The Fox Inn in Purbeck

Coming to corfe for 40 years. Little fox inn but best eatery in the village with great staff. Waiting to pay tonight 26/4 and heard a couple complain about food (probably trying to get a discount and he said he has been a chef for 4 years) I have been a head chef for 42 years and catering manager and totally disagree with their comments! What a pub the fox in is - fantastic place to eat and highly recommended it 😁

We booked for a family dinner for my husband’s birthday. The food was absolutely lovely and the staff are lovely! One couple made a point of complaining about the food, stating that the husband has been a chef for four years…my husband told the bar staff that he has been a head chef for 42 years and had no complaints whatsoever, even stating that the food at The Fox is the best in Corfe Castle and we’ve been visiting for 30 years.

This must surely win the award for cutest pub in Corfe. The staff were extremely friendly and drinks were provided from a good range.

Most customer’s posts I note are quite positive and therefore I am not happy about spoiling the mood. The day was sunny but certainly not warm. Despite stating they have a fireplace, the fire was certainly not lit and most people, all of a certain age, were sat in the pub still with their coats still on. The radiators were also not on and obviously the pub was quite cold, which does not make for a very comfortable experience. The girl serving at the bar was very pleasant and helpful. We had ciabattas, they were unfortunately very bland, we also had some skin on chips; they seemed to be simple oven chips, not much effort put into either; again, very disappointing. We found the prices to be reasonable, but unfortunately that did not make up for the rather tasteless offerings. The menu also doesn’t match the menu shown on line, which was the autumn menu 2024, when we were at the beginning of spring 2025 (although there doesn’t appear to be that much difference). We have been to this establishment previously in the summer months, when the food and ambience seemed much better, so in our opinion there is quite some room for improvement.

All the staff were very polite and helpful. The food was really nice (2x Fish and Chips and 4 roast dinners.) Apple crumble was also perfect. *They also allow dogs I would definitely recommend.

We had a lovely Sunday dinner after visiting Corfe Castle. The pub was VERY busy so be sure to book ahead. They were more than happy for our children, age 5 and 8, to share a meal. Food and service very good.

We enjoyed a fabulous Sunday lunch, the staff were absolutely excellent and so was the food. My only qualm was that I do like dogs but being a small pub lounge area the dogs did smell and it made us want to eat quickly and leave. perhaps there should be an area where no dogs are allowed?

The Fox is a cute little traditional pub just round the corner from the castle. It's small so in high season you need to book. At first glance the menu looks a bit pub grub but a second look will show you the extra quality and effort involved. My chicken supreme had a wonderful sauce and great veg purée. My wife's tomato pappadelle was made with heritage tomatoes. Sounds daft but it smelt and tasted of tomato in the way that supermarket toms never do. We shared bead and olives to start and I had a cheesecake pud ( 4 mini cheesecakes) Three drinks and it it came to £75. This is our fourth visit and we're so glad the quality is consistently good. We'll be back again!

A great find! Just a short walk from the castle. A small quaint pub with great food and exceptionally friendly staff. Will definitely return.

Such a cool ancient pub. The lamp lit alley and the higgledy piggeldy layout feel unchanged since medieval times. It’s was also beautifully candle lit for Christmas.

We were on holiday in the area visiting Corfe Castle and were looking for somewhere to have lunch when we stumbled upon this delightful little pub. The pub had a warm friendly atmosphere and were more than happy to welcome us with our dog. The food was excellent and the service was brilliant. If it wasn't for the fact that we were going home I could have quite happily stayed there all day as it was so nice. If you are in the area I recommend that you spend a little time here; like the castle it is worth a visit.

We had a fabulous (2 for 1 offer) roast dinner. The food was delicious served by friendly staff. We will definitely be coming back. The Fox Inn has a lovely cosy atmosphere.

Fantastic food, attentive bartender, accommodating chef, would thoroughly recommend. Open log fire made for a lovely cozy feel which was very welcome on a cold and wet evening.

An absolute Gem food perfect, Staff helpful friendly and accommodating atmosphere is everything you could hope for in a proper English Pub. Can't rate this place and Staff highly enough.

This is only the second time I’ve been to this pub, I love the place! Very warm welcome, good prices and excellent food ( oh and the ale is good too) Certainly not the last time we will be going there, shame it’s not closer to home. Thanks for a lovely evening, fantastic food and a lovely open fire to keep us warm.

The best restaurant to eat at!!! The Fox had the best menu out of all the places we went to and we actually visited twice! I would recommend the dirty fries/Asian cauliflower and chicken wing starters-Pan fried chicken supreme and the Fox Inn burger! The service was excellent and the food amazing!!

This is a small and very old pub. The staff are friendly and efficient. They managed to find us a table at very short notice. The food was excellent and plentiful.

Corfe Castle anytime of day is worth visiting, and also the Fox Inn, a bit more restaurant than pub?, also with a garden at rear.

What a lovely find whilst visiting Corfe Castle! Friendly and inviting. Good food and drinks. The steak and ale pie with a true shortcrust pastry topping was amazing!

This is a relatively expensive place to eat and I am not sure the prices reflect the quality of food or service. The olives with our starter were obviously from a jar and smothered in vinegar. My £30 bland tasting steak was served with few accompaniments - not sure what the point of water cress is? The server didn't ask me how I wanted my steak cooked, no-one asked us during our meal if all was ok, nor when we paid if everything had been satistactory. Drinks service during our meal was fine. We won't be rushing back.

Hi everyone, went for a day out yesterday with my wife & 2 dogs, went for long walk at worth matravers & went on to corfe where we went into the fox public house for a drink & decided to eat. My wife had the pie & i had chicken & avocado ciabatta.. @ £17 & £10 NOT the cheapest but the quality is the guvnor & it was MAJORLY DISAPPOINTING.. at todays prices u need to shout out to 1 & all of the places to be avoided and this is definetly 1.. you live & learn people!!!!!!!

First impressions count. The table was sticky, the menu was a crumpled up piece of A 4 paper and the chairs were marked. Not a great start. The menu was ok with a fair variety but the food was disappointing, the burger was cooked to within an inch of its life and my parter had the steak frites which was a bit tasteless and lacked flavour. My pudding was decent but the overall dining experience was quite poor and vastly over priced. It was such a shame as the pub is situated in the most beautiful village with a great garden and we expected more, much more.

A lovely little pub with really friendly staff. The garden out the back is really nice with plenty of tables to choose from. The menu is quite limited. I had steak and ale pie and the pastry was probably the worst pastry I’ve ever had. I’m not sure if it was old, over rolled or what but it was not pleasant at all. 2 pies and chips for £34 no peas, garnish or anything was quite a disappointment.

During our walk, we wanted to stop for a rest and a coffee. This atypic restaurant is very nice, full-length, it proposes multiples patios. The service is very friendly with always smiles. We love this kind of place. In summary, I recommend this nice restaurant.

We were camping in Corfe last weekend and as soon as we arrived the sun came out! So while we were waiting for friends to arrive we walked into the village and discovered this fantastic little pub. Tiny inside but they have a fantastic long beer garden out the back (you'd never know!). Enjoyed a pint sat in the beer garden on a Friday afternoon. Once our friends arrived on the campsite we told them all about the Fox Inn and we all agreed to have lunch there on the Sunday. Not a massive choice on Sundays but enough for us. They cook burgers on the BBQ at the end of the garden and they are massive and delicious. The chips are slightly over priced @ £4 for a small portion but good! 3 of us had a burger with chips and the other one had the roast beef which looked fantastic. Have already recommended to camping friends, who live fairly locally but didn't know about the Fox Inn. All young staff, really efficient and could not have been friendlier. Lovely choice of real ales and ciders too. We will definitely be back when next in Corfe.

Just had a wonderfully delicious Sunday lunch with great service too. I will definitely be returning at the first opportunity

What an amazing place! Just sat at the bar but the food looked amazing and the service was incredibly especial from Jessica and Keri!

Stopped in for a coffee/pint after getting off the bus late morning. Lovely, quaint place with a very friendly landlord. We so enjoyed our first visit we returned for another drink before getting the bus back to Swanage! Fabulous lemon drizzle cake and wonderful freshly made chips. Other diners were thoroughly enjoying their meals including fish n chips, all food piping hot. If you’re in Corfe it’s well worth ignoring the big pubs at the beginning and following the road round past the model village to The Fox if you want great drinks, great food and a great atmosphere. Brendon the landlord/owner is a top bloke running a little gem of a place and if we’re in Corfe again, there’s no question of where we’ll be heading for refreshments! Thanks for your hospitality Brendon.

Wow what a roast! My family are from Corfe castle so when I come down to visit we do like a meal out. Why haven’t we been here before? The roast was amazing, the veg seasonal and fresh and the staff so cheerful … thank you x

Great friendly pub with excellent food . Lovely ploughman’s et beautifully kept beers. The oldest pub in the village. It has maintained a real pub atmosphere.

Very nice Sunday roasts and a lovely view of the castle from the garden eating area. The home-made Yorkshire pudding was excellent (only with roast beef) but the roast potatoes would have been better had they been cut up smaller. Overall, though, very enjoyable with great, friendly service.

A very pleasant local pub with very friendly and engaging staff. Whilst a limited menu when we dined there were enough choices to ensure you had sufficient options. The food was very fresh, well presented and did not disappoint the taste buds. A place that must be booked in the height of the season. The Inn also provide some gluten free options.

Well worth a visit! staff were friendly, atmosphere was lovely, food was great value for money and home cooked, we had the chicken and leek pie and it had huge chunks of chicken and tasted great! also the food was value for money. Toilets were also very clean. would wholeheartedly visit again

We visited twice whilst on holiday and both times could not have been better. Food was delicious, good choice, speedy service and so welcoming. Lovely place both outside with views and cosy indoors.

Looking for a pint and a sandwich after visiting the castle, we first tried The Greyhound. “Please wait to be seated”, not what I want to see in a pub. While waiting we saw the prices on the menu and went straight out. The Bankes Arms across the road seemed more promising, but said it was too late for a sandwich. To be fair it was about 1445. So on to The Fox. Gabriel was extremely welcoming and helpful, went above and beyond to give us two sandwiches between the four of us, and four cracking pints of beer. Brendan produced the superb sandwiches and our only complaint was that we couldn’t pick up the entire pub and take it back to our own village.

What a treat !! Visited for Sunday lunch and must say it was the nicest roast we have had in a very long time … great food , lovely staff and quaint surroundings - would definitely return !!! Thankyou

Tiny frontage belies the long depth of this pub! Side alley great for taking bikes right into garden, no need to leave out front. Good food and dog friendly. Long beer garden. No car park - as per all pubs in Corfe, but 1hr free stay on road outside (traffic wardens are hot in Corfe according to staff at several pubs) and car park in West St a few minutes walk (£2.20/3hrs, £1.10/2hrs). In photo, the red in centre is the big red table umbrellas in the pub, viewed from the castle.

We were looking forward to our Sunday lunch at the Fox Inn having booked ahead. As it was a gorgeous sunny day we elected to eat in the garden. There is plenty of seating in the garden providing shade for those who wanted it and sun for others. We ordered the Sunday beef roast but they had run out of cauliflower cheese which we wanted as an extra. The roast came and was quite sizeable. Two large thick slices of beef along with a giant Yorkshire pudding. Unfortunately the vegetable selection was disappointing. The leeks and cabbage were boiled/ steamed but I felt the leeks were undercooked. The roasted potatoes and parsnip were not well roasted at all soft and not crispy. A very small mistake but affected my enjoyment of the meal as the crispy well roasted potatoes and caramelised parsnips provide an important contrast of both texture and taste. I’m surprised the chef did not think it was necessary to cook both parsnips and potatoes for longer. The Yorkshire pudding was well cooked so I assume there is someone who works in the kitchen that can do the same for the roast potatoes and parsnips.

We had the grilled vegetarian platter and sat in the garden. It had grilled sweetcorn on the cob, padron peppers, etc. and some good dips to go with it. We greatly enjoyed it.

Couldn’t fault this place. Absolutely incredible food, beautifully presented and tastes just as good as it looks. Great ale also. The staff were polite and friendly and got the balance between being attentive but leaving you in peace just right. My husband has been newly Diagnosed coeliac and the staff couldn’t have been more helpful and knowledgeable about the importance of ensuring no contamination of gluten. Not the cheapest meal But worth every penny and when you compare it to the touristy pub in the main village centre the difference in atmosphere and quality is huge. Retuning asap!

We initially had a few drinks in this wonderful pub. Immediately we had food jealousy. We are so pleased that we choose to eat as the food choice and quality is simply excellent. The pub has an excellent and very large beer garden. As we...

Amazing Sunday lunch. Good value and tastes amazing. Staff very polite and helpful. Good atmosphere

just now NEW Great place. Welcoming, friendly and efficient service and very accommodating too. Food was excellent. Steak frites, fish taco, fish n chips and my own off-piste order of scallops and pigeon starters went down a treat! Just one suggestion - add bacon to...

Qe enjoyed a fabulous Sunday roast. Accommodated 12 of us. Friendly staff, fantastic service and good beer!

Lovely country pub with great views of Corfe castle and friendly bar staff. Unfortunately the food was truly awful. I ordered a starter of pan seared scallops and mew forest strawberries which cost £13. Three bland scallops and a chopped strawberry was not what i...

Mi amigo quiso hacer una parada para tomar algo en este aclamado local. La verdad es que estuvimos muy bien...

Fabulous friendly service received from Gabi Jake and Sophie. A group of us visited to celebrate a birthday. The food was wonderful and very reasonably priced. Would highly recommend if you’re in the area.

You must vist here. The guys behind the bar are amazing, great at putting a spin on your favourite tipple. Ask for a 'Jake' - dark rum, apple juice and a dash of lime; beautiful. Absolutely recommend a visit.

We love this pub. Bought my long time friend who I had not seen many years for an afternoons catch up, great service, fun bar staff and a very handsome waiter😜. This pub has a great vibe and the staff are very friendly and efficient....

Great little pub - just like they used to be - they even have that little hatch where you could buy take aways in years gone by. Very small inside. Friendly bar staff. Good selection of ale.

Absolutely wonderful. Great yummy food. Super price. Excellent friendly staff. Highly recommend for all.

Such a great little place and friendly staff. Will visit again. We just came for drinks but their menu looked great and the food coming out of the kitchen looked even better! Inside is small and cosy, outside there is a massive garden!

Everything is delicious A really friendly pub with delicious and unusual food, short rib with a deep fried gherkin was a fantastic first for me! Highly recommended

Had a lovely lunch here in the very large beer garden. Beautiful setting with a view of the castle. Staff were very welcoming and the food was great. Quick service and very good value for money. Will be returning.

We arrived and be told your table is outside because the weather is nice, you can eat in, after a mile trek, we found our table. We ordered steak frites, hotdog, and pan fried trout, mine arrived, the asparagus was cold, not surprising really with...

Came here for lunch after visiting Corfe Castle. We sat in the garden which was really lovely. I recommend the fish sandwich and the roasted veggie flatbread. The staff are friendly and attentive. I will return again.

Great Sunday roast Lovely gardens overlooking Corfe Castle Good value Staff wasn’t too bad either!😁

Delicious food with interesting and unusual flavours, beautifully cooked and presented. The atmosphere was warm and the staff were friendly and welcoming. The scotch egg starter was superb and we had the rack of lamb and the chicken supreme both of which were amazing. Excellent...

Looking forward to a roast but was so disappointed all of our food came out cold from the kitchen even after complaining they showed no interest in sorting it out 😔 so disappointed we drank up and left won’t be going back any time soon

The welcome and the service are lovely at The Fox. Two of us had the fish and chips and two of us had the lamb rack. Sadly the lamb had very little meat and a lot of fat and gristle. It was not worth the...

The most wonderful setting with an open fire. My family and I ate a vegetable lasagne, roast dinner and a burger for my daughter. The food was so lovely and service was gracious and warm. The only downside would be the toilets... The loo seat...

Slow but friendly service. No parking on the street till about 7pm but free parking at the local car park after 6pm. My wife had chicken supreme which she said was good. I asked for a medium steak. It was well done and very very...

Friendly but limited menu. With better weather the garden would be lovely but the steaks were small and the prices high for the type of grub which was at best mediocre.

We were in Corfe Castle and wanted somewhere for lunch. I'd read about The Fox, so we gave it a try. On arrival, we received a very warm welcome, and tables were moved around to fit our group (5 of us and a dog). Really...

We called to reserve table in advance and it had our name on when we arrived. Staff were great and attentive. Food was really tasty, the fish curry was spicaaay but absolutely delicious. We brought our little dog who was welcomed. Would definitely return!

Quite quite superb meals. Have been twice in one week and that's because, as proper food goes, The Fox delivers really well. Also excellent beer. Also excellent service. Also a friendly welcome. Will go again when next in the area because... The ox cheek croquettes......

Visited again, this time with my brother and sister in law after waxing lyrical about the very decent beer and excellent food. They were not disappointed. Local beer is the way forward and the daily pie, today was lamb, is absolutely superb, both my brother...

Came here with my friend for a meal and the staff were very welcoming. The food was delicious, and it was a lovely atmosphere with a cosy fire. Gutted I was too full to have desert, but just means it’s a good excuse to come...

This is such a lovely pub with a friendly atmosphere and a good selection of food and drink. We had two visits over a weekend and were made to feel very welcome. The staff were kind and generous without being overbearing. The open fire made...

Called in on New Years Day and ordered Sunday lunch, which was delicious. Can’t remember having a better Sunday roast out. Everything was really fresh and cooked brilliantly. We always visit The Fox when we’re in Corfe and we’ve never been disappointed.

A really authentic feeling 16th century Inn - all dark wood and log fire - with genuinely great food and good service. Highly recommended.

Great Sunday lunch - remember to book as it was busy. Venison was good as was the beef. Helpings of veg could have been a bit bigger - the veg were cooked beautifully. Very reasonably priced and good service

one of the most overpriced pubs I have ever been to and I live in London! for 2 pumpkin soups, 1 soft drink and 1 G&T I personally think £ 32.85 is outrageous!! the soup was nothing special, the place is quite cute, but average...

We visited twice whilst on holiday in Corfe. The first time was a Saturday evening. The staff were lovely, really welcoming. I had the duck which was absolutely fantastic. One of the best meals I have ever eaten. My husband had the ribs and these...

We visited this pub/restaurant in Corfe Castle a couple of times during our stay at the end of September. Very good food and a great choice of draught ales. Very friendly staff and excellent service.

Unfortunately, this evening we were really disappointed by our visit. We’ve been coming here for years (decades, in fact) but this visit was very much let down by the food. Front of house staff were fine, we slipped them a tenner. BUT the food, very...

On the main street the pub looks small from outside but actually the garden goes back some distance. A good lunch with prompt service. We shared a hunters platter and chips and it was enough

We popped in for a light lunch after visiting the castle. At first we thought this is small but it’s a garden pub and the garden is amazing. We had a ploughman’s and a hunters lunch which we shared. The menu was lovely the food...

Lovely lunch at the Fox Inn, the garden is huge and there's plenty of seating inside and out. Staff were very friendly, food was tasty and service was very quick. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and highly recommend eating here if you're exploring Corfe Castle.

Great pub full of history but the food let’s it down. Staff were great but the food was just average which is a shame as it could be excellent. Starters we had the scotch eggs, octopus and cod tacos . First two were good but...

Pretty expensive pub, would definitely recommend the greyhound for food instead. Friendly bar staff were lovely but the prices ruined it when the quality wasn’t to par.

Unwelcoming, rude staff coupled with very poor food in an environment that felt like it hadn't been properly cleaned or decorated since 1980. Avoid.

Lovely old pub in the centre of Corfe with street parking. Good selection of real ale. Garden out the back when weather is good ……. Brendon and his wife were great hosts ….. well worth a visit!

Quaint pub down a side street. Huge amount of outside seating at the back of pub. We had coffees and hot chocolates, all very good. Staff were friendly. Contactless payments.

Visiting from Canada, we stayed in the village for the last week of April. The Fox Inn quickly became our local. Friendly, welcoming staff and cozy atmosphere. Lovely huge garden to dine outside with great views of the castle. There are different sections with a...

Delicious and tasty food- we ordered fish & chips mains and a starter of black pudding scotch egg. Quick service. Beautiful neat back garden area with lots of seating.

Sunday roast. Nice pork. Overcooked, sad vegetables. Overcooked roasties and overcooked Yorkshire pudding. I should have stayed at home and cooked. Vety disappointing bland looking and tasting meal. Husband ate most of mine and finished it because after a long journey he was hungry and...

Great garden that stretches for 150 metres! Great place for drink with views of the castle. Food good quality and reasonable and has veg options Recommended

Small portions of pasta with scallops in tarragon sauce. Prawns VERY small and overcooked as we're the scallops, sauce really thin. Not good value for money.

Lovely garden to sit and eat or drink in with views of the castle. We had a quick lunch there which wasn’t cheap for pub grub but was quite nice. Lots of different garden areas to choose from and lots of outdoor seating. Location and...

Amazing pub..not chain..just people who do a pub more focused on amazing customer service/food. I am not a robot or local..just visit when we can..(from West Sussex) & definitely make this a visit when possible. Today had Mushroom & halloumi burger on bbq..+ fries. Please...

Absolute hidden gem! What a place! I tried other local establishments for a quick drink before a meal and they all closed the kitchen rather early. But luckily I found the fox inn! I was greeted by very enthusiastic and helpful front of house staff...

Lovely little place, popped in for few drinks and a bite to eat with some friends. Staff amazing and friendly and food well, outstanding.

What a fantastic place in the heart of corfe castle! Must visit! Highly recommend! Brendon and his team looked after my family brilliantly!

Birthday celebration. The weather allowed us to dine outside in the garden where we had lovely view of the castle. The food was very enjoyable, the staff gave excellent customer service. We would highly recommend and hope to return.

This is a wonderful pub and well worth visiting if you are in the area. The service was friendly and on point, not to mention the food was great - would definitely recommend the burgers in the garden bbq house!

The staff were very pleasant but were let down by the food quality. I had roast beef dinner. The meat was a very small portion of small overcooked, dried out, chewy and tasteless slices of beef. The gravy was also tasteless and watery. My wife...

A hidden gem in Corfe- with a wonderful garden view! Enjoyed a roast here in the sunshine ... bonus pot of extra gravy given when I asked the friendly staff member. :) thank you! Will definitely re visit.

The man pictured told my husband to f**k off and stuck his middle finger up! Absolutely disgusting behaviour especially in front of children! Avoid!

We ate here for dinner. The place is quite dark. I think there were certainly more staff than customers when we arrived which when the staff are hanging around outside smoking by the kitchen and the music in the kitchen is so loud you can...