Weymouth Restaurant Guide

“A real gem” – “hidden away above a real fishmonger on the historic Weymouth quayside” – this “inspired spot” serves “super-fresh fish, straight from the boat”, “brilliantly and creatively cooked” on a “superb tasting menu” that changes with the seasons and even the tides. Already a hit under former chef Mike Naidoo, regulars are hoping it will be “even better” under locally born chef-patron Ben Champkin, who arrived in early 2025 after working at L’Enclume in the Lake District and the Newt in Somerset (where he was head chef).

This “professionally run market-town restaurant” in a distinguished historic townhouse “delivers on its promise, with well-cooked and presented” Italian dishes, mainly fish and seafood. Previously a fixture on the pier (‘molo’ in Italian) at Weymouth, the business transferred four years ago to a landmark 15th-century building most famous as the lodging for ‘hanging judge’ George Jeffreys during the 1685 treason trials that followed the failed Monmouth rebellion against James II.

2022 Review: With no social media presence as yet, and a hard-to-find name (lots of search results for Carluccio's – not helped by the fact that this location used to be one, and even repurposes the sign), we are presuming that Luciano Pierre White is relying on word of mouth – and his famous name – to get punters into his first solo restaurant. He's worked with Pierre Koffmann and the Adria brothers according to press quotes, and his father credits him with a great work ethic. An early-doors visit from a reporter noted it to be ‘very promising’ and another thought ‘the food’s great and the service will only improve’.

“Big meals” made from prime British ingredients cooked in classical French style, “friendly staff” and a “lovely, sensibly priced wine list” is the winning recipe at ex-Four Seasons exec chef Jamie Jones’s restaurant with rooms – a spacious (much extended) former shepherd’s cottage in the heart of Hardy country (the village of Lower Bockhampton is called Mellstock in ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’). This may be about to be a case of ‘all change’, however – the business was put on the market in 2024 as a going concern.

Michael Trawicki’s “popular thatched pub” serves particularly “good pub food in a nice sunny dining room” and there’s also a beautiful garden in summer. It’s not an especially ‘foodie’ operation but attracts consistent praise in our annual diners’ poll as one of the area’s better eateries.

2024 Review: “Excellent fish, super-efficient service and a wonderful outlook on the beach” – three reasons to love this Jurassic Coast staple (est. 1991), and with siblings in West Bay and West Bexington; yes, the “seating is basic, but comfortable enough and with those views and the quality of the food, who cares?!” Top Tip – “look out for ‘Lobster Wednesday’! It’s the best deal on the coast!”.

2022 Review: “An offshoot of (well-known local staple) Yalbury Cottage, run and managed by the same team”, also in tandem with an artisanal French pastry chef – and located in the unusual setting of an auction house. “Lunches are interesting and well presented”, while “the evening sessions are more adventurous and the Mexican ones especially good”.

“Always worth a trip”, this nautical 1930s building in a “wonderful location” right on Dorset’s famed Chesil Beach (there’s a “nice mix of outside dining options” to make the most of the setting) is a sibling to Hive Beach Café in Burton Bradstock and The Watch House in West Bay. In early 2025, they embraced a more relaxed menu and, while seafood remains the star of the show, there are now steaks and small plates on the menu. All reports rate it well.

A “lovely farm” in the Bride Valley (behind the Jurassic Coast) makes a “quirky setting for some well-executed Italian dishes” – best enjoyed in a “nice courtyard/patio area during the summer” when it’s “fun to watch the open kitchen at work”. It knocks out “good wood-fired pizza” among other dishes on the “well-priced menu”. The 300-acre Bredy farm brews its own cider and beer, has a campsite, and hosts three music festivals every year. Top Menu Tip – “standout tagliatelle with pork and fennel ragu”.