AstleyCon
July 30, 2024
Incredibly disappointing experience. We arrived at the Castle Inn after walking from Kimmeridge on the South West Coast Path, ordered a couple of pints and asked to see the menu. The barmaid told us that they weren’t taking any more food orders, despite the fact it wasn’t yet 7:30, but that they were serving people who had pre booked. When we asked whether we could book a table, she responded in disdain and told us that all local businesses were only taking pre-booked orders. As a local, I know how much businesses struggle, so for a pub to turn away paying customers and close its kitchen on one of the hottest days of the year when Lulworth Cove was full of tourists seems ridiculous. Closing a pub kitchen this early makes no sense, at a time when it’s vital to capitalise on the tourist trade, and speaking as rudely as this barmaid did is not acceptable. By the way, we went down the road to the Lulworth Cove Inn, who were only too happy to serve us.