Dorset in December

[AliasGrape]

We are getting married just before Christmas. Due to fiancé not having much annual leave and us not having much to spend on a honeymoon we decided on a uk break. We’ll have Christmas itself at home and then head away on 28th till 3rd Jan.

We’ve booked a lovely cosy cottage where we’ve stayed before. It’s not far from Weymouth. We love our holidays down there but have only been in summer (and always been super lucky with the weather).

I suppose I’m just looking for recommendations of anything we can do to make it a bit special and ‘honeymoony’ - any particularly romantic restaurants or any nice spas we can go for a pamper day, that kind of thing. Usually when there we just kind of wander around, walk along the coast (we take the dog), get fish and chips, have a picnic on the beach etc. A lot of which we’ll do this time just in more or more waterproof clothing (maybe not the picnics). But it would be nice to do some ‘special’ or more seasonal things too. We’ll have the car with us and don’t mind driving to visit different places.

My favourite favourite place is The Hive - www.hivebeachcafe.co.uk - it's the most perfect setting ever for a meal, I find!

Otherwise, for a more posh formal meal, my favourite in Dorset would be Little Barwick House -
www.littlebarwick.co.uk

If you end up in the tenty bit of Hive Beach Cafe you risk being blown into the sea in December though!

Come up to Sherborne in the evening. It's so twinkly and Dickensian with the Chrismas lights up, and the Abbey looks great lit up at night. Raj Poot does good curry if you need warming up.

If you're willing to drive a bit there's a lovely place called the holt in honiton - might be busy in December but all the staff are lovely and the food is amazing!
Otherwise rise in west bay or the George is lovely. Not sure if martins in highlands end (Eype) is open over the winter but I expect so, and they're lovely too.

Love all these ideas thank you! We have friends near honiton we will be visiting at some point so perhaps we could suggest that restaurant?

I like the look of all the suggested restaurants and definitely like the sound of Sherborne with it’s twinkly lights!

Thanks all.

*its - grrrrr

Pig on the Beach in Studland is lovely if you don't mind the drive - and nice walking round there as well.

I’d heard of that one Heroic - thank you I’m adding it to the list.

What do people think of Rick Stein in Sandbanks? Worth a visit?

We honeymooned in Dorset due to restricted time available. It was gorgeous.

Your plans may be a bit different but I can't tell you how much we loved starting off with a couple of days in a spa (straight out of the wonderful mayhem of the wedding).

The spa we stayed in was the fabulous (putting it mildly!) Babington House. It's near Frome - not in Dorset and a bit far from Weymouth for a day trip (1h40 perhaps?) but maybe you could tack a stay on the beginning and then drive down via an over-nighter in Sherborrne?

Babington House might be the most relaxed place on earth (though this was a few years ago now tbf).

Another option is Bath Thermae spa? (I've only been there for the swimming though, can't vouch for the spa side of it.) Hot rooftop pool on a clear day with views across the city and abbey sound promising?

After all the poncy food + drinks in Bath and Babington we were more than happy pubbing our way around Dorset in walking boots (though we were in Summer, so I appreciate you might need to be indoors a fair bit more though!).

Don't know if that helps but that was our experience and it worked a treat!

That sounds wonderful footchewer I love the idea of tacking a Babington House stay on.

Come up to Sherborne in the evening. It's so twinkly and Dickensian with the Chrismas lights up, and the Abbey looks great lit up at night.

Do they still have the nativity scene in the conduit?

I wouldn't bother with Rick Stein personally. It's nice enough, but more corporate than a lot of the other suggestions you've had - it's really just an upmarket chain now. Good food and a lovely view but not sure it's worth the trek from where you're staying. We only go so we can that play crazy golf and have an afternoon on the beach afterwards - not sure that's what you're after!

I second Rise in West Bay. Also, go and watch the sun set over Portland (at 4pm probably but so lovely). The beach at Studland (over on the chain ferry from Poole) is beautiful at any time of the year. Lyme Regis is lovely but can get very windy in the winter. There's a winter lights thing at Corfe Castle most years too.

Forgot to mention the anchor inn in seatown (Chideock) too!
And the seaside boarding house in burton bradstock/chesil beach is lovely for cocktails - not sure about food apart from the chips but they were lovely. Staff were amazing in there as well, very attentive and helpful as well as kind - I was pregnant when I went last and they gave me extra twiglets 😂

Ooh yes, lovely food at the Anchor and then you can walk up Golden Cap.

To be honest OP, you can't really go wrong in that area - so many portions and great walking too. We lived there for a few years when we were first married, and if you could guarantee me a job, I'd move straight back!

Thanks so much for all the recommendations everyone - we are going to fit as many as possible in!

Heroic we talk about moving there all the time, it’s those pesky jobs that spoil things isn’t it!

The Ollerod in Beaminster is absolutely lovely for a special occasion.

theollerod.co.uk/