Delicious sunday roast for a rainy day. Definately book a table as it gets very busy. Seating is…read moreavailable also outside but with the rain it can be unpleasant. The offer pork, beef or turkey roast as well as other appetizing food options. It is a lovely village pub. Look out for the animals roaming around the village. Definately a must go. It is dog friendly too

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.

The Square and Compass is such a gem if you're looking for an authentic pub experience in the…read moreEnglish countryside! The views alone are worth the visit, but the unique character of the place makes it even better. From the beer garden in the back to the small museum of fossils and local artifacts, it really has a one-of-a-kind charm. One thing I loved was the quirky "Woodhenge" sculpture in the parking lot--made from tree trunks, it's been standing since 2015 despite the local council initially wanting it taken down. It's still there as of my recent visit, and it's a fun little sight that adds even more personality to the place. The menu is limited, but that's part of the charm! I had the sausage roll, and it was sooo good! The warm, flaky crust and flavorful sausage made for the perfect pub snack. We sat inside since it was a warm day, and the locals couldn't have been friendlier. My friend and I (a pair of Americans) were welcomed like old friends, which made the whole experience even more special. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area--especially if you want to enjoy the local history, great beer, and a fantastic countryside view.

A couple of friends and I once went for a hike along the South West Coast Path in Dorset. It took…read moreus a couple of hours and was really nice: good weather, beautiful sea views, rolling pastures, and a great pub at the end. That pub turned out to be the Square and Compass. When we arrived it was warm and sunny, and most people were sitting on the dozens of outside tables, rocks, or just on the grass, enoying the sunshine. Oddly, a large number of chickens were strolling through the assembled patrons, but no one - drinker nor chicken - seemed to mind. There was a band playing some Beatles covers, too, though they finished shortly after we arrived. This is a proper country pub, long, low and very old wood and stone. They keep kegs of real ale and cider in a pump room here, so you order at the hatch. Check the Dinosaur Room while you're there. I won't say any more, since it deserves to be a surprise. I can't imagine a more relaxed, laid-back, country pub. The only downside was that although we'd planned to take a local bus back to Swanage, where our car was parked, those services don't run on Sundays. The day was so nice we decided to walk back anyway (along the road, though, a much shorter trip than the coastal path). EDIT: I was back again today, and despite the weather being crap - or maybe because of it - this pub was even better. We walked down to the ocean, to watch the surf pound the cliffs by the old quarry. We wedged into one of the tiny rooms and ate pasties and drank Ringwood ale. We gazed in wonder at the bizarre little fossil-and-beach-item museum at the back.

Super friendly. When the owners saw we were foreigners, he took special care to bring us a menu…read moreand ask after where we are from. He spent a bit of time chatting. We were even offered free tastes of local beers. Service is amazing. Food is great. Large vegan menu. Superb local atmosphere. Sweet! ! They even offer Spotted Dick on the menu. It's a special today! !

From the owner: We're a small village pub situated right next to the historical, Stonehenge…read more Our staff are extremely friendly and always ensure that the customers are satisfied with their experience.

We called in to The Swan after an afternoon wander (and some hiking) around Lyndhurst…read more The food menu seemed to be the usual unappetizing pub fayre so we opted for a cream tea and half a cider! We sat outside in the garden which is a little unkempt but still pleasant enough on a warm late summer's day. Our cream tea comprised of two large fruited scones with a decent portion of yummy strawberry jam and clotted cream served in individual pots (not the horrible plastic individual containers); our tea was nice and strong with a big pot of hot water to top up. The scones were homemade and were surprisingly tasty. Definitely worth a visit for a hungry and thirsty traveller. We didn't see much "real" food passing by on its way to other tables but what we did see looked tasty; the pies also looked very nice. Toilets were clean although could have done with some automatic deoderising!

Called into the Swan with some friends when in the area recently, the pub itself seems nice and…read morestaff were friendly but we made the most of the sun and sat out in the large garden and sampled some ciders. The pub got pretty busy later in the day with many ordering food and from what I could see it all seemed decent enough.

This has to be one of the greatest pubs i've ever been to in terms of food…read more If you like big portions and good quality i highly recommend this small pub! Awesome would be a mild word to use!!

We stopped there for dinner due to the great reviews, but I didn't pay attention to the dates and…read moreit looks like things have changed in the last 10 years. The pub no longer serves food themselves, instead there was a small pizza van out front, which was out of pizza by the time we arrived (7:30pm). They have no cask ale, only low end beer on tap, but do have a collection of barrels. It is a beautiful location, with lots of outdoor sitting.

Wow - what a great pub! In the tiny village of Fritham, just over the Dorset-Hampshire border, in…read morethe New Forest. The surrounding area is gorgeous, a lake with duckies and which used to supply water to the gunpowder works (long since closed) and woods with many wild New Forest ponies (they don't like to be stroked), cows with horns wandering round and even saw a massive owl, twit-twooing, and a woodpecker. Unspoiled, real English countryside. And now to the pub a little place, with a small field with picnic tables outside, looking over meadows and woods. Delightful. Good range of ales, drawn straight from the barrel. The food is outstanding - not a huge range and they don't do sandwiches or chips. But why would you want that when they offer a selection of ploughmans, all with the finest, local ingredients. I had the pate ploughmans - two good helpings of their homemade pate, home-pickled onion, fresh salad, crusty roll, a mini jar of their own, homemade chutney it was just delicious. My companion went for their homemade pork pie, which also came with salad and coleslaw and chutney, and was gorgeous - crumbly pastry, a good jelly and firm meat. Yum! Apparently they don't sell tea. But if you're in a pub, I have no idea why you would want a cup of tea, so no marks off for that! Oh, and they also had a live jazz band playing in a small marquee they had put up. Can't guarantee they will be there everytime though! Cannot recommend highly enough.

Incredible. Absolutely wonderful steak and sides, perfect pours on ales/beer/stout - and great…read moreservice by Kaya. The 4 members of our party were extremely impressed with all.

Nice location but really bad service. Expect to wait between 30-45 mins for your food particularly…read moreon a Sunday.

Sometimes when travelling you chance upon a real find - and the John Barleycorn is just that! Under…read morenew ownership, the Indian curries are a delight! Every bite was mouthwatering, with subtle flavors that ensure the customer is completely satisfied. We will be back soon!

Great place for a pub lunch on a hot sunny afternoon. Amazing food however it is a little pricey…read moreand the portion size is a little on the small size. That said, great place and I would highly recommend it to anyone!

never coming back to this dive. The owners think is clever to disregard fee paying customers - I…read morepersonally witnessed the co-owner Mel Kowtowing to a punter who was blind enough to buy her £8 brandy shots. the service at this venue is appalling and the owners need stark reminding of their obligations to ALL customer. yes I am calling the owners out and hope they think I am bluffing. Appalled and spent a fortune on totally substandard food and drink. Gross. I urge all prospective customers to strongly consider alternatives to this poor destination, very lacking in all ways, except for Dylan and Izzy, credits to their profession but wasted at this venue.

Great play park for the kids in the beer garden.read more