Always need beer post sightseeing! This fit the bill completely! Still more to see!read more

A lovely old local pub, offering a nice pleasant area to sitoutside, with views of the stones. We…read moreenjoyed some nice cool drinks and chilled out there. I would recommend.

We stayed here for a couple of nights, with a B&B package, and ate in the restaurant on the first…read morenight (though the food is the same throughout the pub). The building dates back to the 1600s, but was refurbished in 1745, when the attractive classical portico was added at the front. The interior is therefore as you'd expect: lots of wood everywhere, heavy ceiling beams, and the 40+ rooms are scattered across a first floor which is all odd angles and narrow passageways. The bar downstairs is spacious and on several levels. Our room was a superior double, and it was spacious and well equipped: a lobby area had a large wardrobe (containing the iron, ironing board and hairdryer), and the room itself had a superking-sized bed, with a sofa bed, two lounge chairs, desk and bedside tables. The bed was very comfortable and the radiators heated the room really quickly. The bathroom had a bath with a shower above: great for baths (lashings of hot water filled the long tub really quickly) but the shower pressure was not very good, so you had to stand under it or use it hand-held. The floorboards were also really squeaky - a facet of being an old building, but it would irritate some people. Overall the room was comfortable; the furniture was a little tired, but it suited our purposes. Breakfast consisted of a buffet (a limited selection of cereals and breads, and the coffee is filter only) with various cooked options to order. On the first day, we both had the full cooked breakfast (mine vegetarian). These were okay, except mine did not have the vegetarian sausages advertised on the menu (they didn't have any). The second day we went for smoked salmon and scrambled egg on toast, and smashed avocado and poached eggs on sourdough toast, and these were much better. On the first evening, we ate in the restaurant, with starters of deep fried mushrooms, mushroom & truffle soup, and burgers as a main course. The food was perfectly good pub grub, and very good value for money, with two courses with drinks at £25 a head. The hotel has ample parking in a car park behind - you just have to give your registration number to reception on arrival - and also very good Wi-Fi. We found the staff to be very friendly and helpful throughout our stay. Overall, we thought it was very good value for money, and we would happily stay again.

Nice little hotel above the pub and great location, right in the centre of the high street. My…read moreparents usually stay here for our family reunions and so we've eaten here a few times and they always have good traditional pup options.

There we were, having driven from Chatsworth on our way to Beaulieu, ready to stop for lunch to…read moremeet some old friends coming from Salisbury - and of course you're doing well till you get an unannounced monumental traffic jam with only about 10 miles to go Told our friends and the resto - no problem they said, don't stress...anyway we had a great lunch; the service was excellent and its so relaxing there...we have been to Winchester often and to Padstow, but this was the first occasion here. And yes lots of fish but there is a good choice for everyone Its a long way to go for a lunch but I fully recommend it - and - it is reasonably priced...Ramsay always says his lunches in his places are the best value...and so it was here...and a reasonably priced for the quality...3 courses each, total £75 for the 2 of us Nice

We visited the Rick Stein restaurant on a short stay in Malborough, as my partner loves seafood…read more (Although I am vegetarian, there were options available, including on the set menu.) There are dining rooms both upstairs and down, the latter behind the small bar area. You enter through the shop: the decor - despite this being an 18th century heritage building - is fresh and modern, with dark wood and pale walls, and selected modern art on the walls. We chose the set menu, 3 courses for £26.95. Our starters were the steamed mussels in cider with spring onion and spinach, and roasted red pepper soup; mains were salmon fishcakes with watercress and the chickpea curry (plus a side of hispi cabbage); and we both had the sunken chocolate cake with clotted cream for pudding. (NB the Welsh rarebit isn't veggie - it's made with anchovies.) My starter and main (soup and curry) were perfectly good - the soup especially so - but not exceptional. It didn't surprise me as Rick Stein - both the chef and restaurant - are really all about seafood. My partner found the mussels superb - fresh, sweet, with just the right amount of sauce. Likewise, the fishcakes were excellent and, although they looked small on arrival, they were actually quite filling, and generous on the salmon. The hispi cabbage proved the perfect accompaniment to both mains. The chocolate cake was smooth and velvety, but not too sweet (think a brownie sort of texture) - and perfect if you like dark chocolate. We chose a 250ml glass each of one of the recommended Sauvignon blancs, which also proved a good choice. Service was excellent throughout, and the young server was very skilled at making us feel at home. Including service, the bill came to £95 for two, which for a fine dining experience was pretty good value. Others certainly think so, as on a wet mid-week evening it was packed (so booking definitely advised). There's parking along the main street outside - not a problem in the evening, but potentially a bit more challenging at lunchtime.

Excellent food in a charming English pub - delicious food, friendly staff & terrific ambiance. Be…read moresure & try their roasted sea trout - absolutely delicious!

We decided to choose the Royal Oak because the deal outside said a Dirty Burger with a drink was…read more£8.99. This, with a second burger and a kids meal snuck up to over £30. Once I had a second beer and we shared a desert between the three of is the total was £35.91. The food was a good size and tasty. It was a more traditional pub style, we had two burgers and fish fingers & chips for our daughter, but the flavours were good and the food did not taste too salty or fatty. The beer choice was good, run of the mill but not bad. My partner wanted a skinny burger with chips as she didn't want the bread. The bar man offered to make it a normal burger without bun which saved us a few quid. Nice to see steps like this. The internet is a log in and register job so I didn't bother using it, can't comment of the speed. We were happy with the food and all enjoyed our meal, the food was not as special as the Ball and Castle but the portion size was better and the pub itself is just as nice. *** We have returned a second time and this time the food was better. Our daughters meal was an extra £1 on ours and they were happy to turn her salad into just tomato and cucumber. My skinny southern fried chicken burger and my partner's normal burger with no bun was lovely. We also had Tostada starters which was half price at £4; these were great. Service was brilliant, nice and friendly. The total, with the above food, 2 pints, 1 wine and a Capri Sun was £30.68 *** TL;DR Good food and service. Good size meals.

Great food, great value and great service. Paul & Kirsten are superb landlords and staff are…read morepolite and helpful. 5 Stars

Fabulous beer (Ramsbury Gold), delicious pub grub and efficient service, makes this the pub of…read morechoice in Marlborough.

Another 'locals' local with the emphasis heavily on live music and sport, very lively at weekends…read moreand father and son team, Trev and Martin run a tight ship. Wide range of beers, typical pub fare but well cooked and good sized portions served with a decent pint in a buzzing environment. One to visit for the World Cup!

Haven't been here in a while but definitely a family favourite. I recommend making a reservation if…read moreyou're going during the weekend. Can't wait to go back next time I visit home!

I must apologise immediately for posting this review as its not in London, but 84.1 miles near…read moreLondon, but after visiting this establishment I felt that I should share this with you. I found this little gem on a recent trip to Marlborough and just happened to stumble across it. the Silks on the Downs (formerly known as the Wheatsheaf) is located in the very small village of Ogbourne St Andrew, it is one of those blink and you will miss it villages, located on the A346, which is a very busy road, however once inside the general ambience and polite and cheerful outlook of the staff and proprietors soon erases any misgivings. The building has been tastefully renovated to transform it from a pub to the now gastropub, with the dining area being laid out allowing you to dine privately without being in close proximity to other diners. They pride themselves of sourcing all there main ingredients from in and around the area. They go as far as naming the local butcher, fishmonger and gamekeeper. Our meal commenced with Soup of the day, which was displayed as a being a tomato soup blended with spices, which sounded quite tasty, but we were informed that they were just in the process of replacing it with fresh cream of mushroom soup, as they had sold out of tomato soup. Reading that as a good sign and not wanting a heavy first course, I went for the mushroom soup, even though I'm not keen on mushrooms in there raw state, that aside I found it to be just perfect, I even surprised my wife by consuming it all. For the main course I opted for the Venison Goulash slowly braised in 6x Beer, (which I was reliably informed was shot locally), a selection of root Vegetables and herb Dumplings. The meat was braised to perfection, leaving it just gently resting in the juices, the taste being succulent without being overpowering and leaving your taste buds knowing that you have eaten a very well prepared cut of venison. We declined the dessert menu, being that our hunger had been suitably satiated, but they did look very tempting. So if your ever travelling this way, you might find this place to be a pleasant detour from your journey. www.silksonthedowns.co.uk

I was looking for a nice country pub not far from Marlborough for a pleasant Sunday lunch without a…read morelong wait. The Who'd A Thought it proved to be a lovely, busy but relaxed village pub full log local residents of all ages from elderly to 40- something's to young families. It has a nice traditional interior and a huge garden where we sat, mesmerised by the beautiful birdsong on the sunny Sunday in May. Our Labrador was very welcome. Although they were busy they fitted us in and served a really tasty Roast dinner and in my case accompanied by a pint of Wadworths which tasted great and was clearly well kept. There are a couple of pieces of children's play equipment just tucked behind a large tree so that other guests don't feel they are dining in a playground. The village setting was beautiful on this sunny day and the young staff were prompt and friendly. Our roasts were very well done and the desserts - we had lemon tart -,were a cut above the ordinary and beautifully presented. I might have a photo and will post it later if I find it. So overall a very enjoyable Sunday lunch and I recommend !

Delicious food with gracious staff & charming ambiance. We had 2 lovely dinners here - the filet…read moremignon & steak were absolutely delicious! Highly recommended.

Lovely place. Great people and historic pub! Ale is superb! Couldn't ask for a better place…read more Authentic pub inn!

Accomodation must be called rip-off. 80,-/90,- pounds for a room the size of a towel. Cooked…read morebreakfast is really poor, dinner not too bad but a little overpriced.