could have done with a few more vegetables for the four of us but we didn't bother asking for more. The 2 or 3 course lunch deals are very good value and I enjoyed the desserts too. Next time I will leave room for the 3 courses.

Having passed through Damerham so many times, a bellringing engagement after work gave me the opportunity to sample the evening menu . The local trout is highly recommended as are the seasonal puddings, especially the fruit crumbles. A glass of the house white wine complemented the trout well. Good value for money, a friendly welcome from the landlady , a spacious dining area and - unexpectedly - snug sitting positions to browse through the various books provided for patrons whilst enjoying a post-prandial tea or coffee made this a place I shall revisit. Recommended.

Great pub, great atmosphere, the best landlady and landlord! Food is extremely good, especially the Sunday nut roast.

The Landlord and Landlady appear to be genuinely interested – for example, whilst we were sat discussing the menu, we were asked if all was OK, did we need anything, etc. The service was, again, attentive and prompt. Despite being in the (attractively decorated) room off the first room, the serving staff gave us all we needed, and checked to make sure we were happy.There were six of us, four raved about their food, the other two were less enthusiastic. Nothing actually wrong, and there is always the issue of the delays involved in sending food back; but we were just a bit underwhelmed. As one example the Cajun Chicken Burger was quite dry, and no discernible spices.Having said all that, our intention is to go back for dinner just to see. I am sure we will have a more representative experience.

Excellent food,service and great atmosphere . Very professional landlord and landlady . Would definitely return . Lovely setting and nice gardens

Another happy accident! We stumbled across the Compasses after visiting the Ancient Technology Centre in Cranborne. It is a lovely building, lots of character and beautiful garden. There is also a large field for playing and dogwalking. Dogs are as welcome here as well as people. The Sunday roast was very good, particularly the meats - great value and the coffee is good and strong! Highly recommended and we will be returning!

Fantastic food and service. Lovely pub with good sized (enclosed) garden for the kids. Staff were brilliant with our two year old and our new baby - we felt very welcome - and they served a proper kids meal (homemade fish fingers and chips). A very enjoyable experience. The wild mushroom risotto was excellent as was the pork belly.

We stayed there in August 2015. The pub is a dog friendly pub and the staff were only too eager to please. The food was reasonably priced and top quality. We will be visiting there again next year.

Best meal of our bank holiday stay within the area . Friendly atmosphere ....although near end of service still welcomed us and served a top class meal .would certainly recommend for quality.

After visiting a few times, this is my favourite pub. The place is cosy, serves great food, nice welcoming atmosphere and allows dogs. Its a great pub to get together with you family and friends over a good Sunday lunch. Ample parking as you can use the field at the back.

Went in lunch time Reasonable food prices. Great choice of ales. However the staff were a bit untidy. Two girls had dirty stained trousers on and looked like they hadn't brush their hair. If you can over look that then lovely place. Not so much as a cosy pub. Not much athomosphere.

Chose the Compasses to meet up for lunch with family as we had visited previously (12 months ago!!) and was hoping for a similar experience. Luckily we weren't disappointed. We all ordered the filled Ciabatta and they were substantial, all arriving with Salad and Chips. The service was excellent and the meal was excellent value.

We attended Lunch with Friends, and were impressed with the ambience of this Restaurant, parking was a bit tricky but staff friendly and food good.

We held our Wedding Anniversary party at The Compasses and could not have made a better choice. Over 30 guests sat down in the lovely conservatory to Sunday roast with a variety of meats, amazing yorkshires and vegetables. The puds were delightful. The service was attentive without being intrusive. The Compasses is a relaxed pub with good beer and good food. We were delighted.

Great setting for lunch with family. Excellent food and really good value. Nice garden for boys to play on.