The Phelips Arms, Montacute

I seldom feel compelled to write reviews online but a visit to The Phelips Arms today has made we want to warn other visitors from going anywhere near this place.

We visited the pub last week after a great visit to Montacute House. It looked OK - we didn't have high expectations for anything other than a decent lunch for four adults and three hungry children.

I won't go into much detail about the food - other than to say it was terrible and clearly anything other than the "home-made" of the menu - but the experience was summed up by the *incredibly* grumpy owner/barmaid demanding 60p per pint of tap water when we had spent over �50 on food and drink. Under any circumstances that is incredibly tight but my warning is simple - DO NOT GO TO THE PHELIPS ARMS IN MONTACUTE!!!

3 Jan 2011 14:04

The Queens Arms, Corton Denham

Stopped in here on our way (yes, from London) to a wedding in Sherborne. Given a tip by a local friend who is also a chef in London.

We were in a hurry, but keen to have some of the food we'd heard so much about. The place was not so busy - although the lane was quite full - and we asked the staff if we had time to eat. They were not only polite, capable and welcoming, but they also got us our food and drinks promptly, and we were in and out in 30 minutes. I wish we could have stayed longer, but we had to get to the church on time....

That said, there was a loud party hosted by West London Man (tm) who kept on braying about "cider o'clock" and had clearly migrated from SW4 that afternoon. Fortunately (for us) they were annexed to the private dining room. Even tho we couldn't sound more like we're from London ourselves, this uy made my skin crawl.

Still, highly rated - and the rooms looked amazing.

25 Aug 2008 15:43

The New Inn, Cerne Abbas

We have just come back from a night spent at The New Inn after a wedding in Sherborne. I would have to say that our only advice would be to try and find somewhere else at all costs. I'm so disappointed that I've registered on BITE just to get this off my chest.

Whilst, ultimately, the staff were accommodating, our very poor rating comes from the fact that the rooms, bar, and restaurant all feel really, really grubby. Dirty carpets, dirty bathrooms plastered in loo cleaner (which doesn't cover up much) and the general feeling of being more than tired around the gills. It felt distinctly unhygienic - like you wouldn't want to walk on the carpets in bare feet, let alone sleep or bathe anywhere near it. Crumbling bathroom with shelves coming off the wall, grimy sheets - everything is really very wrong about The New Inn.

And then the fact that we were charged a ridiculous �90 for a double room; that I was awoken twice in the night by the snoring of our next door neighbour (nice), and that breakfast runs from 8am to 9am. A place very ,uch stuck in the 70s.

Whilst we didn't eat there - other than a very unchallenging and not to be recommended breakfast - I have to say that nothing about the menu ("spicy tuna bake") seemed to say anything other than stay away.

For our money, I really wish we'd stayed at The Queens Arms in Corton Denham - further a way, but a really lovely place with great food, service and an awesome selection of beer and wine.

25 Aug 2008 15:34