The Kings Arms in Purbeck

Overpriced average food. Poor grumpy service.

We visited and although the weather was really poor the kitchen staff were on duty providing very good meals and the service was excellent. All the staff were efficient and friendly.

This is the second time I’ve eaten there and just as the first, the service and food were excellent. We had the Sunday roast, both the beef and the lamb, cooked to perfection and so tasty. Plenty of vegetables which are just as delicious.

A lovely pub with outdoor space, allows dogs in the bar.

The food was excellent and the staff were very good.

Always good service and an excellent menu

A pub restaurant with a great atmosphere and good food in proper portions. We were served by Bay and she was very professional and good humoured and made us feel at home. A very nice evening altogether.

Nice atmosphere to catch up with friends. Very helpful staff and great food.

Lovely little pub in. .the middle .of no where, what a superb find, friendly bar staff and very well maintained ales. Great carpark, lovely locals. We will be back. Loved it.

Very scruffy disinterested staff where we waited one hour and five minutes for our food to arrive. Food was excellent as was the ability to relieve customers of their money on exit. Although the food excellent the overall experience is not value for money.

We visited several times this summer. Lasagne, burger, Cajun chicken, fish n chips, Barnsley chop, pigeon, steak pie and several kids meals were tried out and all were amazing! Staff were helpful and ensured a great time was had. Good beers/cider too! Make sure you fill in parking app! Try the puddings!!!

Nice pub food with a home cooked feel washed down with a pint of cider. It was quite quiet in there for a Saturday night so the atmosphere was peaceful. Choice of pudding was good with purbeck ice cream served with a few options. Would definitely visit again.

Lovely Sunday Lunch (Roast Beef and all the trimmings) plus Vegan Veggie burger - good food and very efficient, friendly service. Would recommend!

Reviewing at the table, which I don't normally do. But it's a totally amazing roast. 4 clean plates. And to finish the most amazing creme brulee and the shortbread was totally 👌 😍. Nice to see somewhere that the team members actually help each other. Not just one server, but everyone was at your service. It's very warm and inviting. Called in last minute at 3pm in the afternoon on a Sunday and plenty of tables. A little Gem. There is only one small downside. Maybe a touch more gravy. But this does not affect the 5 stars this place totally deserves.

visited the pub for the first time today despite visiting the area annually since I was born and I will definitely be back! Prices were reasonable and staff were more than happy to accommodate for food intolerances. Portions were excellent, I had the Cajun Chicken which was modified to accommodate a lactose intolerance and my partner had the steak, both were cooked beautifully and the chips were incredible. We did have a look at the desserts menu but options for dairy free were limited and we were both full so we decided to go without. The waitresses were lovely, and the young lady who took our food order was so patient and kind. My only issue is a lack of vegan mayo but i understand that demand for that may be low in such a small village and so can forgive. Overall a lovely meal and lovely service!! Thank you very much !!!!

We just popped in for a coffee and one of your amazing homemade biscuits.

Overall a very pleasant meal. Despite not pre booking, service was very quick on a busy Sunday evening. Food was great and fairly priced, however the double patty cheeseburger came out with only one patty. We didn’t tell the staff as only remembered half way through and appreciated they were busy 😊

Whenever we have been in Purbeck a meal at the King's Arms Stoborough has been a highlight. No longer. Once well known for good cuisine it now all has a deep fried mood. Their menu was over subscribed. They did not have this or that. 2 of the 3 draft ciders were unavailable, only only lamp chop, no salmon..So we did not all get our first choices. The same with the wine. We ordered a bottle of Picpoul de Pinet at £27.95. They didn't have it. So we ordered a Pinot Grigio Blush at £23.95. I didn't notice when I paid the bill but we still were charged for the Picpoul. So we were overcharged. That like the food also.left a sour taste in our mouths. I bet my bottom dollar that if the replacement wine had been £4 more expensive they would have charged us the extra. The white bait and the Tempura Prawns were deep fried. The crab cakes were unrecognisable as crab or seafood. They were cloaked in peppers and curry powder. I ate quarter of my portion. The cajun chicken was sub basic pub food. My wife left half of it. We did not request their dessert menu but walked into Wareham to pick a better place. €203 for 6 people badly spent. The staff are friendly but the food is nothing to be proud of. This pub has gone downhill. The food is not value for money. After 20 years of visiting it we will find a replacement which does proper cooking.

Whenever we have been in Purbeck a meal at the King's Arms Stoborough has been a highlight. No longer. Once well known for good cuisine it now all has a deep fried mood. Their menu was over subscribed. They did not have this or that. 2 of the 3 draft ciders were unavailable, only only lamp chop, no salmon..So we did not all get our first choices. The same with the wine. We ordered a bottle of Picpoul de Pinet at £27.95. They didn't have it. So we ordered a Pinot Grigio Blush at £23.95. I didn't notice when I paid the bill but we still were charged for the Picpoul. So we were overcharged. That like the food left a sour taste in the mouth. I bet my bottom dollar that if the replacement wine had been £4 more expensive they would have charged us the extra. The white bait and the Tempura Prawns were deep fried. The crab cakes were unrecognisable as crab or seafood. They were cloaked in peppers and curry powder. I ate quarter of my portion. The cajun chicken was sub basic pub food. My wife left half of it. We did not request their dessert menu but walked into Wareham to pick a better place. €203 for 6 people badly spent. The staff are friendly but the food is nothing to be proud of. This pub has gone downhill. The food is not value for money. After 20 years of visiting it we will find a replacement which does proper cooking.

We was Back again for our holidays And straight in to what we call our Dorset local.. we call this, this because we are always made to feel so welcome by Tracey and the Staff plus all the locals Staff fantastic Service is fantastic Food is brilliant value for money Thank you again See you all next year Oh by the way we are definitely finding Left right and centre dice game you suggested 😎 as always for you for your hospitality

4 Ladies having a tasty supper and cold drinks on a hot day! The stuff is very friendly! I'll come back next year, cause I've got to go back home! I really love Purbeck!!!

The lady at the bar was not really the friendliest, before you order you have to tell the table nr. Outside was not clear where I could sit. Little confusion about that.

Don't go put registration of car and receive Parking fine can't dispute as you don't receive receipt, parking belongs to someone else good scam

Quite expensive but very good food! The 3 vegan options were very much appreciated! The butternut squash risotto was very nice. Also, Rosie was an extremely friendly and helpful server!

Been there twice this week. Both visits were good. Food is honest pub grub reasonably priced. Staff are friendly and helpful. Premises are very clean which is unusual these days for a busy pub. Well worth a visit if you are staying in the area.

Pretty little restaurant with outdoor location and very nice food

We went to this pub when the football was on and Ashley a local man made us feel very welcome in the pub that our granddaughter referred to it as our local. Staff very friendly and happy to make room for us to eat. I would definitely go back to the area and this pub.

We were having trouble finding a place that would take a party of 15 [7 kids] on a Sunday afternoon to celbrate a 40th Wedding Anniversary. The Kings Arms took the booking and couldnt have bern more helpful. We arranged to pre order earlier in the day and was served promptly after our arrival The food was very good and not one of our party was disappointed Wholesome food , cooked and presented well. Staff were very friendly and full of enthusiasm I can only praise this establishment for an all round lovely experience. If in the area we wouldnt hesitate to return Thanks to you all

We had a lovely walk from the marina to this lovely friendly pub nothing better than a river walk in the sun then once at your chosen location sitting down with your rehydration liquid cold river cider. Once we had rehydrated then we needed nourishing so we both had beef and ale pie and mash and veg. This was very nice in deed. All the staff were friendly and welcoming and we will be back on our next trip up river. Thank you.

The first time for us. The menu was good and the chocolate Sunday was excellent. We'll definitely be back soon. Many thanks.

Came across The King's Arms on our 1st night in Wareham, new owners and food available. Traditional pub with really nice beer garden and outdoor seating area. Limited menu but good food and big portions.

There was 9 of us, little confusion to start with as had 1 with broken ankle and 3 with mobility issues but they soon sorted us out and very helpful

Really good gastro pub with a really interesting menu. Very helpful and attentive staff. Would strongly recommend eating here.

Very nice village pub, entertained us very well for a friend's surprise 50th Birthday Party. Lots of outside area to enjoy the lovely weather, all drinks good and not too expensive. I would recommend a visit if you are in the area.

Absolutely excellent. Fish dishes are some of the best food I’ve ever tasted

It was really busy, but the very efficient young lady managed to find us a table and also brought our drinks over to us as you couldn't get near the bar. The food was very nice and reasonably priced.

We had a delicious roast yesterday, not the first time we have been and definitely not the last. Lovely girls served us and everything was so clean. Highly recommended.

Excellent food and especially like the gluten free fish and chips. Great service’

Went in here last week on a little weekend break away. Beautiful food and a full variety menu, including good old pub grub. Staff were really good and attentive. Definitely be going back for sure.

It's very expensive, the food average, and you don't get very much. We go there after some hikes, so it's a great location. The atmosphere is really cool, proper oldskool, with portraits of Oliver Cromwell and King Charles II, facing each other off for all eternity.

Lovely pub, plenty of parking, food was lovely, service friendly and quick.

First time & won’t be the last time…Wow what a lovely old pub with so much history. Came with the family early evening dinner & the food was amazing. Staff are really friendly & my grandson even sat on a Ducati motorbike outside, made his day thank you for that.

Great food. A little quiet but it was a Tuesday

We stayed 2 nights in our campervans and could not fault anything, food delicious and so filling that had no room for pudding 😢. Staff really friendly and helpful and even the locals were really friendly. Hopefully we will be able to come back.

We were there several times during our vacation and were happy every time. Great food, nice staff, great cozy atmosphere.

Had a great meal. Service was attentive and good overall. Recommend for a reasonably price meal and drink, and dog friendly 👍🏻

My wife found this little absolute gem what a meal.... I had the lamb kofta and my wife had the Sea Bream fish from the specials board Wow Wow wow what can I say this is fine dining at local prices the Cab Sav wine was a perfect mix for this sublime meal ... Thank you to the Kings Arm staff who made a dining experience wonderful and for welcoming our pooch Simba into the bar area for the sit-down meal.. miss out at your peril ..

Consistently good. This is my preferred venue for a celebratory meal out. The food is real, not some processed rubbish. The prices are fair plus I appreciate the fact that a service charge is not automatically applied to the bill.

Attended lunch with the family over the weekend and had a pleasant enough meal. However, the food wasn't anything I would write home about - but it certainly wasn't bad. Unfortunately, the service left a little to be desired. No place setting was provided for my daughter, and while only 2, it seemed a little odd. Along with this, despite there being a high chair, and menus already on the table, no children's menu was offered until we were sat down and looking through thubgs. A side order was, despite being written down (what what I could see) was not put through the kitchen. This was, however, quickly remedied. When it came to dessert, my daughter's ice cream was forgotten about along with any cutlery for those having dessert. We had to go and ask for it. A minor thing, but providing ice cream in glass stemware seems like an accident waiting to happen with a 2 year old. Nothing egregious and nothing I felt needed raising with the manager at the time, but still worth noting.

First time visiting this lovely gem and me and my partner just wanted to get some food before it was too late and had to succumb to maccies or something. 🤣 Thankyou for serving food still, arrived around 6:45pm on a sunday . I will keep it short but overall fabulous place, great friendly staff and the food was fantastic! Halloumi was 🤌 Homemade lasagne and a 8oz steak, garlic ciabatta. Reasonably priced. 2 happy/full customers. Will definitely come again when down this way and recommend to any friends 🙏

First visit to The Kings Arms, but definitely not my last. Friendly welcome, wide choice of drinks, excellent food (several veggie and vegan options) and efficient service. Reasonably priced too; what more could you want? Highly recommended 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Above and beyond food amazing, very helpful with a fussy eater grandchildren, cannot fault the staff. Food amazing 👏

Nice pub, with good food and friendly staff.

Delicous sunday roast yesterday....reasonably priced, good portions, served piping hot, friendly staff, will definately be returning, highly recommended.

Absolutely faultless - fitted us in last minute, lovely atmosphere and really efficient and friendly staff our visit was perfect. As a vegan I always worry going to country pubs as sometimes there are hardly any or even no options this was not the case today! The food was so good we all had different things vegan main, meat main and a fish main and all really enjoyed it and puddings were excellent! We would 100% return can't fault it. Thank you

Passing through for lunch well worth a visit

Really great pub, nice and big and lots of room in the pub. We were in a private room which was great for a big family meal! The food arrived on time and was delicious! Great range of drinks and location is brilliant for a walk before/after. Staff were friendly and there’s parking right outside!

Very good! We were scouting for a pub with good food and good beer for our walking group... and the Kings Arms totally fits the bill... so we immediately rebooked. The lunch we had was excellent (the liver was awesome) and I am looking forward to going back!

Excellent restaurant existing since the 17th century. The staff is nice, professional. We are served quickly and the portions are generous.

What a fantastic place! We stopped off randomly for a spot of New Year’s Day lunch and it really didn’t disappoint. Their speciality is home cooked pub grub which is tasty and plentiful without breaking the bank. The service was spot on and nothing was too much trouble. We’ll be stopping off here again when we next visit the coast.

A family get together, excellent service great food. And great staff. Had the Hake on the special board, was amazing.

We had a fabulous festive meal today for 16 people.

Sunday lunch at this lovely old Pub. Friendly warm service and atmosphere with delicious food. You have to book weeks in advance as this is a well deserved busy pub. Big Sunday lunch, good value and great idea to serve a smaller & large portion. Definitely recommend.

Popped in for a quick drink after work with a colleague. landlady was lovely and had a joke ref my age and my colleagues who needed his I d! would go again.

Great pub with excellent beer - Razor Back

Friendly pub with good choice of drinks .not tried the food yet

Nice meal service spot on , very popular , advise booking for evening meal. Generous portions avoid Eton mess

Simple food made amazingly well. Compliments to the chef!!

Really lovely food, friendly staff and great pricing on food and drinks.

Good food (both from the specials board and the fix menu), really nice local ales and a cheeky cat to keep you company while you wait 🙂

Delicious food and not too expensive, fast serving and kind staff

Nice environment. Function buffet was good. Good coffee. Nice staff. Have to book car into system. Back for cooked meals. Didn't disappoint. Everyone in my group were very happy with the quality & quantity. Some already planning their return!

Great place to eat and drink dog friendly.only draw back watch out for parking now have to register your car. If not you will get fined by the parking eye. Shame they have done this.maybe they have had parking problems. Just puts me off going when this parking company gets involved they are in it for the money. Sorry for this punt but I have not had good experience with these companies and no I ,ve not parked illegally just their system.

Great atmosphere, helpful staff and nice food

Great food, beer and staff. Comfortable surroundings, dog friendly.

Only 1 choice of a Gluten Free main meal,despite being told there would be plenty of choice

unfortunately it has gotten worse, the burger is not what it used to be

We arrived unexpectedly and quickly found a table, The food and service were excellent and could not have been bettered would recommend this restaurant anytime.

A fantastic evening meal, service was exceptional and very attentive, food was delicious and all round a lovely evening. Menu choices were plentiful as was the drinks options. Highly recommend.

Wow what a lovely find. The food was served by hostesses who were so polite, friendly and helpful. The food was piping hot and absolutely delicious. I had a roast and my husband had Steak and Ale pie. Lovely pub with amazing ambience. Would highly recommend visiting here.

This has to have been the best Sunday roast dinner I have had! The pub serves standard and large portions of all its meals. My wife had a vegan linguine meal and that was fantastic. The rest of us had the Sunday roast. Each came with a very generous portion of meat, 3 large roast spuds and parsnips. The veg was served separately with the most amazing gravy and Yorkshire pudding. You would be wise to get in there before 3pm if you are after the roast dinners as they are very popular. A great selection of beers and wines. We will absolutely be back!!! I can not recommend more highly.

Very good service and excellent staff 👏

Lovely ,civilised, traditional pub with many features relating to the town and history.

Lovely old pub, great food, local ales and a very friendly crew.

We visited last night for dinner and will definitely be returning. Food and service were both excellent. Super friendly staff, delicious food (especially the steak, mushroom and Guiness pie- I didn't leave a pea!) all in a lovely setting. Best part though, was stroking the beautiful family cat, Smokey😻 Thank you for a lovely evening

Had the best roast dinner for years yesterday. Substantial portions of meat and vegetables all hot and very tasty. Top class chef well done. Always consistently great food

Food absolutely gorgeous Staff very friendly and polite.

Best sticky toffee pudding ever! Main courses don't come from bad parents either. One thing is certain: we will be back! ;-)

I don't often write reviews but this place was 2nd to none. We had the roast lamb dinner which was the best I've ever had, generous portions and the flavours were scrumptious. I also 100% recommend the chocolate brownie. Tracy who was serving us was friendly, funny and personable and the ambiance was cosy and relaxing. All for under £50 for us both.

Just had a lovely evening and a delicious meal. The staff were very friendly and the service was excellent. The portion size was very generous and really good value for money. Only small issue is that the toilets are in need of some TLC. Very tired looking and the toilet didn't flush properly. This did not spoil the occasion and I will definitely be back.

Service and food are outstanding 👌

Visited on 15th August 2023 for lunch with a friend and found that the pub was 3 staff short and expected a poor service, but was amazed to find that the staff were cheerful and very well organised. The Steak and Guiness pie was absolutely top notch and would grace the menu in any Michelin starred restaurant, congrats to staff and management for shining through the staffing problems, I will definitely be returning soon, keep up the excellent work.

Good old fashioned pub. Good atmosphere. Haven't eaten here so can't comment on that. Beer OK.

Been here a few times and never been disappointed. Friendly helpful staff. Great selection of gluten free dishes for my daughter. Had the roast beef this time. It was every bit of what you expect from a roast. Good choice of beers and ciders as well

Book ahead on weekends for food. Can be very popular.

A great Sunday roast. Great portions and good quality food. Oh for goodness sake why does this dumb site need 100 characters minimum!!??

Good selection of well presented and generous servings of pub grub, helpful staff and convivial atmosphere. Stayed in their car park overnight for free. Please phone ahead.

Nearest pub to where we were camping at Ridge. We dropped in midweek without a booking and they happily found us a free table for food. Good selection of vegan options on the menu and a few good ales on tap too. Would recommend a visit as it looked very popular even midweek.

Always lovely food and good service.

Quick service, lovely pint and delicious food. The staff was extremely helpful and friendly. Sunday roast was top notch, beef was flavourful and pink. Potatoes so fluffy and tasty! Thanks!