Great food, excellent service and I loved the atmosphere Enough said…read moreBlah, blah, blah

A bridegroom friend of mine in Brightwalton listed Ye Olde Red Lion as one of the nearby B&Bs and I…read moredecided to book my stay there for his wedding. It turned out to be a very good decision and really enhanced the trip. When I arrived Robin, the proprietor, gave me a tour of all the rooms and let me choose which one I preferred for my first night (a fluke due to available scheduling, but a nice gesture) and I chose the thatched-roof Arran, which is the coolest of all the rooms, although honestly they are all very clean and nice. Me and the other wedding guests who stayed there took all our breakfasts and some of our dinners in the pub just a few steps away and I don't think any of us had one bad meal. Everything was well-prepared and tasty. The decor and ambiance is charming and authentic English pub-like which helped us to feel like we were really on vacation. The only minor quibbles are: - the wifi is broken into two zones, so you have to log in to different routers depending if you're in your room or in the pub. - our room's shower was a bit leaky on the floor, and one morning I showered too late and all the hot water was gone. However the cold shower was pretty invigorating :) But these were really minor items. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed staying there and found Robin to be a friendly and accommodating host. Very happy with the rooms and food, all priced very reasonably for the quality of the experience.

Has recently been renovated and a lot of money way spent getting the place up to scratch! It's a…read moregreat food pub with a menu full of pub classics done really well. The staff give excellent service. The interior of the pub is modern and well laid out. Well worth a look.

From the owner: Traditional pub offering local beers, great wine selections, and home-cooked food. A warm and…read morefriendly welcome awaits you. Two bars, Restaurant, Beer Garden & Terrace. Dogs welcome. Free Wifi.

This is so far my favourite pub anywhere. The pub's been in the same family for about 400 years, if…read moremy memory serves me correctly. And that shows. The welcome is genuine and they have their feet on the ground. They serve beer made down the road and it's popular with real ale fans. The food is good -basic and inexpensive - Ploughman's and sarnies, for example. Good choice of well made cheeses and pate. I love the double seats in the porch. I have fond memories of taking my father here and sharing a seat here. And it's a lovely place to go for a walk along The Ridgeway before or after. And it's wonderful to see such a beautiful old Berkshire building. Lovely location and a pretty garden. Inside is lovely - nothing added, nothing taken away. This is the real thing. PS The pointer in the map showing here is far from in the right place. Check it out on the map. Aldworth is a pretty little hamlet.

Simply the best pub in the south of England. Tiny, friendly, unspoiled. Excellent beers from the…read moreWest Berkshire Brewery ( try the Maggs Magnificent Mild) and simple food. No 'gastro' here. Large garden. Classic cars meet in the field at the rear every fourth Saturday lunchtime throughout the summer. All welcome.

The most impressive wine list that I've seen in an English pub, even a gastro one. All dishes were…read moregood. The crab thermidor is yummy and fresh. The spring chicken is so tender. I will be back in this one.

We ate at the Crab on Saturday evening, having previously booked a table for two. Our expectation,…read morebased on other reviews and the awards on the website, was a fine dining experience. We were shown to a small table in a room that was quite possibly the worst decorated room I've been in since the 1970s. The ceiling was covered in fishing nets with shells. All the shelf space was cluttered with empty wine bottles. Our table was small and in front of a fireplace full of clutter. The service was attentive but a little confusing, we were served by, I think, six different people. The menu was badly laid out and the specials were announced to us, after we inquired twice, at high speed. We therefore decided to stick to the printed menu. Crab, Asparagus Cakes, Apple & Ginger Puree, Crayfish Vermouth. Not as expected from the menu. The menu entry implies Crab with Asparagus Cakes, so we expected some crab with some sort of asparagus patties, not crab cakes. The dish of crab cakes and cabbage was edible but so salty that I had to rinse my mouth several times. Disappointing. Grilled Red Mullet, Wild Mushroom Crust, Stilton & Thyme Risooto, Sauce Forestierre. My wife had expected a 'crust' of mushroom, not a creamy paste. She removed the 'crust' from the Red Mullet, in order to taste and enjoy the fish. The only flavour she got was one of over-fried fish. I also tasted the fish, it was quite hard and obviously over-cooked. The stilton flavour in the lovely creamy 'risooto' was undetectable, it just tasted salty. Disappointing. Pan Fried Wild Turbot, Scallop Girasole, Koffman's Cabbage, Confit of Cherry Tomato. A very pleasant dish! Roasted Monkfish, Ratte Potato & Cornish Crab, Courgette Puree, Basil & Olive The Ratte Potato was lovely! No taste of crab though. The monkfish was tasteless and chewy. Disappointing. The Crab's Assiette of Desserts for Two. Mixed reviews, mostly nice. Overall, the poor ambiance and poor food coupled with fine dining prices made for very poor value for money. I think the awards on the website are misleading, they are clearly living off past glories.

This place has come through it all and is now growing into a true entertainment hub for this…read morepicturesque Wiltshire village. A change to Free House was the only option for this pub and it's now thriving as a result with a talented local young couple who have access to fresh produce reared/grown in the neighbouring countryside which they serve wth a smile. If their planning application goes through, they'll have an art gallery and live music regularly too. Menu is short but varied, fresh, tasty and sure to expand once they've established themselves. Sunday lunches not currently offered but may be a future include. Proud to finally include this in my reviews having lived and worked in the village for years. Watch this one - it's a grower!

We came here on father's day and we found the food to be of good quality but disappointed with the…read moreportions. They could have been a bit more generous. The children's menu was quite expensive for what was offered so I think this could be much improved. Service was ok. All in all an ok pub with perhaps more potential than was demonstrated today.

Not only is this pub in a beautiful location, but it was wonderful to be coming all the way from…read morethe USA and be made to feel like a friend rather than a customer. Before our table was ready, Lauren, one of the hosts, asked if she could get us a drink. She talked with me and my fiancé, getting to know us and help us plan a visit to Newbury to see Highclere Castle. Upon being seated one of the members of their waitstaff brought us some delicious bread. (I could have eaten two baskets + of that stuff!) we had time to look over the menu where we decided to share the asparagus wrapped in Parma ham, and drizzled with a balsamic glaze (omg). Yum! I then ordered the traditional English roast, while my fiancé ordered their burger. Both came in very satisfactory portions and were also quite delicious. As if that wasn't enough food, we also ordered two desserts: I got the Eton Mess and my fiancé got the Apple Crumble with vanilla custard and ice cream. There was absolutely no dessert left on our plates! To help digest, we ordered some tea and chatted with Lauren again for a bit. Looking around and observing, it was clear that the friendly atmosphere is extended to all who come to dine at The Fox. Lauren and other waitstaff made sure to say "hello" and converse with all customers, and even their pets!! I thought the whole experience was lovely and special. Truly a win if you come to dine here! The menu does change quite frequently but that's because the chef enjoys cooking with local and in-season ingredients. I think that's also a wonderful idea, as it gives you a true dining experience unique to Peasemore. :)

2 words sum up the Yew Tree - substance & quality. The prices are reasonable with the a la carte…read morestarters ranging from £7 to £11 and the mains from £14-20. The menu is excellent and packed with mouthwatering dishes (as well as 3 or 4 daily specials) and the surroundings are lovely. There is a daily fixed price lunch menu with 2 courses for £15.95 and 3 courses for £19.95. Despite its pedigree it's not starchy or stuffy. Gull eggs are in season so we had that and an Omelette Arnold Bennett to start and the steak & ale pie and Pierre Koffman venison for mains with a couple of side dishes each. For dessert I had the raspberry souffle which just heaven on a plate - if you go make sure you leave room for this signature dessert!

Having eaten here a couple of years ago and reported on good food but disorganised service, I…read morereturned recently for lunch and had a wonderful meal. The restaurant is in the middle of nowhere and you almost rush past it on a nondescript piece of road just north of Highclere Castle, but turning into its ample parking areas, the smart cars there seem to have simply driven a few miles from the Peat Spade, another great inn. This time it wasn't full and the service was far better, but the food and drink weren't just good but exceptional, and extremely reasonable to boot. We started with a glass of house white a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc which was delicious and some very good bread and unsalted butter. I had the mussels and clams in a white wine broth which come daily up from Cornwall, and I can declare that they were the best I have ever tasted. The mussels were so fat and full that the dish could have made a meal on its own, while the clams, as ever, added a subtly the taste of the sea. The onion-rich broth was perfect and almost got finished! We then had the fish and chips, which came perfectly presented and was exceptionally delicious. One could perhaps quibble that twice or thrice cooked chips would have been even better, but these were crispy outside and fluffy inside, with a small dish of mushy peas to underline the fact that the dish was supposed to be authentic and not ersatz Belgian. Liver and bacon was pink and perfect, and could hardly have been bettered. A lemon posset followed, which was a good way of cleansing the palate after such a fine meal. I can't recommend The Yew Tree highly enough for lunch, especially with a bill (without service) of only £42 for two. There is wi-fi in the bar.

One review? Ha! Well here is two. I get why there is only one. This is a hidden gem. You have to be…read morewith locals to find it. But, if you are lucky enough to find this charming country pub, you are in store for the perfect English pub experience. This centuries old homestead still oozes that ancient feel. The dishes are not only classic English but also have exciting takes on Korean and Indian fare. I say stick with the local drafts on tap and the classic English dishes. My favorites were the pea and ham soup (If you add a dash of Worcestershire sauce to put it over the top) and the local sausage and mash is on another level. The gravy is to die for!

Set in a beautiful village, this lovely old 16th Century pub has quite a substantial following and…read morewas Lord Oliviers' sort of local. As an Art club, we used it when out painting in the area. With friends and family, it offers the that lovely warm, cosy feeling on Winter days/nights. The Christmas Day menu/price works out at £60.00, could be seen as pricey but I've seen some at £85.00. Lunch and Dinner prices are around £11 £16 for Mains. Plenty of parking. If you coming from the West via A24, there is a lovely drive from The Old Barn nursery which brings you out nearly opposite The Fountain. Bit of winding lane though, so Vorsicht!!

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.

Good choice of pub grub, it feels like a great feeling of cosy and comfortable environment…read more The service provided was great and it delivered on food.

This pub is in an amazing setting on the outskirts of Newbury. The pub is made up from a mixture of…read morebarns and farm houses cobbled together. The result is very picturesque. The best part about this pub though is the beer garden / dining garden. This has to be the best beer garden I have seen, with a lovely brook running through middle and water/marginal planting which looks amazing. The staff are very efficient at carrying out your meals from the main building, across the bridge, to your outdoor table. Inside there are plenty of windows to look out onto the garden. We had a dog with us and the waiter immediately brought out a bowl of water (silver service style), so they were very dog friendly. The menu was really good featuring local produce and a variety of cuisines. The restaurant is a little pricey but this does reflect the amazing setting and garden. Make sure you sit int he garden or grab a window seat inside.