The Royal Oak Hotel in Purbeck

Two visits!! On holiday in Bere Regis...we played skittles and had a drink one eve and the seven of us ate on Friday. I can't speak highly enough of this place....it's wonderful. One of our party is a coeliac and absolutely nothing was too much trouble. The staff were amazing ...really friendly and helpful. The food was out of this world.... just a pity we are 120 miles away....but, we will be back, when next in Bere Regis. Thank you so much for two lovely evenings.

We were staying at the Old Mill B&B so were able to walk here for dinner. The service was very friendly, the food was delicious, especially the Dorset apple cake dessert.

My friends and I decided to have Christmas dinner here and we are so pleased we did. From start to finish the experience was very positive. Excellent and attentive waiting staff who couldn’t do enough for us and Brendan, the chef cooked up one of the best Christmas meals I’ve had in a long time. Many thanks for a great night out

My husband & I were on holiday locally so booked to eat here, as it said dog friendly & we have 2 retrievers. It is very dog friendly. The locals at the bar & the waiter were very keen on dogs. Treats & water were supplied. The waiter, Brendan, was fantastic. Very affable, knowledgeable, helpful & accomodating. The bar was full of very friendly folk & the music played was excellent & not too loud! Now the food-we both went for fish for starters & main. My husband had whitebait I had garlic prawns. Nicely presented, hot & very tasty. We both had Lemon Sole for mains which was cooked to prerfection & absolutely delicious. In fact we both thought it was probably one of the best meals out that we had ever had. Highly recommended

After work dinner. Great attentive service, perfectly cooked king prawns , gouda and bacon doughnuts, sole and lamb & mint sausages. Great food, great atmosphere and definitely recommend .

What a little hidden gem. Caitlin behind the bar, what a lovely welcoming lady so friendly and has customer service off to a tee !! We were just on way back from taking the dog to the beach. Saw the friendly welcoming signs for the Royal Oak. Checked if dogs could come into the bar area. Not only could they come in they had doggy ice cream on offer too.!! Food was lovely, fresh and piping hot. Thanks chef !

We found the staff really friendly the food was off high quality and was priced reasonably would recommend it a place for a meal if you are in the area.

This rather unassuming pub was a 'chance find' for us. We were travelling west on the nearby A31 and decided to pop in to Bere Regis for lunch. Google search directed us to another pub which was closed, but we passed the Royal Oak on our way there. They were able to accommodate us as 'walk-ins' and we enjoyed a very tasty and nicely-cooked lunch - wild boar faggots were on the menu!

Staying in Bere Regis this is the only choice for dining out so we booked for the two nights of our visit - a Friday and Saturday. The Oak is the first thing you see as you turn in to the village main street and a convenient walk from anywhere in the village. Both nights were quite busy early but clear by 9. A pleasant dining area with around 30 setting staff were mostly young part timers in need of training but friendly and willing to help. Food is average but uninspiring - first night's shared sauteed mushroom starter was tasty. King prawn curry had more a spicy soup than a sauce and very few other ingredients. Cielo Merlot was Ok - had that both nights. Saturday's meal followed a busy day with quite a large lunch so settled for "experimental" miso pizza - unfortunately the chef had no miso - we had mushroom added to the Burrata pizza - good base. High point was the Chocolate brownie affogato which was righ and tasty.

We stopped yesterday on our way home from Monkey World. There was 9 of us (ranging from 12 to 76) & we weren't overly hopeful of a table, but the lady behind the bar soon rearranged a couple of tables & made us feel very welcome. An amazing selection on the menu & the food was absolutely delicious, the service impeccable & the atmosphere fantastic. I would highly recommend The Royal Oak & will definitely return if back in the area.

Fabulous place for visitors. Very friendly staff, most welcoming and had agreat evening. Food lovely.

Dropped in here today for a quick lunch. Absolute delight. The staff were attentive, effective and efficient. The food was simple, hearty and served with a smile. And to cap it all, the prices were very reasonable. Would I go back - 100%

Best Sunday Roast for miles! Went on a whim to try a Sunday Roast, phoned before hand as we have two large breed dogs to make sure they could accommodate us and they were so lovely. We were sat in their ‘Post Office’ room for more privacy with our dogs, the menu was lovely, a few different dishes from your big standard same old pub menu. I had the sautéed mushrooms with artichoke hearts and truffle oil to start, absolutely divine. My partner has the smoked haddock fishcake which was equally as good. Mains were a roast beef and pork, so much meat and a lovely selection of fresh veg, I also ordered the cauli cheese which was beautiful. My partner had the blue cheese burger. Both mains were plentiful and tasty. Will 100% be back to try the stone baked pizzas. Excellent customer service from extremely friendly staff, can’t believe we haven’t tried the food here before, always ate at in Wool, but this pub wipes the floor with the Ship Inn. Really impressed - thank you

Beautiful food and friendly staff. Stopped off my a Sunday lunch and it was spot on! Would recommend it!

Amazing Sunday roast. We stopped in on the Saturday for a late dinner and then enjoyed it so much booked for Sunday roast. The roast was amazing went with my in laws, partner and 5 year old, The food was amazing their roast is amazing I can’t remember the last time I had such a good roast out Second the staff are amazing friendly and welcoming

Stopped by on my way to Plymouth with some mates, and we all ordered the burger which was tasty. The staff made us feel very welcome. Definitely worth a visit!

First ever visit to eat after a long cold day at work, really looking forward to a hot meal so I chose a 'Beef Tikka Curry", not too spicy not too mild.. £14.00! The food was served in a large bowl with yellow fat rice, a pot of mango chutney & a poppadom. The curry was very dark in colour as a first impression & the poppadom was slightly floppy & wet.. the flavour of the curry was NOT a tikka flavour at all, nor a curry, but as a trained chef both military & civilian.. I recognise that this had been overcooked & heated up again to have developed this rich dark colour & the beef was as tough as old tabbing boots. The extremely friendly waitress came over to check how it was & I did mention the tough meat.. she went to investigate.. she returned to say it was cooked in the slow cooker so basically the chef was disregarding my palate that it was tough.. & therefore no offer of a discount or dish change. I do love the atmosphere & the pub does have a popular following being the only pub in the village to offer food... regulars & such make a lovely atmosphere alongside the real fire, so win win in many aspects. IWhen deciding to eat out I must say which isn't often due to my busy work-life, I can only say it was highly disappointing for a £14 bowl of filling yellow rice.. all else was eaten through sheer hunger.. I may not eat here again but I will no doubt venture in for the warm ambient atmosphere & drinks. I hope this is seen as positive criticism & not a review to hinder a promising business.. please ensure food is tasted before either sending out or being dismissed through the pride of a chef who may not be able to take an ego bruising! Healthy Regards Debut Patron

We had our dinner here, yummy food, great friendly staff, dog friendly and even better the dogs has their own ice-cream:-) We had a great time!

This is a gem of a local pub. Very friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Lovely food and exceptional staff. I wish my local was like this, looking forward to coming back.

Stopped for lunch today, staff are very helpful and friendly. They can cater for coeliacs too which is a bonus! Portions are on the large side but we left room for pudding which was worth it! Had the (gluten free) dorset apple cake with custard.

We stopped in the village for a break en rout to Weymouth. It was Tuesday and they open early at 10am for the locals aand the place was busy. Moreover when I tried to pay the bill they said £3. I said we had 3...

Visited for a birthday dinner. Staff very friendly and helpful. Enquired what was the pie of the day and informed it was ham chicken and leek.so I ordered it. Wife enjoys chilli-con-carnie so ordered this from Specials Menu. The crust on my pie was thick,...

Arrived to be greeted by a charming warm and lovely member of staff, so polite and helpful. Quickly seated and offered drinks and given the menu. Food was DELICIOUS, and both members of staff that served us were an absolute credit to the place.

There was a warm welcome when we arrived for lunch. The dog was given a bowl of water and shortly after was treated with biscuits. Our meal was good quality and the service very friendly. We'd happily return.

Stayed in Bere Regis for a week and ate here twice. Staff were very friendly and helpful. The food was some of the best bub food we have had (and we are 65!) and was reasonably priced . The Beef brisket and steaks were wonderful...

The staff were really friendly and welcoming, the atmosphere overall was relaxed too. Some locals in the bar that were jolly and also friendly. Lots of parking. The tables were not too close to one another and it was a mix of classic pub, modern...

Visited for Sunday lunch while staying in the area. What a wonderful pub, the decor was cosy and welcoming and the bar maid was lovely, helpful and friendly. As the roast, it was delicious, served with fresh vegetables and amazing crispy roasters. Highly recommend a...

To sum it up, The Royal Oak had delicious dining, luscious lager, extremely friendly owners/staff, very clean “facilities” and fine fireplace!!

Had a meal here with a friend recently. Menu choice was good and the food and drink excellent and sensibly priced. The staff were very efficient and helpful. What more do you need. Will be back.

We last visited the Royal Oak in April 2019 when it was looking rather tired and despite the best efforts of the very welcoming bar staff, it was lacking any atmosphere and the opening hours and menu were hit and miss. Now under new management...

Had the pleasure of having an evening meal with friends at this local pub whilst staying atva nearby B&B. The food was exception for such a small place yet cannot understand why there were not many customers eating evening we visited. Honestly people are missing...

The Royal Oak is under new management and they have really made a difference. The food was lovely and the front of house staff were friendly and professional. I had the belly pork, which was beautifully cooked and came with plenty of freshly cooked vegetables....

While visiting Bere Regis we spent this evening at The Royal Oak. Never been before so hadn't realized the pub is under new management. It was only their 5th night and what a fantastic job they are doing. Very friendly welcome and lovely food at a fair price.

The place is completely different with new management and very professional staff! You can tell the difference from before immediately when you walk through the door. Outstanding service and delicious meals, I personally had the haddock and it was cooked perfectly! The staff were polite, attentive and friendly. They served us drinks and aperitif whilst waiting for the main meal - it felt like we are in a very upscale restaurant. Worth a visit! Well done to the new owners.

We were lucky enough to eat in The Royal Oak on its reopening night (Tuesday the 21st September) this year. The staff were great; friendly and fun and the meal itself was of a high standard. I had the vegetarian moussaka and my partner, the chicken pie. The Dorset apple cake was delicious. So, all in all, very impressed with The Royal Oak and would definitely eat there again. A lovely pub/restaurant in a lovely part of Dorset.

Terrible food. Very small menu and everything with chips. No salad or anything remotely healthy. Drinks were in plastic beakers. Food arrived in cardboard cartons on plastic trayd. To add insult to injury, we had to eat the food with our fingers. We have since eaten at other pubs and have had beer in glasses and food served on plates with knives and forks

The food was very basic for the price! Under cooked scampi. Stay alert, don't eat here, save lives!!

While I hate to be negative about any business which always requires hard work the royal oak isn't great ..resembles a school canteen and the food was poor we had chicken and mushroom pie ...no veg or salad..I know looking back at the menu it came exactly as it read but still ...in 2020 it's poor

Visited whilst staying at a local B&B. Our visit was early evening on a Saturday and no trouble getting a parking space or a table. Lovely friendly place. Several obvious regulars, but we didn't feel made any less welcome than them. Loved the fact that dogs were allowed inside (and I know that there will be many who hate that - but it is a country pub). The servers at the time of our visit were all young people who were extremely polite and attentive and who were very helpful when trying to choose local beers. The food we had was excellent in terms of quality (ribs, steak and chicken salad), with good portion sizes and nice and fresh. Only difficulty was deciding what to choose! Would definitely go again when next in the area.

Good food at a reasonable price on a damp October night. Live music a bonus. Busy place just what we wanted.

We went for dinner one evening whilst staying with family as it states online that they do gluten free food. We were pleasantly surprised to find that everything on their menu is gluten free except for the scampi. There was a reasonable selection of starters and mains to choose from and although we couldn’t manage a pudding, they had a good selection which were all gluten free too!

Full marks for accommodating a large group of 16 at short notice. Plenty of choice for us to pre order. Easy parking off the main road. Not a large selection of beer but that was fine. The food was not exactly basic, sort of middle of the road. Good and tasty with reasonable portions. The hardworking lady behind the bar was a little reserved but very efficient. For good pub grub I would recommend it.

There was nothing wrong with the food which was good, though the menu was small. However, service was dreadful - A grumpy, unsmiling, unwilling and unhelpful bar person spoilt the evening, despite the occasional smile. Matters only improved when the chef/landlady came out into the bar. She was pleasant, smiling and interested in our thoughts about the meal. Being charitably minded I assume the bar staff was just having a bad day. I doubt we would go back again

Greeted by a lovely man, had a delicious meal and was reasonably priced, if local we would definitely be back. 100% recommend!

We were camping in a local site and decided to have some food in the Royal Oak. I have to say that the Welcome was cold. The lasagna was microwaved and we were glad to leave. Not impressed

We were going on our way to Durdl door and decided to stop at this pub. It has all the typical pub traditional meals. We had lasagna, sausages and mash, roast ham and chips and chilli con carne with brown rice. Food was fine, filling. Service was pleasant. The decor and atmosphere loks a little run down, but if you are hungry and want a quick meal, you'll get so.

We’ve started making an effort to support pubs and eateries off our usual beaten track, and today we happened upon the Royal Oak. We arrived at a slightly strange time (after 2 on a Sunday afternoon). The pub was rather empty except for a few locals enjoying drinks around the bar. Ordinarily, we would have hot-footed it out of there - but we decided to give it a whirl. And we are glad we did. We ordered their homemade beef burger and a Caesar salad - both more than satisfactory. Good proportions! But also genuinely lovely food. The atmosphere hinges on a bit of a sterile feel but on the most part, we enjoyed our visit. The food was good quality, and we will be back. Dogs welcome on leads too. Keep going. Thanks for a great lunch!

We ate here twice during a 5-night stay locally. The first time we thought we had caught it on a bad night - no problem with the food but hardly anyone in there and although the lady behind the bar was very warm and welcoming, the whole experience didn't add up to an enjoyable evening out. The second time again the food was fine, although the menu is very limited, but the atmosphere felt that they would really rather not have customers at all and certainly ones who were not regular locals. On both evenings they turned away several groups of customers as they had stopped serving food, although it was still fairly early in the evening. Not very good business.

Last time for meals is three. There was plenty of car parking when we arrived. The young barman was very helpful. This hotel is very old and atmospheric. The food arrived very quickly and the bar man was very attentive. We were both very pleased with our meal. We were pleased to see there were gluten free and vegetarian dishes. We both started with Vegetarian Spring rolls then my husband went on to Hunters chicken and I had Sticky toffee pudding. My husband and I wanted our starters at the same time but I did not want a main so had my pudding when he had his main and the kitchen coped with that very well. i noticed the gents toilets were downstairs but the ladies on the same floor as the bar. The ladies toilets were clean and well looked after.

We don't usually write reviews but for the Royal Oak we are making an exception.Disgraceful service from a sullen member of staff.Outrageous attitude making us feel unwelcome and wishing we had taken our custom elsewhere.The exhorbitantly priced food was very basic and not the quality you would expect for such a high cost.The meal was served in the garden by the same miserable woman who seemed very resentful having to walk down the garden to serve us.We were begrudgingly allowed to bring our dogs into the garden and had sat at the bottom of the garden where they had some shade.We had walked almost six miles and they were thirsty but the only bowl in the garden was a dirty plastic empty one,so we gave them water from bottles we had brought with us.We regularly eat out and particularly at weekends this usually means we look for pubs where we and our friends can visit together with our dogs.Many of the pubs we frequent not only make us feel welcome, they love our well behaved dogs and there is always a bowl of water available and very often a biscuit treat as well.Having finished our disappointing meal and preparing to complete our walk for a considerable distance back to our car I was concerned that our dogs water supply was getting low so went to politely enquire if one of our sports bottles could be filled with tap water.The same woman looked furious as she took the bottle from me and promptly told me that she was going to charge me..JOKE?? No !!..when I queried if she was serious her retort was yes it will be £1 and we have to pay for water so you have to. Outrageous Outrageous Outrageous!!! It was 25 degrees today probably the hottest day of the year so far.We had just paid £35 for a meal and drinks. You are just mean and do not deserve our custom. My dogs would like to thank you for you poor hospitality.

Popped in with a colleague for lunch and to do some work. No warm welcome from the sullen barmaid, she just glared at us... I was carrying my laptop and she informed me that I’d better not be thinking of plugging it in because their insurance wouldn’t cover it?! We left. The place was empty, how they stay in business I don’t know!

Visited for lunch after seeing the gluten free sign outside. A lovely little pub with a friendly welcome. Our food was very tasty and it was great to have so many gluten free options, including vegetarian options, something I struggle to find sometimes when out for a meal. The menu had plenty of variety generally. Will definitely be going back.

Two of us had lunch on new years day. All ecellent and people gracious and smiley. Food excellent and dining room comfortable

The website makes it look as if the restaurant area is separate and looks cosy and nicely refurbished.The sample menu has a nice variety of dishes.On this basis my friend and I decided to book.For three days there was no reply to my email nor to the two phone messages I left.After another three no response to calls I eventually got through and bkd.However,the guy who took the call rang me back later as he didn't seem clear that I had bkd.

unfortunately I was unable to get a meal because on Sundays this pub only serves Sunday roasts which is what I did not want, needless to say they never got my business

The Royal Oak is on a corner, it is elevated and it is visible from a busy main road route to the West and to local attractions like Bovington tank museum , Monkey World of tv game and the Jurassic Coast. This after a long drive it is a suitable location for a drink and a meal. They specialise in gluten free here and are happy to accommodate any dietary request, but don't expect Fine Dining, just excellent food and friendly service. Interestingly the proprietor also has other business interests in the village and thus confirms a desire to please !

Had a stop off for lunch on the way to Charmouth. The landlady was nice and brought our food out quickly. But food could be improved particularly the Burger meat was very gristly and not much flavour, cider not very cold. Chicken nuggets and fish fingers were ok for the kids.

We came across the royal oak by accident , and im pleased we did.my partner noticed that it was coeliac friendly and being gluten intolerant we thought we would give it a try as we found it hard to find pubs in the area that done a decent selection of gluten free food as most only have a limited selection.we were given a warm friendly welcome as we walked in.nearly everything on the menu was gluten free and home made, the burger i really fancied was fantastic ..it was a relief to be able to eat what u like without worrying about wether it had gluten in..i would recommend this pub to anyone , go give it a try..will definatly visit this pub when in the area next.

It was a good pub meal not too expensive. An easy walk from our Guest House while visiting Monkey world.

Lovely pub. Really friendly staff, nice atmosphere and the Sunday carvery was delicious. Everything from the kitchen was gluten free, so not only could I eat whatever I wanted, there was no risk of cross contamination, such a relief.

Came here for Sunday lunch and what a Sunday lunch . We had the roast beef which had been slow roasted and was cooked to perfection. The same goes for the pork. Very nice selection of vegetables and home made Yorkshire pud. Being a person who is fussy about gristly,chewy meat this was the best we’ve ever tasted. Wow is all we can say. Go and visit see for yourselves

Visited as was staying locally. Felt very unwelcome , only a handful of locals inside , worrying sign when the chef is sitting in the pub watching tv. Would recommend not going here at all ! Plenty of nicer places in wareham ! Much friendlier and welcoming !

We called in after passing on our way to Bovington, tempted by the gluten free sign as one of our group is gluten intolerant. The pub nearly empty at 1pm on a Sunday which was a little worrying, but they were unfounded, and within 10 minutes of sitting down the pub was packed and people were being turned away as they were full.

Went for a lunch, the menu was the usual basic choices so we chose cottage pie served in its own little dish,it was tiny ! ,the veg was a bit hard for our taste but worst of all the plates were cold. The strangest thing was a man on the next table asked for another knife because he couldn't cut his lasagne so the barmaid started cutting his dinner up for him !!!!!!!!

Driving through Bere-Regis we saw the big "Gluten-free" sign on their board and turned round and parked in their carpark. The welcome could not have been friendlier and we soon tucked into gluten-free hunters chicken. Generous, tasty and reasonably priced - perfect lunch pub!

Nice pub. Friendly locals. Adequate menu. Good variety of beers, wines and spirits. I was also impressed with the variety of soft unfizzy drinks which can be hard to find in many pubs. A very nice attentive young man behind bar. He welcomed us and served us quickly. He delivered our food making sure I was aware the dish was very hot having just come out the oven. A little while later he popped over to check all was well with our meal. It makes a huge difference to a pub having great bar staff. We will be back.

Having strolled to the pub for a meal we found it closed at 6pm on a Sunday and Monday. There were also a confusing array of signs outside stating that it was an allergy free atmosphere!!

Basic bar with wood floors but lovely beer garden. Gets very busy, serves food at reasonable prices and has rooms available. excellent pit-stop.

Utter rubbish compared to the other pub in town No welcome bland and people allowed to swear out loud at...

My husband and I were looking for a drink and food and we weren't disappointed. Our 2 pints were refreshingly...

We were hesitant after reading many negative reviews but we were pleasantly surprised by the service and food was good....

Bitterly disappointed, checked on the internet for a pub which had gluten free food on it's menu plus being dog friendly and came up with The Royal Oak, Bere Regis.

Arrived at Royal Oak at 8.20 on a Saturday night and asked for a table. The bar man said he was not sure if chef was still cooking as they stop serving at 8.30. He asked another barman who 'Ummed' and 'Erred' before asking if we wanted him to check - we said yes, as it as not 8.30. We waited (somewhat awkwardly in a silent and empty pub...barman did not enter into any conversation but ignored us. It was a very awkward silence and we both felt as thigh we were putting these people out!When the other barman returned, he aid he could do food but a limited menu. Steak, or about 3 other dishes. By this time, we really felt that we wer an inconvenience so decided to leave and visit the pub up the road.

Dropped in for lunch not knowing what to expect. One one person in pub at 1 pm - not a good sign and nobody eating.Ordered one fish and chips to share with two small beers - £20. When we asked if we could take it in the garden we were asked to pay in advance. When the food came the fish batter was crispy outside but totally mushy inside and the fish a weird grey colour.I suppose with frozen food a pub cannot know what the fish is like but for over £13 a serving they could perhaps buy fresh instead of wholesale frozen.Anyway will not be visiting again.

Two visits this month. Last visit food dreadful. Very disappointed. Told chef departed so did the delicious food.

We stopped over for dinner when in the area. We were attracted by the sign saying that they do gluten-free food and were pleasantly surprised to find that the chef (who herself has Coeliacs) has designed a good variety of different meals to be had allergy-friendly. We tried the 'Hunters Chicken' and local sausages & eggs, both with chips, which were crunchy crispy hot and yummy. The sausages were very good quality, cooked perfectly. The chicken dish came with a nice little salad, which we felt was missing from the other meal. The young man serving us was very friendly. We felt very well looked after. Anyone travelling to the area looking for good freshly cooked food, stop over at the Royal Oak!

I popped in for a quick snack while my car was in for its MOT. I was so pleased to see a great choice of GF food on the menu as a ceoliac I rarely get a really such a variety of choice on a menu. As we only live a few villages away this will definitely be a place of choice for dinners out.

The food was lovely. We need to go back because both days they had run out of their homemade burgers before we could order, because they were so nice.

Had two car dries and attended the pie night.In a word DELICIOUS The Royal Oak have recently acquired this skilful Chef to put his stamp on the menu. Best thing that has happened as his previous employer was double the distance away and I can now reach there in half the time.I would suggest you go along and try the Carvery or steak night or pie night or even the theme specials. If you enjoy great food, you won't eat anywhere else.

My fiancé and 2 children accompanied my brother his wife and child here last night based on his recommendation. Although the venue is very clean, and the staff very welcoming, the food and atmosphere was less than pleasing. The lighting is far too bright for a calm atmosphere. My fiancé had the Camembert to start. It was a week out of date. There was no real apology given and we were still charged for it. My brothers stared of a shared oriental platter was... For want of a better work... Cremated. My son who is 4 wanted a burger and rather than literally give him a burger and a couple of chips, he was presented with (and we paid for) a full adults burger meal. The burgers themselves were very overdone, dry, and inedible. I have the vegetable lasagne which was basically a few pieces of veg swimming in a mixture of the most horrible white sauce I have ever tasted, and some waged from the clearly defrosted and microwaved veg. We would have complained a great deal more but seeing as my brother had recommended it from when he had been before, it felt terrible rude to almost mock his restaurant choice. We will not come again when we visit and I actually very much doubt my brother will also.

Our first night in the village tempted us to try the Oriental night, recommended by our hosts at The Old Mill. Lovely! Lots of different Chinese, Indian and other dishes, a really nice meal.

We ate here as a party of 4 one of which has multiple food allergies. The staff were extremely helpful in advising us about the individual components of each meal and even offered an alternative sauce for one of the meals so that the our companion could eat it. The portions were very generous and tasty. We would happily eat there again.

Popped in here for a quick drink after a visit to the Tank Musem at Bovington. A great warm welcome and a good atmosphere with many 'local people'. Would recommend to all. The inside is much better than the outside so don't just pass by.

I had soup. TINY portion with the smallest bread roll I have ever seen. Are they catering for dwarfs ? Felt cheated. Service came with no smile either.The soup itself was luke warm. All for over £5 . What a rip off.My wife made the mistake of having chinese spring rolls which, again were the smallest I have ever seen. The accompyaning "salad" had completely tasteless tomatoes

Wanted a Curry but had only dropped in for drink and found out by chance that it was Curry night. Great choice, even though small menu. Food was excellentLocals were very friendly as was bar staffPub could advertise more, discreetly as the village is quant and old and would not like to spoil it.

Had dinner here whilst staying locally and visiting Monkey World. Food was great and the service also equally good. The atmosphere was slightly odd. We think because the lighting was so bright, did not feel like you were in a dining room.

Late afternoon visit for a quick drink with friends. Simple pub with a good selection. Conveniently located on the corner of the high street and a main road

Excellent food in hotel bar setting. Simple surroundings but the good food was worth having. Fantastic service from the person taking our orders as on commenting about the red wall he produced the pot of paint that it was painted from so I could see. Also wrote the details down for me. Very friendly and helpful is what I would say.

We stopped for lunch on our way home from Dorchester market.The menu was not extensive but had a reasonable choice.We were served by an amiable young man and the food was appetising.Inside, the dining area is traditionally furnished. There are two small beer gardens available for those sunnier days.The portions are generous.We will no doubt return.

We loved eating at the hotel because of friendly staff and fantastic gluten free meal options! We would love to travel back and enjoy it all over again.

Thesis a decent pub, serving traditional pub grub. Nothing fancy, with a menu including everything from scampi to burgers and pizza. We took the pizza and the scampi, with a pint of Doombar, 2 glasses of white wine and a bottle of water. No complaints, and all eaten. All for £35 pounds. Not bad. The only issue - if it is an issue - is that the poor barmaid was all on her own trying to serve a load of tables, whilst also serving beer to other customers; an heroic effort, but it could be annoying if you are in a hurry (which we weren't). This is a place that you wouldn't go out of your way to travel to, but you wouldn't say no if you were in the neighbourhood.

One of the best chips that I ate :) my only concern is that on Saturday there was only one person serving customers, both taking orders and serving drinks. It was not busy but because of being short staffed the service was quite slow.

Tried this pub few times. Changed from satisfactory to poor. Service unfriendly. Food - they seem to struggle to get continuity of staff in kitchen. We were disappointed by the quality of the food and on one occasion shocked by the presentation. The pub always seems empty or closed. It's a shame as I am sure with some drive and determination it could be so much better

staying at the campsite just out of village recommended by site owner as serves gluten free food , found staff friendly not a large menu but a good one , i had the dorset sausage which i enjoyed ,my wife had the chicken which she loved, i would definatley recomend this pub.

A friendly welcome awaits at this establishment. Stayed one night, very clean room, very friendly staff. Had a good meal in the evening and a fantastic, home cooked breakfast in the morning before travelling on.Very good base for local attractions, such as Monkey World or Bovington Tank Museum

We had lunch on one day and dinner the next. You can eat outside if you wish, in a beautiful garden. I think the hotel had changed hands recently and was building up its reputation. /we would certainly recommend it.

Nice pub, very warm and welcoming staff. Service was prompt and food was with us in no time. Food very tasty with good portion sizes. Had the Cajun burger whilst others had the lasagne and curry - all well presented and reportedly tasted great. Overall nice pub with good prices.

We had a meal with a party of 12 here before our wedding and it was fantastic. Staff couldn't have been more accommodating. Service was excellent and the food was delicious. It's a great place for dinner and drinks with friends.

I love this pub. Everybody is welcomed, locals, tourists, walkers, kids, & dogs.When we are out & about in this area we eat here, this is our third time now.A useful car park, nice clean loos inside.There is a decent selection on the menu, including veggie options.Thanks to the staff, this helps to make the day a special treat in East Dorset.

Serves good home cooked pub food, Nice decor and friendly service . Enjoyed a family meal, many locals use this and it is welcoming to dogs.