Afternoon Tea is definitely one of life’s little luxuries.  Add a stunning location, fine food, great service and you’re in for a delightful and memorable experience.

The Knoll House Hotel sits just a few minutes walk from Studland beach and the views from the front garden are stunning, especially on a bright sunny day.  The hotel is very family friendly and you may notice an enclosed play area in the car park plus indoor games room and cinema room for guests.

Myself and a friend were led through the charming hotel to the restaurant which had white linen table cloths and views from the window out to sea.  We we’re asked if we would prefer tea or coffee and with very little wait our drinks and afternoon tea stand arrived.  This for me is the most exciting part as I like the surprise of not knowing which sandwich fillings and cakes we will receive.  I was definitely not disappointed.

The sandwiches were freshly made and consisted of smoked salmon and lemon cream cheese, truffled egg mayonnaise, honey roast ham and Dijon mustard and lastly cucumber, cracked black pepper and dill crème fraiche.  All were very lovely and definitely not your bog standard fillings.

The wonderfully soft and flaky scones were served with jam and clotted cream.  One was devoured whilst enjoying every bite and the other was saved for my husband at home.  After a little break and natter we started on the pretty cakes.  We had a delicious and perfectly sized carrot cake, red velvet brownie cheesecake, chocolate and passion fruit pot and Dunkee cake with a whisky apricot glaze.  The salted caramel profiterole was simply divine and we both agreed we could of eaten about 10 of them!

They have a wide choice of teas to choose from and they are able to cater for a variety of dietary requirements including dairy and gluten free.  Children are of course welcome and they have a Teddy Tea just for them which includes a sandwich, scone, chocolate cookie and summer berries.

We had a lovely relaxing couple of hours in the restaurant and when we finished we went for a wander around the grounds.  Hidden at the back of the hotel with incredible views of the Purbeck hills is an outdoor swimming pool for the residents and inside there is a small swimming pool and jacuzzi.

Since the sun was still shining and we were in no rush to get home to screaming kids we ended up on the front lawn with a coffee and Pimms which ended our day beautifully.

If you would like further information including menus and accommodation, please visit the Knoll House Hotel.

One of Dorset’s most picturesque pubs with stunning views can be found in the heart of the Purbeck region.  I was very excited to visit The Greyhound Inn at Corfe Castle and the moment we walked in we were greeted by cheery staff who were ready to welcome us and explain the one way system to follow for our table after completing the track and trace.

The 15th century Purbeck Stone building is both traditional and modern inside with lots of paintings on the walls and signs of local history throughout.  Head out to the back garden and you’ll find a stunning seated area and heated terrace with twinkly lights and a magnificent view of the Castle ruins.

Whilst perusing the menu my husband asked which gin they had and was pleasantly surprised with the wide choice so it took him some time to decide on a rhubarb and ginger gin with a Mediterranean tonic which I’m told was extremely flavourful while I had a refreshing glass of chilled white wine.

Alongside the main menu which offers pub classics like cod and chips, burgers and rotisserie chicken there is also mini mezze and bread boards, ploughmans, open ciabattas, stone baked pizzas, cream teas and dishes using local produce like the Dorset crab stack and mussels in steamed Purbeck Cider with a cream, leek and chorizo sauce served with crusty bread and chips.

My husband ordered the Jurassic Coast 28 day aged rib eye steak which was served on top of asparagus with roasted cherry tomatoes on the vine, chunky chips and a rocket and parmesan salad.  I’m always nervous when my husband orders a steak as he likes it blue and has often been left disappointed but luckily this was not the case which is obviously down to the locally sourced meat and skilled chefs.  I ordered pulled pork from the specials menu which was equally as tasty and served with slaw, pickles, gherkins and potato wedges.  The pork shoulder had been rubbed with a house blend of spices then smoked low and slow for 18 hours in their own smoker and then hand pulled and mixed with a Kentucky Bourbon BBQ sauce.  I love pulled pork so it was a winner for me but because it was so moist the bun quickly fell apart so I just devoured it without the bun.

We were unsure if we could manage a dessert but settled on sharing the churros which came out hot and fresh served with chocolate for dipping and vanilla ice cream, perfect for those with a sweet tooth.

The staff were very attentive and friendly throughout and after our meal we asked if it would be ok to take our drinks out to the garden to enjoy sitting back in the beautiful surroundings.

We had such a lovely evening that we didn’t want to leave but we were off on holiday in the morning and sadly we knew the car wouldn’t pack itself.  We have however booked to go back on Father’s Day so the children can join us.  Looking forward to it already!

The Greyhound Inn offers a variety of dishes which include vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options. The food is fresh and they use seasonal produce where possible including local butchers and brewers.

If you are visiting Corfe Castle then bring your tickets in to receive a 10% discount.

The pub is very dog friendly and because they shouldn’t be left out they have Bottom Sniffer brew beer, Little Star treats and Scoopdog ice cream for sale.

Children are very welcome and highchairs are available.  The kids menu includes pasta, fish and chips, beef burger, chicken nuggets and sandwiches.  They also have loaded milkshakes which I’m desperate to try myself and include caramel biscoff, vanilla smarties, chocolate oreo and salted caramel and banana.  Yum!

So, if you're looking for somewhere special for date night, a get together with friends or a family celebration then I can definitely recommend The Greyhound Inn.

Dorsetmums was invited to The Greyhound Inn for the purpose of a review however all words are my own.