please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The Blue Raddle was my second stop in Dorchester after the Colliton Club (not listed on the site). It was easily the best pub in the town and by far the best pub I visited in Dorset this time around. It has a single bar and whilst they serve food, it's predominantly a drinkers' pub. Dogs are welcome. But children aren't. I was greeted by a friendly barmaid and having enquired about ciders and then asked whether I wanted fizzy or traditional (nice to be asked, as so many places immediately direct you to commercial options on keg and in bottles), I was directed to the far end of the bar, where they had Fosseway Somerset Glory & Ham Hill Early Glory. I opted for the latter and it was very pleasant. Ales were Cerne Abbas Coconut Rum Stout, Bath Gem, Butcombe Adam Henson's Rare Breed & Eight Arch Session. If I hadn't been driving, I would have tried the stout. A few people were offered tasters and appeared to like it. A decent pub all round and a rare 8/10 from me.
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It's nice to hear that things are much the same as when we looked in here a few years back.
Yes, it was about the best that we could find in the locality back then too.
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Excellent 'Real' Pub, beer selection varies and all are good. Food execellent and good friendly service. I'll not bother to look anywhere else in Dorchester again
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A fine selection of draught ciders plus a perry.
We were going to eat here as the food looks good but were put off by the rather mediocre selection of mainly 'session strength' beers - the strongest was Spitfire at 4.5%. That's the sort of strength I start at and work my way up!
Odd opening hours - doesn't open until 6.30 in the evening. Go over to Goldies while you're waiting for this place to open, if you're thirsty.
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Visited yesterday afternoon for the first time. A pleasant enough, if small, pub that was pretty busy with both diners and drinkers. Odd selection of ales available (Butcome, Tribute, London Pride, St Austell Trelawny) plus several ciders. The Butcome was in fine condition and reasonably priced.
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Great beer, great food, great service, great pub!
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Cracking pub with an excellent selection of beer on offer, very busy with eaters and drinkers but the bar staff were very prompt and efficient.
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Good pub, old school but pleasent with decent ale.
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Superb. Drinks, food, service, surroundings all excellent. John and Helena
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Not sure what pub slerpy went in but it couldn't have been the Raddle! I was in there Friday P.M. when the beer festival had just chucked out. Excellent service, great beer, lovely company even though it was heaving. I didn't eat here but, on the Saturday lunch time I was in plenty of people were eating happily. Definitely a top pub and all the better for no under 14's. 9 out of 10 from me.
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Fairly typical real ale pub with mature clientelle and good range of beer
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Visited for the first time on Friday 1st October and had to hang around Dorchester waiting for it to open but it was well worth the wait. My wife and I were made to feel most welcome and had a pleasant chat with the bar staff and the lady who seemed to run the kitchen single-handedly.
Both the house beer, Sheep Dip brewed by Plain Ales, and the wonderful "Gold Spice" from Keystone were in excellent condition as was the Butcombe Bitter drunk by my wife.
Food was also excellent and worth the understandable wait - several groups had ordered before we'd even decided to eat - and an hour after opening the pub was heaving and filled with chat and laughter.
Great place.
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This was a BIG SHOCK to me! This winner of many awards has really gone downhill, the ales I tried were barely drinkable, the service was slow and the attitude Was "you need us we don't need you !".It is very clear that they have given up on quality and service.Still help is at hand, the nearby Colliton Club had six splendid ales on at �2.30 and lunches at�3.00, this local Council Staff club was terrific,show a CAMRA card or GBG for entry, they are VERY welcoming. As for the Raddle 0/10, in the pub trade people vote with their feet and this place will soon be empty.
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Friendly traditional pub in Dorchester town centre. A number of ales available, including local brews in addition to the ever-drinkable Doombar. Comfortable seating in the one-room bar, which was busy with locals as well as our visiting contingent. I liked this place a fair bit and would return.
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@ keystone
I was in the Raddle on Friday night and I can confirm that not only is it not in decline, there was not a table or indeed a space at the bar to be had.
The only explanation I can think of for the under-14s ban is that they simply do not need "family" custom?
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Having used the Raddle for a couple of years now, I truly do hope that this pub is not on the decline. Twice we have turned up at lunchtimes (having made an effort to get there) and been told that no food is available when normally it would be - which is a damn shame because when you can get it the food is home cooked, delicious and excellent value.
The ales are reasonably priced and well kept and served by very friendly and efficient staff, though I get the impression that they don't seem to change the beers round quite as often as perhaps they once did.
The 'no kids' rule is a knotty one. While no one wants to put up with disruptive children in pubs, it seems unecessarily heavy handed to just ban all under-14s, especially when they seem to happily welcome dogs ! Yappy whining dogs can be worse than yappy whining kids. This rule means that if I'm in Dorchester shopping with the family (only one is under 14) we aren't welcome in the place - unfortunate because my kids like nice pubs with a good atmosphere. The classic British radio comedy piped (electronically !) into the toilets demonstraters that the boss has a good sense of humour - I wonder why he is so down on the young. These are his customers of the future.
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Headstandking: The reason I patronise a pub is so I am not surrounded by kids!! Bring back the law banning under 14s. Wish there were a few more enlightened landlords around!
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@ headstandking:
Seems not a little unfair to blame a pub when it is not altogether unreasonable that one might in advance, A) check whether the establishment is open and B) check the age at which children are permitted.
:-)
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I didn't eat, but sampled two ales, both of which were in excellent condition.
One could spend a long time reading the walls here!
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Second attempt at a drink at this pub. Last time it was closed on a Monday (see earlier comment) and this time, one of my party of 6 was below the age of 14. So 6 drinks and 6 meals lost - so I am giving up at this pub and, when in Dorchester, will always take my custom elsewhere.
We went to the Wetherspoons - Royal Oak and had an excellent meal and great beer at good prices.
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A delight for real ale drinkers and probably others. the raddle is an alehouse with an ever changing beer menu, the empthasis is on west Country ales but on my visit Goose eye Barm Pot was the next ale on.The Blue Raddle is a shep marking so the walls are festooned with sheep information, six photo frames list every sheep type in the u.k. Some I must admit are so ugly it would take a mother to love 'em.The toilets are a bit weird ....as you enter you are greeted by a booming voice belonging to John Cleese or Tony Hancock giving one of their famous comedy sketches T.H.... "A pint that's an armful!" this is loud enough to wake the dead, I imagine that the unwary might quite easily piss down their trouser leg! The beer is excellent, I had a pint of Piddle ( no, not that it is a locale Brewery!)
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a real drinkers pub great place and great locals, it is if your down that end of the town worth checking out the borough arms and tom browns, you would have just one of the best nights out.
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Heard about it several times. This was my first visit - absolute gem!
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Not open Monday lunchtime!
I travelled from Wimborne for lunch and - shut.
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Took some friends to see three classic Dorset pubs. The Square & Compass at Worth Matravers is overrated - although the location is truly fantastic, the Vine at Pamphill - a must-visit place, and here. This is my favourite of the three when it comes to beer quality and choice and prices and food........ Excellent.
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Just about the best pub in Dorchester that we could find! Dog friendly, cheerful bar staff, a good range of beers & ciders, and well cooked home made food. The entertainment in the loo is a good novelty too! A real pub atmosphere.
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I believe they have recently won the West Dorset pub of the year again. the Dinosaur museum a few steps away is really good for the kids, in a town bristling with good museums.do not do the military KEEP unless very fit, stairs 'n more stairs !
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Great pub with friendly staff. Always a good selection of ales on, with Sharps generally a favourite. Popular with the locals and handy enough for the high street if you're heading on to a restaurant. Food is popular too.
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Whilst I wouldn't quite stretch my score to 10/10, I was well impressed with the beer, the layout/decor and the prices. Probably the best pub in the Dorchester/Weymouth area.
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A back street pub ever so well run. They have a switch as you enter the toilets that kicks in a vintage comedy clip in a very loud voice " A pint that's a bloody armful ! " Cheap food and a good selection of cheap beer.They genuinley check wether you have REALLY enjoyed your meal. Dorset's best pub for many very good reasons. 10/10
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Well worth finding! Really good real ale selection & brilliant, well-priced food.
Very nice inside, with very friendly, helpful staff and a great atmosphere.
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Excellebt pub, good food, we did have to wait a while afer ordering our food, but was woth it when it arrived.
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Top quality pub with 'doom bar' always in good nick. friendly staff and friendly characters. 'private eye' magazines on the walls in the gents and blackadder played over the PA system. Best pub in Dorch.
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The local Camra's pub of the year - and well-deserved. Had a couple of pints of excellent, reasonably priced ale. The food looked pretty good as well.
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Great Pub, Great Food, Great Atmosphere. Doom Bar is a regular there, guest ales are always worth a try as well and vary fairly regularly.
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Superb town centre pub just off the main high street in Dorchester, visited here on Friday 6th July at lunch time, the pub was already busy and they coped extremely well with another 20 that had just walked through the door, one lady serving the fine Ale and taking food orders and another bringing out the food both never looked flustered and if they were they didn't show it, first class! i tried the RCH Steam Special which was in tip top condition i also tried the Weston's Old Rosie cider, first class too, they had another 3 real ales on tap all of which looked very good when being poored i know St Austell's Proper Job went down well! the food was very good also and the prices very competitive to say the least, all in all a first class lunch time was had, pity we couldn't stay!
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A fine pub with a good mix of people. The Skinners(?)Doom Bar and the Dorset Brewing Company (DBC) Best were in great quality.
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Excellent pub. A group of us met up in Dorchester and visited the pub on a Friday night out. Well kept beer, friendly service and friendly locals.
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This and Tom Browns (which I think the previous poster confused this pub with) are the best two pubs in Dorchester. Real ales (including at least one guest) are served. The food is great but even greater when you take into account the price. A good mix of people and an easy-going atmosphere make for the passing of a pleasant and convivial evening. Just one problem - it can get very smokey if you are anywhere near the bar. Please do not let that discourage you. Go there and order a nice dish of home made English cuisine and wash it down with a pint or two of well-kept real ale. There really is nowhere better in Dorchester to do this!
pxk99 - 30 Dec 2006 21:08 |
Visited again and this place just gets better. Home brewed ale at a very fair price. The Midnight Blinder is superb stuff. A guest beer on offer now - usually from a micro brewer. What a pub should be. Dart board needs repalcing though!
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Truly great. A bit too much of a food pub though. Beer choice always good and reasonably priced. Dorch's 2nd best pub.
anonymous - 30 Nov 2006 21:33 |
Friendly local with staff and customers to match. Beer includes two from sharps in Cornwall and from Otter. Real Cider also served. A narrow open plan Pub, having plenty of tables on which to serve its good value selection of home made cuisine.
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Located in the centre of Dorchester, the Blue Raddle is a friendly Pub with a mix of locals and tourists. Food is available at very reasonable prices, and excellent Real Ale available from Sharps of Cornwall and Otter Breweries. Thatchers ciders is also available including the ubiquitous, orange coloured, Cheddar Valley Gold. If you only go to one Pub in dorchester, make sure that it is this one.
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