The Dolphin in South Somerset

Very friendly pub...good service.. excellent range of Wadsworth beers well priced...cider as well as the usual suspects. Pleasant outside seating area

NO LONGER SERVES FOOD went for lunch but found they have stopped serving food. seems a nice pub. had drinks and crisps of various flavours

Really great unassuming pubJust sit outside and relax full of locals Always stop there for a swift one when travelling through the town If your hungry just get a pie or pastry from Bonners across the road they will have heat it up and you eat it on the pub Fantastic

Just had the most delicious Sunday lunch at the dolphin. Roast pork with crackling all excellent and enjoyed sitting outside in the sunshine. They also have excellent Covid precautions.

We stopped here for lunch on our way home from Devon. We ordered a couple of beers and the tuna baguette melt. There was no melt. When it arrived it was a soupy white mayonnaise on a baguette with only a whiff of tuna. I can honestly say it was the worst lunch I’ve ever eaten. We would have complained but it was late and we had a long journey ahead and we were so hungry. Surprisingly the chips were excellent!

Visited here tonight as just down the road from where we are staying. I have to say it was a beautiful honest and tasty evening meal. We ordered the whitebait to start which came with fresh brown bread and butter also salad garnish and tartare sauce. It was really crispy and not at all greasy. For the main we both had the homemade burger, yum is all I can say. Really good ground beef, brioche bun, great salad and the best thick chunky chips. The lady and gent that we dealt with there were super attentive, the loo was spotless and Covid rules adhered to throughout including track and trace. Well done Dolphin Inn, you deserve to do well in these difficult times, we could not fault you. Elaine and Kevin.

Really friendly pub; excellent COVID-19 arrangements; very good G&T; pretty outside area at front if pub.

Visited here on the eat out to help out scheme. Cleanliness was a top priority with masks even been worn to go to the loo. One way system. Service good and food typical pub grub but really Enjoyable. Would visit again.

A lovely family Sunday roast, something Ilminster has been missing for a while or we have missed it, never realised how good the food is. A lovely place to eat, reasonably priced and a very tasty meal. Plenty of food, hot and tasty, never waited long even with a bigger group. The sweets were very tasty and a good price, will certainly return for a lunch in the future..staff helpful keeping my food back due to a call out, but appreciated their staffs help in getting my meal when I rejoined the party.

Had lunch here to catch up with a friend and was pleasantly surprised. The food was home cooked and came out piping hot, my friend had lasagne which had been baked in a tray and I had gammon, both were really tasty. Would recommend if you just want good pub grub.

We visited here for our annual Christmas meal for our staff and volunteers. The food was absolutely mouthwatering. Beetroot infused smoked salmon, pate and soup were the starters. The salmon was delicious. For main was roast beef or turkey. I had the beef which was excellent. Pudding was creme brulee cheesecake, Christmas pudding or a cheeseboard. The cheesecake looked amazing , although I had the cheeseboard which was delicious with a good selection of cheese, biscuits, grapes, apple and chutney. The service was prompt and the staff polite. I would highly recommend this public house for a meal. Thank you so much Alastair and team, you did us proud and compliments to the chef and kitchen staff. Thank you for your hard work in preparing such amazing food.

Open fire, comfortable seating areas and real ales all served by very welcoming staff. Good home cooked locally sourced food from a varied menu and a specials board. Would recommend

Good food at a reasonable price,friendly staff,not much atmosphere. No music so great for having a conversation.

We found this pub after searching for local restaurants on google maps. We chose it as it had a very appealing menu. Immediately on entering the pub the owner greeted us warmly and asked what we would like. He handed us 2 menus, we made our choice and found an empty table to where he said our meal would be brought. It arrived no more than 10 mins later and was top quality home cooking. My wife had a boeuf bourginione and I had a vegetarian lasagne both with potatoes and salad and both equally delicious and well presented. We finished off with a home made warm berry crumble, also delicious. The owner came over several times to ask if everything was OK. We find it rare to be given such a warm and genuine welcome and we will definitely be going again next time we're in the area

The food was decent and decently priced. The landlord was pleasant. But it wasn't comfortable for a solo stranger. The issue was that the older lady (in corner wearing a pink top) was constantly puffing away at her e-cigerette. The landlord turned a blind eye to this. The man next to me decided to turn off the music to the speaker next to me (he arrived whilst I was mid dinner and decided he didn't want the music playing) so my corner became quiet and instead I had to listen to his (and his three friends) conversation for the rest of my pint. The man at the bar kept staring at me. Not sure why. Perhaps its because I'm on my own and drinking a pint. I decided to call it a day and its a shame. Other people have raved about this place. Not me.

Have sat outside with a drink on several occasions this summer and simply watched the world go by in Ilminster. Its amazing how you miss all of the lovely features on properties that line the High Street when you are just dashing along. Take the opportunity to sit down and look up above the shopfronts with a lovely glass of cider once in a while and chill! The interior of this property has been upgraded in recent months and the improvements are appreciated.

Wow! It’s not often I post, but this place really deserves it! The food was fantastic, fresh and is very clear that the chef is passionate about the food. The staff were great and informative and friendly! It was clean and neat and very chilled in there! Will definitely be back there. Thanks

Popped into this traditional pub and we had a warm welcome , lovely food . Nice atmosphere... thank you

popped in on the off chance for a roast, they only had chicken left we decided to stay for roast dinner, the food took about 30 mins which was ok until it came out wouldn't minded waiting if it was worth it BUT not, well chicken was the end of the bird and bits the carrots were cold no taste to collie cheese pots were hard cabbage was ok didn't enjoy it

One of the joys over being over 60 must surely be the Dolphin's Monday to Friday lunch. £7 for two courses - not only great value but first class nosh and good-sized portions.

Great pub and friendly staff. Food is lovely and make sure you are hungry as the portions are generous. Will continue to use when down there on business and would use if I ever come down here on holiday.

Visited with a colleague when in Ilminster on business. Friendly welcome from the landlady, and good food (especially the home made soup). Big screen for the footy, and obviously well liked by the locals. Recommended.

Stopped off here for lunch today when just passing through Ilminster. We only wanted a light bite so had a baguette each. My husband ordered a cheese one and when it came it was toasted which was a pleasant surprise. I had bacon and Stilton which was one of the nicest baguettes I've ever had. Thank you. :)

Very friendly & welcoming. Food very good.. We had an evening meal & returned for a breakfast the next day.. All food fresh & from local suppliers. Would recommend & return.

Passing on our way to Dorset and having read the previous reviews we sort this place out. Very welcomed into the pub including our two grandchildren, great service and smashing food, especially enjoyed the Steak and Stilton Pie. Lovely setting and friendly staff.

This place was lovely, on the quiet high street, food was good, drinks were good. Room was perfect for us. We were staying two nights and Lynn could not have been a better landlady. Friendly down to earth people with two lovely dogs. Service was great. Wouldnt hesitate to stay again next time. After seeing our friend we took a trip to the fleet air arm museum and Lyme Regis is a must too.

We came every night whilst staying in Ilminster. Enjoyed playing pool and after a couple of days we knew the rules... kids not allowed near bar after 6 and anywhere near the pool table. We were ok with that. Enjoyed sitting outside and listening to the locals and enjoying a couple at a fair price. Would return after being to some of the other local establishments... great spot in a central location.

We decided that services food would not cut it. (a trip back from North Devon) So we dived into Ilminster.

Popped in after a curry at the Rajpoor. It was very quiet with a couple of locals in. Proper English landlady, very friendly and served a good int of IPA. I’ll be back, hopefully it’ll be a bit busier!

we had a lovely meal last night, tasted home cooked- would recommend anyone to try it!! landlady was very friendly and the rosie wine superb!!

A popular dog-friendly pub in the town centre, good quality great value food. pool table and large projector and TV for sport and some outdoor seating. Regular events like live bands, and quiz nights. A guaranteed a warm welcome and friendly atmosphere.

Baned for wearing a vest weather extremely hot. A few weeks ago customers using the F word so you can swear but not wear light clothes.

Lots of complaints about vests whats going on but language swearing not pounced on have oldies not complained ??? Weird

What is not made clear is that on a warm sunny afternoon you will be refused entry for wearing a vest.

stopped and had a drink at lunchtime today, also looked at the menu and decided to share a portion of white bait.

Very friendly town centre bar Enjoyable drink here The pool table and equipment are in superb condition

We picked the Dolphin in Ilminster to break our journey from Cornwall to London. It was a lucky break as this is a nice traditional pub with real home cooking. Everything was freshly prepared. I had the roast [pork, my wife had the steak pie and our daughter had the lasagne. all were very good as were the puddings.

We had a few hours to kill whilst our van was being serviced so walked into Ilminster with our border collie hoping to find somewhere for lunch. Luckily we found the Dolphin, nice food, very reasonable price, friendly locals and lovely landlady. Oh and did I say dog friendly. We will remember this next time we are passing this way.

We stayed Ilminster overnight & were looking for somewhere to eat. We came across the dolphin. Their home cooked dinner was outstanding, everyone was very friendly & the bill very reasonable. If you are anywhere near Ilminster please look the dolphin up.

visited while passing on holiday. landlady brilliant, food good, dog friendly. lovely local pub. right next to the minster

After a very long journey to Somerset stuck in lots of traffic we were tired and needed something to eat and somewhere to stay. We found this place and were so pleased we did. We were so welcomed including our dogs and the pub had a great atmosphere. Unfortunately (for us) the rooms were fully booked but all the locals rallied round to help us find a place to stay, which we did yay! The evening meal was so delicious that we came back the next day for breakfast. It was very yummy and set us up for the day. Thank you so much to everyone at The Dolphin for making us feel so welcome it made what could’ve been a stressful visit into a really pleasant one, and we will be sure to visit again next time we are in the area :)

Recently visited our old local and had a lovely stay lots to drink and fun with friends Great band on friday. We are moving away but will definately be back again. Keep up the good work lynne Craig and Annette

Wir lieben Pubs und haben auch diesen hier ausprobiert. Wir waren vermutlich die einzigen ausländischen Gäste zu diesem Zeitpunkt im Pub und wurden beim Betreten erstmal von den Einheimischen gemustert - und dann sehr freundlich empfangen. Die Kellnerin scherzte mit unserer kleinen Tochter herum und hat dann von ihr eine Sonderbestellung entgegen genommen, die perfekt umgesetzt wurde. Alles sehr nett.

Walked to Dolphin to get some supper. Chosen as wesite said food served Sunday 6pm to 9pm.

Went to the pub quiz with some work colleagues. Pub is welcoming with friendly staff and quiz was to a good standard - not too hard, not too easy!

Came in for dinner for 2. Nicely kept pub serving good food. Nice, friendly atmosphere, polite staff.

Always eat here when we stop in Ilminster - booked a table online as Friday before Christmas - arrived early and asked if we wouldn’t mind eating straightaway as table for 10 supposedly booked in. Agreed to do so - my wife ordered prawn cocktail...

Myself and a work colleague stayed at the dolphin for a week in early December, the pub itself is very nice the locals are very friendly. We only had food there on one occasion and it was very nice, the room we stayed in though was very dated didn’t look as if it had been decorated in at least thirty years. There was no en-suite but the bathroom was only a short walk up the corridor.

Looking like a nice place from the outside we entered and asked for an ale and a glass of wine. I thought it was a bit expensive for Somerset but didn't think more about it. My partner got another round, but this time the price was slightly different. Neither transaction was rung up on the till properly and there was no price list up. The landlady was drinking pints of lager the whole time we were there.

Old fashioned, quaint, town centre pub, no car park but plenty of nearby on street parking. A drinking pub, with...

We ate here twice during our week in Ilminster and popped in for a drink once too. the food was...

Visited for a meal during the week. Food was very good. Home style cooking. The pie I had was very...

I have reviewed this place before but wish to recommend the Sunday roast to all. The beef just melted in the mouth. The vegetables cooked to perfection and the roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding very tasty.

Pouring with rain it was when we searched for a coffee shop. We at last tried the Dolphin inn. "It will probably be pwdered stuff from an old jar !” But NO ! It was of the best quality and the service was so welcoming that we decided to stay for a meal as well. The food was of very good pub quality and organised by two very efficient and friendly ladies. There was no annoying hovering and all requests for slight changes to the menue were sorted out without hesitation.

What a great pub, it makes a really nice change to go to a pub that is still how pubs used to be. A very warm welcome from the landlady, decent priced traditional menu of good quality food, great service throughout and not a pub chain in sight. Please do go and visit The Dolphin. We had a truly great evening, a nice ending to our afternoon team meeting - thank you so much.

This is a really lovely pub to drink in. We've been in a few times now and have got to know some of the people there, it's very welcoming and comfortable, and the interior has recently been renovated to a really nice standard. Prices are good and though we haven't eaten there the food always smells delicious and we've heard good things about it. Parking on the street outside the pub has never been a problem.

Wonderful pub, landlady does a fantastic job, so welcoming, even helped us upstairs with the luggage! Great choice on the menu and the food was wonderful. Cannot fault this place, and very good value for money!

Traffic was really heavy on A303 and services were heaving so went into Ilminster which is only a few minutes away and happened upon The Dolphin. Excellent lunch and friendly landlady. Would definitely stop here again.

This was our first time here we where whit our daughter it was very nice and friendly the food was lovely.

Staying in Ilminster on our way South. Chose the Dolphin for an evening meal as menu prices looks good. In the end we both chose from the specials board. Belly pork and trout. Both really good and veggies well cooked. Nice welcoming staff. Thanks.

Popped into Ilminster last Saturday to attend a family wedding. We were walking around the town and fancied a coffee. Popped into the Dolphin and we were greeted by friendly staff and sat outside drinking our coffees, watching the world go by.Both staff and coffee very good.Next time we are in Ilminster we will pop back for a meal.

We visited here last week , on way back from a day out . Staff and landlady very pleasant and top chef serving fab homemade food . Is worth a visit !

We visited The Dolphin after searching for a good place for an evening meal in Ilminster. We received a friendly welcome from the landlady and enjoyed a wonderful evening being served with proper British home made food, which was truly delicious. We later stayed on for drinks in the friendly bar. It really made for a memorable evening in this lovely old town. Will visit again on return to the area. Highly recommended.

Stayed at the dolphin for one night.Was ok for one night but did not like the idea of sharing a bathroom .We had a lovely meal in the restraunt i would definitely recommend the food but not a stop over!

We are visiting Somerset and stopped in Ilminster. Last month on a visit we had a nice lunch in the dolphin and our dogs were welcomed too, so we decided to have our lunch here again. It has been refurbished in that time and the interior is very nice and fresh. Our lunch was very nice again. Being able to take our two dogs in the bar is a real bonus. Looking forward to our next visit.

We enjoyed a nice lunch at a very reasonable price. Our 2 dogs were welcomed in the bar area which was a bonus. Friendly staff too. Look forward to a return visit the next time we are in the area.

We called in on the off chance of having a pub meal. We were greeted by the land lady who was very welcoming . The food is all home made and cooked to order. The steak and stilton pie with mash potato and vegetables was absolutely divine. and at £9.95 was good value . You will not go wrong by sampling the good ale and food at this pub .John. Nth Yorks

Would not provide our child with tap water because the staff said it was "cloudy". So are the salads safe?

we were made very welcome by the staff and the locals; as was our dog! Really nice home cooked meals available after 6.

I had roast lamb in the Dolphin last Sunday, it was sooooo tasty and good value for the money, just like "proper home cooked food" will definitely return. Also seems to have really good weekday lunch/evening menu which I want to try, if it's as good as the Sunday roast "Happy days". Charlene, the chef seemes very accommodating, which is a bonus for this friendly village pub.

Dinner for 6 . . impromptu family meal . . no booking made! The Dolphin is an old pub in the heart of Ilminster. not pretentious . . .but Such a friendly helpful Land Lady . . .reasonably varied menu - homely food . .not 'fine dining' just good tasty wholesome grub!. Beef locally sourced - from the butcher over the road!. Steak pie . .with home made pastry . . burgers with lovely beef . . tasty meat balls and tagliatelle . . .fish and scampi . . .Happy Family :) Thank you for your hospitality . . lovely service at table . .and THE most gorgeous / /hugest dog . . owners pet . . .sneaked out from behind the bar . . .great night out,.

Nice pint in a proper pub seemed like it could have been present at many a late night over the last few century's

As strangers to the area, we asked our cab driver for her recommendation of a nice place to get a drink and something to eat on Saturday evening. She took us to the Dolphin as 'everyone goes there'.Great, 'busy but relaxed' atmosphere, plenty of choice on the menu, dinners larger than we could finish, pool table, friendly regulars who didn't laugh at our appalling cue-skills, flopping dogs, all added to a lovely evening. The real joy was the landlady. With exactly the right balance of friendly, warm, professional and polite, she made us feel incredibly welcome. She got the big things (how she spoke to us - 'shall I set you up a tab?' 'make yourselves comfortable at one of those tables' 'now, what are you going to do about last orders?') spot on, and even got the small things right, like choosing cut-crystal glasses for my sister and me, and a less fancy glass for my brother. She even arranged a friend to give us a lift back to our travelodge. Doesn't get much better than that, does it?

Good value pub grub freshly cooked - if you want cordon bleu go elsewhere ! They do great value pensioner meals which my dad certainly approves of !

Fabulous meal. Excellent customer service. Wonderful choice, Sunday Roast is just the best. Thank you

Visiting relations we needed somewhere within walking distance to accommodate a wheelchair. We were given a warm welcome on arrival by the staff who went out of their way to help us get seated. We opted for the senior citizens two course lunch which at £7 per head was very good indeed. The whitebait followed by steak and kidney pie, fresh veg and mash was delicious. We will certainly be back next time we visit.

We were passing through this pretty village and decided to stop here after reading the reviews. Much to our disappointment it didn't match our experience. It was obvious that all of the food is pre cooked/ frozen and nothing too fresh apart from a steak you would hope. It wasn't busy, no atmosphere. I will not be returning.

A very friendly pub, good choice of alcohol , excellent pub quiz by the landlady, the local customers were friendly and welcoming, lovely friendly, knowledgeable bar staff.

Small pub but food, drink and hospitality make up for that. Carpark not far from pub. Room outside to drink. Quaint village of Ilminster.

We were made very welcome when we arrived. Assume the lady who served us was the landlady. What a lovely lady. Cosy old pub. We went for an early dinner. The menu, although not huge, offered plenty for us. Hubbie had soup and steak and I just had the steak. Soup piping hot with nice bread. The steak was beautifully cooked (I like rare - medium rare and my hubbie well done). I have lost count of places where they cannot cook a basic steak - was NOT disappointed here. Will go there again when in Nominated.

Amazing food nice place nice people TryYou will enjoy Not sure if chef has changed But itz still a nice place

This is one of the friendliest pubs I have entered in a long time.We arrived and were made so welcome by Lin. Lovely huge dog, which seemed to sprawl where ever it liked. The food is great, The chicken howtowdie... chicken breast on a haggis bed with a whiskey and onion sauce was lovely. All the food comes in generous portions.So good we went back a second night!

Travelling home from Cornwall, stopped here for Sunday lunch. Friendly welcome, extensive menu. Food came quickly, was very tasty and all very close to the A303.

Third review of this place from me. Amazing foodAmazing staffAmazing meal out with friends. Reccomended this pub for an evening out with friends. It only keeps getting better.

We started the evening with whitebait and a few drinks at the bar....delicious! Decided to change our original plan, which was to dine elsewhere, and ordered dinner at the dolphin.Whole Trout was cooked to perfection and husband had a 'top quality steak'. Veggies were really nice and all served on hot dinner plates, which kept meal hot.Service always friendly and prices very reasonable.Looking forward to dining at the Dolphin in Ilminster again soon!

Lovely pub in the heart of a beautiful village. Excellent location and lovely friendly staff and locals.

A group of eleven of us ate here last night and all were impressed but the standard the food. All food is 'homemade', with no evidence of a microwave in sight. I had the steak and stilton pie which was delicious. My only complaint would be that the food was really filling - Im so glad I didn't have a starter of i wouldn't have had any room for a dessert! We had booked ahead and made our food selections online so the food was all ready to go once we arrived.

Amazing loin of pork, with roast potatoes and vegetable, beautiful crackling, gravy a bit salty but otherwise excellent. Too full to try a very tempting desertExcellent Sunday lunch.

we have visited the Dolphin on several accasions after doing buisness in I lminster the landlady is so friendly makes you very welcome we only had drinks but the food looked very appetizing! will definatley be giving it a try.

We stopped en route to the West country. The staff were extremely helpful with gluten free requirements, very welcoming and friendly. Wonderful atmosphere great food and happy memories. Great English village pub.

We decided to pop into Ilminster on our way down to Cornwall and find a pu instead of eating at the services. We found the dolphin in the centre of the village. The staff were lovely and helpful. Good food for lunch although the chilli ordered, although lovely and home made, was vegetarian and I wasn't told it was vegetarian. Definitely recommended if travelling on the a303.

As we walked in to this traditional pub we were greeted by a friendly member of staff behind the bar (who I presume is the landlady) we sat down and chose what we wanted to eat. Great selection of traditional pub food on the menu. I also noticed that they cater for gluten free and coeliac which I did not need but was great to see. Our food arrived quickly and was delicious, we old tell that it was all fresh, the menu also said that all of the produce is fresh and has100% traceability. Overall a delicious meal in a beautiful little English village! Great atmosphere and would definitely go back if we are ever travelling that way again.

The Dolphin was pleasant and the staff were helpful. We had a plain lunch - just a baguette with salad it it was nicely served with a delicious salad. I was impressed to have little bowls of sauces seared. How often do you get sachets you can't open or grubby looking bottles? Well done Dolphin. It's nice that standards like that are kept up.We also needed to change our clothes and the staff couldn't have been more accommodating.

Good service started at 6pm so we hung around and got a drink. The staff service was friendly and efficient. The barmaid took our order at the table and the chef brought our food. The food, unfortunately was sub standard and particularly over cooked. I fear that we were not charged accurately. The pub if a nice friendly and local feel to it though.

The Dolphin is a local pub with a limited menu hence 4 out of 5. Having said that, quality of food is excellent, staff are incredibly friendly, welcoming and went out-of their way to help us. Highly recommend. We didn't stay but next time we're in the area, we will book here.

This pub might not look like much from the outside and is quite basic inside but the menu was very varied with some unusual dishes and the food when it arrived was good portions, well presented, tasty and nicely cooked. They don't start serving food until 6pm and the only parking we could find was on street which is limited to an hour before 6pm but fine after that time.

We recently had an evening meal at The Dolphin it was OK average but blumin' eck beware of the proprietor a real sergeant major. We asked if we could sit at a particular table but was told in a sharp voice NO that's your table there

Turned up just as they were closing the kitchen but as we had driven a fair way they kept it open for us. I had scampi, chips and salad and enjoyed it very much. The others in my party all had a burger stack with chips, well, I've never seen anything so big and so taste in my life. If you are hungry this is a must, the homemade burgers were really good and a good price too, I'd say great value for your money. Very friendly bar staff too. Highly recommend a visit.

We visited this pub recently and it offered two courses for £6:00 from Monday to Friday. The setting was attractive and we would have sat outside if the weather permitted. Our lunch was very good and the service very friendly.

Lovely pub, great staff who always have a smile! Good menu with lots of choice... Not forgetting great Cider!