The Foresters Arms Dunster in West Somerset

Always a friendly experience. Visit every year. Nice steak too.

Very popular and sometimes fully booked. Best to make a reservation.

Very reasonably priced and good food.

Good cheap pub grub with friendly service.

Hands down the worst lunch I have ever had at a pub, not going to lie should have realised the food was going to be below par upon entry. Please don’t come here for lunch. I’m sure the drinks are fine.

Very nice place super friendly staff we had a very good dinner exceptional beer thank you 😚

If you are in the area, walk past the others and try this place at the end of the village. Really friendly staff and local people, thumbs up to you all. Traditional pub with good, filling pub food. Made me and my dog feel very welcome, thank you! We will return.

Party of 8 turned up unannounced on a Sunday, the fabulous hostess made us and the dog feel extremely welcome. Found us a table and we all had a nice lunch. Lovely place, will visit again.

Lovely place, lovely food had thr tikka curry and chilli, its reasonable price and welcoming would visit again, downside is not alot of desserts to choose from apart from that nice cosy place to go

Really nice country pub. Food was excellent. Proper home cooked. Staff were friendly and welcoming. Food and drinks are very reasonably priced too.

Visited by chance. Friendly welcome, food tasty and hot. If you are looking for a good pub with plenty of atmosphere and reasonable prices, try the Foresters.

Probably the best pub in Dunster. The food is very competitively priced as are the wide range of drinks. It has a great beer garden and lots of atmosphere! Maybe not as classy as the other pubs but a down to earth West Country pub. Give it a go!

We've been coming to Dunster for over 30 years and used to love the Foresters. It's certainly lost some of its atmosphere. And would have helped if the barmaid hadn't used the F word when talking to the regulars!

Friendly local pub at reasonable prices. Not a restaurant but a dozen choices on the menu with 2 veggie options. Served pipping hot was just what we needed on a cool evening. The local cider was refreshing.

This is the best and most welcoming pub in West Somerset - take absolutely no notice of the negative one-star reviews, these were made by one group of people who, for reasons unknown to man, God nor sanity, are hell-bent on their attempt to destroy what Pat, a hardworking, beautiful angel of a woman has spent 19 years building up. They will not succeed, because the love for this pub spans the length and breadth of the globe. The food is home cooked, the staff are always ready to go the extra mile for customers who treat them with respect, the garden is a lovely place to while away the evening hours and the building itself is an absolute joy to behold. Not to mention the wonderful character that is Nelson the African Grey Parrot. The Forresters has always been and will always be a vitally important part of the Dunster community, and no amount of online bullying, lies nor sabotage from those bitter about its success and community will EVER change that. See for yourself and book yourselves in - you will absolutely not be disappointed. The food, service and atmosphere are everything that one could wish for from a traditional, local community pub. Anyone trying to attack that should get their heads seen to, proper. Pubs are under attack from all angles in the UK already, and if you live in a property attached to a pub then you should respect their business, their patrons, their environment and their staff. This goes without saying for the best of us, and the worst must sadly be educated. Getting your friends and family to post negative and slanderous false reviews is a terrible display of your character. Visit the Forresters. And take no notice of online bullies and people so bitter about their existence that they spend their valuable time trying to belittle and insult those who are not ❤️

Absolutely love the wonderful homely family atmosphere of the Foresters in Dunster. Food and accommodation are excellent and the service and friendliness of Pat and all her staff are second to none - absolutely faultless. I highly recommend the Foresters where a warm welcome is always waiting for you - both pet and child friendly and Nelson the resident Parrot is the star of the show! Definitely the best pub and B&B in the whole of Dunster and the surrounding areas where visitors come from far and wide. The medieval setting of Dunster is also absolutely stunning and so full of rich history and folklore.

I absolutely love this pub, there’s always such a friendly atmosphere. The service is great and the food is delicious (and such good value). Definitely a must if you are visiting Dunster!

Fantastic, lovely pub with a great atmosphere, would highly recommend a visit

Absolutely wonderful pub, Pat the landlady is the heart of the community, amazing food, spotlessly clean and everyone is so welcoming, fabulous staff, by far the best pub in the area, loved by the locals and tourists alike, well worth a visit

Love this pub been in many times. Great food. Sunday dinner to die for. Pat you are amazing. See you soon xx

Simply the best. Great food, great atmosphere, great parrot and the staff a'rnt bad either 🤣 The proprietor is so welcoming and warm. A great place to take our elderly residents. I highly recommend the Foresters Arms xxx

The best pub in Somerset by far ,I just wish I was local .Pat and her team go above and beyond to ensure a great stay and nothing is too much trouble.The meals are really good and all home made ,Sunday lunch is sublime .all in all a very friendly pub and I can't wait to pay another visit .I highly recommend the Foresters if you are going to Dunster .

Amazing friendly pub, Pat the owner is one in a million she welcomes you and is the heart of this amazing place she is a special lady who has made out stays perfect and when we decided to move here was so supportive in offering any help she could. Food is lovely and many a special night been had on Forresters xx

Would eat again, great experience

Best pub in Dunster brilliant staff and meals also very famous parrot Nelson. We love this place

Do not miss this pub at the end of the village of Dunster. Pat and the team will give you a warm welcome . Treats for your four legged friends and a roaring log fire on those chilly days . A very welcome stop after walk on Exmoor. A well kept pint and the food is delicious , It is home made , hearty and very good value for money . If you want a proper sunday roast , Pat's are legendary, be sure to book. This is a local's pub , however I am a visitor to the area and love Dunster so keep coming back time and time again to stay at the Foresters because the welcome you get is so friendly and genuine - A proper pub ! I have stayed in the accomodation several times, a good night's sleep and tasty breakfast and will always come back for more - We were delayed on the motorway and arrived late one evening after the kitchen was closed . Pat cooked us a late supper , we will not forget. Home from home for us . Thankyou Pat & Team

My husband and I love this place. Pat and her team are the most welcoming, wonderful folk. The food is delicious and the atmosphere is 2nd to none. All that topped off by it being situated in the beautiful town of Dunster. Highly recommend!!

cracking venue always very friendly when we play skittles at the pub

Love this pub. The atmosphere is fantastic the staff are lovely and kind. The foresters arms is my favourite pub ever!!

Well what can I say . This pub holds lots of wonderful memories over the years from a teenager to now. Pat and her team are always welcoming . I have a large family and have had several get togethers over the years including our wedding party last year and a wonderful Christmas party. The food was amazing and all home cooked and there was plenty of it. The atmosphere is always friendly . The foresters is a traditional pub that myself,my family and friends love. Keep up the good work Pat 👏. We will be visiting very soon xx

Fabulous place, the best pub in Dunster and one of the last real ones with a fantastic atmosphere and food. Nelson the parrot can keep you amused all evening!! . Keep up the good work, and never change. ❤️❤️

As a regular patron. A friendly pub with great cider,friendly staff, delicious, good value meals & very dog friendly.

Fabulous place, so welcoming, friendly and atmospheric. We've had some smashing evenings there playing live music and watching other bands. Pat is simply the best, she takes care of everyone and everything making sure you have a great time. Food is very good too, well presented, tasty, lots of choices and good price. The location of the pub is perfect, especially if you love hiking, the area is stunning & picturesque. The Foresters Arms is the perfect pub to stop for a pint and good food. Oh and those stunning red geraniums in the windows make the whole village proud!

Have stayed here plenty of times. Always a fabulous stay. Pat the owner can't do enough for you, Colin is very entertaining, the locals are super friendly. Great beer, food and rooms at very reasonable prices. Love this place, can't wait to stay again.

We always have a wonderful time when we come to you, can't wait to see you all very soon.

We visited our friends at the Stags Head just down the street from here, Nigel & Jane who run the Stags suggested going to The Foresters for food with our dog. The welcoming was lovely, food was homely and good portions, my dog was treated so nicely and the staff were all really welcoming, caring and polite! Will definitely return here. Also a good selection of spirits!

Pat is a lovely lady, she's always gone above and beyond. Always there with a warm welcome no matter how long it's been since the last visit home. Accommodating, friendly & kind. Wonderful food too boot..!

We shared an 80th birthday party a few weeks ago. Pat is the most welcoming host you could ask for. She and her staff treat everyone like family. I have been going to the foresters now for 30 years and had many fun times, I would recommend anyone who visits Somerset to pop in and have a drink or meal.

Having to watch the staff argue with a neighbour outside was just a let down with the swearing, the staff also just brought the atmosphere down as they seemed fed up and any request felt like asking them to jump through hoops, food was decent but nothing to revisit for. Just not what I was expecting, during some review searching I've also come across the videos circulating on social media and that was the nail in the coffin for me and I assume this was one of the arguments I witnessed. Appreciate they don't want the pub being filmed on CCTV but they also have a camera pointing at the property they are not happy with so seems odd to me as if I lived next to a pub I would also do the same. I work in retail so after covid I can't stress how important the customer experience is to encourage returning customers. EDIT: Firstly calling a customer an Internet troll who gave an honest review after spending hard earned money in your pub just says a lot about the business and could explain why the staff were so unhappy to be there. Secondly I would hardly call it review bombing (look up the term before using it) as this was a factual and honest review (if you don't like it then don't leave a door open for people to leave honest reviews) Thirdly your use of grammar (the police is involved) is again about as good as the service I got. And finally just to hit the point home, I've eaten at some great pubs multiple times but a couple of bad experiences can then change your mind and stop you from going back, so simply saying check our other reviews doesn't cut it, you can have a good experience for one meal and a bad and on the next. Maybe next time just apologise for the bad experience and offer to have me back again and change my mind and show me how good the pub can be.

Staff are so rude would not recommend

Visited Dunster with a friend for the weekend and stayed at the foresters, great food and lovely staff. Village is definitely worth a visit and we will be back again the the future. Pat Is an absolute gem, thank you for making us feel so welcome 💜

Absolutely amazing pub. Staff and owners cannot be faulted in the slightest. Food was perfect, I don’t have a bad word to say! Seems like there are a few negative reviews looming that have come from trolls on the internet, anything that is negatively targeting this pub online should be disregarded and ignored completely.

Very friendly,good food & a very funny parrot.

Great food brought to the table with a friendly professional attitude. Good wine. Five of us ..four Greek residents and me. Went back and will be there again. The price is jus

Brilliant as always. Pretty much the main reason we came back to Dunster

Proper British pub. This is what you want when you look to visit a pub, such a cosy atmosphere. The staff were lovely and were even giving dogs treats from behind the counter! The food was so good, you could tell that it had been homemade and it came out hot and fresh from the oven. It was perfect! Nelson the parrot added such character to the place, he was amazing! I would love to come back as it’s such a welcoming pub, however i’m not from the area so will hopefully visit again soon.

We visited yesterday and stayed for dinner. The menu was proper pub food with a great specials board too! Prices were very reasonable and food came in good time. Staff very friendly and helpful. We all enjoyed our food and appreciated everything was freshly prepared and tasted lovely! Would love to pop back in the future. Thanks again

Very friendly, and the food was amazing.

Lovely place for a pint. Parking might be on road around the place.

Lovely pub with super enclosed beer garden and always a nice pint

The barmaid and chef were lovely as was the food. Beautiful little place and the food was reasonably priced as well as tasty. They have cheeky Nelson the Africa grey parrot and a nice beer garden.

Dropped in with my 2 sons and 2 friends. It was mine and my elder son's birthdays. We had drinks and a meal. The staff were friendly and efficient.

Stayed two nights in Dunster last weekend and because Foresters was just a stones throw from B&B, opted to go to this pub and I enjoyed what I found. Spacious interior, laid out tables as well as bar area. Bar and restaurant staff very friendly and accommodating on both nights, where I arrived later in the evening and without reservation too. Food plentiful and tasty. Very reasonably priced too. Right on the main road out of the village.

Fantastic English pub. Friendly staff, great chill atmosphere. No nonsense just a solid experience. Food couldn't be faulted, I would recommend the vegetable balti. Dogs are welcome, just make sure you book a table ahead of time. We were very lucky for ours!

Staying locally with friends, had evening meal here, very good, hone cooked food, lovely staff and friendly locals.

Saying this pub is not welcoming is an understatement. In particular a *staff member* who looked very angry when i visited, she was even shouting at some people in the courtyard. I think some better manners and attitude would go a long way. The parrot causes an absolute racket, and has a bad potty mouth so i would not bring children unless you want them swearing too! I understand it’s an old building but it really is very tired and in need of some tlc, generally dirty and sign outside to watch out for falling roof slates. Parking in the courtyard area means you have to shimmy past cars to even get through to the courtyard which is not at all disabled friendly/wheelchair accessible as claimed. Overall there are much better choices elsewhere in Dunster. Original review posted July 22’, updated (per request) to remove “irish woman” which the pub deemed offensive.

A very friendly, down to earth pub, in an old building on West Street. Good value food and drink and a pleasant little beer garden.

Warm and friendly place, make you feel like a local.

This is a pub on the outer reach of the village of Dunster. A bit more traditional in appearance, with flagstone floors, and many original features including some fireplaces which could make it quite cosy on a cold winter day; especially if you've been out walking. It doesn't have a car park, and the road is too narrow for on street parking; but there is a pay & display park about 100 metres away which is not too expensive. The pub offers good food and a number of specials. All appear to use local products. We had a light lunch which was excellent and good value. Definitely worth seeking out.

Great food and warm atmosphere.

One of the best atmospheres I’ve experienced in a pub. We were made to feel welcome by every single customer and member of staff. Food and drink were excellent as well!

Lovely place good pub food. and the highlight the parrot.

This is situated a few minutes walk from Dunster village. Nice old style pub. Reasonably priced. They do food which looked really nice. Staff friendly and welcoming. They have a pool table and a dartboard. Plenty of seating inside. Found to be a nice find. They don't do food Sunday night but still would recommend. Nice to come here after walking around the castle and village.

Closed with notice on door despite google & website saying it’s open

Great, friendly pub, the parrot was the star with his entertainment, the food was lovely and the staff were great and nothing was too much.

Just like a pub should be, really friendly people.

The foresters - a fairly solid three, heading the four direction. Its a good locals pub at the end of historic West Street, sort of at the edge Dunster village heading inland It offers a range of home cooked food, and when I visitied over the period between Chrstmas and New Year l was served and enjoyed a good point of Otter beer. There was a log burner on to heat the main bar area, but it cold in the area reserved for food, which let it down a bit hence the score as they could have perhaps matched the warm welcome and loveley service with a bit more actual warmth! Ooo and look out for the parrot, it definitely adds some querky charm to the place!

Such a friendly pub. We love you, Pat!

Good local pub, friendly staff and locals. You'll love the parrot???

Nice pub to pop into for a pint. It had a roaring fire going on a very wet and windy night. Nice to relax on the sofa's by the fire!

Just how an English pub should be

Nice pub cracking skittle alley

Great dog friendly pub in a lovely village. Hope to go back and try their food soon

Nice village pub, don't forget to speak to Nelson the parrot.

Well kept beer. Good honest food at a good price.

Lovely stay, really quiet and friendly and great price. Thank you Pat, Gavin and colleagues!

We got a very warm welcome from Izzy the barmaid in this clean and cosy locals pub. On offer two ales Otter and Exmoore Pale ale, both of good quality. This is a proper pub and the locals chat happily with you, food is on offer lunch time and evening but we did not try today but heard it is good pub grub. Pool table and juke box is next to the talkative parrot. Plenty of seating. Definitely recommended..... UPDATE, we enjoyed the pub so much that we returned to try the food out and I'm very pleased to say it is very good too, Ems the barmaid is our host tonight and is lovely keeping the steady stream of customers happy. Very efficient ! Food is excellent as good as the service, piping hot, quickly served and freshly made, decent portions too. Special note, the Chilli and rice with warm crusty bread was especially lovely, but my family enjoyed everything served up from fish, to mac n cheese to baguettes. We just had room for four puddings afterwards which were washed down with another round of drinks. All in all the tab with 2 rounds of drinks and food came to £72, for four of us that is very good value for money. Do seek this pub out if visiting Dunster, we will do the next time we visit.

Great pub, friendly staff, skittles alley!

Nice low key easy going boozer with a good feeling about it, as well as a pool table and dart board, Nelson the resident bird has a great sense of humour.

Lovely staff very friendly good prices too

Absolutely lovely pub the food is beautiful home cooked and definitely worth a visit 😊

Good beer and friendly staff would recommend

A fantastic, proper pub. Gosh I haven’t had a pint of Murphy’s on draft for years!! What a treat. Lovely staff, great pub. I’d love my local to get back to this. Can’t beat it.

Fantastic welcome. Great food. Beautiful, spotless proper pub

Popped in for a drink during a recent visit to Dunster. Whole family and dogs were wet and a bit muddy but we were welcomed in regardless and refreshed. We returned a few days later for a meal, and every dish our group ordered from the fantastic pub grub menu was excellent. Staff, locals, and pub parrot were friendly and we had a great evening in their company. Great to see a traditional pub getting the basics right!

A warm welcome and very dog friendly very much a traditional village pub with friendly bar staff and locals but still able to offer a good range of food without all the hype of a gastro pub

Excellent food, friendly staff, good prices, great coffee.

Great Traditional pub with a friendly welcome and good food!

Always have well-kept guest ales and food is good.

A lovely welcoming place, very friendly and nice pub grub. For those visiting the castle, it would be useful to know that it's a stones throw from the Water Mill.

A friend and I had dinner at the Forresters Arms on Saturday evening and we were particularly impressed with the standard of the food.You can immediately tell that it was freshly cooked to order.I chose tasty Cumberland sausage with new potatoes and carrots and thick delicious gravy.My friend selected Chicken Tikka Masala with rice and naan bread and it was mildly hot which satisfied him because he’s not too keen on spicy food. We had our drinks and we’re quite happy to wait a little longer because it showed that all the choices were cooked to order. The service was good and there was a lovely atmosphere in the pub.We will definitely return.

Nice pub & friendly staff. And an entertaining parrot!

Excellent food. Friendly staff. Pleasant environment.

Really lovely pub with welcoming staff and yummy home cooked food. Went as a family of 4 and we all enjoyed our meals. Kids loved meeting the dog and parrot, Nelson.

Lovely quaint family run pub and b&b. Food is so home made and reasonably priced. Very friendly staff as well. It also has a parrot called Nelson!

This place never changes. Good drinks every year. Pleasant atmosphere.

A nice pub very welcomed by pat and Colin, Nelson the parrot cracks me up

Lovely welcome, laid back atmosphere, friendly people, customers and staff alike. Had a really good meal, not pricey or small portions, good local beers too.

Great welcome, Great food and Kronanberg 1664 on tap👌

A great pub, a simple menu of quality fresh food with a friendly atmosphere. The staff are efficient, quick and helpful too. There is plenty of parking at the bottom of the lane.