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.

The Castle at Donnington is a lovely quaint traditional pub and restaurant. Situation in the heart…read moreof Donnington, just outside Newbury, The Castle resides. With sufficient parking to the front and side of the pub, and a welcoming atmosphere inside, The Castle certainly has heart. The food is absolutly delicious and very reasonably pricedas are the drinks. The food ranges from bar classics to more delicate treats, such as mussels in a creamy white wine sauce - one of my favourites! The pub has a small pool table tucked away next to the entrance, and a lot of bar seating available. They have a tendancy to keep the restaurant side split and laid out in anticipation of guests.

Good pub grub, reasonably priced for the area but also reflecting the quality…read more Good real ale (3 hand pulls). Busy quiz on Tuesday night.

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.

Nice little pub nice and clean good service very much a place for meeting freinds rather than…read moremaking freunds. Good selection of real ale.

I had hoped for better. This pub/restaurant was pretty highly rated, but the meal we had was pretty…read moremeh. Not bad, but not very good, either.

What a lovely pub. We stopped in after our long walk to see Watership Down. Had a pint and dinner…read more All the food was stellar. We shared a mackerel pate, which was really wonderful. Hubs had fish n chips (he never gets tired of it) and said it was the best one of our trip. I had the hoisin duck salad. The duck was shredded and crispy. Yum! I found the sauce a bit sweet, but with a little vinegar it was perfect. Neighbors were coming and going, greeting each other happily -- terrific atmosphere.

From the owner: A classic British pub with exceptional food.read more

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.

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.

Great ambiance. Beautiful setting by the river with houseboats and swans. Fish and chips are the…read morebest!

Most expensive pub in town. Shouldn't have set foot inside the place. I don't mind paying OTT but…read morethere's paying for a pint and paying for a pint.

I stayed at The Swan for seven days over the course of a couple of weeks earlier this month…read more Richard and the crew couldn't have been more helpful or welcoming!

Nice cosy bar and pleasant enough staff. Food nothing special.... small portions and over priced.read more

Nice pub, been here since the 17 century - must have seen a change in dress code over that time - I…read morebet the 17th century folk would have been quite impressed with the good standard of the menu on offer and the interesting range of local beers. The pub is a bit plain though, inside, a bit uninspiring. But when filled up with jolly drinkers, the atmosphere is friendly and unintimidating. On fine sunny days, what a great spot to head for, in the middle of deepest Berkshire countryside, 7 minutes car drive from Newbury town centre. Water seems to surround the area, the beautiful Rack Marsh, (http://www.qype.co.uk/place/1490281-Rack-Marsh-Newbury/photos ) a Site of Special Scientific Interest, is just across the way to be explored; there are numerous circular walks from the Pub - the main thing being a return for refreshments. The Pub has plenty of space with 2 gardens, chilld friendly, along with accommodation for parties. Recommended, especially for the excellent location and reasonable quality food and local beers.