Bear and Ragged Staff in Test Valley

What a fantastic experience 🤗. Food was exceptional. Excellent service from Roxy and Ellie P (number 2) 😁. Hats off to the chef (s) 😀. I cannot praise the food an service enough 🤗. We would definitely recommend it, and will definitely, definitely be repeating the experience 😁

Great food, excellent service and lovely atmosphere. Thanks to Leigh, Roxie and all the team it was a wonderful meal⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

We went for Sunday lunch with family. Party of 6 adults. All the staff were polite and helpful. The initial arrival acknowledgment could have been a little warmer, however, it was a busy Easter Sunday lunchtime and they were greeting many people as they arrived. It did feel like a lot of the staff were new and still learning though. We were seated quickly and the drinks order taken straight away. Two of our party were a little late, sadly, but the food order was taken quite quickly once they had arrived. I was aware that we only had a two hour time slot. The food was good, we had four starters and four roasts (3 chicken & 1 lamb), one scampi and chips and one pie of the day. Portion sizes were reasonable, meat portions were good but we did have to ask for more gravy and vegetables as they only brought out one small plate/dish of mixed veg between 4 adults. We didn't need puddings though as we were all pretty full. Prices are average for the area. Unfortunately, a waitress cleared our table while one of our party was still eating, without asking if that was okay, which is not good service. But we were getting close to the end of our allotted time slot and I felt they were trying to rush us a little, although I do understand why. I have used The Bear & Ragged Staff many times over the years and am glad that it has retained its country pub style and never been 'glammed' up too much. It is homely, comfortable and relaxing. The current management appear to be good. I would have given a 4.5 if I could. It wasn't quite a 5 but we did have a good time. My only one real gripe is that a beautiful Weeping Willow that stood in the car park for many years has been felled which made me sad. It also leaves the beer garden open and exposed to the road and car park and with no shade.

Excellent food, lovely staff, beautiful pub and good value for money. We will definitely be going back here. Beautiful surroundings too.

We chose the trout with an oriental twist, and really enjoyed it. The service was friendly and efficient, there was nothing we could fault. We arrived at 12.30 having wisely booked a table. At that point it was not really busy, but by 13.15 we were delighted to see that it was almost completely full - and deservedly so. We will be back next time we visit Romsey.

Friendly staff great selection of food and drinks highly recommend

Pretty area. Good community always there

Main course arrived very quickly, I.e a bit too quickly and then service was a bit slow and they missed one our dessert orders.

Really lovely spot for Mother's Day lunch, plenty of options on the menu and the lamb rump was done to perfection. Considering how busy it was, the wait on food was minimal and service of a high quality.

Great food, great service. Regular visit for work lunch. Food comes out in good time but is cooked fresh and really nice.

Visited on a quiet Saturday afternoon, stood at the bar for 5 minutes, ignored by two staff (didn't even acknowledge us or say hi), walked out and went to malthouse down the road- much better.

Pub was nice inside, went for Sunday lunch. Unfortunately the chicken roast I had was the worst I’ve had. It was a strange amalgamation of bits of chicken with stuffing. Very unappealing. Staff were helpful though and refunded the roast. Partners food was good, just don’t pick the chicken!

As always the food at The Bear was delicious as always. We love coming to the pub for the excellent dog friendly atmosphere and lovely menu. The portion sizes are good. We only had one small issue where our dessert options weren’t logged so the food didn’t come out as expected.

Been here a few times now Lovely food and nice staff made to fill welcomed

Excellent service with delicious food. Wine very reasonably priced. We were pleased to see a selection of smaller dishes, essential for older diners!

They handed out part (x17) very professional and extremely efficient. From the moment I booked, and slightly messed around to start with. Then the day before we had 4 of our party ill. They handled 17 of us with easy, getting food out nice and hot. Staff were professional, courteous, polite. Highly recommend this restaurant. They made my mums birthday a special treat

GREAT MEAL. FRIENDLY STAFF AND NICE SURROUNDINGS. WE HAD BEEN BEFORE AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THE EXPERIENCE. THE BONUS WAS MEETING LANIE (PROBABLY SPELT WRONGLY) AGAIN.

Nice ale, good food friendly service

This is a lovely old pub with great staff and really tasty food. Had a club sandwich today which can with some skin on fries which was delicious

Had Sunday lunch. The staff were really friendly and were happy to help. We had the chicken roast and a nut roast and both were really good. The food came really quickly which was a bonus. Would highly recommend.

Great pint of HSB. Lovely roaring fire when we came in, though a bit chilly in the other big bar / eating area. Nice traditional pub grub and good service. We’ll be back.

We had a lovely Sunday Roast. Service was quick and the staff were very friendly.

Perfect New Years Day get-together with family and friends. 1st time we have all been to the Bear and Ragged Staff and we all enjoyed the food and ambience. Well done 👏

Good service but food is just BAD. If you are up for a dry under seasoned patty (£17.50) or a bland fish & chunky chips (£16.95) - you can go for it and maybe try to save it with some mayo and ketchup, otherwise - no, thanks

Dropped in after visiting montisfont, got one of the last available tables. Food was lovely even though it was extremely busy

Lovely pub nice food. Slight disappointment they didn’t have any decaf coffee.

My pint of peroni was flat and the crisps were stale and a week out of date. Service was not welcoming, staff seemed disinterested and grumpy.

After the funeral, we were well looked after .

Great roast. Decent ale and a lovely relaxed atmosphere. Staff attentive and friendly.

Nice, cozy atmosphere. Unfortunately, we were not be able to have a coffee due to machine breakdown.

We had a last minute booking for dinner. The staff were really friendly and make sure our drinks were topped up. The food was amazing, portion sizes were good and great value for money. Will definitely visit again

Very enjoyable lunch. Good food

We really like this pub. Seating area is spacious and I bet it’s gorgeous when the fires are lit in the winter . Service was good. The couple front of house were friendly and helpful. We had fish and chips. Huge piece of battered fish. Very tasty. We had gammon and eggs which was a generous helping and the plate was seen off as delicious. I had Mac cheese and chips and salad. I really enjoyed this. We would recommend this pub.

A delicious Sunday roast with yummy vegetables- roasted carrot, red cabbage and cauliflower cheese which complimented the beef, roast potatoes, large Yorkshire pudding and stuffing perfectly- plus extra gravy- what's not to like!

First time in here Food was great, good service too. Maybe a wider selection of larger would be better

Nothing much to recommend here unfortunately. Dried out yorkshire puddings, very small amount of crackling that we had to ask for and was delivered with poor attitude Drinks not delivered for ages after ordering Ignored by waitresses who were " busy " wiping the tables, or rather wiping round the condiments and candle had to clear our own plates onto the window sill behind us left without ordering desserts or coffee as no one asked us if we wanted any and tbh we didn't want to give them any more of our money

Amazing lunch for a family gathering Everyone from ages 84 to 2 years of age had a great time - almost all the various dishes chosen were delivered at the same time and were delicious & generous portions Lovely staff & manager Leigh made organising so easy and was a pleasure to work with .

UPDATED POST October 2024 - Very poor service on a Friday lunchtime, 1.30pm. Our mains took a while to arrive but it was fairly busy. I paid for two ice creams at 14.19. Twenty minutes later (our main dishes, dirty, were still in front of us), my wife went to enquire and 2 desserts soon appeared - but - they weren't ours. The server went to investigate as there were no other dessert orders in the kitchen. Oh, she said later, the till roll had run out in the kitchen so they didn't know about your order. When our ice creams finally arrived, they gave us an extra scoop for free to make amends. ORIGINAL POST had 5 stars, April 2024.Four adults and one child called in for lunch on a Monday in March. The pub was unexpectedly busy. The ONE server behind the bar - the only person at all 'out front' - found a table for us. When ordering, he warned us there would be a longer than usual wait as they were short staffed - we appreciate such honesty. Yes, the food did take a bit longer but not that much and it was delicious. We felt sorry for the poor chap as he was literally running around. He was very apologetic when he brought our meals.

Went for lunch today and ordered the fish pie. It came in a tiny round dish topped with sliced new potatoes. The actual pie consisted of a few tiny pieces of fish and peas in a thin watery sauce. In addition, I had about six boiled new potatoes on the side with no butter and yet more peas and kale. The kale was so tough it was basically inedible. This was honestly the worst fish pie, what there was of it, I have ever had in a pub. In addition to the food, the ladies toilets were dirty and I dread to think the last time they were cleaned properly. I shan't be going back.

Pulled in on the off chance, so glad we did. Lovely staff, nice friendly atmosphere, great food. 10/10.👍

Excellent roast dinner. 👌 dessert was very good also Been a while since we have been there, as the menu dropped off a but. But they have definitely improved and will be back before too long

Friendly, easy going, good service & food.

Lovely pub. Friendly helpful staff. Fabulous Sunday lunch. Really tasty and large portion. Just like a home cooked roast.

My partner & I came for lunch, We were very impressed & have been several times before. I think it was the best lunch or roast we've ever had brilliant chef & compliments to him please. He is excellent.

Absolutely brilliant 👏- amazing food, lovely staff and first class atmosphere and experience. Can not recommend highly enough.

Lovely place to eat and relax. Good starting and finishing point for walks.

Ate outside in the garden on a lovely evening and the food was great. Fish and chips looked good and burger was delicious.

Lovely place, friendly and helpful staff, lovely food.

We visited this place today on the way home for an evening out when we got there the place was quiet which was expected for a Thursday evening, we went in found a table and got food menus we choose what we want (3 adults 2 kids) went to the bar and ordered where the bar maid was bit half hearted, I ordered food and then our drinks which was then made in front of me “3 pint Pepsi please” wasn’t sure if she thought I ment 3 pints of ice and dash of Pepsi as the glass was full to the top with ice but we move on. Food was delivered to the table I look at the plate and thought where the other half of my dinner a sprinkling of chips bit of chicken with bacon and cheese on it and bowl of coleslaw the kids meal look like it had more in it at this point…. Will not be returning for the price of £80 for 3 adult meals and 2 kids meal 3 pints of Pepsi 1/2 pint Pepsi and apple juice no wonder our pubs are going to the ground!!

Had lunch here a few days ago. Chose the Chalk Stream trout which was very good. Only gave 4 stars as I feel that the pub is a little tired in places.

Went for lunch today and ordered two sandwiches (on toasted ciabatta.) We decided to share so split the chicken, bacon and barbecue one and the BLT. We also ordered a starter portion of halloumi fries. The pub was relatively busy but we had to wait over half an hour for food which seemed excessive for what we ordered and we were not advised there was a wait. The food was hot when placed in front of us. The halloumi fries were nice but served with garlic mayo, not the siracha mayo as described on the menu. Our issue was the sandwiches. As you can see from the photo I think £9.95 for a barely half filled, hardly toaster ciabatta is ridiculous. The BLT (not pictured) had a little more filling but not much more. I don’t really know how the kitchen feel comfortable about sending this out. No one came to check if we were happy with our meal and did not say anything when we left because frankly I couldn’t be bothered. The pub is fine for a drink but I wouldn’t order food…it’s expensive for what you get!

Food OK. Service and welcome good. No varied selection of non alcohol drinks/mocktails but server made us some on request.

What an excellent pub! We sat outside for lunch, the staff were super friendly, the service was really good and the food was quite simply delicious. Highly recommended.

Really enjoyable car meet. Unfortunately the queue was too long to get a drink but that didn't spoil our evening. We'll be back next month.

Called in for a Sunday lunch with the family. Excellent food, service and atmosphere. Thank you so much - will definitely be back again soon!

Probably one of the best Pub Sunday roast dinner I’ve had in a very long time! Plenty of vegetables to go around and the extra free roast potatoes to keep us hungry males happy! The food was a little slow to arrive- but I’m guessing that the two plated meals were probably cooked fresh to order(?)- so no real complaints there… We would definitely consider returning if we were in the area again.

Great staff So much better than the Goat just down the road Thanks

Thank you to the Landlady and all the staff. We had a leaving do over a lunch time and everyone had a great time and a great meal. The fish and chips were fantastic and definitely one for those with a large appetite. We will definitely be back. Thank you

Slightly disappointed there were no starters but the mains were delicious. Generous portions and friendly staff. Would go again

Had a roast dinner a couple of months ago and wasn't impressed, as locals thought we would give it another try, (benefit of the doubt) and what an improvement, roast potatoes as they should be, crispy outside and fluffy inside, (not anemic as before) but the star for us was the Beef, no fat and nice and pink as beef should be, and what a team, the new landlady Leigh was more than welcoming and accommodating, the New chef Rich also took the time to introduce himself and have a chat. Great experience.

We booked for Sunday roast while camping in the area. We were not disappointed! Beef and pork were on the menu for our party and both were delicious and well cooked. Bottomless roasties and additional Yorkshire puddings were a major plus! If we’re in the area again we’ll be back!!

Great food. Lovely staff. Very nice inside or out in the sun

This 18th Century, Grade11 listed pub is an experience that shouldn't be missed. Nice pint of Fullers London Pride, with plenty of other beers to choose from. The original old pub has been extended to be more than twice it's floor area. Good food menu and friendly staff. Plenty of seating inside and out. Large car park. Frontage of the pub is best seen on the south side.

Where do I start visited Monday 8th July at 6.15pm not a very warm welcome by the lady behind the bar very abrupt did not look like she wanted to be there. The menu online is nothing like what was offered so wasted our time. We left our drinks and went elsewhere.

Not very welcoming staff at all. The barmaid looked and acted as if they didn't want to be there. Our drinks had this funny taste. When given the menu it was completely different to what they have on the website. When we looked at this and with the service or lack of, we decided to go elsewhere

We held a 90th Birthday Party on 29th June 2024 here. The buffet food that was provided was excellent and Leigh and the team at The Bear and Ragged Staff were very nice and helpful. The area of the pub that was cordoned off for us was great, as there were 40 guests and they allowed us to put up some decorations for the celebrations.Nothing we asked of them was too much trouble.Many Thanks and will definitely use again for future family gatherings.

Sadly they were short of food but lovely staff and what we had was good.

Was driving by and popped in for fish and chips and cold drink, was very nice ,couldn't tell you how much my pal paid also dog friendly

Very nice pub , it's changed a lot as I've known this pub back in the 70s and feel it had a lot more character back then like many old pubs that has been affected by progress to survive in this hectic climate.

Good food good beers good price

Very impressed with the young staff. Couldn't do enough for us. Noticed my shaky hand and immediately carried my drinks out to my party in the garden. When our food arrived, it was noticed that we hadn't collected our cutlery so the barman went and got it for us. The food was excellent. Shame it's too far from home to be my local.

Had a lovely Sunday lunch with friends today. Excellent cheerful service giving all four of us what we wanted.

Pre-booked in for a Christmas 🎄Lunch. Table was nicely pre-set and presented with Christmas 🎄crackers. Food was fantastic. Really nice Turkey slices. Wasn’t too dry and delicious with the gravy. 😋 There were already sides on the plate and we had been given a generous serving of extra sides. (Potatoes and veggies) We were a table of 3 and there were plenty to go around. Service was good (waiting staff), but food arrived later than expected and seemed a little slow for how busy the place was during lunch.

The haddock and chips were delicious. I had the smaller portion. The normal portion was huge. My husband enjoyed it . It was quite expensive but tasty

We had a nice pub meal out in the garden. The service was very good .

It's a lovely place and all staff are very friendly. However, you now have a timeslot for your table. Our meal was booked for 1 o'clock and we were allocated the table until 2.30. We ordered food at 1.10 and it arrived about 1.45/1.50 which only gave us 40 minutes. Luckily we hadn't ordered starters, just a main. I thought it a little expensive for what it was. The food was nice, but not really what I expected for the price. The actual place and setting is really nice, so was an OK lunch.

Great atmosphere and good drink selection. Would recommend

Catering for my special eating needs with mo problem or hassle.

It was mother's day, food was great and dog friendly,and 11 of us.

We visited for mother's day, when a lovely member of staff asked who the mums were out of our party. 3 of us put our hands up and the lady came back with a gift for us all. A lovely box with a mini gin and tonic for each of us. 💓 Very warm and friendly pub, and the roast beef was the nicest ice ever eaten.

A most enjoyable experience! Attentive, welcoming and friendly service, lovely food. We'll be back!

Dropped in for lunch, greeted as we walked in. Had to ask for menu as weren't on table. Ordered at bar and food arrived quickly and was great quality, fish and chips. Little bit dingy but not dark but an old building hence 4 stars.

Good pub food and reasonably priced. It was absolutely dead for a Saturday evening only saw one other table eating otherwise the place was empty

Good food and very friendly staff and regulars. Very welcoming to our pooch 😊

We were visiting for a Sunday roast which was good.

Welcome refreshment after a visit to Mottisfont Abbey. The NT cafe there is characterless and uninspiring. This pub is a lovely stop off, on the way home. Full of character.

it was early few people but loud not back ground music until the band came that’s different and sets a different atmosphere didn’t get to try the food has been good in the past

Absolutely lovely pub with strong country vibe and core of friendly locals at the bar (which is always a great sign ✅)

Great food and service. Will certainly be using again. Amazing Sunday roasts

Enjoyed our meal at the bear & ragged staff . we hadn't booked but they were able to accommodate us .

Lovely food, with good choice. Friendly staff. Shame no Christmas music which detracted a bit from beautiful trees and decorations.

Group of 7 - one in a wheel chair. Food was delicious. Staff very attentive and helpful. Lovely atmosphere. Thank you for a great evening 😊

Went on a quiet Saturday lunch with the in-laws, the staff were really attentive. I had the burger that was perfectly cooked.

Classical experience of good old english bar with fish and chips

Delighted that we got the last table as a walk in for Sunday lunch. Been here many times and felt like we had won the lottery. Lovely waiting on the settee by the fire, for our table to be ready. Friendly staff too. However, our roast was very disappointing. It was cold on arrival and cold after being returned- except for small bit of cabbage in the middle of the plate🤔 We were excited to stay for sweet but decided to go to the co-op on the way home instead. Probably won't go again.

Great food, attentive staff and good value for money. Highly recommended.

A chance visit today having been shopping in Romsey, and thought a lunch out would be a nice change. The fact that the car park was already pretty full was a good sign! This is a really lovely pub. We were given a very warm and friendly greeting - chose where we wanted to sit and having decided what to eat, ordered back at the bar. We both had sausage and mash with seasonal vegetables, and despite the fact it was half term and pretty busy, we didn’t have to wait too long for our food. It was beautifully presented, on hot plates, and was really delicious! The whole place was clean and comfortable, the staff very friendly and we would have absolutely no hesitation in returning again before not too long. For those who might remember Worzel Gummidge on tv many years ago - some of the filming was done in this pub!

food was tasty but one member of staff was a bit blunt and after spending £19 on a chefs special and having to order some chips because it was so small, I was told it wasn't actually a meal? very odd.

Lovely pub, good country feel to it and food is good 👍 always pop in here when visiting relatives.

Superb veggie breakfast! Great choice, great value and great service - even provided the dogs with their own sausage breakfast 👌🏼 Thanks - think it’s going to become a regular visit!