Cat & Fiddle Hinton Admiral in New Forest

My partner and I stopped at The Cat and Fiddle wanting a quick pit stop on our journey down in to the new Forest. Wow. I honestly was not expecting the welcome we received. As we walked in, we were welcomed by a lovely lady who we later found out is the landlady Barbara. Me and my partner were fascinated by the history of the building and Barbara herself started giving us a tour ....... we saw the 'corpse hatch' where Barbara jokes 'my bedroom is right above' got taken to the old fire place and had the full tour with Barbara explaining that the Cat and Fiddle might be, and definitely is the most historic pub in Britain. When you go, find Barbara ........ you can't miss her ...... it's a big place but if you ask her about the history, my word, I learnt more from Barbara than I learnt visiting Highclffe castle down the road, the tales of smugglers, toll roads and how the Cat and Fiddle has been part of it for centuries is fascinating. Don't feel ashamed to ask for Barbara ......... she adores the pub and its heritage and she will love to give you the history. My partner and I went popped by for a drink (which the options were extensive .......... I'm a pint man but my partner said the rose wine was really good!) I had a a pint or three of Staropramen as I wasn't driving, I could have spent many hours exploring this fascinating place with Barbara. My tip, visit mid week .......... don't hold back and ask Barbara about the history ......... you'll get the full tour! It's busy on weekends so don't hold me to it! Thanks Babs. Amazing food and a wonderful atmosphere ........ visit on a weekend and you'll see the famous red and white polka dot shoes

Me and my partner recently visited the cat and fiddle after hearing it had been taken over by new management , with this we came in for some late lunch . The service was excellent and chef harry cooked us the most amazing fillet steak , would highly recommend this establishment

I came in for a pint and stayed for the food. Harry the chef cooked us an excellent Sirloin with peppercorn sauce and oven baked mushrooms. We will be back again soon!

Attended the Christmas Showcase last night and what can I say; the food, the staff and service, the atmosphere and absolutely everything was outstanding. The Manager was amazing; she took time to talk to everyone and make sure they were having a good time. They had live music playing mellow jazz which worked perfectly. I will definitely recommend the Cat and Fiddle to all my friends, my family and my colleagues at work. I must say also that I visited the Ladies and even that was outstanding. Thank you everyone at the Cat & Fiddle for a wonderful evening.

My Wife and I were fortunate enough to have been invited to attend The Vintage Inn Christmas Showcase at The Cat’n’Fiddle at Hinton . On arriving we were Greeted with a Warm Welcome and our Host explained how the Evening was going to unfold he then provided us with a Drink and took us both into the main function area. The ambiance was amazing as gentle mellow Jazz filled the room from the live Trio of musicians. Throughout the night all the staff were outstanding as they brought out a never ending supply of exceptionally well cooked and presented dishes. In a very friendly and professional manner The Master chef Fabio and his team cooked and prepared all the wonderful food to a very very High and exacting standard We couldn’t find enough words to describe how amazing it was. Barbara the General Manager has taken this Country Inn to a new level of Hospitality Excellence and on the night it was a pleasure to watch her talk and make time for every person in the very busy room. I would recommend the Cat ‘n’ Fiddle without reservation. The staff both front and back of house will ensure you arrive a Stranger and leave a very Happy Friend. Visiting is an Absolute Must.

A lovely pub, recently refurbished & is lovely. The food was excellent, both of us went for fish & chips. Beautiful piece of fish the batter very light & crispy, chips crisp on the outside & soft inside just as they should be, served with mushy peas all tasted excellent. Better than at some fish restaurants. The desserts are awesome, pavlova with mango & passion fruit, big enough to share & banoffee choux bun. Great staff & highly recommend.

Great evening ,got timing wrong Barbara sorted it out ,lovely seating very good wine very good food very enjoyable evening ,will definitely be back

I had been to this place before as a child in 1967 when visiting the New Forest and was interested to see what it was like now. It's a beautiful place with loads of seating indoors and outdoors and our food was really good. My wife had a steak, and I had a huge chicken burger, while my granddaughter had chicken nuggets and skinny fries. All was delicious, and our waiting staff Caz and Barbara couldn't have been more attentive. A little on the pricy side but worth it for quality food. Parking is easy as well.

Great experience. Staff were very helpful and friendly with. Delicious food and owner came round asking if the food was good. Would definitely go again!

A wonderful place with an interesting history and a great place to spend a sunny afternoon with family. The staff were friendly and the food great.