At Summer Lodge - West Dorset

I went to this restaurant in the afternoon to celebrate my birthday with three friends and it was a fantastic experience. The moment we got there, the staff was polite, professional, and efficient. Our French waiter was particularly friendly and humorous. One of my friends has a gluten intolerance, and she was provided with her own delicious food served on a beautiful 3-tier cake stand, just like ours. We enjoyed copious amounts of tea, starting off with a bottle of fizzy drink.

My wife and I visited this restaurant last weekend for an afternoon tea that was a birthday gift for her. The hotel was lovely, the grounds were very nice, and the staff was excellent. The afternoon tea was exactly what we expected from a property like this - very tasty, served in a great setting, and with excellent professional service. It's definitely worth a visit, especially now that the gardens are looking so beautiful. We would love to stay at the hotel once we've saved up a bit, even though it's not the most affordable option. Judging by the downstairs area and where we had our tea, it would be well worth the cost.

I highly recommend the restaurant at this hotel. The staff were friendly and efficient. The food was hot and delicious, and we received excellent wine recommendations from the sommelier, Eric. Thank you.

Whislt staying at the Acorn Inn down the road in charming Evershot, we went for tea at the Summer Lodge. This is a sister hotel of the Acorn Inn. Oh wow...what a perfect venue for a celebratory tea or just for a little bit of self-endulgence! This is a must...absolutely delicious from the savoury platters that we had for our tea (we don't have a sweet tooth) to the accompanying champagnes and wine. We did admire the neighbouring table's treats and sweet delights of pastries, cakes and scones...all made and served to perfection with absolute artistry. We could see the satisfaction and joy on their faces too.

Disappointed. Usually a keen visitor of the restaurant. With a reputation of fine dining, I was disappointed with the poor menu choices (no Christmas choice), raw sprouts served and turkey which was not white meat but brown and clearly rolled not carved. The manager did offer free desserts and coffee which was welcomed, but did not compensate overall luncheon disappointment.