The Fontmell in North Dorset

Every time we have been to The Fontmell we had a delicious. meal, the combination of flavours, quality of food excellent, the menu is limited, but prepared freshly. It is always a pleasure to eat there with excellent attention always.

Absolutely exceptional. Such a wonderful experience at The Fontmell. Outstanding food, an absolute taste sensation. Beautifully presented and totally delicious. The atmosphere is wonderful, such lovely staff, nothing is too much trouble. It is such a treat to visit whatever the occasion. Thank you Arnie and Sarah for a wonderful evening celebrating our son’s birthday and making this pub the absolute best in the area.

A chance visit here as we had planned to eat somewhere else. However, our plans were thwarted as the original choice had a private function. This was probably our good fortune as the experience at The Fontmell was outstanding from the welcome to the drinks to the food. We can’t recommend it enough.

Lovely Sunday lunch, very friendly staff, great service, sensible prices,set in beautiful surroundings

Called in for a pint on the way back from Wrington. Although it’s a lovely pub with new owners it was sadly quiet, maybe another sign of the times. Can’t comment on the rooms as I didn’t stay there. One unusual thing it does have is a stream running through the pub which is nice to see. Beer prices were reasonable, didn’t eat there so also cannot comment on the food Well worth a visit for a few days stay for some peace n quiet of a base to explore the area. So enjoy and have fun!

Lovely large pub with car park and outside seating area. Friendly staff.

Great pub with a stream running through it.

Excellent Sunday roast, delicious desserts and efficient, friendly staff. Our first visit and we will definitely return

We were looking for somehere for lunch after a morning at Compton Abbas. And came across this delightful pub by accident. Beautiful location; the building has a stream running through it and is situated in a small village. The staff were very friendly and efficient but oh wow the food was incredible! I had roast loin of pork, another in my party had roast beef. We all agreed it was the best roast dinner we had eaten in Dorset. Absolutely delicious, even served with home made apple sauce! I would definitely recommend this place. We ate inside but they have a lovely garden too.

We reden langs na een uitstapje naar bath. Wat een verrassing deze pub. Heerlijk vers gemaakt eten en een verrassende kaart. De vegetarische parmezaan soufflé was geweldig . Lekker drinken ook. En er is zelfs een kindermenu. En buitengewoon vriendelijke bediening. Dit pareltje verdient het om voor omgereden te worden.

Great pub. Great food. Dog friendly (in the bar). Arnie & Sarah are doing an amazing job here. Had an amazing father's day meal with great service

Superb dinner - every course an absolute delight. Service was prompt, attentive but not intrusive. Highly recommend.

It has changed hands since my last visit on the bike. Great ambience and friendly service. Great place to stop off and relax.

Really delicious lunch,seafood tagliatelle and a burger,genial host,smart decor. Definitely somewhere we will visit again soon.🙂

A warm welcome , with our chocolate labrador in tow too! The food was superb and served very quickly. Highly recommended.

Spur of the moment visit on our way home from a weekend away, oh I wish we lived closer! Two late Sunday lunches, hot, well cooked & delicious were just what was required for our onward journey. Staff were friendly & polite and the cost of the meal very reasonable. I would definitely recommend and hope to return again when in the area. Many thanks

Friendly staff lovely Sunday roast What a lovely little find

We went there for a supper on our way back home. I had the squid as a starter, and I must say that was the best squid I ever had. The rest of the food was of great quality, too. We will definitely stop there again.

Attentive service and the food is delicious - twice baked souffles for both of us. All the plates that we saw looked absolutely delicious. I recommend this restaurant to all my visitors as the best in the area! It offers good value but you will probably need to book in advance as its reputation is growing. Just remember to mention if you plan to take your four-legged friend as they are not allowed in the restaurant. We had a very comfortable nook in the main bar. Hope to be a regular.

Six of us met for a family catch-up- the starters were delicious and quite large. I probably could have had another starter for a main course. The mains were also delicious- all of us enjoyed our meal and will definitely be back. The staff were very attentive. Arnie , Sarah and their team are doing a great job. So lucky to have The Fontmell as our local.

Came here for birthday meal with family who lived nearish. What a delightful surprise it was too. All the staff were lovely and really helpful. Service with a smile … makes such a difference! The food was great and really tasty. Five empty plates left the table at each course! Thorough recommendation… thank you so much

The food and service is consistently exceptional. The menu contains so many exciting dishes and the bar area has a lovely atmosphere. Love this place!

We had dinner for our wedding anniversary at The Fontmell this week. Always seeming to order "something" and chips, we opted for their Monk Fish / lobster bisque dish. It was absolutely delicious and I can highly recommend it. The squid starter too was great.....had to stop my husband from almost licking the plate clean! We saw another table had ordered the fish and chips which also looked fabulous. The service was prompt and very friendly. It was a Wednesday night and fairly quiet but on a busy evening I'd imagine there's a lovely ambience. All together it's a lovely pub and great for a special treat meal. Thank you Fontmell team for a lovely evening.

I can only review the restaurant and I want to because the food is spectacularly good and the service is friendly too. It is a pleasant space. I wish there had been more people because the hotel deserves it - but it was awful weather so I guess people stayed at home. My dad had a generous cod and beautiful big chips. I had a wonderful lamb dish with some exceptional accompaniments. We also had treacle tart and a lemon souffle and didn't eat much for the rest of the day. Best food I've had in the area.

A lovely location in the Dorset countryside, the Fontmell has a decent sized car park and is easy to find. The menu offers a good range of original meals. I had the squid with sweet chili and nduja sausage starter and cannot overestimate how much I enjoyed it, it was superb. The lamb and char grilled veg in the main were delicious, but it's lamb and veg, so a low bar. The black garlic Baba ganoush and red pepper that came with it were just two different colours of disappointing slime. The seats, or mine at least, was a choice between an uncomfortable bench seat, or a wooden chair. Scatter cushions, yes, but so thick as to be impractical to sit on. Not unhappy, but not worked, would definitely go back for another portion of squid, and a stab at another original and interesting dish.

Wife took us here for a birthday dinner, fabulous pub with great friendly service, lovely ambiance, brilliant and creative menu and mega portions (honestly maybe too big!). We had the dog with us so we were sat in the bar which is clearly recently decorated to a great standard. Staff were welcoming of us and the dog and always on hand. The menu is the perfect size providing options but allowing the kitchen to create excellent food. We actually planned on coming back the next day for a roast and we were very pleased we did as it was another stellar showing! I had tne beef whilst the wife had the pork. Beef was tender, moist and beautifully rendered. Pork had excellent crackling, with both accompanied by a hearty spread of well prepared roast extras including some seriously impressive Yorkshires. Whilst not a super cheap affair, it is in our view, an exceptionally high value for money affair as the quality is right up there and the portions massive. We will most certainly return if we are in the neck of the woods again!

Delicious (and generous portion) squid for lunch. Everyone in our party (of ten) was complimentary about their food. Charming and professional service which takes some doing with a large group of individuals. Saw the new menu and very much looking forward to returning.

Upped my rating as have visited a number of times and always had great food and excellent service

Amazing food, great service and ambience. I had a Sunday roast here and it was superb, so much so that I came back a few days later to bring my mother for an early mother's day meal, she can be picky but she could not stop raving about the food, and quite rightly so!

Lovely roast and great friendly service. We'll be back!! A*

Lovely lunch at The Fontmell today with friends. Cally and Matt prepared gorgeous three course lunches and looked after us with really good sized portions. Arnie and Felix were very attentive and we lacked for nothing. The choices were excellent and the food was outstanding. Was rather stuffed afterwoods.

We all had an excellent meat at this delightful Pub. The service was top class and very efficient. You were not rushed at anytime and could take as long as you wanted. The food delicious and plentiful. I would recommend the Ham Hock for starter, the portion size is generous with large chunks of ham in a delicate jelly. There is a new menu coming out for the Spring so will definitely be going back for that. Well done Arnie and Team

If you’re unsure about booking this place for a bite to eat - just book it. You won’t be disappointed. Basically - simple menu options done brilliantly. We haven’t eaten at this pub for a couple of years and thought that we would give it a go, knowing that was under new ownership. From start to finish, this was a brilliant meal. Although the menu wasn’t expansive or extensive, it was done extremely well. Clearly the owners priority was on doing the basic things well. All six of us had different meals and we were all delighted and surprised by just how very good the food was. Best meal I’ve had at a pub in absolutely ages. Even the attention to details for the olives and bread was appreciated - the best! Waiting staff - great. Ambience - great. Location - super. Who else can claim a river running through the restaurant without getting your feet wet? Only points for improvement - the music (which was in fairness quiet). I think if you notice the music, it’s the wrong type and I think something different (more chilled) or no music at all for the dining section would be an improvement. Maybe some one or two more ales. I cannot understand why this pub wasn’t heaving on a Saturday night, and seems to be a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. If you’ve read this far and you’re undecided - just book in. Thanks team for a great evening, Jamie.

Wow wow wow! What a meal, the burger and fish and chips especially. Pub grub but with a real flare. Good drink range too. Lovely staff who made sure we had everything we needed - will defo be back !

Lovely food. We wanted to eat locally and so chose the Fontmell which has been re-opened under new management and has a good reputation for locally sourced food. We werent disappointed. The food was presented beautifully and was delicious from starters to puds

We went here for lunch after visiting Springhead which is close nearby and the food was amazing . The choice was, understandably, fairly limited but we chose the fish and chips and mussels and really enjoyed them. The mussels are particularly recommended! We sat in the bar area with the log burner as we had the dog with us but there was a spacious restaurant and a large outdoor space which looked great for the summer. Excellent service too.

Enjoyed a lovely lunch at The Fontmell. We were well looked after by Arnie, Sarah,Matt & Cally. The Crispy Sweet Chilli Squid was delicious, Duo of Duck and the Brill were Amazing! Fortunately we just about had room for dessert.. Fruity, fluffy and light the Raspberry souffle was perfect and the silky Vanilla creme caramel went down a treat.

7 of us visited this quirky country pub for a birthday dinner celebration. Service was good and the menu was interesting. I had a shallot tart for a starter and followed this up with the duck breast main course , served with a duck bon bon & potato rösti - the duck was cooked exactly as I had asked for it. Really lovely environment and with a covered stream running through the middle of the pub it was something a bit different

A return visit but this time at lunchtime and we sat in the bar. Lovely light decor, and friendly staff but best of all was the delicious and unusual food. The halibut with Thai aromatics was superb and the plum souffle really unusual. Good sized portions and reasonable prices for the quality of the cooking and overall experience

Disappointing. Later booking so some dishes unavailable. Starters were excellent. Main roast meal was not slow cooked enough and came to the table only warm NOT hot. Noisy. Pleasant staff. Difficult to park.

Excellent food and service, a warm welcome, friendly atmosphere and a varied menu. We will definitely visit again soon.

We used to enjoy our visits to The Fontmell and so were sad when we heard it closed. When it opened under new management recently we decided we'd see how it fared under new management. I can honestly say I think it's better. We had the paprika tortilla with corriander hummus whilst deciding. The hummus was nice although the corriander didn't really come through and the paprika was very subtle. For starters we had Beetroot 3 ways and the Chilli Squid with Nguja Mayonnaise. Both really good dishes. The walnuts that came with the beetroots were candied and so removed some of the bitterness. The carmelised cauliflower puree was so moreish. The squid was so tender and the nduja mayonaisse had the right balance of flavour and heat. Our mains were Guinea fowl with porcini fregula and Halibut in a thai aromatic broth. The fowl was perfectly cooked and the fregola had a wonderful earthy mushroom flavour, although there was a lot of it. The halibut was to die for and the pak choi and broth I could have eaten twice. I also ordered a side salad, the dressing was well balanced and cut through the earthiness of the fregula. Finally we both had the Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart. This was a real surprise as so many peanut butter desserts can be cloying or claggy. Not this. The penut butter was like a mousse and the chocolate complimented it. The blacurrant sorbet cut through the sweetness providing a great palette cleanser. Service was excellent, friendly and efficient. So glad we came back and can't wait for our next visit.

Come for lunch with my partner and was total amazed with quality of the food... Will definitely be back.

Excellent news this place is open again. In its last incarnation it was a pub with a decent restaurant (and a river running through the building which is a nice touch). Went for the first time since it re-opened and it was good. the menu wasn't overlong and what came was exactly what was ordered and of good quality. The wine was ok and at a fair price and the bill was reasonable.

Fantastic food Great staff Wonderful value for money Fed 5 hungry foodie female cyclists. Starters were outstanding

Our first visit to the Fontmell under new ownership. Food and service were excellent. The menu has standard fare but with interesting options as well. I had the beetroot done 3 ways , lightly pickled yellow beet, firm but tender and 2 other beet types. My wife had gin-marinated salmon. Main courses were peri piri spatchcock chicken , and well cooked hake.My wife particularly enjoyed her plum soufle pudding with ice cream on the side. Will return.

Brilliant to have the Fontmell up and running and more so. The new owner and his team have the pub back on top form. Love the new lighter decor and it’s great to have a local that’s serving both pub classics and high end food at reasonable prices. Fish and chips went down well, hake and chowder superb. Interesting wine list and good Guinness. We were too full to try the puddings which sounded very tempting…

Booked Sunday lunch with a friend. The new owners have recently reopened and they have done a stunning job. The decor is contemporary but retains the original character of the building. The welcome was excellent, we were able to move tables with no fuss. Great menu, not just the standard Sunday roasts, although ultimately that's what we chose! Food quality, presentation and taste was really excellent. Just delicious. Found room for a pud, which was equally yummy. Good value for money. Would thoroughly recommend and will definitely go back.

How lucky are we to have really good food at the reopened Fontmell. Not had Fish and Chips like this for a while and the Gin Cured Salmon and Herb Scone starter was perfectly balanced. Many more meals to come I suspect as I work my way down the menu - thanks Arne and Sarah .

It’s back, after almost a year, serving good food, and there’s a real buzz about the place. For travellers who remember it no accommodation for the time being.

Overpriced. My husband ordered chicken legs in a sauce. He got two very small legs with a few spring onions on top and a few chips. Cost £20! Totally tasteless. My meal was good Belly pork with mash (should have been roast potatoes). Gin and tonic £7.90, pint of dish water beer £5.50. Polite but slow service and then had a service charge of 12.5% added to bill. When I went to pay I was informed I don't need to pay the service charge if I didn't want to. Why add it on in the first place? Totally wrong to do this.

I can only comment on the drinks. Popped in for non alcoholic drink, and got a pint of lime and soda and was amazed I was charged £3.90. That can't be much different from a pint beer, that's ridiculous.

Great lunch in nice surroundings. Reasonable pricing, great team and perfect food with proper portions and amazing flavours. We will return.

We absolutely loved our two nights staying at The Fontmell. The staff couldn’t have been more friendly and helpful, our room was stylish, clean, and comfortable, and the roast lunch was the best we’ve ever eaten. We didn’t want to leave, and will definitely be back! Thank you.

Compared To The large amount of local pub around the area, the Fontmell has an outstanding level of great food and service. The FOH staff are very friendly, and the new chef has had an amazing impact on the food, it is too a really high standard. I Recommend this Gastropub // Restaurant to anyone who wishes to have a really outstanding meal, which fantastic service.

We stayed here as a family of three (two people, one dog) for the night. Beautiful surroundings. The room had everything we’d need for a comfortable stay. The food - my goodness, the food! The menu has a lot to choose from, I went for the mushroom arancini, which was very generous of a portion but also was the most delicious arancini I’ve ever had. My husband had the beef taco, which he said the same about. I then had the fillet of sea bream which not only was perfectly cooked, but was served with an array of sides which complimented the fish perfectly. My husband chose the steak, which he also thoroughly enjoyed. The service was good. Our dog was made to feel very welcome. For breakfast after our stay, we had a wide choice of options and had a massive breakfast to set us up for the day! Thank you Fontmell for such a lovely experience!

What a lovely bolt hole in this beautiful part of the world. A bit of old England with lovely rooms and very comfy beds (especially the top room one )Delicious supper served by young but very good staff with welcoming smiles. Well looked after ales and a charming hard working host. With covid hopefully behind us these lovely pubs need supporting so enjoy!

We’ve visited the fontmell many times and always had wonderful food. This most recent visit was disappointing. Cannot fault the service, clearly you get new staff but all doing their best and we were fairly well looked after. In comparison to previous visits we feel the Michelin award standard is not reflected by the menu or service. Understandable, the impact of Covid and difficulty in getting staff. The industry is still recovering and training staff up must be hard. However if this place wants to keep its Michelin recommendation and people coming back it needs to improve to compete with other great pubs locally.The main issue was the menu, we chose the fontmell for a special pub dinner. The menu was; chicken burger, beef burger, vegan burger, fish and chips, or steak. Nothing special about any of it, and three burgers on a menu of five items is pretty poor. Everything served with chips. No vegetables in sight. Sides were chips, garlic bread or cheesy chips. If we wanted any of this we could have stayed at home or popped to our local for a burger at half the price. We had the chicken burger and the steak. Both good but nothing amazing. Steak under cooked for medium-rare. We wondered if the chef has changed? Or management? Or maybe someone was off sick? Who knows but the menu and experience was very different to those in the past. And noticeably some very minor things that have changed in the last 6-12months; cloth napkins replaced with paper, wine placed on table not served for tasting, service from the manager with a cap on backwards… really?! Don’t rest on your laurels guys, that Michelin award won’t stay long at this rate.

We are just back from the Fontmell after our third stay there to visit a local festival. Felt so good to be out again and staying somewhere after what we have all been through in the last 18 months. We were greeted by the owner and allocated our usual room 3. Two things which are excellent are the huge bath and the hand made super comfortable bed. Breakfast was to order to help chef. On all four days it was very good (award winning black pudding). Yes there may have been the odd hiccup (and scuffs etc), but staff really are hide to find, and here they were all great especially 'Jimmy' (she had a Hendrix t-shirt) who was in her first week. The icing on the cake was them letting us charge our electric car during our stay.

For many years I’ve passed The Fontmell, and wondered what it was like as a restaurant- I now know!! I had a problem booking somewhere for Sunday Lunch, but was able to book in at The Fontmell with no problems. The time slot on line was only one hour, which I found strange. We were there for two hours which we needed with the slow service that we experienced. We had a superb starter of Terrine of smoked salmon. My wife had a fillet of sea bream which was over cooked, I had beef, shown on the Menu as rare strip loin. It was not rare and a rather grey colour. Our vegetables were good and plentiful, perhaps too much. My gripe is that the restaurant has a Michelin Plate award but doesn’t Iive up to that award. During the week it may be different. The wine list is good and I had a lovely pint of Dorset Cider. It’s a pity that the food wasn’t up to standard; the restaurant itself is a nice bright room and deserves better. Would I go there again? Probably not.

We were visiting the area for a long weekend, celebrating my brother in law’s birthday. Having been recommended the restaurant by our accommodation hosts, I had reserved a table for the Monday evening 2 weeks prior.When we arrived it was closed! The only soul to be found was a poor chap sat in the car park…he had booked a room for the night and was left high and dry. What disgraceful management.What made things more laughable was the fact that the day before, I’d received an email from The Fontmell asking me to confirm my booking…which I did. The cherry on the top came the day after however, when I received another email thanking me for my visit, and to please leave a review!! I had left The Fontmell a voicemail explaining the situation and asking for them to please contact me. I clearly was not happy, but it was a very polite voicemail. Sadly they have not had the decency to email or call me. By way of consolation, if the kitchen standards match their customer service standards, we’ve not missed a thing!

This place is extremely overpriced and full of nothing but snobbery. Food is terrible, so I think the only Michelin award should be for a speedy tyre change as nothing else is here.

Perhaps it was a change of management or shortage of kitchen staff, but our experience last night was very poor. The service was well-meaning but slow; my wife's main course arrived 5 minutes before mine. The food, when it came was poor. My wife's fish was battered in a cloying mixture, the chips were soggy and greasy, and showed evidence of having been prepared well before our meal. My beef-burger was over-cooked well beyond well-done, the bun stale and tasteless, the bacon holding onto unmelted cheese as if to a life-raft; the lettuce, a leaf of "little gem" was thoroughly wilted, the tomato without texture or flavour. To cap it all, at the end we were presented a bill which also included the meal of another table. Rectifying it took some time.We are fortunate in Dorset to have many local restaurants and pubs which serve good food at a reasonable prices, but this certainly isn't one of them. Avoid.

Friendly staff, excellent food, nice ambiance, very relaxed environment with a great meal to boot, you will not be disappointed. The fish and chips were to die for quite literally

Attentive service and a superb Paella, a very drinkable house red and an excellent Chocolate delice dessert ensured a return visit once indoor dining returns.

Booked for lunch table of four, covid aware, easy to find, and a very delicious meal served by friendly efficient staff was enjoyed by all. Varied and interesting menu, Good wine list and a little glass of Perdo Ximenez to accompany our affogato was a treat, Lovely atmosphere busy but, at a distance, plenty of areas to distance yourself and garden looked idea on a sunny day. Never visited before, but, would be happy to return when next in the area. Well done.

Lovely pub and staff but food is overpriced (evening menu) and service is slow . Fish pie with traditional potato topping but served with chips as well, but Hake fillet was lovely but that had no potatoes or chips , just seems odd . £18 for Moules with chips and a slice of toast ... Menu is good but with London prices it’s not somewhere I’d rush back to for evening meal , even though the pub itself is great .

Popped in without a reservation for lunch. Very friendly staff & covid aware with appropriate precautions. Both my wife & I had a lunch snack with tea & very good coffee. Very pleasant surroundings & cosy. Would certainly return.

Very rarely does a restaurant get 5 stars from me but our midweek lunch was faultless in every way. We ate in the restaurant which is made out to look like a 19th century library, very appropriate for the old building it is in. It was a grey day but the roof light brightened things up. Our waitress was very pleasant, happy and helpful. Masks and social distancing need not be a barrier to good customer service. The food was amazing. Between the 3 of us we had a fish finger sandwich, scallops (as a main) and pork chop. Each dish was very tasty with the perfect blend of flavours, prepared to the highest standards and the right portion size. We were so impressed we had to congratulate the chef personally. Finally the meal was excellent value. A very memorable dining experience

The website details 'beautiful' rooms. Well, ours was not. It was run down and dirty. The bedroom smelled of unpleasant cooking odours. The bathroom smelled like sewage. The mattress was terrible. There was traffic outside meant headlamps in the window during the night. To top it off, there is no mobile phone service in the entire village. We had to drive several miles and sit in the car to make calls. The food in the restaurant was good. The service staff were good. Otherwise, a huge disappointment. I got the distinct feeling that whoever runs this hotel just doesn't care.

Four of us had booked for dinner. Social distancing was excellent. The food was very average. We were the first in the restaurant and the service was appalling. We had three courses. Starters were good. My main course was fish in batter and chips which were large and soggy. We had to repeatedly ask for the desert menu and then it took about 3/4 hour to come. We did ask where it was but only to be told the chef was teaching a new chef!

From the very moment we arrived everything was perfect. Brilliant bar staff advised on beverages and showed us to our lovely table over looking the leat. The menu was varied but not over complicated and the waiting staff knowledgeable and on point. The gluten free fish and chips with Dorset cider batter were exquisite. I normally struggle with batter and have to remove it from fish and chips but this was brilliant and caused no discomfort. The burger was equally delicious (apparently). And then we had just a little space left so ordered a scoop of sorbet. Well... how anyone could make one scoop of sorbet so delicious is beyond me. The sorbet itself was amazing, very fruity and flavourful, served in a delightful little dish with some kind of biscuit in the base and topped with fresh strawberries and finally a drizzle of melted chocolate. Heavenly.

We ate at the Fontmell on the first evening of our week in Dorset. All was good but we fould better in the area later in the week. Its a bit pricey too for what you get. Good but not great.

On holiday in the area and popped in for an unplanned lunch today after a walk on Fontmell Downs and discovering we couldn't take dogs into the outside seating area at the Airfield cafe.Sat outside in warm September sunshine in a lovely courtyard style beer garden across the road from the pub. Felt very COVID safe, immaculately clean loos. Drink and food service at the table. All 4 of us opted for the fish and chips tempted by the idea of the pea fritter. Yes not the cheapest fish and chips out at £14.50 but this was not just fish and chips. Beautiful fresh day boat cod in the lightest of batter (made with cider and lemonade). The batter is apparently gluten free too which might account for the lightness. Fish was flaky and perfectly cooked. The pea fritter was delicious as was the home made tartare sauce and the fantastic thick cut chips (these are not frozen formed chips). Staff were warm and friendly, service attentive and we'd definitely return.

I booked one night away with the wife on a non-refundable basis via Hotels.com. After searching the available properties near Shaftesbury we settled on the Fontmell as we had heard good reviews about the food and both trip advisor and hotels.com gave it good review scores. After booking my non refundable room I was disappointed to learn that the Fontmells restaurant is not open past 6.30 PM for Sunday evening dinner services and so sadly, now with a non refundable room, we were forced to look elsewhere. We arrived and checked in between 3 and 4 in the afternoon on Sunday, greeted by two very nice and enthusiastic young lads who gave cracking customer service. We went to our room (room 4). The room is very tired in terms of its decoration and state of repair and very small. It feels as though whoever designed the space was looking to maximise profitable space rather than focus on guest comfort. With dirty marks all over the walls and full of cobwebs the bedroom space was a disappointing place to spend a night. The carpet is filthy, you don’t feel as thought you would want to walk barefoot on it. As we were staying for just one night we decided not to mention this and ask for a different room. I went downstairs to ask for a spare pillow well before closing of the restaurant, phone calls were made and I was promised an additional pillow which never arrived (despite asking a couple of times, conscious that there would be no staff around after 6.30pm on a Sunday). Little did I know that the additional pillow would have unlikely have made much of an impact on the nights’ sleep. Additionally one of the pillow provided on the bed did not have a pillow case (I only noticed this after settling down for the night). The mattress is rock hard and feels cheap – the springs prod you in the back (in spite of the fact that the mattress has a couple of toppers on it) it was impossible to lie on in the same position for more than a few minutes before the pain would set in. The building is obviously very old and some may call the lack of sound proofing between bedrooms charming, however you could hear every single time one of the other guests arrived or left and slammed their door, every time someone flushed a loo or decided to sing a song in the shower. The en suite bathroom was clean but there was no hand soap provided in the room which was a shame. If you are a larger person or tall then the en suite shower is difficult to use in room 4, the shower head doesn’t adjust and it leaks from the sides, I am relatively slim and tall and found it tricky to manage. The quality of the linen on the bed is great and the towels were soft. Following the couple of hours sleep my wife and I did manage, we were woken by loud noises of staff collecting breakfast orders and deciding to have a loud conversation with another guest. We went to breakfast at our allotted time and enjoyed a fabulous breakfast – I had the full English and my wife the scrambled eggs and salmon. The staff were lovely – the rumours and reviews are absolutely right about the quality of the dining experience. All in all the stay was redeemed to some degree by the good customer service, charming village location and the great breakfast, however Room 4 is in my view not suitable for letting to guests until the mattress is replaced and the filthy carpets and walls spruced up.

Ate there yesterday. Clean, well-spaced tables, felt really safe, staff lovely (we left after paying at the till, and our server came out into the rain to wave to us as we walked back to our car, calling that she was sorry she missed saying goodbye), food delicious (they do vegan/veggie/dairy free apparently, too)...and often mains are good but desserts ordinary. Not here, desserts superb. House wine delicious. Cannot fault it. Was worth a 50 minute drive in torrential rain...which probably says it all.

Went there for dinner taking advantage of the "eat out to help out" scheme. The fish and chips were very good as was the burger. The risotto was average and the Moules Frites I had was OK but, in my opinion, grossly overpriced at £18! The ribeye steak at £27.50 must be sensational at that price! (none of us had it). If it hadn't been for the £40 discount on our bill I would have felt that the whole experience smacked of a classic ripoff! I won't be back!

We had checked on line before booking and seen that it was in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme. The bar area was lovely to eat in and we really enjoyed our meals particularly the rib eye steak - medium rare and cooked to perfection. However when we were given our bill, the waitress did not mention the Scheme nor was any money deducted so we were charged the full amount. When we queried it, we were told that they could not amend their bills to show the discount! We were then told the discounted cost but were not given any itemised printed bill! It left us feeling that had we not known about the scheme or queried it, they would have charged us the FULL amount! We have since eaten at three other pubs/cafes offering the Eat Out to Help Out scheme and they have all been able to produce a printed bill showing the discount......

We were house hunting and stopped for a snack, drinks and loo! Extremely pleasant service while sitting in the garden. Will definitely return after we move!

We were disappointed as we were expecting a different experience. Although the fish and chips were really good.

Still my favourite country pub but after a couple of visits yesterday worth another write up. I had a summery Spring Risotto and later their burger which our family now name the Epic Burger. Great food as always. Cheery happy and careful Covid 19 aware service and a great new app to order ... you can order in person if you want but the app is fun. The Guinness was great and it was a treat to be there. I felt safe and welcome . I was able to socially distance when I wanted and I know even when crowded it will still be possible .

On arrival very welcoming staff and the food of a high standard . Would highly recommend the roast dinner, delicious and presented well. Would definitely eat here again.

We visited the fontmell whilst passing a few years ago. As we were staying in a cottage just up the road we decided to visit again for dinner on the Saturday evening. The service at the bar and in the restaurant was very good and all the meals we had were excellent and there was a varied choice on the menu. Wines were realistically priced for a nice restaurant.The only criticism we had - the bar stools we worn and really need to be upholstered again.

We’re not locals, but often stay in the area, so it’s good to see that the village local appears to be thriving! We had a couple of the burgers and a pint or two. Now, I’ve had a good many burgers in my time, as my tailor will attest to, but tonight’s was the best I’ve had in a pub for as long as I can remember. The desserts were very tasty too, service was friendly, and the beer is kept well.

A lovely venue for a Christmas lunch get together with friends. Very friendly and efficient staff, nothing was too much trouble.Would certainly visit again if in the area.Only slight ''moan'', the lack of vegetarian options as a main meal and the one there was perhaps ever so slightly overpriced? However, our meals were lovely, nicely presented and arrived at the same time.One word of caution- if sitting on the bench seat, make sure there is someone on the other end to act as a counter balance. I didn't and the bench tipped up. Not in any means the pub's fault but please be aware. Please do not be put off by this, it's a lovely place.

We booked this months ago via Pets PyjamasOn route as we were delayed I thought I would call to confirm dinner times To my horror we discovered the booking hadn't been confirmedLuckly they could accomadate us in the only room they had left Rm4 not enough room to swing a cat let alone 2 full grown Springers ( We managed ) and enjoyed the helpful and friendly staffThe food was goodThe hotel hadn't been paid the £300 by the time we were ready to checkout but they were happy to wait to speak to Pets Pyjamas when they open very trustingSo morale of this story is book direct AND if you need a big room ask for it

Stayed here through petspyjamas - initially we were checked into a tiny room despite being the only ones staying there - it was Sunday lunch time and when we bought this up they explained there had been a heating issue and relocated us to room 1 - the fan room! The room was excellent - bed comfy and great shower too! Only thing is the fan from the kitchen which they highlight on there website - as we were staying Sunday and Monday and the only ones they didn’t open the kitchen until we wanted breakfast which avoided the noise - we said it was the cruise engine. The food was delicious - quick & big portions! The service great too - really got a good ‘local friendly feel’ all staff were lovely to us and our dog! We spent our evenings by the fire playing chess drinking gin & tonics! I can’t think of a better way to celebrate and birthday & engagement. We loved our stay at the fontmell and will be returning in the future! Thank you team!

Visited last week for Sunday lunch, blown away!Fantastic, friendly, warm welcome in this wonderful pub.The Sunday 2 roast was magnificent, plenty of vegetables served by lovely staff.Without doubt the very best Sunday lunch I’ve enjoyed in many years.Can’t recommend enough, but don’t forget to book.

I've been here a couple of times in the past few months, once for dinner and once for Sunday lunch. Both times the welcome was warm and service the right side of attentive. I had fish both times, which was fresh and well cooked. I can thoroughly recommend coming here for well cooked food and a pleasant ambiance.

Lovely pub with very welcoming staff. Nice and warm too on a cold day. The food was nothing less than exceptional. This was by far the best roast I have ever had out. The beef was so tender and the vegetables gorgeous. Everyone had great meals and I will be disappointed if I don’t eat at the Fontmell again.

The food was really good, traditional Sunday lunch with delicious beef and pork and all the trimmings and lively vegetables and lots of gravy. Big portions so no room for pudding. Staff were friendly.

Had breakfast and dinner here and we weren't disappointed! The food was delicious and the menu well thought out with something to suit all tastes. I wasn't going to have a starter...but I can thoroughly recommend the pork belly which my other half ordered (he also managed to get a taste...eventually!)

Picteresque is really the only word for the the setting, I love how they've meshed perfectly the old and the new. Service is 5*, friendly and genuine, food was outstanding, definately 5* there. The rooms are perfect and the bath fit the two of us! No complaints, no adjustments needed, couldn't recommend them higher!

A one night stay for a family wedding on a Friday. £120 for a double room including breakfast was enough money but there is little competition for miles around. The room had plenty of drawer space but no wardrobe for hanging the wedding gear. Great shower room.The stream that runs under the building originates further up the hill. Crystal clear water. Nice bar with friendly locals and some decent cask ales available at £4 per pint. Restaurant was an interesting room and both our meals were well prepared and well served.

Went here with my family for a bit of lunch amd a drink. The food was absolutely lovely....i would visit again purely based on the risotto dish. Gorgeous.

Just spent two nights at The Fontmell, this is a really nice little pub come hotel and restaurant, it is also dog friendly. The food is excellent we had two evening meals and breakfast, our dog also had a sausage both mornings so he was very happy. We stayed in room 5 it was clean and had some character the only downside was the bed it was so hard it was like sleeping on the floor. There was tea, coffee and water provided. Friendly staff, little village ideal location for exploring. Would recommend a stay.

Me and my partner called into the Fontmell pub for a drink and something to eat. The staff were very friendly. Having looked at the over priced menu we decided on the bar snacks. We had a pork pie each (which were quite small) plus one portion of chips between us, and my partner had two slices of bread and butter. The bill came to £19. The two slices of bread and butter cost £7. When we queried the excessive cost of the bread and butter we were told it was listed on the menu as Bread Board With Hummus. The bread wasn`t hummus, it was ordinary bread. After realising they weren`t going to reduce the price we paid the bill and left.

Visited for Sunday lunch, we arrived in the bar area and were served out of turn several times as the ‘locals’ need for a drink was more important than acknowledging the two ‘strangers waiting. We were finally shown to our table and given a menu and our drinks order was taken. Including us there were five tables taken in the restaurant but still it took 12 minutes for our drinks to arrive and a further 10 minutes for a server to take our order!

While we had a good evening meal in the restaurant, and the staff were friendly, we were extremely disappointed with our accommodation. Avoid room 2..it’s a really tiny room, cramped and with a bed as hard as concrete; the bathroom was tiny too with no hand soap provided so had to use the shampoo. However they did provide a fan as it was hot in the room. You wake up to breakfast cooking smells, ok for some but not for everyone! Be aware that the stairs up to the rooms are very steep and a bit shallow. Breakfast was mediocre, with slow service. Seriously overpriced accommodation for what you get. Unable to recommend this place for a stay, though good for a meal.

We called in for an evening meal while on holiday in Dorset and we weren't disappointed. The inside of the pub is very nice and the restaurant is beautiful, old wooden tables and wine displayed on shelves painted in a lovely grey colour. The food was excellent. I had the cod which was beautifully cooked and tasted delicious. My husband chose the homemade burger which was a little too rare for his taste, the waitress took it back to be cooked a bit more and brought some fresh bread and hummus while he was waiting which was very thoughtful. We would definitely go again if in the area. The ice cream is delicious also. We didn't have room for a proper pudding unfortunately!