The Saxon Inn in North Dorset

The Saxon Inn has become our favourite pub! We've enjoyed many lovely meals there, from Sunday roasts to delicious evening dishes. It’s the perfect spot to relax after a country walk, especially on sunny days when we can sit outside with our dogs and enjoy a drink or by the fire with some bar snacks. It’s always so welcoming, excellent service, and tasty food - couldn’t recommend it more!

Wonderful lunch at The Saxon. Lovely food, the place is decorated beautifully. Thoroughly recommend .

Delicious food, great atmosphere, friendly staff. Landlords went above and beyond to make us comfortable. All in all a great place. Thanks!

This pub is the perfect balance of upmarket/boutique and having a homely feel. The food is outstanding quality, and our waiting staff (Minty) was excellently attentive. It was our first time there, for a romantic Saturday night date. This place did not disappoint. Plenty of car parking space. The finer details were beautiful - candles and fairy lights everywhere, water jug filled at every table, salt and pepper holders filled, a fluffy throw behind my chair, heating on, music on but not too loud. Our bill was £78, for two courses and a bottle of wine. Overall, a really fantastic pub!

This is a beautiful place. We only stopped for a quick refreshment break but the food smelt delicious.

Fabulous. Great food. Great location. Lovely ambience. And incredibly warm host. What else is there?

The Saxon Inn was quite a surprise - in a good way! We had been given mixed reviews about the restaurant but we found it warm, attractive and the food was exceptional. The staff were extremely friendly and the lady head chef/owner came out and had a chat with each table and some of the locals as well.

Disappointed with the pot pie can’t really call it a pie pastry sat on top of a ramekin dish with a couple of pieces of meat under and seasonal vegetables only kale. This was the light lunch £14. Customers dog sat watching us the owner sat at the bar not taking notice of what his dog was doing. This was lunch out for my birthday so disappointing.

Table of 8 for Sunday lunch. Faultless food and service. Welcoming to children and dogs and a great selection of real ales. Highly recommended

People who truly care! The owner and her daughter went above and beyond when I was unable to find a taxi to a nearby train station. Besides that it's a characterful, comfortable inn situated in a beautiful part of the world. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend 🙏

Lovely food, friendly atmosphere and staff.

I love this place from the decor to the soft background music to Reggi and Herman. Everything has been so carefully designed and beautifully thought through. I love the hot water bottle touch in the bedroom (although we did not need it). The food was of excellent quality and was very tasty

Food did not live up to expectation. Starter was dry and extremely salty. Service was a bit hit and miss. More training required in certain areas. Not a lot of competition in the vicinity. Wouldn’t take much to do a lot better

Yes the saxon inn is lovely. Sadly we did not get to experience it's marvel. We booked a night stay through booking.com. Both Esme and Jacob were delightful engaging in conversation from the off. A delay in booking in ,was not an issue. The room was small, bed warm and comfortable. Details of how to book breakfast were discussed but not dinner. The walls are quite thin and noise/conversations into the early hours could be heard clearly from the room next door. Disappointingly nobody ,including the owner, mentioned that the restaurant should be booked or infact that it may be fully booked,when we checked in earlier in the day. Arriving to see if there was an available table at 6.30pm, the waitress kindly said she would check (a nice thing to do ,even if she knew the outcome) We were immediately greeted by the owner "It's my business" and NO we are at full to capacity. PEOPLE COME HERE TO EAT !! I'm not sure if we could have felt more un welcome infact we felt like something the cat had dragged in. I apologized if I had been rude even though I knew I had not. Rudness has no place in any place. I would never dream of speaking to a customer the way in which we were spoken to. We retreated to our room with a pork pie and a bag of crisps from the car. Which I might add ,we could not have moved due to the full capacity of the car park. If only one of the three had mentioned they were full when we checked in earlier in the day , we would have happily eaten else where. Thank you for spoiling what should have been a lovely end to our holiday in dorset. And no we did not stay for breakfast.

It was a lovely day to walk to local pubs It was lovely to see so many people enjoying food and drink and also lovely roast potatoes at the bar with pint 👏

Went out for dinner, it is a very nice place! Delicious food and a wonderful location. Service was very quick, and all the waiters were very nice, kind and helpful! Wide range of foods on the menu!

Stayed here a few time when traveling with work. Can’t praise it high enough. Great pub friendly atmosphere. Food is great. Accommodation 5stars all staff and owners are friendly and welcoming.

Es war ein fabelhafter Aufenthalt. Wir waren leider nur eine Nacht zu Gast. Das Zimmer war liebevoll eingerichtet, es fehlte an nichts. Die Übernachtung ist uneingeschränkt empfehlenswert. Ein absolutes Highlight waren das Abendessen und das Frühstück. Mit viel Liebe zum Detail, außergewöhnlichem Geschmack und zuvorkommendem Service wurden wir verwöhnt. Das unschlagbare Frühstück wurde passend zur vereinbarten Uhrzeit von der Gastgeberin serviert. Eine Herzensempfehlung in Dorset.

Such a beautiful pub with stunning rooms. The landlady has done a wonderful job making this a homely, stylish place to stay with incredible food

We visited The Saxon Inn for Sunday lunch. Parking is tricky as you have to drive round the back of the pub to find a place and it is impossible to turn the car round if there are no spaces. There was a warm welcome and there was a relaxed vibe but overall service was polite but slow. We had prawn cocktail as a starter which was fresh and delicious and then roast beef which was a little overdone and roast potatoes were not crispy. Roasted beetroots and carrots were tasty. When I asked for the bill it was brought to the table but then the waiter went outside to smoke so having waited patiently for five minutes I went to the bar to pay. We will return to The Saxon Inn again as the pub deserves another chance.

Lovely family pub warm and friendly x

My wife and i popped in for a drink.Only moved to Dorset last year so still trying out local pubs,this one is a gem,staff are so friendly and although we did nt eat the food looked lovely.Will return soon to try out menu and take our dog as it is dog friendly ( loved Herman the resident Dachshund). Update Returned 21/07/24 with family for Sunday lunch so can now say food was excellent, best pub roast we have had for a very long time. We will definitely return.

This Gastropub was “Premier League”, Home cooked “real” food prepared by the Patron was very high quality, with not even a smidgeon of UPF. Most of the group enjoyed staters of “dressed” crab, & then Sunday Roasts. My lamb chops were generously sized, tender, tasty & cooked perfectly + nicely roasted potatoes, fresh cabbage, & superbly roasted carrots. And for dessert the Cheese Cake with fresh fruit was scrumptious. The ambiance & service were both excellent. Thoroughly enjoyable occasion - thank you Gilly & Tim, the locals who brought us!

The Saxon Inn is a truly beautiful country inn, full of charm and character. Each little area, corner and nook is styled and curated to perfection, and the special little attention to details really elevates this place above what you'd normally expect from a country inn. Every turn reveals an almost lnstagrammable moment you'd want to capture. The welcome from the hosts Sarah and Richard couldn't have been more friendly and nothing was too much trouble for them. They really were consummate hosts and you could just tell they'd put their heart and soul into place and genuinely cared that their customers not only enjoyed their stay, but loved their stay. The bedroom and bathroom were spotlessly clean and comfortable. The cooked breakfast in the morning was delicious and the fresh fruit and doorstep toast was amazing. Real coffee, real butter, and locally sourced products made this a breakfast to remember. My partner and I didn't have an evening meal at the Inn when we arrived but really regretted it when we tasted the breakfast the following morning. To add even more character to the place, the Saxon Inn also has two other permanent residents, the beautifully-docile and aloof Reggie (a gorgeous whippet), and Herman , an independent little dachshund who parades around wearing a bandana. Overall, it's a superb place to stay and eat. We'd highly recommend it.

Das Saxon Inn, in dem kleinen Ort Child Oakford gelegen, bietet nette kleine Zimmer zur Übernachtung. Das Lokal bietet eine reichhaltige Auswahl an lokalen Spezialitäten, guten Service, sehr nette Betreiber. Auch das Frühstück ist sehr empfehlenswert. Auf Wunsch werden Lunchpakete bereitet.

Absolute gem of a pub , great food and drink and a very warm welcome. Sunday lunch was delicious

Went the Saxon Inn in Child Okeford for a family event and the Inn was perfect for a lunch and overnight stay.

Loved the atmosphere and the food. The service was excellent if a little slow. That said, I think they probably were just being sensitive to the fact that we were having a very relaxed and enjoyable time! Anyway...thanks for a great meal!

Our first time back under the latest ownership, and we will definitely be back. The food was excellent, made with good quality ingredients. The owners are very friendly and welcoming. Lovely pub in lovely village near lovely Hambledon Hill!

Great food and great atmosphere! The beef wellington was beautiful 🤤

Lovely pub. Excellent food and service

Genuinely the most amazing food I’ve ever experienced and the service was impeccable. The owners were so accommodating and the service was second to none. I believe her name was Araminta, honestly would recommend this place to anyone, couples, families and friends. 11/10

Wow, simply amazing, food was brilliant, customer service perfect.

Great service and wonderful evening

They care about details to make a good experience. Idea for cycle touring with a decent budget.

just an old pub with no character

Excellent Sunday lunch. Very friendly accommodating staff. Very dog friendly. Highly recommend.

A charming country Inn. Our meals were delicious, high quality amd extremely tasty with very friendly helpful staff. We came here for lunch first and then returned another day for an evening meal. Our favourite place to eat in this area. ⭐️

A real gem of a pub in the midst of Child Okeford. We had visited to climb Hambledon Hill, visit Gold Farm Organics and see some of Dorset Art Week. The pub is tastefully decorated in hues of green with cosy furnishings. The food was unexpected for a small village pub. I had roasted carrots and hummus for my starter which was fresh and delicious. My husband had wild mushrooms on toast and I cannot express just how tasty this was. For mains I went for quiche of the day with chuck chips and a beautiful salad (lettuce, olives, micrograms, tomatoes) and my husband had the vegetarian squash which had been cooked hasselback style. It came with fried onions, pomegranate seeds, greens, so many lovely flavours. A really lovely evening with superb service.

We had a really delicious meal at the Saxon Inn. We both chose vegetarian/plant-based options but I'm sure the meat options would be just as good. Service was excellent and all the staff were very friendly. It's also nice to know that their produce is organic as far as possible and is sourced locally. We will definitely be returning.

Wonderful experience. Friendly welcome, great atmosphere. Busy but still very accommodating and landlady went out of her way to ensure we were comfortable. Reasonably priced for lunch with drinks for 2. 10/10 would recommend to a friend.

A lovely country pub. All letting rooms and public areas decorated to a very high standard. Food is beautifully cooked and bar offers a wide range of ales, spirits and wines. Cosy atmosphere in the colder months and a stunning sunny garden and outdoor dinning terrace for those long summer days. Highly recommended.

Lovely place. Cracking cask ales and food smelt great.

Lovely pub. Great food and atmosphere

Definitely a don't miss, lovely area and fine food.

Just beautiful 🤩 and the French fries with truffle, garlic & Parmesan absolutely the best! Lovely friendly staff and really dog friendly too💜

Good Dorset pub with local ingredients

What a brilliant local to have. Great food, excellent service and decorated in style.

Walking up the lane towards the entrance the pub looked stunning especially as our group of four were having a pre Christmas meal. (See photo) on entering the front door you are greeted with a warm and very inviting atmosphere, oak beams and decorated to a high standard, the bar is on your left. Opposite was an open fire with a snug feeling. We were greeted at the bar and our booking confirmed along with pre drinks served. The food and service was exceptional. Highly recommend a visit to The Saxon Inn.

I can't speak for the accommodation as I only ate here but I must say the food was of good quality. I had a game pie followed by sticky toffee pudding. The pie was filled with a variety of game and was seasoned well, the only reason I didn't give 5 stars is that some of the meat was quite dry which can happen with game if only slightly over cooked. The store vky toffee was fantastic and such a cozy autumn dish. The atmosphere and decor were extremely cozy too.

Really tastey Sunday roast. Nice interior decoration. Very friendly service too. I would definitely go back.

Celebrated our daughter’s 16 birthday here. The food and wine were exceptional and a lovely handmade “Happy Birthday” banner had been put up on the wall behind our table which just added to the occasion!

This is our second visit to this friendly country pub in Child Okeford. We had a lovely two night stay in one of the en-suite rooms. We had dinner with friends on the Saturday night and all enjoyed our choice of food, which was again of excellent quality and good choices. Wine list is good too. Breakfast was wonderful, with cereals, yoghurt, fruit and cooked on offer. Sarah & Richard have continued the quality of service since our summer visit. You must give this pub a visit if in the area.

What a wonderful family run establishment - relaxed authentic atmosphere, great hospitality and delicious fare. Will definitely be taking friends and family again.

Warm welcome. Excellent sunday lunch. Ate outside in very pleasant garden. Excellent service by very pleasant staff. Our new "local" methinks! Look forward to our next visit.

Lovely place with really friendly owners, I only popped in for a short time but will definitely be back.

Endroit superbe. Délicieux déjeuner. A recommander.

We arrived at our place of stay roughly 2 miles from this here. I had the pork belly and the better half had the steak and ale pie. Let's start with the pork belly, a great piece or pork came out on the plate and initially I was impressed, visually it looked absolutely top notch, however the potatoes that accompanied the dish were at some point had been previously frozen as they were grainy and very hard / undercooked, the cabbage I'm sure was shown the pan and then placed on the plate, the pork belly and what should have been the star of the show was extremely underwhelming, no crackling and taste was virtually zero unfortunately. Now for the steak and ale pie, clearly most of the meal was microwaved and the center of the potatoes (mash potatoes) were hotter than the sun and the outside was warm at best and also grainy. Now for the pie it was evident that the top was the only bit that saw the inside of an oven, the filling was so salty that we actually left it as we didn't think there was enough water around to quench our thirst on completion of the meal. The rooms I actually cannot comment on as we didn't stay here we just ate food. The service was good and the waitress was friendly. It's a nice quaint pub and nice people but the food I would say is very very over priced and almost certainly microwaved.

We had a superb meal last night. Kelsey our waitress was absolutely amazing and really on the ball and helpful. She is a real credit to you, thank you. Jon and Sarah Candy and the two greyhounds Ringo and Misty

Having walked from Sturminster Newton we were looking for lunch. We were warmly welcomed by two charming young ladies behind the bar. We were seated in the Green Room which was cosy and had candles burning to give a lovely atmosphere. We choose the Dorset Grazing Board to share. The quality meats, cheeses, breads and accompanying salad, chutney and olives made for a delightful lunch. We will certainly return again in the near future.

Great Sunday Lunch staff and owners are friendly and we had a very chilled Sunday lunch. The food was great.

Piacevole atmosfera e buon cibo

We loved this pub. It's very cosy, beautifully decorated throughout. We didn't eat on our visit, but the menu looks awesome at affordable prices. But there is a good range of drinks on offer. We also found the owner and her staff extremely polite and enthusiastic. Clearly enjoying their roles. We were shown the rooms to book, and they are all fitted out to a high specification, more importantly, they looked wonderfully comfortable. If in the village, don't miss out. Get to the Saxon :)

Super little pub with polite and enthusiastic staff. Didn't eat but there is a good range of drinks on offer. We did have a look at the rooms that you can book, and they all looked stunning. The pub is in Gold hill, Child Okeford. Definitely worth a visit if you're in this pretty village.

Excellent country pub with very helpful and courteous staff, great menu and ambience. Highly recommended!

Really like The Saxon. We have just enjoyed an excellent meal with great service. And good value for money.

Lovely landlords, delicious food and fantastic attention to details! Material napkins, the proper glasses for port/whiskey, real flowers, blankets for laps, and more.

Lovely warm welcome from barman and waitress on arrival, taken through to beautiful terrace area with our two whippets who were made equally welcome with iced water fetched and blankets placed on the stone floor for them and an introduction to Reggi the house whippet. Lovely decorative touches all adding to the ambiance and total relaxation and all this before we have even ordered! Lite bite menu for lunchtime is perfect, we had the lite fish and chips which was plenty, nicely presented and very tasty followed by affogato and banoffee pie. Inc drinks our bill was £50, very reasonable in these times for the quality and service received. We were looked after by Kelsey who is an absolute delight. We highly recommend and will Be sharing our experience with all our local friends. The Saxon is a great find

Beautiful place, very friendly & food is excellent. The rooms are very pretty & comfortable 👌

Popped in with the dog after walking nearby Hambledon Hill. Was greeted warmly by the owner (I’d rung to check they were open and said I was looking for coffee!) & Reggi (the whippet). Knew there was no food being served but sat outside in the covered area with my coffee and a dog treat for Dave! This was really nice, padded cushions on the metal chairs, covered area with fairy lights, and a blanket if needed. Couple of tables eating delicious looking food

Great improvement here. Food is delicious, though on the 2 times I have now dined here, found the 45 minute wait each time for our meal to arrive, rather surprising and frustrating. Can’t fault it other than this, bar the car park which is a nightmare to negotiate if busy. Better to park outside if you find a safe spot.

Great little place, food amazing, nice outdoor area. Not sure what the other rooms were like, my room was quite small but ok for a few nights. Very clean, lovely owners, pleasant staff.

Amazing...had a lovely meal...Will definitely return..

Visited for one night on a walking holiday. The best venue we stayed at by far. Very dog friendly, excellent food and good value (particularly compared to other pubs we stayed at in Cranbourne Chase). Sarah was an exemplary host and kindly posted our phone charger back to us. Thank you for looking after us!

Lovely pub lovely staff although very disappointed the menu reflected on website was not available. Very disappointed and unlikely to go back

We had an excellent stay at the Saxon Inn, (a cycling group of 5, going from Bath to the New Forest) and stayed overnight. We were very well looked after by Sarah, Richard and the team who were excellent hosts and couldn't have done more. The rooms were excellent and well equipped, and the food was first rate. Great selection of drinks too. The whole pub, restaurant and bar is beautifully decorated and very cosy. Thoroughly recommend for either a drink, meal or stay over.

From the moment we arrived, our group of five (cycling friends) were made to feel extremely welcome by Sarah (the owner) and her team. It’s a beautiful inn that’s been decorated very tastefully. The bar area and restaurant is very cosy and there was a lovely atmosphere (almost home from home) as we walked into the inn. We were incredibly impressed with the boutique bedrooms which had all the amenities we could have wished for, along with really comfortable beds, pillows and bedding. Our evening meal was really delicious and we were impressed with the variety and quality of food, as well as the wine menu. The service and quality of the food was faultless, including the fabulous breakfast and coffee the next morning. We will definitely be back - this place is a hidden gem and the new owners deserve all the accolades they are receiving. They certainly give all visitors the personal touch, which our group appreciated very much. Thank you!

A fantastic pub, friendly, welcoming staff, excellent Sunday lunch with extra thought put into this traditional meal (in fact, the best Sunday lunch I have had for absolutely years). I would certainly recommend it and am planning our next visit soon.

This pub has had a stylish makeover since our visit last year and it now looks wonderful. Sarah & Richard are the new owners and are extremely friendly and very welcoming. They run this establishment to a very high standard indeed. Their staff are very professional too. The food at the Saxon Inn is of very high quality. We had the pleasure of staying for two nights in one of the lovely rooms and the breakfast really is top notch. I would have no hesitation in recommending this little hidden gem to anyone.

We stayed overnight & enjoyed a lovely meal in the evening and a fabulous breakfast the following day. The standard of accommodation surpasses what you might expect from a boutique hotel. All of the staff were so friendly and welcoming. Can’t recommend highly enough, the new owners are fantastic hosts.

Been here a few time and I regularly cook a roast at home, so my standards are high. Lovely atmosphere and yes the roast is top notch highly recommended. To avoid disappointment you will need to book or get lucky.

Barley quiet secluded country pub.

Stoped in for lunch whilst visiting family . The Saxon experience was easy going very friendly staff with great food . Nice to see a local pub that’s run with enthusiasm and effort . 10/10

Lovely meal. Four of us had four different dishes, all excellent. Ales well kept. Very comfortable well kept pub. Nice atmosphere. Reasonably priced. Recommended.

We visited The Saxon Inn for evening meal, we booked via phone it get v busy so book in advance. The staff are well trained and lovely the food choice had all the normal pub selection in addition some other great selections. I had the...

On holiday in Dorset, we visited this pub on two occasions. The food is excellent, and the beer is, well excellent. The staff are above and beyond. Enter the pub and greeted with a smile and a hello. It’s lovely pub, both inside and out....

A really delicious Sunday roast. Also impeccable service. All in a beautifully decorated pub. Thanks

Visited here with some friends recently to stay overnight, and we loved it so much we are already looking at planning our next visit. The owners Sarah & Richard were warm and welcoming, alongside all their friendly staff. Great drinks in the beautiful garden set...

We stayed for a girls night away. Such a relaxing, warm and comfortable atmosphere. We enjoyed drinks in the garden and had a delicious dinner. Locally sourced menu. The bedroom was really comfy, and we loved the thoughtful homely touches to the rooms. Breakfast in...

Food great and dogs very welcomed with their own whippet walking around. Sat outside and our dog got water with ice and a cup full of treats, definitely go again.

We stayed here in June 23, whilst visiting friends who live locally. The Saxon Inn is a little gem. The staff are welcoming , the food is wholesome and the rooms are well appointed. Thoroughly recommend the Saxon Inn you will not be disappointed.

I brought my elderly friend for Sunday Lunch -The moment we walked in we were welcomed by the owner who had such a bubbly personality we knew where were going to have fabulous service. We sat outside in the shade - it was a hot...

First time back in a long while. The whole place has changed, great staff and the food was extremely good.

Excellent food and great atmosphere under the new(ish) management. We had a three course meal and a couple of bottles of wine and a beer or two and it came to less than £45/head.

Very nice pub and whippet Reggie

Wonderful meal last night - thank you! Lovely setting and staff - will visit again soon!

My husband and I stayed for one night. On arriving late afternoon of bank holiday Monday, the bar was buzzing, creating a great atmosphere. We were shown to our room, which was a good size. Lovely big and comfortable bed, tea and coffee making facilities...

Great pub. Had Sunday lunch to celebrate my partner's birthday. Cycled there. Owners and staff made us feel very welcome and even a surprise birthday ice cream and candle. Veggie meal and meat roast both delicious.

We popped along sunday 7th may for sunday lunch. We were greeted with such a friendly warm welcome. Ordered our drinks and were given a menu. The landlady said any meal on there could be done in a small size for the children ( 6yr...

New owners. Absolutely fabulous! Food really first class with something for everyone on a really interesting and varied menu. Wines delicious. Service excellent, and extremely friendly! Best of all, the price is very reasonable. What a place. Highly recommend.