The Dorset Soldier, Wimborne

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In a case of 'Hall and Woodhouse meets Hungry Horse' this once-welcoming village pub has become another clone of the beer-and-boring-food dispensary genre. It has been modernised and painted in H&W corporate colours (or they had a job lot of cheap paint from Dorset's equivalent of the Trotters). The large 1930s building sits in its own plot next to the main road through the village. There is ample car parking at front and rear, and there is a small garden area at the back. Part of the front garden has been made into a covered terrace and barbecue area with plenty of seating. There are 2 main bars, one public and one a lounge, and there is a restaurant annex behind the latter. There is a melange of floorboards, carpets, brick fireplaces and stained pine, all of which misses the point and fails to hang together. Tabloid newspapers were available to read. The food is overpriced, but the beer is average for the area. There are gaming machines in the public side, an idle dartboard in the lounge and tv screens throughout. On the wall in the public bar is a tiny collection of military memorabilia, the only nod to the eponymous serviceman, sad given that today is Remembrance Day. The staff were pleasant but the locals not so welcoming. There were two ales on: I had a pint of First Call which was not well kept, served too cold and not as enjoyable as it should have been. Worth a drive-by, but not a destination in its own right.

On 11^th November 2014 - rating: 6
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