The Countryman Inn in Purbeck

The countryman has done a complete turn around in over a year. It's fabulous. It's best to book. Especially for carvery on a Sunday.

Very good meal and a very reasonable price. Very good service All in all a 4, no 5 i'm afraid for 3 reasons; 1, chicken schnitzel is a bread crumbed chicken breast, not deep fried in batter. It is not advertised as in batter on the menu and if this is the way you serve it you should say so, many people cant have batter. 2, Ordered the stilton mushrooms in sauce (starter) to go with the schnitzel so i had a sauce yet none came with the mushrooms. They had obviously been cooked with stilton but there was no sauce. 3, Mushrooms came on a cold plate so by the time they had reached me and i ate them they were Luke warm at best. yes i assume i could have sent them back but it would have defeated the point of having them with the chicken. I did raise my concerns with the waiter but was given a 'cold shoulder'

I visited the Countryman twice on recent stay in the area. Good to see the Carvery restored on Sunday evenings and a mid week one on Wednesdays. The Countryman always used to be famous for its carvery znd it's still very good and very good value. The cask beers available are also very good. The pub has become more welcoming again after a dismal period.

Visited today 091024 and 071024. Dined as a couple Mon eve, food was first class, and served promptly, met one of the owners, very friendly, menu is very good with lots of options. Went back tonight alone for carvery, comes in various sizes, all cooked well, perhaps roast potatoes could have been better. All round a great pub, with accommodation. Special mention for Lou...

Just had a few days staying at the Countryman Inn with a group of friends. Nice large rooms with comfy beds , great breakfasts ( best crispy bacon we've ever had!!) and delicious evening meals. All the staff without exception were friendly and helpful . It's a very popular eating place - lots of families with a nice garden area plus children's play area. We had a super visit to Dorset and I could highly recommend the Countryman Inn .

We both had the carvery and it was beautiful! 3 meats to choose from, big yorkies, fresh veg, the parsnips are to die for!! Homemade gravy finished it off! Thanks again guys!

We visited with a couple pf friends from the Falkland Islands one of which is Gluten Intolerant. Needn`t have worried because the only item in the Carvery which could have caused a problem was the Gravy. Lovely Carvery Lunch , mine Host and Staff were very attentive. One point there is a QR code on the Menu for Allergies to look for ,sadly very poor signal so not much use . Why not print GF, Vegan etc on the Menu itself? Very enjoyable lunch!

We went on Sunday for lunch. We all had a large Sunday roast. Choice of 3 meats and plenty of veg with a large Yorkshire. You could order large pigs in blankets as an extra and we did. Overall a good lunch

Very good meal this evening - looked after by Anna who was really helpful with ensuring my meal was gluten free. The pub was very busy as "Carvery evening", but all the staff were smiling and unflustered - we all enjoyed our meal, service was exceptionally good. A huge thank you to everyone - we all look forward to returning...

Fantastic food, great atmosphere, dog friendly. Just returned from holiday, no food in the house so went to the Countryman for a Sunday evening carvery. It turned out to be a great decision, whilst we had not booked and the place was very busy, (Bank holiday weekend), we were made to feel very welcome. The food was excellent and couldn't be faulted.

Went to the countryman with out a booking Four people , one with mobility issues and a dog The staff are so friendly and happy and nothing to much trouble Food is reasonably priced , and well presented And of good quality Plenty of outside areas and is set up well for wheel chair users Would highly recommend ,if you haven’t been for a while give it a try You will not be disappointed

We stayed two nights here as a base to explore the area . Really happy we found this great place .. from the minute we checked in to the minute we left the landlord ,Justin ? and all the staff we met were friendly and helpful .. we felt nothing was too much trouble for them . The pub itself has a great beer garden both front and back and plenty of room inside . Our bedroom was large and comfortable with a high end range of tea and coffee in plentiful supply . Great menu that had a good selection to choice from . We ate in the pub both nights we stayed and the food was very good. (Though I was disappointed in the smashed avocado breakfast as the avocado was claggy and tasteless ,I should have said at the time though, as I’m sure it would have been no trouble to change it for something else ) The only other thing I’d suggest is maybe the windows , which look original, need a bit of care and attention in room 6 Fabulous stay though and would definitely recommend the Countryman Inn

This hidden gem is a biker friendly pub Grate food and reasonably priced. Plenty of outside seating with tables ideal for families . A good-sized play area for your children

I've been visiting this pub and general area for a number of years and have spent a couple of weekend breaks here. The staff are friendly and helpful, the food's good and they have a great selection of beers and ales. The letting rooms are clean, well appointed and the beds very comfortable. There's a generous selection of quality tea and coffee to make a drink in one's room. Added to all that, the pub is well located for visiting Lulworth, Wareham, Corfe Castle. Dorchester etc. What more could you ask for?!!

We visited lunchtime today with our family that we are visiting, we all enjoyed our food and myself and son-in-law enjoyed a couple of pints of Otter real ale, the grandchildren enjoyed the outdoor play area, the pub was great and all the staff very friendly and welcoming. We hope to visit again soon.

Had reasonably good meal, all hot and served quickly. Courteous staff. Let down by overprice "corporate" beer - Doom Bar & London Pride - nothing local. And at £4.10 a pint a bit steep. Still it is what it is. Not really a drinking pub, more of a restaurent.

The menu described it as peri peri chicken with jacket Potato and salad What I actually got was a grilled piece of plain chicken a couple of salad leaves and a cold jacket potato, with a side jug of coke peri peri sauce My husband had a burger and chips which was small and looked like it had just all been chucked on the plate It’s the most overpriced , worst food ever , smaller than children portions , rushed service £11.50 overpriced

This is a review of 3 visits to the Countryman Inn over a weekFirst visit. We called in without booking for a Sunday Carvery at 4pm and was told we could eat and to find a seat, we were then handed a menu. After being ignored by the waiting staff we got the attention of a young lady who asked us if we had booked. We were then told she would not take the order as they were full despite the grounds being half empty. After leaving and then coming back the landlady she said as we were given a menu we could eat. The meal turned up in 10 minutes despite being told they were full. It was a 5 star meal. Second visit after making a booking. I had a home made steak and ale pie. The pie was small and the gravy was really lumpy so I gave it 3 stars. Third visit. We ordered drinks after being handed a menu in an all but empty pub garden again at 4pm. The drinks never turned up. After I wandered in the person who pours the drink said as she was confused by the order for a pint of beer and a small coke she had left it. Nice one!When the food finally turned up my lasagne was also small but it was very tasty. Overall the staff were shocking, while the carvery was good value and ample the meals during the week were small so overpriced.

What a great lunch we had in the garden of this beautiful pub! Shannon & Charlie were spectacular hosts....polite, extremely helpful and super quick service.It helped that it was such a sunny day but would recommend this place come rain or shine!Will definitely be back x

Lovely pub with gorgeous food. Shannon was our waitress and couldn't have been more friendly, definitely a keeper and she paid loads of attention to our dogs. chicken strips with gravey are amazing and the garden was lovely.

Visited this pub as a family of 8 along with 2 dogs!! We were so impressed the first time that we visited again later in our holiday. Absolutely great experience. Staff were friendly and nothing was too much trouble. There is a small play area outside for the kids and a few picnic benches. Big car park. Due to the bad weather we sat inside. Really lovely pub and food was great. Tip: on line booking said they had no availability but worth giving them a call as we did and they had space.

I have been going to this public house/restaurant for I don’t know how many years but after todays events on a Sunday morning with family and friends, the service was slow the poor waitress was not helped at the beginning we had a cup no saucer had to ask for sugar then got our breakfasts all wrong no salt /pepper had to get it ourselves it took two hours for 5 adult breakfasts and 3 children to be served they were putting lunch out when we were leaving then to find my daughter was charged nearly £30 over her bill after going back in to query the bill she was shouted at by the managers wife/partner she was rude and not helpful at all we will NOT be going back and shall be in touch with who ever owns the pub now as we have found out they are new owners !!!!

So where do I start poor management lack of communication and damn right rude, been spoken down to by the managers wife isn’t acceptable! Food came out in dribs and drabs then ended up waiting 10 minutes for a meal that they cocked up on! Not impressed

One of our local pubs which we haven’t tried under current ownership because of COVID. Spur of the moment decision to have lunch there today and one we don’t regret.Covered seating area, well distanced and very neat and tidy. Both had medium sized roast lunch and it was delicious. The veg was superb - carrots, beans, cauliflower cheese, red cabbage and crispy roast potatoes. Staff friendly and helpful despite rushing in and out taking orders and delivering drinks and food while dodging the odd hail shower.

Visited on Monday 24th August 2020 - Dorchester Mini Break. and we grab a late lunch at The Countryman Inn at East Knighton Dorchester and enjoy our first use of eat out to help out scheme.Was quite quiet and late in the afternoon but having already been turned away from the nearby Ship Inn we were just glad they were still serving lunch.That being said the food was quite bland and if there wasn't the said scheme in place I would have felt a little ripped off, as having had dessert I am comfortable in saying it was the poorest attempt at a Knicker Bocker Glory I have ever seen.Waitress service was quite poor, with a pretty empty pub but a struggle to get any attention even when ordering more itemsBig car park shared with local residents and quite poor male toilet facilities compared to the overall high quality of the pub interior.

My wife and I had our Christmas Day Lunch there it was absolutely lovely especially the Desert,I would like to thank all the Staff for a fantastic day. Thank you

Stayed here with friends and I feel that it's very much improved. Friendly staff and good pub food. I will definitely return.

The Countryman has been revamped this year and looks more welcoming. Very good cask beers. Food menu a bit limited but the sirloin steak I had was very tender and tasty. Pity the excellent carvery no longer served on Sunday evenings. Service was very good and staff friendly.

Friendly staff, clean and well laid out. We went on a wet day but there’s a beer garden front and back for sunny days. Dog friendly. We tried a few starters and sides between us including jackfruit, which was fine. Would visit again 😊

Excellent meal. All cooked to perfection and piping hot. The staff were friendly and the Halloween decorations were great. A lovely birthday treat.

We really had a friendly welcome,lovely to see the effort put into decorations for Halloween,Service was quick and meal was piping hot.Staff asked if everything was ok with our meal,which shows they care.Even though masks were worn by the staff you could still feel that they were friendly,

It’s such a shame to see a pub go down hill so badly. The service is slow, the menu has been heavily reduced and when it comes to the food I suggest you eat before you visit as the portions are tiny. Definitely time to try another local competitor

Looking for somewhere for lunch, so glad we found this place. The Staff were very pleasant and happy. Thanks Chef food well cooked.

We visited for drinks last week, we had a lovely waitress but shame how slow the lady behind the bar was getting the drinks ready for them to deliver (It was something like Jo or Jolene) Service needs to improve!!

What a lovely proper country inn food is fabulous best breakfast on the Jurassic coastThe real ales are spot on good choice and very well looked after (makes a difference)Had a fabulous walk with my two dogs ( Betty & Annie ) wanted a beer stop and a bite to eat and so glad I did The staff are so professional especially Charlie the manager and his (new) assistant JoeA must visit if in Dorset I will returnA big thank you to all the team

We stopped here after visiting Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door and were pleasantly surprised by how nice this “lucky find” was. Food was delicious, staff very friendly and the pub garden was a lovely spot to sit and enjoy the afternoon. Very dog friendly as well!

Lovely little pub. We had the steak and ale pie and sausage and mash. A couple of Amstel beers and a couple of half’s of ale. Nice food and wonderful service

Despite the negative reviews we found the pub and restaurant to be very good, Staff very friendly and helpful and food we had was very good and portions big enough for us

Very friendly place. Good food and drink for most of group, steak was over cooked which was disappointing but taken off Bill, rest of food lovely, portions could have been a bit bigger as not cheap. Very friendly and helpful staff

This used to be our “go to” pub. Have had many lovely meals here in the past. Will now be our “never go to” pub. It’s changed hands recently and has new owners. We were really looking forward to trying it out. The decor inside is lovely (that’s what the 2 stars are for). But everything else. Forget it. Staff polite enough, but clueless and forgetful. They messed up one of our meals despite being told several times a requirement. The service so slow. Waited almost 45 minutes for meals! The portion size - total joke. Do not order a starter, they were so tiny!!! And the lasagne main course was like a child’s portion with a measly little salad on the side. Nothing like how it used to be. Couldn’t wait to leave to be honest. Will not be returning. Much nicer local pubs to visit in the area with trained staff and proper food portions!! Our neighbours went last month and had a similar awful experience and complained about the portion size Have no idea why there are some 5* reviews on here, if you read them they look suspiciously like mates of the staff there.....

This used to be my favourite carvery and although I know the new regulations won't allow the carvery the roast dinner was the biggest disappointment ever! The portions were stingy 3 small roast potatoes, a tablespoon of what apparently was cauliflower cheese, tough green beans.... Beef that required a 7th steak knife to cut it and was tough and over cooked..... The pork was OK and the red cabbage was nice... for £11.99 it was a very poor roast.... We will not be returning

Some good points and some not so good at this pub with rooms. We found all the staff to be friendly and helpful. The rooms have been newly refurbished and bed linen and towels were very fresh and pleasant. If needed there is an iron and ironing board. It’s not a big deal but at £100 per night I’d expect better than Nescafé sachets and cheap tea bags on the tea-tray. Parking was easy at the front or back car parks and the garden had lots of space and nice new benches. Totally dog-friendly with water bowls everywhere and nice walks straight from the pub.We were not so impressed with the food. The menu was predictable and unexciting - chips with almost everything, the prices would have been acceptable if the quality was good but it really wasn’t great. The starters were particularly poor value. We were also pretty surprised at breakfast to have such a limited choice with no orange juice and no cereals. The breakfast was better cooked and presented than the evening meals.I would stay again at a push but would be sure to eat elsewhere. As a final word of caution our booking was for a triple room but we were told they don’t have triple rooms.

Very disappointed booked three weeks in advance for a special occasion asked if we would be able to get the sunday roast at 5 pm and was assured we would .We Arrived and the first thing we were told there were no Sunday roasts . I explained we had booked etc no attempt to help rectify the situation just told also no lasagne or steak

It was with some trepidation that we arrived, having read some of the reviews but slowly our fears were resolved.Good Corvid precautions at the entrance.Orders for drinks were fulfilled fairly speedily.Most things on the menu were available.It took some time before our meals were served, but in some respects this was no bad thing, as in many places it appears almost all dishes come from the freezer.All of us enjoyed our choices, and the portions were ample, with no one complaining about their size or quality.My only complaint is about TRIPADVISOR, and that there is too big a gap between Average and Very Good.

W sat outside on a lovely evening. Nice ambience in the garden. Charlie was as good as usual - helpful and attentive, always cheerful. Drinks swerved promptly and with plenty of ice on a hot day. The crab shack looks interesting - we will try this next time!

I had not been to the countryman for a number of years, we were camping locally and decided to go for lunch. We pre ordered as there were a few family's together. The food came out on time and hot however the portion sizes were ridiculous. I had the lasagne which came with a salad and garlic bread.. I can only say the salad consisted of tiny bits of cut up pepper and cucumber with 1 bit of lettuce and the garlic bread took me 5 mins to find it was so small. My daughter had the childrens southern fried wrap which was too spicy for any child I know and my partner had a pie with around 8 chips. We left feeling hungry and will certainly ly not be returning in a hurry..Management please increase your portion sizes as you have the potential to be an amazing pub.

We visited the Countryman Inn based on tripadvisor reviews. We wish we hadn’t - don’t get me wrong the food tasted nice but some of the size of the portions were a joke! Starters - my king prawn starter actually was yummy and the portion size was correct (being 48 yrs old you have your share of going out to places and experience different varieties of establishments - so I’m fully open minded on differences from each place but you do obtain a view on the scope of expected quantity/quality) so the southern fried stripes needed at least one more. The Indian starter was just a joke for the quantity against the nearly £7 charge. The chicken skewers were an embarrassment to this inn - the single flatten tiny cube of chicken was skewered on a skewer smaller than a chubby lolly stick - all of the chicken put together would not have made up a chicken strip, they charged £7 for this. Avoid this starter!I had the steak which was cooked nicely and is a safe choice - they need to change the peas - they tasted like tin peas and were served with every meal served to our group. The fish and chips were also good (go for the mushy peas though) could do with more chips and so could the steak ( I think we had about 8 on our plate). The pie itself looked good and I’m told tasted nice but it was ruined by the serving of mash potato which literally was smaller than an ice cream scope! Served to a grown man after a days walking it didn’t quite hit the spot!I wouldn’t class myself as a big eater - I can never have more than 2 courses but after two courses at the Countryman Inn we decided to skip the dessert to avoid disappointment and had dessert back at our lodge - even our 12 year olds managed a full 3 course meal due to the appalling portion sizes. It’s a shame this Inn has potential and from previous reviews seemed great but somethings changed and the owners have got it completely wrong in our groups opinion. So if you want more than a light bite don’t come here (hate to think what the children’s portion size is..) Unless it changes, as regulars to Dorset, we won’t be back.Note - they messed our booking up so we actually went and ate without them asking for anyone’s contact details, which upon having left we realised - So much for track and trace!

This used to be a proper pub but now something is lacking. The food we had was served well but the portions were small and the food average at best. The knickerbocker glories were a joke - just a couple of scoops of cheap ice cream with synthetic cream and a smear of nondescript red stuff on top.

We just dropped in for a quick pint but because of the AMAZING service from Charlie we stayed for 3. Best service EVER!

Visited twice this week, tried the Crab Shack on first occasion where we tried the crab sandwich, scampi and dirty fries, couldn't fault the food or how quick we were served, second time had the steak with garlic and Stilton sauce, again the food was lovely and the steak was as ordered. The pub was very busy but we had no complaints.

We have now visited this pub on two occasions during our week stay in Dorset. Having visited many establishments across the local area over many years we have only visited this pub during this stay. The service and food were excellent having been served in a timely manner and by very courteous staff particularly Charlie who could not of been more helpful. We have visited many quality restaurants across the world and for a local eatery this has really stood out Thankyou.

I was looking forward to our visit to the Countryman, especially after a hard days walking on Holiday with dogs. A massive plus is that it is a dog friendly pub. We were greeted by the host, very nicely and they found us a table even though our booking had gone astray. Really nice pub inside and out, shows a lot of promise. Drinks nice and cold, just want you need on some of the hottest days of the year.Everything in the pub looked clean and the distancing system was good. The food was however not amazing, sure the quality was good but the amounts were minuscule. The starter I had, chicken skewers were small so small people on my table laughed, a real let down. The mains were not much better. If I had ordered the baked lasagna without chips I would of walked out. Hats off to the chef for keeping any food waste down, but this is a bit too far.I appreciate that we are in odd times and that's probably the only reason I would come back and try this place again. We all sort of left disappointed, in fact the whole table got up and started walking out, while paying.

We hadn't been to the Countryman for many years but thought we would try it with the Eat out to help out scheme. The service was fine however my husband who had the pie thought it was the worse meal he had in a long time. We probably should have complained at the time(but no-one came to ask us how our meal was) - the pie was dry (overcooked) there was hardly any mashed potato or peas. There was a rubbish bin behind us which was attracting a lot of flies so in all it wasn't a particularly enjoyable experience. I'm afraid we won't be back. The average mark is for my meal my husband probably wouldn't have given it a mark.

Been a long time since we had visited the Countryman it's a very large inn with plenty of outside space and seating. Service seemed a little slow and although the food we had ordered was nicely cooked and well presented portion sizes are a little on the small side and not great value for money in my opinion. We dident leave with the wow factor but maybe caught them on an off day .

Due to high demand they were awaiting a delivery on our first visit, Charlie managed our expectations on our first visit, and we were very happy with the food we had, which was ordered from the starter menu. Amount fine, just the right amount of chips, not too many. We went back again in the evening and really enjoyed the vegetarian options.On our third visit they had again been very busy, but we were told early on how long the wait was likely to be. We were asked several times if we needed anything, but it was all OK for us. Again Charlie was there and looked after us very well

Under new management, ekk! Came out with a friend for a catch up, Very unwelcoming people and the waitress didn't even smile while taking our order. Long wait to get an order of drinks,food and pudding/staff not watching tables. Got food and was nice but nothing special, flies must have been hungry too!! . Many people in the same boat looking around for staff to possibly order food or pay a bill. Just felt like staff weren't interested in customers but with things going on elsewhere. I won't be back!

We went for lunch. The Service was good and the staff were welcoming. The adaptations are well structured, only the foot powered hand gel is a little over zealous but it makes for good entertainment when it’s not your turn. The time we chose to go was not too busy and seating seemed appropriate for current restrictions. Our meal was tasty and portions size good. We ate burgers on this occasion they were good quality and well presented. Dog friendly venue Thank you

visited 2 days ago lad wears specs who served us was polite & professional unfortunately we didn’t enjoy our meals granddaughter had about six chips with her hard tasteless dry burger us grownups were served portions not much bigger child size meals the steak & ale pies look better than they taste not as nice as last year where you got a slice of tasty pie definitely not value for money won’t be going back

Thank you for a lovely lunch. The staff were welcoming and friendly. A special thank you to Charlie our waiter who spoke knowledgeably about the new menu and helped us with the ‘Eat out to help Out’ scheme. We always love coming to visit on our way down to our annual camping trip. You only lose a star for the children’s playground having been removed. Leaving with a smile and full tummies!

Booked to celebrate our anniversary and had booked a table for a early dinner as we have young children. We got there early and was allowed in straight away and got shown to a table they sat us quite near to a couple, Which was I surprised by considering socail distancing.There was very little choice for my child and no small bites for my 1 Yr old. I also thought there was not a great choice of meals. After ordering we waited for quite some time before the meals arrived. When the food arrived it didn't look like it was much and wasn't fantastic.There was lots of flies about which was annoying and my child was freaking out over them.Pudding too was okay again not great and they gave my child a adult potion of cake. Overall disappointed.

A very late booking from us but staff were helpful and the food was very nice, We were served by Charlie who was excellent.

Arrived on a Sunday having pre-booked a table for 7 people at 5pm. We arrived, the woman who sat us at our table was not very welcoming. She said that there were no carvary left and that there was nothing on our booking to say we wanted them. I said that we had booked the table through the website where we did not have to request a car very or not. We were seated and we said we would order off the menu anyway. There were no steaks or lots of food off the kids menu missing. We were left sitting for 15-20 minutes and no one came to take our drinks order so in the end we left. Really disappointing.

Fantastic pub, clean and refreshing, and one of your staff members, Jolene , an absolute credit to your bar. She has a quality customer service and I could not fault her service. Will be in again for sure !!

Went to the countryman inn tonight great atmosphere friendly and nice was help out by Jess who always had a smile

Nice place, not bad food but tiny portions Do not order lasagne is baby food size. I said while ordering that I’d share it with my son and when it arrived he had it all and was still hungry(9yo) it’s a joke for the price!

Lovely friendly welcome from Joelene - nicely renovated and excellent precautions taken - get yourself down for a drink - the food looks good and reasonably priced too!

Despite Covid, The Countryman Inn staff have made this safe with a delightful atmosphere. There is plenty of social distancing seating and tables, especially in the garden area.The food is very good and if you are looking for rooms to stay overnight, these have been tastefully refurbished to a very high standard.It is central for the lovely Jurrassic coast with Lulworth and Durdle Door approx 5 miles away.Highly recomended and dog friendly if you have well behaved dogs. They will not tolerate aggressive dogs.

Massively impressed. Not only was the price amazing but the place and service is outstanding. A huge shout out to Amy who could not do enough for us. It’s so nice to have such friendly staff. Thanks Amy and everybody else

Checked in on Sunday 12th July and stayed 2 nights. Was advised on check in, that due to recent refurbishments completed on the pub/hotel they were experiencing a few teething problems I.e. phones down and no WiFi, however this did not pose an issue for us as the staff were extremely helpful and attentive. Had a 2 course Sunday roast which was lovely and had dinner again the following night which was equally as good. The room was extremely spacious and clean and bed comfy. I did request a couple more pillows and some drink coasters for the room as they had got in some great solid wood furniture that we really did not want to ruin with water marks...after a day trip we arrived back to our room to find exactly what we requested in our room, very good service. All the staff during our stay were very welcoming and friendly and a great asset to the place! We booked for 2 nights with breakfast included through a third party website and was advised that at the hotel that breakfast was now not included, but quickly advised that this was a glitch that management would be amending in due course and that they would be happy to honour the booking details to include breakfast...demonstrating excellent customer service and...the breakfast was good too. Overall a great visit to the Countryman Inn, Dorchester and would recommend to anyone looking for a relaxed short stay away in the UK.

Very nice beer garden and hospitality , what a wonderful bar maid Amy is, I needed for nothing ! Strongly recommend a visit! My glass was never empty!

First visit after lockdown made to feel safe & welcome some very nice local photos on the walls lots of new outside table in front and rear gardens. Food was very good and staff very helpful looking forward to out next visit

went out on the first day pubs were allowed to be opened, The Countryman has new management so ignore the past negative reviews, felt very safe with all the safety measures, food lovely, pub has been refurbished and looks amazing, the new manager was very helpful. Will definitely return.

well done to the new management the food was amazing all the staff were friendly and helpful great social distance measures in place will definitely be back

Cold and unfriendly, staff more interested in talking to their mates on the other side of the bar, even stopping and talking while getting our drinks. Once drinks had arrived glasses where dirty. Place was empty except for the group who were the friends of the bar staff, and the language was very colourful. This is our local pub, in easy walking distance, but we will not be using it again. The red lion, a little further on is a lovely place. I would not recommend anyone use this place, use the red lion.

Good food, attentive staff and great value! Lovely country pub which was ideal for our family lunch.

We haven't been to the Countryman for a couple of years and heard it had improved,so thought we'd give it a go. What a mistake !!!!! We should have realised when we say the place was nearly empty, it was 1.30,prime lunch time.We opted for the cavery, the beef wasn't bad,the turkey was very dry.Roast potatoes (if you can call them that) were greasy ,no colour on them,Yorkshire puds (frozen type) had been sat around for a long time ,unedable,peas would have been good for a caterpault,cabbage ,very under cooked,and the gravy was greasy and watery, needless to say we won't be going again,

We stayed here for one night in a family room. The only staff were super friendly and the room was nice. Nice big super king bed and two singles for the kids in a separate area. There was no shower though which was disappointing. Had a good nights sleep though. Breakfast was a little lacking unfortunately. Would have loved if they had nice locally sourced ingredients but instead had overcooked (nearly burned) sausages and eggs poached to within an inch of their life. They also seemed to want to give us a whole loaf of toast despite us not asking for any! We then came back for lunch and unfortunately the food wasn’t much better. The pie was pretty good but lumpy tasteless mash and an awful pizza from the kids menu (those £1 mini pizzas you get from the supermarket) meant we didn’t really enjoy our food. The accommodation, staff and the decor of the place is really great and we will definitely stay there again when visiting family locally but really hope the food improves. I personally would be happy to pay a few quid more for a decent sausage in the morning!

Stayed here for a couple of nights whilst visiting family. Food was great ,staff were friendly and helpful. We are vegetarians which was no problem.They room was clean,large and comfortable.Would definitely eat and stay here again PS. I booked this before reading previous reviews and was worried when I did read them but was really pleased I came here it was great

We visited with our car club on a Sunday lunchtime (booked). We had a couple of areas reserved for us, the staff were very friendly and welcoming and the carvery was one of the best I've had. One can choose to have a smaller portion if wanted. What could be better? Well, good disabled access and being dog-friendly for a start!

Under new management so forget any previous experiences. Very warm welcome from staff, even better welcome for the dog! We opted for the carvery, plenty of veg, good roasties and tender meat. Will definitely return!

A bit wary on booking a 3 day break away, at this pub, after reading some of the reviews !! But there was no need to worry as everthing was fine. The room was very large, bed very comfortable and a nice bathroom. As we were out touring every day, to see as much as possible, we had our dinner in the pub every evening. All meals we could not fault. Very good portions, pleasant staff and good service. Thank you.

Myself and a friend thought we would go in for some food and a nice chat .We ordered a drink asked for a menu and went to sit down.We sat down and opened the menu to see half of it had been black marker pen out which made us think what is going on ? Then the tv was put on at 6.30 it was so loud we could hardly hear ourselves speak I asked the lady with dark hair behind the bar if she could turn the tv down please as I couldn’t hear my friend, which she did point the tv mot-control but it didn’t go down much .So we decided to find another Pub were the tv was not blasting out emadale

Visited on Friday evening at around 8 o’clock; not busy at all, got in just in time to order food. It was brilliant! Huge portions, quality food, well cooked, quickly served and the staff were really personable. It’d have been nice to have had some music to drown out the other conversations around us, but otherwise fantastic and thank you.

We came here to try out the Carvery and we were not disappointed! Loads of choice, and you can help yourself to the vegetables etc. I am vegetarian and they had a vegetarian option to have with the Carvery. The food was excellent. The staff were all very friendly and polite. The only reason it doesn’t get the 5/5 is that we sat out in the garden area afterwards and there were sooo many cigarette buts and our dog kept eating them!

We went as a family of 5 for dinner and all agreed it was the best food we’ve had whilst visiting Dorchester. Didn’t have to wait long for food, portions were large and the food was really tasty. Nice selection of gin too, great pub

Visited here for a Carvery lunch. The food was nice enough although nothing special but the service was poor / non existent. We had no table service at all, no attention paid to us during or after our meal and we literally had to go and find a member of staff to take our payment. Would not recommend. Staff need more customer service training.

We looked on booking .com web site and we liked the photos , but alas , we were so disappointed when we pulled up , and wondered what we got for £143 for a triple room with breakfast ? Well here goes the outside appearance up a lane was NOT the W.O.W factor , i went to book in and their was a bad odour ? carrying on i checked in and was taken to room 6 , on a long walk upstairs . The room was dated but appeared o.k for the ONE night .

When my husband asked where I would like to go for my birthday, having stayed here for one night last year I chose to return. We arrived on 18th August after visiting the Blue Pool nearby and we had already decided to eat at the Countryman Inn and spend the evening with our sons who are 11 and 12 relaxing. Dinner was outstanding and we spent the evening playing pool and relaxing. On 19th which was my birthday we had breakfast which was delicious and there was plenty of variety. The full English breakfast was outstanding and the attention to detail I.e cereals, yoghurts, juices, jam, marmalade, marmite etc was appreciated. We went to Corfe Castle and Studland middle beach and then once again returned to dine and chill. We spent a second evening relaxing, boys enjoyed the garden and the play area and once again dinner was exceptional. Our room was very comfortable and after two evenings here we have nothing but praise. The staff are outstanding and could not be more helpful. The fish pie is the best I have ever tasted and special mention must go to Aime, Lauren, Nicky, Chris, Simon, Lisa the chef and Cathy who was the lovely, happy, smiley lady that dealt with us at breakfast time both days. If you are looking for somewhere to be able to relax, in particular with children then I would highly recommend and I am extremely picky. We have arrived home feeling totally recharged and wishing we were back there. We have already looked at booking again soon and enjoying several more short breaks here

Went for a meal tonight with my Husband, I ordered a small fish pie, I was given a small fish and chips. I had to wait 15 minutes for my fish pie to come by which time my Husband had finished his meal. If we had wanted to eat separately we would have gone out alone. When my meal finally came it was terrible.

Unfortunately this historic tavern needs TLC rapidly especially if The owners expect guests to pay a high price for a room and to get them to return. This Inn needs investment, re-organisation and more than just a make-over both inside and out quickly. Some of our observations are: Our room had an odour and was shabby, dust in the window frames, skirting boards etc. The ceiling light shade was broken and had been left on the bed. The shower tray leaked onto the floor. The main bar area had a leak in the ceiling and two buckets catching the drips. The breakfast was generous but lacking taste and presentation. The staff were pleasant enough but it felt like the Inn and the staff are surviving by plodding along until it ‘breaks’.

What a fab place to stay, quiet and clean. Room was better than some hotel rooms I’ve stayed in as was large and even had an oscillating fan which was very useful. Pub was very welcoming and food was fabulous and catered for our little dog too who was also made very welcome.Breakfast was amazing for us and our dog.quick and easy check in and out with on site parking.- can definitely recommend

We stopped here on our way home from Dorchester Market with two of our Grandchildren.

Plus side, nice staff. Room was so dank possibly from rising damp. Absolutely stank. After a 7 hour drive home had to then begin the task of washing dirty & clean clothes to kill off damp spores & smell, plus luggage bags . Absolutely everything stank of the room. Look on NHS website re problems on damp spores. I have asthma so was very unpleasant.

A very nice country pub, the meals are very substantial and value for money and the drinks prices are reasonable, we had an enjoyable night and will be back.

After driving to Weymouth and doing excursions all day we headed back to our accommodation at Lulworth cove. We had been told to check out this place as there food portions where huge and great value for money.

This was one of three pubs we used for dinner during our 4 day visit to Dorset last week and unfortunately it was rated No. 3 by us. Staff not over friendly, food okay but fish was mainly batter and overall we gave the food 5/10. Table we sat at was sticky and didn't appear to have been cleaned before we sat down. There are definitely nicer and better pubs for food in the area. This could be a real little gem but unfortunately at the moment it is my opinion only average and we certainly wouldn't rush back.

Visited on a Friday night whilst staying in the area. The menu is classic pub dishes: cooked well, large portions and at a reasonable price. The staff were really friendly. Loads of parking and the whole interior was a good, simple pub. Excellent!

Upon arrival at 5:50pm we asked the member of bar staff (other staff member on their mobile phone) if they were serving food, we were told yes but carvery starts at 6pm. We were not offered a menu nor could find any, so opted for 3 adult carvery's. We went to find a small table rather than sit at a table set for 8, only to be humiliated by staff.

Small country pub and Inn with 9 bedrooms of varying sizes for b&b.; Full English breakfast offered but what we ate was over cooked, dry and tasteless.

Went about 7.30 pm. Went to the bar and enquired could we sit in the restaurant! The young man behind bat said NO we are fully booked spaces only in bar