The New Inn in Purbeck

Ordered the surf and turf specifically asked if it was fresh got told yes and served a clearly cooked from frozen lobster with half of it missing (basically got a tail and one and a half claws) they said they'd given me an extra claw but one was completely empty, the lasagne looked okay but wouldn't bother again, I can see why we were the only people there

Stayed the night in our camper in their car park, nothing too much trouble. Great atmosphere and fab food.

Stumbled across this wonderful pub. Excellent quality food & very friendly service before a scenic winter walk. Highly recommend.

Can provide Gluten free options. Large selection of fish on the menu, we had the cod mornay and it was delicious served with potato's and vegetables. Had sticky toffee pudding for dessert and it was divine. We had booked and stayed in our camper in the car park. Second time we stopped over and will definitely be back again.

Just enjoyed a fabulous lunch at The New Inn, Church Knowle. Delicious meal, fresh vegetables, all perfectly cooked. Lovely pub with excellent atmosphere and friendly staff. Best pub meal I’ve had in ages. Would recommend it anytime.

Just had lunch today at the New Inn. What a jewel in the Purbecks. The restaurant had so much character with wooden beams and stone fire places. The menu was so impressive, matched by the excellent cooking and quality of the food that arrived on the plate. It was one of the best pub lunches I have had in a long time. I will definitely be going back again soon. It’s so good to know such a good pub is tucked away so close to Corfe Castle.

I'm looking at the other reviews on here and see that the owners cant take criticism on board so it will probably never improve. Drinks are way over priced! The duck starter we had consisted of breadcrumbs, hardly any duck at all! It was an insult to be honest! The other food we ordered was just okay, but overpriced really as mainly salad to fill the plate. Whole experience was just lazy and lackluster. It's no surprise more people opt to eat at home these days.

My mum liked her food so I guess that says a lot about this place 😂 The seafood and vegetables were fresh. The fish burger was impressive! They gave a whole fish fillet instead of just blended fish meat. The service was good. What we ordered: King prawns garlic butter - £22.95 Fish burger - £16.50 Grilled bream - £26.95 Cheese souffle - £12.50

My ‘girls’ are big seafood eaters and were very complimentary about how fresh their fish and seafood lunch was. Our visits have co-incided on days when we could sit out and enjoy the view and fine weather. With stunning views and some great walking before and after lunch, it’s more than worth the effort to divert from the tourist routes in the Purbecks. What’s not to like?

My ‘girls’ are big seafood eaters and were very complimentary about how fresh their fish and seafood lunch was. Our visits have co-incided on days when we could sit out and enjoy the view and fine weather. With stunning views and some great walking before and after lunch, it’s more than worth the effort to divert from the tourist routes in the Purbecks. What’s not to like?

Lovely old pub/restaurant with a varied menu and great wine selection. Excellent service too.

We dropped unexpectedly with a large group and we were accommodated gracefully and without issue. The food was good. Would definitely recommend

Loved it ❤️ we came back after a year and completely changed opinion. We had a lovely dinner (cheese souffle and cream brulee super stars 🤩) and we felt really looked after! We stayed for the night in the car park and it was so quiet. Great place, genuinely recommended 👍

Food and service lovely Setting just beautiful Far enough off the main roads to still maintain its Dorset country charm

We were absolutely delighted to find this lovely friendly place that welcomes campervans overnight. As long as you have food there, you can park in their field with beautiful views, and they even let you use their water hose to fill up if you need to. We had a lovely dinner and wine there, they made us very welcome and also a big fuss of our Frenchie! Definitely recommend and look forward to returning

Random stop for us on our travels.. food was really nice , dog friendly and nice helpful staff.

While they ran out of what I wanted to order (roast, lasagne), the burger I did have was delicious, with excellent chips and salad. Staff were friendly and polite, and price was reasonable. Garden was nice in the evening. Topped off with a cat having a sleep on the bar!

A nice quiet quaint pub to come and have a lovely meal. The fish menu was amazing and I would highly recommend.

Last night we got really lucky.... travelling back from Wareham with a very hungry family, we spotted the sign to the New Inn at Church Knowle on a sign post near Corfe Castle.... What a treat - an excellent pub with fish restaurant. The food was excellent and the starters and puddings to die for.... from burgers, to lobster, Soufflé to whitebait and a really good menu. Lovely staff, great food. It was really busy and every table had a Reserved sign on it - so there are definitely people in the know about this great place. Possibly a private dining room too as there was a big family who kept disappearing down the back! We will be back, was a wonderful last holiday supper for our family

Absolutely superb pub! Beautiful building, stunning little village, incredible beers & wines, and unbelievably good food - all delivered with really warm and friendly service. 100% recommend.

We have visited her twice while at being on holiday in the camper van once on the 6/6 and today 12/6/24 food is just amazing on both occasions we had the chateuxbriand which was cooked to perfection all staff are amazing and had some good tips from the chef 🧑‍🍳 thank you to everyone at The Church Inn from Lisa & Karl (from The camper)

Good food .Very good service .However wines very expensive for a pub And not particular good and in fact the Aussie we had no character at all.

Excellent. Wish it was my local. We were so lucky to get the last table without booking. And so glad we did. The menu choices was vast, service was fast, and friendly. When I thought it couldn’t get better the food arrived.. .. taste sensation. Starters and main was beautiful. We didn’t have dessert but I imagine it’s lovely too. Thumbs up

Delicious food and wine, very friendly staff, we stopped the night in campervan and I highly recommend The New Inn

Friendly and professional staff and great food. Well worth a visit. Camping too. Dog friendly.

We stayed in our campervan in the good sized level carpark, Dinner was delicious,staff were lovely and wine was very good

Strange pub. Not much of a welcome, no atmosphere, lady behind bar looking down her nose at is. Drinks very expensive. Didn’t eat, don’t think we’ll be returning in all fairness.

Amazing place! Great seafood menu. We had the surf and turf cooked to perfection! Excellent service and a great wine selection. A great addition is the wine cellar where you can browse and choose your own bottle! 😊

We had a great evening at this lovely little find in Church Knowle! We had the surf and turf and it was delicious! A great addition to this place is the wine cellar where you can browse around and choose your own bottle! Service was excellent! Would highly recommend

Starter was over priced 8 olives £4.00 no bread or balsamic dressing, main was not too bad, but dessert was dreadful apple and cinnamon crumble it had so much cinnamon it burnt and let me tell you I like hot and spice but this was dread, I spent many years cooking for 35 people daily. Told management and they told me it was there best seller well I beg to differ I wasn't offered any discount or alternative. I don't think we will revisit until there is a different chef

Nice enough food, expensive, not much atmosphere but them way out of town

Gorgeous looking building, friendly, helpful service, slightly odd decor. We had dinner and a bottle of house red. The pricing was punchy (£30 bt house red, starters £10, main mostly £20) so we were expecting good things. Wine not good, food was OK but didn't justify the price. Atmosphere lacking, not helped by low level 70s disco music. Staff all lovely.

Lovley food , pricey for the roast , bigger plates needed , my food had to be heaped up , which i dont enjoy , also some very low music would be nice , only 2 tables eating it would be eary and too quiet causing lack of atmosphere

The food continues to be good,to excellent. I ate with ten friends for a celebration.We chose from their lunch menu,and all enjoyed our meal.Our sweets were eaten in the sloping garden,,and were great. Drinks easily fall over though.Plenty of parking.

Nice little pub just out side Corfe Castle

Didnt eat so can't comment on the food but The New Inn is what I call a proper pub with not a plastic anything! If you like authentic character pubs then this is for you!

Such a lovely pub, perfect spot for lunch after a gorgeous walk along the coast. Delicious menu options, a great selection of beer and wines, very friendly and helpful staff. Plus, great ambiance - very retro!

Clean Olde Worlde style pub. Lovely log fire. Tasty food but overpriced. Lovely lady on bar and serving. Absolutely no atmosphere! Completely silent which creates an uncomfortable feeling. The few customers there were almost whispering to each other.This lack of atmosphere would prevent us returning unless to sit in the garden on a sunny day.

Staff were for the most part lovely. Food was very expensive for what you got, and options were limited, but what they had was still tasty. They didn’t have a proper menu so you had to order from a massive chalkboard on the wall which was a little inconvenient but no big deal. They also had many dishes out of stock which did not help the small menu. Very few items were vegan meaning one of our party could only eat from a choice of two dishes. Beer had to be replaced due to a funny taste but the second beer they gave us was infinitely better so all was okay. Toilets were a bit outdated but worked fine. Overall, not a bad pub. It has a good atmosphere and the servers are friendly but the food is expensive and they seem to have some stock issues.

Visited here during half term. Amazing menu. Good quality produce. Had the steak pie which was awesome best I’ve had in a while. Warm welcome and not forgetting the lit fire. Will definitely become a regular here

Our family has known this pub for over 30 years. Unable to remember any bad experiences. Staff always welcoming. Very satisfied with the food. Have had great fun at social occasions. Good choice of beers. Very pleasant location.

Great food and surroundings, will definitely visit again. We really only wanted a snack, we just had a starter as they didn’t do sandwiches. Garden and covered area for the summer

I had the carvery, which was a choice of beef, pork or turkey (or you could have a mixture). Yorkshire pud and tasty veg too. My other half had hake Mornay, which looked and tasted fine. Together with a shared dessert of creme brulee and drinks - a pint of well kept bitter and two large glasses of house wine - the bill was £76. It's a lovely cosy old pub with thick stone walls and real fire. Definitely worth a visit.

What a wonderful place to spend the night. Campsite was closed but we stayed in the car park on the pub stop over recommendation. The staff were incredible, so friendly and accommodating, the food was glorious. Our first night we cut it fine for the kitchen closing but they fed us anyway and it was beautiful. Clean toilet that is open all night and access to water, which both came in really handy. Couldn't recommend this place anymore. We loved it. Will definitely return. Thank you. :)

Booked a table for the whole family including three children as we visit every summer as we like the extensive fresh fish menu. Disappointed to find fish offered has reduced to fried fish and chips at a much higher price and a limited menu overall. The old proprietor has died and the business is not run to the same high standard unfortunately. Will find another local restaurant for our next family dinner out.

Ate 2 nights on our short stay, mainly because nothing else in range. Mostly fish and guessing most food prepared off site and finished here. Adequate.

Arrived without prebooking and ordered from the extensive lunch time menu. Service was quick and friendly. Food was piping hot and well prepared. Dorset Jurassic Ale served here. Plenty of parking off street.

Very nice food, lovely country pub & host very welcoming but s little on the pricy side.

A well run pub in a pretty village with great walks nearby. I had a lovely roast dinner on a Friday evening! One of the best roasts I've ever had, a generous portion with beautifully cooked vegetables and tasty gravy. A bit of background music would have been nice. There is space for motorhomes to stay overnight I think, but I didn't check it out.

Gutes Essen. Alle sehr nett! Hundefreundlich.

Food was absolutely lovely Friendly staff

Great meal at the New Inn. Lovely food.

Die Leber vom Lamm war mein Favorit. Die Bedienung freundlich und präsent. Hier ißt man gut . Tisch vorbestellen, andere wissen das Lokal auch zu schätzen.

We (the family) were surprised to find a genuinely characterful and pleasant place, with attentive service and a very large chalkboard menu with interesting choices. Not cheap but not exorbitant either, and fair value for the quality: unusually, everyone enjoyed their meal choices, inc. the young boys kids' meals (hake mornay for myself and wife - delicious, burger I think for son-in-law, scampi for daughter). Good drinks. Handy off-road parking. Not too busy when we visited but steady.

Good food but unnecessarily sticky table which was unpleasant. Apple crumble was great.

Great value , the ribs were huge and after a long ride well needed.. traditional heartt pub food.

This pub is in a little hamlet very near Corfe Castle and is an absolute must to visit if you are looking for a dining experience. The choice is varied with traditional pub grub and lovely fish choices all at a sensible price. It is olde worldly inside and has a lovely garden with great views. The staff are really helpful and fun. We had dinner one evening and were so impressed, we went back the next day for Sunday lunch which was an excellent carvery.

What a great find!! Food was stunning, had the Lobster Thermidor done to perfection. Service was superb with really friendly staff. Nothing was too much trouble. Dog friendly in the bar area too. Ours loved the attention and the biscuits!! Thoroughly recommend and will be back.

Staying in East Creech for a short break. Excellent food at the New Inn and good service with a nice traditional atmosphere

Seven of us came for a 96th birthday party, and the whole experience was excellent. The pub was packed, but we were made to feel special, and service was attentive, professional and really friendly. Despite how busy things were due to it being summer holidays, the whole experience was efficient and professional. The steak was perfectly cooked, and the duck salad was delicious. And best fish and chips in Purbeck! Plus sticky toffee pudding to die for! All in all a wonderful experience as expected.

Amazing sea food and especially the grilled mackerel. Lovely welcome and service. Seems to to be run by locals with very warm atmosphere.

Very good value and good quality food. Service excellent.

Drinks were ok but no tables despite the empty room so sat at the bar as instructed staff were friendly and food menu looked Expensive mainly full Of Folks Camping nearby fish tank was Cloudy needed a massive Clean

Fantastic place to stay over night in the camper. Food was really nice, friendly staff and lovely view of the castle.

This pub used to be vibrant, busy and very well kept. Now it is tired, with an unkept shabby garden, together with an increasing array of mobile home units (for rent or staff). The dirty Lobster tank in the main bar was completely out of place in an old country Inn. We all had the Sunday Carvery but potatoes, parsnips and Yorkshires were obviously all cooked from frozen and the food was tepid. Avoid.

Sunday Roast was delicious and the portions are right for hungry people. The staff are helpful, friendly and very accommodating.

Very expensive for what we had liver and bacon tuff you could tell it had been heated up veg to hard not nice at all, and mains came straight after are starter felt as though we were being rushed, wish I had complained while there.

The cost of the food is much more expensive than the Google menu tab- updating required

Very friendly staff. Great pub with lots of interesting features. Very cosy. The food came quick and it was delicious.

Lovely food and atmosphere, very classic traditional English pub but quick service and food was delich.

Whow what a great place for a meetup lively fun and music.

Lunchtime meal at The New Inn did not disappoint. Hake Mornay was delicious. Lovely quiet country garden in the sun. What more could you want?

The Sunday lunch was excellent, but it is SO busy. We hadn't booked and were glad we could sit in the garden as inside was all reserved tables.

Excellent service and a wide range of great food, from delicious slow roast pork belly, to moreish pies, to a wide range of fresh locally caught seafood dishes. Also, cute cats.

Hmm, a difficult one this as I don’t really like to give negative reviews but the only thing that was any good was the beer! There was literally no atmosphere, the food was over priced, my wife had whole mackerel which was not too bad, I had lambs liver and bacon, and liver was over cooked and the veg resembled school dinners, definitely not worth the money. The staff weren’t particularly welcoming either, even though we were staying over in our camper and paying for the privilege. We’ve traveled all over the UK, stopping at lots of pubs, which, if you’re eating and drinking at the establishment don’t charge to stay in the car park, not the case here. The whole occasion felt like we were being fleeced.

Everything was above expectation . Good food, helpful staff, good service. Perhaps slightly pricey but where isn't now. Overall good experience.

Incredibly disappointed considering the reviews and the research we put in to finding a good place to eat. Having a lot of restaurant experience both as a cook and owner the food wasn't good. Being on holiday I decided to splash out in the Surf n Turf at £49( lobster n steak) I wish I hadn’t. Despite ordering medium rare my steak was overdone as was my friends, and the quality questionable. My other friends didn’t have good meals either. I’m certain the lobster wasn’t fresh regarding its colour, I think it was frozen. The bar tender, come waiter come ‘do everything guy’ raced around doing his best. Overall, sadly, a waste of a lot of money and I wouldn’t recommend it.

Very disappointing. Lackadaisical service. Not worth it. Such a shame, because it is a nice location.

Nice setting, expensive but decent food.

Had a very nice lunch there. Staff very friendly. Good base for walking and possibly camping out the back

The only place open on a bank holiday Monday, serving some insane quantities of food. Honestly don't be scared by the price because the quantity of food is MASSIVE. The staff were super welcoming and we loved that they served a roast for the day - it did not let us down.

Great location to visit Corfe Castle (1.5 miles) and Wareham a short drive away. Did a camper stopover, free if you have a meal which was tasty. 24hr loos.

A great lunch, couldn't fault the food or service Will be sure to go again!

We stopped at the New Inn after a long walk over the Purbecks. The pub is really quaint and old. We received a friendly welcome and there was a good choice of food all on a specials board. It was, however, all very expensive, restaurant/bistro prices. I fancied the bream (or seabass??) but at £26+ it was out of my price range. I went for a turkey Sunday roast and it was hot, a good portion, and nice but not worth £19.50. I've had much better roasts for £13.95, elsewhere in Dorset, with crispy roast potatoes, more vegetables, and tastier gravy. The turkey didn't have a lot of texture it seemed pre-formed (?). My partner couldn't taste the blue vinney cheese in his pie. For him, it wasn't a proper pie as it just had a puff pastry top and no pastry side or base - but that is his preference. A large glass of red wine was £9.25 and coke £4.25.

Accidentally found whilst travelling through......amazing food! Going back again

Very accommodating of our large group of runners. The food looked amazing. Lovely location.

Lovely tasting food, served hot and in wonderful surroundings. Staff polite and friendly

Had lunch here after a walk. Good range and choice on the menu but my beef and blue vinny pie was average being short of beef and with lots of gravy. A bit underwhelming really.

We've been coming here a couple of times a year for the last 15 years and still love the location. Our meals were acceptable, but not the quality they used to be. The blue vinny pie had very little meat in it, but was however...

Very nice building with excellent food! We will definitely be going again!

Return after 2 years. Extensive menu, pleasant welcome. Food excellent and more enjoyable out in the sun and it got busy. Will return sooner

Lovely friendly welcome, dog friendly and great choice of food. You can also camp at the back of the pub, currently for fee if dining in the pub, this may be subject to change so enquire first.

Everything about our time here was great. The staff were incredibly friendly, the food was plentiful and steaming hot and the atmosphere was very relaxed. It was very dog friendly which was a bonus for us.

The staff were very friendly and food was really good. The only reason I wouldn't go back is because the lobster tank we were Sat next to. Don't get me wrong, I know people eat them but surely living things have the right to quality...

Well I live nearby and have eaten at the New Inn regularly in the past few years. I particularly enjoy the freshly grilled or baked fish and the sensational cod mornay. It does get busy here on weekends but the service is always friendly and helpful. A great local pub/restaurant. Update- visited again yesterday and had wonderful new Lobster Thermidor - delicious with new potatoes. Thank you 😊

Motorhome stop over in their car park. Beautiful pub in a delightful village. Excellent service and delicious home cooked food.

Bloody good food, really generous sized portions and really friendly staff. Dog friendly in the bar too which was a brilliant plus for us. Bit too chilly when we were there to check out the beer garden but I bet it's absolutely banging on a sunny day. Can't wait to come back.

Fantastic roast lovely choice of vegetables and generous portion of meats...Staff are lovely and friendly

A lovely pub with roaring fire and excellent food. Very cosy and welcoming. Great for dinner and drinks with the kids or even a date night.

Stayed the night in our motor home at the back of the pub, just so we could have a meal and we were not disappointed as the food is excellent, as was the choice of beer, a good welcome, with a roaring fire,in a traditional pub surroundings its a "Must come again" pub,