Regrettably this inn closed in late November (2023) but previously it was excellent - hence a neutral "⭐" rating.Hopefully it will reopen in the near future.
emjt52
Late in writing this review but just heard the owner of The Electric Pub Group has announced the closure of this exceptional pub/restaurant with immediate effect. The team have consistently provided the best food and service in the area, proof of which is the award of two AA Rosettes. There’s not many of those in Dorset. This together with the high number of well deserved 5star reviews and a Travellers Choice Award, further evidence of the high regard in which The Elm Tree is held. There will be a deal of disappointment that this decision has become necessary and I for one am not convinced there is any alternative plan that will replace a like. Shame.
Ms E
Good Guinness
Anne-Marie J
Great Sunday lunch. Delicious tender lamb, beautifully cooked; lovely roast potatoes and vegetables. Great staff, attentive and efficient.Very convivial and relaxed atmosphere. Well worth a visit.
Sarah E
Firstly, I apologise for this rather belated review. We had a wonderful Sunday lunch here to celebrate our retirement with 14 family and friends. All the arrangements before the event and on the day were perfect and we were made to feel very special. The food was superb and especial care was taken with the meals for a couple of people with allergies. We would highly recommend The Elm Tree - we are still talking about it all with smiles on our faces. Thank you
Katie Day
There is nothing I can fault about this place. We have been coming as a couple regularly and tonight celebrated my husbands 40th birthday here. Nothing was too much trouble, the staff went out of their way to accommodate us and handled the large number in our party with ease. The food, as usual, was absolutely delicious and the staff attentive and friendly. You have to go here if you are in the area, you won’t regret it. Thank you to all of the staff, great food, great atmosphere, great night!
AnnB623
Fantastic Sunday lunch in wonderfully cosy and well run pub. Superb selection of mains for all appetites/diets - ruby red beef was quite excellent and vegan & vegetarian lunch options were imaginative and absolutely delicious! All with friendly, thoughtful and courteous service. Just perfect!
John Dowds
What a findWe were fortunate today, we called here for lunch, and it was incredibleWe sat in the garden with our two dogs and enjoyed the most delicious food we have had in a long timeMixed sourdough and a selection of butters was a precursor for what was to come, deliciousBest fish & chips I have ever had, bold statement I know, but those were my wife’s wordsMy Dover sole was perfectSo, if you are in the area, do not miss the opportunity to eat here, I guarantee you will find yourself on here writing your very own gourmet food review( we were too stuffed for dessert, so will shall have to go back soon)
G3285QTsandrab
We don’t normally choose to dine out for Sunday Lunch but an occasion to catch up with Family was an ideal time to choose this venue. Having been before a while ago just for snacks & drinks it seemed a convenient place to meet . A beautiful day so we enjoyed drinks in the pretty garden whilst choosing from the Menu. Lots of small plates as well as the Chefs choice for Sunday roast . I selected the Lamb Shank & the other diners had the Beef. Beautifully cooked with additional sides of Cauliflower & gravy. Most enjoyable although I felt maybe the Yorkshire Pudding with the Lamb maybe a little too much on the plate. We enjoyed wine & a mixed selection of Gelato for dessert . Prices were surprisingly fair for the amount & quality of food. The waiting staff were excellent & welcoming . Thank you - will certainly recommend & return. A beautiful area for walking also before you tuck into your meal.
Grouper123
Wonderful food and service. Every course was of exceptional quality and great attention to detail. All staff were very polite, friendly and professional
After a lovely walk around Abbotsbury and the village, 8 of us a superb Sunday lunch here. I think it is quite possibly the best roast dinner we’ve had in a pub.
1missmarple
This spot is a lovely spot for lunch and it was fully booked on the day we arrived. Drinks arrived promptly and the service was fairly brisk, very friendly This is also a dog friendly pub with several tables bringing their well behaved mutt along. Whilst service was friendly there was no later 'follow up' to check if everything was ok once the food had arrived and we got stuck in. Really disappointed to find that the tempura cod starter had run out. The lamb and mint coquettes were a little bizarre - they tasted of duck not lamb so we did wonder if there had been a swap with the lamb running out and the duck leg being substituted? The sirloin roast beef (in the Sunday Lunch) was very well cooked, pink, soft and very succulent. Excellent. The Yorkshire puddings were enormously risen, very dark brown to the point of being overdone but sadly virtually tasteless. The roast potatoes seem to have the taste and consistency of being reheated which was another disappointment. Top marks for the cooking of the carrots which were sweet, tender and full of flavour; the same for the french beans and sugar snap peas - excellent care of these quick cooking veg. The rib eye steak whilst cooked beautifully cooked was pretty tough and unyielding and I kept looking longingly at the roast sirloin. I can only guess the cow that supplied the rib eye was stressed out and full of adrenaline at slaughter? A nice portion of tasty broccoli cheese but disappointingly cooked (reheated?) chips. The 'hand pulled' ? ale was cloudy and defo needs some TLC - all in all pleasant lunch but nothing to write home about. Thank you to the chef for giving so much care to cooking the veg and the roast sirloin (but not for the pre-prepared chips, roast potatoes and yorkshire puddings)
jezh54
Looking forward to a meal out. We were going to have the beef, but the menu said it was ‘ruby red’.. not what we like, we prefer our meat very well done. We both opted for the lamb. However , unfortunately it came out very rare,so we sent it back to be cooked. The lamb came out unchanged. So we ate the potatoe pave. Had the waitress asked how we liked our meat cooked there would be no problem. The waitress said she wouldn’t charge us for the mains… but she did actually charge us 50% of the mains… £27:00 for two potatoe pave is ridiculous! A dissapointing experience.
Chris M
Arrived on a Thursday lunchtime as a family of five for food and drinks. Pleasant welcome, drinks and food easily ordered from interesting menu, served with a smile. Food and experience top quality. Happy to recommend.
simon
Detoured away from the coast with 2 companions during my 70 mile walk (about 15 miles for them) especially to eat here, and I was certainly not disappointed. Hard to choose from this brilliant, creative, high-end lunch menu. The fish was brill and it was indeed brill'. I also had a beetroot infused trout starter and it was marvellous.The bar team were warm and welcoming and served fabulously promptly. Great beer and a lovely garden. I will definitely be here again soon. Folks- don't miss this place if you're in W Dorset.
Regrettably this inn closed in late November (2023) but previously it was excellent - hence a neutral "⭐" rating.Hopefully it will reopen in the near future.
Late in writing this review but just heard the owner of The Electric Pub Group has announced the closure of this exceptional pub/restaurant with immediate effect. The team have consistently provided the best food and service in the area, proof of which is the award of two AA Rosettes. There’s not many of those in Dorset. This together with the high number of well deserved 5star reviews and a Travellers Choice Award, further evidence of the high regard in which The Elm Tree is held. There will be a deal of disappointment that this decision has become necessary and I for one am not convinced there is any alternative plan that will replace a like. Shame.
Good Guinness
Great Sunday lunch. Delicious tender lamb, beautifully cooked; lovely roast potatoes and vegetables. Great staff, attentive and efficient.Very convivial and relaxed atmosphere. Well worth a visit.
Firstly, I apologise for this rather belated review. We had a wonderful Sunday lunch here to celebrate our retirement with 14 family and friends. All the arrangements before the event and on the day were perfect and we were made to feel very special. The food was superb and especial care was taken with the meals for a couple of people with allergies. We would highly recommend The Elm Tree - we are still talking about it all with smiles on our faces. Thank you
There is nothing I can fault about this place. We have been coming as a couple regularly and tonight celebrated my husbands 40th birthday here. Nothing was too much trouble, the staff went out of their way to accommodate us and handled the large number in our party with ease. The food, as usual, was absolutely delicious and the staff attentive and friendly. You have to go here if you are in the area, you won’t regret it. Thank you to all of the staff, great food, great atmosphere, great night!
Fantastic Sunday lunch in wonderfully cosy and well run pub. Superb selection of mains for all appetites/diets - ruby red beef was quite excellent and vegan & vegetarian lunch options were imaginative and absolutely delicious! All with friendly, thoughtful and courteous service. Just perfect!
What a findWe were fortunate today, we called here for lunch, and it was incredibleWe sat in the garden with our two dogs and enjoyed the most delicious food we have had in a long timeMixed sourdough and a selection of butters was a precursor for what was to come, deliciousBest fish & chips I have ever had, bold statement I know, but those were my wife’s wordsMy Dover sole was perfectSo, if you are in the area, do not miss the opportunity to eat here, I guarantee you will find yourself on here writing your very own gourmet food review( we were too stuffed for dessert, so will shall have to go back soon)
We don’t normally choose to dine out for Sunday Lunch but an occasion to catch up with Family was an ideal time to choose this venue. Having been before a while ago just for snacks & drinks it seemed a convenient place to meet . A beautiful day so we enjoyed drinks in the pretty garden whilst choosing from the Menu. Lots of small plates as well as the Chefs choice for Sunday roast . I selected the Lamb Shank & the other diners had the Beef. Beautifully cooked with additional sides of Cauliflower & gravy. Most enjoyable although I felt maybe the Yorkshire Pudding with the Lamb maybe a little too much on the plate. We enjoyed wine & a mixed selection of Gelato for dessert . Prices were surprisingly fair for the amount & quality of food. The waiting staff were excellent & welcoming . Thank you - will certainly recommend & return. A beautiful area for walking also before you tuck into your meal.
Wonderful food and service. Every course was of exceptional quality and great attention to detail. All staff were very polite, friendly and professional
Restaurantji Recommends
After a lovely walk around Abbotsbury and the village, 8 of us a superb Sunday lunch here. I think it is quite possibly the best roast dinner we’ve had in a pub.
This spot is a lovely spot for lunch and it was fully booked on the day we arrived. Drinks arrived promptly and the service was fairly brisk, very friendly This is also a dog friendly pub with several tables bringing their well behaved mutt along. Whilst service was friendly there was no later 'follow up' to check if everything was ok once the food had arrived and we got stuck in. Really disappointed to find that the tempura cod starter had run out. The lamb and mint coquettes were a little bizarre - they tasted of duck not lamb so we did wonder if there had been a swap with the lamb running out and the duck leg being substituted? The sirloin roast beef (in the Sunday Lunch) was very well cooked, pink, soft and very succulent. Excellent. The Yorkshire puddings were enormously risen, very dark brown to the point of being overdone but sadly virtually tasteless. The roast potatoes seem to have the taste and consistency of being reheated which was another disappointment. Top marks for the cooking of the carrots which were sweet, tender and full of flavour; the same for the french beans and sugar snap peas - excellent care of these quick cooking veg. The rib eye steak whilst cooked beautifully cooked was pretty tough and unyielding and I kept looking longingly at the roast sirloin. I can only guess the cow that supplied the rib eye was stressed out and full of adrenaline at slaughter? A nice portion of tasty broccoli cheese but disappointingly cooked (reheated?) chips. The 'hand pulled' ? ale was cloudy and defo needs some TLC - all in all pleasant lunch but nothing to write home about. Thank you to the chef for giving so much care to cooking the veg and the roast sirloin (but not for the pre-prepared chips, roast potatoes and yorkshire puddings)
Looking forward to a meal out. We were going to have the beef, but the menu said it was ‘ruby red’.. not what we like, we prefer our meat very well done. We both opted for the lamb. However , unfortunately it came out very rare,so we sent it back to be cooked. The lamb came out unchanged. So we ate the potatoe pave. Had the waitress asked how we liked our meat cooked there would be no problem. The waitress said she wouldn’t charge us for the mains… but she did actually charge us 50% of the mains… £27:00 for two potatoe pave is ridiculous! A dissapointing experience.
Arrived on a Thursday lunchtime as a family of five for food and drinks. Pleasant welcome, drinks and food easily ordered from interesting menu, served with a smile. Food and experience top quality. Happy to recommend.
Detoured away from the coast with 2 companions during my 70 mile walk (about 15 miles for them) especially to eat here, and I was certainly not disappointed. Hard to choose from this brilliant, creative, high-end lunch menu. The fish was brill and it was indeed brill'. I also had a beetroot infused trout starter and it was marvellous.The bar team were warm and welcoming and served fabulously promptly. Great beer and a lovely garden. I will definitely be here again soon. Folks- don't miss this place if you're in W Dorset.