Wow...what a surprise!! We were on our way to spend a few nights at the Lainston House Hotel in…read morenearby Sparsholt. We were very hungry after a long day in London. It was already very dark and we came to a T in the road and saw the the town name of Crawley and decided to see if we could get some dinner there. As we came up the road we saw some lights ahead and the Fox and Hounds came into view. It was the only place along the road but it looked nice. As we were parking two other cars came in making us feel better. Inside the place was very quaint and the staff friendly. The food was excellent, beers on tap were nice, and the wine list was very good. My daughter had the special chicken and mushroom pie which was chock full of meat and the pastry crust was wonderful. I started with the goat cheese pesto and tomato salad and then my wife and I split the roasted lamb dish which was so very good. All in all this place is a hidden gem!

From the owner: Traditional bar meals cooked and served to a very high standard, pub favourites alongside perfectly…read morekept real ales and a selection of other drinks, extensive wine list sourced with quality and value in mind. Wines you will not see on a supermarket shelf. 4 en suite rooms also available.

Food was pretty average, service was fine, nice place, but nothing to get too excited aboutread more

I have had a most memorable meal at the Boot - a simple affair in the bar that will linger long in…read moremy memory. All we had were grouse (from the famous Stockbridge butchers, Robinson's) and a bottle of Gevrey Chambertin, but it was perfect. The wine was decanted at our request and was absolutely delicious; rich and smooth, and was the perfect accompaniment to the grouse. The grouse arrived whole in a glorious rich gravy and dressed with spinach, game chips and bread sauce, and looked as good as it tasted. It was one of the finest meals one could have. The grouse was £21.50 - very reasonable. The wine cost considerably more. The service was perfect and the ambience, surrounded by locals, everything that a good pub should be.

This has to be in the top 5 best pubs in the UK!…read more Truly exceptional drink, food and service. I would be going here more often if I lived more local to it. It's a little tricky to get to, narrow country roads, etc, but we'll worth it. If you wanting to eat I would advise booking and this place gets busy from the second it opens. Caters to all, especially families and has a wonderful garden and patio. Tim Gray is the landlord of this gem and is hands-on and welcoming. You will not regret visit this amazing pub.

Excellent food and drink. Friendly staff. Great atmosphere. Very popular place so book early!read more

Just terrific. Located in an almost 300 year old building, rooms have been lovingly restored with…read moregreat care. Staff was very friendly and helpful. The restaurant was wonderful--clearly the chef takes pride in his work!

Food was excellent, service very good, staff very helpful and friendly. Great views of the country…read moreside, weather was not good but outside seating looks really nice.

This pub is delightful! We stayed at the adjoining inn and had dinner and breakfast at the pub…read more It was quaint and the food was good! We had a few of the appetizers and I especially loved the melted Camembert dish! I will be preparing this at home in the future.

Absolutely the best restaurant in the area. The staff was…read moresuper welcoming snd the food and presentation were amazing. My husband ordered the venison. He said it was the best he has ever had anywhere. We were fortunate to have the owner assist us as our server. What a gem of a man. His adorable dog (Starr?) was a joy to watch while sipping our lovely wine. I highly recommend going to The Gamekeeper!!

Great pub ambiance and super nice staff. Menu was way beyond standard pub fare. Many interesting…read moreoptions. Well worth a visit.

Wow, what a place! Quirky, fun, crazy are just a few words to describe it…read more My friend took me here on our little adventure to Winchester. After getting over the initial shock (this place would never fly in the US, nope!) I began to explore the many rooms filled to the brim with antiques, knick-knacks, and oddities. Lots of oddities!! It is much bigger inside than it looks outside, and there seems to be a resident bar dog (who doesn't love a bar dog!!?). There are countless photo ops throughout this fantastic pub. The bathrooms are somewhat hidden within the fake bookcase. The ladies room was clean enough. However, I made the mistake of reading the writing on the wall and looked up. Don't look up. It is an image that will live forever in my mind! All part of the charm ;) Drinks were reasonably priced and they had a decent selection of holiday beers. I haven't stopped talking about this place and highly recommend for visitors. I hope to return to Winchester soon and introduce others to this gem. I would also like to visit the sister pubs (The Black Rat and The Black Bottle, though I think the Black Rat has closed).

We had a great little lunch on the dog-filled patio. The sandwiches were enjoyed by all, as was the…read morefriendly ambiance. Service was very good aside from one woman who was rather curt. Bathrooms were clean-ish. It's worth the pleasant little hike from the town center to have a meal here.

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?!

Beautiful place and delicious lunch. Holly looked after us very well and was so sweet…read more It is a lovely country pub not far from Bishop's Walfham so if you plan a day out definately visit both. Food was very tasty and beautifully presented. Weather was a bit off but plenty of seating outside if the sun is shining.

This place is amazing! We were visiting the UK and this place was near our hotel. We did not have…read morereservations but they were able to accommodate us. The food and service were excellent! Our waitress was adorable and met our every need. The food was absolutely delicious!!! If we are ever there again, we will definitely be back!

Great food, wine, and ambience! Service was outstanding. I had crab cakes which were good, but they…read morewere not my favorite type of crab cake as I prefer the non-breaded, meatier ones. I also had the crispy squid which was excellent! My dad had the pulled pork sandwich, and it was delicious.

From the owner: Contemporary Restaurant and Bar set in a beautiful period building in the heart of Winchester. No.5…read morealso has 6 Boutique Hotel Rooms and a Private Dining Room that can also be used as a Meeting Room.