The Old Granary in Purbeck

Every time we visit wareham the old granary is our first port of call always assured of a warm welcome, good atmosphere and consistently lovely food

We stopped at Wareham Quay and as it was lunchtime The Old Granary looked inviting. They were full inside, so we sat outside by the river. A little windy, but bearable. We ordered drinks and food at the bar. The steak pie, mash and red cabbage were very good and filling. Staff were very helpful.

Nicest of the 3 meals we had whilst staying in Wareham and also the best service. I have fish & chips a lot but this was a particularly tasty one. Location next to river is great if weather allows you to eat outside, though we didn’t.

We have visited this pub many times over the years for a Sunday lunch, which is always great. The food is well portioned and great quality. First time taking a dog with us which they were more than happy to accommodate. Fairly pricey now though.

Good food. Four of us all had the plank steak, good service and nice ambience overlooking the river, very pleasant waiter. We have been many times and have never had a bad experience, will be back!

We had a lovely family meal today. The food, drink and service were excellent

Over priced and miserly. Poor, slow service. Dry toastie arrived with a bit of garnish (approx 8 leaves) and this apparently counted as a side salad and charged as an extra 4.25. Disgrace

Very good food the sausage and mash was good

We ate at this restaurant once during our short stay. The choice of food and drink was excellent and the service good. The food we had was well cooked and we both enjoyed our choices. The place overlooks the canal and has lots of chairs and tables outside. Would recommend.

Really lovely place on the Quay in Wareham, right on the water. Very friendly staff and a lovely light lunch after a morning exploring the Purbeck Isle

We booked a table for 4 people at 7pm this Sunday evening. No meat roasts left, but that can happen. Food was good enough - vegan burgers were nice, beef pie and chips was apparently lovely. Lemon tart we thought would be slices but were expensive for effectively being a Starbucks copy but smaller. What was really disappointing though was the fact that we were rushed through our whole meal. We were asked, whilst eating our mains, if we thought we’d be having coffees at the end of our meal so that they could switch the machine off if not. Desserts could not have arrived any quicker had we used a magic wand. We were out by 8.10pm having been the only table left in the place for a while. If, when booking an evening table , there was an indication that the place likes to close by 8pm rather than the advertised 8.30pm that would be understandable. However, it clearly calls itself a pub and offers evening bookings. At the cost of the meals (just shy of £100 for 1 pint, 4 mains and 2 desserts) we shouldn’t have felt kicked out . No wonder there were no roasts left - that was probably ensured so that there was no wastage by this point in the evening.

The staff were excellent and there was a nice welcome. Service was good and front of house worked well. The menu was adequate and the main was good but the veg served separately was overcooked and watery. The pudding was Apple pie. This took 15 minutes to arrive and seemed undercooked. It was stodgy and the dairy free custard should have been better.

Excellent food and service. Quaint pub, in a lovely spot

Popped into this establishment with my partner for the first time 2 days ago. What a lovely find! We were met with a warm welcome from Fred, a most relaxed and convivial French host. Had a lovely table with a view of the river, birds and a crisp, blue sky. Their ham, cheese & English mustard/mayo toasted sandwich was absolutely delicious. Truly the best I have ever had. Their coffee was really tasty and unlike many other establishments, hot - just as I like it. Fred’s colleague, Rebecca was also very friendly, calm and helpful and we had a nice chat as I was paying the bill. The decor is country/cosy, tasteful & extremely clean. The building is warm which was lovely at this time of year. All in all, a very nice place to be for a bite to eat or a drink as they have a nice bar area. Dogs are welcomed in the bar area. If you are ever in Wareham, drop in for some hospitality. We live in Hampshire but will be back for another visit in the future. Good to meet you Fred & Rebecca. Thanks for your hospitality.

Wow what a difference in two years as my last review reflected the poor service but with a change in management the service, the food is just fantastic exactly how it should be. The food is great and plenty of choice for vegans and vegetarians and we love the butternut squash ravioli. My partner and we have come back many times since last Autumn 2023 and I’m so happy as it’s definitely my favourite place to eat especially as I’m local

Excellent roast and a lovely pub on the river

Service was lovely, our server was bubbly and attentive. Food was good! Only thing is the pastry on the vegan apple pie wasn’t very good but overall a nice meal.

A really pleasant visit. Cosey warm atmosphere as soon as you walk in, pleasant staff. It’s not the biggest menu but the food was absolutely fantastic. We will definitely be back again soon. Well worth a visit.

We had a great evening out at The Old Granary. The location is one of the best in town. We were early and this was no problem, we were left to enjoy a pre dinner drink first. The service was great and the food tasty and good value for money. We would definitely recommend.

My roast beef was very tough sadly. They were so busy and the staff were all very professional but still struggling to keep up.

What a waste of a lovely spot for lunch. One of those places where the menu writer is more talented than the chef and whoever buys the ingredients unfortunately. My artichoke open sourdough sandwich with roasted squash etc £9.50... A very small slice of v average bread - more like a cottage loaf - only partly grilled at one end and cold. Probably yesterday's so chewy but not in a good sourdough way. ONE piece of artichoke from a can of 1/4's in brine! ONE! No garlic aioli, no mint I could discern. Definately no pickled red onion. How to make something actually pretty easy, very, very badly. Try this. 1. Buy decent bread, add an extra slice if at the small end of the loaf and grill it properly. And buy artichokes in oil. 2 Roast the squash a bit so they look interesting, not bland cubes. Keep them hot. 3. Serve on a hot plate with the other things on the menu description - or take it off the menu! Other meals were a greasy, ungarnished and not very toasted ham and cheese toasty and a fishfinger sandwich ordered on brown which came on white. As usual the only thing you can rely on is fries. Staff were nice and gave a good discount when asked. Suggest this is the way to get the Head Office to take notice of very poor kitchen standards.

We didn't have a reservation for lunch but were seated quickly. Food was very nice and the service was excellent. Children get a stickers and things to draw on/with. The carpark was busy and you have to pay.

We booked our table at the last minute as we had tickets at the local cinema, and we were glad we did! Excellent food and very friendly service from all of the staff. A lovely cosy riverside setting. We would definitely recommend this pub/ restaurant and will be returning!

Firstly, I'd like to preface that the food and personal service by the waiter was superb. However, I have a specific issue with my experience at the granary. I booked at table for Valentines day at the Granary for me and my partner. I booked it psefically for the Valentines menu they had on their website, which was 2 courses for £27 per person. It was for items that are already on the menu. This was pre-booked a week or two in advance, and I mentioned in the note for our booking that this would be FOR valentines. After arriving and sitting down and having the waiter come over to us, we mentioned that we'd like the Valentines menu with the items we wanted and we were told that they were not doing the Valentines menu, despite it being Valentines. We were told that they realised that the prices of some of the Valentines menu would actually end up being cheaper for us if we were to purchase them outside of the menu, which when we checked, was not really the truth. Especially not the items we originally wanted. At this point, I had booked a meal for me and my partner as a surprise, and driven over 45 minutes to reach this restaurant for a specific menu. A menu that was still on their website at that point at time, might I add. I could have left to try and find another restaurant, however doing that would ruin the whole atmospher of the day for us, as I would have to search for somewhere else that'd suit the meal I wanted to take her for. I wasn't in a situation to easily say "No thank you" and just leave. Now it is within a restaurants rights to change their menu, or events when and how they want to. However, I do find it disengenuous of a restaurant to do that, and keep the event menu up on their website and also, not update any of the customers who had booked for that day, that the menu would not be featured. Considering they knew people would turn up to it with everything pre-booked and then have things change on them. In the end, the meals originally planned to have, would have cost us £27 via the Valentines 2 course meal promotional. (I am excluding any items off of the Valentines menu that were ordered extra, as I do not expect the restaurant to make changes to the cost for that), however without the promotional, they would have come to £15 more. It's not something that will break the bank, especially for a nice lunch, especially that was well crafted. But the whole situation left a sour taste in my mouth and I expect more from an establishment like this, which is why I'm giving a low score. My recommendation is if you are going for an event, is to make sure you call on the day and check if the event is off. However, if you plan to eat on the main menu, then the food was lovely and the general service despite the hiccup was good.

We went for Sunday lunch. The staff were lovely and attentive, but the roast was only average and lukewarm. The veg was lovely but the roast beef not that great. But, it did what it said on the tin and we left full!

We booked fairly last minute for 4 adults and 3 kids. Service and food was amazing! Kids got a free ice cream with their meal which was great. We had two steak frites and 2 tanglefoot pies - which were brilliant. The kids choices were great.

Went here for a "work" social. Nice menu, good food. Although it's not a naturally accessible place, the staff are fantastic at ensuring everyone can enjoy the place. On a nice day, there is also outdoor seating. The main thing that stopped me giving the food 5 stars was that the beetroot Wellington didn't really taste like beetroot! Lemon tart was lovely, though.

Very nice place to eat in Wareham. Maria was very helpful. Nice ambience. Tasty steak and puds.

What a great location for a restaurant and a great spot to sit for a drink as we did

Great pub and love the out door seating where you get a lovely view of the river. The food quality is amazing as well.

Riverside delight with great cosy atmosphere and good service having been a few years ago it was good to repeat the experience. Good food, good service and good wine.

Walked into this place on Saturday afternoon , after a lovely afternoon out at nearby Arne , to have a few drinks with friends . The female staff member did not greet us , smile ,or was helpful in any way , she only was interested to find us a table if we was going to eat there .On looking around there appeared to be several empty tables . We only wanted a drink at that time , but would have looked at the menu anyway , we all felt that she was really rude , we left and went to the other pub on the quayside . What a difference, nice pleasant staff , a welcoming log fire and a nice atmosphere . As we are Dorset people , I won’t be returning or recommending the Granary to anyone who asks where is a good place to go in Wareham .

No-one showed me to a table so I chose one. Noboby came to take my order...managed to read the whole of an old issue of Purbeck News whilst waiting. A sullen-faced woman (manageress?) propped up the bar with hands in pockets even when other folk arrived. I asked her if she worked there. She looked me up and down, then said 'of course, don't I look like I do?' I asked if she could take my order...seemed to be an effort. Waited another half hour for one vegetable tart to arrive. Had to ask the manager if I could pay...very off-hand. The vegetable tart was delicious but not sufficiently so to warrant another opportunity to witness those two sneering at people.

Nice average pub 3.5/5. Typical pub grub, Sunday roast and burgers. Sticky toffee pudding very nice - big 'mini' portion with coffee. By the river - booked table but in a 'corridor' area. Tables with a view in pub section.

Lovely pub inside. Once seated, we were asked what drinks we wanted - I asked if I could have a Disaronno Sours - answer was no. No sorry or no sorry but we do other cocktails... Not clear if table service or if we had to order at the bar. Had to ask. Food was nice (not hot enough), but the staff were unfriendly, unhelpful and service was very slow. Added a 10% service charge to the bill which we did not want to pay. We rounded the bill up by a few pounds. Waitress said still £9.60 to pay once my friend had said she would pay £100 (our bill was £106). My friend pointed out the service charge was optional to be met with a distinctly unhappy face. Staff seemed friendlier with other diners (who I think were local).

It was a busy Friday night in December when I visited the Old Granary for dinner. We managed to get a table at short notice. They ran out of the turkey roast, but the nut roast and venison we chose in its place were delicious. The service was friendly but a little slow. The Christmas decorations looked great and the pub is in a lovely location. Parking tonight was difficult but fortunately we know a few side roads and were able to find a space on the road just five minutes away.

An ideal lunch stop by the River Frome.

Cosy, classic, classy English Pub.

Lovely friendly staff, great food, lots to do for 2 children,fast service and for me, gluten free food that tasted yummy.

Lovely riverside pub with food served inside and out. Great range of drinks and friendly staff, definitely a winner 😊

The pub is located in a nice little village by the canal. It is a decent place to stop by for some lunch and drinks.

Came to The Old Granary for an evening meal, the staff were nice and friendly, asked for allergies and the atmosphere was good, however the food was disappointing, the Bruschetta for starter was filled with oil and was extremely salty and the Butternut squash ravioli sounded lovely on the menu but was again disappointing, very bland, the cheesecake for dessert was nice however.

What a beautiful pub ! Lovely welcoming staff with an Excellent selection of beers and spirits. We ordered food from the lunch menu and had a BLT and a Fish finger sandwich which was absolutely delicious. I would go out of my way to come back !

Fantastic roast Pork, thoroughly recommend, our new favourite restaurant

The food was ok. The portions were a bit small. The staff were friendly enough.

Not bad food, but not like it used to be. Unfortunately let down by the service, where we felt forgotten about. Also, very cold, since the doors are kept wide open.. being a coat to eat with if it's cold outside!!

Two and a half hours for just 2 courses rather slow yet not that busy. Food small portions, overcooked fish pie, hake and chips came without any sides or dressing for £22. Summer pudding total disaster, some squashed dark sludge inside a rolled up piece of bread a slim as my finger served with three blueberries, one raspberry and one under ripe strawberry cut into four. Only time I have ever sent a desert back, it was terrible. Wish I had taken a picture of it now to prove it.

Great food, friendly staff and dogs welcome.

We encountered a really weird policy with IDs here - my 26-year-old friend forgot her ID but had multiple photos of her passport and driving license and they wouldn’t accept them, even though we were clearly a group of older adults and the law is you only have to be 16 if you’re with adults and eating a meal (which we were). Service was pretty unfriendly and obstinate and we ended up leaving after one drink.

Lovely restaurant by the river.

Really nice and good looking place. Service is really nice and food (plant burger) although looked little disappointing tasted amazingly good. Dish size was little bit on small size. My only complain is that it took like 45minutes to get the food. My friends comment is - cheese / beef Burger was really satisfying

Well situated riverside pub. Lovely food and beer! The patio is a real sun trap in late afternoon. Walk across the bridge and along the tow path on the opposite side of the river for a stroll afterwards.

Excellent food today especially the Somerset goats cheese and beetroot salad. The staff work extremely hard and are super helpful.

Honestly, really looking forward to eating here. Riverside location, 'home cooked food'. The promise of '21 day aged' beef (served pink) was getting me excited for what I was about to receive. 5 minutes later the meal arrived. When I tell you everything was over cooked, I really do mean everything. The Yorkshire pudding (how do you get this wrong?) was so brittle it could have been made into sawdust. The beef (served pink) may have been pink 3 days ago but it must have been sitting under a hot lamp for those 3 days because it was not pink, I needed a strong set of teeth to chew. You do not get 'fresh veg'. You get two slops of cabbage and leeks. If you are lucky you get 1/2 a roasted carrot. The lucky one being my partner. The cauliflower cheese and pigs in blankets? These are £5 each extra and they had 'ran out'. The roast potatoes were actually okay, but I did get 1/4 spud in total so I'm off to the closest fast food chain to fill myself up. For £17.49 per roast dinner I honestly wish I had cooked it myself and gave the money to charity. I didn't complain, but this is because I was not asked. I was hungry so ate until I was full (thank god for my olives). I figure a review is more powerful than complaining thses days and I'm not interested in 'getting a discount'

Really helpful staff able to cope with a range of food allergies. Very friendly and determined to find suitable foods. Well done to the training and positive attitude. Highly recommended.

We have never paid 2x£7.95 for two Eton Mess that had no ice cream was full of meringue and cream with 1 strawberry no fruit sauce and a sprig of mint we paid the bill with no fuss but I do think people and owner knows.This is not acceptable.

beautiful location but terrible service. Waited 90+ minutes after starter plates were cleared for main course. Asked a member of staff after 60 mins then went in to ask again after he didnt return only to be told they hadn't even been cooked yet. "hadn't been told starters were complete" No apology or offer of anything by way of apology. Food took another 10 mins after complaining to arrive.

Had a lovely lunch in a lovely setting

Nice setting in the river, limited vegetarian options though did a nice vegi roast. Drinks selection was ok.

I think you have to be a particular type of person to come in here Broad cockney accent didn't seem to be liked Or perhaps the staff had a bad day Besides that what a lovely quaint building along side the river Frome great setting

Great atmosphere and food at this lovely pub/restaurant. Very peaceful view over the river whilst dining inside or out. Limited parking outside, but super easy walk from larger carpark very close by. Fabulous place!

Decent food. We got a nice table next to the river to watch the raft race. There was a nice atmosphere.

A favourite in Purbeck. Lovely atmosphere inside and out with river views. Great food too. Parking can be a bit tight, but other parking is available nearby.

We were hoping to come here for food, but after a rude run in with the manager we finished out drinks and left. Being a larger group we tried to move some tables together to accomidate the group to which the manager came and said in a veet rude tone "we arnt doing this today, put them back". - learn some customer service please! So many other ways of requesting for something.

We went into the Granary today for a coffee and a quick bite to eat at lunch, having visited some years ago on holiday. Lovely place, great location, staff we're ok, but our coffee although we'll presented and taste as expected, was frankly luke warm,and the smoked salmon open sandwich was very dissapointing. It was on one small piece of stale artisan bread, with a very thin layer of cream cheese, and a couple of thin pieces of smoked salmon on the top, garnished by three small cubes of diced beetroot, and sprinkled with dill. I really don't mind spending my hard money on going out, but this was not worth anywhere near the over £20 price tag we paid. Sorry to complain and I wish now I had done so at the time, but I couldn't be done with the hassle. Sorry but there it is, we were dissapointed and felt ripped off.

The. Food was very poor a lot of the menu particularly the fish was unavailable. Over cooked food and greasy.

Had to walk out due to poor/rude service, so can't rate the food but will admit the setting wa s very pleasent

Disappointing food not served outside after 5pm

Best steak pie I have had in a long time

This pub would be perfect if only it served breakfast! A group went in for birthday brunch but found the only food available was crisps or cake. The cakes selected were chocolate, lemon and carrot cake and every single one of them utterly delicious. The decor is immaculate and clean and the staff were absolutely brilliant; efficient and enjoyed a good joke. Definitely will come back but will make sure this time it’s for lunch.

Food and atmosphere were fantastic, massively let down by service, told it's table service and I can't order at the bar, waited 30 minutes between rounds, ordered extra Yorkshire pudding with my roast, never arrived. Happened 2 times now they will only be getting one more chance!

Beautiful setting and surroundings. Good service and food. Will visit again

Lovely pub on the quay , very busy best to book...

Good location and service. The food was way over priced for what you get. Not impressed with the thimble sized portion of mushy peas with the haddock you cheap skates!

Great setting, but the fish pie was more like a dry egg pie, and the blunt response from staff when asked for cutlery was a bit surprising when the price was taken into account

What a location. Right on the river. Perfect place to spend the afternoon. Varied menu that catered for my fussy coeliac daughter. We were lucky with the weather and sat outside. Probably the the most upmarket pub in Wareham

Looked impressive from the outside but we were seated on the top floor with a river view, however windows dirty, cobweb above my head with huge spider in it, dirty glass and also noticed the pictures on the wall had tiny bugs inside of glass. Not very appealing when you’re about to eat. Service for food very slow. Husband ordered the 28 day mature steak described as served with grilled mushroom and tomato….received with no mushroom? When mentioned to waitress her abrupt reply was we haven’t any left. No apology, and not informed before meal cooked and the option of a change to choice. My meal was only just warm. Was not asked if everything was ok or if we needed anything so had to go looking for some sauce for daughter. Drinks were expensive £6 for a bottle of cider? If you’re going to charge above average price then give an above average experience!

Stay away from their Sunday roast. Poorly cooked and too expensive.

Lovely spot, lovely pub. Didn't realise it was so big! We had njuda chicken and a salad. The chicken came out first, and the salad wasn't great. Finally the potatoes came out after the chicken had been eaten. We had a bottle of wine. When the bill came, they had taken off some of the price for the food delay etc which is was amazing. The right way to yrway customers. We will be back.

Poor service. Tasty cold Steak was served nearly cold with tasty chips. The summer fruit dessert dreadful, It looked like a soggy rolled up piece of pastry with tasteless sauce & a few bits of strawbery and blueberrys and half scoop of ice cream. 😫 We were put in a darkish corner and the young lady said to use our mobile to read the sweet menu. When we did see staff he was friendly. We got a reduction on the Steak. Definitely won't be back. For the prices we paid we expect the service. We took my brother out who was staying the weekend. We are locals. What a let down.

Great as usual . Keeps us coming back from Essex for the last 30 years . Lovely food . Thanks

Overpriced food and poor service. Got a table easy enough and told it was table service. Waited an age for anyone to come and ask if we wanted drinks so went to the bar to get some. Sat down with drinks and waited over 20 mins for someone to take our order. Waiter took the order of a couple who arrived after us and then finally asked if we wanted to order. Food came out rather quickly and was not great - warm at best and poorly seasoned. Tried to grab the attention of staff but gave up in the end. Staff came and cleared plates from the table around us - noticed we had left our food and never said anything or took the plates. Gave up waiting for someone to bring the bill or clear our plates so went to the bar and paid. Was a really good place when been in the past but definitely won’t be rushing back again. Shame as lovely location and had a good vibe about it

Very good service! The food was good, but I think the filet of fish could’ve been thicker and seasoned better. The toilet could also do with some neatening up from time to time.

Great pub diner. A few too many beef options for my liking, with only 1 lamb, chicken and veggie option. However, food was very good and had a great selection of beers and wines.

Experience here staff was very miserable and unwelcoming. Servers were standing around whilst empty tables were full of cutlery we had to ask them to clear tables and when asked it felt like we had done wrong for asking. We then sat down the servers had bo smile on there faces and when we had been thankful there was no response or thank you back with enjoy Yr meals. Absolutely disgusting service I will mot be wasting my time there again untill they change staff. Clearly the manager thinks this is acceptable

Delicious food as always and good service too.

Fantastic Sunday lunch right by the river. Parking right outside.

Lovely to spend some time sitting by the river with coffee and cake.

Popped in for a quick pint midweek while camping in the area. Nice setting by the river and a good selection of ales on. Wareham looks a lovely place to explore in more detail.

Had Sunday roast, service was very prompt but should have asked if we needed condiments, instead we had to ask and then wait. The food was tasty but not very warm. Warming the plates for service, which I thought was the norm, would be an improvement. Nice place though and reasonably priced.

We had a meal there today at 5pm informed no dog friendly seating inside sat outside there and watched someone sit at a table didn’t have a dog only had a coffee arrived 5.15 and left at 5.40 when we could have had a meal inside The gentleman in charge of seating was arrogant and just said I’ve got booking at 6pm when we had finished ours at 5.45pm Over priced and complacent because of view Will not be returning meal was cold and attitude if the male staff member behind desk was absolutely terrible needs retraining especially with his whole attitude towards customers Tables left with previous customers plates and not cleared Regards Amanda

Great location and great food, the Sunday roast was fabulous but you need to book a table, we visited several times over the holiday and when eating booked a table online, we also took our dog who was welcome inside. Great food , great view , well worth a visit

Fantastic service - Birthday celebration meal for 7 last Saturday- Excellent food & location

Wonderful riverside position for an afternoon cuppa

We met my cousins here for a meal. Once we eventually got our food it was very good, although the order got a bit mixed up. I asked the waiter to check that my salad bowl was gluten free. The sandwich order came on gluten free bread bread and I had a regular bread roll with my salad. Also the two lattes were luke warm. Shame because it is a lovely place for a meal and the rest of the order tasted really good. .

Took a while to be greeted and found our own table and then found someone to inform them of this. However, once we received the menus, the service was good. Enjoyed the food, I had the beetroot salmon open sandwich, which was delicious, a friend had the fish finger sandwich, which looked delicious . Have to say the mini dessert and coffees were great value... and a great size! (Although I forgot to take photo as looked so appetising, I just tucked straight in) I had the mini chocolate brownie, and my friends had the mini sticky toffee pudding (definitely not mini)

arrived by boat last night to be told that they would not serve any food outside as it was to windy and inside was full and we could not have any food most unfriendly and prickly woman asked to see the manager and was told he had gone home. this place should not be in business.

The aubergine salad was good. The fish pie wasn't. The service was very slow with no real apology, though they did give us a discount after we complained. However we felt the dishes were overpriced. Atmosphere relaxed though very noisy.

Stopped for a pint sat on the side of the quay for a couple. Lovely setting and nice pub but £12.00 odd for two drinks a bit steep!!??? Pint of tanglefoot and a white wine spritzer.....

Lovely location for summer evening drink