Carpenters Arms in Newark and Sherwood

This is a lovely place with very friendly staff. It's also dog friendly. Within a few minutes of sitting down, they bought out water and food for my dog, it was so unexpected and lovely. They have a good value "drink and a meal" menu. My wife had mussels, which came with a lovely seafood cream sauce and bread, and I had ravioli, which was also very nice. There's a very good selection on the menu, and I think it's going to take quite a few visits to work through it. There are numerous gluten free and vegan options, so it should suit most people. They offer some very nice cocktails, the ones we tried were very impressive. We also had something off the desert menu. There's a good selection, we had the cheesecake and it was lovely. We won't hesitate to visit again. Edit: We've been going back for a number of months, and absolutely love the place. The great food and wonderful staff really make this place feel ma Edit 2: We're still going back to this place. They've updated the menu to keep things fresh. I think they've done it a couple of times since we've been going. The food is still wonderful and the staff are all really lovely. Edit 3: We still love this place. They've recently won some well deserved awards. It's great to see such nice people do so well. Edit 4: We've just gone back after their most recent menu update. We tried a new dish, crab filled pasta, it's absolutely lovely. We will be back again soon.

Went for Sunday lunch with friends. Excellent dining experience all round.

Utterly fantastic! I can't emphasise enough how incredible the food was. The service was also excellent; attentive without being intrusive.

Wow! The food is absolutely insane. The menu is so vast it is overwhelming, and I'm a vegetarian so that for me is quite unusual unless in a vegan resto! The place is so welcoming and I had my dog with me who was beloved and made a fuss of by all the staff! You have to go, I will certainly be returning.

Incredible food, and staff, been several times and will continue to do so.

We love good food and as this was our anniversary we wanted excellent. So we looked for something different to what we would normally have. We have not had Italian food out of Italy. So we tried on tripadvisor recommendation the carpenters arms. Many years ago i lived in the area and this was our post football pint stop. much the same decor and layout so a little apprehensive. Unwarranted. The service from the moment we entered was top quality. the explanation of the menu. the locally sourced and home grown ingredients. the ethos of hearty quality italian food. No designer portions here Proper food proper portions (be warned ) we struggled with 3 courses ,the portion size is big. and you won't want to leave a scrap on your plate. It is to good. starters arrived calamares and mussels . we share and always have complimentary dishes. so we completed the Calomares first. They were cooked to perfection melted in your mouth,no overcooked rubber here . with a sauce in flavour profile we had never had, citrus sweet and chilli ( a little to sweet for me but the chilli cut through it and augmented the flavour without becoming to hot. we completed this plate before we looked at the mussels. served in a tomato based nduja sauce. Amazing and a full sharing portion to. filled the dinner plate sized bowl. served with a doorstep sized piece of focaccia bread. Already full we waited our mains. Again large portions my wife had the crab risotto I had the locally sourced "wild boar" sausage, being assured that it was from close by. wish i had took a picture the size of the sausage was impressive over 2 inches in diameter and the foot long sausage was served in 2 6 inch lengths on a bed of gnocci and tomatoes and half an onion roasted in rosemary WOW. The subtle flavours in the perfectly cooked risotto complimented the crab and made this an excellent counter to the rustic charms of my "wild Boar" sausage. already full but not a crumb left. to good . The compliment to any chef is that when you are sated you cannot stop eating until the food is gone because you are enjoying every bite . My wife insisted on a desert. so i went for the panna cotta ( expecting small light portion) and my wife had to try the .Tiramisu . my wife was shocked at the portion size with an oh no when the deserts arrived. again a dinner plate full. they looked beautiful . they tasted amazing ( best Tiramisu we have had including those we had in Italy) a Panna Cotta wobble that would have pleased John and Greg on masterchef . then melted in your mouth with a light creaminess to the flavoour surrounded in peaches raspberries and raspberry coulis topped with dark chocolate crumb. We could not waste a crumb to good!!! stuffed beyond comfort we went home for naps and have not eaten since and i think i might have to skip breakfast. I can not wait to return and cannot recommend this highly enough.

The food was absolutely beautiful, sweets are to die for ,and the staff are really pleasant, nothing too much trouble for the ,would highly recommend. 👌👌👏

We found this place after deciding to visit Clumber park for the day, and are we glad we did. Although there are no pictures due to the sunshine streaming through the conservatory, the food was awesome. We had porchetta Sunday roast, cod fillet on a lemon risotto and cavelo Nero rigatoni. Each dish was perfectly executed and extremely flavoursome. However, the foccacia starter was amazing! We will return, and very soon! Edit to this. We have now visited and sampled the daily menu (not Sunday) and wow, it does not disappoint. All the dishes are generous and extremely flavoursome and the staff are excellent and extremely friendly. Do go with an appetite, though! Just dropped in for a quick drink and some foccacia. Still awesome!

A proper Italian eatery! The food was fresh and delicious and generous. Excellent wine. A great atmos and lovely staff. An absolute gem of a place.

Our friends invited us their for our first visit,simply delightful place with outstanding food accompanied with some excellent helpful staff, Highly recommend this place to visit

Outstanding food, amazing service, fantastic atmosphere. We’ll be back to sample more of this delicious menu! We don’t usually write reviews but we’re sat at the table now feeling full and happy and I was just compelled to compliment this amazing place. Thank you to all the very friendly and attentive staff!!

Cannot recommend this place enough, delicious food, generous portions, great service.. a must visit!

The Carpenters Arms, Italian Restaurant has got to be a jewel in the crown.. We were in the area for the Torchlight festival weekend. Our friends 29th anniversary was on the Sunday so I booked for Sunday Lunch. This has got to be the best Sunday Lunch we have ever had.. We were greeted with a warm smile.. and that never stopped. The table service was 5*.. so polite and happy. Then came the food.. unbelievably the best Sunday Lunch we have had in a Restaurant for many a year... The meat was succulent, and the vegetable were cook to perfection. The portion sizes were ample.. so much so, we couldn't face a sweet... It's unfortunate that we live 160 miles from here.. or we would be visiting on a regular basis... Update... We are back in the area in late summer. Not wanting to miss out, I've booked a table already.. some 7 months in advance.. 👍👍👍 Update 2. We returned for the torchlight festival in August 2024. Again we booked for the Sunday lunch, and again, we were not disappointed. it was as our previous visits.. Wonderful service, the food was excellent. Although the cauliflower cheese and pigs in blankets are additional to the meal, there are a must, and more than enough in each serving for 4 people... as you can guess, we had another wonderful visit.... Thank you all...

Pub building with amazing Italian chefs! Traditional Italian food cooked well and extremely generous portions. Excellent service from a dedicated and friendly group of staff A must visit if you like Italian food!

What can I say food amazing staff brilliant what a lovely choice on menu one word describes it WOW 🤩 Would totally recommend this restaurant

Unbelievably tasty, super friendly service! Pasta Evangelists of Yorkshire 😍

Came here for dinner the other night and the food was delicious. Staff were very attentive. The mussels were amazing, the sauce was so rich and the pasta I had was so tasty. The cocktails were great too. My bf had the sausage casserole and he said it was amazing and the garlic bread sharer was massive so we took some home.

Lovely solo dinner. Good vegan options and vegan dishes. Very friendly staff, very welcoming.

Tremendous! Fantastic food and service. Top marks

Came here for lunch a couple weeks back and was blown away. Service was excellent and the food really does speak for itself, the 2 chefs here make everything from scratch and have really kept authenticity in the menu, they also grow 80% of their veg and it really shows. I have so much respect for them and cannot wait to return. Lived in South yourkshire for nearly 6 years now and eat out nearly every week and this was by far the best meal I've had since I lived here. Don't go expecting a lasagne or pizza as its not what they do, it's so much better and very traditional.

Lunch. On our way back home, we could not pass here without stopping for a quick bite to eat. A pub that serves authentic Italian food. We arrived with our two doggies Bobby & Freddie who were glad of the pit stop. It was a glorious sunny day and although they had some very nice seating outside,it was too warm for our boys to sit there. They were allowed to sit with us in the bar area. There are three menus to chose from. Garden menu if you're sitting outside. An A la menu and a lunch menu which we chose from. ZITE ALLA ARRABBIATA - Long pasta tubes, chilli, tomato, garlic, ricotta. SALSICCIA E SALVIA Handmade sausage, tomato sugo, mascarpone, mafaldine pasta. Both were £13.50 which included a drink. As soon as we had ordered, two dishes arrived. That was quick. "No this is treats for the boys"🤣 Great.The dogs are getting all the attention. They wolfed it down.That was a good sign,as they don't normally eat treats at other places. Next it was our turn. Two big plates of steaming hot, fresh pasta. Plus lashing of Parmesan grated over it at the table. Both dishes were Perfetto.👌and so tasty. The staff were so welcoming and friendly. We shall have to return to have a good go at the main menu.

Great Italian - doesn’t look particularly enticing from outside, but the food is really very good.

Absolutely stunning food and incredible value. We went for our wedding anniversary as it is such a wonderful place. The staff are very professional and friendly, nothing is too much trouble. I can't recommend this place highly enough.

Food was amazing some of the best italian food ive eaten 100% recommend

Looks like a pub, serves food like a high-class Italian restaurant. The options were unusual, with huge variety through the starters that could be served as mains and the mains that are served as mains! I had the beetroot pasta with ricotta and pesto, and it was possibly the tastiest Italian meal I have had outside of Italy. My son had the wild boar sausage and gnocci, and even with a teenager's appetite, he couldn't finish it all. Pricey, but reflects the quality. Just dropped a star as it's quite incongruous surroundings for such high quality food. We were just trying to get home and left the A1 that was queued back for hours just for a break, glad we did. We were served by 3 different waitresses and they were all polite, professional and delightful - friendly and attentive but not imposing. Lovely place, will definitely go back. Unfortunately, we wolfed down the food before thinking to take any pictures!

What a place called in for lunch, we had booked but was OK at this time of day, the foodwas out this world , we a had different meals came out hot, we started with the bread it was great, the sweets and coffee's nice and hot, the staff ( all was very helpful), I was on crutches could not du enough for me, we will definitely going again, and the prices was good

What a place, the staff are some of the best I have come across in years, the food is simply stunning and they have a great selection of beers. If you are around the area, do yourself a favour and get a table booked. We will be back!

We had a lovely evening at the Carpenters Arms. The food was excellent. Beautifully cooked and delicious. Portion sizes were generous and we left heartily satisfied. One of the best meals we have had for a long time. Service was very good and we were made to feel very welcome. Thoroughly recommend and we will be be back.

Absolutely fantastic food, I especially recommend the bread (with olive oil, roasted garlic, balsamic) but everything we had was delicious. We ordered more than we could finish and the staff were happy to box up the rest to take home and they provided tips for reheating. There was really friendly and professional service in a comfortable environment. We visited for lunch earlier today and have already recommended it to friends and family. I'd love to visit again.

Food was amazing!! Service impecable, warm welcome and staff who couldn’t do enough. A lovely place, I’ve already recommended this to a load of people

We have been recommending by the friends. First time visiting and cannot say one bad thing ! Food is out of world !!!! Staff is absolutely amazing taking care of customers!! Absolutely coming back !

We drove quite a distance to get to the restaurant and it was well worth it. We had heard good things and they were all true. We all had the lunch menu for £16 including a drink. Terrific value. The food was really delicious and there was plenty of it. The glass of rosé wine was a good measure considering that it was included in the price. The staff were very attentive and professional.

Hidden little gem, easily passed. Food made with love and quality ingredients. The staff were happy, chatty and knowledgable about the food. Lunch time menu is a steal!

great staff ,awesome food and the selling of great pasta so good ,will be back

Iwe live in Kent,came to visit my brother & his wife who are regular patrons of the Csrpenters Arms. Wow,Wow,Wow!! The food is absolutely awesome, fabulous, it's such a shame it's 200 miles away, however, it will make me want to come back to visit sooner. Thank you to all the staff, you are excellent.

Not our first visit here but thought it time to leave a review. We spent Fathers Day Lunch here, following am 80th Birthday lunch the month before, and many times we have booked or called in. Its always a warm welcome and their home made focaccia bread is amazing. The food speaks for itself. Nothing is too much trouble to tweak or amend a dish to suit dietary needs or palate. John, Mateo, Louise and the team are all very friendly and helpful.

Stunning food and attentive staff. Would highly recommend.

We had a really lovely meal here whilst staying locally for a wedding. We booked ahead and let them know we would have 2 dogs with us. Sadly, this did mean we were relegated to a table directly next to the lavatories but that wasn't a huge problem. Upon our arrival we were greeted by seemingly the entire kitchen staff who brought our dogs bowls of meat and a water bowl. This was a lovely touch and meant that our two dogs sat quietly and contentedly throughout the meal. Food was nice, but maybe my lack of knowing quite what to expect got in the way of my enjoyment. Overall, a really good evening.

A great trip for lunch with the family after a morning in Sherwood Forest. Lots of vegetarian options, a comfy high chair, and baby changes facilities. The focaccia was delicious, as were the pastas. Portion sizes were good. Food served all day and Lunch special available til 4:30pm.

The Tuscan soup starter with was lovely but the spaghetti with chilli and garlic I had for my main was weirdly flavourless (couldn't even taste there was chilli in it, even though it seemed to be covered with it) Tiramisu for dessert which looked fancy but tasted pretty standard. Not worth 8 pounds. I had just come back from a trip to Italy and travelled from Nottingham to try this place out because of the great reviews and was ultimately disappointed. Also you're basically just eating in a pub, a family came in and let the kids run riot. Wouldn't normally be a big deal but when you spend 80 quid for a meal for two you expect a bit more. Not bad but certainly not up to the level I was expecting.

We visited this restaurant for the first time yesterday evening 11.06.24. I can't recommend highly enough, the food was amazing and the staff were attentive and helpful. We will definitely return.

Excellent Italian food, authentic, good size portions. We ate at lunch time and had to pre book. The atmosphere is very English pub with pop music in the background. Well worth a visit for the food.

Hankering for some pasta after a week or 2 of pub meals found this restaurant completely by accident (Thankyou for the big sign!) Great food, fresh and delicious , lovely staff and cosy restaurant. Long way from Italy but a worthy outpost of its food!

This place just gets better and better. The food is sublime, and the staff/service are amazing. If there is a better Italian restaurant in the UK, I'm yet to visit it. Stunning place, great wines to go with the great food, good portions, terrific value.

Such a lovely setting, very relaxed and friendly atmosphere with the most incredible fresh and tasty food. The staff are lovely and knowledgeable. Dog friendly.

Excellent food. We even met Paul Chuckle and had a selfie!

Quick service and good quality tasty food as always.

Really interesting menu. Enjoyed the lobster pasta. Lovely mocktail too. Also tried the duck pasta which was full of flavour.

Fantastic food, fantastic service, highly recommend!! My wife took me to dinner for my birthday and I was thoroughly impressed. The staff were very welcoming, chatty and accommodating. The food was tasty and came out so fresh, we couldn’t believe it. The calamari in particular was fantastic. All the pasta is made fresh of course. If you like authentic Italian food, you must try this place.

Nipped to have a snack and a drink outside. Food was amazing, staff are really friendly and we will be booking a full meal hopefully next week. Excellent service 👍

Well worth a visit for the quality 👌

Absolutely amazing food and service and made our little border terrier very welcome. Will definitely be coming again

Thank you so much the food was amazing compliments to the chef!! The waitresses where amazing very polite and professional, I love what you have done with the outside seating area it looks great, we will definitely be coming back soon .. Thank you 😊

My family and I had a very nice meal with really good service. "Just a like mamma used to make "

Had a really lovely evening here with my daughters. We couldn’t fault it, the food was simply amazing, the staff were all so friendly and professional and the atmosphere very relaxed. I’m now wondering which of my friends to return with as I can’t wait to try more delicious meals from the terrific menu. Thanks to you all and hope to see you again very soon

Amazing find! The passion for fine food shone from the moment we stepped in. Everything from foccacia to bresaola to pasta was homemade with love - slow processes, but where you really can taste the difference. Super attentive and friendly service. Wish we were likely to pass by again - would go out of our way to return!!!

Absolutely amazing food ! So grateful to have this gem on our doorstep. The Focaccia ( starter ) is a must !!!

Food was exceptional and really well price in comparison to pubs and restaurants locally got recommended a fresh filled pasta it was really nice service was also very helpful best around this area that I have been too.

What a joy to watch people who genuinely enjoy what they do. Service and food in this place are both carefully and delightfully thought through. Borderline genius in the kitchen. Recommended very much.

Wonderful restaurant. I really can't fault it. I've recommended this place to lots of people since visiting on Friday just gone and I will continue to do so. Absolute gem of a restaurant, so lucky to have it within a 30 mins drive. Christian, John and Louise have done a great job. The inside is simple and homely. The service was flawless throughout. Highly recommend. Well done everyone.

Went 28-03-24 after reading the great reviews and was not disappointed. We had 3 starters, 3 mains and 3 deserts and all dishes were delicious plus the service was good and it was great value. Would recommend and will return.

Amazing food, friendly staff, good for family’s and reasonably priced.

What an amazing find!!! Stay away for work and training and this place is great. Really friendly welcome and seasonal, locally sourced food that is incredibly tasty. They also make their own bread and its amazing. I would highly recommend.

Popped in on the off chance while travelling. What a find! The food was incredible. Locally sourced ingredients made with passion

First time of visiting and it certainly won't be the last.

Food is excellent and the staff are friendly. It is popular so book a table

Beautiful food, really friendly staff and very accommodating to families with young children and dogs. Can't wait to go again!

Food sensational service amazing atmosphere great we both lived it

Brilliant vegan food (non vegan mates said their food was "excellent"),all home made, veg from the garden, fantastic staff and service (really really helpful), great range of drinks... All in all a paragon example of Italian cuisine at its finest.

Some of the best food we've ever eaten.

It was my first time coming here and I have to say it's probably some of the best food I've ever had and I'd give more than 5 ⭐ if I could and hat's off to some amazing chefs who do some amazing food also the wait staff were excellent and I would personally highly recommend it to anyone to come try this place.

My wife and I dined here yesterday to celebrate her birthday. The welcome by Matteo, as well as the one of the chefs John who came out to speak to us, was lovely. However, the food was superb where I had the focaccoa bread, the duck filled pasta, whille my wife had the lobster filled pasta, which was delicious where all ingredients were fresh. I would definitely recommend a visit to this gem of an Italian restaurant.

10 out of 10 from us, would Recommend it,staff could not do enough for you, will Definitely be back, 👌🍷

Well wasn’t this a find and who knew it would be on our doorstep! First time eating here and we will be back. Amazing food and lovely friendly staff. Could not believe the size of the prawns and the bread is to die for. Look forward to sampling more of the menu next time.

Once again great food and excellent service

Fantastic restaurant. Friendly staff who know their food and how to look after customers. Food was excellent. Would definitely recommend but advise booking. After visiting mid week we then tried Sunday dinner, this was fabulous too. A great place we will now visit often.

What a gem. Called in on a Sunday and although we hadn’t booked they gave us a table. Service and food excellent, will definitely be back!

Warm friendly staff , nice atmosphere, authentic Italian food, sells Taylor’s landlord. My wife is Italian and we live in Tuscany. Must go to restaurant when we are at home in the uk.

More tradition Italian food rather than your regular food.

Amazing food as usual.. great staff and venue . Lots of vegetarian options

Food was excellent staff very attentive but not intrusive. The best tiramisu I've ever had

Extremely good food, quick and friendly service. Prices were slightly higher than a typical Italian restaurant or pub, but quantity and quality certainly reflected the price. We went for a family lunch on a Sunday, and as well as some Italian options, there were also some Sunday roast options.

First time coming here and definitely will be going again. Food was delicious! The focaccia bread was recommended and was so good. we ordered it as a starter to share. Beef Ragu for main, which the beef melted apart and the olive oil brownie was so rush and tasty. Will be going again. And have already mentioned to others how nice it was.

Authentic italian fare. The foccacia was fantastico.

Delicious pasta and perfect service. Warm and friendly atmosphere.

There for lunch. Great food (excellent bread!) interesting reasonably priced menu & friendly attentive service. Bit of a gem really, would visit more often - sadly it's a 45 minute drive! More than 1 vegan/vegetarian choice (hooray!) - menu available on line.

Stunning, simply stunning! Great reception, we had booked a table. Attentive staff who paid wonderful attention and ensured they had heard everything correctly. Sunday Lunch - bring your appetite! Food of the highest quality and prepared beautifully! Not small portions, whether starter or main! Desert deserves its own mention! Was I on the Cinque Terra or Walesby, Nottinghamshire? Magnifico, Bellissimo! A birthday to remember. We will return.

Phenomenal, get ready for a delight in taste bud experience, Foccacia is home made and is an instant hit, the pasta, sauces, meat, deserts, I'm not going to spoil anything, just try it and all the missing words will suddenly appear... We are hooked!!!

Every time we visit the food is exceptional. They take pride in their heritage and cuisine. This hidden gem is highly recommended.

Good quality food, including freshly made pasta and hime made bread. Very reasonable lunchtime prices.

We had lunch there with friends and the food was perfect ,helpful staff and the focaccia was amazing. Well worth a visit

Absolutely outstanding, everything thought of, and the timings of everything is 2nd to none. Considering the amount of what you would class, young, inexperienced staff. They are nailing it. We stumbled across this place and will be back many more times. Keep the standards up, guys. You're killing it!

Everything is perfect in this establishment. Going to sell my house and move in!!! 😁

The food we had tonight was amazing. Attention to detail superb . Service excellent and staff very friendly. Certainly will be going back. Highly recommended

Delicious lunch with fab service. Can't wait to go back.

A really lovely Sunday lunch. Traditional, with an Italian twist. Very large portions. Definitely a second visit on the cards.

Always a favourite. Authentic Italian food, with lots of seasonal dishes. For example today there's pumpkin filled ravioli and pumpkin risotto

Exceptional food, exceptional service and cosy relaxed atmosphere. The food really is out of this world. The best Italian food we have ever had outside Italy. We can’t wait to go back.

Absolutely brilliant as usual.Food great and staff are a credit.

A fantastic meal, great service, definitely one to visit again xx