Yalbury Cottage in West Dorset

A rare treat for a special occasion as the price is definately at the top end. A taxi journey required from Dorchester to a cosy, thatched restaurant. Not the biggest menu but food is visually crafted. Great service and made to feel welcome. The food was a tad sweet for my pallet but the foodies amoung us will probably appriciate the efforts. For me, the dining experience is probably the highlight, the food came second best for me personally. I dressed up but I was sat next to other patrons in jeans. Would i go back or reccomend, maybe?

Beautiful tucked away gem. 3 mins from a lovely walk in Kingston Maurward. Peaceful tranquil B@B, ideal location for exploring Dorset. Accommodation is outstanding, spacious and comfortable.Breakfast cannot be beaten. You need to stay to understand. The best we have had and we are fussy. We will be back if they will have us. Ps thank you for our complimentary brownies on arrival, lush !!!.

The restaurant can only be described as excellent. The service, Staff and food are top of the pile. My family and I will certainly be visiting it again.

Wow what a sensational Cheese afternoon Tea! So much amazing home made food and even a pudding. Service and staff as were amazing. Also the best in house dog Buster. Can’t recommend this place enough

I have been meaning to visit here for years. I won't be leaving it so long to go back. From the moment we walked through the door and were greeted, we felt special. We were shown to a cosy lounge with a roaring fire, for us to peruse the menus. We were brought our drinks and some canapés, which were delicious and our orders were taken. After that we were shown to our table and an amuse-bouche with a freshly bake sour bread roll were bought to our table, again these were delicious. For starters I had double bake cheese soufflé and my partner had a partridge and pheasant terrine. The soufflé melted in my mouth and was full of flavour. The terrine was extremely meaty, beautifully assembled and delectable.For our mains we had braised beef brisket and duck breast. The exquisite presentation matched by the complex flavours and textures. My partner was unable to manage a dessert but when chocolate creme brûlée was mentioned I couldn't resist and was so glad I didn't.Throughout the evening the staff were exceedingly attentive, without crowding us. We never once felt rushed. The devine setting inside and out (including the whole village)were equalled by the food and the service.

Cannot say enough good things about this establishment. We discovered it about 12 years ago whilst looking for a dog friendly place to stay and were blown away by the amazing, superb food. We love it so much we've returned at least once per year since. Ariane and Jamie - the proprietors - are delightful and welcoming and nothing is too much trouble to make everybody's stay enjoyable.If you're a Thomas Hardy fanatic (like me) it's situated opposite his school and very close to his birthplace which is an added bonus.

Lovely welcome, nice atmosphere, food was excellent. Well worth a visit, and, they have rooms.....Next time!

In the centre of Hardy country then this is where you should stay. Enjoy a drink in the spacious and comfortable lounge before you enjoy a wonderful meal. The service and food is truly outstanding.

Chose this place for a special birthday for my partner and it didn't disappoint. Very quaint, quite and homely whilst also giving you the feel of excellence. Food, wine, mocktails were outstanding; the menu does constantly change but the fishcake with curry sauce was amazing, as was the special dessert of coffee panacotta with Baileys whipped cream. Highly recommend and will definitely be coming back when in the area. Thanks to all staff for making the night memorable

This is the first time I have stayed here and was most impressed.From the wonderfully quiet setting to all the little attention to detail and nice touches in the rooms plus very nice cordon bleu dining with local influence.If you want a quiet retreat for a day or four and like Dorset, you'd go far to find anywhere better.