Chequers Inn in New Forest

Not an easy place to find but pleasant enough when you do. A bit rough and ready but a good locals pub and staff were all very friendly. Food was very tasty and served decent size portions but once again, as with so many pubs, the plates were stone cold which of course quickly cooled the food to an unappetising temperature. Sadly the real ales on offer were all pretty wishy washy and tasteless, even the apparently 4.9% one…such a shame!

Tucked away on the outskirts of Lymington at a half way stage for a very nice walk to Keyhaven. Not been for a couple of years and first impressions now? Pretty much the same rustic old place. It looked like the landlord and landlady behind the bar and they were very friendly and comical. Very welcoming indeed :-) However, the beer choice is shocking. 3 beers from the same local brewery which I cannot drink. Ringwood was better previously before they stopped brewing. What a shame. I went for a Thatchers cider instead. I know I am not alone here Ordered a nice cheese baguette for lunch for a very good price and it arrived promptly. 5/5 for food and service. We sat in the pleasant sunny garden. It was relatively busy for a place so hidden away and if only they can offer a choice of "decent" cask and keg beer then this place would be highly recommended and get a name for itself. Very nice to see sensible prices in a "posh" area :-)

Went for lunch on Friday asked what the was in the pie was told minted lamb when it came out it looked amazing but when I started eating it the pastry was hard like it was cooked twice and the pie was beef which I was disappointed with as I can’t taste anything very much so that’s why the mint is so nice the mash and vegetables where lovely I did eat most of it. When I asked the lady what the pie was she said lamb and mushrooms and I said it was beef and showed her she was very stern with her reply and never asked the chef or anything which I thought was strange so I paid IN FULL and left very disappointed.

Went to watch footy on a sunday Friendly atmosphere and decent food

Had the best ever plaice with samphire at the Chequers. Great chef, food is always good and so is the service. Lovely people work here

Rude waiting staff. I witnessed the waitress being very rude to a family eating outside and then was equally as rude to me when I asked one question. And don't even think about asking any of the staff for the WIFI code. We had heard pleasant things about the place and went for a meal, left after a quick drink. Maybe it was just a bad day, they weren't overly busy, early evening but everything was too much trouble.

Off the beaten path with option of lovely walk close to Hurst Castle to wet the appetite. My sea bass was very good. The beer was very good - a local brewery producing solid ale with no gimmicks.

Without doubt, the most unfriendly/grumpy Landlord I have come across in years. So rude in fact that one of his staff made a point of coming over to find us and apologise on his behalf. We were going to eat but decided to just have our drinks and leave.

Great place to watch world drift past sitting in beautiful garden

I am a Guinness drinker and an ex-publican. I love, support and promote the great British pub. Whenever I am travelling around the country, I always like to sample the local food and beer and MOST publicans oblige. This particular establishment was a) not very welcoming b) not very willing when I asked to sample a few of the local beers. How establishments think they can survive without basic courtesy defies belief especially in this business. Could be a one-off but put off returning. Wasn’t particularly busy for a bank holiday Monday and with that welcome, I’m not surprised.

Lovely beer garden and two big televisions

Nice pub, good vibe. Nice outdoor spaces. Food really good, reasonable prices and good portions.

Having tried several times to visit but being unable to park (only negative is the lack of parking) finally made it and wasn’t disappointed. Welcoming and attentive staff. Great menu choice and specials board with fresh fish dishes. Good quality food and generous portions, all at a great price. Definitely will return and recommend.

Great pub,lots of room,great atmosphere and dog friendly 👌

Lovely pub with a good atmosphere

Return visit to The Chequers and as good as ever. Great menu, staff & food excellent. Worth the journey and trip out from Bournemouth.

If you are staying at Hurst View, this is an excellent place to walk to for a pint or a meal. Great service and food, will be back next year.

Not the best experience one has had since coming to the area recently, burger was cold, small portion of chips not very seasoned

Lovely pub. Had dinner. Chilli was very tasty. Staff friendly. Great atmosphere. Good value.. Tables were clean. Reasonably priced.

A lovely relaxed atmosphere with great food served.

Super location Drinks good Staff friendly Unfortunately we both had steak . Not a good choice Tough and overcooked. Our mistake really as all the specials were fish My advice. Stick to the specials which will probably be fresh rather than frozen

Large pub offering food with a good selection of drinks. Great covered garden area where we watched England match.

Great place. What a gem. Limited time food is served though, so make sure you check.

gem of a pub in Keyhaven -we haven't eaten there -nestled in a really beautiful area ,teeming with wildlife -usually full of cyclists and walkers -lovely atmosphere -plenty of seating areas

Loved the pub. Real pub with people that are nice and relaxed. Everyone was really friendly and the trout was fantastic. Well done, everyone.

Didn't eat there but the selection of beers was well kept and they have a very good garden to sit in on a sunny day

Great atmosphere and good food and drinks, very good menu range

Advertise as food all day.. Don't believe it for a second. We turned up wanting an early tea only to be turned away saying not serving till 5.30pm. If you're not serving food from say midday till about 9pm then DON'T advertise that you're serving ALL DAY! God if we did this in the Lakes then there'd be uproar. You'd think in this day and age when pubs etc are struggling they'd welcome all the money coming in. Safe to say we won't be back here when down in the area again no matter how good the food may or may not be.

So this was a lovely little pub outside (?) Lymington. The food was fine. Probably not the best quality, given the price paid. The pub was nice. Had a good decor and a good atmosphere but on the expensive side. We had someone with celiacs disease in our group who was upfront with her condition and confirmed that the gf menu was gf. When the meal arrived, there was some confusion with the wait staff about the allergens actually in the food they'd served. Despite the menu saying the burger was gf, the menu or ingredients had recently been changed or updated and the staff didn't seem sure, which meant the person couldn't eat the food. After a fair amount of dithering from the staff, the person with celiacs disease was served something else after confirming several times that it was gf. Despite the faff, confusion and disappointment, there was limited apologies given despite the close call. What allergens are in what food really feels like the sort of thing that should be covered in the staff training and something that everyone in the team should be aware of. Left a bit of a bad taste in our mouth...pun intended.

Extremely welcoming and kind staff. Very large pub, divided up into cosier spaces. My husband and I stopped in for lunch while out on a walk. Great location for just that. Fabulous garden in the sun, and another outdoor space which is shaded.

Great place, lovely atmosphere, good beer, food, friendly staff. Lovely garden ready to enjoy the summer sun, a great covered courtyard from which to watch mainstream sport if the weather isn't so great.

Such a beautiful Inn tucked away in lymington, great place to stop after a beautiful walk along the coast .

Food & service just wonderful. Had been told by friends to check it out ,so glad I finally did. Portion size was over for me , but my family finished ! Arrived 40 mins early before my booking , was happy to wait but no need to, picked a table of choice with the weather wonderful we sat close to garden. Will return. 5 stars !

Sunday lunch of Sea Bass with Dill butter for me. Others chose Homemade Fish Pie . Absolutely fabulous. Almost too good to write an excellent review.

Delightful place for a family meal. Food always tasty and service impeccable. No.1 choice for us in Lymington.

Food standard here is well above standard for the price - I almost don't want to share this review ! The welcome is excellent - beers great and comfort and location just a few £ from Lymington by taxi.

We phoned and booked as six nations rugby was on, they reserved us a table between matches for our meal plus a table in front of the screen for the England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 France 🇫🇷 match 😀. The food and local beers were very good. The atmosphere was amazing and everyone was friendly. A massive thank you to all the staff who were all friendly and helpful despite being very busy.

Been here a couple of times. Run down needs a good clean .Food was mediocre. There’s always some guy who sits on a bar stool in these types of pubs Turns out he’s the landlord sitting there in his shorts. Please Sir but some underwear on it will put you off your food

Thank you for a warm welcome and a delicious lunch. Great food and excellent friendly service. 👌

staff where very friendly and welcoming table service is always a plus food was out of this world

Brilliant pub. Friendly atmosphere and Service. Excellent Food and selection of Ales. I strongly recommend a visit.

Really nice friendly pub good atmosphere good beer and tasty food especially after a good walk around the reserve. Been before whilst visiting Southampton and definitely will go back again

Excellent food, drink and service.

Fantastic atmosphere and excellent food. Best beef wellington ever. 5 of us ate and had a lovely time

Friendly as always starters were nice, I had Christmas dinner roast potatoes they were hard so were the parsnips sprouts slimy taste like frozen ones, gravey thin no taste, husband fish chips soggy batter watery fish not the best meal £60! I’ve had great food here before but certainly wasn’t the best today very disappointing … what’s changed

A really nice pub with delicious food and excellent service.

Not been since before Covid and glad to say it is still as good as ever. Serves good wholesome to a good standard and really seems fresh. Would not hesitate to return when next down from Oxford

What a fabulous pub!! Great food, really lovely pub!

Really friendly team, good quality food and lots of it. Only slight niggles were the fish pie was largely salmon and didn't seem to be any smoked haddock and lacked sauce and roast potatoes would be better if scuffed up before cooking to give a better crust. Lasagne was a child portion and very tasty, as was roast chicken and scampi. One of our fave places in Lymington area when visiting, just slightly below perfect this time.

Just had lunch at the Chequers, great food, friendly service and atmosphere. Going to say the best scampi and chips in Lymington!

We enjoyed our evening meal. However top tip for the chef, add the beer 4 batter (beer batterd fish ) just before frying to create the crispness, mine was flat and average 😭

We was welcomed at the bar very friendly people, lovely pub, we will go back to try their menu, dog friendly in the bar area and of course out side which is also lovely with a big marquee with heating we sat out side nice and warm even in November

Only had drinks. Pleasant local pub.

A lovely old country pub in the middle of nowhere. Proper traditional pub fayre with an open fireplace, friendly staff and great food.

Brilliant pub. Great food and beer / wine selection. Lovely warm cosy atmosphere and right by the coast with some good walks.

Superb place. Highly recommended.

Had a very good chicken and bacon pie last night at the Chequers. Food and service consistently brilliant here

A proper English pub. Friendly and helpful staff, nice beers and good food. Well worth a visit, we decided on the spot to come back again the next day.

Really good food and excellent staff

We stopped off on the chance of a roast and we were not disappointed. Lovely pub, great ambience, friendly staff. Choice of tables in restaurant, garden or sports tv area. Roasts nearly run out with just beef or vegetarian on offer but can 100% understand why. Generous portion of meat with real roast potatoes and parsnips plus lots of fresh veg. Homemade yorky and meaty gravy. Absolutely perfect Sunday roast at great value for money. Only shame was we had no room to try a desert! Highly recommend this gem of a place and will definitely return to try pork & lamb roasts.

If you like mussels, this is the best value in the area

Nice and cosy pub excellent food.

Old rustic cosy nice atmosphere. Indoor, outside dining area, live sports screen. Food lovely, table service lacking sat for ages, had to ask at bar for menu/order.

Nice to find its pretty much just as it was 20 years ago, still good food and drink in a lovely old English pub. I had the Moules and it was fab!

A nice cozy pub with a beer garden on a small diversion from the Solent Way. We were hungry but the pub only served food from 17:30. We had some nibbles and drinks in the garden and continue on our way to Lymington.

Booked the day before our visit, communication, welcome, service, drinks & food all excellent. Superb lunch, very welcoming host & very pleased we found this great pub.

Looked a lovely pub and nice when we went in from staff & pub but totally let down with the food. Caeser chicken & bacon salad freezing cold, tasteless and bacon very fatty. Scampi & chips ok. BBQ chicken ok

Booked online for a Sunday Dinner for a birthday after driving 20 miles only to be told by staff they had no booking and the Kitchen was closed...sorry mate what a joke after which found a much better pub Monkey Brewhouse who run a professional business, shame you cannot leave a minus star score.

Had a lovely lunch with our Niece it was a Monday so not crowded ..the food was lovely & hot & plenty of it ! Didn't have to wait long & service was very good & quick ! Has a lovely walled garden can eat outside & lots of different little eating areas inside...lovely old country pub & you can take a dog in certain area as well ...have been a couple of times & will definitely go back again.

What a lovely pub! Tucked away down a quiet lane, with some lovely walks nearby, and Lymington centre also not too far away. Very friendly landlord, who knows how to run a local pub which welcomes visitors. The food is good pub grub; tasty, good portions and well presented. Good beers and wines. Great garden and covered outdoor space. All you want from a pub! Don't ask about the Christmas tree!!

Been before was great, so booked for Sunday Eve. When we arrived, we were told we had to be quick as they were shutting at 8pm ( was 7pm). We said that wasn't enough time and why weren't we told that when we booked. Didn't seam bothered, so we left and went somewhere else that wanted our custom. Won't be going back.

Got taken here for my birthday what a let down after ordering two rounds of drinks when we asked about food got told it wasn't busy enough for them to cook. One of the party who doesn't drink asked for a coffee and got told they don't do coffee or tea very rude manageress who lost out on good business. Must have more money than sense. We later spent over £400 in a more friendly pub, won't be going back to this one.

Very warm reception and good food

Fabulously rude Landlord/Barman. Rude and unprovoked! Won't return any time soon. The rest of the staff were charming and helpful, but he ruined the evening with his surly, unpleasant attitude.

The pub is great and I am sure the locals get a warm welcome. It could be a bad day but the staff came across as dismissive and not welcoming. The food was ok. I ordered a prawn cocktail which was pretty poor. A spoonful of defrosted prawns and a poor quality sauce.

Visited the pub to watch the rugby while staying near by. The staff weren’t massively nice and one guy (who I think is the owner) nearly pulled a muscle rolling his eyes when I asked for some water. Food looked good but a bit expensive for what it was. Most of the garden for with the screen you couldn’t actually see the TV so if you’re going to watch there I’d say get there early doors so you can see.

Another lunch ruined by a dog! I am allergic to dogs and sat in the enclosed conservatory area which I assumed is dog free as the outside bar area is full of them! It soon became apparent it wasn’t as there were at least 4 dogs in there so we moved to the inside restaurant as if I’m close to dogs my eyes start itching my nose starts running and I get short of breath, its totally debilitating to me. We had only been sat down for about 10 minutes when in came another dog and the owners sat at the table next to us. I asked them to keep the dog on the opposite side of the table to us which they did for about 5 minutes then let it off the lead to freely roam! Totally inconsiderate and not just to those of us allergic but who wants to eat lunch with a dog poking it’s nose into you, disgusting! We moved table again to the only dog free area a small room and even then other dogs kept coming into that room, I had to point out to owners it was dog free but there was nothing to indicate that! More and more pubs and restaurants seem to value dogs over customers who either don’t like dogs or are affected by them. Who wants a slobbering dog under the table next to you when you’re trying to eat lunch. For me it is becoming more and more difficult to go out. I’m totally fed up of it! Restaurant owners get a grip and provide better dog free areas, humans deserve more respect than we’re getting.

Very disappointed with the food with the exception of the kids meals which were huge and good value. The mussels were awful! most were cracked or closed and the sauce was horrible. I had hoped someone would come to ask us how the food was so we could say something or at the end when they cleared our plates comment we hadn’t eaten much but no one did, we also had prawn and garlic cheese on toast which for £14 was an absolute rip off!

Avoid this place. There are two fellas working in the place (think one is the landlord) who raise grumpiness to a whole new level. The service is slow. The beer is just passable. The food is ok, when it turns up. Paul behind the bar is grump number one, the older, more rotund guy, probably the landlord, is like a bulldog chewing a wasp, but less endearing. On the plus side, it is a nice road to drive away from the pub on, very pretty.

Found this establishment whilst holidaying along the south coast, with numerous others fulling booked in the area, came across this place by chance. The staff were very accommodating such a last minute booking, arranging tables to facilitate us. The menu includes a good variety of dishes with most homemade and several options as specials. All chosen was delicious and evidently homemade. The pub is rather querky in decor and atmosphere, with three or so areas to dine and/or drink. Each of these has an interesting choice of decor, but generally includes a covered courtyard area, with live music, a more traditional bar area and a circus tent extension to the rear, aside from the bear garden. Overall the atmosphere throughout was very nice, would recommend booking as it was rather busy across all areas. Generally the service, staff and food were great. However, the separation of bar and restaurant staff meant that on two occasions when asking for condiments or drinks we asked the wrong staff member, who responded frankly that it wasn't their area. We did end up with all that was asked for eventually and would consider this a minor issue, as every other aspect was delightful. Would visit again and would recommend if In the area of Lymington.

Interesting to read other reviews, as we also had a very poor experience at the weekend. No disrespect to the pub but the landlord's behaviour was shocking. He was unnecessarily rude for absolutely no reason. Judging by his responses to other reviews he clearly doesn't care what people think of him. But I feel for the other staff who do their best to keep the customers happy. Pubs should be welcoming, I have never known such rudeness and we will not be returning.

Took my husband and son here while down on holiday. They both went paddle boarding one day and the next time they went on inflatable obstacle course. They both really enjoyed both activities. The staff were very friendly and helpful. There were gazebos up that you can sit under if you are spectating which is really useful as the 2 days we went the weather was really hot. Would definitely recommend here and we will definitely be going back again when we are down there on holiday.

We visited this pub as part of a group as we were staying at the nearby campsite. On our first visit the landlord was unwelcoming, unfriendly and unnecessarily rude. The rest of the staff were helpful so we decided to give a second visit a try. Well….the landlord, Simon, made even more of a lasting impression. His manner towards decent human beings is shocking. What on earth is this man doing in pub hospitality other than giving it an unfair reputation. We have always found English pubs uniquely wonderful but not here.

Where to start. I have just been in Lymington for a fabulous long weekend with friends in The New Forest a tourists joy… so you would think. We were camping less than a mile from this pretty country pub. On Thursday evening we walked to it and were confronted by an abrupt, grumpy and bad mannered landlord who didn’t seem particularly interested in our custom. I gave him the benefit of the doubt as we all have bad days…. I was to be proved wrong. On Sunday morning my wife rang to see if they would be showing the Women’s WCF. He said yes but had no tables left. We stupidly assumed like any normal pub, that we would be able to stand and watch… when we arrived we were told that there was a £10 per person entrance fee and then that my wife should have booked earlier and had more common sense… to which I suggested he was very rude.. he then told me to “trot on”….. This we did and had a lovely time watching the match at the very friendly and welcoming Milford Social Club with 5 large TV’s, bacon sarnies and delightful staff…. If you are on holiday near Lymington and you want a nice pub with a lovely garden, excellent food and lovely staff, trot on to the Gun at Key Haven. 13 of us spent a lovely Saturday afternoon there. 13 mains and 3 rounds of drinks.. the staff couldn’t have been more helpful. I guess if you have a “captive “ audience that only come once you don’t really care.

Really disappointing meal this evening which was supposed to be a family celebration. Food took over an hour and a half to come, and there were several issues - chips over cooked, salmon over cooked, burger chewy… and a very sketchy hair in the fish pie 🤢 Two of us didn’t eat more than one mouthful before abandoning and we pretty much all left still hungry 2 hours+ after ordering. The steak was good however by all accounts (although the sauce a bit over reduced). To shout out our waitress who was very clearly trying to manage the best of a bad situation, and who as a gesture of good will took some items off our bill. Had some difficulty when trying to (politely) engage other staff - including a man behind the bar shouting across the pub at full volume “THIS WOMAN HAS A HAIR IN HER FOOD”… Clearly a dodgy night where something had gone awry, but I won’t be coming back again.

Food amazing and staff so lovely

Popped on the off chance for something to eat and drink. Warm and welcoming. Nice outside seating areas as well indoors. Service was great. Waited roughly 10 minutes or so after ordering food. Food was delicious. Recommend the fish n chips. Definitely going back for another visit

Great place to shelter from the rain

After a walk around Lymington sea wall, an excellent place for food and refreshments.

Sehr zu empfehlen, durch Zufall gefunden, tolles Essen und leckeres Bierchen, nette Leute.

Great food great service dog friendly lovely atmosphere

Welcoming local pub with an extensive menu (lamb shank was delicious!) and friendly staff.

Great little country pub on the coast, hosted by a great team, me and my lad eat a lot of Burgers and we both decided chequers is by far the best, good pint and also dog friendly, would certainly recommend

Great food and great service. Excellent shelter from the rain on our camping and cycling holiday with friends. Excellent music.

Best Pub we've had. We've popped in accidentally as the pub we were actually heading stopped serving food before seven... We've been there three times. Saturday evening we've had pub classics. Bangor and sides - nothing to complain. We booked a table for the Sunday roast, since then we've been regulars. Sunday roast has been the best I've ever had. Next evening we arranged to pass the Chequers after a hiking trip to Hurst castle. I had the special offer: salmon fillet with potatoes and vegetables. I'm going to kiss the cook. Service is great, very good ales from the Ringwood brewery. We've been really sorry that we had to leave Lymmington after three days, otherwise we would have been in the Chequers more often.

Used to be nice but has become quite rundown, and the quality of the food has gotten worse over time.

Our most favourite pub in all of England! Most delicious food, very friendly and caring staff and lovely interior. Wonderful framed pictures if highland cattle!

Very welcoming and great service. We visited recently as a large group with lots of young children and they were so welcoming and accommodating which made what could’ve been quite a stressful trip out much easier! Lovely pub with a great garden area. The lasagna was delicious!

Great food and service as usual

Great pub near lovely walks on the sea walls