Can't fault this place! Very pretty from the outside and quaint, on the inside. It's been nicely…read moredone up. Cosy and homey, there's plenty of seating to choose from. Lovely nooks and crannies with couches and more, and a nice patio for warmer weather. If you're looking for a traditional British pub, you've come to the right place. Reasonable prices too. There's a lovely bar with enough beers on tap to suit all palates and more in the fridge. As for the food, they have most of the pub favourites along with steaks and salads as well as some vegetarian options. The set menu is on from Mon-Thurs and is great value at £11.99 for two courses + £2 for three or for a steak meal. I couldn't fit it in, but dessert was full sized and delicious too. Some had a berry crumble or a melba panacotta. If you're in the area, this place is well worth a visit, it won't disappoint!

Incredible. Absolutely wonderful steak and sides, perfect pours on ales/beer/stout - and great…read moreservice by Kaya. The 4 members of our party were extremely impressed with all.

Nice location but really bad service. Expect to wait between 30-45 mins for your food particularly…read moreon a Sunday.

This place has a great atmosphere, a mixture of modern and traditional. Everyone is welcoming…read more But the kicker is the food. It's absolutely fantastic. I had the Lamp Rump with Dauphinoise ... quite simply melt in the mouth. Followed by vanilla and white chocolate panna cotta... also melt in the mouth with a beautiful hazelnut crumb. Although this place isn't cheap for sure, I think the food is absolutely worth the money. It's about 20 miles from where I live but I will happily drive back here for lunch or dinner.

What a hidden gem of a pub, recently reopened after many years. It has been fully refurbished with…read moretouches of rustic wood and is a very comfortable, warm pub with a lively atmosphere, down a Dorset lane. All home cooked food, quickly prepared and brought to your table. There is a menu of light meals but more substantial offerings are on a blackboard above the bar, such as: roast pork with vegetables, Boeuf Bourguignon with vegetables or cauli/broccoli cheese crumble with/without new potatoes to name a few. There's also a special puddings menu. Delicious coffee is served with Pringle type mint chocolates. Prices are very reasonable. Upstairs is a complete surprise, with lots of comfy chairs and books to browse. This floor leads onto a large decked, roofed area which would be ideal in the summer of a leisurely evening drink. The loos are great too! Well behaved dogs allowed and are even given a few chews as a reward. Highly recommended.

The Square and Compass is such a gem if you're looking for an authentic pub experience in the…read moreEnglish countryside! The views alone are worth the visit, but the unique character of the place makes it even better. From the beer garden in the back to the small museum of fossils and local artifacts, it really has a one-of-a-kind charm. One thing I loved was the quirky "Woodhenge" sculpture in the parking lot--made from tree trunks, it's been standing since 2015 despite the local council initially wanting it taken down. It's still there as of my recent visit, and it's a fun little sight that adds even more personality to the place. The menu is limited, but that's part of the charm! I had the sausage roll, and it was sooo good! The warm, flaky crust and flavorful sausage made for the perfect pub snack. We sat inside since it was a warm day, and the locals couldn't have been friendlier. My friend and I (a pair of Americans) were welcomed like old friends, which made the whole experience even more special. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area--especially if you want to enjoy the local history, great beer, and a fantastic countryside view.

A couple of friends and I once went for a hike along the South West Coast Path in Dorset. It took…read moreus a couple of hours and was really nice: good weather, beautiful sea views, rolling pastures, and a great pub at the end. That pub turned out to be the Square and Compass. When we arrived it was warm and sunny, and most people were sitting on the dozens of outside tables, rocks, or just on the grass, enoying the sunshine. Oddly, a large number of chickens were strolling through the assembled patrons, but no one - drinker nor chicken - seemed to mind. There was a band playing some Beatles covers, too, though they finished shortly after we arrived. This is a proper country pub, long, low and very old wood and stone. They keep kegs of real ale and cider in a pump room here, so you order at the hatch. Check the Dinosaur Room while you're there. I won't say any more, since it deserves to be a surprise. I can't imagine a more relaxed, laid-back, country pub. The only downside was that although we'd planned to take a local bus back to Swanage, where our car was parked, those services don't run on Sundays. The day was so nice we decided to walk back anyway (along the road, though, a much shorter trip than the coastal path). EDIT: I was back again today, and despite the weather being crap - or maybe because of it - this pub was even better. We walked down to the ocean, to watch the surf pound the cliffs by the old quarry. We wedged into one of the tiny rooms and ate pasties and drank Ringwood ale. We gazed in wonder at the bizarre little fossil-and-beach-item museum at the back.

If you're down in this part of Dorset, everyone's going to tell you to go to the Square and…read moreCompass. Which you should do. It's old and lovely and a fantastic destination pub. But you should make a point of heading to this place as well. Perhaps the friendliest landlord I've seen in an age. Serving a wide selection of very well-kept local ales, with his thoughts on the condition of each. And really fab food. There's a very standard pub grub menu, but we ordered the specials. I was fabulously full but he said "try the Shepherd's Pie". Which I did. And it was, quite honestly, the best shepherd's pie I have ever eaten. I am still, 24 hours later, recovering. Fabulous food, service, beer, etc. This is a local pub for all sorts of people-- local or not. It's unknown but it shouldn't be.

The bartender was really nice-she chatted a bit about the area and responded to my request for a…read morelocal beer.

Visiting Bath for a couple days and stepped in here for a pint to cap the day of sightseeing. Local…read morefolk were welcoming, and we had an interesting chat. I'm thankful for this Yelp app and our reviews which is very helpful in finding great spots we might miss otherwise.

I just stayed here for a wedding. Decent sized parking area with a very nice garden. Beautiful…read moreplace. It was very welcoming and clean with all new bathrooms with cozy robes, complimentary beer, fizzy water, biscuits, and we enjoyed some great food. Breakfast was included. Also very dog friendly! They provided a dog bed for the family dog. Oh and very lovely beer brewed on side! Will be back for sure!

An absolute gem of a pub in one of Devon's prettiest, most tucked away coastal villages. The…read moreMason's Arms is, quite simply, a fantastic place in every sense of the word. I've stopped off for a snack or a quick drink a couple of times, and it's always really impressed me, and the lunch my parents and I had recently ranks as one of the best pub dinners the Andrews family can remember. Their crab sandwiches were fresh, as were the fish in their delicious creamy leek fish stew, while the ploughmans was huge. Desserts of chocolate and pecan brownie and banana fritters with toffee sauce were gobbled up. Ok, it's not cheap for a Devon pub, but the food is worth every penny - there was hardly anything on the menu I didn't want to scoff down. The pub itself is a charming sprawl of wooden rooms, and a small seating area out the front. It's homely and although the staff run a slick operation, they're still friendly and helpful. The pub was recently taken over by St Austell Brewery, so there's a good range of their beers, plus a couple of guest ales. This includes one local beer brewed in Branscombe. It's quaint, delicious, comfy and sits in one of the most stunning areas of the Devon coast. It is, quite simply, a perfect pub.

Very pleasant atmosphere, very warm and welcoming staff. Great food…read more Starters we ate the scallops and black pudding scotch egg. Delicious.

great pub ,extensive menu, excellent range of beers, situated in alovely quiet part of dorsetread more

We were recomended to come here so we gave it a go. Lovely pub from the outside. Very pretty on the…read moreinside too. The dining area is very spacious. The staff was super friendly and service was good. Not rushed. The food was very very tasty. Portions are quite big so a main meal is probably enough. It looks like everything is homemade.....certainly the steak and ale pie! For an animal lover the best part is also to be greated by the pub cat Smokey: super friendly and full of cuddles

Of course you want to come here for a pint or a pot of tea after a blustery time at the castle…read more Lovely atmosphere and decent food, nice folks helping to get your food and drink to you. I'm glad we went.