The King John Inn in Wiltshire

Thank you ALL at King John Inn. we were a party of 17 persons are very impressed with service and quality of food on offer The unit was very busy but the service was great. We will return in the future

Hi, Firstly I want to say that I don't normally write reviews, especially unfavourable ones ! however, on this occasion I thought you would appreciate some honest feedback. We booked a table for Christmas Day Lunch for 5 people, we were one off the last sittings. On arrival we were greeted by very welcoming staff, orbit under pressure and looking very flustered ! then shown to our table. Sadly we had to wait 40mins to get our drinks and nearly an hour to get our starters which only consisited of a few very, very small sad looking salads and a tart that was burnt! Regrettably it didn't get better, it took an age to get our main courses. It was very apparent that the turkey roast had been pre cooked then reheated. This resulted in the potatoes, yorkshire's being too tough to eat and soggy vegetables. The food was barely warm and looked like it had been simply dumped onto the plate without much thought ! However, the toffee apple tart was to die for; absolutely wonderful ! You have a lovely pub in a lovely location and lovely front of house staff, they just needed more support ! Can't say much about Kitchens ! You may have under-estimated the work involved ; maybe just a day in the office ! This was a special occasion for us and the first time we have eaten out on Christmas Day; at £500 plus I don't think we will venture out on Christmas Day again !! End ;

Having decided to spend Christmas away from home, we found the King John Inn which fulfilled our criteria: a comfortable room for four nights, dog friendly, and a good Christmas lunch. Just before we left home we received a welcome call. On arrival, we received a very warm welcome, including a treat for our dog. We were shown to a lovely big room with huge bathroom, which proved to be extremely comfortable - including the supersize bed. Facilities included ground coffee for a cafetière and specialist black tea and a small thermos of fresh milk. Brilliant. We dined in on our first evening. We chose only starters but added truffle and pecorino fries. Delicious. The fries were the best I’ve had anywhere. Next day we joined for breakfast. The most creative menu I’ve seen anywhere. Again, our terrier was greeted with a treat - a tasty cut up sausage. Our room was serviced whilst we were out and on return, we found a lovely big dog bed had been added to our room. On to Christmas Day lunch at the King John which was indistinguishable from a perfectly home-cooked lunch. Impressive. My only niggle was that my Christmas pud was badly burnt and too hard to cut into. I could have asked for another but I’d had consumed more than enough to eat so to complain was unnecessary on a day when all staff were very busy. So, to sum up. A delightful Christmas break in an extremely comfortable Inn with exceptional service. They definitely go above and beyond to ensure their guests have a great experience. A huge thank you to every member of staff we met and those behind the scenes. We can’t wait to return.

The staff were very friendly and extremely helpful, really enjoyed my stay at the King John! The room was perfect and the area was so quiet which was lovely. I would love to visit and come and stay again in the near future thank Paul

Oh dear - lunch with 4 friends and we waited 80 minutes for our food. The pub wasn't that busy and if the staff had told there was "only one person" in the kitchen we would probably have gone elsewhere

Arrived lateer than expected, welcome by Kate was lovely as were the bar and room. Excellent breakfast. All round a lovely place that I will definately use again

Visited yesterday evening for a pre.-Christmas catch up with friends. Great food, lovely service and a very entertaining quiz night - terrific!

Another excellent meal at The King John, spoilt for choice from their menu… the roast parsnip starter looked fantastic (2 friends had it and really enjoyed), the festive turkey ham and leak pie was wonderful. Everything beautifully presented. Everyone enjoyed every course. The atmosphere and staff were really great. I wish it was a bit nearer..l would visit much more often! Definitely recommend!

Lovely atmosphere- very country Christmas feel

I've stayed here twice on road trips to the Southwest. I like its traditional inn vibes, quiet location, good food, real ales, and easy parking. And if you're a member of the Butcombe loyalty scheme, there is a discount on stays at any time. Recently refurbished, the new interiors are great and a real step up. The rooms are comfortable, with a hotel-like ease. The food recently has been top notch too. Some points for improvement, the pub feels a little understaffed for what is really a hotel, and service at dinner could have been more attentive. My room had a slight whiff of dog. But overall, a great place to stay.

Loved it. Staff were great, very helpful and wanted us to enjoy the stay. Food was excellent - restaurant alone well worth visiting. The area looks beautiful, but storm Bert was in so we didn't see so much of it. We have booked again in February next year.

Great country pub, lovely detail and super comfy, we met friends for dinner and it was also superb.

As we walked in the pub looked lovely. The tables were set with nice cutlery, glasses and napkins. However, the room was smokey, there was an open fire that wasn’t drawing well. Although the hearth was large and it was a cold day (it had been snowing) the open fire was very disappointing. The pub was cold and the radiators were not on. The meals were excellent, good flavours and well presented. The staff were friendly and we were well looked after.

A lovely pub with far better than usual pub food.

Everything was faultless We had such a lovely welcome, shown to our room on arrival then asked if we would like a complimentary drink before we settled in Room was tastefully decorated as was the pub itself Lovely roaring fire made us feel at home. Dinner was excellent as was Breakfast We will definitely be back Thank you

Beautiful place to stay and fabulous upgrade to their best room which was totally unexpected - thank you. Delicious breakfast too.

I have not stayed at this pub, but it is a pleasant location for a Sunday lunch, with a good bar and drink options,. However, there were two issues which I commonly find in hostelries of this type. The roast beef described as medium/rare was brown all the way through. That might be the result of booking a table at 4.15pm, meaning the beef may have been cooked some hours earlier, but if a venue is offering medium/rare beef then that is what you expect. Also, for a lovely old bar with plenty of character and tables of people chatting and creating their own atmosphere, why play at quite some volume music by soul divas? I would not play it at home, so why do I want to listen to it when I eat out? I accept some people filter background noise out, I don't. A neutral form of instrumental music - modern, classical, jazz - would be better. Otherwise this pub scores well, but I'll stick to its roast chicken next time.

Met friends for Sunday lunch the food was fantastic lovely tasty beef and veggies. We will definitely return. Thank you.

Shame no butcombe beer on . Rooms v nice but chilly. The staff lovely and even though our shower did not work they were v apologetic

The roasts were ok but the puddings were so disappointing that I don’t think we’ll be back. The server over-sold the ‘special’ which was a white chocolate bread and butter pudding. It was awful - cold (you’d have thought she might have mentioned that), a watery berry compote and no crème anglaise as promised. The second, a cheesecake was only average. The chef obviously has skills but why try to mess about with the puddings (deconstructing cheesecake and serving solid cold B&B pud) The second Butcombe pub in a row that has been a disappointment so probably best not to try another.

Excellent all round. Food, bedroom and location great, but above all a friendly welcome. Looking forward to a return visit!

We came with some friends to celebrate my Husband's birthday. Thanks to the generous loyalty card, we enjoyed a complimentary drink on arrival. The food and service was excellent, and being dog friendly we took our dog with us (she has separation anxiety so we prefer to take her along with us) and she enjoyed some treats too! This was our third visit and we'll definitely be back!

Had a very well prepared and good quality lunch delivered with very attentive service. Great location for walks in the outstanding location of Cranbourne Chase.

Had a lovely Sunday lunch here. Service was excellent and food delicious and great quality.

Very friendly place. Helpful staff & excellent food. Very clean & well presented establishment. Well worth repeat visits.

We had such a great stay! The staff was so welcoming, a special thanks to Charlie who made our time there perfect! The room was beautiful and very charming. We had dinner at the restaurant and the cheese soufflé was sooo good. I definitely recommend for a beautiful get away from the city

Had Sunday lunch here with the family. Good food. Service left a bit to be desired but it was a busy Sunday afternoon. Car parking is very limited at busy times.

A little bijou but fine for one night. Food and service was excellent.

An all round wonderful place. Staff, location, food and rooms all exceptional. Couldn’t fault the place and the hotel is dog friendly… looks forward to staying again… Ps. The breakfast was unreadable

Welcoming, friendly and accommodating staff, great location for a walk and delicious lunch afterwards! We will be back.

The staff are always welcoming and do everything that they can to make your experience special. The food and drink (We had an exceptional bottle of Amarone!) is excellent. Can't recommend enough - chilled classic country vibes with excellent service, and in a stunning location.

Has a great evening meal at the king John.. great food and cozy atmosphere with a lovely log fire.. the new refurb is great also. Great staff, great chef, great location.

Really good food. Service was excellent. Staff were friendly and efficient. Wednesday evening with 25% discount made it very reasonable! We only came for dinner.

Our 2nd stay at this beautiful Inn. Room exceeded our expectations and service provided by Charlie and her team was excellent. Highly recommended.

A beautiful building in a lovely setting. An extremely warm welcome, the staff were friendly and very helpful: they resolved all our requests. No problem was too difficult for them. The food was delicious and the menu offered an interesting choice. Worth going out of your way to stay here.

Love it here, will always visit at least once a year, good food (leeks were under cooked). Very dog friendly, great choice of wine and beer, cosy atmosphere and fabulous staff/service. Room at the front prone to traffic noise (ear plugs supplied) and no cold water from bath tap. Sad to see kippers off the breakfast menu. I know I sound a little negative, but we still love coming here and would fully recommend.

We had a fantastic time, and the bar tender was so kind and helpful recommending a new liqeur which has become my favourite. Thank you for making our stay so lovely.

What a refurb! We stayed at the King John a few years ago and were absolutely astonished to see how well the pub looks like now. The attention to detail is palpable from check-in and throughout our whole experience. The staff were very friendly but professional. Special mention to the cheese soufflé and the wellington. Breakfast was very good, lots of choices, amazing speciality coffees and the live fire was just the touch that made it magic. There was a bunch of classic cars WOW what a view. Congrats to Charlie, Wes and their teams. We definitely will be back I can't recommend enough!

What an amazing place to stay. The rooms have recently been refurbished and they look amazing and have everything you could want and didn't know you needed. The bed and pillows were super comfy. The staff were very friendly and nothing was too much for them. I peeked into the executive room and I think I would rename it - the Love Nest - unless you wanted a very wonderful executive room. I can imagine being in there for a couple of nights for a lovely romantic time out. The supper food was very tasty and the full English in the morning hit the spot. We were greeted with a complementary drink. All in all, it was an amazing stay and the best best place we stayed on our trip. It is in the middle of nowhere but it was worth it when we got there. I would go back in an instant.

Wonderful place to stay and eat in quiet location with great history

Lovely place, great rooms but spoilt by service. Everything seemed to want close down early on Sunday night. Having had a lovely evening with family in the bar and spent a lot on drinks we felt under pressure to go. We were told we could order food later but this was not the case. Breakfast was beautifully presented but cold. There were items not on the plate which were ordered such as smoked salmon. No toast offered and extra tea ordered did not arrive. Lighting could be better in breakfast area and rooms.

Delicious food, friendly service.

LI’m v like punch and staff were superb

Lovely pub. Great rooms and marvellous staff.

Lovely stay in a charming Inn with great staff a in a beautiful location.

Had a great meal here last night, service was excellent, very friendly staff. Menu was varied and interesting, presentation very good. Would definitely recommend and will become our go to pub. Only slight downside, there is limited car parking here.

Thank you for a very warm welcome and for looking after us. Many compliments to the head chef for the food, they are very good

This is a very special place, with delicious food and drinks, friendly staff and gorgeous surroundings.

Great meal at a competitive price

Monday night dinner out with Husband and daughter. Food was fabulous, service was great, even though there was a slight mix up with the order which was quickly rectified, overall lovely evening.

Lovely village inn, great food and beautifully decorated room. Staff very friendly and helpful.

We had Sunday lunch at the King John Inn. We had been a couple of times before and loved our time there, really enjoying the food and ambience. This time was very different. We were a party of 4 and each of us felt very disappointed with our lunches. My focaccia was stale, the dipping oil was drowned by acidic vinegar, the belly of pork was extremely fatty and the entire plate was over salted. And so on. It was hard to pay the bill. We understand that they were short staffed (the Manager was as ever very courteous and kind) but the quality of the food was quite frankly very poor.

Excellent accommodation and lovely staff!

A beautiful little pub with lovely rooms at a reasonable price, breakfast was exceptional

Great characterful inn and restaurant with great service and food. Rooms are comfortable and quiet so a good nights sleep for all of us!

What a gem. Idyllic, quiet location, enormous and luxurious rooms, and staff that are extremely friendly and aim to make your stay as perfect as possible. I was amazed to hear that they are due to close next week for refurbishment: I thought that the standard was high enough to be just after a refurbishment! The mind boggles at what it will look like afterwards - so I shall definitely have to return! Decent value for money too.

Stay was perfect and the staff adorable. The place is great and the hotel's restaurant is excellent (I am French - believe me).

Stayed for 2 nights (either side of a nearby wedding). Location and buildings were idyllic and staff were an absolute joy- nothing was too much trouble. Rooms were lovely (although a strategic lick of paint in a couple of high traffic places would help). Thank you all.

Very quaint and very friendly, very good food

Thank you so much for being very flexible and welcoming

The Lovely King John Inn was perfect for our needs. All the staff were wonderful, great quality food. The Sunday roast was excellent, the room had character in keeping with the inn itself. We had a family wedding at Larmar Tree house, so the King John was in the perfect location. Loved my stay ❤️ Beautiful little village. Great value!

Superb hotel, very warm welcome. Hearty breakfast.

We walked from Ludwell and tried to have breakfast. We arrived before 10 but were told that breakfast was over. Why advertise what you don’t really do?

We booked five rooms for the family for a one night stay after our son’s beautiful wedding at The Larmer Tree Gardens. All was great apart from mine and my husbands room which was the most expensive. There was no water in the room but luckily we caught the staff who were just closing the pub. In the morning I went to make a cup of tea for us both and there was no milk. Also a huge and beautiful room but no dressing table and mirror. I found a mirror on the inside of a wardrobe door and made a stool out of the little round coffee table however there was no plug socket close enough to plug in the hair dryer so couldn’t see what I was doing. The young man who was taking the breakfast orders and making the tea juice and coffee as well as serving everything did an amazing job serving 14 of us sitting outside😊

Very pleasant stay. Lovely evening meal. Breakfast quite limited. Limited to tasty cooked breakfast, although 3 options were unavailable. Nothing on offer other than cooked breakfast. Asked for fruit juice, no toast offered, 1 cup of coffee brought to the table. No top up offered.

Lovely room, great breakfast options and also dinner menu was delicious. I was staying for work and it was a good spot between offices that was visiting.

Lovely place, character inn, in the middle of rural Dorset, with beautiful countryside all around. Lovely rooms, food and drink. Would go again!

We had another great meal at the King John Inn, definitely worth a visit for their quality cuisine, and pleasant village location.

We had Sunday lunch and was predominantly served by Jules. The food was delicious and Jules was polite, efficient and competent. We are definitely going to recommend the King John Inn to our friends and family.

The building, food, and atmosphere were fantastic. The manager made the whole experience for us. We stepped into a busy pub and restaurant and even though all the staff were busy the manager made an effort to acknowledge us and then come to say hi as soon as he got a second. His welcome and explanation of rooms, services etc was considered and very polite and throughout our stay we were made to feel that we could ask for anything which was great. The breakfast and the breakfast choices were fantastic. The beds were comfortable and the room was nice and warm. I would definitely recommend staying here.

Here for a wedding - would come back just to stay anytime. Customer service is second to none. We have a toddler and my partner finds things quite stressful day, to day and the hotel are just so accommodating and helpful. Makes a stay an experience - as it should be. They have REAL cafeteria coffee in the rooms - we stay in 5 star hotels in London that don’t have this - this is genius of them. Brilliant. Thank you and deserves this review

Went to this pub for a drink and a small meal after a dog walk, staff were very friendly and attentive even offered water and a snack for our dog which of course he loved great pub very yummy food and even better atmosphere

Pretty disappointing. Went for a meal with a few friends. Ordered starters and mains. Service was friendly but food was underwhelming, especially considering the price point. My friends steaks were really chewy. I ordered the pie of the week (Chicken ham and mustard with seasonal green and 'proper gravy') the chopped broccoli stalks in the greens were so woody they were inedible (had to spit these out), the top of the pie was burnt and dry inside, and there was half a wish bone in the pie and some smaller shards of bone too. Not sure about how 'proper' the gravy was either. Mentioned all this to the waiter when he collected our plates but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. wasn't expecting anyone to bend over backwards but some acknowledgement would have been nice. If i had the option to come again i would opt out.

Came across this pub by chance while walking and what a lovely surprise! The food was really tasty, fresh and interesting, great location and friendly, efficient service from Jules and the lady (presumably manager) there. I'd definitely travel to visit again.

Thanks to our waiter Jules for his attentive service, good knowledge of the menu and charming manner - especially when bringing us an unexpected treat for our dog Amber!

Called in for a drink and the staff were very friendly and accomadating. Reasonably priced drinks and lovely furnishings and decor

Lovely pub in the middle of a beautiful village. Stopped mid-walk for an impromptu lunch. Delicious lunch and Butcombe beer ably served by a very nice young man called Jules. Great service!

Excellent meal in a perfect gastropub environment. The food is outstanding as is the service. Good selection of beers and wines but the latter are quote expensive. A very enjoyable meal

In nearly 50 years, I've never heard my husband say that a pub meal was exceptional but it really was! We all enjoyed wonderful Sunday lunches with delicious, beautifully cooked meat dishes and a great selection of freshly cooked veg. Many thanks to the kitchen staff and Andy who looked after us.

We split our walk around Cranborne Chase with lunch at the King John Inn in the pretty village of Tollard Royal. We were promised a warm welcome on the board outside before we entered and they delivered in full. The room is open, comfy and stylish. There is also lots of seating outside on a raised area. Service was relaxed and friendly. We drank an excellent pint of Butcombe ale and had a delicious meal of local venison faggots and the richly filled shin of beef and ale pie. If this pub had been at the end of our walk, we would probably have spent the rest of the day there. As it was we had to walk the hill back to our car. We’d happily do the walk again to revisit the King John.

The King John Inn and the staff was excellent 👍 We had room (2) lovely a nice view into the village. Lunch and Dinner was great. I am a big foodie and the food was the best I have had for a long time 🍴👍 The staff and chef’s were very friendly and engaging to talk to, which makes you feel at home. A great Seasonal Menu with a varied choice. Keep up the Good Work to all at The King John Inn 😀😀👍👍 Thanks David & Helen we will be back.

Good basic clean room with a fantastic breakfast included in the price. Needs bigger bed and we were in the stable block upstairs which is a little claustrophobic!

Enjoyed a really good lunch at the King John. It is a really nice place with a warm a friendly feel. Andy the manager was excellent and runs the place so well. Food was good with decent choice of food. Compact but decent wine list. We will return.

Beautiful location, excellent service and the best breakfast ever!

A friendly, attractive pub with a comfortable atmosphere. Good service, treats and menu for dogs. Excellent food with interesting, modern cooking as well as traditional food choices. Exceptional wine list. Definitely will return!

We booked a weekend away with our dog having read reviews from others about the King John Inn. It was outstanding in every respect. Dogs are very welcome, Wilfie our furry boy had a great time. Our room (7) was lovely, clean and felt like our own little apartment. The drink selection was excellent at the bar, the food absolutely superb. Our evening meals were great, but for me it was the breakfasts that stood out. Best sausage ever according to my wife. And she knows her sausages! All the staff were excellent, especially Sam who was working on Friday evening, great service and very welcoming. We look forward to returning!

Appaling, the food is almost cold and terrible. the staff seemed rather impatient while taking the time to decide what we would like, with my children. I would not recommend to come here at all! Ruined our day.

Great supper with friends at the King John Inn. The menu was very good with something for everyone and a strong range of beers and wines to accompany. The star of the show was Jules who managed to remain charming, efficient and attentive despite being very short on colleagues on a busy Saturday night service. Very impressive young man. Thanks Jules!

We had a great meal at the KJ last night. The food was excellent, but what really stood out was the hard work and dedication of Jules, our waiter, who seemed to be running the place single handedly. He was superb, trying his best, friendly, appreciable and detailed in dealing with our requests. Most impressive! Good beer too!

We visited for lunch on Mother’s Day. I was especially impressed with the attentiveness of the staff. The food itself was delicious. The venue is cosy, comfortable and smartly designed. They definitely need more car parking spaces but overall we thoroughly enjoyed our meal and thought the choice of food, and kids menu too, was perfect.

Delicious lunch, wonderful service, especially from Jules

Superb meal! Very, very impressed. Reasonably priced and delicious food the biscoff doughnuts were a highlight! We will be back soon for sure!

We had another wonderful lunch at the King John Inn. Top notch service from Jules (thank you, Jules) and delicious food - particular praise for the Cornish mussels and the vegan ravioli (even from one non-vegan). Thank you all.

Great food, great beer, great location and the rooms were lovely. Dog friendly which was great as well. Perfect for an overnight stay. Good job Andy the manager and your hard working team. All very friendly.

While house hunting we stopped in The King John Inn for a lunch. Whole place was very inviting and well set up. Friendly and quick service from Zoe and Andy was briliant and food was extremely tasty. I would also highly recommend to taste local beer! Overall experience is great and we are looking forward to dine here again!

Why can’t chain businesses such as Butcombe hire Chefs and allow them to be creative? Clearly the food here is designed centrally and rolled out across all branches. Poor quality produce at high prices is such a disappointment. Customers don’t mind if there’s not a huge choice but we want delicious exciting food, locally sourced as Dorset has an abundance of excellent local suppliers! Such a shame as staff and location are fab

Great birthday lunch with friends courteous, amiable and efficient professional service. Delicious food. Both Zac and Chef Ash will to go the extra mile to make our visit outstanding.

Went for dinner yesterday and it was exceptional. The chicken saltimboca was a personal favourite. Our waiter Jules provided brilliant service and he has the same name as me 😂 how funny!

Excellent experience for a Sunday roast. We contacted the King John Inn one day before to book and let the team know that one of our party was vegan. We were informed that there was a vegetable wellington on the menu with a couple of traditional sides unavailable for a vegan diet. When we arrived, Jules was friendly and efficient - he informed us that, having given notice of our vegan guest, Chef had adapted the sides for a vegan diet. The meal was superb. I must congratulate Jules on some great customer service.

Good food both nights of our stay and great drinks. Would have liked the option of cereal, fruit and yogurt at breakfast but cooked breakfast was very good.