The Best Beer Gardens in Dorset: Our Favourite Pubs for Great Food, Views & Sunny Days

There are few better ways to finish a day spent exploring Dorset than finding a good pub, ordering something cold, and settling into a beer garden with a view.

It might be after a long walk along the Jurassic Coast, a morning at the beach, a wander around Corfe Castle, or simply one of those sunny afternoons when nobody is in quite such a hurry to get home.

After living in Dorset for more than 15 years, we’ve developed quite a few favourites.

These aren’t pubs we’ve selected from review sites. They’re places we’ve eaten and drunk at ourselves, pubs we’ve returned to with family and friends, and quite a few we’ve reached at the end of walks with Smarty.

Some offer spectacular coastal views. Others overlook rivers, castles or the quiet Dorset countryside. A few aren’t technically traditional beer gardens, but their outdoor spaces are far too good to leave out.

So, if you’re staying in one of our Dorset holiday cottages and looking for somewhere to spend a sunny afternoon, here are some of the beer gardens and outdoor pub spots we’d happily recommend.

The Springhead, Sutton Poyntz

A village pub we return to again and again

The Springhead sits beside the stream in Sutton Poyntz, one of those Dorset villages that seems made for a leisurely Sunday afternoon.

We know it particularly well because it’s local to us, and it has long been one of our favourite places for lunch, a drink with friends, or a bite to eat after a walk.

The garden is spacious and relaxed, with views towards the Osmington White Horse and plenty of space for families. There’s also a children’s play area, which made it particularly useful when ours were younger.

Food is consistently good, Sunday lunches are popular, and the summer pizzas are always worth looking out for.

What we particularly like is how easily you can make the pub part of a day out. There are several good walks around Sutton Poyntz, including routes that climb towards the White Horse and the hills above Weymouth Bay. One is featured in our favourite dog walks.

Curated tip: On a sunny Sunday, go early rather than late. The garden is understandably popular.

The Smugglers Inn, Osmington Mills

One of our favourite pubs after a Jurassic Coast walk

If we had to choose a pub to arrive at after a coastal walk, The Smugglers Inn would be near the top of the list.

Hidden in the tiny hamlet of Osmington Mills, just off the South West Coast Path, it has exactly the sort of setting you’d hope to find along this stretch of the Dorset coast.

We’ve visited many times over the years, often with Smarty, and one of our favourite ways to get there is to walk around Osmington Mills towards Ringstead Bay.

The pub itself is full of character, with stone walls, plenty of outdoor seating and a long association with the smuggling history of this secluded part of the coast.

We’re also rather partial to the Tangle Foot Pie, made using locally brewed Badger beer. It’s exactly the sort of hearty pub food that feels deserved after a few miles on the coast path.

Dogs are very welcome, making it an easy recommendation for guests staying in one of our dog-friendly holiday cottages in Dorset.

Curated tip: Build the pub into the walk rather than driving straight there. That first drink tastes much better when you’ve earned it.

The Scott Arms, Kingston

Probably our favourite beer garden view in Dorset

If someone asked us to choose just one Dorset beer garden for the view, we’d probably send them here.

The Scott Arms sits high in the Purbeck village of Kingston, with an extraordinary view across the countryside towards Corfe Castle.

No photograph quite does it justice.

We’ve returned many times over the years and often use the pub as the start and finish of one of our favourite Purbeck walks.

From Kingston, we’ll head towards Houns-tout and Chapman’s Pool, then follow the coast before eventually making our way back inland. It’s a proper walk with some challenging sections, but finishing in the Scott Arms garden, looking across towards Corfe Castle, is a pretty good reward.

The garden itself is wonderfully unfussy. Find a table, order a pint, and enjoy one of the finest views from any Dorset pub we’ve come across.

Curated tip: Late afternoon can be especially beautiful as the light shifts across Corfe Castle and the Purbeck Hills.

The Bankes Arms, Studland

A favourite after walking to Old Harry Rocks

Studland is somewhere we’ve explored countless times over the years, and the Bankes Arms has been part of quite a few of those days.

The large grassy garden offers wonderful views across Studland and towards the chalk coastline around Old Harry Rocks.

One of our favourite walks begins around here, climbs towards Old Harry, continues across Ballard Down, and then loops back towards Studland.

We’ve done it in almost every season, often with Smarty, and finishing with a drink in the Bankes Arms garden is one of those little Dorset rituals we’ve never really tired of.

The position is what makes it work.

On a clear day, you can sit outside with a drink and look across one of the most recognisable parts of the Purbeck coast.

It’s also very convenient if you’ve spent the day on Studland’s beaches or kayaking towards Old Harry Rocks.

Curated tip: Summer afternoons get busy. If you’re hoping to eat outside, we’d arrive before the main lunch rush.

The Greyhound Inn, Corfe Castle

A beer garden beneath the castle

There aren’t many Dorset pub gardens with a view that includes the ruins of a thousand-year-old castle.

The Greyhound Inn sits right in the heart of Corfe village, making it an easy place to stop after exploring the castle itself or taking a journey on the Swanage Railway.

We’ve visited many times over the years, including when our children were younger, and it’s one of those pubs that naturally becomes part of a day in Corfe.

The garden has views towards the castle and can have a lively atmosphere in summer, particularly when there is music or entertainment.

If you fancy earning lunch first, we’d recommend heading up West Hill. The elevated view back towards Corfe Castle is one of our favourite views anywhere in Purbeck. It’s a real photo opportunity. It looks as if you are standing at the gate to the entrance of Corfe Castle, despite it being some distance away. 

Curated tip: Corfe can get very busy during the school holidays, so book ahead if you’re planning lunch rather than just stopping for a drink.

The Lulworth Cove Inn

A welcome stop after exploring Lulworth

We’ve visited Lulworth Cove more times than we can count, and the Lulworth Cove Inn is an easy place to end the day.

It’s only a short walk from the cove and has a large outdoor area where dogs are welcome.

For us, it works particularly well after being out on the water.

During quieter periods, we love kayaking and paddleboarding in Lulworth Cove, and equipment can also be hired locally during the season. Returning afterwards for a cold drink and a relaxed lunch is hard to beat on a warm day.

It’s equally convenient after walking towards Durdle Door, Stair Hole or the Fossil Forest.

If you’d like more ideas for where to eat nearby, we’ve also put together our guide to places to eat in Lulworth.

Curated tip: Explore Lulworth early, before the busiest time of day, then return for a leisurely lunch.

The Cove House Inn, Portland

Sunset, Chesil Beach and one of our favourite Dorset views

The Cove House Inn isn’t really a traditional beer garden.

We’re including it anyway.

Perched beside Chesil Beach, its outdoor tables look out over Lyme Bay and offer one of the most atmospheric settings in Dorset for a drink by the sea.

We’ve been coming here for years.

Sometimes it’s after walking around Portland with Smarty. Other times, we’ve come simply because the weather looks right and we know the sunset could be spectacular.

On a calm summer evening, sitting outside as the light shifts across Lyme Bay is hard to beat.

Then there are days when the weather isn’t calm at all.

We’ve been here when the sea has been pounding against Chesil Beach, and the setting becomes completely different: dramatic, wild and very Portland.

The food is excellent too, with seafood playing a major role.

If you’re staying nearby or exploring Portland from one of our holiday cottages in Dorset, we’d happily make this part of the day.

Curated tip: If the forecast looks good, aim for sunset.

The Nothe Tavern, Weymouth

Harbour views after exploring Nothe

The Nothe Tavern is another that earns its place because of its location rather than a huge traditional lawned garden.

Its outdoor terrace sits above Weymouth Harbour, offering views across the water towards Portland.

We often find ourselves around here after visiting Nothe Fort, walking through Nothe Gardens, or continuing on to Newton’s Cove.

It’s a lovely place to stop because you’re still right in the middle of Weymouth, but the elevated position makes it feel slightly removed from the bustle around the harbour.

On sunny afternoons, there’s usually something happening on the water below, whether it’s sailing boats, fishing boats or harbour traffic heading out into the bay.

If you’re staying in one of our Weymouth holiday cottages, this is an easy option to combine with a day exploring Weymouth, the harbour and Nothe Fort.

Curated tip: Take time to walk around Nothe Gardens before or after. Some of the views across Weymouth Bay are superb.

The Old Granary, Wareham

Riverside drinks beside the River Frome

The Old Granary is another slight rule-breaker because it is more of a waterside terrace than a classic beer garden.

But we couldn’t leave it out.

Its position on Wareham Quay, beside the River Frome, makes it one of our favourite places for a relaxed lunch or an afternoon drink.

We’ve arrived here in several different ways over the years.

We’ve stopped at Smarty after walking around Wareham’s ancient town walls. We’ve brought the children here, and we’ve even returned to Wareham by kayak before stopping for something to eat.

That’s part of why we like it.

It feels naturally connected to the town and river rather than simply being somewhere you drive to for lunch.

On a warm day, you can sit outside and watch boats moving slowly along the Frome while the historic centre of Wareham sits just behind you. Our guide to exploring Wareham will give you plenty of ideas and inspiration, and then make a visit to the pub well worth it. 

Curated tip: Combine lunch with the circular walk around Wareham Walls. It’s an easy way to see a very different side of Dorset.

The Square & Compass, Worth Matravers

Quite unlike any other pub in Dorset

The Square & Compass isn’t polished.

That’s precisely why we love it.

This wonderfully eccentric Purbeck pub in Worth Matravers has remained stubbornly distinctive and full of character.

Inside is its tiny museum of fossils and local artefacts. Outside, simple benches look across the rolling countryside towards the Jurassic Coast.

Then there are the pasties.

They’re something of an institution and, after a long walk along the coast, exactly what you want with a pint.

We’ve come here countless times after walking from Worth Matravers towards Winspit and Seacombe, one of our favourite Purbeck routes and one we’ve regularly done with Smarty.

The scenery along the way is extraordinary: open fields, old quarry workings, sweeping sea views and sections of wonderfully wild coastline.

Then you climb back towards Worth Matravers, knowing a pasty and a pint are waiting.

For us, that’s a pretty perfect Dorset afternoon.

Curated tip: Don’t come expecting restaurant-style dining or a manicured beer garden. Come for character, history, the views, the pasties, and the fact that it feels unlike almost anywhere else.

The Acorn Inn, Evershot

Tucked away in the pretty West Dorset village of Evershot, The Acorn Inn offers something a little different from many of the coastal pubs in this guide.

This characterful 16th-century coaching inn has a lovely courtyard garden that’s made for long summer lunches, with local ales behind the bar and a menu built around seasonal ingredients and produce from Dorset suppliers. It’s also a pub with plenty of history: Evershot sits firmly in Thomas Hardy country, and the inn itself featured in Tess of the d’Urbervilles.

Its garden has attracted plenty of attention too, with The Acorn Inn being named Dorset’s top beer garden, another good reason we felt it deserved a place among our favourites.

We’d combine a visit with exploring some of the beautiful countryside around Evershot and this quieter corner of West Dorset. It’s a very different experience from having a pint overlooking the sea, but that’s exactly why we like having it in this guide.

Which Dorset beer garden would we choose?

It depends entirely on the day.

For a walk followed by a pub, we’d choose the Scott Arms, Bankes Arms, Smugglers Inn or Square & Compass.

For the sea, we’d head to the Cove House Inn.

For castle views, it’s difficult to beat the Scott Arms or Greyhound.

For a relaxed family afternoon, the Springhead works brilliantly.

And if we simply wanted to sit by the water and watch Dorset go by for a while, we’d be very happy at the Old Granary.

That’s probably why we haven’t tried ranking them from one to ten.

They’re all favourites for different reasons.

Dog-friendly beer gardens in Dorset

Quite a few of the pubs in this guide have become favourites because we’ve been able to visit them with Smarty.

The Smugglers Inn, Scott Arms, Bankes Arms , The Acorn Inn and Square & Compass are all particularly well placed for combining a dog walk with a drink afterwards.

Pub policies can change, though, and some businesses have different rules for dogs indoors and outdoors.

We’d always recommend checking directly before visiting, particularly if you’re eating indoors.

If your Dorset break centres on coastal walks with your dog, our collection of dog-friendly holiday cottages in Dorset can also help you find somewhere that suits the whole family.

Staying close to Dorset’s best pubs and beer gardens

One of the pleasures of a cottage holiday is having enough time to explore Dorset properly, rather than trying to cram everything into a single day.

Our handpicked collection of luxury holiday cottages in Dorset puts you within easy reach of many of the pubs, walks and coastal spots featured in this guide.

From lakeside homes at Silverlake Estate and Weymouth holiday cottages near the coast to stays in Dorchester and near Purbeck, we choose properties in parts of Dorset we know well.

And that’s really the point of guides like these.

We’re not trying to tell you where an algorithm thinks you should eat.

These are pubs we’ve walked to, eaten at, taken the children to, visited with Smarty, and returned to with friends over many years of living here.

There will undoubtedly be more.

And when we find another Dorset beer garden we genuinely love, we’ll add it to the list.

Because some of the best parts of a holiday aren’t necessarily the major attractions.

Sometimes they’re simply finding a sunny table, ordering something local, and deciding there’s absolutely no need to leave just yet.

Frequently Asked Questions