Lovely place for drink and nibbles or supper. Service is prompt and they have seating out front and…read moreon back patio.

I have just returned from eating my second full Christmas Menu at the Cross Keys. The service, food…read moreand surroundings were second to none. I booked the small dining room that overlooks the Conduit and Christmas tree. The full four course menu cost an amazing £12.95 and offered the following choices: Starters: Soup, Crispy coated mushrooms with garlic mayo or Prawn cocktail. Main: Roast Turkey (Yorkshire pudding roast and boiled potatoes, roast parsnip stuffing and sausage) Baked Cod Au Gratin Stuffed roast bell peppers. All served with a selection of vegetables (In heated dishes) Sweets: Cristmas Pudding and Brandy sauce Choc Fudge cake Rasberry Mille Fuille. 4th Course: Coffee and Mince pies (served warmed) All plates were hot and the table decorated for Christmas with crackers. The staff constantly checked that all was well and that we had enough vegetables. The highlights I think was the fact that this food was 'real' and home cooked. The gravy and the roast potatoes were particularly good. I understand that the Cross Keys has recently changed hands I thoroughly recommend it. I have not yet tried the other meals on offer but judging by their Christmas offering it could be well worthwhile.

Took an out of town old friend - good selection of free house beers - feels like going back in time.read more

Was in town for a wedding, and this was the best place we visited. Great food, nice people, amazing…read moreprices!

Absolutely loved this gem of a place. Food was delicious, drinks reasonable and staff friendly…read more Place was spotless. Highly recommended. Will definitely come back again x

This is a duplicate review really - due to the name change. For balance I thought I'd post it here:…read more Popped in the other night to check out the place since it's been taken over and had a quick pint at the bar. Definitely a change for the better, with soft decor, lighting and table clothes. Those of you familiar with the history of this place will know that is was previously called Arkles (or Arseholes as it was affectionately known). I used to get dragged in there all the time by the other half as it was a place you could get a cheap bottle of wine after 11:00pm. It was usually freezing so I would have to keep my coat on and abuse from the front of house staff was pretty much guaranteed. All of this is now history, and it looks like Aspire 2 Eat is going to be the sort of wine bar Sherborne always needed (not sure about the name though). I'll update with a proper review once I've been in for dinner.

I had to find somewhere to eat for a group attending a concert at the Abbey, but had never been to…read moreSherborne and couldn't find much inspiration from internet guides. I rang the renowned Digby Tap pub, but as they do not serve evening meals, they recommended ASpire 2 Eat. The name put me off (it was apparently previously called Arkles, a perfectly good and unpretentious name, aspecially for the horsey crowd I was with - ASpire 2 Eat reminds me of names small town hairdressers come up with for their salons), but the self-important and petulant tone of the previous review made me ring to sound it out. A very pleasant and helpful person was happy for us to book for a very early evening sitting, and on learning that several people were converging from various parts of the country, offered to open early to serve us drinks, and to find parking for us all. On arriving, and in spite of the place starting to fill up on a Saturday night, we were asked (without having to remind anyone) what time we needed to leave for the concert, and our meal was well timed to allow us to get away as planned. The ambience was very pleasant, the food good and reasonably priced, and details like warm rolls, good quality butter, and cheerful staff made it an enjoyable start to our evening. The waitresses were both very pleasant and prompt in their attentions, and the only recognisable feature our experience had in common with the previous reviewer's, was that we had to ask for cutlery for our second course. But this is a wine bar in a small Dorset town, not a London restaurant with pretentions. For £25 a head for two courses and wine, we got good fresh food, well presented, with a nice standard of linen and tableware, by pleasant and informal staff. I have never posted one of these reviews before, so don't know the form, but for what it is, I would give it full marks, except that I think they should have stuck with the old name.