The Rising Sun in Wiltshire

A very friendly welcome as we stopped for lunch. Food quality was excellent. Would definitely go again when in the area and would recommend.

Enjoyed a cream tea to celebrate wedding anniversary. The cream tea was amazing, scones were baked in house, sandwiches had plenty of filling and the cakes were delicious. Wonderful hosts who couldn't do enough for us, even to the extent of giving us a congratulation card. I hope all those reading this review will visit if you can to enjoy the food and company. Thank you for making our day one to remember.

Held an event here for 60 people, which Andy was extremely helpful in organising the food, drink and everything else! The perfect location, with the garden looking beautiful, everyone in the Rising Sun was so friendly and charming and I will definitely be returning again for future events. Thank you Andy for such a fantastic day.

Had a lovely light lunch , great staff and the pub was light airey and clean , yet felt comfortable too

Hosted our daughters hen afternoon tea and it was just perfect. Lashings of tea, lovely sandwiches and the scones, clotted cream and cakes were to die for. Would certainly recommend, fabulous friendly service to go with it.

Great good and great friendly service

Discovered this little gem yesterday on our ride out to Shaftesbury from Bournemouth. Perfect place to stop for coffee and cake before our return journey. Nice big garden to sit out and enjoy the spring sunshine, friendly host and great coffee. Will definitely call in again the next time we’re out that way.

Riding my motorcycle home to Lympstone from London I stopped at the Rising Sun for lunch. The car park was virtually empty and I expected the pub to be closed, but it was open and I was welcomed with their lunchtime menu. All I had was their soup-of-the-day (mixed root vegetable, and delicious) and a half sandwich (ham and mustard, also delicious). Good service, lovely place, and I will definately stop there again when hunger strikes...

Lovely afternoon tea, quaint little place with beautiful log fire. Customer service was fantastic and a box of books were bought over to our table as I took my 6-year old grandson, lots of games on the shelf to play. Felt very nostalgic when my grandson chose Kerplunk. Wasn't busy as we went at 3pm. I would definitely visit again and again. Around £22 for 1 adult and 1 child for afternoon tea. Check website for opening times as not open every day. I had to email them a couple of times as I was taken ill for my original booking, they were very accommodating.

Home made sausage rolls,soup and brownies. Nice bright interior and great coffee. Perfect stop off along the road in to Shaftesbury and decent selection of beer.

My friend baby face worked there as a waiter so cute u could kiss him forever with chubby cheeks and the way he walks nice he made atmosphere his family was there the owner was nice has sexy eyes with lots of SA u know what I mean :)the food excellent cows were mooing outside it's cosy only if he put more hot food pub food nice area near sailsbury fire place all good experience

After a great walk near to Compton Abbas airfield, we were looking for somewhere to eat. The restaurant at the airfield is closed on a Monday. We searched on Google and it recommended the Rising Sun pub. To be honest it didn’t look too inviting from the outside, but inside the welcome was warm and friendly. We had delicious pie and chips as well a fish finger sandwiches. While we waited for our food to arrive, we played Ludo. It was an enjoyable game and an enjoyable afternoon for all of the family. We would definitely recommend it.

Great people, very knowledgeable about the area and happy to chat.

What a lovely experience. We were made to feel so welcome and the food was delicious. The four of us really enjoyed ourselves and our little dog was also welcome too. Make sure you visit if you are in the area - its well worth it.

First visit to this establishment, but it won't be the last. Lovely pinini and shared bowl of beautiful chips. Will return.

Thank you Andy and Niky for providing the best send off for my father Dennis. The excellent buffet, wonderful service and cheerful ambiance was enjoyed by all (approximately 30 of us) and I cannot recommend you enough to provide not only the occasional lunch but also as a venue for small gatherings and parties. It was perfect!

Stunning pub and garden, an absolute must visit when in the area. We were made to feel so welcome, service from the landlord and landlady was exceptional and they really went the extra mile to make our visit one of the best pub visits ever. Thank you so much we will be back and make sure we stay a little longer next time!

Amazing pub and hospitality, the landlord and landlady went out of their way to make us feel welcome throughout our visit and ensured we got back safely. Thank you, we hope to visit and stay longer nex time.

Very nice food. Service excellent. Lovely and cool in the summer and warm in the winter

Very friendly and welcoming. Nice and clean inside. Didn’t mind us parking a horse and cart in the car park while we had a pint and a packet of crisps. Will visit again

A group of Motorcyclists booked for lunch. everyone enjoyed the food. My bacon, cranberry & cheese pannini, served with coleslaw, and garnish was really tasty. Washed down with a ginger beer and glass of water. The service was first class, making us feel at home, in a separate area just for us. Thanks everyone for a great lunch, we will be back.

Amazing quality food, good portion sizes. I came in with my parents, dog and brother on our way to our holiday and it was a lovely place in a nice area with a beautiful outside seating area and garden. Kind and friendly staff who catered all our needs (including the dog). Very dog friendly, offering water and treats. Highly reccommend this place!

I was part of a birthday Afternoon tea party of 10 lady bikers. We were made so welcome and the teas were fantastic! Tasty plump sandwiches, delicious scones with as much jam and cream as we could eat! Three cakes each, all homemade and gorgeous! The gluen free raspberry cheesecake was a real highlight. 😋 Add in as much tea as we could drink and lovely antique tea service. It was fabulous.

I was with a group of lady bikers there for an Afternoon Tea birthday party. We were made so welcome and the teas were fantastic! Tasty plump sandwiches, delicious scones with as much jam and cream as we could eat! Three cakes each, all homemade and gorgeous! The gluen free raspberry cheesecake was a real highlight. 😋 Add in as much tea as we could drink and lovely antique tea service. It was fabulous. Show less

Stopped off for a bite to eat and a simple lunch. A beautiful pub, lovely atmosphere, wonderfully clean with fantastic service great beer and food. You can have afternoon tea/lunch/homemade cakes/local ale and everything in between. If you are travelling down the A30 to or from Shaftesbury stop here - you will not regret it! PS closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Surprisingly empty...far nicer than it looks. The baked potato was great, beer good and it was super friendly

Lovely old friendly pub. Excellent good value food and service. Generous portions. Genuinely dog friendly.

Overall, it was a nice experience. When we came there, they were just about opening up. Maybe because it was early, there weren't a lot of customers at all. So the atmosphere wasn't there but the food and service was good.

Friendly welcome and good value for your money. Our visit on the hottest day was cool and refreshing.

We stopped here after a long walk through Cranborne Chase. We originally wanted a coffee but saw they served scones, cakes and a delicious sounding menu. We went for a portion of triple cooked chips and garlic bread followed by a coffee, slice of coffee & walnut cake and a scone with cream and jam. Everything was brought out to us promptly and tastes delicious. The setting is lovely as it’s easily accessible from the main road and over looks beautiful fields with horses. The outside area has plenty of seating, smoking area and area for kids with a swing set. We really enjoyed our stop here and would recommend it to anyone! Also they are dog friendly.

Visited for lunch. Great location and good homemade food. Andy & Niky made us feel really welcome and the service was excellent. Will definitely be going back.

We popped in for lunch and had a smashing bacon sandwich, freshly brewed coffee and the tastiest garlic bread I have ever had. A definite great stop for anyone who appreciates an awesome lunch and a very warm welcome!

Gears place for a relaxing meal, simpl home cooked food and great service.

Originally visited as part of our Rising Sun Challenge but loved it so much we had to come back for a revisit. Andy & Niky make everyone feel very welcome setting a lovely warm and friendly atmosphere. The food is excellent too.

We had previously enjoyed a cream tea in the garden of the Rising Sun this summer. We enjoyed it so much that I decided to book here to celebrate my 70th birthday with friends. There were 16 of us. The owners, Niky and Andy put on a superb afternoon tea served on traditional crockery, in front of a cosy wood burning stove. The food was excellent. Four different types of sandwiches, a good selection of cakes and scones with cream and jam of course. Everything was fresh and delicious. Nothing was too much trouble for Niky and Andy and they even gave me a birthday card.

No cooked lunches so snack food but it was good

Best pint of 6X I've had for years. Nice garden. Cosy pub.

Really friendly owners and lovely fresh food.

Excellent service, lovely garden to sit in

Lovely little spot for lunch: beer garden, homely food and welcoming owners

Very enjoyable salad, and most hospitable staff😊.

Pop in here for a coffee whenever passing. Highly recommend

My partner and I were debating a few places for a last minute lunch on Sunday. We called up and the gent said we didn't need to book. We only live around 10/15 minutes away so went straight down. I have driven past so many times and have said I wanted to go explore it one day and just never got around to it. I'm so glad we went. Such welcoming people. The lady who greeted us said we could sit in the summer house if we wanted, we hadn't seen it on our way in but agreed. It was the perfect setting for our lunch - beautiful views over the hills. The coffees were lovely, my partner and I both had a latte (mine was decaf and lovely!), he had a toastie and chips & I had the Bacon & Brie panini and chips - I asked for no cranberries as I'm a picky eater and it was no problem at all. Brilliant value for money too, all of that came to just over £20 & they were big portions - the chip bowl was huge! Such yummy food, lovely drinks, beautiful views and even lovelier staff. We will definitely be going back soon!!

Really nice pub/coffee house, friendly staff, and easy to get to.

After a busy day in Shaftsbury we were going to have some refreshments before leaving, but as our car park ticket was about to expire we thought we would try a pub / coffee shop that we passed on our way into the town. We are glad we did! Only about 2 miles from the centre of Shaftsbury is this very nice building with a lovely friendly / cosy pub interior with beams and an open fireplace. Although previously a pub it now operates primarily as a coffee shop offering nice food, cakes and snacks. All the offerings of a pub are still there (Ale on draught, etc.). The prices were very reasonable, the staff very polite and friendly. The place is immaculately clean which is something many other establishments lack nowadays. Our visit was short (we only spent an hour there), however we plan to visit again on our next trip to Shaftsbury. There is ample free parking, and also a nice beer garden which many tables nicely spaced out. The barman/owner (Andy I believe) was genuinely nice, and it made a pleasant end to our day out.

Stopped for lunch. Lovely pub/cafe with simple, but delicious food. The highlight was the welcoming service. They even set up the outdoor summer house for us to have our lunch in. If we are in this area again, we’ll definitely come back.

Excellent service and welcoming landlords they spoke to us with interest and even made us some chips despite having finished food service. Everything was perfect and we sat by the fire playing with the games provided. I wish all pubs were like this. Thanks so much.

Driving into Shaftsbury we noticed this little pub on the side of the road with beautiful views so popped in for a bite to eat. We weren't disappointed. We were welcomed by a lovely lady who showed us the menus and got us settled down for some great food. Our dog was welcomed too! The pub is immaculate, the food is superb and the location beautiful. We will be back.

Beautiful food, warm and friendly service and dogs allowed! Well worth a stop off if you are near Shaftsbury or on the way to Salisbury. We had a chicken and mushroom pie that was delicious!

They fitted us (group of 7) in for an impromptu Sunday lunchtime meal, when other places were fully booked - so they get our vote!!!

Had a toasted sandwich and chips also a lovely creamy coffee. Will be going back lovely Friendly people and great food

Great stop for a nice tea or coffee. Hot chocolate is really good as are the home made cakes.

Had a lovely lunch at the Rising Sun today, Niky & Andy were very friendly and welcoming, food very good, will definitely be returning for more.

Lovely cream teas and Uber friendly staff.

Nice pub friendly staff well worth going there

very nice landlord and landlady and lovely beer

Fabulous flapjacks! Stopped for coffee on A30 trying to avoid the terrible A303 traffic, but will search this place out again on the trip from Surrey to Devon. We’d already had lunch but could see other customers enjoying jacket potatoes and panini. Lovely outdoor space and immaculate surroundings.

Great cream tea, fantastic service

Stopped on a long journey to the west country and had a fantastic lunch “chips to die for and fabulous paninis with local produce fillings”. Finished with a perfect espresso- unusual to find places that understand food, coffee and hospitality at this level. Thank you

Really nice little place. A little difficult to get to - you have to drive really, but nice garden out the back with kid's play area. The afternoon tea is great value, and the scones are delicious. So nice to sit here on a warm day and watch the cows and horses in the adjacent field!

Well after living in Shaftesbury for over 3 years and driving passed the Rising Sun at Donhead St Mary a number of times every week, We decided to stop off there today and we are so glad we did , Andy and Niky Daley were perfect hosts , great food , great price , a real little gem of a place. If you have driven passed like we have then stop in and give them a try.

Driving along the A30 we stopped here by chance and were very glad we did. We received a very friendly welcome, the food was excellent and freshly prepared. The garden was very pleasant and the facilities were super clean. An excellent stop and would thoroughly recommend.

Stopped here by chance and so glad we did! Really delicious local cider and our food was fresh and locally produced and such good quality. We will call back!

A brilliant coffee stop! Extra special because we visited the first day out of lockdown (17th May 2021) meaning we could eat inside, but even so - lovely! We were made to feel really welcome and enjoyed our light lunch. Wish the owners the very best of luck for the future. Hopefully see you again soon!

Stopped at the Rising Sun for lunch yesterday. Wonderful couple who run it. Extremely friendly and welcoming service. Very nice sandwich lunch and excellent coffee. Everywhere spotlessly clean. Will definitely be going back for a more substantial meal and to spend longer there next time. Highly recommend it.

Stopped in randomly on a drive to get out the house. Really great! Coffee was excellent, great food (chips portion was huge) and amazing friendly service. Once we can get out the house again I'll definitely go again.

Great place for a socially distanced afternoon tea. Felt Covid secure and very friendly staff

Lovely friendly staff clean n tidy. Great place to visit

Good food, fair prices, interesting stories to overhear from table to table from the locals...

Covid safety all in place, lovely couple, great food, nothing too much trouble. Called on the way to Corfe Castle for weeks holiday, asked if they could do sandwiches for us on the way back, no problem. Would be happy to recommend. Extra marks for lovely clean loos.

Very nice country pub went for lunch and was not disappointed I had homemade chilli with baked potatoe and salad very tasty good sized portion - lovely lady serving and very clean toilets

Absolutely delightful spot with a beautiful garden and view over fields. The staff were delightful and couldn’t have been happier to help. Very nice cream tea. Would recommend

Welcoming, friendly, lovely place for a hot drink & cake, or lunch. The food was good value & would definitely go back.

Very nice country pub. Excellent ambience. Good beer & pleasant light menu. Also do afternoon teas, & coffee.

Fantastic cafe, great coffee and cakes and a lovely garden. Owners opened up especially for us; two cyclists stranded in the area on an overly ambitious route. Would highly recommend - although I'm sure the owners would prefer during standard opening hours.

Lovely country pub, great food and great service. Well recommended.

What a lovely pub, considering all the Covid restraints we were met with a friendly smile, a genuine desire to help - and smashing food. Highly recommended.

Great place to stop off, fantastic food and great service were made to feel very welcome even the dog got a treat

Really enjoyed our visit to the Rising Sun. The proprietors are a lovely couple. We had great chats with them about West Country coffee roasters and ale brewers. The coffee (with beans supplied by Reads in Sherborne) was lovely. A great little find.

Because of the current situation with pubs being closed we were unfortunately unable to go for afternoon tea on Mothers Day, however we were in fact able to takeaway it away which was a great idea! Andy went to a lot of trouble in making...

Great pub with good parking and coffees too!

Had a lovely afternoon tea for Valentine’s Day. The staff are lovely are can’t do enough for you. So good being able to get a cup of tea and hubby had a beer. The food was delicious and we couldn’t finish it all so took...

We called in for coffee on a chilly day a week before Christmas, and found armchairs by a roaring fire, very friendly and helpful staff, good coffee and possibly the best mince pie I have ever eaten. It's very well situated on the A30 between...

Found this cosy place by accident when avoiding traffic chaos around Stonehenge. A country pub and a barista combined. Enjoyed a coffee and a slice of homemade cake, relaxed in a leather armchair next to a log burner. Very friendly. We will be returning.

Best friendly stop for a coffee tea or drink. Definitely on our list of go to places.

Good lunch and recommended a.local.spot.to visit

Great evening in warm and friendly bar

Average coffee despite all the protestations of specialist treatment.

Good parking, friendly staff. Not expensive and good sized portions.

Great local beer, lovely quaint pub, and friendly owners

Lovely jacket potatoes and coffee, the staff are very welcoming. And they hold a Coffee Companion every Friday between 2.30-3.30 for anyone who is lonely or just needs some company

Really good idea : ‘coffee tavern’. We had a light snack and a couple of coffees while enjoying the sunshine. The owners were very welcoming and we were given some guidebooks to look when we mentioned we wanted to get to know the area. Oh...

Very clean and tidy, nice garden, food was very nice, liked the triple cooked chips. Staff were lovely, helpful and very friendly. If I pass again I'd definitely pop in.

The most awesome cream tea ever.

Brillant place highly recommended

I stopped by for a snack lunch with another Harley biker and we were given a lovely welcome. I had ridden past this place many times during the past few years while it was either looking run down or derelict. It has been transformed into...

Lovely staff, the garden is comfortable when it's sunny and affordable price for nice food! Definitely recommend

Fabulous lunch/coffee/pint stop on the A30. Great food, lovely people, highly recommended

Very welcoming. Great coffee and food. Will be back.

We stopped here for a lunch while journeying home after half term. Warm welcome, a nice light lunch menu which was all served with a smile. Licensed bar but as we were driving we didn’t try any of the beers or wines which did look...