Banks Bar Bistro in Winchester

We went here for a meal for my husbands birthday. The food was really nice but we felt uncomfortable from the moment we sat down. Yes they had removed tables from the middle of the room but my husbands chair was touching the one behind so was not socially distanced, not a protective screen in sight either. The waitress did have a face shield on but we won't be returning until the pandemic is over.

Did not actually get to eat at Banks Bar Bistro ! When I made the booking ,I mentioned having a Tastecard . A few days later I had a call asking if had made a reservation and that "sorry we are not taking discount cards at the moment due to the current hard times that the restaurant has had " I told them that haven't we all had bad times and now i have wasted money on a discount card ( which I purchased to SAVE money on dining out as I myself , being a beautician, has not worked alot over the past 10 months .) They should not be part of a scheme and not honour it !

First time here and the food lived up to the reputation. Service was a little slow to start with and it felt like there were maybe one too many tables in considering social distancing needs as I was probably only 1m from the people behind me but the food was great and I will definitely go back but maybe not on a Saturday when it’s busy.

The food was very good, restaurant atmosphere pleasant, service excellent. our only concern was the lack of proper spacing in the current circumstances, We were at a corner table by the window, but there was an occupied table right next to my husband, and a table with four customers very near me. no tables seem to have been removed to make safer space between, as other restaurants we have been to have done.

This place reminds me of being sat somewhere in the med the food is excellently served the staff attentive Its relaxing feels a bit homely comfortable reminds me of dropping of somewhere when you on a cruise for a bite to eat Highly recommended

As always great service and lovely food. The new menu is fantastic.

The only reason for the 4 stars for value is because if you order the houmous, it doesn't come with anything to eat it with...this is extra!

We had a meal here last week during our stay in Bishops Waltham. I prebooked a table just in case it was busy (covid restricting table numbers) and I am so glad I did. I must admit we probably would've walked on by had we not booked as it doesn't look that much from the outside, however dont walk on by - go in!There was only one waitress on but the service was 100% spot on. Every part of our meal (full works of starter, main and dessert) was excellent with really good, quality ingredients and everything cooked to perfection. We had a really enjoyable meal. We wished we had booked another night as well really!

The food was absolute perfection, we had the cheese soufflé and the pâté to start which was great, perfect portion sizes, then the beef medallions and the pork belly followed by desserts. Everything was lovely coupled with friendly staff and a swift service 100% recommend!

Disappointing return to Banks. It has become a little 'tacky' and lost its previous ambiance. The menu is limited particularly when early evening one of the principal main courses had sold out. We had the arancini, chicken liver parfait and duck breast - all OK but nothing more. Service also was acceptable. Nothing really to go back for.

The food is just fantastic cannot beat the pork belly it is just the best From start to finish excellent service is top notch Cant rave about this place too much Just love it Have taken several different people here and all love it

We have been to this restaurant twice in the last 6 months and on both occasions we have had an excellent experience Lovely food, good service delivered in a warm and friendly atmosphere Highly recommended

We spent s lovely evening at Banks Bistro this week - a small group of friends. Our waitress was lovely - efficient, helpful and friendly. The food was exceptionally good and very good value too. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a quiet relaxing evening.

We attend the restaurant for our first valentines and was sadly left disappointed and hungry. The restaurant was cold when we arrived but it was nicely laid out and was pleased that we weren’t sat on top of each other. The same drinks were marked up higher on the special set menu compared to their normal drinks menu just because of the occasion! The arancini to start was delicious but the other dishes were average. On two occasions the staff were chatting while we were clearly waiting to order dessert and again to pay the bill. I don’t think this restaurant is worth the money. We paid £120 for the evening and left hungry!

Great food and service, an imaginative menu and very friendly staff

Booked for Valentine's dinner, no mention of set menu costing £40 per head on website, left after first two courses as food was not to our liking, watercress soup resembled dark green water! No apology from staff. Will not be going back or recommending.

Great choice of food Friendly welcoming definitely recommend

We went for Sunday lunch having heard good things about this restaurant. Bishops Waltham is a very nice place so well worth a visit. There was plenty of choice on the menu and all was very reasonably priced. The service was very friendly and efficient which created a great atmosphere. It was clear that the customers were enjoying themselves. The food was outstanding. Great ingredients and all perfectly cooked. Four of us had three courses each and everyone enjoyed everything. It was so refreshing to visit a restaurant where classics, brilliant cooking and genuine service still exist. An absolute gem.

As always great food much better then a so called restaurant in Winchester beginning with I ☹️ Banks never let’s you down the only criticism I have we were not keen on the curried vegetable with our main but perhaps that’s just us. Twice baked soufflé is a must!! Looking forward to our next time

Lovely bistro. Great food, wine and service. Can’t recommend enough

This little gem was recommended to me & my friends & oh my word what an amazing culinary experience.We arrived an hour too early but having seen the menu we decided to get a drink in the village & return when it did open.Although moderately busy for midweek this did not detract from the service & amazing food.Thoroughly recommend the Triple cooked cheese soufflé oh melted in the mouth,light but rich without being over so.I had mushroom risotto for my main again wonderful flavour.My friends had duck & venison which were both well presented & I think the 3 very clean plates sayes it all.We all felt contented after 2 courses so didn’t sample the desserts but am sure we would have been equally blown away.A friendly, family run business that is simply a little gem will definately be back there is no doubt to sample more local seasonal sensational food.

We have had a delicious lunch at Banks Bar Bistro today. The food was beautifully presented, nice and hot and plentiful. I wanted to have a dessert but could not find the room for it! Maybe next time.

This was our second visit using a groupon voucher. The staff were friendly,the service efficient, the meal was unhurried and the food was delicious. BUT be warned if you are disabled in any way that makes climbing stairs impossible you have no access to a toilet, there are no disabled facilities and the ordinary ones are at the top of a steep flight of stairs.Sitting with legs crossed does take away from the enjoyment of the meal somewhat!!Bear that in mind before you visit.

A lovely lunch, couldn’t ask for more. Great value for money and lovely food.

Very welcoming on arrival. Lovely space although a little bit too quiet the evening we were there. Great food and excellent service though. Very happy to dine there again. Well done!

Wanted to rate this as Good. We had a Groupon voucher that made it £29.95 for two for two courses rather than £55. We felt that this was about the right price. Starters of pate fine. Main of monkfish and beef bourguignon fine. Tasty but not outstanding. Basket of bread £3. Also be aware that some dishes have a supplement on this deal. Drinks expensive and 10% is added to your bill, personally not a fan of this. Service was good and fairly busy for a Thursday evening. Won’t rush back, too many better eateries around.

A very nice restaurant, greeting by friendly staff upon arrival, seated at a two seated table and drinks order was taken very quickly and brought to table. A soup starter vegetable was lovely and the mains roast beef was also very good. Overall a friendly, clean relaxed atmosphere with some great food. Would come again.

Really lovely bistro- cosy but modern decor, nice ambiance, friendly staff. Great menu with a good selection of meals. We had a lovely bottle of white wine.You have to pay for bread while you wait, it doesn’t come free. All 3 of us went for twice baked cheese soufflé which was just amazing, creamy, light, soo tasty, we will come back just for that!I had venison which was ok- slightly over cooked and too much on the plate- far too many different vegetables- keep it simple! and the sauce wasn’t rich or flavoursome enough. It was ok though, not a bad dish. We were too full for dessert.Overall we had a lovely evening, we would return.

Have visited Banks many times and food is always excellent. Set menu is great and very reasonable. Marvellous choices on main menu.

It has been a hard week and we felt like we deserved a treat, I have had food in Banks before and it's always been good so we went tonight.Tonight was incredible!The food tonight was totally outstanding.The starter was a cod Croquet which melted in your mouth, main was the pork, you really have to try it to believe it.Service was pleasant and professional, just a fabulous night out.This restaurant is a true gem and if you appreciate first class food and wine a must!Well done to the team.

Best Sunday roast in Hampshire great food great service fantastic value we will be back

Lovely meal with friends, everything appeared to be homemade and very tasty. Hubby had the cheese souffle for starters and reckon best he's ever had. Very friendly waitress, definitely worth going using tastecard as then 2 for 1 otherwise could be expensive.

Went for a Spanish evening and left with mixed feelings. The food was good when it came but service was erratic, we were offered pudding before the main. Drinks were expensive , with the 10% gratuity the £25 set menu eventually cost £40 each . I should say we only had one alcoholic drink each, otherwise it was water and Coca Cola. It was a Spanish evening with a very good guitarist. Sadly it was over amplified and over dramatic. There is better Spanish music available. I shall not rush back! Que lastima!

Good range of choices on menu, very good quality of food presented, staff attentive and friendly without being overly familiar. Prices are reasonable for the area.

Had lunch here but found the food rather fussily got up without adding anything to the flavours. Not the cheapest lunch place in Bishops Waltham. Altogether in-inspiring.

Sunday lunch was superb! We both had the cheese soufflé as a starter, which is always a favourite and for our main, I had the belly of pork and my partner had the beef. All the food was cooked to a very high standard and was served hot (a usual bugbear of mine!). Desserts were good too. We look forward to returning again soon.

Fantastic food and great service

Unfortunately the standard of the food far outweighed the standard of the service

This was our second visit and we were not disappointed. Another great evening and despite very high temperatures during the day the restaurant was very comfortable as all of the doors and windows had been opened. Excellent table service from the young lady - full of enthusiasm and charm. The sufflee and fish and chips I am told were very good as was the pate and hake although a little more flavour to the sauce would have been appreciated. A little bread with the crayfish would have been appreciated (but not a bread basket) and more sauce with the duck. Overall a great evening, lovely atmosphere. These comments are not meant as a criticism but, hopefully, helpful comments for the chef.

Fantastic food and service, looking forward to going back again

Very nice, but not outstanding. Food could benefit from better presentation, being crispier and overall having a bit more 'umph'

Delicious food and friendly staff! Would definitely come again...

'Banks' is our 'go to' place - the food is fantastic and the staff are great.

A great little find! Brilliant food, great service, and overall wonderful experience. Highly recommended!

We visited last night a group of 6 nice relaxed atmosphere and great food the pork belly lived up to expectations and in my case a very good sized portion

A cheerful fun place for a bite to eat and have a drink. I had a toasted crab sandwich and a beer with four friends. The service was good as the food. Not the most elegant of places but it is nice and relaxed

We ate here last night and the food was really delicious and the service amazing. We went with 2 friends and we all said the best meal we had eaten for ages, must go back more often.

Very good food, service, and staff! Limited but good menu choices, all seemed perfect to celebrate a friend's 70th birthday.

We visited with friends for lunch on a Wednesday. A limited 3-choice per course set menu is available at a modest price. We were dining from the a-la-carte, benefiting from a Groupon voucher. Three of us started with the highly-reviewed cheese soufflé, which was indeed very good. I had the fish soup starter, which was topped by toast and a rouille sauce. The pieces of fish was remarkably fresh, haddock and hake. The crab-based liquor was excellent - a very enjoyable starter. Three of us continued with turbot, accompanied with one outsize deep-fried chip and a beurre blanc sauce. This was delicious. Obviously there is a skilled chef in their kitchen. We ended with four coffees. The wine is overpriced, apparently they offer only 125ml glasses (from around £5) or half or full bottles. Not the usual 175 ml glasses. No draft beer or lager is offered, but they have a variety of bottled ales and lagers. The service and the ambience were both very pleasant and we enjoyed our lunch very much.

Seems to a good local eatery. Lacked atmosphere but was a quiet weds night. Expensive for what we had. Food was good. Couple of tables of local elderly regulars.

Lovely food Amazing helpful waitress Perfect date nite venue 👍

The food, as always, was excellent. They don't vary the menu very often but what they do they do really well. Plenty of wines available. It's always a great place for a treat but the only downside is the prices. It can end up being an expensive evening. However, you get what you pay for in life.

Went for a birthday meal. The service and food was out this world. The Restaurant is in an old grade two listed building. Everything is home made including the ice cream.There is a lovely atmosphere. Amazing friendly staff. Definitely recommend. Unique !

Food adequate, staff rather unhelpful, and found moving table to main dining area, an inconvenience.

I have visited Banks approximately five times in the past few months with my father. The waitress has been faultless, always pleased to see us, going along with the same jokes and one liners my Dad tells each time we go there (!), instantly creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. It hasn't mattered whether the bistro is full or quiet, the food has been delicious. As someone with tricky dietary needs, it is lovely to be seen as such rather than a difficult customer! Choosing a delicious dish which I can then tweak, without any problem, is incredibly refreshing. Scrumptious food with outstanding service - perfect!

It was mine and my girlfriends first time would highly recommend this place to anyone and we will definitely be coming back

Our first visit to this establishment was with two friends on a Wednesday lunchtime. The Restaurant is very accessible and parking was easy at a Public Pay and Display Car Park nearby. The only front of house person was expecting us and was very welcoming. The lunchtime set meal menus was somewhat restricted but the food was well presented and delicious. Would have no problem with making a return visit. As we visited at lunchtime there was only two other diners so the atmosphere was somewhat subdued. Would anticipate that the Restaurant would be busier at night and a more lively ambience.

Great food. Amateur table service with a local pub singer called Jodie. The music was to loud, with out of tune lyrics. That said the atmosphere was fun/ great. Worth a visit for the reasonably priced good quality food.

We visited for an evening meal using a Groupon voucher.

Visited with a Groupon deal as a party of 4. Very good menu selection, very good and high quality food, nice surroundings with friendly and welcoming staff.

Expensive Slow service Unwelcoming by owner Food cold Staff friendly

Really good quality food, superbly cooked. Lovely restaurant in old granary building well worth a visit. We used groupon voucher making it very reasonable. Would highly recommend signature cheese soufflé and scallops. Main course lamb and duck choices lovely too, as well as fresh fish.

This was our first visit and it won’t be our last. The food was good and the service was excellent. Very pleasant waitress who was very welcoming. I can recommend the monk fish and chips served with pea purée and green leaves. My husband had the venison which he enjoyed.

We were given a voucher for a meal here and although the food was nice, the extra costs ruined the occasion.

We had a gorgeous meal at Banks Bar Bistro. The cheese soufflé was amazing! As well as the goats cheese and beetroot salad and parsnip soup. For mains we had monkfish and steak (cooked to perfection) and for dessert, the chef made my mum a Crepe Suzette which wasn’t on the menu! Thank you to Tim the chef. And we shared the sticky toffee pudding. All quality food. The Hungarian wine (recommended by Peter the owner) was great and our server, Charlotte was very engaging and polite.

Absolutely loved the food and wine here Gorgeous soufflé Monkfish —- posh fish and chips Lovely Hungarian wine recommended by peter Charlotte serves us A fabulous find Debbie

Over priced drinks, service ok but casual. Food ok menu restrictive not a great range especially if you are not a meat eater and a lot of the alternative options are off the menu. Would not recommend.

I can not recommend Banks enough! A friend and I went for dinner on Saturday night and had a lovely meal, I had the arrancini followed by the pork belly (with crackling!) which was the best pork I've ever had - the sauce which accompanied the dish was also superb.

Visited with a groupon voucher with high expectations which you would think due to the high prices , on groupon it clearly states the steak there will be a surcharge of £4 surcharge for steak and a £2 surcharge for fish . The steak I was charged an extra £6 for when I queried this i was told it was a better cut of steak conveniently, the fish I was charged an extra £3 for . Very slow service didn’t even get asked if we would like a desert. I gave up in the end and had to go to the bar myself to ask the 3 girls chatting behind the bar if I could trouble them to get the bill for me . The food was nice but very overpriced for what it is and if you purchase through groupon beware of there hidden extra charges ! Safe to say I won’t be returning and wouldn’t recommend.

Our friends and we had seen this venue advertised and thought it was about time we gave it a try. We certainly were not disappointed.. A very welcome reception and it continued to get better, particularly in respect to the food and service. We found the wine list expensive, even for the popular wines and the range of wines by the glass was very limited. But the food was excellent. Beautifully presented and the taste was excellent. An excellent menu with a wide choice. It must have been good as this restaurant was very popular.

We went for the second time in February and thoroughly enjoy ourselves. The food is consistently excellent, we used a Groupon deal so cannot comment on value although drinks are pricey. The staff are friendly and the atmosphere is cosy. Perfect date night venue.

The Bistro is very convenient and always has friendly staff. Our last visit was a little disappointing re food my steak was a little tough. Would still go again though

An excellent Valentine's Day menu with a good variety of choices. The food was well presented and very tasty. Service was really quick especially as the restaurant was quite full on this occasion. One of our favourite dining out places.

Really enjoyed our visit. Attentive and knowledgeable service complimented the excellent food, the cheese souffle sublime and choice of homemade desserts very impressive. We will be back!

We came here utilising a Groupon voucher. Very warm welcome from manager Peter and attentive service from Sam. The four of us all thoroughly enjoyed our meals that were high quality and very well presented especially the deserts which were stunning.

The staff were friendly and attentive as always. The food was lovely. Had a lovely evening

We have been several times and the food gets better and better. Would definitely recommend. Thank you Banks.

Great food and also really enjoyed the atmosphere. Cosy place, would recommend for a date, with friends or any occasion really. Service was impeccable too.

7 of us went to this restaurant tonight for a birthday celebration, we have been to this place many times before but tonight was very different! tonight 3 of us had the steaks at £23.50 a head! the steaks were tough and very chewy, with little or no taste at all! all these steaks were ordered medium rare! none of them were good at all! I did complain and halfway through the meal they offered to re-make us our meals but by this time it was too late.. as everyone else had almost finished. they had also forgotten one portion of our triple cooked chips which almost certainly were not triple cooked! They offered us a free glass of wine to compensate for our awful meal, but we declined as we had almost finished once again.. We did get 3 free deserts for the 3 steak orders but to be honest I will never return to this place again...they just dont deliver, £23.50 will buy me a great steak in Hotel Du Vin amongst other places, this sort of money buys a lot of great meals everywhere else, just not here! Sorry Banks... you suck...

Pleasant evening good service but found very expensive for food and drinks

Pre ordered Christmas menu options never fill one with a sense of anticipation but I was still left disappointed; The fish in the bouillabaisse was like leather and my steak was inedible. Must confess that the carrots were cooked well, roast potatoes not, sadly.

Very expensive for what you get, we left hungry and disappointed.

My friend and I had lunch, and we both enjoyed good service, good food and privacy. The cheese souffle was excellent, both mains were beautifully presented and cooked, and the desserts delicious. We highly recommend this venue.

The food was very good, service not so. Just left waiting on arrival and ignored by staff. We had to shout out for attention and were eventually seated. Then ignored again and so after 10 minutes called over to the waitress to see if we could order drinks. A bad start but a lovely meal followed. There was a 10% service charge added to the bill, due to poor service we reduced this.

We visited this wonderful Bistro for lunch with my brother and wife. They had visited before and wanted to share this experience with us. From the moment we arrived we were made to feel that nothing was too much trouble. The menu was varied and well presented. The food was cooked to order and was truly excellent. We had chosen 4 different mains and agreed how each was so well presented and tasty.

This wasn’t the 1st time that I have been to banks over the years we always return and Peter and his staff never fail to impress from the wonderful food to the service evetging is exceptional.

Banks Bistro is a favourite of ours mainly for special occasions<br />We have always had a good meal here

Had a problem with a groupon Booking, rang Banks direct who helped sort it as it needed to be booked online, they were extremely helpful. Food was lovely, good portions and freshly cooked. Good waiter service. A good experience, will definitely visit here again.

This was our first visit to Banks (shan’t be our last)

Lovely little restaurant, good decor, well laid out, nice atmosphere when busy.

Great service with just the right level of attention. Fantastic range of food to suit all tastes and of a very high quality. Changing menu so you don't get bored if you go back several times. Nice relaxed Bistro atmosphere with space between the tables. They also have a function room upstairs which is great for family/friend get together and intimate parties.

Went to Banks for an anniversary celebration. It was busy for a Wednesday night, which created a lovely atmosphere. Food was delicious and a generous size portion especially the pudding. We will definetly be back again soon x

Very tasty food and beautifully presented. Pate, crayfish, steak, hake, pavlova and home made ice cream - couldn’t improve on perfection

Unfortunately the restaurant and Open Table had NO communications between each other, and no reservation had been made upon arrival even though Open Table had confirmed this with me by email that morning. Luckily the excellent restaurant staff made big efforts to facilitate us a table for 8 people for a special 80th birthday meal. Thanks to them.

We were a booked party of 10 people for a mid-week evening meal. We were the only large party, but otherwise the restaurant wasn't overly busy. However only 2 staff, albeit pleasant and polite, appeared to be on duty to cover both bar and tables all evening. Most of our party ordered from the set menu of either 2 courses (£13.95) or 3 courses(£16.95). The lighting was so dim several of our party couldn't read the menu, until a waiter altered the lights. One of the chairs was badly worn and uncomfortable, and had to be swapped for another. No bread at all was offered, not even with the soup. We had to wait nearly half an hour after our starter before eventually resorting to going to the bar to chase up our main course as a diabetic member of our party was getting anxious. We asked for another carafe of water - but none came. The liver was overcooked and in markedly small portions, the pasta came ready sprinkled with a little Parmesan - none was offered at the table. Desserts were pleasant, but again we had a long wait for them.

Excellent food and choice of drinks. Superb service! Highly recommended. Our waitress Charlotte was very welcoming and did everything to make sure our visit was enjoyable.

¡Un grupo de nosotros viajamos desde Cambridgeshire para una noche de música en vivo en Banks y valió la pena el viaje!

La primera vez que visite este elegante establecimiento y mi comida, la comida pateará sus papilas gustativas en las nueces y luego susurrará "Te quiero" en su oído. Se recomendaría el confite de pato.

We visit Banks quite frequently. The food is always good - especially the twice-baked cheese soufflé! - and the service is always friendly and attentive. If the bistro is busy it can be quite noisy and echoey, but still well worth a visit on a birthday, anniversary...or just a day with a Y in it!

Fuimos a los bancos en una oferta de groupon. Hemos estado varias veces antes y siempre hemos disfrutado de nuestras visitas, pero no esta vez. Mi primer plato era la remolacha con queso de cabra y la remolacha era dura y casi blanca, ya que todo el color había sido hervido. Mi esposo pidió medallones de ternera, pero lo que servían eran 3 trozos de ternera cocida. El chef dijo que toda la carne venía del mismo proveedor. ? ? Pidió medallones de ternera. Hemos tenido estos platos antes y han sido excelentes, así que sabemos cómo deben servirse. Esa noche solo había 4 personas en el restaurante, pero aún así tuvimos que pedir un cuchillo de carne y las papas que habíamos pedido. El groupon declaró que los medallones de carne eran 4 extra, pero nos cobraron 6 y nos dijeron que groupon no había actualizado su cupón. A pesar de nuestra honestidad y de decirle a la camarera que un dulce no había sido incluido en la cuenta, el chef se negó a deducir 2. Gastamos 46 además de la cantidad de Groupon, pero parece que crear buena voluntad no es la preocupación de este restaurante. Hemos tenido muchas comidas buenas en el pasado, pero no volveremos después de esta última experiencia.