The Dolphin in North Dorset

A great undiscovered gem we found after moving from a different part of Gillingham into that area, The Dolphin is now our new local .. very friendly welcome, very nice relaxing garden for a few drinks if that’s what you want .. had a lunch, the fish special was amazing and I passed on my thanks to the chef, the antipasti platter was great .. amazing welcoming hosts, great food, relaxing garden, what more do you want … will see you guys again soon .. 👍🏼

We visited the Dolphin in Gillingham on Saturday evening 25th May 2024 and what a wonderful experience we had. I called earlier that day to make a reservation or to see if they could fit us in at short notice and the lady was so nice and helpful on the phone a really cheerful person. They had two available times and I chose 7pm as we do like to make a night of it 😊 We arrived and lots of parking off road in car park but plenty of room on the roadside if needed. They have a lovely garden with plenty of tables etc but we went inside although the sun was shining and it was so warm rain was on the cards for later that evening. We were greeted by a really lovely lady behind the bar which was the lady I had spoken with earlier on the phone and this turned out to be the landlady and she showed us to our table. A very pleasant happy lady full of smiles and made us feel very welcomed. A very pleasant gentleman came with menus and a wine list was on the table he ask what drinks we wanted and what bottle of wine would we like as it was a complimentary bottle for that evening 🤩 what a bonus wasn’t expecting that and it wasn’t a cheap bottle that had been bought in especially for the giveaway it was a bottle of your choice of wines off their wine list and it went down VERY WELL along with a 0% cider for the driver which in itself a nice surprise as not many places do this. The menu had lots of choices and very reasonable prices as everything has gone up so much. We had the seafood plater, mixed grills and a chicken dish. The seafood was amazing (sorry no photos) and it was so big a really amazing dish and so tasty, we had smoked salmon, crab, king prawns, mackerel and there was white bait which we asked not to have put on not a favourite with me. The mixed grills were also a very very substantial plate full and all cooked and tasted superb ( sorry again no photos) but no sauce’s for the steaks but we did ask and it was no trouble to see if chef could whip something up and he did so a big THANK YOU. All dishes were fantastic really tasty, large and all cooked beautifully and reasonably priced. As for the deserts well 🤤 they were delicious. The cheese cake was the best we have had so tasty and creamy not too sweet and again a larger than most pieces and the sundae’s went down well too. In all a really lovely cosy pub, Beautifully tasty food amazing owners and it’s VERY GOOD VALUE. It’s a most go to place so try it you won’t be disappointed 😊

Best pub meal I have had in years. Had the rib eye (the peppercorn sauce was excellent) and sticky toffee pudding. Will definitely be back.

Een plek gezocht om uitgebreid te lunchen omdat we verlaten van Devon naar Dorset. Hier zijn we uitgekomen. Het blijft altijd afwachten wat je op je bord krijgt maar dat is ook het leuke ervan. Beiden de Lamb rump genomen. Was echt perfect klaargemaakt. Vlees was mooi rare tot medium rare. Alles goed op smaak. De bediening was ook vriendelijk en behulpzaam. Op deze manier is het prima om je te laten verrassen. Misschien nog wel een keer naar terug deze week.

Went to the Dolphin for some lunch, we had the chicken & the pie, excellent choice! Couldn’t get over how much meat was in the pie! Great atmosphere and service. Will definitely be returning and recommending to friends and family.

Fabulous menu. Fabulous food. Fabulous pub. Fabulous staff. You should definitely come and eat here. So many lovely choices on the menu.

Received a very warm welcome for a Burns Night supper. The menu was great, the atmosphere was nice and our hosts were very friendly and accommodated us at short notice. Lovely pub.

Could not fault Julie and her team at the Dolphin We pre ordered the meal for our party of 16 Everything was set up ready for us the food was not only delicious but hot and all came out together Staff were all very friendly Definitely would recommend Many thanks

Very nice place with lovely owner -sadly not open for food when we went but would certainly go back another time

Have passed this place a thousand times but never stopped. We had definitely missed a gem, on entering we were welcomed by locals and owners/staff. We enquired about food and although busy they found room for us, we enjoyed a lovely meal gammon for me and a lovely perfectly cooked rib eye followed by very nice homemade puddings not your run of the mill frozen offerings so often on offer. With a couple of drinks ant very reasonable prices we were more than impressed. Well done Dolphin two happy customers from stur.

We had a fantastic Sunday lunch at the Dolphin Inn whilst we were on half term holiday in the area. Very friendly staff too.

The stand out comment regarding this pub, is friendliness. The owners are very welcoming, as were the customers. Really good food at very fair prices.

Popped in for a couple of pints enroute. Decent car park and garden. Inside the pub seems to be segregated for food eaters and drinkers. The drinkers are afforded a skinny area by the bar with not much to look at except for the magnolia and views through to those lucky enough to be allowed to sit in the eating area...even though tables were empty. The bar staff were confused with an order for just two drinks- clearly these people have never seen a tapas bar in Spain operate. Lethargic service and just a few tables to choose from if you are rude enough to just want a drink! Only go here if you enjoying feeling like you are a burden.

Very nice evening with great food and really friendly staff. Fish pie is very good. Made to feel very welcome. She we live sofas away. A great find highly recommended

Despite this being our local pub, a poor dining experience a few years ago (with the previous owners) rather put us off. However, having learned that the current owners were doing a great job and the food was excellent, we decided to give it a try to celebrate my son's new job. How pleased I am we did! The whole place has been refurbished and now looks smart and welcoming. We were greeted with a very warm welcome by the owners who continued to look after us really well during our visit. The menu was interesting, with reasonable prices for the 1, 2 or 3 course options. The food itself was delicious - cooked perfectly and well presented. I now highly recommend The Dolphin - we will now be much more frequent customers!

Warm, friendly welcome and great food at the start of our Christmas festivities this week. We recommend the Dolphin for a Christmas outing or any other occasion.

Great food(well done to cook for medium steak) Great welcome General nice and clean. Star taken due to luck of music.

Three of us met for a family lunch. One of us lives in Gillingham and is a regular at The Dolphin, so she booked a table here. What a lovely place! We received a warm and friendly welcome and after getting some drinks we were shown to our table. The Dolphin does a fixed price lunch menu, £10 for the main course and £6 for the dessert. We each chose a different main course, and we were each very happy with our choice. The food was cooked to order in very reasonable time and arrived hot and attractively presented. For desserts, 2 of us chose the pannacotta but I opted for the pear, apple and nut crumble. It is normally served with custard but I asked for an alternative and was offered ginger ice cream, which was perfect. I definitely recommend this pub as a great place for lunch, and plan to visit again. Thank you for a lovely time.

We had a family meal here and the food was excellent, good selection of reasonably priced wines, and the real ale was perfect too.

We popped in for a drink yesterday with family and were really impressed with the improved garden area. Great service, friendly. Sadly after a long walk today and feeling parched decided to call in again to be turned away despite plenty of empty tables. The...

My wife and I went for a lunch here today. The food was amazing, the staff were brilliant and, thankfully, the weather was lovely for outside dining. I can't reccomend The Dolphin Inn too highly

We are from Dorchester and our family friends are from Bath so booked 2 tables for 2 half way at the Dolphin Inn , the hospitality was superb as was the 3 course Christmas lunch followed by Irish coffees and a socially distanced great lunch...

From the point of entry to leaving it was an amazing experience. Clearly care about customer satisfaction. The food is off the scale with quality. Steak and Kidney suet pudding is the best you will find anywhere. Sticky toffee pudding could not be any better....

Lovely place, welcoming staff and tasty chips - what else would you ask for? We were in a group of six and all of us had a very good experience at The Dolphin.

As soon as you walk in you feel safe. Hand sanitiser is available. The food was delicious, our waitress was very attentive without being over the top. Friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Highly recommend.

I know that things are very different at the moment and a lot of people are still nervous about going out, but if you want a lovely Inn and you want to feel relaxed, comfortable and at ease, please go to the Dolphin. Wonderful welcome...

Nice place but found it rather pricey , would think twice about going again.Shame, as we like eat locally. The Musarka was not the best I have had

My Wife and I visited this pub as the reviews were excellent It was every bit as good as suggested! We had an evening meal which was excellent and the staff were really helpful and friendly I had Lambs liver and my wife had Ocean...

Could not fault Julie and her team at the Dolphin We pre ordered the meal for our party of 13 Everything was set up ready for us the food was not only delicious but hot and all came out together Staff were all very friendly...

Very friendly and welcoming. We had lunch here on two occasions whilst house hunting. Pleased to say that we will return regularly once the move goes through. We both had the sausage and cheddar sandwich, which was very tasty. Looking forward to trying the Sunday...

Now - I’m not an experienced reviewer, but I’ve been round a few corners, and I know what I like. Do try this one. Andy and Julie took over this unpretentious village inn earlier this year and, by heaven, they’ve licked it into shape. Andy...

Sunday, my husband, myself and a few friends went to the Dolphin for a roast! Everyone agreed the roast beef was second to none. Perfectly cooked! The whole meal was excellent! And the staff warm and welcoming. All and all an excellent experience, we have...

The food was excellent, well cooked and presented on hot plates and the staff were friendly and helpful. Have already booked to go again!

First time eating here despite living near by, we will be coming again. Probably the best roast dinner in the area, beef was cooked perfectly, large portions, amazing gravy and selection of veg. Good value.

New owners have made a huge difference to this venue. Lovely service, friendly atmosphere and really nice food. So nice to have a great local pub.

This place is fantastic. I had a question about one of the menu items. The chef himself, Chef Andy, came out and explained how it was made. I was sold. The food was fabulous. The service was prompt. I highly recommend the Dolphin. Excellent food, excellent service. Can’t wait to visit again and try another menu item. I recommend booking a reservation if you expect a seat.

This was our first visit since The Dolphin re-opened and we're pleased to say we had a lovely evening meal. We were made to feel most welcome and the staff couldn't have been more helpful. The food was excellent with a good choice of menu and the desserts were exceptional. We look forward to going again on our next visit to Dorset.

My Mum and I ate here in late July and are still talking about it! On a warm day my elderly Mum had a wonderful chicken salad while I demolished the pork steak, then we both had our favourite dessert - lemon posset. However this was quite simply the best lemon posset we have ever had - complete with homemade shortbread biccies, this was a meal in itself. The new owners are doing so much to make this THE place in Gillingham to have a meal: they've convinced me, and I totally recommend you drop by and see for yourself!

The service was amazing, nearly as good as the food! I had a little sun stroke so couldn't do justice to my beautifully cooked lamb. My partner had the Skate wing, with clams, capers in a butter sauce, very lovely. The desert menu is great. He could decide between the rice pudding and the panna cotta so had both! Neither disappointed! It was apparently reopened in April 2019 with a face lift. The surroundings match everything else. It was the Sunday of the bank holiday and couldn't get a cab back to the station. The landlady drove us back. Completely above and beyond! Go out of your way to visit the dolphin, will definitely be back.

Just had an excellent Sunday lunch. The roast beef is extremely good and very tasty. The sweets are also very good. The bar has a very good selection of beers, lagers etc. We look forward to our next visit.

Very good meal and great staff,the beer was very good also will definitely be going again.Thank you for a pleasant evening.

Popped in on a Saturday lunch time with my mum and had a great time. The fish cake was excellent and plenty of it, no chance of starvation and unfortunately couldn’t manage a dessert. Excellent beer choice including Proper Job and Tribute, 2 excellent Cornish beers.

How amazing. The staff were very nice. The choice of food for a Sunday lunch was excellent and exceptional value.

We stopped in at The Dolphin for lunch, arriving early after a local shopping expedition. We found we were 15 minutes before noon opening time, so started to move off to try elsewhere but the publican came out and opened up for us. Inside, we found a refurbished pub, with an array of bleached wooden tables set for dining in several different areas, but a traditional pub atmosphere preserved around the bar. In addition to all the usual drink offerings, there is a good selection of interesting draft beers including one brewed under the pub's name by St Austell Brewery.

Popped in for lunch as had heard good things about the food. We were amazed by the high quality of the lunch - beautifully cooked tuna steak and duck breast. Well priced for what we had. Puddings were homemade and delicious. Lovely friendly service. Great to have a fab place to eat in Gillingham! Highly recommend.

New owners have just arrived. Brand new atmosphere in the establishment. Great beer wide selection of Gins. Booked Sunday lunch for 7 people. We all would normally have three course but the mains were large and delicious. Which meant that after two course we settled the bill. On the mains menu was roast Beef sirloin, roast Turkey plus others. The mains were well prepared and there was a good amount of roasted veg to go with the mains. The only criticism was that the veg was slightly over cooked.

We visited for tea on a Thursday night and although they were busy they managed to squeeze us in to eat. The food was lovely and really good value and the staff were really friendly. Really good choice of local ales and guns! We will definitely be back.

Popped in for a drink while out walking the dog. Lovely warm atmosphere and very welcoming the pub is back to having the lovely feeling it used to have years ago. You can see they have put a lot of time and effort into the refit. Can’t wait to try the food we have heard wonderful things about it

This was our 1st visit since the new owners took over. They have made great improvements already. The food was lovely. Very friendly atmosphere so a great start. We will be returning.

It’s great to see this wonderful pub re-opened. This is now a free house with a selection of 6 real ales. The food is finally back at the standard this establishment deserves

Saw this was due to reopen after a refurbishment and went down for dinner the first night they were doing food. So glad we did! Menu was great and reasonably priced. We each had 3 courses and were blown away by how fresh and well made it all was. The sea bass was incredible and the puddings to die for! Service was exemplary. Just what you want from a local. Cheery smiles and great food and drinks. Already booked in again!

Popped in today for a Recce. Good selection of gin, good selection of ales, bath, Wadsworth,dartmoor and St austel. Drinks only at the moment. Sunday is first food day, roast and limited menu only. Full menu on Wednesday.

old pub, with great food and service. Had a lovely meal with the family, size suited all of us. Well presented and atmosphere very good Pictures were also great and for sale

A revisit to the area and it was Sunday lunch time. Was not let down by the carvery at The Dolphin although it was a little late to avoid peak time the meal was first class and the service was as always friendly.

We recently enjoyed Sunday lunch here, service was good and food was tasty. You can always tell a good pub/restaurant when they start filling up fast, as this one was during the lunchtime.

A must if you are in the area, the Sunday lunch is a feast of various meats and vegetables to compliment the meal. Owners and staff are very welcoming.

Having previously visited this pub and had an excellent meal, my second visit was a stark difference due to the landlady having no clue what so ever as to customer service. After asking to order food, was told there would be a wait. I asked how long - her response- I don't know. Asked for a sirloin steak - her response - I don't know what we've got.

A carvery that was delcious and the staff were very helpful and pleasant. There is a reason why the dolphin is packed on a Sunday, the carvery is the reason. Well worth a visit

We tried this pub after living here for 4 years, Very disappointed and will not be going there again, the bar area had a tv on, which we didn't really like, there were teenagers outside so we didn't want to intrude on them, so we thought we would go into the lounge restaurant which we felt comfortable, We looked at menu and decided we didn't fancy anything on it - when we told the bar staff who came to take the order she that was fine, but after 5 mins she told us we had to leave this are if not eating, (there was only one couple in this area, loads of empty tables) felt horrible, never returning.

Cinco de nosotros fuimos a los delfines para sus asados en domingo de Pascua almuerzo. La comida era excelente, tres opciones de carnes, verduras, roasties muchos yorkshires, y la salsa. Un plato para satisfacer a cualquiera. El personal es amable y atento y tuvimos un almuerzo muy bueno. No vayas si quieres servicio de plata o del tratamiento, pero absolutamente pagar una visita a quieres buena comida, buenos precios y un encargado de camaradería y casera que puede reirse con un antiguo pub de moda, volveremos.

We tried this before Christmas as we saw very cheap prices being offerred for Christmas day lunch. We tried it but never went back. It was not very good.

Clearly lacking in investment. Grubby. Carvery may be good, who knows? I wouldn't eat in an establishment that looks so very dreary. If this place gets any repeat business I'd be very surprised. Best bet? ....give it a swerve.

Good pub food, served in a friendly way at a reasonable price. No frills, unpretentious traditional pub. Unfortunately, not what folk seem to want these days!

Pasado el cartel y he visto conducir fuera un asador Domingo, estábamos teniendo un día de salida espontánea pensamos.

Pasando por durante las vacaciones y vio el cartel almuerzo 6.50 libras. No esperaba mucho que decidimos probarlo. Un menú más extenso, pero elegimos un curry y un plato de gambas del 6.50 libras selección. Nos quedamos agradablemente sorprendidos por el resultado, muy sabrosa. He...

Mi pareja y yo nos convencía el lugar ya que ostentaba un cartel les routier fuera. No ha celebrado el elogiado por muchos años. Falsos argumentos? El lugar necesita una máquina buena.

One we noticed one cobweb we noticed more and more. The deeper you look the dirtier you realise this pub is. Outside smoking area is awful fag butts everywhere patio muddy and dirty. Won't be going back anytime soon!

I'd heard good things about the carvery but it's not something that I eat. It looked really good and those that had it, enjoyed it. Another friend and I chose from the menu. My lasagne was tasty with a nice salad however the garlic bread was exactly that, just bread. Limp and not crisp with not even the slightest hint of garlic. The whole experience was average. Would I visit again ? Not really worth the effort.

Visited for an evening meal on a Friday . We walked into an empty restaurant and were told we could have any table....none were booked which was a bit disconcerting. We decided to have Gunness and the landlady said it would be a few minutes as it was a new barrel. When it arrived it wasn't pleasant and I decided I couldn't drink mine as it tasted bitter and slightly fizzyWhen we were asked if it was OK I said not really and they changed it for a wine ...my husband had to ask if his could be changed too which they didAs for the food well fish and chips with soggy chips stale tasting fish and hard peas, scampi which was tasteless and soggy chips etc for £9.95! Need I say more....the place is really dated and feels like it should just be a locals drinking pub forget the food!Sad to say we won't be going back.

Having lived in Gillingham, Dorset for nearly 12 months The Dolphin was an unknown to us....we usually order takeways being a busy working couple.We managed to book a table for four, the day before Mothers Day ( a miracle in itself ) and had no idea what the dinner would be like.To Sum Up:Staff....brilliant...friendly, attentive, even moved us to a larger roomier spot as we had a pregnant lady in our group..Food: Simply the best, honest, home made fare we have eaten in ages.Atmosphere: Great...a mix of local regulars, and never before seen in the pub people like ourselves....they all made us feel welcome and that is a rarity these days.The only down side is that it has taken us 12 months to venture into Gillingham..The Dolphin has now become our regular Sunday Lunch venue...thanks to everyone, Landlord and Landlady, the great staff..and the locals who made us feel very very welcome.

If you like a traditional Sunday Carvery then you will of come to the right place. They have a range of meats, and vegetables to compliment them, and so it is very good value for money. Mike and Maggie also have a range of traditional dishes and desserts during the week too............ so keep that food coming Mike and Maggie!

My friend and I dined here whilst staying the night in Gillingham. We were served by the friendliest of ladies who made the dining experience very pleasant. Food was average with some of it being homemade and some of it not. My veggie aubergine bake was very good. The decor was dated and it isn't somewhere you go for a special meal but it did the job!!

Visited The Dolphin for a sunday carvery. Very friendly staff - food was good home cooked grub. We were definitely the youngest there (Makes a massive change!!) Made us feel welcome - family orientated I think as the daughter served us, with her little girl. Will most certainly visit again.

The moment you walked in you could not help but notice the warm and friendly atmosphere My cousin who stays in a caravan in the area was celebrating her 80th birthday. TheJ pre-ordered sandwiches, which were excellent. We also had sausage rolls to munch on. The strawberry trifle was to die for. I usually don't like it but after spooning it in to the guests dishes decided I should try it. The cost was reasonable, seeing as there were 6 of us and service was quick and efficient. Next time I would like to check out their menu. They have a lovely garden out front where you can sit and eat as well. I would definitely recommend this establishment for any celebration. Just call 01 747 822758 to make your reservations.

try this little Pub in GillinghamIt won't come out and hit you as you drive by. But their roasts and carvers twice a week are above normal. Good wholesome food at a very fair price

We had a coffee and a pint of beer which were OK. We sat in the "garden" because we had our dog with us. All the garden furniture could do with a coat of varnish, and a good brush-up of all the rubbish and cigarette ends would not go amiss.Am unlikely to visit again.

Good value food and drink. Friendly service. Popular Sunday Carvery best to book in advance. A good place to relax.

We live in Gillingham Dorset,we have several choices for restaurants and pub meals in and around Gill, On Sunday 22nd we celebrated 3 family birthdays and chose The Dolphin, the carvery was brill 3 choices of meat, a good variety of vegetables the meats were Ham, Beef and Turkey beautifully cooked, there was 17 of us plus the rest of the restaurant was full another large party plus other diners. A big THANKYOU to Maggie and Mike we will be popping in again. Mason family.

If this were a pub in a Tourist trap you wouldn't be surprised to pay these prices for this quality, but it isn't...The hosts were very welcoming, informative and helpful. The service excellent. The draught beer limited in choice but good. The food was very good for an old-fashioned pub dining experience, but the prices were too high. Knock a couple of pounds off the main courses and you might be thinking you had a good meal for what you paid.if this pub is to be successful (and I hope it is) it needs to attract locals and I suspect it needs to revise pricing policy to do so. It sounds like the carvery might be working but the restaurant didn't do it for us.

we had a fantastic carvery dinner here on a Wednesday night, the turkey was moist and the vegetables and roast potatoes were superb, the Yorkshire pudding was cooked perfectly and my husband and I both enjoyed our meal very much, we were travelling from Canada and just happened to stop in, so you locals need to try their Wednesday night carvery as you don't know what your missing. the owners are the kindest and friendliest people you could ever meet. a perfect 10 and thanks again.

Wednesday cavery was a great treat. Great food and drink. Very reasonable priced. Well worth a visit.

We'd read other trip advisor reviews so were sceptical, however, we needed to eat of a Monday evening and not all pubs serve food on Mondays. We also didn't want to drive far and we didn't want the football on in the background.We were the only customers in the restaurant area, and there weren't others eating in the bar, or even many drinking in the bar.The service, however, was good and efficient and we both enjoyed the home made chilli on rice with garlic bread. I've rated as 3* more for the ambience. The restaurant seemed tired and dreary, even though it looked like it had been recently painted. The tables were clean and matching, but would have benefited from place mats that weren't tired and chipped.Conclusion ... for the price and convenience, okay. Neither great nor poor ... average.

I think that many other people agree with my verdict as the place was over half empty on a Saturday night.The menu was reasonably limited to start with but with prawns, sirloin steak and chilli con carne “off” it was even more so.The steak and kidney “pie” was a plate of steak and kidney covered in a small oval of puff pastry – not what I would call a pie.Two the soups were coldish but the third was hot – indicating perhaps a lack of stirring!The whitebait was £1 more than one I had had in a nearby pub earlier in the week and did not come with any bread and butter.The Garlic bread was not as I expected like a small baguette but just toast with little garlic flavour.There are many better pubs and restaurants in the area and I will not be returning to the Dolphin.