The Parlour in West Dorset

Absolutely fantastic. Having heard mixed reviews and also dropped by previously but decided to not bother as it looked a it scruffy, we have it a go - and wow! Really great Italian food. Super chilled atmosphere. A gem. Very pleased to have this as a local place to take people. What a pleasant surprise!

Very friendly staff, service a bit hit and miss. Food a little variable. I had San Maranzo Tomatoes, £15 for a plate with some sliced tomatoes, mozzarella, dressing and 2 x 1 inch square croutons seemed a bit steep and stingy for a main course. Other mains looked better value and much more interesting.

Fantastic meal again at the Parlour. Great that they are open again after winter break as it’s just such a lovely spot to visit. Perfectly cooked piece of fish and the squid ink with a bruschetta was very different and very tasty. Every time we go the menu has some changes ,a sign of skilled cooking. My old gal was happy and therefore so was I . We even saw the sun.!🌞

We ve eaten here before and enjoyed the experience. This evening a brusque welcome , slow service, awful dry tasteless pizza with no hint of the promised gorgonzola. We all left the crusts.. rocket had replaced the watercress without explanation. At >£145 for 4 ( no wine) it was an expensive evening of poor food and disdainful table service. No apologies were forthcoming. I rarely complain but was embarrassed to have taken my friends here for poor food that was not enjoyed.

We visit the Parlour around 7-8 times per year. Before I comment about this experience I’d like to point out to those reading other reviews whereby they’ve put negative comments especially re the service. They tend to be from some time ago and IMO have nothing to do with now. ( MAR 24). So turned up at a full restaurant on Mother’s Day. Never easy in the hospitality business. The French guy serving us was wonderful. Attentive, knowledgeable and courteous. What we love about the Parlour is for us ( real lovers of all food) the most authentic Italian place we’ve eaten at in the UK and that includes expensive ones in London. There are things on the menu that we’ve never heard of. ( Puntarelle alla Romana). That’s what we love. Something different. ( with respect if you’re looking for your anglicised Italian fix then this probably isn’t your type of place). Today we had the Sunday lunch. The ray wing looked superb but we opted for the rare sirloin on the bone and the porchetta. That was wonderful. Crispy skin, succulent meat seasoned perfectly with fennel seeds and a hint of chilli. Amazing. The veg, all roasted were fantastic. The sweet carrots and yellow beets were my personal favourite. It’s a huge plate of food which we knew from previous visits, but we couldn’t resist trying the sprouting broccoli in an incredible romesco sauce as a starter. But the best was the cuttlefish in black ink on a piece of ciabatta. Just sublime. ( my photos don’t do it justice). I personally think it’s great value. Yes the Sunday roast isn’t the cheapest but for me it’s THE best. Finally a new wine list which I think is definitely better than before. Well done once again to Simon and his team

Just got home from dining here for the wife’s birthday this evening and absolutely blown away with just the honest authentic feel to this unique restaurant. It just felt so at home and like you were with the chef in his Nanas kitchen . Simple delicious food you get what you pay for the vibe is great , the location and set up is just incredible we truly forgot about the outside world for the entire time we were there and just felt we was on holiday ! ( we live 20 mins away ) . Great little team especially the kitchen just one cooking , a young lady smashing out incredible pizzas and an absolute machine in the back doing all the washing up , plating starters and desserts, the place was full understandably so ! Cannot wait to come back and cannot believe in 5 years of life in Dorset we have only just visited. Thankyou !

Superb pre Christmas treat this afternoon at the Parlour with your ‘head to toe delicious menu’. I am a gravy and sauce connoisseur 😜 and my Pork had the best sauce I think I have ever tasted. The Christmas menu had a treat for anybodie tastes or dietary requirements. We all had exceptional meals. My Mum even tried to put her gravy in the doggy bag! Thank you so much. Service was professional and charming. Thank you 🙏🏽

What a wonderful surprise to find The Parlour on a gloomy, wet November Sunday. It was warm, welcoming with uplifting background music, friendly staff and above all the most delicious Sunday roast lunch. Many happy customers with dogs and children made a lovely atmosphere. Don't be put off by the location or the entrance through some rather run down looking barns and past the cattle, it is all part of it's charm. We will be back and look forward to visiting in the summer and sitting outside at one of the many tables.

Initially you’d never guess that this slightly scruffy restaurant at the side of a rambling farmyard serves wonderful Italian food It’s tucked away on a country lane and not the easiest to find But make the effort, the food is fantastic And very large portions! We had a tapas style meal mixing 3 starters between the two of us. That was a meal for 2 by itself Another had one of the days specials - red mullet cooked perfectly . Hard to do right but it really was Desert menu always looks good but we have never had enough appetite left Go and find it, you won’t be disappointed . Not cheap but really good value for money due to the quality Staff very nice and helpful also

This was a return visit for us. The Home Made Bread was excellent and delicious with Olives and Trout with Horseradish. The Pizzas are top quality and large and they’re happy to supply a take away box to take your leftovers home. One of our number had Belly Pork with Beans which we all thought lacked flavour. Our measure is always could we do better at home and we could have done a better job on this pork dish. We drank House White Wine and Parlour’s own brewed beer which was refreshing. The Parlour is a busy fun venue which does theme nights and there’s an interesting Christmas Menu. There’s a real issue with walking from the car park to the restaurant. It’s poorly lit and uneven under foot. It’s perilous and they need to sort this out before the winter. We live locally and when we talk to others who use the Parlour this is always a topic of conversation.

We had a sharing lunch of starters and a pasta dish. All of it was fresh, innovative and very exciting. The flavours were complex and everything was executed perfectly. Such care and attention to detail. The servers were efficient, cheerful and very pleasant. A great experience. We have eaten here many times on a Sunday and had fantastic Sunday lunches. We wanted a change and it was perfect.

Wow- we just loved all the food and the ambiance! Best meal we have had locally in a very long time. We came with our 2 year old for an early dinner and was well accommodated. Can recommend ++

We booked out table on a neighbour’s recommendation. We’d just had our civil partnership ceremony and wanted somewhere to eat with our daughters. The sun shone. The setting was lovely. The grape vines were laden. Service was prompt and the food delicious. I can’t wait to eat there again. It was like a slice of Mediterranean life ☺️☺️

A hidden, unexpected gem of an Italian restaurant in a farmyard! The farmyard has been converted to this use in a charming way, but the real star is the food. I had scallops in tarragon to start and porchetta as a mains and both were utterly delicious. The portions were large, so you could easily opt for small plates rather than mains if you wanted. Can't wait to go back on my next Dorset trip

The Parlour is a restaurant that takes its reviews seriously, I previously posted a review regarding it being very shabby at cheque prices. I still think the prices or the presentation and portion size of desserts and starters need to be worked on. I received a call from Management following up on my previous review and we discussed my issues in a very professional manner. I truly believe that they take review’s seriously and want to learn from the customer experience. Full marks for this effort.