The Ship Inn in Purbeck

Professional staff. Good service. Didn't have to wait too long for the food.

Food always good, friendly staff and atmosphere. Their halloumi burgers are excellent xx

Just visited for a drink. Friendly service.

Be a great place to drink and eat but the guy behind the bar ( 50s and doesn’t smile or acknowledge you if he can help it ) makes it a very in welcoming place and that’s a shame in such a great place.. maybe someone should give him a few pointers on customer service!!

We had booked online. We arrived 10 minutes early and was shown to our table. We went up to the bar to order. 17 minutes after placing our order we were informed by a member of staff that there was no steak which is what my husband had ordered. My husband was shown the menu again and the same member of staff said he'd be back soon to take his order. It was a long time before he came back. When he did come back we asked why we weren't notified earlier and he just said sorry and walked away like he wasn't bothered. A different member of staff came to clear away our plates and asked how everything was. We explained that we were disappointed with the situation so far, and that the food was ok. He asked if we had told the manager about our situation and pointed him out. It turns out the manager was the original member of staff. The second member of staff told us to leave it with him and he'll sort something out. When we paid it wàs the manager who took payment. He didn't say anything about our situation, or offer any sort of discount or words to apologise for everything

Excellent pub food. Enjoyed the evening

A welcoming and charming traditional pub with a great atmosphere and an impressive selection of interesting drinks.

This is our 3 rd visit and each time the food is of a high quality and the portions are ample!!! The team are also amazing and engaging

Always good here. It's what's expected of a pub like this. Consistently good food, friendly stall who always accommodate. Good if you like a proper ale.

Space when other places nearby are full - but a good place to go.

Great ambiance, lovely staff, nice vegan options, vegan icecream available for dessert even!

First visit. Will definitely come back.

Food was good but perhaps a change in menu as it has been the same for the last few years. Fish and chips were perfect.

Maybe it was late in the day, service was slow, and food a bit dried out, but edible

Decent enough but expensive. Clean, tidy and quiet, but drinks cost same if not more than London prices

Arrived in Swanage accommodation later in the afternoon, and after settling in set about finding somewhere to eat. Quickly realised most were booked up, so went on foot to check out the local pubs. Also booked up, but at the Ship we were told we could not book, but if we came anyway sooner rather than later they would see what they could do. Anyway back half an hour later, plenty of empty tables and a nice spot by the window ( had filled up a lot by the time we left). Nice pint of 'Sea Fury' served by the large and loud character behind the bar, and served at the table by a pleasant and efficient young lady. We both chose the peppers stuffed with spicy couscous, topped with chilli con carne and cheese. Side corn on the cob and salad. It was delicious. Good food and good beer ! Clearly from other posts it can get very busy/stressed in the evenings during holiday time, so best to go early maybe ?

We called in at 6.15pm to see if they had a table for two for a meal. We’ve never been greeted by such a rude, unwelcoming, aggressive man ever. We do understand we hadn’t booked but seriously never expected that kind of reception. Won’t be back & defiantly would not recommend.

We visited the ship and had a lovely meal of scampi and chips and sausage and Chorizo mash and it was great. We returned again and had a so so experience as they were short staffed. We tried to visit again as it is difficult to find places to eat in the evening and the guy that responded as we waited in the queue was exceptionally blunt and bordered on being rude. He said there were no tables for an hour. We asked for a booking in an hour and he said we could not book as the tables were reserved for walk ins. How confusing is that?! It's very disorganised and some of the staff are lovely but the big guy needs training in customer service.

Went in to try and get dinner, big guy greeting people probably shouldn't be working in customer service. Granted they were busy so we got the worst table, but come on, a smile and a bit of a welcome might go a long way. He sat us down at a dirty table but didn't clean it. We tried to move to an empty table but were shut down by the big fella.... he's a happy chap. The house red was pretty decent for £18 a bottle. We drank that and did one.... didn't feel inclined to give them more money.

My friend and I had travelled to swanage for the first time, and were looking for somewhere to eat. Nearly all restaurants had menus outside, so we could peruse at our leisure, and decide what we wanted. The ship in, however, didn't have a menu outside, so we decided to go in. There was a sign inside the door saying 'wait to be seated', there was nobody waiting, so we went up to the bar, where we could see the menu displayed, so we could see if we wanted to eat there, to be confronted by a very rude man serving behind the bar who said 'what do you want?' I said I was looking at the menu and he retorted 'well you should have asked' Taken aback, not realising I needed permission to just look at the menu, I replied' well you were busy serving, and I didn't want to interupt' I thought he was joking initially, but my friend said he was serious, and having read the reviews, I realised he was being very rude. I'm so glad, this manager/owner can afford to be this rude to customers. My advice? Don't dare pass the threshold and read his menu or you will be treated very disrespectfully.

My friend and I had travelled down for a short break and were looking for somewhere to dine. All restaurants had menus outside, so you could decide on what you fancied, however, the ship inn did not display a menu, so we decided to venture in and take a look. At the entrance was a sign saying 'please wait to be seated' but we merely wanted to see the menu, before standing at the door, waiting to be seated. I could see a menu on the bar, so walked up and picked it up to be told quite aggressively, 'what do you want' I said wished to look at the menu if that was ok, and this rude man said 'you could have asked' ( I didn't disturb him as he was serving a customer) but didn't think I needed permission to look. I said'you were busy' My friend was standing behind me and tugged me away as due to his attitude, she refused to eat there. We were not queue jumping, we just wanted to see what was on offer. Clearly, all that was on offer was an arrogant git!!

An excellent experience here today. Booked a table online an hour before which was very easy. The two servers were great, very friendly and accommodating. Quite a big space and tables are a nice distance apart. 2 vegan options, I had Moving Mountains burger (see image) which was very good. There was also a vegan hot dog available. Everybody liked their food. Dogs are welcome in there. Clean toilets. 5 stars.

Went here on Friday and the meal was nice but the reason for my 1 star is the man who is possible the manager around early 50's has no customer service skills. Went to order food at bar and he didn't smile or say hello and just said to me "food" so I told him then he said "drink" so told him and then brought our dinners out and because the paper menus were on table he didn't want to put meals on top of them so he just said "move them". The two lads that work there were polite and welcoming when we arrived. Think the man needs some customer skills training from The White Horse pub as they have amazing customer service and wish we had gone back there. Will not visit again.

First time visit, loved the food, great atmosphere.

As a vegan I've had the pleasure of visiting a number of establishments who knew how to take vegan food seriously. Unfortunately this is not one of them. Avoid the vegan hot dog at all costs, it really is dreadful. I mentioned this to a member of staff and recommended they should take it off the menu, which I doubt was taken seriously.

Great customer service. Lovely members of staff. Very accomodating to my daughter who was vegan. Shame no vegan dessert.

nice service, good burgers (also gluten-free!!)

Excellent food, excellent beer, excellent service, fantastic atmosphere. Great ambiance, very comfortable and dog friendly. Best meal that we’ve had in Swanage, visit here, you won’t regret it..!

Always visit when in Swanage Fantastic pub and great food

We have eaten here a few times over the years when visiting Swanage, however it’s fair to say inflation has seriously caused this place to up their prices!! For example, £9.99 for 6 small pieces of squid!!!! we also ordered the children’s chicken pieces based on the table next to us also having it. Ours arrived with 4 small pieces of chicken, the child on the table next to us had double the amount but we felt too awkward querying this. Our bill came to just shy of £50.00 that was 1 children’s meal TO SHARE one burger TO SHARE and a 1/2 pint of coke. The food was good but in my opinion not worth the extortionate prices being charged.

Didn’t even get as far as ordering , the person serving was so rude , did not say one word to us , walked out in disgust

wonderful pub with very courteous service and delicious food - value for money is reasonable, the portion size is definitely sufficient! The scope of the menu is also quite good and “special requests” are happy to be accommodated...

Good selection of beers, good food (a little on the expensive side), but tasty. Friendly staff and a dog-friendly pub... always a positive!

Found us a table for four in a Sunday evening, without a reservation. No fuss, very polite, enthusiastic host. Excellent service from the table staff, really friendly, very helpful. Food was exceptional, really well prepared, large plates, reasonably priced. For a central seaside pub, which you might think was merely a tourist trap, this is in fact the jewel in Swanage's Crown. Thanks for a wonderful meal. See you again soon, we hope!

We were happy with the food. As we were eating outside, we didn't appreciate inhaling other people's smoking.

Great service, good choices on menu. Hunters chicken wow 👌. Polite and helpful staff, and nice choice of beers and wines.

Really friendly welcoming staff. Menu had some of what you would expect to find and some more unusual dishes that we opted for, and we weren't disappointed . Really delicious and plentiful.

The service was appalling. Sat and waited for 15 minutes before they came to take her order. Food came quickly and was OK. When we asked for dessert, the waiter came to our table saw that there was still some food on our plates and said we weren’t done yet and walked off. A good 10 to 15 minutes later I had to flag down a different waiter and for desert. We ordered the tiramisu and the apple crumble. The tiramisu was fine. The apple crumble on the other hand, wasn’t an apple crumble. It was a berry crumble, my wife is allergic to custard and asked for the ice cream instead. They put the ice cream on my tiramisu and gave her the custard. And it was all little overpriced as well. Not recommended.

Great service, squeezed us in without a reservation when full Food was excellent, large portions and came out quickly.

Great food, my son is a caeliac and when i spoke to a member of staff (think the manager) he was straight away up front about and knowlegeable about caeliac needs and not just gluten free, explained small kitchen cant seperate the fried food ect. But did run through the menu on what can be done. The only reason for 4 star service was a mix up from bar ordering to kitchen staff about 2 meals, which could of been to the adabpted meal for celaic so all in all would go back for shure! - the loaded fries was top job

Well recommend 👌 food great plenty of choices. and staff excellent & Freindly. Good selection of gluten free meals which was required.

Decent food, no complaints really. Service was OK but even when it's cold outside they would open the doors and when I asked them to close it they responded by saying the ceiling would end up dripping through condensation so had to leave it open - freezing the paying customers. In regards to the price, we visited this place twice. Once before Carnival Week (which starts on the last weekend of July each year) and the other time in Carnival Week. On the 2nd visit (in Carnival Week) we noticed that the menu was slightly different in layout from our 1st visit, but this wouldn't be obvious to a general observer as it was ever so slightly changed. But just like everything else (hospitality, restaurants (Romeos Piri Piri) etc.) in Swanage, they are pricing themselves out as all the prices for the dishes were more expensive, and portion sizes smaller. (The photo of the menu is from the 1st visit, if you go there in Carnival Week compare and contrast). It looks like this has now got to a point when people are choosing with their feet and are not coming in as there were plenty of empty tables behind us (see photo) at 7:30pm in the middle of Carnival Week. Not everyone has plenty of disposable income to pay the 'Swanage Carnival Week tax'. Would go again but definitely not in Carnival Week.

Dined at The Ship Inn on and off season and will say, that the food is much better off season which is understandable, but disappointing at the same time as you come in expecting the same quality as usual. Recently dropped in for a lunch and ordered fish and chips which was served in record time - around 5 minutes! Which was great! But I would rather wait a little longer and have a better quality food. The bar has variety of beers on tap. Indoor and outdoor seating available. Clean toilets. Thank you to the polite and friendly staff who were very attentive!

We had a drink twice in this popular pub. Excellent draft beer and numbers, the staff makes us feel right at home. And if there is live music, you can enjoy the music and the audience

I felt like they had changed staff since last time 😔

Absolutely brilliant we were on holiday and came to Swanage for the day and decided to have lunch at the ship inn the food was lovely and cooked lovely and fresh and really enjoyed the food will definitely visit again next year when we are on holiday again see you soon and thank you for the lovely hospitality

Have just had a drink at this establishment and the barman is the most ignorant person it has ever been my misfortune to meet. Would not recommend to anyone

First pub we came to following a lovely 6 mile walk into Swanage; on arrival there was a 'wait to be seated' sign by the door. We probably looked a bit confused but when asked by a female staff member how she could help, we asked if we were OK just to get drinks (as the sign seemed more restaurant oriented). We were abruptly told we could sit outside or up some steps towards 2 or 3 tables. When my husband went to the bar he was also treated rudely. We had intended on looking at a menu & possibly getting lunch there but the attitude put us off. Even more so when other groups of people walked in, not booked, who were not sent up to the naughty step where we were. We left after one drink & had a lovely experience at The Anchor instead.

Always very good food and great staff

Expensive told not no spuds no broccoli not for me left score for food based on price. Drinks and staff friendly

Amazing food, very friendly and accomodating staff. The boys working there were very professional and looking after customers very well with a big smile. I made a request for a birthday writing and they warmly welcomed my request and brought a candle. We were three people, we ordered starters, mains and desserts beside drinks but the bill came very cheap compared to such great location. The food taste could not be praised enough, great portions. Thank you.

Quality food , high standard of cooking

2nd visit as the first was so good we wanted to go back. It did not live upto expectations. My burger had so much potential, the gherkins I could deal with but everything was so wet the bun disappeared. Had to eat with a knife and fork. Left the chips too as felt like they were the end of the batch, all bitty. A bit crap really, didn't leave a tip

Really disappointing ,been coming here for years , drove all the way from Bournemouth for my birthday treat to find out they didn’t have a lot of the Menu food available , to top it up I asked for starters to be serve as soon as , but it arrived with our mains so didn’t end up eating ,total waste .

Lovely food. Came in with family. Initially was quiet but got busier and staff seemed very busy. Good was great and everyone really friendly. Japanese chicken was really, really nice. Italian burger was good, but very saucy with ruined crispiness of chicken. Good value for money. Would come again .

Staff didn't care. Only one food menu in the pub. Didn't bother eating there.

The menu had a good choice of food and we chose The Japanese chicken, which was delicious! Glavoursome, moist and a good sized portion. Staff were friendly and attentive a lovely pub for a spot of lunch 🤗

Very friendly staff and nice food

Place is perfect location for drinks . The food however was not of a good standard at all cannot recommend it at all . Staff friendly but blasé when we complained about it . It is not cheap to eat out these days so it is really disappointing when you do not get value and a good standard for your money . Chips were cold and the Salmon and Rice dish the rice was a big pile of green stodge. Such a shame as prime location .

Very friendly staff who greeted us very politely and made us feel very welcome. Food was also very good, the deep fried brie bites were amazing!

Best steak iv had in a long time . Pepper corn sauce was amazing . Staff were very pleasant and friendly. Drinks were good quality as well .

We come to Swanage each year for a seaside holiday and always come here! It's great for lunch and dinner. The menu has some spins on pub classics that are genuinely interesting and well thought through (not just putting different flavours together for the sake of it). The staff are really friendly and helpful, even when we come in with a lively couple of toddlers (who are also well catered for). I never see it on lists of recommended places to eat in Swanage and feel it's being overlooked, we will keep coming back!

Excellent beer, fantastic food. Sit outside to look over the bay and people watch.

Lovely pub. Their baguette menu was perfect for lunchtime Staff friendly and service quick

A friend and I only popped into this pub on a sheer chance due to we were in the high street of Swanage. In all honesty I was totally blown away by the friendliness of the staff. Also the high end decor within the premises. Now I'm going to talk about the food, the first thing was the uniqueness of thier chips and how amazing they were to taste. Then I'm going to talk about the rest of my meal the food was hot when given to us. Very good sized portions.

The barman who also served us was so grumpy, I asked him if he was OK, he said " I'm too hot" but felt he had a problem. He didn't seem to be the right sort of person to be in that job. It rather spoilt it for me as I was on holiday there for a week. I didn't return.

Great service and good, basic pub food, nothing fancy.

Good service. Friendly service and atmosphere.

The staff were friendly. The food was alot better than what I thought it would be they had enough of a selection of different foods and not the bog standard Sunday roast. I would definitely go again and would highly recommend the ship Inn to anyone

Disappointing menu - really limited choices and it has not evolved over time, just gotten worse. What about a pie? What about a half chicken? Fish pie would be nice - we're but the sea after all. Nice pork chop perhaps? Bring back the Pizzas.... We nearly left without ordering when we saw the menu - it's so poor.

Great service and even better food. Came back again May 2024. Just as good service, just as good food. Fish and chips are superb.

We dropped in on a Tuesday evening whilst on our mini-moon. We were very impressed with the food. It was delicious - everything was so tasty. We had the teriyaki salmon and chicken which was like a party in my mouth. Fresh flavours that complimented the whole meal. I could eat here every day ! The customer service was also very good - thank you.

A very old fashion pub with fantastic food quick hot and tasty all served by happy staff

Let me tell you about The Ship Inn in Swanage. We rocked up just five minutes before they were about to shut the kitchen. Honestly, we were starving, and everywhere else seemed to be turning us away. But this place? They took pity on us and let us in, no questions asked. The food was something else. Seriously good. And the service? Top-notch. Even though they were busy, the staff made us feel right at home. If you find yourself in Swanage and in need of a decent meal, The Ship Inn is the place to go. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Lovely welcoming staff and the food was amazing. Would certainly recommend this lovely pub for there food or just for a glass or two of whatever takes your fancy Can’t wait to go back

There was a time when you went to a public house for a drink and was welcomed with hospitality but we ventured into this pub and was met with the man with the beard, he asked us if we were drinking or eating, when we told him we wanted a drink he said that we were only allowed to sit in one small area, which I will point out was full, the eating area and outside was empty so we left so I am afraid he missed out on us spending our money, have drunk in the pub previously when in Swanage and its always been busy but it seems from a previous review that he is driving his old customers away.

From the moment we arrived we felt the manager was unfriendly and felt unvalued as a customer. The meal arrived within 5 minutes and the peas were cold the chips cool and the scampi scolding hot and the salad wilted. It was our last day of the holiday and we're very disappointed as it was definitely the worst meal we had in Swanage. To be avoided!

Very nice, absolutely amazing chips. If I had one niggle the Japanese chicken was too salty, but it was still delicious. :)

We had such a lovely meal here Saturday night that we went back again on Sunday! They’re so friendly and polite, very welcoming. The atmosphere was very relaxed and the food was excellent - especially the chips! Would highly recommend.

Friendly staff, great food, great location.

Fantastic food, been twice during our 5 day stay. The food was amazing, we had the halloumi burger and the chilli stuffed peppers, really was tasty. Service was friendly, managed to squeeze us in as was very busy. Waitress was very friendly, asking us how food was, checking if we needed a drink. A few things we did notice is how busy it was and how certain families were offered tables, and some weren't, seemed quite a chaotic system! Some of the staff seemed more accommodating, and some just said no spaces. When asking if we could have our bill, the staff member disappeared for 10 minutes, so we lined up at waited a while at the bar (staff at bar but took a while to notice us). Overall, would highly recommend coming here for food, lovely atmosphere, I'd just avoid coming here during busier times, or pre book.

Very good menu, excellent quality food and brilliant service. The Japanese Fried Chicken was exceptional. All of our group would go there again.

Good food, reasonably priced. Been in a couple of times during our stay in Swanage.

Love this place only had chip but the best in Swanage

One of the best Nachos we've had. I used to work in a traditional Mexican restaurant and never found a nachos to match often being served a bowl of tortillas with a bit of stuff on the top not today. Properly layered chilli beef, tortillas, jalapeños so that each layer was full, with sour cream, salsa and guacamole on the side. We'll done The Ship Inn, a great dish and so were the rustic chips. If this is the standard of your light bites then you're onto a winner. And the service was fabulous 👌 👏

Very high quality food with a wide variety of options (including for veggies). Nice atmosphere and decent prices.

Fish and chips excellent sharps beer excellent I would recommend it, only put 4 stars for atmosphere because we were in early

We found The Ship Inn whilst walking from our Air BnB. What a gem! Staff really friendly and welcoming, food absolutely delicious. a definite must if you are in Swanage.

On arriving at 4.45 on a wet Wednesday, no welcome or greeting at all from older man with a beard, gave impression that customers are clearly a nuisance to him. Food was excellent and promptly served. Service patchy two plates eventually cleared other four left, I had to go in search of dessert menu, then again go in search to place order. Stood at bar to get drinks and again totally ignored by man with beard. Never checked that every was OK or we needed anything else. At that time of day the pub was very quiet. No acknowledgement as we left. The whole experience saved by quality of the food and the local beer, plus young man with moustache who was very helpful and friendly.

A wonderful place to eat for dinner. Food excellent and service great.

Booked in for an evening meal. Menu is smaller than previous visits but service was prompt and food was tasty. Menu on facebook is an old one

Appalling service. Asked to move from the ‘dining’ area when no one was waiting to be seated. Many better pubs in Swanage. Try the Red Lion, Black Swan or head further afield. Do not come to the Ship Inn!

The bar staff were fantastic, friendly and helpful.

Not particularly friendly or welcoming. Slow service. Chips cold. Didn't come to ask how the food was. Took forever to clear 2 of our 4 plates and didn't come back with dessert menu even though asked for it, or to clear the remaining plates. We had to go and buy drinks at the bar as noone asked us if we wanted any more. Did mentione when paying and was just told sorry they were busy. Not great at all.

Came for roast .lovely food if only not lukewarm. Should have mentioned at the time but was hungry Beef undercooked for my liking

Friendly and welcoming staff for us and our 1 year old. The food was delicious and reasonably priced, as were the drinks. A lovely atmosphere for a quiet, family meal.

Good food & friendly staff. They supplied a highchair for the little one. The nachos with chilli was really nice & my wife liked the haddock fishcakes. The baby couldn't find any issue with the chips.

Very good food. Excellent service and good selection of drinks.

When you walk into a pub and get a lovely welcome from a smiling helpful member of staff on a damp wet day it cheers you up , we found our short visit memorable and will return soon.

Everything about our dinner at the Ship Inn was excellent. From the welcome we received when we came in, the offer of a taste of the local beer before we ordered two pints, the tasty cheesy nachos, to the two Japanese-style main courses (chicken and salmon), all of which were served most efficiently and in a friendly manner. A lovely evening.