The Wayfarers fine-dining restaurant in Sherborne Causeway, North Dorset, has been acquired by first-time buyers David and Sue Lamb from Timsbury in Hampshire.
The restaurant sits alongside the A30 in the Blackmore Vale (the heart of Thomas Hardy country) and is just two miles from the Dorset country town of Shaftesbury.
The property was built in the 1770s, a heritage reflected in its beamed ceilings, natural stone walls and inglenook fireplace. It has traded as a restaurant since 1960.
The 34-seat restaurant gained two AA rosettes and inclusion in the Michelin and Good Food Guides under the previous owners.
The business includes a letting suite with a double bedroom, sitting room and bathroom that has a four AA red-diamond rating.
The Winchester office of Christie + Co sold the freehold off an asking price of £475,000 on behalf of Mark and Clare Newton, who have run the business for the past 13 years.
By Angela Frewin