The Smugglers Haunt in East Dorset

Superb food and service. Cannot fault anything about it. Highly recommended - will be back again very soon. Lovely atmosphere & very friendly

Hi, we recently have visited 3 times in 3 months. The food has always been good, but for some reason this place is always short staffed and limits numbers for dining. If you haven't booked, you are likely to be turned away, this is from a weekend perspective. Our last visit, we nearly didn't get in because my husband booked for 4 people instead of 5. There was a drama whether they would squeeze in the extra person despite empty tables that they were not using due to being short staffed again. Thank you for squeezing the 5th person in. A big shout out to Ibukunol who was absolutely delightful, happy smiley and a joy to have as our waitress. She certainly lights up the atmosphere in the place.

Had breakfast and dinner whilst staying at the Premier Inn. Breakfast was excellent, hot,tasty and on a hot plate. Dinner was lasagne. I think it had been under the grill as residue bits were blackened and stuck to the dish. The portion was meager, about an inch depth of lasagne. The ‘garlic bread’ was 3 small bits of something like a flat bread. No salad when I thought there should have been some.Not great really. Sticky toffee pudding was good. The place is a bit grim. The seats are disgustingly filthy. Stains and general grot. The staff are excellent. Cheerful, obliging and generally great.

I was staying at the Premier Inn so decided to have an evening meal and breakfast at the Smugglers Haunt which was right next door. The service given by staff on both occasions was very good...polite, attentive and always had a smile on their faces, nothing was too much trouble. June served me at breakfast and the food was great, good quality...will certainly be visiting them again in the near future.

Thank u for the best dinner ever! The waitress ( Maddie) was very nice and gave me a candle in my ice cream for my birthday,she deserves one hundred thousand pounds a month 🤑🤑🤑

This is one of the best breakfasts around and the staff are really helpful and will do almost anything to make sure the customers are all happy

Had dinner tonight at the Smugglers Haunt, haven’t visited a Beefeater for years after a poor meal (not here I must add!). The food was excellent, we all had steak, ribeye and sirloin, perfect portion sizes. The staff were all very friendly and polite especially our waitress IBK, who was lovely. Will definitely be visiting again.

This used to be a good place to come with decent food and fair portions but it is just getting worse and worse. Food quality is now poor and portions are an absolute joke! Large mixed grill for £27 came with just 10 chips, a supposed 8oz sirloin was about 3oz’s, half a chicken breast the thinnest sausage known to mankind an absolute joke for a £27 mixed grill. All other meals for our party of 6 were also pathetic portions also and several of them cold. Service whilst pleasant and friendly is ridiculously slow with over an hours wait for 1 course despite the restaurant being no more than 1/4 occupied. Honestly can’t believe how it’s gone downhill expensive prices while penny pinching on portions and quality all backed up by extremely slow service.. Please make steps to go back to previous standards.

Great hot breakfast cooked to order. Friendly service from the waitress. I was up early so it was quiet and a nice atmosphere for breakfast.

Arrived at 6.59pm for our 7.15pm reservation on 27th August to discover the restaurant was CLOSED!! Made the reservation two weeks in advance and no one had the good manners to contact me to say the restaurant was closed rather than letting my family travel there.

Lovely breakfast,well cooked with perfect poached eggs, attentive service from June .Care taken to understand food allergies

The Smugglers is a lovely pub, serving value for money food, with decent portion sizes and excellent service. (Our waitress June was so welcoming and helpful). Breakfast was great and included both cooked and continental unlimited access for only £10.99! It has a friendly relaxed atmosphere. Parking is free. Would recommed booking as it is a busy place due to its location on the A31. Suitable for families or for a date night.

Amazing food and service quick and steady. Danielle and June were great and very helpful really enjoyed our time here. Xx

A warm friendly welcome from June. The table was clean. Very good choice of food and drinks. Cooked breakfast was perfect.

Gteeted by June and Danielle, kind helpful, excellent service not just for me but with every customerlso plentiful food buffet and cooked. Relaxing atmosphere

Great food excellent staff June is very attentive. Also here for an evening meal once again 5*.will definitely come again one of outlet favourite restaurants

Had Breakfast both mornings of our stay, as always the choice was brilliant made all the better by our server June who was friendly, helpful and attentive. Not just to us but everyone in the room. Clearly been doing this for a while as she managed the room perfectly a real asset to you.

Ordered ribeye steak got a thin piece of serloin approx 1 cm thick a few soggy fries 1 mush room 1 tomato Second meal fillet steak ok ish but generally much the same The location is in poor condition with well worn carpet and a poor feel. The menu is basic probably suite burger and a beer rather than an a couples diner out The waitress was lovely and attentive as were the other staff Hope this helps

After a good night's sleep next door at Premier Inn,we were welcomed by a lady called June with a lovely warm smile. Nothing was too much trouble. It's so nice to hear a positive,happy voice in the morning (especially on a Sunday). A real credit to Beefeater!!!!

Staff were friendly and very helpful, the food and drinks were good, I would recommend coming here. Easy to book online.

Friendly staff , prompt service would recommend a visit, easy to book easy access from premiere Inn next door, would visit again.

Went for breakfast for the first time at the beefeater, service was great, June was very welcoming when we arrived. Food was good and was pleased with the overall experience, will be coming back for another breakfast at some point in the future

June was very friendly welcoming us for breakfast and good interaction with other staff, food was good, didnt have to wait long for it to arrive very quiet and not to busy and overcrowded, would recommend coming here for breakfast and definitely will be returning at some point.

Great place, reasonably priced food, very friendly staff and great service from Ava 😀 They also accept blue light discount which is rare now days.

Smugglers haunt for an (early) Mother's Day meal! We were served by Ava who was lovely and helpful. Plus the food was tops!

Amazing food & service Can’t fault anything! (June) our waitress went above & beyond Quickly seated & served Will definitely be making a revisit Really recommend 5 Star

Lovely breakfast Great choice on offer Very helpful staff; especially June she was very attentive and a smiley face to welcome all guests in the morning

Absolutely brilliant!!!!! Joe was unbelievable and good looking. Food came quickly and was excellent🤩 Looking forward for my next meal here, hopefully soon

Spent the last couple of nights here for work, the girls here was clearly overstretched. Even still both Trinity and Elle was top notch. Many Thanks Rowdy Reg and Marc

Great full English breakfast and wonderful service by June. Nice layout in restaurant, even if you are a solo traveller

The food was great and the service was fast considering how busy it was! Out server Joe was amazing and very quick at helping us when needed. Thank you!

Lovely food .. eggs just how I like them. June was very helpful and was checking everything was ok with the food etc. Thanks June !

Lovely place friendly staff June is lovely always wants to help food is nice and hot if there is something missing staff are quick to sort it out for pleasent experience

Always a nice experience here and June is always happy to help with anything you mite need I really enjoy my time in the smugglers

Superb breakfast and June, who brought my food was very helpful and friendly. I couldn’t ask for more. I’ve stayed in Premier Inns 4 nights a week for the last 4 years and this was by far and away the best breakfast I’ve had! Many...

Fabulous service from June! Lovely hot tasty breakfast! Eat as much as you want. This is our second visit and certainly won’t be the last

Lovely quiet monday morning after a night shift job, breakfast was a great price, 9.99 for cooked and cold food, staff were lovely, June was helpful toward myself since i had never had breakfast there before

Wonderful filling breakfast, great portion size. The staff are very friendly and helpful. Ive always wanted to go there after work and im glad i did

Went with friends for Valentines night, friendly welcome from Jo, three of us had the steaks and I have to say tasted better than Miller and Carter. My friend had his blue, I like mine medium and my husband medium rare all cooked correctly and...

Spent the whole week here for work, june and team where spot on and lovely the whole visit freshly cooked food and prompt service.

Cracking breakfast. 1 adult 3 kids. Less than £15.00. Full English plus all you can eat continental. Amazing. Great service from June too.

The Smugglers Haunt is a nice relaxed, friendly place where everyone is always smiling and also engage in conversation

Nice and lovely atmosphere with great food at a very reasonable price. Breakfast was very nice with a wide selection for everyone, June was very kind and polite.

Regularly eat breakfast here, since staying near by for business, my experience at beefeater has been great, lovely food, friendly staff, and very welcoming, especially June, who was very polite and very helpful. I would recommend, both breakfast and dinner. The evenings have a good...

Excellent breakfast selection and prompt and polite service all round. June made me feel like family - a lovely change when away from home for work

9:15am half empty but no tables available. Never get turned away at Harvester! There were only 3 of us, two hungry teenagers and a tired old man.

We will not return. Beefeater isn’t known for gourmet food (nor service) but at the least you’d expect a basic level of friendliness and fair, passable food. This venue clearly didn’t get that memo. The staff (with the exception of one who told us she...

Lovely friendly warm welcome from June and Danielle each time we visit. We visit twice a week for drinks. No matter how rushed of their feet ,they always have time to say hello.

Excellent food and service throughout for the two hours and 12 family members who met there. Mark and Danielle served us throughout; they were both very professional, personable, friendly, patient and accommodating to our various orders. All plates of food came out at the same...

Sain our waitress for the evening was great very attentive and pleasant really looked after us. Food good Good experience

I was served by a lady called June who has Excellent service and very helpful and friendly , the food was amazing would highly recommend it

Good food and service is fantastic, especially June is lovely and so helpful. Lots of choice for breakfast and good choice of drinks.

Great attentive staff. Well cooked food. Plenty of everything and unlimited cups of tea and coffee. Good breakfast all around

Amazing staff great food highly recommended for all occasions. Good price for the food I had and great choice my children loved it to

Not only was I disgusted at the food served up, but I was embarrassed for my family that I had suggested we meet here for our monthly meet up having lunch together. I don’t imagine that anyone who remotely resembled a chef, has worked in...

Food was great and waitress June was very friendly and helpful . All my work party very much enjoyed there breakfast……..

Normally it would be 5 stars all day long but visiting to today told beefeater no long offer baked potatoes as a option in place of chips so now making it no longer to eat heathy very disappointing as I been a beefeater regular for...

We went for a late lunch, food was great and credit to Ryan the waiter, well presented and fantastic service.

Breakfast menu - very bespoke - lots of different choices. June was amazing! Lovely staff, lovely food, overall lovely experience!

We came along for a breakfast after Christmas. The food was lovely and june was very helpful to all our needs.

Great customer service by June as always. Food came quickly and correctly. I have enjoyed my two weeks at site and had great food and service everyday.

Came here for breakfast for two weeks , whilst working in the area, June always cheerful and greeted us with a smile.

Was here for work, June, who looked after me, was attentive, friendly and kind. Good range of continental breakfast, and the cooked breakfast was freshly prepared and delicious. Would recommend.

June was lovely, very attentive and so polite, made me feel very welcomed..Quick and efficient service.

June greater me at the door and served me, very friendly and happy to help with anything you need for breakfast.

The service was excellent. Polite friendly staff. Food was great and plenty of choice to choose from

Lovely breakfast , good choice of cooked food & continental options. Excellent service from June very helpful and friendly

Great breakfast. Staff were lovely and June was so welcoming and efficient. I am currently doing Weight Watchers so I had weetabix, fruit and 0% yogurt and poached eggs mushrooms and tomatoes- plenty to eat without using loads of points 😊

Wonderful service, June has been truly amazing over the last 3 days and nothing was too much trouble. We always choose to return here as it’s so friendly.

Shame bbq sauce was out lol. Thanks to sign for her patience and kindness with my elderly grandparents.

Sian B is the best 👌 great work, thank you. Will definitely come again. Quick service and great place

June is a lovely woman always serves me breakfast with a smile. Highly recommended and would definitely come back.

Fabulous, freshly cooked breakfast and wonderful service from the lovely June!!! We weren't going to have a breakfast during our stay at Premier Inn, very glad we did!

Nice polite place all the staff was friendly with good service food was lovely steaks was cooked to protection

June is amazing...we come every week for breakfast and she is always attentive polite and a lovely person to be around. Thank you

We have breakfast here every Monday just because we love to see June, she looks after us well and makes sure we always have what we need. Love coming here. 😁

The food was fine. My complaint regards the defensive, unfriendly and aggressive behaviour of your ‘duty manager’ Danielle who is, without doubt the most unpleasant, arrogant person I have encountered. When asked about the ‘50% off’ voucher, she responded ‘that doesn’t apply, you should have...

All the staff were really helpful and friendly nothing was to much for them . This is the second time here and I will be back Thank you to June and her staff

Lovely breakfast with great service from June. Would highly recommend the cooked breakfast or porridge.

Lovely breakfast, plenty of choice, friendly staff especially June Excellent value for money and lots of choice

Great food and service by June. Hotel very good and clean. Veryvquite and good location. Easy to get to.

Excellent experience staying at the Premier Inn and having breakfast each morning. Met June on the second morning & she’s fantastic! Working for the company for 40 years she certainly knows what she’s doing & her manner with everyone is so friendly & helpful. We...

Went in for dinner with my son, had a lovely steak cooked perfectly… which is hard as I am quite fussy when it comes to steak. Staff were very friendly and accommodating to our needs. Would highly recommend

I took my daughter and grandchildren to The Smugglers Haunt Beefeater in Ferndown today. I was tempted by their 33% discount voucher. We were specifically told by the waitress before ordering that the discount applied to the roast turkey meal. Not only was it the...

Haven’t been here in decades and thought I’d give it a go. Boy have I been missing out. I had the fillet steak which was cooked to perfection as was my friends ribeye steak. Compliments to the chef. I haven’t eaten steak like that in...

Great full English breakfast with fresh coffee. Relaxing atmosphere. I also enjoyed a friendly chat with June.

I came in for breakfast 2 mornings as staying at Premier Inn. As soon as I walked in June was so welcoming and friendly. She is so on everything to make sure you have all you might need and regularly checking all is OK. She...

I was served by June, who was quick to take my order after I was shown to my table. The cooked breakfast I ordered arrived quickly and was one, if not the best I have tasted in a longtime.

June is a great host, very warm and friendly! She’s a star! Breakfast was equally as good and with a variety of options available.

Always amazing food, good value for money and staff are excellent, especially Danielle Thoroughly recommend !

We stayed at the adjoining Premier Inn for 2 days. We had breakfast and evening meal here on both days. Food and drinks were good and service was friendly and efficient at both times of the day.

Great drinks, great food and even better staff make sure to head down!! Matt, Charliee and the rest of the staff are fantastic

It was not a nice restaurant and I would not eat there again Staff were very rude Food was absolutely dreadful It wants to be shut down

Service was great and food came so quickly. Lots of options to choose from too. Our server, June, was lovely!! Extremely attentive and so friendly and approachable, often asking if everything was ok, if we wanted anything else etc. Couldn’t ask for better service. June...

One of the very few nice places to go for breakfast. The food is nice and most importantly, not greasy. The lady, June, who served us was very friendly. All the tables are cleared immediately after the customers have left, not like some places where...

Great breakfast served by June, welcoming and kind. Explained everything well and surved us quickly.

Lovely brekkie, June looked after us and was amazing! She spotted we had come before and greeted us and told us how lovely it was to see us again

Lovely breakfast 😊! Our service from June was impeccable. I recommend beefeater to everybody 👍 See you soon

Fantastic selection of food, June was very accommodating, an asset to the company! Will definitely be back.

June the waitress is awesome. Food is really good all the servers work really hard to ensure you are comfortable and happy throughout