Cricketers Inn in Winchester - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Four of us attended for afternoon Sunday lunch today. The food was incredible as was the service! Loved it!!

Good food and service, although slightly pricey (for example £20 for fish and chips)

Good food but the meat portions were small in the trio of Sunday roast

Sunday lunch was a lovely experience. We enjoyed a friendly greeting and from then onward we had excellent service. The meal was plentiful and looked delicious. The beef and the pork could both have benefited from a little more seasoning but maybe that was overlooked on a very busy warm summer Sunday.

We booked the Pavilion for a private party last Friday afternoon with pizza, beers and wine. We we were very lucky with the weather but everything was perfect. The pizza’s were great and the support from the staff was second to none. They were flexible with how many pizzas we had and same with the beers and wine. Very clean venue, safe enclosed garden for the kids which we shared with other customers and the pavilion itself is just lovely

Nice sunny evening, great food in a lovely garden

Firstly, I’ll start with the positives. We had booked a table and when located were seated briskly and both the drinks and food orders were taken quickly. The food took slightly longer than expected but it’s clear that it is cooked to order and there were other tables in (although nowhere near full), so all good. To be fair the food was very good and everybody enjoyed their lunch, however this is where the service started to fall down. Once finished and whilst our plates were being cleared we were asked if we wanted to see a dessert menu. Despite replying “yes please” this never arrived. As the staff member went past, (after clearing another table opposite us), I asked if we could order two Twister ice lollies for the children as we did still have the kids’ menu on our table. 10 mins later there was no sign of the dessert menu or the Twister lollies, so I grabbed a (menu) myself. Nobody asked if we wanted coffees or desserts (despite being walked past multiple times). We did, but by this point were getting the feeling that customers were an inconvenience for this staff member, so we gave up on ordering anything else and decided we’d just wait for the kids lollies. After 15 mins we asked the same staff member again for the kids lollies and were told they were on the way. In the end my dad paid (at the bar, table service had ceased for us) and after he’d paid I then asked the same staff member, for a third time, if we could please have the kids lollies (I mean they are wrapped from a freezer, not a big ask and certainly shouldn’t take as long as they did). The staff member then got them and pretty much threw them at me and declared that “they are busy, you know” with an eye roll. Just totally unnecessary. An apology would have been far better received…. Just to mention that the pub was nowhere near full. There were two members of staff out the front and the ratio looked appropriate for the number of diners in on a Monday lunchtime, however if they were short staffed, why not mention it? We would have been more than happy to order at the bar if asked to, but there had been table service from the start. When we asked for the kids lollies the second time this was at the bar and they still didn’t come. I was made to feel like an inconvenience for being there. There was no apology for the lack of (dessert) menu or the ridiculous wait (despite multiple requests) for two ice lollies from the freezer. I would have said something there and then but after essentially throwing the lollies at me, the staff member turned their back and walked off, so I didn’t have chance to. Perhaps it was an off day, perhaps somebody didn’t turn up for their shift. Perhaps the mood between the front of house and kitchen wasn’t great, but it isn’t the paying customers fault! Hopefully this review is useful to the management as the service and attitude towards the end of our lunch really did let down what could have been a lovely lunch.

We were staying locally and dropped in for an early dinner. Beautiful spot. Lovely garden out front with a play area for the kids. Two menus to choose from, the main menu and a Pizza Pavilion menu. The Food is excellent. We had pizza and a range of sides. The halloumi fries ( freshly made) are great! In fact everything we had was great. A perfect way to spend a Saturday evening in the sun. Nice wine menu with lots of choice. Staff all very friendly and service prompt. Will be back!!!

Pizzas were great and staff were very friendly and helpful. Beautiful gardens.

What's not to like? Very attentive staff, super service and my Asian beef salad was divine. Couldn't eat it all so enjoyed the rest at home. Atmosphere is most probably more congenital in the evening and we did start out outside but my pals were happier inside. Either way, a lovely way to wile away a few hours in great company. Compliments t o all staff and a suggestion of maybe a chicken, bacon and avocado salad as an offering before the summer is out? Thank you again.

Fantastic food really enjoyed my meal.The crispy beef salad was full of wonderful flavours. Atmosphere was really good and would recommend the pub.

Called in on a journey south and really pleased we did. Super location, lovely pub and great staff. The food was delicious too.

Great food and drink with a relaxed yet smart setting. Well worth a visit.

This is now our first choice for eating out locally. The menu is inventive and focuses on a manageable number of dishes, and changes regularly. The food is consistently delicious and after numerous visits I can promise it has never disappointed. This is a gastropub in name and in practice. Service is excellent, polite and friendly without being intrusive. Note that the service tip is included in the bill. If you want quality, skilfully made food, this is the place to go. An example of the British gastropub at its best.

Although the service was good, the whole experience was let down by the food. It was a mixed bag of starters, some being good and others being decidedly dull. I had the quinoa and goats cheese salad which was in my opinion was too big for a starter and was rather dull to be honest. The mains were even worse unfortunately with the chips being inedible due to the amount of salt that was put on them, which isnt good for anyone let alone someone with Diabetes, which basically ruined 3 of the 4 meals. The service was good and all the staff were happy and chatty, which was great. The only other issue is that when the booking was made we weren't advised that there was a live band playing, especially considering the website advised they have live music on a Thursday not a Saturday.

Best roast I've had in years. Staff were extremely polite and accommodating for my grandad.

Great food, pizzas are homemade in a pizza oven outside on the terrace. Beautiful gardens too

We had my daughter’s birthday party in the Pavilion on Sunday which was brilliant. The staff were so helpful and attentive. They went the extra mile and we really couldn’t fault them. It was great value for money and we were made to feel very welcome. We will definitely be returning, the pizzas were 10/10 and were thoroughly enjoyed by all.

We love this pub. The staff is always welcoming and the pub and garden are lovely. The main menu food is always delicious (could maybe do with an extra veggie dish or two). We used to love the pizzas here but they are no where near as good as they were last year. Probably won’t have those again - that’s really disappointing but won’t stop us coming for the enjoyment of everything else!

Fantastic, friendly local pub serving great food & drinks. Staff are the best!!

The service was good and friendly. But I did feel it was overpriced and menu limited.

We were excited to try the Cricketers Inn today, having recently moved to the area and it coming highly recommend. The food all looked great but we didn’t get that far and the place was let down by the staff, and the manager. It is bank holiday Monday and we did not have a booking. We were planning on sitting outside but it was a little cold so we asked if they had a table inside. They had 3 or 4 in the bar area so we took one of those. To note there were a lot of tables free outside and still some unoccupied in the restaurant. It was busy but not rammed. We were given menus and ordered drinks. After we had had a few sips of our drinks we were told there was a wait on food and we weren’t even allowed to order food as all the people with bookings were priority. (it was before 1pm). Fair enough if it was really that busy, but the way we were spoken to was as if we were second class citizens for not pre booking, rather than good paying customers. I said we were not told this prior to ordering drinks, and we could not wait that long as we had to feed our toddler. The manager came over and was extremely rude, again made us feel like we had done something wrong by not pre-booking, and made us pay for the drinks. We will not return, solely because of the staff.

Very average food. Only acceptable due to the good service from the staff. Overpriced for what we had but hey ho that's the story everywhere in places like this. Sign of the times I guess.

First time in this pub. Very friendly staff. Pie of the day was lamb and thyme with mash and wilted greens. Delish! Dessert was rhubarb and custard, but not as I expected. Cubes of set custard (blancmange?) Strips of rhubarb, soft meringue, clotted cream ice-cream and light shortbread biscuits. V tasty. We'll be back!

Food was amazing, wasn't stingy on the portions! Recommended the fish and chips, staff very friendly, a lovely pub . Looking forward to going back for a roast!

My partner & I came in for lunch after seeing the place passing by. I have been here previously as a child but a lot has changed since then for the better. The restaurant area was a nice setting very clean & plenty of space between tables. The staff were nice & professional. The food is very good & very well priced for what you get. We will definitely be back again

5 star food and service one of the best pub/restaurants in the area. Cool pizzas are back as well.

We had a great birthday meal here, everyone had lovely food, main courses and dessert. It was a Thursday night and fairly quiet, so the atmosphere was a bit subdued. It was also a bit chilly, which turned out to be because their boiler was not working, which I'm sure they have fixed now. Booking was through OpenTable and nice and straightforward. We didn't bring the dog this evening, but it was nice to see that they offered dog-friendly and non-dog friendly tables during the booking process, as you often have to phone when bringing a pooch.

Decent restaurant with a great menu and fun play area (for kids) in the massive beer garden. We've been numerous times, and it never disappoints.

Absolutely delicious food, friendly and quick service, it is a very nice Pub, totally recommend it. Keep up the good work. Thank you

We visited as a group for a birthday lunch. The team were very accommodating to us. Food was delicious and service wonderful. There’s a lovely big garden, great for kids to run about. Will definitely be back again and again.

Excellent roast dinner. Great service, prompt and polite. 100% coming back again!!!

Great place, great menu, great food, dog friendly and offer gluten free options well. Definitely going back 😁

We came as a family of 6 on Easter Sunday and it was our first visit so your always a bit nervous of what the service and quality of the food is and we were really impressed with the the food offerings and drinks. Gluten free was well catered for too and the wine list was impressive. Fresh local produce and presented beautifully. Lovely staff and very attentive even though they were really busy, we all enjoyed our meals and it was a lovely way to spend Easter Sunday. Definitely worth a visit 😃

My wife and I went to The Cricketers Inn with a couple of friends for Sunday lunch. The staff were very courteous and efficient and the waitresses were attentive, but not in your faces. The roast dinner's we had were delicious. We will definitely return.

Excellent pub & restaurant. Friendly polite staff

Eaten at this pub numerous times. Amazing family friendly pub, Sunday roasts are incredible, worth a visit. A drink in the beer garden during the summer is a must.

What a find! A warm welcome, a warm pub, and delicious food. We had the rump of lamb, which was not only sublime, but educated us about food - initially we had doubts about the combination of flavours, but how wrong can you be. We enjoyed it even more as a result. The dessert was equally impressive. Attentive waiting staff, friendly and helpful, with the tip included in the bill, and much deserved it was. I’ll be back to The Cricketers soon.

Absolutely loved it in the Cricketers. The food was amazing, the atmosphere is lovely. Such a great pub. The staff are just brilliant, so attentive and on the ball. Never waiting for a drink or struggling to get service. Makes the whole experience so much nicer.

Great food, friendly service and warm ambiance. I particularly liked the paradelle with duck ragu and squash pithivier both were absolutely delicious.

I hate a service charge, I really do. I tip well for good service but to expect it and charge for it annoys me.

It’s always a pleasure having a lunch, dinner or just a drink! Relaxed vibe, family & dog friendly, very attentive, quick to serve and always hot and delicious! My only feedback is to offer more salad choices. Caesars, Caprese, Greek, Multicoloured would be excellent choices, even for lunch!

First time here, and likely last. We were excited to try this pub and went with friends as a group of six. It was quieter that we imagined for a Saturday night. The decor is modern and clean but the lights seemed too bright to give a nice atmosphere. Service was OK but food disappointing. I had pie but it failed my second piece of gristle test. My wife had veggie pithivier which was underwhelming. In fairness, most of our friends enjoyed their food so perhaps just a case of bad luck.

Had our work Christmas lunch here and it was perfect. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Great food, staff were amazing.

Impeccable service from all staff even in a busy venue. Food was a little extra special than the usual pub grub and very enjoyable. Happily recommend to friends.

I came to the Cricketers Inn for a Sunday afternoon drink back in the summer and thought, wow, I’m going to love it here. On Friday evening, we decided to make the trip for dinner. It was much quieter than expected (probably as it’s NYE on Sunday) so the pub didn’t ooze atmosphere like I had expected. We got sat in the corner on a table for two which was ok but the restaurant lacks ambience with their glaring lights etc. The service was wonderful, I couldn’t fault anyone for their table service and assistance. When I looked at the menu, I was a little disappointed but then they offered the specials which I was immediately interested in. It was a choice between the sharing steak or a lamb burger. I choose the lamb burger but hadn’t seen any prices to enable me to consider this as it was just advised not shown on a menu. The meal arrived, we had both chosen the same and it presented well. It came with an Alioli garlic sauce apparently but sadly I didn’t taste that. The fries were amazing, really crispy and tasty but the burger not so amazing, truly if someone has said it was a beef burger not a lamb burger, I wouldn’t have been able to say for sure. I are my meal and paid the bill, £70 later for two burgers, 2 beers and 2 glasses of Pinot. I did feel a little like it wasn’t everything I expected and for that reason, I don’t think I will come back but I do wish the pub well. Not everything pleases everyone and I’m sure if I did return I would be happier but perhaps for now, I’ll continue to enjoy the other pubs within a nearby driving distance.

Probably the worst pub/restaurant Christmas dinner I have ever had.. Not very warm.. Stuffed Turkey roll was similar to that found in an Iceland shop.. Dry and tasteless. It didn't come with roast potatoes and whatever the potato served with it was called.. It was awful greasy and smelt disgusting. My friend had a burger which looked good.

Had the most gorgeous time at the wreath making on Thursday! What a fabulous workshop and, as always, the food and service were outstanding. Thank you Stu, Sally, Emma and Jade- we can’t wait to book in for next year. X

We had our work christmas party here last night and it was amazing. We had a large group and the communication throughout organising was great. Sally & Stuart were very helpful and flexible with our changing needs and different orders etc. The Estelles were great and the food was delicious. I would highly recommend!

Wonderful evening, cracking food and great service. Definitely recommend 👍

Really nice food, friendly service. Been meaning to try here for a while and glad I did.

A lovely gem with great service. Plenty of seating indoors and out with good car parking spaces as well.

Food and service superb, best in the area!!!!!

The food and the hospitality was fantastic, I highly recommend and look forward to coming back. I travel around England for work and am always eager to sort out good local pubs, this place didn't disappoint. Support local businesses!

Really lovely ambience, super clean and staff so friendly and helpful, they really seem to care about their customers. Had there been more variety on the vegetarian menu I would have given 5* but just pumpkin risotto or burger. Nice but a bit more variety and I’d be a regular.

Fantastic afternoon tea. Cracking value for money. Mikey and Laura couldn't have been more attentive. So friendly, welcoming and kind. Superb food and service. The lovely staff even went the extra mile with lovely birthday messages and a card!!

Good food, nice owner and good atmosphere

I had roast beef which was delicious, the atmosphere was very good and the service excellent the only problem I had was that I had a knickerbocker glory expecting something resembling a knickerbocker glory in a tall glass when it actually came in a very small martini style glass with a teaspoonful of ice cream on top, this was a disappointment

Visited The Cricketers today for lunch the food was excellent perfectly cooked very tasty meals the staff were really friendly and helpful the service was quick and a sensible waiting time value for money? Yes would recommend this lovely pub you won’t be disappointed thank you see you again soon!

Excellent venue with plenty of space. Very friendly staff and excellent pizza's.

We have visited the cricketers a number of times, as locals to the area. However the last couple of visits the Pizza has fallen way short of expectations, given that there is now a specialist Pizza kitchen, this is nothing short of disappointing. On todays visit, we were celebrating a birthday, and what we received was simply not acceptable. As a table of 8 adults, with an order of 6 pizza and 2 a la carte. The a la carte dishes were eaten before pizzas even arrived. The waitress explained they were busy, but at least 7/8 tables in the garden were not even occupied. When the pizzas arrived, those that had been ordered with extra toppings were served without said toppings, we returned them only to be re-served the same pizza now with raw extra topping, returned again, served again within seconds with same uncooked extra toppings, returned for the third time, one arrived, with extra topping re cooked. These Pizzas had now been in the oven 3 times! The second however was still incorrect, the waitress asked, what am I to say to the chef? As if it was our problem that what was being served was incorrect. We replied, nothing, it’s too late we no longer want it, everyone else has finished. My husband approached the manager, who immediately refunded said pizza, but he caveated the refund with, we have not had one complaint in 8 months! However, given it was 2 for 1 on pizza we actually gained nothing, in fact, the said pizza should have been free anyway! We were at the Cricketers for 2 hours and spent £200, it was our intention to stay all evening instead we left at 8.15 very disappointed. Whilst the manager said they had never received complaints, we witness several pizzas being returned. Please don’t try and defend bad service/food. Simply apologise . It ruined our evening and birthday celebrations, and sadly as locals we will not be back. A simple round of drinks on the house, a bottle of wine or anything actually, plus an acknowledgement that on this occasion you had got it wrong would have sufficed. Sadly today for the sake of a freshly cooked pizza with the correct toppings, you have lost our custom. A professional pizza chef should not keep putting a returned pizza back out to the customer. Sadly previous visits where we have eaten and drank as larger groups, ordered magnums of the recommended sparkling wine, will no longer happen. Customer Service costs nothing, unhappy customers cost a business way more that what they spend. Disappointed if Curdridge

Modern cuisine and decor in a village pub. We were a large party and were asked to send our order in advance. Food came promptly but we weren't in any way rushed. All dietary requirements were met.

Very good food and atmosphere. Perfect for pub lunch though very pricey. Salt and pepper prawns are amazing as are the chunky chips

Cracking steak sandwich from the specials, kid’s macaroni cheese was fab and lovely service. Play area perfect for kids to enjoy and keep half an eye on them 😉

Lovely pub, nice food, the kids loved the play area. I really appreciated when the (guy who I assume was the) Manager told me one kids meal and a spare plate would do for my kids at their ages. I hope whatever I didn’t spend on that second kids meal today I repay many times over in future visits to this pub.

First time here and we were not disappointed, the food, service and staff were great!

Stumbled upon this absolute gem of a pub on Sunday. We went for the Sunday Roast and my goodness it did not disappoint. My husband chose beef and I went for the lamb and it was lush. The roast potatoes were the best I've ever eaten out, super crunchy on the outside and fluffy and gorgeous on the inside, and the Yorkshire Pudding was light, airy and crunchy. The veg was lovely too. The cauliflower cheese was divine. It was a busy Sunday lunchtime but the service was swift, and the food was piping hot. We didn't go for a dessert as we were both full and did think they were a tad pricy at £8 a pop. We will definitely be back for more - the wood fired pizza oven looks incredible and I can't even share pics of the roast as we gobbled the grub so quickly! Yum!

Spent a lovely evening here on our way to North Wales. Food was excellent and a nice Vibe in the pub. Good service as well.

Awesome visit - reasonably priced drinks and great atmosphere

Me and my family were in the Barn for my 18th Birthday, there was 17 of us. The worker, Euan (sorry if i spelt your name wrong!) was absolutely lovely, so welcoming, kind and helpful. Would definitely recommend him! He was so chatty and overall just a lovely person to be around. Had an absolutely amazing 18th Birthday meal, pizzas were yum and filled us up and the new Barn was so so beautiful, lovely decorated. Thank you so much to the staff for making my birthday so amazing! The only annoying thing was the children who kept coming in and stealing our stuff. Sort your kids out!! But at the end of the day, you can't help that. Definitely an amazing experience. Me and my family love it here!

2nd time here for Sunday Roast. Today lamb & Beef.. Superb quality, super tasty and in our opinion the best around. Lovely

Extremely yummy roast dinner, will definitely be back

Very noisy band in the bar - so loud I had to say everything to the bar staff 3 times! Thank goodness we were sitting in the garden. Service was OK and food acceptable if you don't mind pizza bases that are rather black. Car park is small and was so full we had to park on the unlit road outside. I don't think I'll hurry back there.

Great meal here. Manager was very nice, he even threw in some extra freebies. Highly recommend

First of all, lovely surroundings and was looking forward to drinks and lunch. Unfortunately my wife chose Aperol Spritz, which she loves and has had in numerous places. I had a pint of Moretti. The bill came to £19 for the two drinks alone. On querying the price we were told the Aperol Spritz was a massive £13, the reason it was so expensive they said, it was made from a small bottle of prosecco which costs £9.25 ,alone, and 2 shots of aperol and soda. Never have we come across a place where they use an individual bottle of prosecco, we can't imagine how it fitted in the glass with all the ice. Either they are dreadfully expensive here, or we were conned ?? Needless to say we left without having lunch here, such a shame.

Superb pub with quality food. We went for Sunday Roast and the food was excellent and great portion size!

We phoned ahead, as close to closing time. The friendly service, high-quality food, and wine were outstanding. We will be back. Thankyou.

The food was excellent we all had Fish and chips one of the best we have had but beware when we got the bill there was a huge service charge! Over £7 all the staff did was walk from the kitchen to deliver our meals there was no notice anywhere warning of this “service charge” we had already sorted a tip between us Beware!!!

The food was great. Sadly, I had an incident where glass ended up at the bottom of my drink. Would of given hire scores, but for me, having a lot of broken glass in a drink is unforgivable. Staff did apologise, but an apology can only go so far.

This was intended to be an annual lunch for our family to come together from various parts of the South of England We had read the reviews and were so impressed/ The location was good, the weather was excellent and the young man serving was so understanding. In summary the food was awful as descibed by eah member of our party. Although we do not know we suspect that the food was prepared elsewhere and microwaved prior to serving. Two parry members had beefburgers [v tough], one had fish which had not been defrosted and I had a beef pie which was wet and insipid. We could not recommend this restaurant to anyone JohnELeggett

This is a charming country pub, a bit off the beaten track, so check your directions carefully. It has modern decor with lots of outdoor seating, too. The menu is not extensive, which means cooked to order rather than taken from a large freezer and thrown in a microwave. The staff were friendly. Attached is the lunch menu for 5 June 2023.

Excellent pub, great hospitality and delicious food. Fantastic beer garden.

Much better than average pub food / restaurant - it gets busy so make sure that you book in advance. Lovely modern decor with a subtle cricketing theme. Steaks were delicious with beautifully cooked huge chips; pie of the day superb and I loved my...

Fantastic food, amazing service. 100% will be back.

What can I say other than just a great Pub with top staff. Highly Recommended.

Nduja pizza is so good. Will be back for more. Friendly staff, quick service, nice environment, good beers on tap. Great pub.

Popped in for lunch having heard so many great reviews about this local pub. It was great to see local beers on offer as we grabbed a drink and sat outside. Food was ok, but nothing special. We had the ham baguette and a club...

Stopped by at 11am today, Sunday. We were the only people there as they'd just opened. The reply to my husband's request for 2 coffees was "we're a pub, but I can do". Not a very hospitable attitude. We wouldn't have made a coffee order at a busy time. Surely any revenue is welcome these days? Has put us off returning, even though we've eaten here a few times. Coffee wasn't good.....

Lovely family friendly pub. Great food and a lovely outdoor area.

I can only describe our Sunday lunch as a really lovely experience, friendly attentive staff and beautifully cooked and presented food. One of our party has a dairy allergy which was catered for without fuss. We will definitely be returning. The chef is a genius for putting together the ingredients for the vanilla ice cream. Highly recommend 👌!!

Lovely place to sit in the sun and enjoy a beer.

The best pub in the area. Fantastic staff, amazing food, nicely decorated interior and lovely large garden.

Only went in for a drink whilst on a bike ride. Lovely garden.

WOW! We were here last night for my daughters birthday meal. From the moment we walked in to the moment we left, we were completely overwhelmed with the service and the experience that we received. The staff are exceptional. Excellent customer service. They couldn’t do enough for us. They even had a birthday card on the table for my daughter which was a lovely touch. The food was incredible. Everything about this place is amazing. The atmosphere, the cleanliness, the staff.. the list could go on. They even had a live singer last night who had a brilliant voice. Thank you so much for giving us the perfect evening. We will definitely be returning.

Went for a nice lunch only to find out just before the food arrived that a band was playing. The volume was unacceptably loud for a lunch setting. We had to shout to each other at the table and the waiting staff. I'm a musician,...

Terrific local pub - super staff, delicious food. My parents always enjoy it here too with their friends. I like to pop in occasionally for business lunches and i'm always well and looked after. (one bit of advice - keep an eye on the loos...

Visited here on good recommendations. Arrived and the garden was busy with happy drinkers and children playing in the lovely play area. The sun was shining so had a beer outside. Lovely area to relax in. Entering the beautifully decorated indoors we were greeted by...

Perfect pub for all weathers. Dog and children friendly. Outdoor playground made it possible to have a relaxing evening and there was also shelter if it rained or got cooler. Food was fabulous too especially the pizzas and service was great. Loved everything about it!

Nice food and lovely service from the friendly attentive staff. Car park very busy at peak periods.

Well run with great food. Service was really good. And a few nice beers. Very good management team.