The Brace of Pheasants Verified listing

The Brace of Pheasants

The Brace of Pheasants is a small Dorset inn in Plush, with eight bedrooms and a pub kitchen that gives an evening in the village a clear purpose. Its rural setting encourages a slower break: walking, a substantial lunch or dinner and a comfortable room nearby. The appeal lies in scale and setting rather than a long list of resort facilities. It is a particularly natural fit for guests who want the Dorset countryside to be part of the stay, not simply the view on the drive.

At a glance

• Accommodation award: 4 Silver Star Inn
• Bedrooms: 8
• Main restaurant: The Brace of Pheasants restaurant

Why we like it

Four rooms above the inn and four in the former skittle alley give you a meaningful choice within a genuinely small property. The pub can anchor a walking break, and the changing specials make it worth reading the board rather than arriving with a fixed idea of dinner.

Eat

The Brace of Pheasants

The restaurant is part of the inn. Its food sits in the British pub tradition, with regular favourites and changing specials rather than a single fixed gastronomic programme. The kitchen identifies venison burger and steak among its dependable staples, while the specials provide the seasonal variation. That is a useful distinction: this is a relaxed supper after a day outdoors, with room for a more substantial meal if the day’s choices appeal.

A village pub setting also makes the experience less compartmentalised than a large hotel restaurant. You can arrive for a drink, decide how hungry the walk has left you and take dinner at your own pace within the kitchen’s service hours. It suits couples and small groups who prefer a concise, familiar menu to an extended tasting sequence.

The restaurant opens Wednesday to Saturday for lunch from noon to 2.30pm and dinner from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. Sunday is a lunch service, from noon to 2.30pm. Monday and Tuesday are closed, and Sunday evening is not a dinner service. Those are important itinerary details: choose your overnight around the meal you want, rather than assuming a resident can always eat in the pub.

For a two-night food break, a Wednesday-to-Saturday visit gives the simplest structure. One evening can focus on the staples, the other on the specials. Ask the kitchen about dietary needs when reserving; a small menu is easier to enjoy when the team has had time to discuss suitable choices.

Sleep

The eight en-suite rooms are divided between the inn and the garden accommodation in the old skittle alley. Staying above the pub puts you closest to its historic atmosphere; choosing a garden room gives a different relationship to the main building. Some garden rooms accept dogs by arrangement, and these should be booked directly with the inn. The layout is worth discussing if stairs or thresholds matter. The property’s room information describes access arrangements rather than a blanket promise that every room is suitable for every guest.

Retreat

Plush is a place to make the countryside the main activity. Plan a walk to suit the weather and your appetite, then leave enough time to return for the short evening service window. The practicalities of the rural location are part of the pleasure when planned well: there is no village bus service, and taxis should be arranged ahead. A car offers the greatest freedom for exploring further afield, but a single overnight need not involve much driving once you arrive.

What guests say

Google feedback strongly favours the food, the welcome and the old-pub atmosphere, with breakfast also drawing consistent praise. The countryside location is another clear strength. Bathroom comments are more varied, so guests choosing between the pub and garden accommodation should give the room details as much attention as the dining menu.

The Gourmet Getaway

The indicative Gourmet Getaway price combines one night’s accommodation and breakfast for two with dinner for two at the selected restaurant. Use the current price panel to compare options, then check the room and restaurant for your dates. Any official hotel package is shown separately, with its own inclusions and terms.

Worth knowing

• The inn is closed on Monday and Tuesday. Sunday has lunch only, so it does not support a Sunday dinner-and-stay itinerary.
• Arrange taxis in advance: the inn notes that Plush has no bus service.
• Dog stays are limited to selected garden rooms and need direct arrangement.

The Gourmet Getaways view

Choose it for a small-scale Dorset pub break with walking built around a proper meal. The most useful decision is the date: a Wednesday-to-Saturday overnight lets the inn deliver the complete experience. Pick between an upstairs room and garden accommodation according to how close you want to be to the pub itself.