The Giant Inn in West Dorset

We initially popped in for a drink before dinner, but the lovely person behind the bar was so friendly, the beer was excellent, the food looked good so we booked for dinner for a few days later. My husband had the pork belly, which he thoroughly enjoyed, and I had the most wonderful leek, mushroom and goat cheese risotto ever. We totally recommend The Giant Inn, both as a pub and a restaurant.

The Giant Inn is a welcome sight for walkers looking for a mid-ramble break and hearty meal. My wife and I arrived around 1.15pm on a Wed lunchtime and took a table near the lit fire. We both ordered the pork belly meal which came with mash and seasonal veg. We were both in food heaven as the pork was so delicious and parsnips, carrots and sugar snap peas the perfect accompaniment. We can also vouch for the chocolate brownie and treacle tart with custard desserts to set us on our way warmed up and full of energy! The inn has real character with its historic wooden interior features. We'd recommend the Giant Inn for great food and drink.

The Giant Inn is a great place to stop on the Cerne Valley walk. Situated right in the middle of the beautiful village, it is a freehouse with a good choice of beers and ciders. It has a very nice sheltered garden and a friendly welcome. The food is very good and we had the “walkers lunch” which includes a baguette, chips and soup which is definitely recommended. It is dog friendly.

We really enjoyed our last visit to Cerne Abbas back in 2021 and remembered visiting the Giant Inn - so it was so lovely to come back once again here (on our annual break in Purbeck) for pre-walk drinks. We arrived not long after the pub had opened & had a lovely friendly welcome - we decided to sit outside in the rear garden, & it was so nice to see the sun breaking through as we enjoyed our drinks. As with the whole village, this is a very historic building with lots of history, & I'm sure the 'giant' of Cerne Abbas would choose this as his watering hole if he could come down from that hill! We really enjoyed our visit which set us up for the day & put a spring in our step for our hike around the beautiful countryside surrounding the village. Thanks for making our visit so pleasurable!

Friendly service and super food. We were in a group of 16 for lunch. Our food order was taken once we were all seated, and it appeared promptly, so not too long to wait. Delicious food and a good choice from the menu. Very welcoming staff and dog friendly.

Our walking group visits many pubs for post-walk lunches and this is consistently one of the very best. Always friendly and welcoming, the food is consistently tasty, of a high standard and very good value for money. Sixteen of us turned up today, (having given advance notice of numbers of course), but I was surprised how quickly all our orders were taken and how swiftly our meals arrived. Both whitebait and calamari were on today's "specials" board and both looked and tasted delicious. Good range of drinks available and dogs welcome, so pretty perfect really!

We have been to this pub several times over the last 3 years and it is consistently excellent. Delightful staff, delicious food and good prices too. Highly recommend.

We had an absolutely lovely meal, and the service was amazing. A very friendly local inn with great food and friendly good service. I would highly recommend visiting. A good idea is to phone ahead, as they do get busy.

Came here as 2 couples. It was a first visit to The Giant Inn and wow… was a warm welcome and fantastic Sunday lunch. We had mains and desserts. A good range of choices on the menu. Two had a Sunday Roast - both said it was cooked to perfection. The other two went pub classic and had scampi - a good sized portion and all piping hot. A nice mix of hot / cold deserts. The other thing as well is it is very reasonably priced.

We went to another pub and was disappointed to be told if we hadn't booked they could not feed us, then we're told that the particular dish I was looking forward to was only on the summer menu so it must have been fate that The Giant was on the way home. We dropped in on the off chance and were warmly welcomed to take a seat for both food and drink. The butchers faggots on the specials menu were very much enjoyed and my scampi was generous, well present with a large portion of tartare that along with the chips looked homemade. As a result of sampling the local Cerne blonde, we then visited the brewery tap room for bottles to take home. All in all a lovely trip, two mains and a pint and a half for around £30.

Popped in for some quick easy food whilst staying in the village. Fabulous welcoming staff, clean tables, and delicious egg and chips (other food looked good too). Just what we needed. Thankyou!

We dropped in for lunch and were warmly greeted by the best example of a Pub Landlady I have ever met. She was absolutely excellent, greeted us warmly, knowledgeable about the area and showed us to a table that was clean, of a suitable size and well spaced from other diners. The food, which was excellent (huge portions), arrived very quickly. Everything was clean and homely in a very friendly way. Certainly will be visiting again.

6 of us had Sunday lunch here after walk around the Giant! Staff so friendly and helpful - shared starters which were really interesting / especially black pudding with a blue cheese salad and a dish with wonderful Halloumi. Most had main course of generous servings of traditional roast pork with all the trimmings - plus Yorkshire pud! (Always a bonus!!) Others had scampi and chips which they rated highly ! Good beers. A highlight was post lunch game of skittles in the wonderful traditional skittle alley. In a charming village with 3 pubs (!) this was the best! (They even helped us sort out a light for the fire in the cottage we were staying in! ) Couldn’t have asked for more - thank you to the team!

Excellent food, service and ambience. Great pub with above average everything. We had a great evening and the menu choice is good and the chef listens!

I had a £65 meal in Lyme last week as a treat and was served kale as a sides for £4.75. The lunch yesterday was excellent. Good home cooked good, excellent service and dog friendly as suited my friend Recommending it already to lots of friends. Lovely-thank you

We loved this friendly pub, we'll go back next time we're in Cerne Abbas. It has a great atmosphere, locals at the bar as well as tourists like us, and they were so kind and welcoming even though we had a teething, unhappy 8 month old with us. We loved the food which was delicious and plentiful, with vegetarian option for those who wanted it - I had a divine rissotto with goat's cheese, and the 8 month old loved the vegetables from our plates - they cheered him up! n.b. High chair was provided. Oh yes - the beer is fab too ;-)

Absolutely outstanding local pub with fantastic local ales and home cooked food by a clearly accomplished chef. Steak and ale pie was delicious and rich, full of tender, melting meat in an unctuous gravy with a puff pastry lid. The steak and chips was cooked to perfection and the knife slid through as if through butter. Chips were skin on and the ideal crunchiness. Side of veg was broccoli, mange tout and braised carrots which was delicious and crisp. All served by delightful staff who were friendly and attentive and really kind. A real gem of a pub!

Such a great little find. We came to celebrate my husbands birthday and the food and hospitality were superb! This place has a welcoming cosy feel, I expect a great place after a winters dog walk by the fireside. Would highly recommend.

Visited for lunch on Saturday 22/07/23. What a lovely pub! The staff were really friendly and helpful, the food was very very good, portions were generous and prices really reasonable. Excellent.

Fantastic food and lots of it, very reasonably priced and lovely, friendly staff and service. Wandered in one lunchtime and had a great meal in the pretty garden.

Good value lunch had a prawn baguette which was £8.25. Nice friendly service. Sat in the garden in the back a pleasant spot for lunch.

As always, great ambiance, fabulous food, and brilliant hosts. Always a good welcome. Excellent beers too.

We chose here because it was recommended by the accommodation we were staying in and it did not disappoint. The lady who served us was very attentive and helpful, we were a group of six having pork belly, steak and ale pie and ham, egg and chips, we all thoroughly enjoyed our meal. We also had desserts of treacle tart, eton mess and a chocolate brown, again excellent. Would recommend and visit again if in the area.

Called in on speck in half term after a lovely walk and luckily they had one table left. The other pub up the road was closed so that was probably why. Only one lady serving but goodness me she was working at full pelt , not letting her pregnancy stop her! She warned us there would be a bit of a wait so it was no problem as we expected it. We chose the burgers and they were delicious, everything about them was lovely and the relish was gorgeous. Beer good too and great service.

We had a lovely lunch at the Giant Inn; three yummy baguettes, generous portions. The service was friendly and prompt. Would come again when back in Cerne Abbas.

We met for lunch in this pub and enjoyed a delicious meal. The service was very friendly and nothing was too much trouble. We’ll definitely be back.

Our family group range in age from 2 to 73 and we were all made to feel welcome when we visited The Giant Inn for Sunday lunch. There is a good children’s menu and there was an interesting selection for the adults, who enjoyed Sunday...

We are a family of 13 with one toddler and 2 babies and just had a wonderful afternoon at the Giant Inn. We were very warmly welcomed and the staff were really friendly and polite. The food was top class - everyone really enjoyed their...

We visited here with family and our pooch for dinner. The staff are very welcoming and friendly. Atmosphere was lovely, food was great. The chef very kindly adjusted my dish to fit my needs which was extremely kind. This is somewhere I'd definitely visit again....

Really lovely food and really lovely staff, dog friendly. Had a lovely soup followed by burger, it was really lovely food and served by very nice staff. Visited the pub a few times during the stay in Cerne Abbas always friendly and welcoming. Well worth...

Visited the Giants Inn on a number of occasions this week. My husband and I had some wonderful food all cooked to perfection and lovely and hot . There is plenty to choose from off their menu the pork belly is a real must, very...

We had a big group of friends(12) meeting up for an evening meal. The staff were fabulous, and the food was superb. It was a perfect way to round off a day of activities.

Warm and welcoming. Friendly staff and delicious food. Clearly talented chef who cares about the food that's being served. Delicious!

Lovely friendly staff, nothing was too much trouble. A very nice steak, cooked perfectly and a lovely pudding too! Highly recommended.

Asked to sit outside at one of the few empty tables to be told no room 🤷‍♂️ Went in, very nicely presented inside so ordered 2 lager shandy’s which were warm flicked through the pricey a la carte menu and decided to leave instead going...

We had dinner at The Giant Inn twice during our stay in Cerne Abbas. You need to book as it's very popular. We couldn't fault the food or its presentation. The service was excellent, friendly and helpful. What more can I say?

We visited Cerne Abbas for the first time and thought we'd check out the pubs for a spot of light lunch. So very glad we decided on The Giant and glad we got in when it was still quite early as it soon filled up....

Three of us went to The Giant Inn for the first time yesterday, chosen from random but partly due to reasonable prices compared with other pubs nearby. The waitress, bar tender and all round brilliant host was Briony, she was great and made us feel...

Absolutely lovely place, super dog friendly, food was amazing and really reasonably priced. Bar staff couldn't do enough for us and the dogs.

Very well presented, tasty and plenty of it. Husband said he has never seen so many prawns in a baguette! Staff were lovely too

We enjoyed a amazing meal here tonight as well as staying her in a fabulous room. Everything was amazing and will certainly plan to come back her very soon

The Giant Inn is very much a locals pub with a great buzz. The food is fairly standard pub fare, but it is generous and well=cooked and prices are reasonable

Had a very nice pub meal here last night. The landlady was delightful and food good. Was very impressed by being asked if we would like some water on our table. It’s been years since asked that in UK. Simple thing, but pleasant surprise. Would...

A lively pub with lovely food. Starters were particularly varied. Great staff and reasonably priced thoroughly recommend unless you want a quiet romantic evening.

On Saturday night we went for a family meal at The Giant. 2 Steaks and a Burger were chosen. The food was fantastic. The table next to us had pork belly and they said theirs was lovely. Thank you Simon and your team for another...

Must say what a great way to spend a Saturday evening. A brilliant meal,great choices nice ales and wine .the banter made it an entertaining evening,thank you bar staff and locals propping up the bar for such a great end to our staycation. To top...

Great food with a good selection on menu and staff are very welcoming. Good selection of drinks and lovely beer garden.

What a great place! Dogs are welcome & the staff are friendly. We had starters from the main menu for a light lunch - goat's cheese salad, bread and olives & crab cakes, all delicious.

Having a drink there and the locals were using homophobic language while chatting with the bar person. Went unchallenged and was laughed along with. Would have been a nice enough experience but this ruined it. Won't be returning when there is two other pubs to...

Fantastic lunch made to feel very welcome despite arriving late. Sat in the lovely garden and looked after very well by the lady behind the bar (sorry I forgot your name). The food was excellent we have the chicken pie and smoked haddock pie. The...

We ate here for our 20th wedding anniversary. The service was superb, efficient and the food was excellent. It had a lovely atmosphere. Very busy for a Tuesday night and there was a mix of locals and visitors. The manager was a personable young lady,...

Dropped in after a long walk around the Cerne Abbas Giant. We were greeted by a member of staff who explained food might take 40 minutes which was fine with us. Our party was 4 adults and 2 juniors and we sat around a table...

Great pub, busy but superbly managed. One of the most efficient table services I’ve experienced. Had Sunday lunch - the starters were excellent and a good choice on offer. The main course (roast) was good although not exceptional. A great place to visit with historical...

Very helpful and friendly barmaid. Food was a delicious roast beef and horseradish baguette and big portions. Garden was very relaxing 😃😃

Just walk in the door and the welcome hits you in the face. Good old basic English food, very well kept beer and charming, helpful staff. What's not to like?

We chose Cerne Abbas for meeting up with relatives for the first time in months and catching up on a bit of family history as my Grandmother ran a tea shop in the building opposite the church in the late 50s/early 60s. We chose the...

This was our first visit to Cerne Abbas for many years, and we were looking for a nice venue for a drink following a very enjoyable circular walk around the village and surrounding areas. The village boasts a fair few pubs, but we chose this...

Amazing food, really reasonably priced. Lovely beer garden and service was fantastic! Also very dog friendly. Can’t wait to visit again!

Came here for lunch today and left a very happy lady. Service was just outstanding, both ladies who were serving were just brilliant - so polite and friendly. Food great value for money and very yummy. Very dog friendly. Will definitely be returning and recommending!

We were grand-parents baby sitting for the afternoon. With dog in tow as well. This place was so welcoming and friendly. There was only the one waitress but she was so attentive to everyone. The food came quickly and was nice.

Stayed in Cerne for 4 nights - had 3 meals at The Giant. Great value, quality pub food. Excellent service and dog friendly.

We booked for lunch here after a walk at nearby Minterne Gardens. On arriving we could not have had a more friendly or warmer welcome . Service from the moment we arrived until the moment we left was excellent. A good choice of Beer and...

Excellent food but more importantly the staff are absolutely lovely! So accommodating for a young family, really went out of their way to help us out and it was so appreciated! Would highly recommend and hope we can go back during our stay. Thank you...

Met friends for lunch here today and it was superb. All covid compliant. The two waitresses were knowledgeable about the menu and drinks and were friendly. Good menu. Everything from a baguette to a pie with vegetables. I had haddock, prawn and pea gratin which...

Made to feel very welcome from the moment we walked in. COVID precautions well managed and we felt very safe. Excellent menu choice given the current restrictions. We should think there is a wider choice ordinarily, but even now there is something for everyone. Food...

Had lunch with my 2 daughters and dog between Christmas and new year. Very friendly welcome with just a young lady running front of house who was wonderful. She allowed us to flex the kids meals (one wanted ham, egg and chips!). The steak and...

Visited yesterday for a quick drink, quiet (covid friendly) bar. Back today for a meal which was delicious. Local ale from nearby brewery and staff extremely friendly and helpful. Would recommend in a heartbeat.

Absolutely lovely service. Food was hearty, tasted amazing and brought over very quickly. Would highly recommend the mushroom risotto too!

Such a lovely pub, fantastic service and high quality food, had a very lovely evening! Our server was very friendly and helpful at all time’s, would definitely come again

Friendly & attentive team. Nice menu with specials at weekend. Food was lovely, very tasty burger. Dogs welcome.

Visited the Giant Inn for drinks first night then a full meal the following day. Great atmosphere in a traditional style pub run by Simon and enthusiastic front of house Lucy. Warm welcome on a very busy night! Lucy coped brilliantly serving both evening meals...

Really enjoyed my lunch at this pub. Stopped as part of a walk to see the giant. Definitely book ahead. Great beer, great service. Fantastic, thank you!

We visited the Giant inn twice. Once to have a drink, where we sat in their garden in the sunshine. The other to have a meal on a Saturday evening. Both times the staff were very attentive and followed all the COVID instructions perfectly, so we felt very safe. The meal was perfect and the two girls serving were very good with both the food and drinks. If we had more time in the area we would have visited again.

Excellent pub, great staff, excellent food. Good choice on the menu. Decent portions. Good Covid control measures.

So had 2 evening meals and a Sunday klunch. The two girls working behind the bar were brilliant and lovely and made you fell at home.The atmosphere was nice and seemed to be used by the locals which is always a god sign.The food was excellent apart from a starter which was a weird shrimp in a cream sauce, not good, Im no Ramsey but this was bad, cucumber in a hot cream sauce ???But all in all a great place very resonable. Thanks

Friendly service and really good pub food. The lunchtime 'snacks' are generous portions. I can recommend the Smoked Salmon and Egg Benedict.

We enjoyed lunch in the pub garden on 16 September and enjoyed it so much we returned the following day. The food was superb quality, fresh and generous portions. Friendly and attentive service by bar girls. Extremely dog friendly and great value.

The Giant Inn in the middle of Cerne Abbas a pub with a very friendly ambience. The 2 girls serving, both the beer & the food were a real delight, very chatty & attentive. The meal was good pub grub, not really trying to be anything else, reasonably priced & tasty. A good old pub, not smart, no, but still I would recommend it & would return.

Excellent burger with all the trimmings absolutely delicious and superb service in these unprecedented times. Thank you x

We stayed in the village for two nights and ate here on both evenings. The food was very good and we especially liked the whitebait starter and the steak pie which were both excellent.

Amazing food as always! Huge portions and they adapt the menu to suit. They make their own tartar sauce so instead of ketchup (as per the menu) I had this gorgeous fish finger baguette with tartar sauce. Delish! They are super organised for social distancing. You have to go in the FRONT DOOR, hand sanitise, give your track and trace details, and can either eat inside or in the cute beer garden. It’s REALLY important to follow these instructions: a, to adhere to the health and safety rules, and b, so staff know who is in their establishment. As with most local pubs, food is served between 12-2 and 6-9. Worth checking these details before arriving!

Formerly the Red Lion rebranded as the Giant Inn. Old exterior but not much character in side. Bright and spacious, though, with plenty of room for social distancing. We had baguettes, which were served with fries, packed with good quality fillings and more than we could eat. Very enjoyable. Do visit the village of Cerne Abbas and not just the Giant and pop in here for lunch.

4 of us had lunch at The Giant Inn today; one walkers lunch, two fish finger baguettes and one ploughman’s. All lovely, great chips, and promptly served. Personally would recommend the ploughman’s. The beer was good as well!

We booked a table for seven for lunchtime. Food was beautifully served especially the Ploughmans. Service was excellent. Food came out promptly. Would highly recommend.

I met a friend here for a drink today. We were due to meet at The Royal Oak 100 yards away but very sadly we discovered the door locked and were told by a couple of people who live in the village that the managers had handed back the keys and walked away. A situation I imagine is happening all over the country following recent events a very hard time to be in this business. However when you are offered business and refuse it then sorry if your business fails the blame can be firmly put at your own door. My friend and I were enjoying a drink in the garden when a family of six arrived. They entered through the front door and obviously walked through to see what the garden area offered. They decided to stay and eat as the children were saying how hungry they were. Sadly for them by the time they had settled and went to the bar to order drinks and food they were told it was three minutes past two and food orders stop at two. I honestly could not believe what I was hearing. They had obviously arrived at the pub well before two. All that said the young lady behind the bar was really friendly and delightful but if she is having to contend with a kitchen team who refuse to cook three minutes after their decided time of closure then rather like The Royal Oak it will not be long before she is out of a job as The Giant will not last long. Had they been absolutely heaving and the kitchen under enormous pressure then there may be a case to warn new customers that the kitchen would close at two. However apart from my friend ordering a baguette I was not aware of any other diners and the only other occupant of the pub was a man and his dog. I hope The New Inn accepts dogs otherwise the only other customer will not have a place to drink in in Cerne Abbas very soon. Simply dreadful hospitality and talk about hammering the nails into your own coffin but establishments who refuse to serve because of the reasons I have quoted above do not deserve to survive.

We booked a table of 4 this evening at the Giant Inn, as we are staying in a nearby cottage in what I can only call the most picturesque village in Dorset! The giant inn is the middle of the 3 pubs in the village. With a historic, homely look about it you immediately feel welcomed. We were greeted by a lovely friendly girl who, straight away came across as assertive and knowledgeable of the place and what the establishment had to offer. As we were seated to our table my husband asked what ales were currently on as he fancied a local brew! He was advised on a beer called ‘beltane’ which is from the local brewery just a walk away. The lady was helpful in that she was able to provide the needed info without having to ‘double check’. We ordered our food of the well varied menu which arrived swiftly and was well presented and absolutely delicious! Can not fault it! They clearly know what they’re doing here! It was a throughly enjoyable evening and we will defiantly be returning soon to the Giant Inn.

Booked a table for 4 on day visit to Cerne Abbas, 3 had ham egg and chips plenty of it and beautifully cooked ham was delicious, I had ploughman’s lunch which was the best I’ve had and again plenty of it.Service was fast and efficient and the staff were lovely. We would definitely recommend this pub to enjoy a great meal. If you’re going to climb up the hill to the giant eat after as you will be to full to climb lol

Super evening. No complaints whatsoever. First time I've visited since the it has been taken over. Lots of light and space. Superb salmon starter with nice fresh bread followed by excellent steak pie - one of the best I've had - lots of meat, nice light pastry. If I'm going to make any criticism - I'd say that some people might say that it was slightly too salty - didn't bother me particularly - in fact at all - but some could have an issue. Better to be on the safe side and make with less salt. I will recommend this place to everyone. Will be returning. Very pleasant staff.

Fabulous staff and amazing food. The burger was probably the best I’ve ever eaten and the steak and ale pie was incredibly good too. They really know what they’re doing here. The lady serving deserves a special mention as she was really busy but extremely helpful and friendly to all. Thank you!

Lovely food, in particular the hand made burger and lovely steak pie and hand-cut chunky chips. Service good and staff very friendly.

We met up with some friends there last week for lunch. The young lady behind the bar was friendly and welcoming and nothing was too much trouble. The food was great, freshly cooked and full of flavour. The pub had been sell set up for Covid Avoidance and all in all it was a lovely experience. Would thoroughly recommend.

Stopped for lunch and came across this high street pub which advertised a garden at rear. Excellent spot for lunch, baquettes filled to the brim with prawns , served with chips and a generous salad - great value for money. great service all adhering to the Covid rules with one way system in and out.

We visited on a day out, bear in mind this is 1 week after Covid restrictions have been lifted. The welcome was very warm indeed, the signs in the pub are very clear. Staff couldn't have been better. We ordered food from the lunch menu and it was quite obviously cooked to order and absolutely fantastic. The ingredients were first class and portions were huge! I can honestly say that this was one of the best pub meals I've ever had. We'll be back.

A good pub provides good food, an excellent pub provides excellent food, a superb pub provides excellent food, excellent service and caters for all diets. The whole experience was rated 10 out of 10 by all of the group who have visited many pubs over the years including this one. The new owners have provided a great atmosphere for locals, welcome to visitors and a culinary experience rarely experienced in a village pub. Thank you very much for giving us all such an enjoyable evening. We will be back again!

What a superb place. We have been to all the pub's in Verne Abbas but this was the most accommodating. The food,service and atmosphere were second to none. The staff were very attentive and looked after us well. A large group no problem all dietary requirements met with no fuss. The beers were a good selection and the log fire added that extra touch. All agreed a good find.

Had a great meal with friends and we all thought the staff were very friendly and the food was really good, I would highly recommend.

We came on holiday with friends for the new year and found this pub on google for New Years Day, the young lady behind the bar was very friendly and polite and the food was amazing and reasonably priced, would definitely recommend people come and try it. It is also dog friendly too!

I came upon the giant inn after a five mile walk in the area,i was greeted as i walked in the door by the friendly barman who when i asked about food service pointed me to a menu of traditional and seasonal british food. I chose to have lamb shank in a Guinness gravy accompanied with crushed potatoes red cabbage and winter veg, and to be honest it was the best pub food i have ever had, restaurant quality in fact at a good price. The pub was clean and well laid out and the beer was fresh and in clean glasses. I would certainly visit again.

We came for evening dinner - it's now called the Red Lion again - so glad it has re-opened.The attitude of all the staff was lovely, nothing was too much trouble. The menu was wide and varied, my husband chose the steak and ale pie, and later declared it was the best he had even eaten!I chose fish options and was delighted with the standard of the food. We will be returning.

Amazing food really nice atmosphere the staff are very friendly and helpful so I would recommend a visit to the spectacular pub