Crook and Shears Public house in Test Valley

My fiancée and I recently visited The Crook and Shears, and it was an absolute delight! From the moment we stepped inside, we were welcomed by a cosy atmosphere and friendly locals, making it feel like a true countryside gem. The highlight, without a doubt, was the food. I ordered the daily special, and the local gammon was hands down the best I’ve ever tasted – perfectly cooked and full of flavour. The pub has a warm, inviting charm, and the owners were incredibly attentive. Whether you're looking for a great meal or just a relaxed spot to enjoy a drink, this place is a must-visit! They’re even dog friendly and we saw plenty of friendly pups to say hello to. Highly recommend.

Went to this place whilst visiting family.Parking was a short walk away in the village hall car park.Lovely thatched pub and was very clean.Welcomed in and showed to our table which was in the old skittles room.Lovely old pictures on the walls.Waitresses were happy and cheerful .Food was lovely and tasty .

We dropped in on our way to Thruxton for a light lunch. There is a good choice of food with sandwiches, small plates and a main menu. We opted for two of the small plates and they were both delicious and well priced. Certainly one to use again if back in the area.

Mediocre food and service. Took over an hour to receive a ploughman's and cheesy pasta. Staff just shrugged and said they're busy. Food was definitely not worth the wait!

We hosted our engagement party here in the ‘skittle alley’. Really nice space perfect for hosting with a beautiful patio/garden so plenty of space for larger numbers! The team were super helpful, nothing was too much and they were so accommodating to everything I asked for! Everyone commented on how good the food was (buffet served) and the bar staff were amazing all evening. Couldn’t recommend enough and we will be back🩷

Beautiful food, friendly staff. Lovely 17th century inn. Definitely worth a visit.

Stopped in for a drink whilst out for a long walk. Very quaint pub, the space is used well and the small bar well stocked. The toilets were clean, and the garden was packed on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Staff were lovely and welcoming. Our dog was welcomed to and a staff member brought a dog bowl over for him, incase he was thirsty too.

I found this lovely country pub when looking for somewhere halfway between me and a friend and booked lunch based on recent reviews, we were not disappointed. There was a warm welcome on arrival and total patience as the chatting took priority over deciding what we were eating. The lasagne was delish and the ambience just lovely. Particularly liked the emergency hygiene baskets in the ladies, such a thoughtful touch. We will be back to visit again

I’ve not been to the Crook & Jake Shears as it’s another 25mins walk from where I am and I’ve had several beverages too many already, but if I did go I’d say it was excellent as it’s dog friendly and I love Victoria sponge 10/10

Wow. A gem of a pub. Super friendly staff and a lovely place to spend an evening. Wish we lived nearer 😊

Came here for Lunch with my wife we did book before hand and from the booking to end of the meal we were made to feel welcome. This is a traditional country pub which has a good menu and specials boards as well. The food is excellent and service really good, we had a great time the land lady is very pleasant and you can see she has a good report with her regulars. We look forward to a return visit in the near future with other members of the family

Please visit and show support it's a nice place

Very friendly pub and staff were brilliant. Had a enjoyable family meal for 10 people. Lots of outdoor space.

I had lunch in the Crook and Shears today and really enjoyed it. The pub is benefiting from new management who have clearly made a very positive impact. It has a very good menu with a wide selection of traditional pub meals. The prices were very reasonable and the service very friendly. It is the second time I have had lunch here. Their Sunday lunches are excellent.

Recently under new management, they have definately put a lot of life back into well loved pub, keep up the good work.

Had the pleasure of eating here on Monday evening. The drinks, food, service and general ambience were all 5 star. The meal was one of the best we have had in a long time. Whilst it is pub grub, it is not all burger and chips but great home cooking.

Very nice evening with family last friday

An overall lovely visit to this little gem of a pub which has already turned into multiple visits! Exceptional service and atmosphere, landlady Kim and her team exceptional too, this is now our regular! Would highly recommend ;-)

Amazing little slice of history. Good food, friendly and attentive staff. Worth going out of your way for

Stopped here for an anniversary lunch on our way to Somerset. Food was freshly cooked and well presented. The service was amazing and VERY friendly. We had a dog with us and he was greeted with a dog bed, water bowl and treats! The perfect family lunch. Thank you. Highly recommend!

Amazing food, atmosphere cosy. My parents live local, so treated them to lunch.

Fab pub that helped me organise a surprise meal for my husbands birthday. Nothing was too much trouble. Staff were lovely and food was great. Recommended!!

Disappointing. The food was poor, definitely not home cooked. Shop bought chicken and leek pie. Service was very good and friendly

Food was good. Service was a little absent I'm afraid.

BusyBus landed a group of 11 at short notice and they went out of their way to accommodate us and made everyone feel welcome. Lovely place!

Just moved in to the area but welcomed by a wonderful and friendly management team.

Fantastic country pub. The owners are so friendly and welcoming and the drinks are very reasonably priced! You really do get a feeling that the staff who work here really care about the place and the experience you have. A proper English pub with fantastic food and a great atmosphere.

What a lovely pub! Jess and Noah made us very welcome and the Garlic bread is to die for!

We couldn't ask for more. Fabulous service. Fantastic staff and excellent food. We have recently enjoyed casual meals, Mothers Day dinner and they hosted a birthday party for us on one of the busiest days of the year. It's a great village pub. Plenty of parking behind the village hall with no restrictions. Check it out any reviews pre Christmas 2023 are for previous landlords so don't take much notice!

Wonderful to see this village pub come back to life. Met people we know, had excellent lunch. Beer well looked after. Just what the village needs

Pub was lovely. Limited road parking. Dinning area was set back from the main pub in a converted skittle alley. Was a bit cold and didn't have the same homely appeal as main pub. I had Sunday roast. Great roasties, veggies, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. My beef was a bit disappointing. Service was great.

Delightful evening in a cosy restaurant pub. Yummy food and good drinks.

Just stopped in for a pint, nice atmosphere in a lovely country village pub

Great village pub. Nice to see it open again.

A great night out - 20 of us in the Skittles alley last night with delicious food! Kim, Jess and her staff are doing a terrific job of reinvigorating this local favourite. Keep it up and we look forward to our next visit. Well done! I hear a rumour about a regular Quiz night - excellent!

Extremely welcoming helpful staff and dog friendly

Lovely hospitality and the food was great, selection of ale was good and location is idyllic

Having just visited for a meal do not order the steak unless you like shoe leather and a steak shaped in a square first time I’ve ever seen this done and for over £17 for said steak honestly the worst Ive ever not eaten (asked for a box to take home for my dogs) if you like your teeth do not order rare or any other type, never seen a steak shaped like that apparently it’s a pave steak used for pies and stews!!! Puddings on offer Victoria sponge?? Overall for what should have been a special and saved up for night was a waste of money and a disappointment.

Excellent food cooked to perfection. I had steak pie and my wife had gammon and we both had chocolate fudge cake with custard. The girls that were doing the tables are a credit to you.

What a welcome, warm & friendly....so much so we decided to stay and eat. After a lovely discussion the Chef volunteered some alternatives. So welcoming we're coming back !!

Great local pub under new manager with fab food from Ed the chef! So pleased the pub is now offering great food along with a lovely place to pop in for a drink

Cracking Meal tonight under the new ownership! Great value for money and good range of beers. Will definitely be back.

Lovely staff and great food by Ed the chef! Pub classics cooked well. So lucky to have this on our door step and will definitely be back!

I had the worst experience ever

Reasonable prices, wonderful service, a lovely country fee and they went off menu for my toddler who doesn't like meat.

Our local is now offering an extensive food menu. Beers are plentiful and the vibe is great. We booked a table last night and were so happy to see the pub full and very festive with all the locals.

Best pub in the local area, with incredibly friendly landlords, great service, and good food. Highly recommend over other pubs in area as much cheaper complimented by a great selection of drinks.

Really nice atmosphere. Hadn't been for a while but will be going more regularly now.

We ventured out as a family to The Crook & Sheers under new management for a family supper. Well what a wonderful experience and so fabulous to have a great warming landlord and lady. They went above and beyond from start to finish. I felt it was v much like how old pubs used to be when the landlord spoke and check in on customers. A wonderful little cosy quant thatched pub. Delicious affordable pub grub,great beer too my husband said. Well done to the new landlord and Landlady we will definitely be back. V impressed thank you. L Riley

Friendly Landlords, comfortable atmosphere and very tasty food.

Lovely village pub. Great atmosphere, especially since the new owners have taken over.

Great new owners, great atmosphere. So lovely to have the pub back to how it should be. Can’t wait to come back for a meal, must book though as it’s busy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great county pub with a really welcoming atmosphere. The beer and food were faultless. Nigel and Judy were attentive and gracious hosts. We will definitely visit again.

We stumbled across this little gem late in the evening travelling home from Devon. The owners were extremely welcoming and the food was wonderful. Will definitely pop in again next time we’re passing.

Lovely friendly pub in a pretty village location. Service was great and made to feel very welcome.

Came with my partner. Had a fab meal, very well cooked. The staff are fantastic. Felt very welcomed and it’s a cozy venue

As cycled by earlier the Crook & Shears looked inviting; it was! A proper traditional village pub with commendable catering. Worth a short deviation off of main roads for a very pleasant meal in comfortable surroundings and a welcoming publican.

Came with family for dinner midweek and it couldn't have been nicer. Generous portions, well cooked food and beautifully presnted. Attentive and friendly staff in a beautiful old building. Will definitely be back.

The food gave me food poisoning, scampi to be exact.

I’m visiting from Essex and staying with friends locally! They always take me somewhere new each time for dinner and being pescatarian the menus are often limited! We chose the crook and shears for the menu as i could choose several dishes, once there we saw what a wonderful little gem this place is, steeped in history and the owner Emma was happy to show us around and explain the history! The food was incredible, I had the smoked haddock with potato gratin and hollandaise, the wine was fab and the place had a great atmosphere! I have already asked my friends to take me there next time to sample the winter menu! Thank you so much Emma and Neil

Such a lovely place, a warm welcome, attentive staff. Emma, her cooking skills are amazing. We had the fish cooked to perfection, she showed us around the 400 year old pub and gave us the history, we asked for. Will for sure go back l¹oved it.

Small, characterful pub run by lovely couple. They were a bit stretched on the day we visited, with just the two of them and a few items off their small menu. However, they couldn’t have been nicer and more helpful to our group, for example by offering a puzzle for the children. With just one in the kitchen, the food was impressively tasty and all ready at the same time. We would return!

Myself and my wite had a wonderful time here friendly landlady and also a great chef. The food was excellent piping hot and cooked to perfection. I have just recently had a stroke and found the premises easy to access. It's also dog friendly Sid enjoyed the garden. Highly recommend it

I found the pub to be welcoming and friendly .Both Emma and Neil could not have been more helpful ,the beer food and the atmospheres could not be any better .I have no idea how Emma managed to cook, serve and look great .Both Neil and Emma are hard working and good at there jobs. My steak was perfect and my wife fish and chips where top class

A great local pub with really friendly service.

Absolutely brilliant, lovely village pub and the hosts 3mma and Niel are amazing. Get a pint in and meet the locals.

Although it was a Thursday evening there was no food, the reason for our visit. My beer was served out of a can, which was a first in a pub. The "landlady" wasn't interested in engaging in any conversation, we drank up and left. The redecoration in the pub is really good, I was hoping for a better experience, and we got it in the next village.

Shame the chilli was lacking in chilli

Yummy food, great atmosphere and the landlady is an absolute gem ❤️❤️❤️

Haven’t been to this pub in years but the new owner has redecorated it very tastefully, the food was delicious and so was the glass of Shiraz I had to go with it. Would definitely recommend this lovely country pub.

Went here for a work do. Food was good, we had the skittle alley and beer garden pretty much to ourselves as it was a Thursday evening. We had a lovely time and will be going back for sure

We stumbled upon this lovely little pub quite by accident, thanks to Google! I was looking for somewhere not far off the main road to meet a friend, and this came up. The description of a "thatched pub" sealed it for me, and oh! I'm so happy we came here! The village looks like something straight out of a tourism brochure: thatched roofs, narrow lanes, history everywhere you turn... it is just beautiful. And the pub itself: slanted ceilings, huge old fireplace, dark beams, even a friendly pub dog! Neil, the landlord was very welcoming, as was the young lady behind the bar (didn't catch her name). Oh, and a lovely, quiet beer garden out back. Would definitely recommend this pub, and I look forward to stopping here again on a future trip back to the UK!

Headed here while driving back to London from a holiday in Cornwall. The food was fab, lovely back garden and the owners were so friendly and jovial. We had a lovely time playing a game of chess as well!

After having driven past The Crook And Shears in the pretty village of Upper Clatford many times, we finally had lunch there yesterday and it was a very pleasant experience. This thatched pub is beautiful, both inside and out. It is a traditional small English pub, low ceilings with beams and the bar in the centre. It is tastefully decorated in calm colours while maintaining the charm of the old building. And fresh bouquets flowers on the tables. We had the ham, egg and chips and fillet of haddock with gratin potatoes and poached egg, both dishes were delicious. And they have Doombar on tap, so what’s not to like. This is a small gem of a pub and it has earned itself a place on our list of regular pubs to have lunch or dinner at. Well worth a visit.

Beautiful pub with a large garden with plenty of umbrellas for shade and a very welcoming friendly bar lady

So glad tbis wonderful place our local! Love it!

Really disappointed with the wine choice. Paid £18 for a cheap bottle of wine , which you can buy for £5 in Tesco. Was not what I would expect. Had wine before there and no complaints. Pubs should know what wine they are selling.

Just happened stop here for noon meal. Food and atmosphere were awesome.

What a lovely pub with lovely Emma and co running it. Booked a table for 11 of us and the dog. Super friendly, super accommodating to our needs and patient! A proper Old fashioned welcome - delicious Sunday roast dinners, puds and drinks .. and snacks for the dog too! We’re so grateful. Highly recommended. thank you - “we’ll be back”!🙏🥰

Really friendly hosts… great Sunday lunch! Thoroughly enjoyed it

Lovely beer and food, welcoming landlady and locals. Very nice log fire burning - a truly quintessential English pub for a cold January evening. Will definitely be coming here again.

An amazing country pub with gorgeous food and lovely hosts. Made to feel very welcome and loved the real fires. Just the tonic for two weary travellers on the way back to Devon. Had the steak and ale pie which was delicious and my colleague had the fish and chips again first class. Wish it was my local!

Lovely pub and garden, always very welcoming and dog friendly!

I must say that the atmosphere at this pub was both homely and comfortable. The food, particularly the pork belly, was simply delicious. The steak pie was also good, although it couldn't quite compare to the pork belly. The beer was also excellent. However, there were a couple of drawbacks to my experience. Firstly, I was asked to move to an isolated part of the pub almost immediately after sitting down. Secondly, while I had ordered sweet potato fries, I was served chunky chips instead. Lastly, I found the place to be a bit chilly and wished I had brought a thicker jumper. Despite these minor issues, the pub's excellent food and drinks more than made up for it.

In early December after looking at reviews for the new owners we thought we would try the Sunday lunch, the pub has had a very much needed make over and was looking very comfy. We were welcomed and shown to our table, I had a pint of real ale and my wife had a glass of wine, both very acceptable, we ordered the Sunday roast of which we choose the Turkey. Our dinners arrived quickly and our plates were very full, the food was delicious, my wife could not finish her plate but I persevered and enjoyed all of it. Whilst waiting to digest the young lady owner came and had a chat with us which we thought was a very nice touch, we wish them success, the Crook and Shears is back

Friendly staff. Embracing the pub atmosphere. Small pub with lots of character.

Great country pub, always welcoming, well worth a visit

Awesome traditional pub with a great atmosphere. We went as a group of 18 for an early Christmas do and had the skittle alley room. The landlady managed to cook, serve and kept us in drink, by herself. The food was awesome and I have no idea how she managed it!

We booked the skittles room for a team lunch and we had a great experience. The food was excellent, a great selection of beers and the service perfect

We booked the skittle alley for our works Xmas lunch. Upon arrival we were given a very warm welcome, served our drinks and shown to the Skittle room. There were 18 of us in total and we had pre booked our meals. The food was...

Beautiful and cosy country pub with lovely food and service. Will definitely be back.

We had an impromptu visit to this lovely quaint pub having visited Andover and just googled somewhere close to eat - at first we thought there wasn’t any parking but called the pub and found we were allowed to park in the village hall car...

Fabulous dog friendly find, food was incredible and the staff are warm welcoming and super friendly but highly recommend

Visited on the way to Dorset from Kent, this pub is an absolute gem and the landlady was absolutely wonderful. We ordered a pizza which was one of the best I have eaten

Excellent food, atmosphere, great service and a beautiful pub. Amazing selection of puddings, would recommend!

Lovely country pub! Went for lunch today the food was amazing also the vegetarian option! Nice back ground music and lovely land lady who is also the chef. Would definitely recommend this pub

We stopped off at this lovely pub on our way home to Devon. And what a great find it was! Sunday roast beef was delicious and my fish and chips the best. And all at a very reasonable price. The interiors very cosy on a...

Really friendly, welcoming place with delicious food! We had the Sunday Roast which was spectacular! Dogs allowed, roaring fire and outside tables. Highly recommend

A warm and friendly pub very recommendable very good value for money

What a wonderful pub! The owner was gracious enough to allow us to take photos! This pub was in the town that my Mayflower Descendent, Stephen Hopkins, was born and baptized! The beer was cold and the conversation wonderful! At the time, they were looking for a chef - otherwise, we would've eaten here. I'm sure it would be as wonderful as the rest!