please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
A very welcoming pub with staff who have impeccable manners
Not really a pub where you can pop in for a few beers,it’s largely a restaurant but on a summers evening you can climb down the steep steps after a long walk and sit outside and enjoy a refreshing drink outside whilst enjoying the scenery
Trust me this pub is worth a visit but if your eating book a table as it’s always busy as soon as the clocks go forward
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Hall & Woodhouse pub,but looks to have kept most of its original features.Close to car park and the coastal path actually goes through the beer garden so covenient for walkers.Beer was fine as was service.Food was good quality and good portions.Dogs welcome,but very family oriented so not the place for a quiet pint.Busy when we were there on a Tuesday lunchtime in June and I imagine it gets rammed at weekends and holidays.
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Wonderful pub and setting.
Food and drink superb.
Lovely inside and great outside with plenty seating.
Nice to see pub that allows dogs in.
My sister rates it as one of her favorite pubs.
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Great location and a good stop if on the coastal trail. Badger ales only, but my pint was fine...lots of passing trade, most being walkers..
definitely a food pub and what with the seeming rush, not necessarily the place for a quiet pint.
worth a visit though
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Now part of the Hall and Woodhouse chain, which is both good news (Badger ales) and bad news (only Badger ales). Like other H&W outlets (the Black Rabbit at Arundel, for example), this once small-scale pub is now geared up for mass eating. The food is unexciting but our meals were well prepared and tasty. The service was very good. And they still allow dogs in, which gets the thumbs-up from me. Alas, they allow children in the bar area too. My rating would have been higher were it not for the children. ;-)
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Visited today, the beer and food were fine and the staff polite and efficient, and a nice'olde worlde' decor. Not sure about dogs being allowed into what is in effect a restaurant, but they were well behaved until another dog came in and all hell broke loose and the 'new dog' was quickly taken out again by its owner. An ideal pub for those with dogs! My rating would have been higher were it not for the dogs.
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Nice location shame about the outside tables as alot of them. Food was Ok but arrives a bit too quick to be cooked fresh. Dining area had a smell of dogs as the owner allows her dog to roam free. Overpriced but not a locals pub but holiday makers so does not have to rely on locals trade
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It is a lovely little spot and certainly worth popping in for a pint whilst strolling the SWCP but I wouldn't get too excited about the food. We popped in one evening and I wish I hadn't. Maybe I chose badly but ended up with some terrible salmon fusion concoction. Entertaining pub dog
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Very pleasant pub for lunch - decent beer, and above average pub food (although the speed the food arrived did suggest it wasn't entirely good fresh). Large pub with lots of tables inside and outside, good location, and attractively decorated. However, not much space inside to drink if you aren't eating. They happily welcomed us even though we were walkers (the pub is right on the South West Coast path) and hence less well dressed than some of their other client�le.
Oktup - 31 May 2011 15:48 |
Visited this pub on a sun eve and wow what a lovely place with stunning views, was surprised by the �5 car park charge but as we were eating in the pub this was refunded so no problem. The service we recived was probably the best we have received anywhere we had our 2 young grandchildren with us and they were kept entertained by the waiter who served us he was probable in his late teens to early 20's but he was excellent.The drink was good,stamford press cider on draught and the food very good quality with a good childrens menu.
Wish we lived nearer as we would definitely revisit this establishment.
eltel - 23 May 2011 19:34 |
My Wife and I visited this pub today as I said that it was excellent the last time I was here.
The service was wonderful, not too pushy - just right.
The food was excellent and could not be faulted. With regards to the pricing of the food mentioned in other reviews I think is out of order as my order consisted of 3 drinks, a starter and two main courses all for �30.
The car park you can pay for in the pub and this is refunded off of your purchase so in this regard is free parking.
The vicinity to coastal walks is excellent and the views are wonderful.
The toilets were spotless and the d�cor was all in excellent order.
I would definitely recommend going here and no I do not work here!
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More Tourist Processing Plant than pub. Attractive on the outside with a corporate, Harvester- style interior. Predictably bland(and expensive) beer from Hall & Woodhouse and mediocre, over-priced food. On the plus side, service was efficient and friendly and you can't deny the attractive location and it's conveniance for those walking the coastal path. I remember this pub from thirty years ago when it was a characterful Free House and then H & W came along and did the same hatchet job as they did on the Jolly Sailor(Bursledon) & Black Rabbit (Arundel).
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Very disappointed - used to be good but now rubbish. Beer choice not good. Food - complete rip off - ordered a jacket potato with cheese & baked beans, could count the number of beans there were so few. Chips at �2.50 per portion - about half the size portion you would get elsewhere. Again, another touristy pub that knows you won't be back so they don't bother to try to impress. We won't be going back any time soon.
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After reading the mixed reviews on this pub, I still decided to pay it a visit and test the water for myself for a lunchtime meal. Parking is �5 for 3 hours, but you can get a refund from the pub ... and the car park was pretty full.
Lots of tables outside and in, and it was very busy on a hot summer's day. Food varies from the cheaper 'bar' meals, to steaks. Despite the pub being nearly full, I was served quickly, told the meal would be ready in about 20 minutes (very acceptable) and 20 minutes or so later, we were served a lovely meal. Puddings were nice too.
I live in Poole, and will return.
The only bad thing of my visit was that it clouded over and started raining pretty hard. Fortunately, this was after my meal ... no so for some others. The inside of the pub was pretty packed after that. Not sure if some form of quick and retractable cover could be provided for the eating area.
Oh, just to keep Dandillus happy (two posts below), the Blackthorn cider tasted exactly as it should do, and exactly as it does in other pubs. The coke was (apparently) very nice as well ... albeit this was not the evening.
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I was very dissapointed with the service at this pub. The beer I ordered was ok (HB), but the time in which I got it, and my dinner was horrible. The staff didnt seem to know what they were doing. We were waiting for our beer and food for over an hour!! While we were waiting, another customer behind us received their food and drink in about 15 to 20 minutes after they ordered!! We were not ordering anything extravegent or anything... The food by the way, was nothing worth waiting for either.
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Considering this is BEER in the Evening, it would be nice if the reviewers could comment on that rather than the food!!
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We decided to try this pub after not having visited for a few years and well we were wowed by the food the chicked and bacon burger followed by the chocolate brownie both were absolutely superb service was good and the wait wasnt bad either bearing in mind a sat evening in july! even the kids said it was the best chicken nuggets they had ever tasted!!! i give this pub a 10/10 couln't fault a thing! thankyou guys we will be very soon!
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We went to the Smugglers Inn on Saturday 10th April. The food and service were great. I was a bit concerned after reading all of the bad reviews as it has been years since we've been back there and were taking a friend who we had met ther many years ago. We were not dissapointed. The price was very reasonable too.
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lovely location with sea views from the car park. This is a very popular pub. We leave it for the tourists during the summer so went here on 2 January. Almost full at 12.30. By 1pm the staff were making a waiting list for those wishing to wait for a table. We had to wait about 30 mins for our food but it was worth the wait. Very good food, Very good service considering how busy they were. However I would advise anyone to arrive before 1pm.
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This is indeed a lovely location but I must agree with the previous reviewer about being a victim of its own popularity.
We visited on a very busy Friday and the pub was packed.
We should have been sensible and taken the warning when we saw that every table outside and inside was busy, and the queue for the bar.
The food we ate was cold (Even my replacement when I complained was just as cold) and most of it ranged from mediocre to poor. We also ended up waiting over an hour and a half for our main courses (cold, and mediocre) - this was made worse for us by the fact our 15 month old son was with us and he was getting hungry and cold, and just fed up!
The whole experience was such a bitter disappointment, the pub looks stunning and your expectations are high. The only good thing is that the Manageress did give us all of our money back when we complained (Perhaps I was lucky to have found her, as talking to other staff did not have much effect)
Suggest trying the pub when quiet, as probably much nicer !
Adrian
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A beautiful building in a picturesque location. Unfortunately in the middle of tourist country and obviously is a victim of it's own popularity. Long queues for the bar, food by numbers and delivered by automaton staff who are plainly working too hard to care much about the customer experience. That said I cannot fault the food I had or the ale I drank. Maybe a nice place to try on a winters night at low season but avoid during the holidays unless you are there to walk the coast path or admire the view from the car park.
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great pub on a sunny day - nice beer garden and decent ales (Lemony Cricket was pretty good). Food good as well. A must if you are in the area or walking the coastal path.
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This pub has by far the most scenic car park that I've ever seen. It looks directly out to the ocean. But where's the pub? Behind you, in a hollow behind the cliffs, no view at all.
This pub is owner by Hall and Woodhouse so if you like Badger beer you're in luck. Except that when we visited they only had one beer on tap. It was called Lemony Cricket (you know with a hint of lemon). Everthing else was off. I don't fancy lemony beer myself but could have been persuaded to have a pint of lager. Well perhaps I would have been persuaded if they hadn't come up with the novel idea of making you queue up for the bar (not the food) as if you were in the post office. It wasn't that busy when we were there and they had two blokes working behind the bar. Still I stood in line for a few minutes and watched as they called the next person up to the bar. It seemed much slower than the old traditional way of bellying up to the bar. Couldn't be arsed to wait any longer for a beer I didn't really want or to queue like a shopper at tescos. So we let our feet do the talking, paused for another tour of the car park, and left.
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Lovely location, very picturesque. Ordered food on a Sunday evening, we were hoping to have the carvery, but it had sold out. The other menu was quite good, if a bit on the expensive side. Generally good food, but some items arrived colder than they should have done. RI would recommend this for the OK food, but definitely the location.
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Been here a number of times over the years and yes, H&W ripped out it's character a few years ago, but it seems to have been improved a since. The multiple rooms are there, but not as small/quaint as originally. The outside is fabulous on a nice day. Postcard type of location and a lovely old building.
Nice enough to visit again, so far...but for us, the food & service was different...
It started badly. The 'queue' for meal ordering is badly signed. From where I approached, no sign was visible and while I was the ONLY customer other than the one beiing serverd, all seemed well. However, when that customer was completed, the server told me I had to re-join the newly forming 'queue'. I was suddenly fourth in queue, but at least I could now see the small queue sign.
Then the food arrived. Taste good? Couldn't tell. The cutlery took a further five+ minutes, with the condiments following shortly after, all delivered with appologies about them running out of cutlery.
OK, three of us said it tasted good, one said OK, but all said the portions were small especially for the priice, even with the 'newly reduced prices.
Lovely place and we'll probably visit again but not soon.
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Hiya,
I find it hard to imagine how someone could have had a bad time in this pub. We discovered it on a recent trip to Dorset and we thought it was brilliant! Food was good, nice staff, beautiful setting and good range of beers.
Definitely a thumbs up from our camp.
x
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this pub i a great place for me when visiting Weymouth,but have to say they should seperate the food bar and the drinks bar as it does seem to get a bit over busy
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Have used this pub for last 14 years whilst on holiday in Dorset. Lovely setting and location. Called in there yesterday for a meal. I endorse the previous comment by Graham. Top end of the market price-wise, �9 for a large scampi, which to be honest, was a very mediocre portion. Also, queue for the bar was delayed by food orders being taken. They should go back to food orders at the food counter and instigate a queue for the bar.
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Visited in May on a busy Sunday evening. Found the staff helpful and able to cope with a large group at short notice. The food was good, albeit at the top end price-wise for a "pub" meal. My only gripe is that the whole place is only concerned with food orders - if you go to the bar to just buy a drink you can wait forever while food orders are taken.
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loved this pub 25yrs ago. But then Hall and Woodhouse bought it and turned it into a 'Flagship Pub' ie ripped out the interior along with all it's character and turned it into a genric Harvester type food pub.Still, the setting is lovely and the beer ok. The same brewery did likewise with the Jolly Sailor on the Hamble River and I've never forgiven them for that either. Not to mention buying and closing King and Barns Brewery.Gits!!
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As a frequent visitor of this pub in and out of school holidays I was most upset to see the comments below.
Over the years my wife and I with our children have been visiting this pub and have watched it ever changing and developing.
It is indeed a beautiful pub that has had its ups and downs over the years but appears to be simply getting better and better.
I must dispute so strongly the brash comments about the staff and management in general. I visit many a destination pub and I have never met such a friendly helpful and fun team of staff, that would simply go out their way to accommodate where ever they can. This I might add is regardless of the never-ending hoards of people that descend upon them when ever the sun decides to shine!
With such a lovely setting, great service, scrumptious home cooked food, and excellent Ales, I'm not surprised there may be a little queue at the bar... we all want to be there!
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I've mixed feelings about this pub. I visit at least several times a year. Sometimes its absolutley great & other times totally naff. Very inconsistant. I think if the crowd reaches a certian threshold the staff & service goes to pot.
It is however a beautifull pub. A 6 for intermittant service.
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I forgot to say, the staff may as well be working on a conveyor belt - no visible personality...and the food is pretty poor.
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I agree that the setting is amazing - however as a rule of thumb with pubs, if the setting's great then the pub is likely to be rubbish. This unfortunately is a prime example.
In theory the pub should look great, and outside it still does, but inside they've managed to eliminate any charm or character and make it look exactly like a generic family eating pub. Seriously disappointing.
The food is rather over-priced for what you get and at peak times they don't serve snack food which is a bare faced attempt to make you buy something from the expensive full menu.
If you're ever here visiting the lovely beach, don't allow yourself to be lured in by the charming exterior and instead head straight for the far superior tea room next door.
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A lovely pub in a beautiful setting with stunning views of the bay and Portland! We often visit when in the area. The food is your usual pub grub but cooked quite well and the service generally good. What we like is that they do a variety of meals in smaller portions, ideal for children or those with smaller appetites. Prices are reasonable and you get what you pay for, so don't expect fancy food. However, it does become very busy during peak times with long waits (not ideal if you have young children or want to eat fairly quickly!), but later in the evening it is a pretty fast service. We will continue visting The Smugglers if in the area as long as it remains the same!
Food - 7/10
Service - 7/10
Ambience - 8/10
anonymous - 5 Nov 2007 19:44 |
Such a lovely setting with ample parking. Shame about the long waiting times for buying a drink. We did not even entertain ordering food. The 2 staff members we saw were trying their best. However the management let them down with no added support during busy periods. Will give it an 8 solely due to the location. Service 1.
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I have been to this pub a number of times before, However..i agree with most of what Disappointed912 has said below, and am in total agreement with their comment - "never experienced this kind of appauling service".
Low staff levels, long waiting times, I even heard one member of staff being quite rude to a customer and for some reason, a small child running willy nilly beind the bar and playing with the cutlery stand....???...
It has definatly taken a turn for the worse.
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Lovely setting, good beer, average food, very helpful staff. Gets very packed in the holiday season. Best pub car park in Dorset, views accros the bay to Portland, don`t forget your binoculars as we did.
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Lovely setting -good wine list -nice range of beers.Well meaning and friendly staff let down BADLY by non-existant management!Food less than average.
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We fully agree with the review below.
its a lovely pub with excellent food,pity about the wait at the bar...
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Lovely location and the food does what it says on the tin, the Steak and Tanglefoot pie is pretty good. However, we know in the Hols it will be busy and the wait for food was fine, but queueing for the bar was really silly....... about 20mins to get a drink. Its a real shame and puts of holiday makers and the local people who are important all year round. It really took the shine of a nice evening- Management- more bar staff= happy customers and more takings its that simple. Health and safety at least 4 people would be fine behind the bar no excuses for only 2 !!!!!!!!
Rating Food 8, Beer range 8 its just a shame they cant get you a beer in under 20 mins so service = 1
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We visited on a sunny Sunday afternoon in August. It is in a wonderful location and was outwardly catering for all age groups. The staff were cheerful and helpful but thats where it ends. There was a queue out of one of the front entrances for service at the bar and there was a queue out of the other front door to the food counter. It took half an hour to get to the bar to order our drinks. We there found only 2 staff behind the bar who were working extremely hard but unable to make a dent in the never ending queue. Having got our drinks we had a momentary sip before joining the equally long queue for the food. Imagine our dismay when we were informed after another half hour wait that a number of dishes on the very limited menu were off because they were sold out. We then returned to our warm drinks on our table to await the food. The wait time from the time of order to arrival was acceptable but we found the food very average. Whilst I am not a regular here I have visited a number of times over the years and have never experienced this kind of appauling service. I wonder what will happen when the captive audience of holiday makers have gone home. Yes it was a sunny day in August. Yes there were lots of people wanting serving so a wait was pretty much inevitable but not to these lengths. The simple matter was they had insufficient staff to cope and whoever does the ordering should be more capable of fulfilling the needs of their customers. One would presume someone was sent shopping to cater for the evening patrons! Surroundings good, facilities good, range of beers good, the young staff good. Management poor.
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Great food, great beer - tanglefoot, and a lovely location. Good with the kids too.
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We have been visiting the smugglers inn at osmington for the past year and have found the food and service fantastic. Even when we have had to wait during busy periods we have been fully informed and quality has not suffered. We had an over night stay and found that the room to be of a very high standard and are visit was extremly enjoyable, not only is the location beautiful but we were made very welcome.
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We stayed nearby the Inn and looked forward to a nice evening meal at the Smugglers. A shame to be disappointed. Firstly - the empty tables were not cleared from other diners. Then we 'enjoyed' the worst service we had had for a long time. In fact it was so slapdash as to be amusing. Our plates of food were almost thrown onto the table. One girl was more Vicky Pollard than Vicky Pollard. Its a shame that more care isn't taken with staff training. The food was average too - potato wedges so undercooked as to be almost raw. We didn't go back. The best we can say is that the meal arrived faster than we had been warned it would and the wine list was ok.
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Arrived at the Smugglers today after a very bad experience at the nearby Sunray. What a contrast. Staff here at the Smugglers were very friendly, good range of beer, lovely location. I have eaten here before and found it very good. Our children were made welcome too. Well worth a visit.
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Visited this pub recently was firstly impressed by the location and when tasteing the food i can say all of my family felt they had never tasted better.Very pleasant and helpful staff.
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I felt this pub was a bit sterile and touristy. The setting is nice and the beer is OK, but somehow the atmosphere just seemed, well, touristy.
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Visited on a summer friday night. Food very good, and a lovely setting. The River Cottage Stinger beer was very nice (organic nettles!). I would imagine it can get over busy at times, but our visit was plesant and enjoyable. The pub is clean and the staff polite.
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It was bank holiday weekend and pub was busy, had been for a fantastic walk and finished here. all real ale was off, and the Polish barman told me food would be at least a 90 min wait. Looked around pub to find that nearly everyone seemed to be complaining about the service, food or drink.
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A lovely lovely pub.Great food,lovely beer and so Olde English it feels like you have stepped back in time. The surrounding areas are delightful.One of the finest bars I've ever been in.10/10
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One of the nicest pubs Ive ever been in. Friendly staff, good food and situated in stunning surroundings. A must visit.
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Lovely pub, with friendly staff. Never eaten there, but looks nice and seems to be well priced. Some lovely walks around there to.
anonymous - 12 Jan 2005 10:56 |
If its the one I'm thinking of where you can walk down to the little cove and go Crab Fishing on the rocks, yes, it has excellent food, a nice little play area and we have been trying to find out te name of this pub for the past year, now that we know it we will give the number a call and see if we can book a weekend up there, very friendly people, can't wait.
Lesley - 24 Aug 2004 15:25 |
Located in a nice little cove east of Weymouth it is quite a good little pub catering for all family needs. A good bar and garden, lots of steps from car park.
Beer and food are good, but are not exactly bargain priced. Very good for an afternoon out.
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