Bolingbroke Arms in Wiltshire

I went with my family for an overnight stay at The Bologbroke Arms on 27/09. We checked in mid afternoon and decided to venture to the bar for a quick drink. We enjoyed the ambience and quality of service so much that we ended up staying for food, which was excellent. However, what really sets the Bolingbroke apart is the outstanding service from the team, with a special mention to Jess and co on the dinner service for helping us to enjoy a lovely evening. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Most enjoyable Sunday lunch, excellent service from well trained staff. Friendly atmosphere a good buzz about the place. Popular with families. Seating outside when the weather permits. I thoroughly recommend this establishment one and all.

Volete soggiornare in un tipico bed and breakfast inglese nel mezzo della campagna del Wiltshire? Bolingbroke Arms è il posto giusto! Funge da hotel, pub e ristorante. Cena sempre molto buona. Breakfast preparato al momento dalla gestrice del locale Joey ottimo! Atmosfera di campagna e silenzio. Camere deliziose e poche ne hanno solo sette quindi non sarete in mezzo alla massa. Io ci vado da lustri e vi confermo che non cambierei per niente al mondo

Word's are not enough to express the quality of service we have had. EVERYTHING IS PERFECT!!! QUALITY of food, the way is served, staff extremely friendly and always happy to help, waiting time actually does not exist.Is a place where we will always came back and will always be mentioned to our friends with the advice: YOU WILL NOT REGRET THIS DECISION.

Another excellent lunch at the Bolingbrook today. You wait whilst your food is prepared but it’s worth it. Nice staff too and always welcoming.

Having vistas this pub for an evening meal which was amazing, we were keen to try the Sunday roast, but we were left unbelievably disappointed. The pork was absolutely not as described and was more like kebab meat, the beef was over cooked, the roast potatoes cold in the middle, and clearly not fresh , the Yorkshire actually burnt in places and inedible , as was the crumble which 1 of us had as a dessert. We asked for extra gravy and were given the smallest jug between 5 people. We were not asked at any point during our visit if the food was ok, the staff appeared young and disinterested, whilst we were there we heard another couple voice their disappointment , and they were told by a young man, it’s out of my control, I don’t cook it. Unfortunately with great sadness we will not be going back.

We were met by smiling staff and shown to our table. To get to our table we walked through the lovely bar area where lots of tables were full of happy chatty people, giving a lovely atmosphere. We then walked into an extension, which was just one biggish room, with about 10 or 12 tables of different sizes. We were sat at a table for 2, which felt to be a bit stuck out. There was another table for 2 in front of the ornate fire place which was totally out of place in this ‘room’. The room feels like a cheap extension, there are patio doors that open to a very large ‘drop’ down to the grassed area- it sure this is a valid ‘fire exit’ as the sign above the doors say. It’s a bright room with windows looking out to the grounds. Once we’d moved tables, we ordered our food. My husband ordered a steak and chips which cost just over £20. I ordered chicken breast in a white wine and mushroom sauce, that was around £18. When our meals arrived I was amazed to see my plate with 2 chicken breasts wrapped in bacon, covered in a delicious sauce with loads of delicious mushrooms and loads of veg! Our meals were truly delicious, I took half of mine home with me and was equally delicious second time around. I can’t stop talking about how delicious our meals were. We were both too full for desert so we didn’t have one. I really can’t fault the food, drink and very reasonable prices. We’ll definitely be back but will ask for a table in the bar and not the very blank, soulless extension.

We had not booked, the place was busy, apparently there was a Wake at the venue hence very full, the food? Good typical pub grub & plenty of it!

Very tasty food - main courses eaten included a special of the day which was a Monkfish & Prawn Red Thai curry - delicious ! All meals ordered were very tasty and plenty of it - very attentive staff also.

Excellent food and great service. We had lunch here. Portions were huge and the quality of the food was delicious. Recommend the steak and Brie pie - full of meat, and delicious. The accompanying vegetables were also very good - broccoli, red cabbage, new potatoes, roast parsnips and carrots. Also recommend the Brie and cranberry sandwiches. Service was fast and friendly. Go with a big appetite!

Great Light lunch found this great pub on our way into Swindon clean. Welcoming and great outdoor seating area. Food lovely and tasty. Very friendly staff served us and cheerful and even our usually scared dog like the waitress!

We have eaten here a few times in the past. We found the place very good the staff being very helpful with good service and good food all-round. This time we went there just a few days ago first time after lock-down. We were seated promptly as we had made a reservation in good time. The place was nice and clean, tables set at good distance and the cutlery was brought on a clean box after we placed our order. The ale was nice and satisfying. The fish-pie when it arrived with nicely roasted mesh potato on top looked very good but underneath it the pie looked like fish stew as there was a lot of liquid and the amount of fish and prawn was rather questionable. Some chefs try all sort of new approach to their dishes putting aside the British traditional way of cooking and it was named as Chef's Special. I wonder.

Excellent service even though in covid times. Very friendly and efficient service. Good wholesome well cooked food and good choice of menu. Have intolerances able to cater for me couldn't be more helpful. Comfortable restaurant very clean surroundings.

Protocols fine following lockdown. Food pretty average for a relatively high price, Steak, asked well done, burnt on outside pink on edges and tough !! 3 other meals ok and enjoyed. Ales were not well kept, pretty flat, 3 B’s not good !!First and last visit for me I’m afraid.

I booked a buffet lunch for 45 people at 12 mid-day, for after my husband's funeral. The service given was absolutely excellent and could not be faulted. The trays were continually filled and nothing was too much trouble. Everything was done willingly and with a smile. Everyone said how wonderful the food was and what a good choice I had made. They even played a medley of my husband's favourite songs on a loop. A big THANK YOU to all the Bolingbroke Staff, especially Debbie who organised it all and made the whole event less stressful for me.

Joined friends for lunch. The 4 meals were a breakfast type fry up, chilli con carne, vegetarian tartlets and ham eggs n’ chips. All ok nothing special but no issues. My wife particularly enjoyed the tartlets. Young bar team were hard pressed as the pub appeared full. However they were cheerful, efficient and pleasant to deal with. My part of the bill came to £40 for the two dishes and two rounds of drinks.

Just attempted to book for Friday-no answer from the phone after hanging on.Tried again and engaged.Tried again and redirected to a mobile which was not answered.This would not be the first time that this has happened,previously tried a few months ago with the same end result.No amount of excuses can sway me from the belief that this is a rank,amateurish run hotel and restaurant-looking at some of the reviews I think I am bang on the money with my conclusion.I will take my money and the large party of people elsewhere-hopefully somewhere with a bit of savvy and business acumen which is very much absent at the Bolingbroke.

We visted with another couple and were well recieved.The staff were attentive and the food was of very good quality and reasonably priced. We have been a few times and never been disappointed

Visited with family twice in last 3 months.Both times the food has been delicious, with staff friendly & courteous.There is seating in the bar area, but we went into the Restaurant which is more roomy.Moderately priced, there is a 'Specials Board' as well as menu to choose from.Can thoroughly recommend!

Sunday lunch for a family of 9 today. We started off well served at the bar straight away then shown to table. Then order was taken it took 50 minutes to come out then a further 10 minutes for 2 bowls if veg which wasn't enough so I asked for 1 more . Then after a while we were asked if we wanted deserts we agreeded so we're given the menu after after 40 minute of waiting we paid the bill and went and have decided not to come back again it is pricey but if you get good service it's worth paying we didn't !

I’ve been to the Bolingbroke twice now - a work’s lunch then a night out with friends & family. Great both times - food was amazing (lamb shanks to die for) and friendly service. Thoroughly recommend for group bookings. Pre-order food for the best service.

Will definitely be back had a great time very friendly and warm greeting after such a long drive and hard day

Sad that the veggie menu we were advised existed was not available. This limited choice considerably. However, nice relaxed atmosphere. Delicious veggie pie and friendly staff. Just a shame about limited selection...

Family Sunday lunch, we waited for nearly 40 mins to be served with our main meal which was very average when it did arrive, luke warm and bland, we did not have any puds because we could not face another 40 min wait! Staff friendly and cheerful, reasonably priced. Management should consider whether children running about all over the place is a H & S issue

Found this pub via the web, booked over the phone, very easy and straight forward, greeted by very cheerful staff who were more than helpful, food was superb, service was excellent, can’t fault this pub at all for what we had!!!

Only a very quick stopover for dinner while travelling, this was a welcome break after a long journey on business. Front of house staff were great and there was a decent choose of freshly cooked food. It was all fine - not outstanding - and reasonable value. The bar area had the best atmosphere - the separate dining room wasn't great on the evening

We had a group of 6 plus a baby. All the food was incredible and the staff were lovely. Each one of them stopped to say hi to my neice and were very helpful. The amerreto and honeycomb cheesecake was insanely good, so creamy.

They used to serve quite good food but not any more. It us a particular shame that they have taken baked Camembert off the starters Service still excellent but food needs to get back to its old level to entice me back

Very good pub food. We have been here many times and the quality is always high. Service good. Eat in the bar or separate restaurant.

Located between Royal Wootton Bassett and Purton in Wiltshire. Using satnav postcode we found it without difficulty. Care should be taken on entering and leaving the car park because of a bend in the main road that gives little time for sighting oncoming trafffic.

So a group of work colleagues and I went here for some dinner after work as was near to the Hilton and previous experience from a couple of years back had been good. What a let down, the place had a strong smell of fresh paint, staff service was slow and not friendly. Lastly the food was sloppy, chicken was dry and anything which had gravy was swimming, I felt so bad as I personally recommended this place. Basic English food is hard to get wrong and for the price that we paid I would have expected better.

We stopped here for lunch and had the home made chilli. It was very tasty and plenty of it. Would highly recommend.

Very nice atmosphere, good food and nice and fresh you could tell it was home made. Very reasonable prices and good value.

The biggest problems with the Bolingbrook are that the menu is extensive and the food is really good. So you’re spoilt for choice before you start and then you turn around and see the specials board.

We have been here many times its local to Purton and much better than the Arkells pub there!

Last time we went my burger was badly burnt. The reason I was told was that it is 'char-grilled' More like charred I thought. This time I specifically ask that my burger should not be badly burnt on the outside. It arrived badly charred yet again. The inside was good and the meat quality high. I suspect the cook again had the grill on very high to get the food cooked quickly. I sent the burger back and was not charged for it. The photo shows the charred burger (and also a bad chip!) When shown to the waitress, she remarked 'Oh my goodness'. My wife ordered scallops as a main and all she got were 6 very small scallops; hardly a main. The other two in our party had reasonable meals. Service again was very slow. Whatever, I was amazed to be charged £4.40 for a pint of diet coke. When I complained I was asked if I had had a Guinness? I doubt if we will be going back. We went to a charity BBQ today and I purchased an excellent burger for one tenth of what I was charged last night.

We stopped for a meal on the way back from Bristol to Surrey and this restaurant came up as close enough to the M4.... allowing us to avoid the grim food of motorway services.

I arranged for a large party of my family to have lunch on Sunday for my birthday. The service from the younger waitresses was great, however when having our order taken this particular waitress gave the impression it was all too much for her..not exactly service with a smile. I have to say starters of prawn cocktail and creamy garlic mushrooms on puff pastry was lovely. However...the majority of us ordered roast pork or the larger roast platter of pork & beef for our mains. The amount of "soggy" roast potatoes with the standard roast was poor - 3 small greasy potatoes...as for the "large roast platter" the amount was the same..you would expect more given that it was larger and £4 more expensive. As for the meat - very thin and bland to the point that it was questioned if it had come from a packet! Another one of my party ordered the sirloin steak "medium-rare" it came out well done, when this was sent back, a gentleman then came out to argue that "'no the steak was cooked spot on". Firstly it was definitely over cooked, secondly for what I presume was the manager/ head of front of house to argue this point was embarrassing and disappointing! Eventually we agreed that they would bring another steak cooked "more rare" as they put .The steak came back fairly promptly cooked very rare! Given the argument previously we ate and asked for the bill. This again was too much for the staff to cope with and again was not calculated correctly. All in all, very disappointed. We have visited plenty of times in the past and always enjoyed the Sunday roast. Sadly we will not be returning to this local establishment!

Esta es la primera crítica que he hecho nunca, y nunca me he sentido motivado a hacer uno antes de alojarme aquí. El personal era perfecto, y nada era demasiado problema. Llegamos tarde después de ir a 2 cerrado restaurantes en una fila. El Director hizo dos bocadillos, lo cual resultó ser justo lo que queríamos. Las habitaciones eran de muy buena calidad para el precio, y ambos disfrutamos de nuestra estancia. Sin duda volveré de nuevo.

We hadn't booked sunday lunch and the first 2 places we tried were fully booked and as we hadn't eaten at the Bolingbroke for many years we thought we would see if we could get a table, no problem and having now experienced both the meal and service we can understand why we could get a choice of tables. We waited 20 minutes to get our order taken as only one women can take your order despite many waitresses hanging around with nothing to do as they were not allowed, another 30 minutes to be brought our starter and to be honest we thought things were looking up and both starters were good and well presented. We had the chicken liver pate and the breaded Camembert. Avoid the roast beef and roast pork, no flavour and cut wafer thin by machine, if I wasn't told differently I would have thought it was bought in from a cheap deli counter. The vegetables were cooked well and plenty for two to share. We declined a desert as we had already spent nearly 2 hours having lunch, well sitting waiting really. We wouldn't be returning again due to the haphazard service. I had a coffee with my meal and hubbie a pint of lager. Was this a worthwhile meal for the price, certainly not.

Fuimos allí para una comida con la familia. Es un lugar agradable con un personal muy amable y los precios razonables. Sin embargo, mis pasteles de pescado cangrejo fueron principalmente mash y muy blanda. No mucho sabor de cangrejo. El plato principal estaba bien pero mi desierto de queso era de la base así bartola que había sido fuera del refrigerados durante demasiado tiempo antes de servir. De lo contrario el resto de nuestro grupo era feliz y pasamos un tiempo agradable.

A busy Saturday night 24/6 table for 5 adults in bar area, 5 very good meals, esp whole sea bream and Pork Medallions, and very good efficient service. Will return again.

Three of us went for lunch, the food was excellent. One of the specials was slow roast pork belly with crackling, the meat was very tender and very well seasoned. My friend had the liver and bacon which was delicious.There were eight of us on the second visit on a Friday evening. The pub was fully booked and a bit noisy. However, we all enjoyed the evening and everyone was very satisfied with their choice of food. The service was excellent even though it was so busy. I would definitely go again when next in the area.Very highly recommended. I would advise booking in advance.

We were a small group who went for a birthday celebration. We sat in the beer garden and had the most excellent food I have had from a pub for a very long time. Cannot recommend highly enough, staff were excellent, great atmosphere. Definitely worth a visit.

The food was good but as the restaurant got busy (it was a Saturday night) it became difficult to have a conversation because of the general noise level - not helped by the wooden floors (attractive as they may be)!

The food is good, the steak and Stilton pie was gorgeous, the garden is quite pleasant and the the staff were friendly, but beer at £4 a pint is pushing it a bit !

Just a one night stay, but this had everything I needed. Quiet, good location, free wi if, great staff, a well stocked bar and superb pub food. I had the liver and bacon with buttery mash and a selection of veg. Totally delicious. Sadly I had to leave early in the morning, so missed breakfast, but I'm sure it would have been good too.Will I return?Oh yes

Hier met de familie komen dineren , zeer vriendelijke bediening , mooi menu , Zeer lekkere lambshank , iedereen was tevreden over het eten . Komen zeker terug .

I love this place. It's one of the few places around that serve a fantastic Sunday lunch. Good value, great veg selection, lots of meat and crispy roast spuds! What more can you ask for? Oh - and the Marshfield Farm ice cream is delicious!

We have stayed at the Bolingbroke Arms several times before and it just gets better.The room was one of the garden rooms at the back of the hotel. It was comfortable, immaculately clean and a very pleasant experience.We dined in the restaurant in the evening and had friends come to join us. All our meals were delicious and apart from eating far too much none of us had any bad complaints to make about it.The breakfast next morning was exceptional with us choosing exactly what we wanted. It was beautifully cooked and served early as we had to leave before the normal starting time for breakfast on a Saturday.All of the staff were very friendly and could not do enough for us to make our stay enjoyable.We will certainly be eating and staying there again

We went for dinner last night with myself and 8 others to the Bolingbroke as it came very highly recommended.My biggest disappointment came with the starter when it arrived, I went with the sweet chilli tiger prawns (@£6.95) and much to my surprise there were only 6 of the smallest tiger prawns I've possibly ever seen in my life, the dish was tasty, but literally nothing of it, we also had some garlic bread which was very tasty.The mains were as expected, the homemade pies were pretty tasty, with a side of mash that was so small and thin it was almost pointless having it, the vegetables served with it were all fresh and tasty.The chocolate torte pudding was fantastic, and a reasonable size portion, one of the nicest I've ever had.The service was fantastic, couldn't fault the server's at all, absolutely everything you would expect and more, very polite and helpful, even when I did complain about the pitiful portion of starters I had.Don't get me wrong, the food was good, but not great, everyone enjoyed what they had, even if the portion sizes were suitable for a small child.I like my food and like to feel like I've actually eaten something when Ive left, but after eating everything I did, I still sat there at the end feeling a little unsatisfied.Service 10/10Food quality 8/10Portion sizes 5/10Price 6/10All in all a little overpriced for what you get :(

We went to celebrate a birthday, that was my first time there, and found delicious food there, probably one of the best meals i had in a long time in Swindon. We brought a cake from home, they helped us to bring it at the end of the night. Lovely service. Highly recommendable if you like to eat good and tasty food.

I had a wonderful lunch with a friend after hearing many good things about the food. Service was friendly and helpful. We decided to share a garlic bread starter which im glad we shared as is was so filling. My friend had the steak and Stilton pie which she was kind enough to let me try and we both agreed it was delicious. I went for the steak sandwich with chips and again both were delicious. We even managed to share a chocolate brownie for pudding which was wonderful. I would absolutely recommend to friends and family and will be returning as soon as possible.

The food was fantastic, excellent choice of beer and the service was brilliant. We were able to book in advance. The atmosphere was cosy and welcoming. The venue would work well for families, large parties (in the restaurant) or couples in the bar if you fancy and very well cooked and informal meal. Best food I've had in ages and the service is very good. The right pauses between courses so you don't feel rushed but you don't also get frustrated with long waits to get service.

We were rather disappointed with our food because we had heard good reports about this pub. My friends had the beef and Stilton pie but found that the Stilton overpowered the beef and their chips were tasteless frozen chips. I opted for the liver and bacon. The liver was overcooked and the onion gravy disappointing. What a shame.

WonderfulAttentive staff.Good selection of wines and beers.CLean and pleasant surrondings.Plenty of parking and fantastic foodTen of us and no complaint......unheardof.....Would definately go again

Visited here for the first time with my wife yesterday at lunchtime. The pub and restaurant were both busy with people who had booked Christmas lunch.We found a cosy table in the corner which had a great atmosphere. Both my wife and I enjoyed our meals. Menu varied, food great quality and service efficient. We'll definitely be back

We visited the Bolingbroke Arms for a pre Christmas lunch. Reading some of the other trip advisor reviews I did wonder if we had made a wrong decision in choosing the Bolingbroke but that was not the case. Although it was quite busy our drink order was taken quickly giving us ample time to study the extensive menu. The food order was taken and the starters were soon with us. All the starters were excellent and good quantity. The main courses arrived in a very acceptable time and again all the dishes were of excellent quality and plenty of it. Four chose mushrooms as a starter and one had the goats cheese tartlet. For the main course three had sausage and mash, one a steak and stilton pie and one the liver liver and bacon, again all of the meals were much enjoyed. Overall good service, good food and pleasant surroundings. Visit and enjoy!

We came here for the first time. We had the burger and fish cakes. The meal was ok, I wouldn't rave about it wanting to come back in a hurry. There wasn't any of my partners favourite lagers available either and we had to wait awhile for the pudding order to be taken down; we had to flag the waitress down in the end as she never came back to take the order. The table wasn't the best placed for us as it was near to the kitchen and other noises party guests.

This is my daughters favourite place to eat so where else to celebrate her birthday . Service was good and staff very helpful. The meal was delicious and large portions.Overall I can see why she likes it so much. Would like to go back in the summer as the garden looked great.

I often will go here for food after a hard days fishing in Hook. The food is always of a high quality and the staff always go above and beyond to cater for your needs. Lunch menu is very good and this place is lovely in the summer.

So we came here today for my partners 40th birthday. As seems to be the case when we have eaten here before it was extremely busy. The table next to us were complaining as to the whereabouts of their food when we arrived so we realised we were going to have to wait. It took a while to get our first course, we all ordered starters which were delicious and went down very well with our group of 7.Then our mains arrived after a long wait. Like I said it was busy and we realised we would need to wait. This is the horrible middle - We ordered our veg to have no butter, unfortunately the chef or whoever is in charge of doing veg didn't read the ticket and prepared veg layered in butter. It went back and we were told it would be a few minutes. We had 6 roast dinners ordered and apart from the vegetarian, the rest of the dinners were served with a drizzle of gravy and were really dry, because the staff were waiting for the veg I had to get up to order more gravy and get condiments.The vegetables arrived and by this time my dinner, (which looked nothing like the sausages and mash that were served on another table) and the chicken roast dinner were cold. My mother started eating the veg and said that she thought the veg had just been rinsed as she could still taste butter. I went back to the bar again to ask and was told by a young girl it was fresh veg. I explained what my mother could taste and then the only helpful member of staff at the time said she would check.I returned to the table to then shortly have a visit from the chef herself. Who told me "I am sorry for the mix up but I can reassure you that the vegetables are fresh". I said ok and thought that was it. We carried on eating and within minutes a young girl appeared with two plates of vegetables and in a tone said "My boss has told me to come and prove to you that you have new vegetables because the staff will have these. (putting the dishes closer to me) These are the ones with butter not the ones you have."I was horrified and embarrassed. My parents couldn't believe the rudeness and there was no need for it. The chef had apologised for the mix up and confirmed it was fresh. Sorted. No need for it. I didn't want to cause more of a scene than the young girl was making so my reply was OK. What I wanted to say was that her boss should have better manners. It was then at this point when a shot glass turned up with some crackling in for my brothers roast pork. He was actually almost finished with his dinner and we found this to be amusing and just demonstrated the lack of organisation in the kitchen. Dinner was finished and the restaurant was lovely enough to bring out the cake I had brought with some of their candles as I had left mine behind. Unfortunately no one came to ask if we wanted coffees so yet again I was up at the bar. I'm so disappointed with the birthday meal today because it shouldn't have been as chaotic as it was. Like I said it started well and ended ok, just a shame the middle was average if that. The Bolingbroke serves great food and if the timing is right you should have a great experience. I just think that they take on too many bookings on a weekend and can't cope with it I the kitchen.

Had a quick evening meal here mid-week as our kitchen was out of action. We were directed to a little table in the bar area as apparently the restaurant was "all reserved" (it was just as deserted when we left as when we had arrived). This would not have been an issue but for the table next to us watching loud football replays on their phones while we were trying to eat and have a quiet conversation.The staff were friendly, although the barman / manager had a rather patronising manner.I had "braised steak" which was advertised as being accompanied by bubble-and-squeak, and the menu seemed to offer a choice of potatoes to go with that. I was advised I could swap the b&s for chips, but not have chips. In the end I opted for chips as a side, but wished I had swapped them instead. The beef was OK, albeit not particularly tasty, but the "bubble-and-squeak" was basically some mash (probably packet) which had been mildly browned on one side. There were no other discernible ingredients. The chips and veg were fine. My wife had fish pie which, once again, consisted of at least 80% mashed potato. A good way of filling up the customer, but not big on taste or excitement. We finished up, paid quickly and went on our way. Not a particularly thrilling experience. I think the venue has probably changed hands because it used to be better.

Lovely little place, beautifully decorated inside and out very cosy. Food was fresh and tasted delicious, staff couldn't have been more helpful.

Stopped off for a light lunch. Sat in the garden and had a very nice sandwiches that came with some lovely chips. Quick service very pleasant.

We booked for a family Sunday lunch and had a really lovely time. The service was excellent, the staff were warm, friendly, attentive and nothing was to much trouble. I really liked the choices on the menu it was varied so ticked all the boxes for my dmeaning family. The food was fantastic it was plentiful, hot and delicious. We sat at the front of the pub which I think was the best area although the garden was very nice but still a bit chilly at the moment. The only reasons I haven't given 5 stars is firstly some of the dishes had items missing from the plates cauliflower cheese, Yorkshire pudding, apple sauce. The attentive staff were very quick to remedy the situation though. Secondly the ladies loo, although spotlessly clean, could do with some attention. The toilet I used was bit wobbly. Small details but it's such a shame to fall over on something that's easy to sort out. In short I would heartily recommend The Bolingbroke Arms Sunday Lunch.

I recommend this lovely restaurant the food is amazing! The staff make very welcome and are very efficient.

Booked for 14 of us to have Sunday Lunch here on 10th April. Overall a very good experience. Food was wonderful ambience was good and staff were very helpful and friendly. As a group of all adults bar 1 child we paid an average of £20 a head for Main and a dessert and it was well worth the price.My only little gripe and hence only 4 * was we arrived at 2pm and did not receive our meals until 3.15pm which I felt although we were a large group was a little longer than I would have expected and am just thankful that we had an extremely well behaved 4 year old with us.If your looking for a much better than average Sunday Lunch with great food and lovely staff then this is worth a visit.

Has Sunday lunch here a few weeks ago and it was thoroughly enjoyable. A little on the pricier side than some pubs but worth it. Am booking for another Sunday so will see if the standard is maintained!

I'd like to thank all the staff at the Bolingbroke for providing a superb Xmas lunch. They couldn't have done more, excellent service. The little touches of the box of chocs and Xmas card on the table was lovely! The food was great with additions we hadn't expected.Having had a disappointing experience last year at another establishment in the area, this more than exceeded our expectations and we would be happy to do it again.Many thanks to all of you a happy new year!

We spent a friends birthday enjoying a lovely meal at this pub/restaurant. The food was excellent and the ambiance was great. There's a good menu with a variety of specials on the board and the overall bill for ten people was reasonable and we didn't stint on the food or drink. Although it was the end of November, it already felt christmassy. One word of warning, check your bill as we were charged for two extra main meals, a not insignificant amount. You could easily miss this if there is a crowd of you. This is something you should check wherever you eat as we all make mistakes. Once this was pointed out, they quickly corrected the bill and apologised.

Ate here last night with the missus. I have passed this place thousands of time and always thought it was in the wrong location and just did not look to be a pub, restaurant or hotel. Anyway the choice was not mine to make so in we went.Its all rather nice to be fair, a warm welcome....and while a bit of furrowed brow action when asking did we book for a near empty restaurant; they managed to get us a seat. The surroundings are nice as is the Arkles ale, the restaurant could be a bit better served in set up and tables, but the food was served quickly, and was excellent. As the evening warmed up, the whole place came rammed with eaters of all kind. A bit of a find which the Angel - local eatery in Bassett could learn from. Drop the prices, serve great food and served with helpful smiles.

Lovely lunch, best chilli loaded potato skins i ever had, lovely pie. Really really nice food. Reasonable prices

When we first arrived a gentleman could not find the booking then when they got someone else to look, it was there! We were showed to our table & it was laid for 5, we were a group of 5 adults & 2 children! She said "It was definitely booked for 5" I said well certainly not by me! We were told they were fully booked but she would speak to her manager, a couple of minutes, she came back & said if we could wait then they would set up a table for us. So they did have room & were not fully booked! We were given a bottle of wine for our trouble which was ok but maybe a dessert for the kids or a free meal for them as well. I don't know if I was asking too much, but it was an inconvenience which we did not cause, The food is lovely, apart from the chips, & I would go again. I just hope the booking system improves!

We booked a table for 6.30, pleased to be able to eat early, and chose a table near the window looking out to decking, a meadow, trees and - a red shed?!An inauspicious start was caused by a wobbly chair, a badly cracked glass and thin paper napkins.This was however more than compensated by the excellent food - beef, pork,fried veg, and the very good tiger prawn and mushroom starters (not together).The staff were eager to please and always helpful, and I look forward to our next visit.

Not really very great. Not particularly cosy, staff not terribly attentive, mistakes with the orders, food not impressive, coffee cold etc.

As part of Clive and Tom's 2015 HEC survey - The Bolingbroke Arms at Hook - scored as follows:(Scoring process at http://hameggandchipssurvey.yolasite.com)Very popular gastro-pubbish hostelry. Not as pretentious as the last time we visited but definitely a restaurant that serves drink, not a pub that serves food.HAM (Score: C-7 T-7 Total= 14/20)Average to good. Nice colour and taste but very (overly) thinly cut.EGG (Score: C-3 T-2 Total= 5/10)Poor. The whites were very badly bubbled.CHIPS (Score: C-3 T-3 Total= 6/10)Pretty standard.ACCOMPANIMENT (Score: C-1 T-1 Total= 2/6)This lettuce needed a crutch, it was so limp! Disappointing, not fresh and no dressing.PRICE (£9.50 scores 2/4)OVERALL (Score: C-14 T-13 PRICE-2 Total= 29/50)A pretty average HEC. No distinguishing features. An OK meal but the eggs and salad could do with big improvements. OTHER COMMENTS:We thought we were in for it when the waiters turned up sporting black buttoned up John Wayne style shirts. Seems to be the norm for the posher pubs. Disappointed we got no bubble and squeak (in addition of course!), as per the menu.

poor service, poor food quality and poor attitude from staff members. They obviously can't cope with large groups of diners and if you take my advice don't go it's very expensive for what it is. Bland pub grub

have dined here on several occasions previously, though not for about 18 months. My friend and I were looking forward to a joint birthday lunch. We arrived a little behind a large party. The waitress (who was serving almost the whole busy pub) took our order quite quickly. After almost an hour's wait we got our food. I'd ordered chargrilled gammon. I could not get a knife through it. It was like shoe leather. The egg looked like it had been frazzled and was hard. Although the nice waitress took it back. I was unable to order the alternative fish as they'd run out of it (at 1pm on Friday lunch!). I reverted to another gammon steak which was just edible. Very disappointed, and when we paid our bill, there wasn't even an apology. Won't go back in a hurry.

Spent a night here after looking for somewhere to stay at the last moment.The staff were very welcoming the room was clean and comfortable plenty of tea and coffee available in the room. Restaurant was busy

A pleasant Arkells pub, which has a good food menu and a number of daily specials. My wife had the scallops with crispy pancetta and salad leaves to start. The three scallops were nicely cooked and juicy but the starter was rather over-priced at £7.50.Her rump steak main course was accompanied by a large portion of new potatoes, mushrooms, fried onion rings and a peppercorn sauce in a separate pot. The steak was cooked as ordered and quite tasty but slightly chewy. I ordered the pork medallions in a cider and stilton sauce with cheese/apple dumplings. The dumplings were deep fried and very filling, although a little oily. A substantial dish of vegetables (red cabbage, broccoli and carrots) accompanied our meals and I also had some very crispy thick cut chips.The portion size of the main courses was very generous and you certainly won't leave the pub feeling hungry. Service was polite and efficient.Prices are more akin to a hotel/restaurant than country pub but equally the menu is more upmarket than basic pub food.

We've used the Bolingbroke a few times now and every time the service and the food has been excellent. It was no exception last night when we visited. Good choice of food, large portions and quick service. Highly recommended!

Real old school Sunday lunch, forget that dreadful gastro pub pap, this is a plateful of meat and Yorkshire pud with a side dish of veg. Smashing pudding, I suggest you share puds as they are very generous. Staff very pleasant, food good, draft Guinness fine, what more do you want. Works out about £20 a head, which I reckon is spot on for what you get.

Myself and 3 others visited here last night- 14th February.Originally the table was booked for 2 people, but rang last Sunday to enquire if we could ad more to the party, which was no problem.Once there, shown to the table and seated straight away, drinks followed mins later. There was a valentines day menu, 3 courses for £30 PP. Food orders were taken quickly. The food was lovely, amazing taste (all 3 courses) and the portions were huge.We all had the duck, cooked to perfection.My partner and I shared two desserts, the rum and raisen cheesecake and the chocolate torte. The portion could of served 4 people, although we did manage to poish it off. The chocolate torte was VERY nice, a chocolate lovers delight- be warned it is very strong.Bill came quickly at the end.I would go back in a heart beat!

Was there for a dinner with friends. The place itself is reasonably clean and easy to find. Menus given to us matched ones on their web site so you can have a look before you go.Service is very strange - we've been served with 2 waitresses - one reasonably competent and one not quite sure what she is doing. Resulted in everything have to be repeated to her twice.Based on the menu the place had aspirations of a gastropub - choice is wide both for starters and mains, and include items such as king prawns and scallops.I had Duck spring rolls and pork medallions. Spring rolls: 3 pieces of unsavoury overcooked spring rolls with pulverised beef inside (to the point that most people would probably not recognise it's duck).Pork medallions were drowned in severely burnt white sauce that smelled of burnt flour and had extremely sour taste. Beer (Wiltshire Gold) was alright.We run check of £35 per person which given quality of food is appalling waste of money.Will never return.

The place was heaving and it was difficult to park but to understand why it's so busy on a Sunday well you only have to sample the Sunday roast.We had 2 Beef & 2 Chicken both cooked to perfection. The service was 100% and the landlord was polite, chatty and caring about the quality of the visit. You can't ask for anything else.This is a stunning well appointed pub just a few miles from RWB, there is plenty of free parking but the road can be quite fast despite it being a 40mph limit; cars often speed at 60+ meaning entry/exit to the car park can be complex or dangerous.

Having eaten here in the past I was very much looking forward to eating here again. Starters were fine....then things went down hill fast. I was given charred dumplings, they smelt absolutely burnt. I sent this meal back and asked for another. My husband was given a cremated steak instead of a medium one. this went back also, He had to wait 25 minutes! In the meanwhile Our two friends had eaten their meals.... and I had sent another burnt offering back. I had given up at this point and didn't want to be eating alone so I ordered a soup and bread.....purely out of necessity I was so hungry. My friend had had the soup earlier and it looked thick and hearty, however mine was `watered down and totally tasteless. This went back also. Had to rely on a cheese board.....Cheeses where not available and chutney appeared to be burger relish!!! Altogether Very disappointing and no apology or sympathy from the Management, all He could do was argue and tell me I wouldn't be charged for my meals!!! The menu here has not changed in years.....so I would have thought the cook would have perfected the dishes by now?.

Phoned to make a booking for 65th birthday meal and was told that it wasn't necessary. Then turned up only to be told that they were full as they had bookings about to arrive. Pretty disappointed with the attitude of staff, sometimes an apology is just not enough. However had a perfectly acceptable meal at the nearby Churchill House who were happy to find room for our small party.

I found my stay at the Bolingbrook arms simply fantastic.The food was very good,The staff very friendly and will to help ,it's so nice to see staff that are happy and enjoying their jobs Thank you all for a lovely experience Well done

We went for Fathers Day lunch as a family of 9, unfortunately we will not be going back. The staff were really welcoming and great service but the food was of poor standard. One of meals arrived at the table cold and i nearly broke a tooth on the base of my Vegetable Tart it was that hard! My Dad ordered the Pie which came with new potato's, the looked and tasted awful, soft and spongy in the middle and if i didn't know better i would say they were tinned! My son had a child's Roast Chicken, this was like rubber and and the potato's were cold. The other meals were ok but for the prices charged they need to be vastly improved!!.

This was my third visit to this pub/restaurant/hotel. I have never stayed overnight here as I live locally, so cannot comment on the accommodation. The first time I ate here was about 6 years ago and the food, although it look good and plentiful, was obviously microwaved to an inch within its original life! It was chewy and tasteless.We heard that this place had since "changed hands", so decided to give them another go about 2 years ago. It seems that the previous owners handed down the "cardboard flavoured", microwaved, "speciality" recipes! We said we would never go back after that but stupidly, we thought..........third time lucky. We therefore revisited one lunchtime last month - May (2014) but decided against having a meal. We bought a beer each (ridiculous price!!!!!! Must be the most expensive Arkells pub in Wiltshire!!!!!!) We saw other cusrtomers' food orders and as before, it all looked plentiful, but unlike other eating establishments, there was a distinct lack of that lovely food aroma. It all smelt like cardboard!!!............so presumably, food is still re-heated in the microwave. AWFUL! We will NEVER return to this overpriced, over-microwaved-food establishment again. I would have only given this review one point (i.e. TERRIBLE), but as the bar staff were so friendly, the extra point is for them only!

A nice looking pub just enough out of the way to feel out of Swindon, but close enough to pop in for lunch. Plenty of outside sunny seating.We had real mixed feelings. A very good steak and Stilton pie left one of us feeling quite well disposed. But other half was disappointed by a beef bourginon "special" which seemed to be very similar to the pie contents (substitute Stilton for a bit of bacon).We had waited for the opportunity to express our views, but no-one ever asked us how our meal was, a common courtesy in most establishments? So on balance, average.

Popped in here on off chance and was very pleasantly surprised. Very nice welcome, and good service. We were given a choice of sitting in the main pub area or a quieter back room. Both were nice but we chose the main bar. Everyone in the bar seemed to be eating. It wasn't to noisy and good space in between tables. Good menu choice and the lamb shank was the best I've had in a long time. Will certainly go back again and recommend.

A solid menu, with well presented food. Nothing I could find to complain about at all. The food was good not out of the world but good. Defiantly better than a hungry horse but not going to win a star either. Would go back with out a doubt but would not make a point of doing so.

Have stayed there 3 times now for dinner and lunch and i was quite happy about the quality of the food

We stopped here by accident looking for somewhere to eat on a Sunday and were pleasantly surprised. The roast dinner was delicious lots of meat and a huge Yorkshire pudding, my only complaint would be that the selection of vegetables was poor and not very much of it. The staff were very helpful and friendly.

It was my birthday, and my son booked a meal here. We had been a couple of years ago, and remembered how good it was.On arrival, and ordering drinks, we were taken to our table. It was apparent how good things were, by the fact that the bar and restaurant tables were nearly full. We ordered starters, and main courses, and did not have to wait long for the starters to arrive. I had the garlic mushrooms, and it was delicious.The main courses were very good, and delicious. The steaks were cooked to perfection, and others who had the beefburgers said that they were great. We finished the night with deserts, which were fantastic.Drinks wise, there is a good selection of real ales. When the time came to pay the bill, we had a really pleasant chat with the landlord.This is a really good place to come for an evening out, with good food at reasonable prices, with a great atmosphere.

Excellent food, excellent service (helpful and cheerful staff) and NOT expensive. This has to be one of the best pub restaurants in this area.

Good atmosphere, good food, good beer. A few people have complained about slow service but we found them to be as good as any other pub serving food in fact better then quite a few we been too. The roasts were well cooked & hot plenty of veg and gravy, the beef was very tender with flavour. good all round.

We visited twice last summer and had a lovely lunch. Really lovely gardens with numerous benches/ tables to sit outside. Went inside to order staff are very pleasant and helpful. Ordered our food and drinks, good selection on the menu with backboard specials. Sat in the sun, thoroughly enjoyed our meal which were very generous portions. Stayed on for a few more drinks. Nice to have different dishes to choose from as many places have varieties of the same.