The Curlew in East Dorset

We regularly visit The Curlew for lunch. The staff are friendly and our server Emily was helpful. Atmosphere is great for catch up with Friends and food is delicious.

Emily served us and was super attentive and just lovely. We are regulars at the Curlew and are never disappointed. Emily is a great asset to the team and we will be back again soon

Emily was very proficient and when asked for recommendations, gave us a few selections which were lovely. Emily far exceeded our expectations. Thank you! Very satisfied customers

My friends and I meet at the curlew once a month the food is always served hot and is delicious. Our waitress Emily is always pleased to see us and is very helpful nothing is too much trouble. 10 out of 10 Emily.

A fabulous last minute lunch, served by the wonderful Emily, nothing to much for her! Drinks order taken and promptly delivered, food ordered and even with a busy garden, food arrived in a timely manor!

Excellent waiting staff, good food and nice place however the new manager is unwelcoming to say the least and spoils it. Brought in the kids with a friend and despite the place being almost empty made a huge fuss about seating us (Tuesday at 5:30pm). My mum mentioned she called a reservation of 18 people for a party because of her experience with him also.

Lovely Sunday Lunch. Good food good value. Good service. Sharon was amazing.

We always have a lovely meal at the Curlew and had service today with Emily which was fantastic. We have been served by Emily before and she is so attentive and service is quick. Food was delicious, good atmosphere, nice interior. A lovely Vintage Inn pub!

Great we loved it there and it was alot cleaner and better service than the three Legged Cross thank you

Usual Pub food, excellent location and atmosphere. Could do with some decent ales. Those on sale were not worth buying.

Popped in to catch up with friends. Staff helpful to find us a table so we could sit and talk comfortably. Just had drinks, a good selection available. We didn't eat on this visit, but we have eaten here before.

Had a Sunday lunch here with the family for a birthday. Food was all very good. Great service from Emily who was very welcoming and attentive

We popped in for a lunchtime meal. Sharon our waitress was extremely helpful and friendly and the food was delicious Thank you

Lovely meal, we we're served by Stacey and she made our meal and experience so nice. Thank you she is a very hard worker

The Curlew is a great place to visit - Sharon made us feel most welcome and was able to advise on the menu with cheer and good grace. The food was delicious. Many different seating areas to accomodate every situation. Thoroughly recommend - oh and dog friendly - a definite plus point!

Had Sunday lunch, very well greeted waitress Sharon took drinks order that was served very quickly great choice on the menu. The food was served quickly and hot it was very delicious, I had the skewers of Moroccan chicken that was beautiful and moist, salad was excellent fresh and crunchy.

Been there a few times. Service is always great. Food is good and menu has a good selection.

Great food, atmosphere & service - thanks particularly to Sharon for making it a lovely Mothers Day treat

Great visit, would highly recommend

I have never left a google review but this was the worst visit to a restaurant I have ever experienced. I had brought my mum and family here for Mother’s Day and were met with nothing but rude Shocking service. On arrival we were told the table wasn’t ready for us and we should sit outside as there wasn’t space for us (for context I had paid deposit for each person) after being sat outside 15 minutes later we were told there was only 2 options left for starters both of which didn’t meet our dietary requirements. The same thing had happened with mains with only having 2/3 options due to running out. No cocktails or mocktails. No custard. No stuffing. No parsnips all things which were promised on the menu. The waiter was extremely rude about this and couldn’t seem to care about our table being unsatisfied. I would never go back and am strongly disappointed that this was my first time at the Curlew especially on mother days when I would have simply booked somewhere else.

We booked this place for lunch and was pleasantly surprised. Allowed dogs, nice atmosphere and great and communicative staff. They have been brilliant as I needed a few wicked things for my meal. They helped me in choosing and altering without a fuss. Front garden, parking for many cars.

This was my second visit to the Curlew. I was very impressed that the waitress remembered not only me but our dogs and who we came with the first time. We were all made to feel very welcome. The roast was very tasty. I shall be going back next time I'm camping at Back of Beyond campsite.

Nice food. Quiet areas in restaurant. Good service.

Went to The Curlew with the family and had a lovely Roast dinner. Staff were friendly and helpful.

Arrived for a 1900 reservation at 1852 so 8 mins early. Party in front of us had been promised a table in a certain area and it had been given away. This took a while to sort out. We eventually got to the front to be told our table wasn’t ready. At that time I counted 15 empty tables in the restaurant. I could not for the life of me understand why we couldn’t have one of the empty tables of 2 and maybe a later booking could have ours. We were told to hang around for a while and wait for the people on our table to finish their desserts. Empty tables staring at us. I maybe wrong but why. No apologies from the restaurant waitress. Anyway we went somewhere else and had a lovely meal.

First time have eaten here and definitely the last! Went with a for Sunday lunch, given a table in the corner at the back of the restaurant and felt rather cramped, waitress took the order and served drinks. Took 30 minutes to be served our food, we both had the trio of meats which looked ok till I discovered that the roasties were hidden under the meats, the veg was served in a bowl and although it looked all very nice the temperature of the food was warm at best and had to ask for the stuffing that was meant to accompany the meat, waitress served the stuffing which wasn't exactly plentiful. However the food was tasty but the roasties weren't exactly very big and looked shrivelled and unappealing oh and the Yorkshire pudding looked like they came from the freezer soggy and undercooked. Service wasn't particularly good either. Certainly shall not be returning.

Amazing service, came in with my family and we were served by Claire, she made us feel very welcome and accommodated all of our needs!! Very lovely experience.

Great food and atmosphere. Scallops and prawns were delightful. Roast beef and lamb always a winner. Sharon was very helpful and chatty.

Excellent food and service as always. Our server Stacey was so welcoming and attentive. Whilst we may live 25 miles away, we always look forward to our visit to the Curlew as they never disappoint!

Evening booking for four people. Very nice atmosphere. Friendly staff and great food.

Lovely food and decor and service...

Kate our server was exemplary. Her approach was non intrusive but attentive. Nothing was too much trouble so taking that into account we would visit again. However the food was not what we expected. The Sea Bass was barely warm, the potatoes were over cooked and the beans were hard. The whole meal was lacking in sauce and didn’t catch the eye.

Been a while since we’ve been to The Curlew at West Parley, but excellent meal (recommend the chicken skewers) and friendly service from Kitty, we’ll be back!

A lovely rustic modern pub/restaurant with fantastic food , Would recommend thank to our waitress Loraine as she is a friendly and great host , Also when your drink is empty Lorraine notices and ask if you would like another which is unusual nowadays as a lot of places you wait an age for a drink.

Really good food and a reasonable price, very pleasant and helpful staff, easy to book a table online I'm sure we'll be visiting again soon, many thanks too all

We had a great meal on Sunday (23rdFeb25). The service from Emily was amazing and we will definitely come back again

Came in for lunch on Monday, it was my first time visiting the Curlew. The service and food were both great. Sharon was our server and she couldn't do enough for us and was very friendly and welcoming. Food was all really yummy and lovely atmosphere. Will definitely be coming back

Always great service and lovely food

Quiet noisy although a lovely venue.

Our first visit here and we loved it, excellent food and staff were smart and just the right side of being attentive.

Was so disappointed this time. We both ordered ribeye steak, medium rare but what was served definitely wasn't ribeye or medium rare. Waited so long between asking for the bill and paying, ended up having to pay at the bar. This use to be such a great place to eat but no longer

Popped in for a quick lunch and the food was absolutely delicious. We should have just stuck with only one course, but it was too tempting. The cherry tomato soup, mushrooms, lasagne and pork chop. Absolutely amazing, will definitely be back. Very good value for money with fresh, tasty ingredients. Our server, Kate, was very friendly and an asset to the restaurant. Thank you

This place is turning into a bit of a family favourite. Great food, cooked well and delivered by friendly and helpful staff. This time the pie of the day (steak and wine), the signature burger and the lamb skewers were all delicious and delivered by Emily, who was super. We’ll be back soon.

nice food, great service, we were served by liam who was very polite and attentive, enjoyed the evening as a whole xxx

Came for valentines meal. Excellent food and superb service. Thankyou Emily- you were amazing!

Had a lovely Valentine’s Day at the curlew, lovely staff, great service couldn’t be happier! And our server was Emily, she was great! We’re regulars here, and love coming here all the time 😃

We made a last minute online booking. Got a table in a quiet area as requested. Service was excellent. Meal was delicious and hot.

I love it here, although it's a bit of a shame that you get kicked out so early. By 9:30pm they asked if we wanted any more drinks for the rest of the evening as they wanted to close the bar, and by 9:50pm they offered us our bill as they wanted to cash up. Left feeling a little bit pushed out. It's not like they were quiet and we were the last ones left as there were other diners being encouraged to leave as well. This has happened twice, once on a Tuesday evening and once on a Saturday evening.

Fantastic meal and service today from Emily. We always enjoy coming here. Would absolutely recommend.

Quite a nice pub, but the bar staff were so unwelcoming. Never before have I encountered such rude and abrupt staff. He is definitely in the wrong profession

Lovely meal and the mushroom sauce for steaks is to die for! Thank you Alistair and team 😁

We really enjoyed our Sunday lunch and will be back on Boxing Day if not before, my one comment is the vegetables could have been a bit hotter. The staff were very efficient and pleasant, did very well considering how busy they were. One other thing, your car park is just not big enough, people were having to leave to find somewhere else to park!

Nice table for 4 in a quiet corner, good food and friendly, attentive staff

Kitty was our sever and was great. Attentive and very polite. Food was good as always.

Good service, great food, reasonable value

good choice of menu, served by a very friendly waitress. comfortable surroundings with a good atmosphere

This is one of our locals and I had a lovely date night with my wife. Enjoyed a nice starter and main. Mainly writing this review due to the service, which was impeccable. Emily gave us updates on our order, checked in with us for drinks and saw that we were happy with everything and was generally a very friendly person!

Fabulous welcome from all the staff, particularly Kate. Warm and comfortable environment, with a great family vibe. Good range of drinks and the food was outstanding. We took advantage of a "50% off mains" offer so even the bill was pleasing!

Went for dinner with friends and had a lovely time. Jason, Manager, particularly friendly and helpful. Would definitely return.

The service was brilliant. We were served by Kitty and she was very attentive, despite how busy it seemed for a weeknight and the fact there were 9 of us to serve. Only thought on improvements is more waiting staff. We were asked if we wanted any condiments and we requested mayonnaise, however, we never received any. It didn't detract from the delicious food so nothing was said and we didn't press the staff because we could see how busy it was.

We were served by Stacey, she was so lovely and made sure we had everything we needed, and food was great, thankyou

A wonderful meal today. Been looking forward to pork belly for weeks. Was not disappointed. A 5 star from me. Waitress Stacey was awesome 👌

Very pleasant place. We popped in for a drink and the staff were very friendly.

Astonishing food and great, attentive service that isn't in your face. The menu is very diverse and the portion sizes are ample. The only surprise was how little the bill came to!

We went when it had 50% of mains, but was disappointed with the food this time, meal was rushed and food not as good as we've had before 😒 at full price.

Great food served here with welcoming atmosphere. Dog friendly

Brilliant food great service and our waitress Yasmin was outstanding very polite helpful and very good at her job 10/10

Excellent service.fantastic food and very welcoming Staff.

All was perfect for us--a truly lovely experience

Had a great Sunday lunch today, served by Emily (who could not have been nicer).

Fantastic food and exceptional service by Emily! Very friendly and showed excellent product knowledge and was able to answer questions immediately. All the dishes were correct (table of 11) and really good gluten free options, separate fryers. 10/10 would recommend

Not been here for a while and really enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Would definitely come again.

The Curlew is a nice Vintage Inns pub/restaurant. The menu is quite large, and the food is OK. Typical chain-pub food, priced on the higher end of acceptable for what it is. The service was attentive but not particularly friendly! Nothing special.

Booked for a family Sunday meal for 6 of us. We all had varying roast dinners and all agreed they were lovely. Looked after by the wonderful Sharon. Would definitely visit again.

Visited the Curlew with friends New Years Eve. We were all very impressed with the food, it was truly delicious. The atmosphere was perfect and the staff were lovely. Thank you 😊

Food was incredible, all the staff are friendly (always) Got seated immediately and have managed to sit at the same table on every visit making each visit very sentimental The fire was on and it was beautiful Cannot wait to return, worth the 200 mile trip (yes 200, I live in Nottingham and come when I visit my partner each time without fail) Keep up the incredible work guys

Fantastic as always..... Booked a table for 9 for my wife's Birthday i called as no availability on line Jason took the call and sorted us a dog friendly table in the conservatory no problem at all he moved things about and kept all happy, Liam served us and was great through out, food was excellent as always. everybody enjoyed .. Jason called over to see us a few times to see if all ok as did Liam.. All told a great meal out for my Wife's Birthday 29/12/2024 see soon and many thanks Pete B

An excellent Sunday roast and impressive hamburger, with friendly and attentive staff in a welcoming environment.

We came in with our girls for Christmas Eve dinner and there was a lovely festive atmosphere- beautifully decorated. The food was incredible. I had the pie of the day and it was delicious! Staff were all friendly and happy to be there which was nice to see on Christmas Eve .

The starter took just short of 30 minutes to appear, the main came within seconds of the starter being cleared. Would be nice to have been evened out more. The Wellington and roast potatoes were overcooked. The waitress was nice but was talking about herself alot, it was Christmas Day, our Christmas Dinner. At over £200 for two of us, us is what it should be all about. The over all experience was 'okay' for the money. Some bread on arrival and a coffee included would make it seem good value for money.

Went boxing day had a lovely meal, great atmosphere and friendly staff

We were a little concerned that as it was a super busy time of year and the restaurant and bar were full we would see a reduction in menu offering , quality of food, and service. However, both were exceptional especially given the super busy festive period. The food arrived quickly, looked amazing and tasted sensational. Great varied menu choice, something for everyone, we took ages to decide as liked the sound of so much! The service was on point and the staff were extremely efficient and friendly. Literally 5 star - AMAZING! The decor was festive and tasteful. We have already recommended and will be visiting again. Atmosphere, quality of food and service WOW! Good job Curlew and please make sure you treat your employees who did you proud this festive season!

Stopped by for lunch today and the food was amazing, the service was also top notch. Would definitely recommend!

Had a Christmas party here. Very tasty belly pork with well seasoned veg. Would recommend.

Dreadful all round …cold starters returned twice …beer undrinkable …raw veg …and cold …pizza thrown together ….calamari cold and then microwaved All in all a bad experience never to be repeated …pathetic portion pork belly …

A lovely atmosphere, and very welcoming staff who provided excellent service. Excellent food.

1st time, what a great experience food was fresh hot & very tasty. We’ll definitely be back very soon.

Excellent choice of place to be.

Love the food here, been a few times and our waitress Emily was absolutely lovely, great friendly service

We had a wonderful evening, Lauren was the perfect waitress and very patient with our decision making. And checking ingredient for one of the puddings. The food was amazing and the mains lovely and hot. The atmosphere was warm and friendly. We will be back soon

Lovely experience at The Curlew during the weekend. Nice atmosphere and decor, but the Calamari was very underseasoned and not very fresh.

Great Sunday Lunch, love bely atmosphere, and friendly staff, especially our waitress who was lovely and worked very hard.

The staff were an absolute delight, so friendly upbeat and chatty! Food was beautifully presented and served quickly. Lovely menu, relaxing atmosphere and a warm welcome! We will definitely be back and recommending to everyone

Very Disappointed. We returned to the Curlew after our for visit in April. Turning up early for our reservation, we went to the bar and ordered a drink. Bar person showed us to our table without taking out drinks. Not shown our seats, just pointed and said, “it’s there” Ordered starters, mushrooms and patè. Mushrooms tasteless no seasoning and tasted like a mushroom soup had been added. Patè ok, a little slight on the bread to accompany. Chicken parmigiana was dry and tasteless, no flavour in the sauce or cheese wasn’t Parmesan, some cheaper alternative. Fish and chips again tasteless and not very well seasoned. Restaurant was too hot, With no consideration for customers. Very poor overall and very disappointing for the price. Would have been better going to a carvery or a Hall and Woodhouse. Not worth the money and will not be back. Can’t believe there is such a difference in 8 months for me and a few weeks for my friend. Just not good enough.

I visited with family on Friday evening and had an excellent curry in this lovely , warm ( there is a real fire) pub. Great welcoming atmosphere and fantastic service so friendly and efficient from Emily and Sophie who we learnt had only just completed the first hour of her first shift! Would absolutely recommend. Marcelline

Great Sunday lunch a few weeks back - thank you Lorraine!

Hi, our party of 6 ladies attended last night for our monthly catch up and as usual the food was excellent. Emily as always was attentive friendly and what we all find important is she came back to our table to check that everything was OK, she was also doing a great job of training the new girl Sophie on her first night. We will be back for our next catch up. We'll done to all.

All was great! Staff, service and food were excellent.

Good food, friendly staff and reasonable price!

Brilliant service friendly waitress, Emily our waitress very helpful. Delicious food as always.