Not just a pub -- an establishment! Locals tell me it's always enjoyed a reputation for good food…read moreand our lunch held up the tradition. The menu is extensive (sole, veal, pheasant, salmon, plus the usual suspects) and rich (in sauce as well as money). We ordered from the specials board: dover sole in spiced butter and manor farm pheasant in red wine gravy. Both were excellent and my only complaint is that the sole was drowning in the butter sauce. This seems to be a trend with English cuisine -- dousing the food with tons of sauce, whether it's gravy or butter or curry. We didn't have room for dessert (oh, sorry, pudding, as they call it here), but we ordered one anyway -- the panna cotta was light and delicate. And then we got humbugs with our check. That's mint candies, Yanks. The dining room is tiny and popular so do book a table in advance. If it's wintertime, ask them to hold the one by the fire for you -- very romantic. This place is down the road from some delightful thatch-roofed homes and English cottages, and horses share the road, so if you sit in the garden, you might see them. When I think of England, this is the kind of place I think of. If you're driving around aimlessly or on your way to Salisbury, this is a good choice for a pit stop.

I had this on very high recommendation, my parents went on a mini break at Fordingbridge. They…read moredined here twice as they said they liked the menu so much that they couldn't just go once and wanted to sample more of the menu. When we came back to this area on a family holiday they said they had to take me here. The pub was a bit tricky to find and we relied on sat nav, located in a small village its only slightly out the way. The exterior and interior is lovely with the traditional countryside pub reflective in even the traditional ivory looking handled cutlery. The massive fireplace was slightly modernised with white pillar candles that looked warm, cosy and elegant. I like a menu that is one page and this one was. I was immediately drawn to the Steak served in a garlic, oyster mushroom and tarragon sauce and knew I had to try it. It was amazing! The steak I ordered as rare and it was cooked perfectly, the meat was very tender. All are mains came with a side vegetable selection including a perfect potatoes dauphinoise, buttered carrots, grilled courgette and cooked beetroot. The vegetables were almost as good as the steak! I had a traditional Queen's pudding for dessert which I've only ever had once or twice at home. It was delicious and I was completely impressed by the meringue on top as it was huge and fluffy - making it very fun to eat

One of the best surprises in Hampshire, fantastic ambience, nice service and the food was just…read moreincredible. I had a lamb roast that was divide, my wife had an incredible mushroom gnocchi and my daughter had a what seemed a never end.tower of fine chicken breast, English bacon and cheese with a good portion of home made barbecue sauce. Lovely lunch in the middle of the New Forest.

I went to this New Forest establishment with Yelper Debby G (as it's her local) over the festive…read moreperiod. We went for an evening meal and for Christmas day drinks, with the atmosphere being very English/countryside/local...like something out of the film 'The Holiday'! The location is a bit off the beaten track but is very quaint, the look of the pub with its thatched roof is olde England, surrounded by wild horses and stunning national park scenery. The welcome from the staff was very friendly and the food we had was delicious. The wine list had something for everyone (we tried most of the reds), and the pub had a nice selection of real ales. If you are passing through the New Forest/Gorley/Fordingbridge area I highly recommend it. As an added extra, they also have a courtesy mini bus you can book which is really handy.

Lovely building (from the outside) inside in need of decorating and good clean! Food passable but…read morefrequent changes of staff, so who knows which chef you will get! Good size beer garden. No food served on Mondays.

Great location and quality food. large beer garden. Would recommend this place for traditional pub…read moremeal or a special occasion

Great classic English Pub with a nice food upgrade. Very good beer, thatched roof, neighborhood…read morepub. Nice garden where the locals bring their dogs and have a pint. Tuscan pork and bean stew (outstanding!), chili with chunks of real steak, first class fish and chips. What more could you want!?

Well, where to start . . …read more I found this place by accident when I was doing my articles to qualify professionally in Salisbury, by sheer good luck I took rooms just a few yards away from a pub I had unknowingly driven past a hundred times - it is - it really is - well hidden. Once I found it I practically moved in . . .. This pub is located in the tiny hamlet of Netherhampton - just outside Salisbury in Wiltshire. If you are in the area - eat here! It is a chocolate-box cover thatched pub - all oak beams, real fires and horse brasses. The beers - ever changing - are kept in such fine condition that they have won awards (plural) from CAMRA. Their lagers are - well - lagers (enough said) if you're in this pub drinking lager you've missed the point utterly. However - their ciders (and I'm thinking Black Rat in particular) are first class. If you want a drinking pub you can't go wrong here However . . . their food . . . is . . . sublime. Now don't get me wrong they serve pub food. You won't find some sort of Cordon Bleu stupid pretentious nouvelle cuisine here. But you will find things like sausage and mash with sausages made from local wiltshire pork with REAL mash made from real spuds. The ham and eggs are made with ham from the local farm simmered in Black rat cider for four hours then roasted slowly and served with eggs from the hens next door. Their Jambalaya Gumbo and Cassoulet are beautiful creations scratch made by their chef (and she really is from New Orleans!!). But - and I challenge you: try their chilli. Normally Chilli is a dish that is best avoided at all times - its usually made with left over roast beef from the Sunday roast or it's just minced beef with tomatoes and hot stuff. This is different - this is real chilli, real steak - in chunks, whole tomatoes braised to a vermilion syrupy sauce ignited with fresh scotch bonnet chillis. The other chef, Taylor (the boss's son), has made this his signature dish. Now listen up: I hate chilli - it's usually secondhand, second-class, reheated muck that I wouldn't serve to my dog. I NEVER order it when eating out - with one exception - the V&A. I regularly travel from my home in London down to Netherhampton just for lunch, and if I'm to be honest, I order one of their fabulous pub meals and get them to pack me a serving or three of their chili to take back home. Great beer, great food and great hosts. I know of no finer pub in England (that hasn't stopped me looking you understand . . .) One more thing, dogs - even three-legged ones - are welcomed. Oh yes - forgot to say - you'll find a picture of it among my photos.

WOW!! I hadn't been in here for a few years despite living nearby, but I called in for Sunday lunch…read morea few weeks ago after my dear mum said it had changed hands and things were on the up. I have to say the food was superb, at the time I think i even said it was the best sunday lunch i had ever had, I think I was a little taken a back by the quality of the food on offer. They have successfully managed to retain some of the old charm and proper pub feel, while making the dining a cosy, friendly experience that is all about locally produced food. The lamb had already sold out (turn up early or book on the phone if you don't want to miss out) so the three of us had duck, chicken and beef. Each dish was cooked pretty much to perfection and the home made yorkshire puddings were great. Sunday lunch just how it should be! This pub focusses on local, fresh produce all of which is prepared on site and served in simple, traditional dishes. The menu is short, but in my opinion that is the way it should be, as it means each dish excels. It is always so disheartening to find a pub that has 30 dishes on the menu as you can almost guarantee each one will be mediocre. Not the case with this pub. To top it all off the ales are well kept, the Bowmans "swift one" was a very refreshing pint and anything on tap from Hopback is a safe bet. All in all this pub comes very highly recommended, great food, nice atmosphere, good beers and friendly service, what more could you want?!

Great pub with welcoming staff, really very good food with generous portions, large car park and a…read morevery good play area for children. Our family (2 adults and 2 children 4 and 3) had a lovely meal and really enjoyed the experience. The staff couldn't have been nicer, the mixture of young families and groups of older adults mixed well as there is plenty of room between tables. I loved the braised lamb shank, and the ice cream was to die for. Having had such as good evening meal with the family, I was really surprised to read some of the negative reviews on here. Personally, I wish I had found it earlier in our stay, as I would have visited much more often! I would high recommend on my experience this evening and will certainly book again if I am in the area.

Out in the middle of farmland and park goers stands this eclectic homey location. I was taken back…read moreby its rural appeal and its numerous and variety of special menu items. Like being overwhelmed at grandma's house they aim to please and send you home with more than you planned. I was over joyed at selection of ciders and beers. A worth while event to our stop over in Durdle Door.

Can't fault this place! Very pretty from the outside and quaint, on the inside. It's been nicely…read moredone up. Cosy and homey, there's plenty of seating to choose from. Lovely nooks and crannies with couches and more, and a nice patio for warmer weather. If you're looking for a traditional British pub, you've come to the right place. Reasonable prices too. There's a lovely bar with enough beers on tap to suit all palates and more in the fridge. As for the food, they have most of the pub favourites along with steaks and salads as well as some vegetarian options. The set menu is on from Mon-Thurs and is great value at £11.99 for two courses + £2 for three or for a steak meal. I couldn't fit it in, but dessert was full sized and delicious too. Some had a berry crumble or a melba panacotta. If you're in the area, this place is well worth a visit, it won't disappoint!

Great country pub! We stayed for 2 nights above the pub in room 1. It was very clean and cozy. The…read morefood was amazing as well.

The food was excellent in the little pub in as close as "middle of nowhere" you can get in the…read moreSouth of England. Definitely get reservations for weekends.

I don't even know where to start with the cartwheel! It is one of those hidden gems you just can't…read morebelieve you have been missing out on prior to your visit! The staff go that extra mile to make you feel right at home! The food is just first class, the presentation really goes beyond what you would expect to find in any pub and the quality of food is exceptional! I would recommend the pork belly to anyone and believe me I am super fussy when it comes to pork ( I always end up thinking I could of done better myself at home) but their pork is to die for and very generous with the portions! The crackling just melts in your mouth and really sets the bar so high ( I haven't yet found better, even my own isn't as good!)