The Ollerod

We did the dinner, bed and breakfast deal which is exceptional value. There really aren’t many things to fault. The food was of excellent quality- truly delicious and I actually found it difficult to choose each course as everything sounded so good. It also lived up to the promise of the description on the menu. The restaurant and bar are very stylish and the lovely bartender really knew her cocktails, taking a lot of care over them ( the Old Fashioned in particular). The younger staff serving in the restaurant were efficient, knowledgeable and clearly well-trained. Our room was luxurious, comfortable and v clean. We really enjoyed the homemade shortbread. I’m also impressed when conditioner and body lotion are provided… also very big soft towels and lovely bedsheets. Breakfast was good quality with fruits, yoghurt , homemade granola and a good choice of hot food. We went for the buttery, lemony kippers which arrived with a pile of toast. A great experience- highly recommended!

Very, very nice indeed. Relaxed but friendly service, great aperitifs, lunch menu which was excellent value (£25 for three courses of just-right-sized portions of beautifully presented and tasty food) and lovely interior/decor. Warm and cosy, with great loos (towelling individual hand towels and nice smellies). It made for a memorable Christmas Eve meal for our daughter’s 21st. We will be back!

We had Sunday lunch there but it was a disappointing experience. The Beef Wellington at £38 was overpriced. The sauce was over seasoned and the beef was not tender. The waitress kindly changed that to the roast beef for us. The beef with gristle was cut too thick for our liking. The food was piled up high on a rather small plate which made for a rather unpleasant experience. The Yorkshire pudding was lovely and hugh. The ambience of the restaurant is very nice. There are many other restaurants serving better quality food/ cooking with better prices so we will not return.

We loved everything about The Ollerod. Our room was beautiful and very comfortable. The staff are all delightful, charming and most helpful. Unfortunately we were unable to dine in and make the most of the skills in the kitchen, but dinner smelt amazing! I would love to come back for another stay

The food was superb, staff lovely, I was disappointed to see a 12.5% service charge I work very hard supporting families in my job. My husband works on a farm as a farm worker we are not high earners, and no one gives us a tip and we would not expect one. Also does the restaurant not make enough? the food we had was a set menu but mostly we chose dishes that included extra charges so our bill I believe was enough without an additional service charge that no one pointed out. Yes I will definitely go back BUT I will ask for the service charge to be removed. I believe service charges/tipping is a ridiculously outdated concept and I’ve yet to see a decent argument as to why this needs to exist. I feel there's simply no justification for it. If the restaurant isn’t making enough money they should increase their prices rather than attempting to be sneaky with it. This is ignoring that service charges shouldn’t be going to the owners anyway, they should be shared among staff although as I said most other service workers do not get tips.

Beaminster is a stunning town in Dorset: The Ollerod is a lovely old boutique hotel in which to stay if visiting. The peaceful garden is a place to enjoy a wine whilst you read your book. Room One with a good shower: 5 Staff & Service: 5 The Bar for lunchtime sandwiches (best chips ever!!) and excellent wine: 5 Breakfast: 5 Dinner.....A mixed review: Sea Bass Fillet 3 Grilled Sea Bass 5 Rib Eye Steak 2 Starters 4 Cheese 4 Puddings 4 Suggestions: A maître d would be worth employing to oversee the restaurant diners experience, and guide the young waiters. Make the main ingredient the STAR (top quality essential; the steak was poor), and do not over complicate with excessive side dishes.