The Grosvenor Arms - North Dorset

We ate at the bar in The Grosvenor Arms for lunch last Sunday to celebrate our friend’s birthday. It is a beautiful venue and the bar area is very nice. I decided to just have two starters because I was going to my son’s for dinner only a few hours later. My two friends ordered Sunday roast. I ordered the Venison scotch egg and crispy potato fries thinking that would tide me over. Not because I’m cheap and you can see from the menu, it actually costs more than most of the Sunday roasts. I did know this at the time when I decided that is what I wanted. What I did not expect was ‘Crispy potato fries, Godminster truffle cheese with spring onion aioli consists of THREE chips. I mean they were nice, but certainly not £3 per chip nice. If our waiter hadn’t dashed off so quickly, I would have told him to take it away. Or at least asked ‘is that it?’ I’m happy to report the venison scotch eggs was delicious and worth every penny. My friends enjoyed their slow roast pork belly meals generous portions, beautifully cooked, and from where I was sitting, mouth watering. I did mention my disappointment to the bar staff when we paid. They just looked at me as if I said something as benign as ‘your glasses are stacked nicely’. I did not pursue it further because I didn’t want to make it awkward for friends, especially as it was clear the bar staff couldn’t be less interested. Just ask about the food in more detail than I did when ordering.

Starters were Cornish coronation crab on toast, thinly spread so as to give a taste but no substance, and whiskey and brown sugar cured salmon, small portion, with rye bread. Neither inspired. Mains were rump steak, one medium with bernaise sauce, the other medium to well done with peppercorn sauce. Rosemary chips. Half the medium steak was left because it was too tough, the well done steak was also tough but edible. Deserts were Dorset cheese board and rhubarb parfait. The parfait was good but the Dorset cheese board could have come from the local supermarket. Cheddar was ordinary, red smoked was similar, the Brie was cold and out of proportion to the others size wise, and the blue salty and otherwise bland. Wine was a 500 ml carafe of Secateurs red, at £21 it was possibly overpriced, the house white, 2 glasses, was average. Initially we were told we were in the restaurant though we’d booked in the bar, when we asked if we could eat in the restaurant we were told it was full. The bar is lively but we had a view of the working side of it which included the bin, not offensive but there are better things to look at when having dinner. A mild complaint about the steak was noted and the deserts were offer gratis, appreciated. Sadly when one adds the taxi fare to the bill of over £137 (deserts would have taken it above £150), this was a less than average evening.

Had a good lunch but it was not outstanding. The menu seemed rather limited and whilst the bar staff were very friendly and accommodating, the restaurant staff were a little glum!

Been in on many an occasion to the Grosvenor, 90% of the time everything is flawless. I’ve never had a bad meal etc, the only thing that lets this establishment down is the service, some days it can be great, others ever so slow. It’s a shame because it lets down the rest of the experience

Called in with a friend for coffee. Couldn't taste any coffee in our drinks (a cappuccino and a latte also the milk tasted a little strange. Went to another coffee shop as we really didn't want a second one here.