The Blue Raddle, Dorchester

Official site of The Blue Raddle - www.blueraddle.co.uk

Official site of The Blue Raddle - www.blueraddle.co.uk

Real old fashioned traditional pub, 70s carpet, books, musk and 6 well kept real ales

This is a good honest,old school town centre pub with very well kept real ale.It's carpeted throughout ,L shaped with the wooden clad bar to the right and three sections all with traditional furniture.There is a large banquette running below the front windows,all seating upholstered in red while bar stools are dotted around the servery. The vibe on my lunchtime visit was of a quiet locals pub and I really enjoyed the obscure glam rock track that was at a background level,especially The Knife from the early Genesis album Tresspass.Around the walls there are interesting prints about the life and times of Dorchester,and food was advertised but no one was eating.There was a friendly welcome from behind the bar. There are 6 handpumps,two dedicated to real cider and a choice of Fullers London Pride,St Austell Tribute,Butcombe Rare Breeds and Eight Arch Bowstring Bitter in good nick.Maybe not the most adventurous range,but possibly the locals like their traditional ales at modest ABV's . A solid boozer.

A GBG regular, unchanged since Soupie’s description below. The pub is dog-friendly and has a robust approach to children. The staff were welcoming and helpful, the dartboard lay dormant, the clientele was friendly and convivial and the basic pub grub was most acceptable. Six ales on, I had a pint of Butcombes which was in very good condition and reasonably priced. I agree that this is a destination of choice in Dorchester and an essential inclusion in a town crawl.

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.

A small cottage styled end terraced pub, eatery and music venue, in cream render with blue paint work. The pub is in the GBG 2010. It has a no entry policy for 'small humans - under 14s', although dogs are permitted! The interior is an open plan L-shaped room, though with a couple of areas, curving around the serving bar. The decor is a cream and green patterned wallpaper, with dark red wood panel and a white ceiling and a couple of black and tiled fireplaces. There is an eclectic mix of ephemera, from an old trunk to copper kettles and lots of old local photographs and of presumably local people, as well as sheep paintings - hence blue raddle (colouring used to mark sheep for identification) and a pump clip collection behind the bar. There is a dart board, though you may have to move a bit of furniture. The place does food, but i didn't eat so i couldn't comment on that. The service was really good and friendly and the clientele were mainly local it seemed. There was no TV that i saw and the background music was general and a decent level. Beer; tap tuff, with Sharpe's Doombar, Otter Bitter, Ennerdale's Breeze, Moonstone's Reel Ale and Sheep Dip, their house brew. All were sampled as half-pints and all we well kept and decent The best pub in Dorchester as far i was concerned. I could sit here all day, supping and reading, pausing to eat. Try it - please.