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Detail Pages
The Brewers Arms, Dorchester
Martinstown
Postal town: Dorchester
DT2 9LB
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
E TA left this review about The Brewers Arms
A large village pub which has been opened out to form spacious, airy L-shaped bar with long restaurant area at one end. There is a gravel car park from which you enter the pub via a big garden with covered cabins down one side. There is an outside bar in the garden, though it wasn't open when we visited. The interior has an open fireplace, dartboard, a projector and screen, tiled floors and plenty of seating for diners and drinkers. The staff were helpful and friendly, the others customers were a mixed bag. There seemed to be almost as many dogs as humans, which is a good thing in many ways given the proliferation of grockles in this area; the only idiot on this occasion was one that managed to block the car park by failing properly to park its campervan. Ales were gravity fed from barrels on the bar. Salcombe Seahorse had just gone off, leaving Drumloop from Exmoor and Palmer's Copper, both in very good condition. There was a bank of the usual mega stuff including Guinness, Staropramen and Thatcher's plus one or two I didn't note. There was also a cocktail fountain on the bar. Food was good standard pub grub, and it was certainly popular with locals, families and a large group of elderly revellers. It's not too far from the A35 so worth dropping if you're passing that way.
On 3rd October 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3289 recommendations about 3254 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Brewers Arms
Quite a large pub in the village of Martinstown.
From the car park, you pass through a small outdoor area with heated huts. But this wasn't the weather to try those! Inside, we were greeted warmly by the staff and fellow customers also seemed friendly.
Considering the pub was about to shut for the afternoon at 3pm shortly after our arrival, I was expecting staff to be a little peturbed. But far from it.
Real ales are served by gravity from casks. Palmer's Copper is the regular ale. Guests were Copper Street 871 & Exmoor Exile Wicked Wolf. I was slightly concerned that the 871 cask was well tipped and presumably nearing the end of the barrel. Nevertheless, my fears were soon allayed when I was offered a sample. It was in good condition. So I ordered a half.
Food is clearly a big draw for customers here. But there is still a good mix of drinkers and diners. Probably the best pub we visited in Dorset on this visit.
On 13th December 2021
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2493 recommendations about 2492 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Blue left this review about The Brewers Arms
Interesting old country pub. The main building has a white rendered exterior, with the bar opposite you as you enter, an area set for dining towards the rear, and more of a drinking area at the front. From here there is a doorway to the long connected building, whose brick exterior is largely covered by ivy and which used to house a skittle alley but has now been converted to guest accommodation. There is a very pleasant garden in the rectangle between the two buildings.
Evidently a Palmers house: unusually amongst the taps on the bar there were no real ale pumps, but barrels of Copper Ale on stillage behind the bar. The pub seemed warm and friendly, and we also ate here, food being very good and generously portioned. I’d happily come here again.
On 4th June 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 271 recommendations about 270 pubs]