The Curlew in East Dorset

Emily was fantastic, from the friendly greeting, to menu suggestions and assistance. Food was delicious and we enjoyed our leisurely lunch very much.

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.

Brilliant food, wonderful service from our waitress Emily, who was very nice and made sure we had everything we needed

Lovely service as per by Sharon. Quick and very well looked after every single time. She always makes sure we have everything we need and always checks back with a smile! Mike was amazing on drinks also. No raspberry gin left but accommodated with alternatives that was nicer than the actual product! Always a lovely experience here :)

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.

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

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 took great care of us and helped move us to a table with no draughts. Excellent food and service every time we visit

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!

Had a great afternoon here the food was great and service was excellent special thank you to Jason for helping us have an even better experience

Our server, Emily, was amazing. Attentive and highly knowledgeable of the menu. Great food and a lovely atmosphere too

Table for 3 with my dog in tow. Sharon our waitress was lovely and made us feel very welcome 🤗 The food was amazing and a really nice pub and dog friendly 😁 Many thanks for a lovely afternoon

Third time I’ve been to the curlew and the second time I’ve had Sharon as our waitress. Both times she has been friendly, attentive and accommodating. When I first came I had a young baby and she made sure to do what she could when he was being fussy, she even took my plate of food back to the kitchen to leave under the hot plate whilst I was busy. And the second time we came, she remembered us interacted with my boy and made sure everything we needed was there. Food has always been absolutely amazing and never had any issues, the duck pizza was even too big and I had to take it home. Overall lovely place to eat and lovely staff, thanks Sharon!

Food is not cheap but very good !

Lovely visit today, Sharon was really attentive & very welcoming :)

We had a great meal for a birthday, Sharon was great and helped us with whatever we needed.

Sunday lunch was excellent. Being bank holiday it was really busy but food was lovely, service was great and the manager was very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. Invalid parking is very useful for me. Definitely worth a visit.

Had a wonderful lunch this weekend. Very busy but food was lovely as was the service. Manager was particularly helpful and friendly. Definitely coming back

Loved this place! The staff was so friendly and welcoming, especially Jason, they made our evening even better **5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐**

If I could give zero stars for this I would, absolutely shocking, booked a table for 5:30 table wasn’t ready, drinks were served quickly only good thing, food took over an hour but did not get told this was the case, ordered 3 roast beef’s, I kids roast beef and 1 steak, 2 roasts beef’s went back as it was cold only to be re heated in the microwave and brought back out could tell this as it still had the potatoes that we had cut in half, the third roast beef came out a good 5-10 minutes after all the other food was served, was cold but couldn’t be bothered to send back as was hungry, one bowl of veg to be served between 4 people no check back was done either, staff was rude, the manager was the worst of them all didn’t care less, complained to the manager who then argued with me about wanting time, he didn’t even apologise and then got the waitress to take my payment as he could not be bothered to deal with me. As I was paying it was so bad that the member of staff on the bar had walked out

We booked this venue for my Father in laws birthday lunch based on recent reviews and the menu. We had excellent meals, all from the Sunday Roast menu, and enjoyed our meals. The service was great and our waitress Sharon was very attentive, friendly and welcoming throughout the time we were there. Will definitely go back next time we are visiting the area.

Great service by Emily and really good food. Well worth a visit. Family meal including vegetarian options which gave options for all the family.

Always a great experience. Thank you to Emily, who’s served us on more than one occasion. Lovely food and a welcoming warm atmosphere.

Only one chef food bad quality atmosphere shocking staff stressed and some very rude

Rarely leave a review however I feel as though I need to. We arrived on time for our booking, yet we had to wait five minutes for our table even though the restaurant wasn’t full. Our drinks were taken nice and promptly and our waitress was pleasant, however unfortunately that’s where the positives end. We waited an hour for our food, when we did receive it, it was cold, we sent it back and it was very obvious that it had just been reheated. We had no check back to ask how our food was, the whole party did not finish their meals as it just wasn’t enjoyable. We asked for our bill and asked to speak to the manager to voice our complains, who quite frankly needs retraining in customer handling, he was rude and dismissive, to the point where he actually argued at how long we had waited for our food. They took 20% off our bill, which is still no where near acceptable. Whilst waiting we had discussions with other tables who stated the same as us, one table mentioned they had been here two and a half hours because of the waiting. The whole experience has left a sour taste and unfortunately we will not be returning, which is a shame because we’ve enjoyed our previous visits.

Booked for a family meal was very disappointed with the quality of food had to whate for over 1 hour for main course then had to send it back as was cold vegetables over cooked roast beef burnt Yorkshire pudding rock hard compland to manger didn't careless if we stayed or left next time go to the paer as they care about the customers they get

The food was really excellent and was almost worth waiting for… but boy it took a loooong time to arrive. At the point our order was taken it appeared the majority of the staff were told to go home! The place wasn’t busy, so we think it was a staffing issue. The one saving grace, and the reason we still tipped, was our server Holly who stepped out from behind the bar, noticing our extended wait, and took our order. We heard her apologise to other diners for the delay and took ownership of the situation. She was a real asset to the restaurant!!

Nice place and we were happy with the food. Very long wait for orders to come out though, luckily we had time to spare and it was a busy bank holiday weekend. However waiting 30-45 mins for a starter and about the same again for the mains seemed excessive. Pleasant service from Emily but something needs to be done about the long waits, maybe take less bookings if the kitchen can’t cope.

Had a good lunch, food was satisfactory and Sharon who served us was brilliant. The only negative is that the male toilets are disgusting. Whoever manages the Curlew should be ashamed of the state of the toilets. It's not difficult to sort that out. Do it or I won't be returning anytime soon!!

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.

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

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

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

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

Lovely food and decor and service...

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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 😃

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

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

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

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

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.

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 😁

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

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

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!

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.

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

Great food served here with welcoming atmosphere. Dog friendly

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

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.

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

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.

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

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 😊