Dorset, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

This thatched eighteenth-century Piddle Valley pub with an “enchanting garden” wins solid ratings across the board for its “great service and good food, whether you prefer pub grub or something more ambitious”. Its popularity was sealed by a rave review from The FT’s Tim Hayward a couple of years ago, and you need to book early to secure a table at busy times, especially Sunday lunch.

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.

This “quaint pub in the tiny village of Evershot” – immortalised as the ‘Sow and Acorn’ in Thomas Hardy’s ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’ – offers “beautifully presented, consistently good and interesting” food from Kenyan-born chef Robert Ndungu. It is the more informal sibling of Summer Lodge on the other side of the village, from the Red Carnation hotel group.

This “brilliant thatched country pub” has “lots of game dishes” on its menu – appropriately enough for a traditional establishment in the historical hunting landscape of Cranborne Chase. “Vegetarians and vegans are well provided for” too, while there’s also a “well-stocked bar with local ales and a reasonably priced wine list”.

“Excellent food at very reasonable prices” is the proposition at this townhouse with a focus on local West Country produce. Chef-patron Sasha Matkevich, who has lived in England for almost 30 years, was inspired to cook by the food he ate as a child at his grandmother’s house in the foothills of the Caucasus mountains in southern Russia.

This “interesting” yearling serves “fantastic seafood” in the “authentic surroundings” of the 1855 fish market, refurbished in minimalist style to host a restaurant serving fish landed directly from day boats based in the harbour. There’s a heavy emphasis on sustainability, with the dishes complemented by English wines from the region. Top Tip – “wear a scarf – it’s a tad chilly inside”.

This “gorgeous gem of a place, set in beautiful Wiltshire countryside”, serves “superb and creative vegetable dishes made from home-grown produce” by chef Darren Brown in the eighteenth-century walled garden of a property at lunch or (more occasionally) at communal ‘long-table’ suppers. Fans say it’s a “must-visit if you are in the area” (it also hosts weddings and glamping).

Chef Luke Sutton’s “consistently excellent and interesting” cooking, from a “delicious locally sourced menu”, is served in the “beautiful setting” of a high-ceilinged hall with exposed wood beams – a “fantastic conversion of an old school building” from the 1860s. The set lunch and early evening menu is particularly “great value”.

This “nice gastropub with large gardens” has undergone a dramatic £800,000 refurb since our annual diners’ poll, to be reborn with cocktail bar-style décor replacing the traditional pub interior, and fitted seating with cushions in the 100-seater garden. The new menu replaces standard 3-course meals with a globally inspired selection of small plates.

This “delightful and relaxing café/restaurant” in an “attractive” 90-year-old venue has “spectacular views” over pebbled Chesil Beach. “Informed and attentive staff” ensure there’s a “good atmosphere”, and the “interesting menu” offers “good value” for its “tasty fish choices”.