The Crows Nest Inn in Purbeck

Best Sunday lunch we've had for long time. Very homely pub ,great staff and friendly atmosphere. Will definitely return on our next visit to our family in Swanage.

Lovely local pub felt welcoming. Food was nice. Being gluten intolerant there wasn't a huge choice which did let it down for me but the rest of the family enjoyed it.

Good pub grub, not too busy, large portions

Good pub grub, not too busy, large portions

We where walking back from the beach and we fancy a drink today, lovely atmosphere, amazing customer service, definitely worth popping in!

We where walking back from the beach and we fancy a drink today, lovely atmosphere, amazing customer service, definitely worth popping in!

Very relaxed atmosphere, also good with children. The food is fresh and very tasty, the portions are great! Always my pleasure!

Booked table for 9 12.30pm Staff friendly polite and food was lovely 6 had roasts and 1 nut roast. Kids had jumbo fish finger and cheeseburger Was very tasty and we come every year here for food. Place clean tidy and outside area play area for kids and lots of pub bench/tables.

Great, old fashioned pub with modern food. Service was amazing.

Very welcoming staff and atmosphere the drink selection is top notch, the food to die for 🤤

This is a big local pub, we popped in on a Friday evening at 9pm and it was empty!( well tbh there was 3 people in there, but I suspect they were the owners) Last orders was called seconds after we ordered out drinks so felt obliged to drink quick and get out. It has huge potential with loads of space but lacks atmosphere, customers and looks very neglected. They need to consult with the owners of the Black swan on the high street because they are busy with lots of satisfied customers-it would be a shame to loose a pub on this side of town because the owners couldn’t be bothered to market it properly.

We walked in on the off chance after walking back to Swanage from Corfe Castle. The place was fairly empty, which initially concerned us, but we got a friendly welcome and an amazing Sunday roast. We opted for large & both had roast beef. We probably won’t need to eat for the rest of the day. The amount of beef was impressive!

Enjoyed our evening at the Crows Nest. Food very good. Good service. Thanks

A lovely friendly bar with an open log fire large garden well worth a vist. Did not try the food but was told by locals its again well worth a try.

Decided to try this place on Friday as it was minutes away from where we were staying safe to say won't be coming back. My husband had guiness as they didn't have any flat cider 😒 as I'm not a drinker I asked for a flat white the guy behind the bar looked like he didn't know what I was talking about! Then said he could make me an instant one I said no. There was a lady sat at the bar who might have been staff because she told the guy behind the bar to check he came back and said they did but what I got resembled what looked like muddy water! It tasted like it too it was awful 😖 one sip was enough I left it. I have had coffee in a lot of pubs so if the manager does read my review you can't reply if you do and say we serve beer we aren't a cafe. The picture attached is what a flat white should look like. So glad we didn't order anything to eat. The place was filthy no real welcome I would never recommend going here to anyone.

A great local pub with tasty, plentiful food. Although we were visitors to the area, we were made to feel welcome by the regulars, even Dave the Irish Wolfhound. Yes, they allow dogs in, tick from us. The menu is plentiful with a specials list as well. We ordered the steak and ale pie with chips and seasonal vegetables and when it arrived, the plate was piled high and steaming hot. The gravy is to die for. Excellent place to visit.

Great home cooked food with generous portions.

Customers is not allowed to use wifi

Food was absolutely spot on. 2 roast dinners, 1 beef, 1 chicken. Really decent portion and hot as well. Service was good, a bit business like on first entering but all round very good. Atmosphere was good but the pub was a bit chilly if I'm honest. All round would I go back for another roast, yes, 100%. Roasts are £14.95 a head.

Delicious roast dinner with lots of beef, loads of vegetables, all cooked well. I couldn't finish it all, a first for me!

Wednesday evening we were going to have drink and evening meal at the crows nest inn, the notice board outside said pizza only so went elsewhere, returned on Thursday evening to find limited opening hours but food was available. Only one ale available so had that and steak & ale pie with new potatoes and four veg. The ale was good but from a Cornish brewer, not the local Dorset brewer. The food was filling, a good gravy dinner although the potatoes and veg were slightly overcooked, never the less we enjoyed it and would happily eat here again.

Just popped in for a bite to eat as we don't like 'posh poncy food', we settled for what we were offered which was 2 pizza's. They arrived hot and didn't touch the sides. A very friendly pub, that serves food & good beer, we are happy to recommend.

My son and I were in Swanage for the Blues festival and decided to pop in for a drink and a meal. We were extremely pleased with the service and terrific food that we recieved. Highly recommend.

This was further than we would normally walk for something to eat when staying in Swanage but after reading other reviews we decided to give it a try. We were not disappointed. We managed to get a table before it filled up and it does fill up very quickly. There is a longer than usual wait for the food to arrive but it is worth the wait, there was four of us and we all said it was a great meal and atmosphere and would happily make a return visit. Well worth it.

Great locals, great staff No food on Mondays

Mum and I went for a Sunday roast and I can honestly say it was the closest to my grandmothers legendary Sunday dinner I have ever tasted. The portions won’t leave you feeling hungry. Mum struggles with her walking now and the lovely Barman took her arm and walked her very slowly back to the car … customer service second to none. I would definitely recommend a Sunday lunch at the Crows Nest Inn in Swanage.

We was stopping at the Rookery B & B and the Crows Nest was conveniently over the road. We decided to stop for a drink on our first night and then decide where we would eat in the town. On ordering our drinks we noticed they had a menu and decided it looked delicious so we stayed. I can honestly say the food was amazing. Our husbands had the chicken curry which came with onion bhaji's, rice and poppadoms. My friend had the prawn salad. I have never seen so many prawns and she couldn't eat them all. I had the nachos and chilli. Just wow! It was not only tasty but so filling. I can eat for England and really struggled to finish it all. I didn't want it to end so ended up feeling uncomfortably stuffed. The staff were very friendly and so welcoming. I would definitely recommend you visit this place

I have to say the roast dinner was huge way to much on the plate I'm sure if they cut it down it would be much better and could cut the cost the only thing I didn't really like was the roast potatoes almost white in colour

We came here on Wednesday 16 August and the weather was good so we sat in the garden. The food was delicious - nothing fancy just good pub grub, cooked well and good sized portions. We recommend the loaded fries with chilli (a very large meal), the fish and chips were delicious- large fish with tempura batter and lots of chips. The steak and ale pie was a whole pie (not just the crust on the top) the new potatoes were nicely cooked and came with cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. The gravy was also nice.

Good traditional pub food done well and excellent value! We ordered steak and ale pie and the scampi and chips. The food was hot and tasty, friendly service, we asked for more tartar sauce which arrived promptly. Great choice of draught beer, lager and cider.

Had a great tasty meal at The Crows Nest Inn tonight , the Tagliatelle was very tasty and great portions for the hungry !!.I would advise to book as it was very busy nice traditional pub with friendly staff . Will def call in again .

We had meals on 2 nights, ordinary pub grub but well cooked and generous helpings. Lovely helpful and hardworking staff. A little bit spoiled for us on one evening as the pub was invaded by a group of loud, tattooed laddie types who took over the bar area. They were possibly the locals who thought that the pub belonged to them. Not the pubs fault as they probably rely on local trade outside of the holiday period. Regardless of the above we would recommend this pub for a reasonably priced and very good meal.

AVOID THIS PUB unless you fancy playing a game of Russian roulette with your dinner. We ordered two burgers, one was adequately cooked, while the other arrived horrifyingly undercooked. When we voiced our concern to the manager, we were met with an alarmingly dismissive response. She retorted, 'well, you ate half of it', implying that it was safe to consume simply because 'it's all meat.' Her dismissive attitude not only showcased a concerning lack of knowledge about food safety, but it also revealed a complete disregard for customer service and satisfaction. Save your time, money, and health — dine elsewhere.

We had our Sunday roast beef dinner at The Crows Nest Inn yesterday,18/06/03. The dinner was perfect, piping hot and very tasty. It was very good value for the price. Thanks to all of the staff, Bazza.

Excellent food - well worth a visit! We enjoyed the variety on the new summer menu, the quality of the ingredients and the presentation was honestly perfect. We could not have asked for any more; a friendly welcome and great service- thank you! We will be back!

We popped in here for a drink, liked the look of the menu and decided to stay for dinner. I was a little concerned as after ordering, we started thumbing through TripAdvisor and were taken aback by some of the negative reviews. Happily this proved not to be our experience. Food was well cooked and plentiful and much cheaper than many of the places closer to town. It's a homely, unpretentious place with friendly staff and customers and if I'm in the area again, I'd definitely come in here to eat.

It seems all the cast from One flew over the Cuckoos Nest ran this pub. Not the best experience and it appears that the staff made up most of the people that were in there!!!!!!

We booked a table for 9 people and our dog based on the reviews as we are not local. The menu was limited and the food…….. well put it this way, the menu itself would have had more flavour! We were given someone else’s meal and then had to wait for another hour for our food to arrive. It all came out at different times and different temperatures. Some of us had finished whilst 3 of us were still waiting for our food! The gammon was dry and hard, the faggots lacked any flavour and the scampi was salty and burnt. The sausages were tasteless and bland. The waitress sent the “manager” over who told us the food was late because he only had one fryer, yet 3 plates of scampi and chips all arrived at the same time? We all felt unwell after leaving and would certainly not recommend it. Such a shame!

Went for a Sunday lunch with my family and friends. 3 of us ordered large roasts 1 beef and 3 nutroast and 2 ordered cheese burgers. Well our food came out . I wasn't happy with my roast . Paying nearly £15 for what, Tin baby carrots and half a plate of peas . Old roast potatoes. Where they are grey inside . The beef was tough and like door stops . No roast parnips . No fresh veg . Just cheap and reheats . Nutroast had rice in. My brother in law found mould on this burger bun after eating half of it 🤢. What put him off eating his dinner . My husband mention it to the worker but I don't think anything was done about it . I have to say this was the 3 rd time iv had a bad experience here .

We've used the Crows Nest a few times over the years and choose it as some of the town centre pubs can be a bit abrasive and full of demanding tourists. This is an honest down to earth pub, a bit scuffed and knocked on...

Last minute booking, accommodated with a smile. Limited menu but what was available went down well with all. Friendly service and family friendly environment.

We arrived mid way through the Women’s Euro final, it was really busy but we were still made to feel welcome. We went again the next night to have food, it was quieter, we found a table and someone came and took our drinks and...

The decor is a little tired but don't let that put you off. Yes it's a pub but the food is great and reasonable. Worth the walk out of town and much cheaper than some of the restaurants in Swanage and a lot better. Thoroughly...

We decided to book here last minute really as we did not fancy the choices at our hotel, it was a Monday evening so it wasn’t particularly busy. Having read other reviews prior to going, I had a few concerns but need not have worried....

Went for an evening meal. Had a drink on arrival, served by a rude, none communicative man who couldn't even tell us how much drinks were before shoving the card machine at us. Had to ask how much. Sat down with menu, decided on meal...

Found this pub nearly next door to our hotel. Good pint of Doom bar. Two meals with plenty to eat. Worth a visit.

We ate here for Sunday Roast a few years ago, and remembered it being a lovely meal and a freindly pub. Today we returned and to our delight were not disappointed. Fab food with plenty of tasty veg and gravy. Thank you so much 🤩

Went here for food Thursday 21st of April and I must say this pub is great, the food was amazing and a good size portion. The staff were polite, welcoming and friendly. We'll done everyone on a great pub. 👍

Had a nice drink of Guinness and good garden area with apparatus for the little ones, also a burger shack there too.

Really nice pub meal tonight. Good choice of food, good quality, hot and good portion size. Lady behind bar very helpful and customer focussed. Very nice pint of lager. Good value, nice atmosphere a credit to Swanage. Recommended.

My husband & I went for lunch today with my mother. The staff were lovely & the food was very tasty. We had a medium Sunday roast, the portions were anything but medium with lots of vegetables, my chicken was delicious. My husband struggles with swallowing but his beef was tender and tasty - he hasn't eaten that much while out for a long time. Highly recommended for fabulous pub food.

We went in the pub for a drink early afternoon and after seeing the meals being brought out for other guests we joined in and orders a Sunday Lunch. These lunches are served in three sizes and we chose to have the medium size. We...

Excellent food, friendly local with a nice atmosphere.

Went to Swanage to watch our football team in the Dorset premier league only to find the clubhouse was shut,no organisation at all. What a stroke of luck having The Crows Nest a short walk away. Chap behind the bar was very accommodating to us 20+ rowdy football fans and kept us all in drinks before and after the game. A massive thankyou from us all at Sturminster Newton Utd football club for your hospitality.

Really good Sunday lunch chicken vegetables roast potatoes Yorkshire pudding gravy. Also do beef and a nut roast, which my partner had excellent. All of us had apple pie and coffee to finish with. Good value ample portions, well cooked, very pleasant owners.

Nice food and generous portions, good service and reasonable price

Food doesn't taste as good as it looks, but my family enjoyed it. Better to come for drinks!

Ordered the steak and ale pie big mistake I should have realised when it turned up in 5 mins. The “creamy mash” was lumpy and re heated more than once and the pie was one you get from a chip shop the pastry was burnt...

Ordered a take away roast today (our elderly mum is recovering from Covid otherwise we would have been there in person)and it was delicious; great portions and served at a perfect temperature. Great service, great food- thanks again Crow’s Nest, see you again soon.

Was a little quiet when we arrived in the early evening, but began to liven up as the locals arrived. Nice pint, and friendly atmosphere, made welcome from the moment we entered until we left.

Basic look to everything. Food ok but no-one ever asked if all was ok. Seems to be a drinkers' pub.

Just finished an amazing Sunday Lunch of roast beef, Yorkshire pud, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, amazing peppered swede and roast potatoes. It's great food at a reasonable price with polite and pleasant staff. Gets a big thumbs up from us.

The best vegan burger iv ever had. Great food and the staff were lovely.

50 minute wait without explanation or apology ( and not busy), dry, overcooked and tasteless food.

Great Meal. Locals drink here, so it's always a good sign. We need Gluten free options and this pub does them. Meal was tasty and beer was good.

This is the first time I have left a meal untouched only two forks full to taste,the chief must have opened a tin of pasta in tomato sauce and warm it up .The first course chicken in barbeque sauce chicken was nice but to much...

Do not order the pasta in tomato sauce it taste like the chief just opened a tin of cheep pasta in tomato and basil sauce and piled it high on the plate ,expensive tin pasta. The first meal I left nearly untouched.

Not over impressed with the Sunday lunch the portions are large but the beef was very tough and fatty will not return

Roast beef absolutely appaling! Sliced and reheated so it was curled at the edges, almost dried up and fatty round the edges. Couldn't cause a fuss as would have been embarrassing in front of so many family.

Great Location. Although the portions on Sunday lunch were large, beef was overcooked & very hard to cut. An elderly relative gave up trying to cut hers! Scampi & chips was ok but avoid the beef!

Visited with a friend early on a Wednesday evening. We felt the building’s exterior somewhat belied what lies within. There is a large, modern dining area with an inviting garden beyond. As a previous reviewer has said, turn up very hungry … we both had...

Good choice of menu. Typical pub grub meals and plenty of starters to choose from. The portions were large and filling. The waitress was friendly and efficient.

Nice friendly staff, good food nice atmosphere

Since being in Swanage on our hols visited The Crows Nest twice & had lovely food, can't fault it, service & staff excellent. Tomorrow is our last night so we going back for one more meal.

No need to be grumpy on a nice sunny day.

The quality of the food has dropped significantly since my last visit.

Far too many chairs and tables. Literally banging the table behind and everyone having to squeeze in to get past. Pre ordered the food then took over an hour to come out. Wasn’t busy though. Blinds in the windows missing loads of sections so we sat with full evening sun in our face whilst we ate. Derelict kids climbing frame that’s dangerous out the back. Sent a drink back due to a fly being in there (we were eating inside). Food was alright but eating there was a trauma. Expecting a “well you are missing all the facts” kind of response but sorry to say the fact is we won’t be going back.

Food is goof, a fairly limited vegetarian menu but a tasty vegan burger, the rest of the family enjoyed their food. Opening hours are a bit odd but that seems normal at this end of town. At the moment everywhere in Swanage is really busy so definitely book ahead! Lots of places seem to be impacted by staff absences too which I assume is Brexit and Covid related.

Despite having visited Swanage for years I had never been to The Crow’s Nest. Ate there twice last week and will definitely return on my next visit. So impressed with the quality of the food- amazing portions (make sure you are hungry), fresh homemade, traditional...

Great little pub a short walk away from the centre of Swanage that serves reasonable priced,tasty pub food and drinks.The beer garden to the rear and raised decked area are a nice little sun trap

We had a lovely meal here yesterday (22/8). The service was excellent and the food ample and fresh. We later went back for early eve drinks in the beer garden. (North Beach Car park near by)

Visited in afternoon, partner had a pint of Doom Bar, 2 swigs, full of bits and tasted like vinegar. Spoke to other customer who was drinking Doom Bar who had similar concerns. Both took beer back to bar, had it replaced, 2 swigs later was...

Food was very high standard. And good service.too

Best food I have eaten in a pub in years! Couldn’t have asked for better service! The service was outstanding, just a perfect experience!

Great pub always stop for 1 or 2....as soon as I get in to swanage .... great place for a pint

Lovely friendly staff, couldn't do more for us. Little playground for children and dog friendly

Great food and service, really good value. We didn’t have to wait and had a friendly and helpful waitress. Thank you!

The food and service was amazing .. 100% recommend

As fairly regular visitors to Swanage staying at a holiday let just around the corner we were looking forward to an evening meal at the Crows Nest. Mid afternoon my partner enquired about booking a table with a couple of staff members sat outside who...

Went hear for a meal with my girlfriend and ordered food and drinks My girlfriend ordered a Diet Coke and asked for it in a bottle but instead was given vodka and coke and as a non drinker and on medication could have been dangerous After drinking 1 mouthful asked me if tasted funny so I tried it and yes more than a coke When questioned the landlord he lied and said he had given that to another table and ours was a coke but not in a bottle and spoke to us in a abusing manner Disgusting hospitality would never return AVOID AT ALL COSTS

Excellent service, good food, and lovely staff

Took family members / party of five in spite of living near by had not visited for ages Was nicely surprised great food and excellent service.

Really friendly, excellent food as usual! Must try is the chicken wings starter as they are unbelievable. Grey prices and relaxed atmosphere

Had a meal in the Crows Nest 3 nights in a row with my partner,. Great food every evening . Highly recommend the Dorest Chicken .

Have visited this pub tonight and would warn all potential customers DO NOT GO IN FOR FOOD! My partner and me visited for something to eat and both ordered sausage and mash, big mistake. The vegetables were frozen, the mash potato was lumpy and the sausages were awful and pink. As for the 'gravy' well I dread to think how it was made. When asked if everything was alright by a man behind the bar I told him that I thought they were rip off merchants as the meal was disgusting and we did not eat it. He didn't raise an eyebrow. I am angry with myself as I should have taken photos and even samples of the food but at least I hope I can warn others BEFORE they part with their money, as it was not cheap. I rename this pub The Pirates at the Crows Nest. I would have scored this a minus but am not given that option! Having already posted I looked on their site and also need to warn the public that the menus they have put online are NOT what you get when your there!! The response from this owner is totally untrue, he obviously has no respect for his customers nor his own business.

Have visited this pub this evening for something to eat. Myself and my partner both ordered sausage and mash, big mistake. The vegetables were frozen, the mash potato was lumpy and the sausages were awful and pink. As for the gravy, I dread to think...

Called in for a drink one evening, barman not particularly welcoming and quite gruff! A bit spit and sawdust of a place although the food did look ok. We have now discovered someone else's bill has been put on our card! Tel the pub who...

Good pub grub and very friendly waitress

Mac and cheese was really tasty. The garlic bread was amazing. The coleslaw was very good too. The fish and chips could have been hotter. Had a little wait for food but I was very pleased with everything. Well done crows nest, will definitely be...

We visited here last year and as we were in the same area again called in for 2 meals during our 4 night stay. We had the gammon special first time round which was fine although could have been a bit hotter and secondly we...