Harden's survey result
Summary
All diners award high ratings this year to Red Carnation Group’s classic country house hotel, which enjoys a fine countryside situation set in 400 acres. Its most ardent fans claim the contemporary cuisine in its rather old-fashioned looking dining room is “as good as at many Michelin star places” and it’s certainly very consistently well-rated this year in our annual diners’ poll.
Summary
“A great and romantic hideaway” – the Red Carnation group’s “traditional country hotel never disappoints for comfort”. The dining room offers straightforward but well-realised cooking from a two-course or three-course à la carte menu: food that’s “well presented and interesting but not too fancy”.
Summary
The Red Carnation group’s “very comfortable and traditional country house hotel is set in a time warp”, in prime Hardy Country (Evershot having been fictionalised as Evershead by the novelist, who also designed part of the hotel when he was an architect). The “very accomplished food” (“but at a high price!”) has some “nice touches”, with “desserts especially good”.
Summary
This “very traditional and comfortable country hotel” from the Red Carnation group is one of the few left that still practise “silver service – the plates are placed in front of guests in synchronisation, and the staff are fabulous”, while “the food is absolutely delicious (dinner is definitely better than afternoon tea in my opinion)”. Deep in Thomas Hardy’s Wessex, the village of Evershot appears disguised as the fictional Evershead, and the novelist even designed part of what is now the hotel in his days as an architect.
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Summer Lodge, Summer Lodge Country House?
9 Fore Street, Evershot, DT2 0JR
Restaurant details
Prices
| Wine per bottle | £40.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
| Bread | £6.00 |
| Service | 12.50% |
9 Fore Street, Evershot, DT2 0JR
Opening hours
| Monday | 12:15 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 12:15 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 12:15 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12:15 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Friday | 12:15 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12:15 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Sunday | 12:15 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8:30 pm |
Best British, Modern restaurants nearby
British, Modern restaurant in Sherborne
British, Modern restaurant in Piddlehinton
British, Modern restaurant in Milborne Port
Best similarly priced restaurants nearby
Italian restaurant in Lyndhurst
British, Modern restaurant in Torquay