Fox and Hounds Donnington in West Berkshire

Fantastic food at this pub, friendly service and pleasant atmosphere. I had the pie of the day with mash and this was packed full of flavour

Really enjoyed our Steak Ciabatta and Fox and Hounds Club salad

I took my young son for dinner recently and I felt compelled to write a review. We arrived early for our booking but the team were accomodating, friendly and did all they could to help a dad with a slightly grumpy toddler. The service and friendliness of the staff stood out here. Food wise I had an excellent burger and my boy enjoyed a lovely dinner too. Everything was fresh, good quality and fairly priced.

We found this little gem of a pub just off the M4, beats stopping at the service, service was with a smile, food was quick and hot, I had the lamb with was perfect, my wife had the beef which was tender and melt in the mouth. Dog friendly, we will be sure to stop again

First time I've been, and I've been in the area for 18 years. I wasn't disappointed. Good food, friendly helpful staff and a good atmosphere definitely going again.

Outstanding ! Had Sunday lunch with family today. Starters included Chicken Satay and Haddock fish cake with poached egg and hollandaise sauce which were both highly recommended…. Didn’t disappoint. Main courses of roast lamb and pork followed both served really well with a large selection of vegetables Food was cooked well and was extremely tasty but most of all served hot. Young team of waiting staff who worked hard to provide an extremely professional service Will definitely be returning. Overall cost of meal and drinks highly competitive in today’s climate

Traditional pub plus restaurant with really nice friendly owners. Food great quality as the pub is owned by a traditional Newbury butcher. I come here a lot. Nice owners, nice customers, nice prices. One complaint. Today we visited at 12:30. Pretty busy. Waited to be served at the bar for 15 minutes. Three bar staff. Instead of serving those who were at the bar first they just served whoever was standing in front of them. None of the staff looked around the bar to see who was first. In fact none of the three staff even cought my eye or noticed us waiting. First rule of bartending... LOOK around and mentally note who is next. And NEVER say "who's next?". As a landlord of 26 years, may I suggest the owner gives the staff some training. Anyway we left after 15 minutes and went to a pub that provided better service.

We had the Rump Steak, it was superb, I couldn't fault it, one of the best that I have had.

We were a family birthday celebration and enjoyed the Sunday lunch menu. The food was superb and the service spot on. A really enjoyable occasion. Highly recommended.. 5*

Great pub. Very well organised. Efficient staff. Good ales. Good food. We use it for dinner before a show at the Watermill.

Always good food and the staff are friendly. Good for me on the gluten free front being a coeliac

Yet again the fabulous Steph & her team at the Fox & Hounds delivered another incredible Sunday roast for Mother’s Day. On one of their busiest days (205) they still delivered a exceptional roast dinner( the beef was perfect). And when I asked if we could sit outside and enjoy a coffee, to finish off our meal, Steph was more than happy to accommodate. This is my favourite pub in the Newbury area because the food is consistently fantastic & presented beautifully. Thank you.

We’ve eaten at the Fox & Hounds many times - it’s a good central location for all my wider family so we meet there for lunch on special occasions. Even though we tend to go on some of the busiest days (such as Mothers Day) and are a large group of around 15 people, the food and service is always wonderful. I’m a huge fan of the roasts so that’s always my choice, but between the rest of the family we’ve sampled most things on the menu and everyone’s always very much enjoyed their meals. Steph always gives us a warm welcome, and the wait staff are always really friendly and attentive.

We went to the Fox and Hounds pub recently for a large family meal the night before our wedding. They were very accommodating to a large group, and the food was very good. The staff were very welcoming and attentive. Highly recommend this pub!

We visited this pub for the first time in February as a family outing with our elderly parents who rarely get out due to poor health. We were extremely disappointed with some of the food particularly the steak meals as they were served to us completely charred. They were so burnt that the only flavour left in your mouth was the bitter taste. I initially pointed this out when the food arrived and the lady serving made out that this was normal and was just due to it being on the grill. No discount was offered except to remove the service charge which is completely unfair for those serving the tables and through no fault of their own. Unfortunately this left us with a poor taste and didn't stay for pudding. We will not be returning here for a meal.

Great lunch spot, the staff were super helpful and friendly,the food was fantastic such great options,they also had options for vegans and gluten free too. The venue itself was gorgeous and was dog friendly! Highly recommend you visit, I would definitely come again. My burger was seasoned so well it was unreal.thank you!

We visited with 5 adults and 2 children. Good pub food with an extensive wholesome menu for all ages. There is also a specials board. Friendly and attentive staff, especially the manager. The atmosphere was relaxed and the food and drinks came out fast. We had a little issue with one of our meals and they apologised, then sorted it out quickly and efficiently. Sign of a professional business. The club sandwich, superfood salad, and sticky toffee pudding were delicious. I would definitely recommend it to my nearest and dearest and would visit again. Thanks for a nice experience Fox and Hound!

Great lunch with my father. Food arrived promptly and great quality. Thanks to all the welcoming staff.

Stunning rack of ribs and amazing gluten free options and the food didn’t disappoint. Best gluten free fish and chips I’ve had. The beers were crisp, staff were lovely, nicely decorated pub and bar and great value. We’ll be back with the fam!

Just a casual visit while passing through. Staff were lovely, as was the atmosphere. But i felt my haddock promised more than it delivered for the money. And a pet hate of mine is the fish piled on top of the chips, I like to have the fish flat, so I can cut it, but that's my preference.

We had a lovely meal for a family get together. Atmosphere was great, staff friendly and food was lovely.

Fish&chips….just ok. It’s small even the are saying large one.

Made welcome on arrival and taken to our table straight away by Steph. Service was excellent with food coming out straight away. Food was exceptional and puddings were amazing. Would throughly recommend

Has changed since there 20 years ago, a lovely place to go for a nice meal

Don’t miss this gem ! Half a mile from Chievely services but a world away!! Fantastic menu, locally sourced meats, delicious sandwiches in a well run establishment with a friendly welcoming personal service . Don’t travel past this place without a visit. You’re sure to return as we will .

Having read the reviews I chose this for an anniversary meal. Booking was straightforward and plenty of times available, that did concern me based on reviews. Arrived early and shown straight to our table, not given option to use the bar facility. Sat down and waited for our menus, initial impressions were good. Menus brought over, explained specials available and missing dish off the menu, that was good. Came to take our drinks order, were made to feel we couldn’t afford the wine we chose ! Finally made our choice of food, despite my wife actually wanting to leave after our waiter made us feel awkward over our wine choice. Waiter took order but left the menus on table as well as our unwanted glasses… Starters arrived with no space for them to be placed. So we had to clear the table for the server. Starters were tasty and OK. Mains arrived and were also good. The whole time we ate the menus and unwanted glasses remained on the table next to us. Not exactly the type of service you’d expect from this type of establishment if I’m honest. Maybe more time working than stood at till area talking wouldn’t go a miss…

The food was very tasty and sumptuous. Great atmosphere. Will definitely be coming again.

We have visited for Sunday lunch a couple of times and decided to have an evening meal as it was my Dads birthday. Can’t fault a thing the main courses and desserts were tasty, good value and we were made to feel welcome. Only down the road for us and great to support a local business that goes over and above to ensure a pleasant evening.

A really amazing pub. It is great to see in difficult times a place buck the trend . From the moment I arrived I was made at home. I love real ale and three ales were offered and were excelllent quality. I wanted food and wasn’t disappointed . The link with Griffins butchers in Newbury means that the quality of the meat on the menu was excellent. I had the 24 hour half rack of ribs. Wow! Please come and enjoy and support a quality pub and eatery as I have

We were there are 8 for a dinner and said kitchen is closed. But the websites says kitchen open till 9.. disappointed

Went for supper after being let down elsewhere - was seated handed a menu and ordered a drink- decided on the pie of the day. My server was Lucy. Beer arrived and a bit later so did the meal - pie was burnt top and bottom - I was starving so I ate it - my mistake another server ( pregnant lady) asked how it was and I told her it was burnt- her response you should have sent it back - my response was you shouldn’t have served it When I went to pay I requested a discount due to the meal being burnt and well I didn’t get one Fox and Hound - you have lost a customer and the old saying good service you tell one or two poor service you tell 20

First time eating here,good pub food and generous portions,swift service and catered for our party of 10 easily.

Good place to rest gets busy best to book. Decent beer, frankly staff. Comfortable place for a break

Had a birthday party for a family member here and had a section of the pub to ourselves. The food was excellent and the staff went above and beyond to ensure we had a good time. Would strongly recommend.

We had a lovely lunch as a family celebrating a 50th birthday. We were a large group of 20 and had pre ordered, this made the process easy and gave us lots of time to catch up instead of looking at menus. The staff were friendly and the food was good. We were made aware by the staff that some other diners were unhappy with us standing whilst we waited for everyone to arrive and we took our seats at the tables. We had two large tables laid out for us which was lovely. We managed to get them into a u shape so that we could all catch up. We are a large family and we were all getting together pre Christmas and to celebrate a birthday so we had lots to talk about. The environment was comfortable and conducive to a catch up. We were made aware by the staff, of a complaint made about the noise but we were not making excessive amounts of noise for a group of 20. We also were not speaking in a manner inappropriate for a family environment and so the staff did not ask us to make any alterations to our celebrations. At the end of the meal the owner/manager helped to deal with some queries we had about the bill and these were dealt with in the same professional and friendly manner that we received from all of the staff. We had a great time and it is conveniently situated for our family to meet up with almost equal travel. We will definitely be going back.

Great food lovely staff and 5 stars for being so dog friendly.

Having had several lovely meals here, it saddens me to leave a bad review after our recent visit. If you have an allergy… honestly don’t bother, the kitchen is not able to adapt or cater to specific allergies and therefore makes ordering a meal very difficult. Other restaurants/pubs have been more than accommodating in this area making the evening more enjoyable. After ordering two rib eye steaks, my friends steak was cold and dry making it unpalatable (the rest of the meal was very nice). When our plates were collected/asked how our meals were, my friend spoke of her steak to which the waitress said you should have told me and I could have got you a new one… no check backs were ever made during our meal to see if we were ok! At this point something could have been rectified! I didn’t think our evening could be tarnished anymore however upon leaving, the two waitresses behind the bar said goodbye and within earshot.. did she pay for her steak!! This is utterly unprofessional to speak of customers within distance of them and others overhearing. Very disappointed.

We waited a very long time for our food to arrive at the table, the children’s menu both on line and on the menu provided clearly stated, chunky fish fingers, but when it came it was a small piece of fish, which was not what we ordered and is clearly different to a fish finger, so this wasn’t eaten, however they did not charge us for this meal and reassured us they would change the wording on the menu. The rest of the meals were lovely. The whole Ambience was absolutely awful, we were a party of 6 consisting of 4 adults and 2 children, whilst waiting for our meals a large party of 2 tables congregated around their tables, not taking their sits and ending up taking over all available space and at one point standing very close to where we were eating, so we had very good views of peoples bottoms. The size of the group made it feel like they were in their very own function room and were very loud and no consideration was made to other customers whilst they were trying to enjoy their meals, the noise level was that loud, you couldn’t hear anyone talking too you on the same table, it made the whole experience very stressful and not enjoyable. We were given a 10% discount off our bill, which I felt did not reflect the inconvenience cause, it was such a relief when we left the fox and hounds, never too return

First time visiting and we were a large group from all over the country meeting up after a long time. Pre ordered the food and sadly had some last minute drop outs but the team were helpful and understanding. Food was presentable and delicious. I had the courgette & aubergine lasagne and sticky toffee pudding. Staff friendly and very professional despite a busy Sunday lunchtime before Christmas.

Went for a Christmas meal with a fairly large group. Very busy, which is good to see, but food was underwhelming and not particularly good. I had brie to start, a huge portion for a starter,. Mine was solid in the middle and cold, not melted and guey, which it should have been. I think because the piece was too big. The turkey meat was excellent, beautifully moust and tasty. But vegetables were cold and sprouts raw, more than al dente. Crumble pudding was inedible, lumps of sugar in it, far too sweet. One mouthful and I left it. £35 for 3 courses should be good value but this was disappointing

Always a good meal in the Fox and Hounds. Always worth booking in advance as can get busy.

Great food fantastic wine choice

Our second annual trip for Christmas lunch. This time we 15 in our party. All of the food was incredible, from my vegan options to the festive burger and steak. Thank you to Steph and the team - outstanding service. Will be back next year!...

Lovely hosts, great service, had a Fantastic Christmas Turkey 🦃 dinner with the Wednesday club from work. It was lovely last year, even better this year 2023.

Great place for a meal before a concert at Arlington Arts. Very good food (burger and chips) and service. Not sure I would recommend it for outdoor dining as it is close to major roads, but the food and service mean that it is very popular. Very busy by 7pm on a week night.

We have never been here before but chose it for its reviews and ideal to meet friends half way. We were not disappointed the Roast Beef Sunday lunch was truly amazing. It was enormous with loads of wonderfully cooked veg. The staff were friendly and...

Excellent servers, with excellent food very nice.

Can’t fault this lovely pub. The food was incredible and all of the staff were friendly, welcoming and helpful. We will definitely be back again. Thanks again to all the staff, front of house and the very talented chef 👌🏼.

Thoroughly recommend this place great food from a simple menu with the meat supplied locally, backed up by a varied specials board. lovely staff headed up by the manager Steph

Met our Niece here as it’s halfway between us. Great service, good beer and very tasty food.

Went there today with my family as a large group booking (23 of us). The team were amazing and so friendly with everything that we asked of them. Would definitely book there again

A super place. We visited with our grandchildren. The service was great as was the food. The children's meals were brill and not the packet foods that you get in some other places.

Unnecessary wait for under par food. Wouldn’t recommend - we are not fussy people…

…in top notch customer service ! Take a bow Megan. Full of energy, lots of smiles and with a tangible sense of personal accountability, her welcome was warm and her call to ordering action clear and decisive. The kitchen closes at 8pm ! Whilst the...

Friendly pleasant staff, Served by Megs and Steph. Service with a smile and amazing food, the sweet potato fries and the onion rings are just cooked to perfection... A light crispy batter and juicy onions, I can't remember the last time I tasted onion rings that good. The Fox and Hounds Burger was good although the moisture deteriated the base of the bap pretty quickly. I had the spiced pear crumble with custard and as it was cooked as an individual portion it held it's layers and juices in the dish with a cracking crisp topping! No space for the custard until you eat a few mouthfuls though. So great quality tasty food served with a beautiful smile, not rushed in or out so we could actually enjoy our time not being herded like cattle that happens in so many other places.

A cute little pub that I was extremely surprised to find that had so many gluten free options, I was excited. Their Sunday roasts are even gluten free which I havent seen before so I was hoping to have some. Unfortunately due to my recent SIBO diagnosis and being put on a low fodmap diet. I am gluten free, dairy free and no garlic and no onions which is obviously lot harder to accommodate for so I understand but I was jealous of my husband having the Sunday roast! I had a gluten free fish and chips which was really nice! Considering how much I struggled to find places I was surprised to find a place opposite our hotel when we couldn't even get a taxi to come to us!

Très sympa. Corned beef et poisson pané valide.

This place is a hidden gem, not only did we experience a friendly and welcoming atmosphere from a country pub but the food was impeccable… if you are looking for a great meal from an outstanding chef you have found the right place! Catering for...

Great place. Family oriented. Good food and service

The service was very slow veg was cold had to ask when we where ready to order pudding after waiting 30min.

Have been to the Fox and Hounds many times, and this time didn’t disappoint. I had the pie of the day and the flavour was superb, veg was cooked to perfection, my friend had the trio of sausages, which she agreed was wonderful, our plates...

Clearly an off day for the waiting staff. A real shame, as our Anniversary dinner, and our third visit this year, so was looking forward to it. On arrival my hubby and I found that staff were not very welcoming, 2x others arrived same time as us, who also waited a while to be acknowledged. The service was slow at bar to be greeted. (All it takes is, Hi, we will be with you soon. ) Once sat down with menu, drinks orders taken. Food did not take too long, however, communication between waitresses was poor. We ordered a side, needed to remind them we ordered this, it still didn't come by the time we had eaten our main. We were bought our bill without asking for it, I advised we had not been offered the opportunity to choose a dessert at this point, waitress apologised and said she was asked by colleague to bring it over. Food was very nice, we both had steak. The side order was removed from the bill, I chose to remove the service charge as sadly not warranted this evening.

Very disappointing. We each had a roast lunch - the service was appalling , we had to remind the server twice to bring our menu and the bill. Yorkshire pudding was tasteless and stone cold. The portion size was small and expensive for what it...

We visited (6 people) for Sunday lunch and I cannot praise this pub enough. Welcoming even though they were very busy, and quite simply the food was amazing. Between us we had pork, lamb, beef and chicken roasts, all beautifully presented with large portions, seasoned...

We always enjoy going to the Fox & Hounds, the welcome is warm and the service is faultless. The food is really tasty & portions generous and they keep the menu small but refreshed with some yummy specials. I had venison loin which was cooked...

Not been to this pub for a while but wish I had visited it more often. Had evening meal with family and the food and service was very good. So good we returned for lunch the next day! The restaurant is well patronised and serves...

This is our go to pub for a work team lunch as its a lovely pub in a convenient location. There was 9 of us so we pre-ordered. Unfortunately 2 of our party couldn't make it due to illness and we amended the pre-order in...

This is our go to pub for a work team lunch as its a lovely pub in a convenient location. There was 9 of us so we pre-ordered. Unfortunately 2 of our party couldn't make it due to illness and we amended the pre-order in the morning via email with no issue. Everyone enjoyed their food, good portion sizes, quality food, nice atmosphere, staff are friendly and welcoming. The only feedback would be with the steak ciabatta, we didn't specify how the meat was to be cooked, however we weren't asked either (the person decided to just eat is as it was, rather than say something for it to be rectified). That aside it was a lovely lunch and we will be back soon!

We have eaten here many times and have enjoyed, but this time we took friends and it was really disappointing and a bit pricey Two of us had the pie but it was done to death. Sorry but not again.

We have been to the Fox & Hounds several times over the years and have never failed to be impressed by the quality of the food preparation and presentation as well as the cleanliness of the entire facility and the welcoming and friendly staff, especially...

Is there a new chef? Having visited the Fox and Hounds on quite a few occasions and always enjoyed super meals, written reviews and recommended the place to numerous friends - particularly for the superb Sunday roasts, today was very disappointing. The beef which normally...

Lovely food brilliant staff give it a go you won't regret

Three of us had a drink and meal here after walking round the nearby country park & castle. The staff were friendly and welcoming. Best of all was the Triple Sausage & Mash which one of the best, if not the best, I've ever had...

Lovely little place in the middle of nowhere apparently, delicious food, friendly staff, the service was a bit slow but that just gave us more time to relax. And best of all - dog friendly!

Held a 'Special Birthday' lunch here for a family party. Everyone was delighted with their meal, especially the BBQ ribs ! and the vegitarians were pleased to have such a good choice. The service was excellent and we were well looked after. We will definitely gather at The Fox & Hounds for future celebrations.

Group of 17. We all gave our menu choices several days in advance. I wasn't expecting much of my club sandwich, but it was a very generous size, and delicious! And very good value for money. Never raved about a sarnie before but it really...

Great food and service. Friendly staff

The Fox & Hounds is THE place to go for Sunday dinner, 5 star food with service to match, can't praise or recommend the place enough.

Fabulous pub for drinking and dining.

Our second visit to this inviting pub, this for our son's wedding breakfast (lunch). I cannot praise enough the kind attention to all our needs and wishes. Our kind hostess went above and beyond to look after us. We had discovered on our previous visit that the owner is a renowned local butcher, who supplies all their meat, which is excellent. Flavourful and tender steaks, wonderful sausages, and really meaty ribs....We are looking forward to tasting the rest of the menu!

Had an amazing time for our wedding reception lunch. So accommodating to our needs, amazing food, friendly Staff and beautiful venue. Very reasonably priced. Couldn't recommend more if you're looking for a venue to host an event or even just somewhere to grab food.

An absolute gem, a bit off the beaten path. Having now been several times and also now hosted my wedding meal here, they have been absolutely incredible every time, without fail. Owner is absolutely wonderful, the staff are all friendly, responsive an quick. Food is the best pub food I've have and I've now had almost everything on the menu, but the ribs are a particular favourite and chips are spot on every time. Thank you for everything and I can't wait to visit again.

We went here for a wedding reception, food was excellent and staff were lovely, highly recommend!

Terrific meal, nice location, great service. Will definitely eat here again.

Ottima esperienza che credo replicheremo domani. Ci siamo fermati a cenare in questo locale, un po’ per caso, sulla via del ritorno. Abbiamo ordinato le 24-hours slow cooked BBQ ribs che vengono servite con insalata (condita che personalmente non amo), cavolo e patatine fritte. Tutto abbondante, e buono. Consiglio di prendere la mezza porzione delle ribs (1/2 porzione da 16 pounds circa e la porzione intera da 24 pounds): è più che sufficiente anche se si ha molto appetito. Personale molto gentile, accogliente e presente ma non in maniera fastidiosa. In generale anche la gente del posto molto disponibile: dal tavolo accanto ci hanno suggerito cosa ordinare. Il locale è un po’ spartano ma al tempo stesso accogliente, pulitissimi anche i servizi igienici. Un ottimo locale in cui mangiare del cibo tipico

My mum and I bring my nan to this pub every Saturday for lunch. The staff are so kind and accommodating to my nan’s needs and really go above and beyond to make her feel comfortable (she’s 93!). The food is excellent and the portion sizes are great!

Great food and great atmosphere

We literally just visited this pub on a trip to the retro fest, we don’t usually leave reviews however, here we were greeted with big smiles, a warm friendly environment with absolutely stunning food. Part of the family chat as we were leaving, very nice thank you.

Fantastic night with great food and service was amazing. Definitely be going back. Staff very friendly with a good all-round atmosphere, most enjoyable! See you again soon. Thanks for a great night Fox and Hounds.

Fantastic country pub, really welcoming for our large group of adults and children. The food was great with large portions, and prices were very reasonable. Also great for gluten-free options!

Thank you so much to Steph and the team - amazing service and pie absolutely hit the spot - burgers a hit too. Proper old skool pub food served by a super friendly fun team thank you so much for such a warm welcome and...

Great good, great service, good value.

We really enjoyed our visit here and all of us enjoyed the food. The ribs especially, they were succulent and melt in the mouth and the coleslaw so delicious! All the staff we friendly and attentive and really knowledgeable about the dishes and allergens. Definitely...

Always come here when we eat out in Newbury with the family. Had a full rack of ribs tonight- absolutely superb. Always made very welcome sitting in our favourite window seat. Service as good as always. Will be back again soon . Top establishment 👍

Excellent food. Very kind staff, Recommend this pub

Food not very warm, roast potatoes over cooked. Charge for extra gravy!

We visited for an evening meal and the food was great, plenty of parking and clean facilities. Our only slight complaint was we felt the service was slow as we seemed to wait along time even for small requests of sauce or the bill.

Very well looked after staff very attentive we enjoyed our meal

I had high expectations, but I certainly wouldn’t class this as a Gastro pub. The food is mediocre classic pub standard stuff - nothing ‘Gastro’ here, but perfectly edible. However, the service was nothing short of dire! We had been seated but it took more...

We didn't eat, but lots of people were, and the roasts looked amazing. Sat out the front with a couple of drinks . Nice pub .