Hand in Hand in Merton

An outstanding pub. Welcoming, attractive and the food is great too. The staff are endlessly helpful, especially with checking with suitable food for allergy sufferers. Poppy was really dedicated to serving us swiftly on a busy day and couldn’t have done more to make us feel welcome. Andrew is an excellent host and really cares about this historic and charming pub. A fair price paid for quality food and drink. Thank you all.

No better way to spend a Sunday lunchtime

Best pub in Wimbledon- traditional pub food choices always good quality - would be nice if they could expand their evening grub selection

4 people and 3 dogs had a lovely lunch on Monday after our walk around the common. H in H is such a welcoming pub and the food is fabulous. We all had the pies which have crispy pastry and hot moist fillings. Perfect.

My favourite pub in Wimbledon. It just has that charm about it, and in the summer the green outside is great.

We have been coming to the Hand In Hand almost every week for a dog walk pint for years but it's also where we choose to spend our special occasions. This time it was our daughters 14th birthday and as always the food, service and atmosphere was brilliant. Also the most dog friendly pub. Big thank you to Andrew and the team for always taking such good care of us!

Very tasty dinner last night. Cottage pie and marinated chicken with a delicious salad both very good. Attentive service all evening. We were impressed

Always a pleasure going to The Hand in Hand, food is great, very friendly and very welcoming atmosphere - a good crowd of people

Wonderful evening last night, amazing food - particularly flatbread, bavette steak, cauliflower cheese, & not forgetting brownie with raspberry sorbet - all made on site. Atmosphere great especially with friendly staff and gregarious Landlord Andrew. Always a welcome local to go to.

Excellent place! Friendly and very friendly! Dog friendly. Watch the Rugby matches... very good food at affordable prices...

A Family Lunch for 6, the food was excellent well prepared , cooked to perfection and nicely served. The restaurant was busy and the service wasn’t as attentive or fluent as anticipated from previous visits. Definitely worth visiting.

The ambience, service and food were excellent. This was our first visit to the Hand for a meal. We will return. Incidentally, as a golden oldie I can remember The Hand pre- early 1970s as a shack without a spirit licence.

Good food but we had to chase to order. The waitress who was lovely didn’t seem trained in the basics. Our menus stayed on the table throughout. She asked whether she should remove the used plates from our starters when she (eventually) brought the main course. Why would we want to look at used plates as we ate our mains? Lovely to come back and the food was fine but the service wasn’t where it could be, however I’ll be back.

I mean, just the best atmosphere, excellent for dogs! The food is delicious, but the service is where it’s stands above the rest. So friendly, Andrew and Lily were fantastic!

The food was excellent, the owner is amazing, the service was perfect. You must try their Sunday Roast!

The Hand in Hand is a charming pub / restaurant at the edge of Wimbledon Common. There is outside seating (which cannot be reserved and is for walk-ins) and substantial internal seating including a private room (The Library). The food is good; I've only eaten there for lunch so cannot comment on dinner service, but the service is excellent and the food is v. nice

Edit *** Came here for Valentine's lunch. They were short-staffed due to last minute staff absence but went out of their way to make up for it. Good food and good service is what makes you return. Not t the best value lunch before but excellent location and food. Would definitely come here again

We had a wonderful meal last night. I come here regularly and consider it just about my favourite pub in London - spacious but very warm, relaxing and somehow cosy as well, a super range of drinks and lovely gastro pub food - and a super efficient and friendly serving team.

On Saturday, February 8th, after being made to feel unwelcome next door at The Crooked Billet, we moved to The Hand in Hand. They (HinH) had no idea we had a lousy experience next door, but the experience here was the polar opposite. From the moment we walked in, the staff were helpful, attentive, even smiling. We felt welcomed and were shown to a table; they even told us to sit down before they brought our drinks to our table. The manager was terrific and came and spoke to us. He was lovely. The pub was busy and busier than next door, yet the service was still outstanding. So much so that later, I saw him help an elderly gentleman with a walking stick by clearing a safe space for him to walk through the bar to the back area rather than have him try to walk through the bustling crowd of people and go all the way around, which would likely have been unsafe for him, too. He helped him along and was lovely to see. Although it seemed a small gesture, it was incredibly helpful to that man and certainly caught my attention. Being a good, kind, caring human being who provides excellent service is an absolute gem. We will be back and suggest you go too.

25/01/25: We have been to the hand in hand a couple of times before and very much enjoyed our visits. However, this time was unbelievably underwhelming. The starter of bread & butter was shocking.. we tried cutting the bread and it crumbled to bits, and the butter was bland (like lard) and rock hard. The kind server took this off the bill as we couldn’t and didn’t eat it. We then got our mains, these were better (which isn’t hard) but incredibly bland! My partner got fish and chips, and I got the chicken pie - neither were particularly tasty. The food was a certainly a downer to our 4 year anniversary meal. We had been saving our appetite all day and were totally let down.

The food was delicious and the staff were all so friendly and helpful, we would highly recommend this pub to anyone!

The sunday roast (organic roast chicken) was very tasty and generous. Totally hit the spot! Service is very friendly and attentive, and the pub itself, charming and cosy

Wonderful pub. Great food. Lovely staff. (Especially Andrew)

Food was excellent and a lovely ambience in the pub. Dogs allowed which was a bonus

The Burns Night special dinner, an annual event here, first time for us but we shall aim to make it regular. The trad menu items (cullen skink, haggis, cranachan) seemed authentic to an inexperience palate, but more importantly everything was delicious, beautifully cooked from fresh ingredients. Andrew was a superb host, creating a joyful, friendly atmosphere across the many tables. Service from all the staff was cheerful and attentive. A wonderful event, many thanks!

January set menu is just great in terms of food and value! Great service and a nice pint of bitter!

Friendly staff, great atmosphere.

Really good New Year celebration, thank you Clarissa for the great service

Very enjoyable visit , excellent service from Poppy

We've been going here for years. Lovely pub. Very clean. Great landlord, Andrew.

Amazing warm welcome From accommodating an extra person in our party to fantastic service at the table The ability to taste wine before we ordered it and the bar manager checking that we had been looked after when we only just sat down which was fantastic service. The food was all delicious - all adults and children had a fantastic evening. Thanks again.

Perfect pub for after a walk on Wimbledon common! Great roast, we arrived early since it was raining on our walk and they had our table ready. Cosy and perfect “country pub” vibe. My only complaint is the gravy is so watery!! Tbh I’m not sure I can even call it gravy? It was like dish water lol. And all over the bottom of my roast plate. I asked for another portion of gravy and it was the same stuff. Odd. That aside it’s a great pub but really wish you fix that! Please reply here if you do, because if so I will come back with my Sunday lunch club!

Always a great atmosphere in a popular pub. Everyone’s food was good.

The food was absolutely superb. We had The Bavette steak, which was delicious and our 2 granddaughters had haddock and sausage and mash, both of which were demolished by the girls . We all had Sticky Toffee pudding 🍮 Atmosphere very calm, relaxing and welcoming. Our waiter, was brilliant. Extremely courteous, helpful and understanding. Thoroughly recommend the Hand in Hand for superb pub food 10/10

Great range of beers on tap. Well-prepared food. Friendly and welcoming service from booking through to bill. Thank you.

We spent New Year's Eve at the Hand in Hand, where Andrew and his team knocked it out the park, with the infamous DJ Hard Cheese providing great tunes and a wonderful night's entertainment. Well done to all the team at the Hand

Great atmosphere on New Year's Eve. Thank you.

Went with a bunch of friends to Hand in Hand's New Years Eve party. We all thoroughly enjoyed it! Food, beer and wine were good. Dancing too! Not sure the music was all 80s as advertised but hey hum, everyone had a ball!!!

Incredibly friendly helpful staff and buzzing atmosphere.

Sunday roast was on point - roast pork was juicy with excellent crackling! Service was efficient, pleasant and friendly.

Great local traditional pub, definitely our go to pub in the area. We were a party of 12 for a late lunch. Andrew had told us that the kitchen sometimes struggles with larger parties but the staff had a great system where they slightly staggered our main courses which worked well. The staff are amazing very friendly and professional. Nothing seemed too much trouble. Food good local pub grub. Would definitely recommend.

Brilliant pub. Great food and even better service. Very friendly bar staff and quick drinks service, even though it was very busy.

Best pub for food in Wimbledon in my view. Lovely atmosphere, delicious classics and impeccable service, despite the fact we were not the easiest table with a 1yo and a 4yo...

Such a lovely Christmas Day spend at the Hand in Hand. It was a great atmosphere and the staff were brilliant. The meal was huge ! Would go again!

I really like coming to this cheerful and relaxing pub off Wimbledon Common when I venture to Wimbledon Village. It has a particularly pleasant outdoor seating area, with a rather continental feel. Inside, it is clean, well furnished and traditional with comfortable chairs. Lovely wine, too. Edit: Today's Boxing Day lunch (2024) was good. Service: 10/10 Atmosphere: 10/10 Drinks: 8/10 (the coffee was quite bitter, but the rest of the drinks were perfect) Food: 8/10 (the pie was fab, but it could have done with quite a few more vegetables; the smoked salmon starter was lovely) Value: 8/10 (I understand it's a very expensive area of London, so the prices are alright) 44/50 - 4.4/5 (unfortunately, I can't rate you 4.5/5, so I'll give you a 4).

The H in H was packed at 5.00 on a Saturday and the staff were able to find us an excellent table for young children. One suggestion - please add a burger to the child’s menu. Overall an lovely experience, thank you.

We decided to have our anniversary dinner here, opting for a more low key evening and Hand in Hand did not disappoint! What a lovely space and great food!

Great pub, really attentive service, good food and good beer.

Lovely evening. Great food and service. Thank you

We had a table booked for 4 people on a Saturday night. Everything was very good except that, it took ages for our mains to come. We could see the dishes in all the other tables coming out at a normal pace while ours took forever. The explanation was that we ordered the vegan wellington, but we saw other tables having the same dish and they had been served at an acceptable time. There might have been an issue with the kitchen. It would have been a 5 star it it wasn’t for that.

Great food and lovely staff. They were great with our toddler too :)

Staff very helpful , venue was ideal for what was required, good value for money. Would certainly recommend to family and friends.

I’m from Newcastle and was visiting Wimbledon a few weeks ago when I stumbled upon the beer festival at the Hand in Hand. I was served by a curly-haired fella — I think he’s called Sass or Sassan – who was very sound and accommodating like. He let me try some of the ales, and I ended up having the Wimbledon Festive Ale. Lovely gaff you’ve got here. Big love from the Toon!

*update Dec 2024* Lovely cosy pub and the staff are really welcoming. Food is decent just needs a few tweaks to make it even better: such as thin gravy, under-seasoned pork and not crispy roast potatoes. Still enjoyable though overall! -- Really lovely pub in a quaint location! The service was fantastic - very friendly and helpful staff. The food was very good and the portions were HUGE. We each enjoyed a Sunday roast (pork, chicken and 2 veggie) and we all agreed it was delicious. The veg was seasonal and cooked very well - nice to see a bit of fennel on the plate! The veggie Wellingtons were HUGE but full of flavour and goodness. The meat was lovely, especially the chicken and pork belly. The Yorkshires were both crispy and fluffy. The potatoes could have been a little crispier (on the side rather than underneath everything) and one of the pork pieces was a little dry, however this wasn't a huge issue. Also great to see loads of non alcoholic options on the menu! Glad we got there early as it started to get very busy especially outside. Would definitely return! 👏😋

We booked the hand in hand for Sunday lunch,we decided to have the Sunday roast.i wish I didn't bother me and my wife went with the roast beef.when the food come out it was swimming in gravey and the food was not hot.the vegetables was very poor a tea spoon of greens and also the sweede.but the beef was the main disappointment very stringy.very disappointed with the food sorry for the negative comments 😢

Lovely pub. Food pretty good rather than great; with the Sunday roasts, the soggiest Yorkshire puddings I've ever seen and very thin gravy, but a generous portion of beef. Vegetarian options curiously unseasoned but again, a good sized portion.

I’m very happy with this cafe. It’s beautifully sized. Even I had a small order I had such a great experience. Highly recommend and I would really like to see this cafe prosper to more chains.

Pub its self from the outside looks warm and inviting and on entry seems quite lively and warm. We soon realised our first issue was the total lack of fresh air, the heat very quickly became oppressive and the tables are so jam packed together the heat was just plain uncomfortable. Be sure to wear layers you can take off. We ordered drinks initially took around 20 mins to get them but the bar was pretty busy. Food order for 7 (5 adults 2 children) completed at 2.40 at 4.05 we were still waiting, when we asked how long it would be as the children were hungry we were told 15 more minutes which was accurate as it did come out exactly that. What we couldn’t understand was that two other tables of two had come in and ordered after us and got their food before we did. Nothing we ordered would take that long to cook (2 salads, 1 fish and chips, 1steak, 2 burgers and one vegan wellington). At no point while ordering did anyone say there was an hours wait on food or come over and apologise for the wait. One member of staff did come and ask why we did not have a tab open on our table and stood with a card machine as if expecting payment for the round of drinks until we told her we were waiting on food. The waiting staff all looked disinterested, bored and avoided eye contact at all costs unless of course they wanted money and then they were there as quick as a flash with the bill when we said we didn’t want coffee and or dessert (we didn’t request the bill) and returned to collect payment a few minutes later as they seemingly needed the table! The drinks were over priced in my opinion £3.30 for a lime cordial and soda? The food was okay fish chips and peas was the best plate of food, chips all over seasoned, vegan dish way over seasoned with salt and pepper and a shame it was dried out on the edges from being under a heat lamp for so long, the vegan wellington was disappointing to say the least just a mush up of butter beans and mushrooms with no flavour of mushroom and over seasoned. The steak and burgers went down well but the chips were over seasoned by a mile. The goats cheese salads were okay but oddly sweet and didn’t have any real depth of character to them. All in all it was a disappointing birthday lunch with poorly trained and managed waiting staff and a pub that has to many tables to the point where you feel like a sardine in a tin they are so crammed in. It could be much nicer if they thinned out the tables somewhat. This was topped off with a half baked apology as follows ‘Sorry for the wait on your food today. The kitchen has been extremely busy, perhaps if you come in on a day when we are less busy you will have a better experience” ~ so just bare in mind folks it will be your fault for attending while they were overly busy not theirs for not telling you at the start the food wait would be an hour even though you booked! The menu suggests for groups gratuity will be charged at 12.5% this wasn’t the case on our bill but the waitress who took our payment was quick to tell her colleague that ‘no tip from them, even with that size bill’ her colleague noticed me walking past with the baby and smiled and thanked me for visiting needless to say I wont be back nor do I feel the slightest bit guilty that none of us tipped them!! We will spend our £181 money elsewhere next time and hopefully have a better experience.

Wonderful food and perfect atmosphere. Best pub in Wimbledon!

Great place to eat with great service and attention to customers. They accommodated extra people with no hassle. Great food and all my friends complimented me on the choice of venue. Recommend a visit.

The perfect pub to come to after a walk with your dog on Wimbledon Common. A bustling, warming, festive atmosphere. The three people that serviced us were very attentive and friendly and the food was delicious. The Kingston Gardener shall be returning next week for another meal. 👍🏼🍗🧤

Fantastic pub. Really busy. Beer fantastic. Food nice.

Best fish and chips in Wimbledon for real !

Inviting, calming ambiance enhanced by delightfully helpful staff and amiable landlord generous with his deep knowledge of ales. Find the landlord and engage him in conversation (any subject) to add further enjoyment to your visit. Lured by the menu, shall return soon for food.

What a fantastic cosy pub! Brilliant atmosphere, just right for any occasion ranging from date night to a cheerful get together with friends (which I’ve all done and had a fantastic time each time). Delightful range of drinks and top quality food. The staff are so helpful, patient and friendly. Very dog friendly too with dog treats from the general manager which makes me rate the pub even more! Honestly no complaints! *HIGHLY RECOMMEND*

Wonderful pub with a great atmosphere, staff, and service! Roast portions where plenty and very delicious. Thank you Poppy for being a great hostess!

The pub itself is a highlight, with a fantastic atmosphere that feels warm and inviting. It’s the kind of place you’d want to linger in, thanks to its cozy charm and lively vibe. Unfortunately, the service and dining experience fell well short of expectations. Service was inattentive, with staff appearing disengaged. Getting water at the table was a struggle, as staff seemed to avoid eye contact, leaving me to call them over repeatedly. It took an astonishing 30 minutes to receive my pint of cider, and that was only after they initially served a pint of ale by mistake. The Sunday roast was underwhelming, with undercooked vegetables detracting from an otherwise average dish. Dessert was particularly disappointing; the brownie I ordered was so poorly made that I wondered if an ingredient had been forgotten. I requested a sticky pudding as replacement, served with a side of staff annoyance rather than customer care. Overall, while the atmosphere was great, the meal and service left much to be desired. For the price, I expected far better. I won’t be returning for a meal, as it simply didn’t feel like value for money.

Service and food were excellent .This pub is such a gem in Wimbledon Village just off Wimbledon Common .Very good and professional service by Luke our waiter

Excellent as always. You cannot beat a Sunday Roast!

Good food in a dog friendly pub, serving Youngs cask ales. It can be busy so best to book.

What a fantastic night. We had a large party of 9 and the service by Clarissa was excellent. Fish and chips and burger were very good. Thank you also to Andrew for looking after us. Probably the best landlord in Wimbledon 👍🎉

Beautiful pub and would definitely come back for a drink but sausage and mash portion size was really stingy for £17 - needs to be more mash or come with some veggies - the kale was basically just a garnish.

The landlord obviously takes great care of his real ale. Had some absolutely outstanding pints of Proper Job this week. Used to go here many years ago and it's even better now, an absolute gem of a pub. Will be going there frequently now as my daughter has moved into the area. Didn't have time to sample the food but the menu looks good. However, it's the ambience and character of the Hand in Hand that make it so special. And the beer, of course!

I recently visited this lovely pub, and even though they were fully booked and the bakery was booked up, one of their staff members called Sassan, went out of their way to make sure we were looked after. They managed to find us a table and made us feel incredibly welcome from the moment we walked in. The service was warm and attentive, making the whole experience feel personal and enjoyable. It was clear they genuinely cared about every customer, and I can’t recommend this place enough. Fantastic atmosphere,great food, and staff who go above and beyond

20 friends for a casual celebration. Excellent beers, sharing platters, friendly staff. Private area, spilled over into the bar - nice atmosphere... recommend

Lovely outer city establishment attached to Wimbledon Common with an original pub feel. Delicious food, child friendly, with comfortable and welcoming feel.

Tried to book a Christmas dinner for my family for 10 people and was told be the manager that they couldn’t do it as it was a bit of and inconvenience for them. Never heard anything like it what a joke!!! Good thing is there are lots of other decent pubs in the area that do want the business!!!!

Really nice pub for Sunday roast. Amazing service, worth a visit.

I’ve never posted a review before but I was so incredibly happy with the service here. The staff were incredibly kind and friendly and the food was very nice too.

We had such a lovely visit to the Hand in Hand last night. The staff were really welcoming and friendly and the food was delicious. Perhaps the sausage sharing platter we had was a little sparse but that was more than made up for by the other gorgeous food and a feeling of being hosted and welcomed. Very cosy.

Not very good at all. Almost nothing for veggies unless you enjoy a salad. Waited at the bar for 10mins and then 15mins at the table and no one even came to take a drink order. Wasn’t very impressed so we left, doubt they even noticed.

From the friendly welcome, cosy interior, choice of wines. Everything was perfect!! Will definitely be back :)

Calves liver and pies were top notch. I was served a delicious pint of Young's original from a very handsome young man. I believe his name was Jody. I will definitely be back

Gorgeous traditional old pub, really friendly staff, great decor and good menu. It was Halloween and the pumpkins were fabulous. We sat outside in the lovely courtyard garden. Would definitely recommend and visit again.

We decided to visit the Hand in Hand again as the food, drinks, service and atmosphere is first class. And our well behaved dogs are also welcomed. The best part was the wonderful service Poppy gave us. She took our food and drink orders and even provided a bowl of water for the dogs. All in all a great experience and we'll be returning again!

A very nice place, the typical English pub. The food was great, the waitress always with a smile and very attentive. The best fish and chips I have had in a long time (and I have eaten quite a few). The beers are spectacular and the desserts are delicious. Many thanks to the service, although we arrived a little late than the reservation time, they did not give us any problems. Thank you very much again.

A little bit of googling for the best places for Sunday lunch in Wimbledon turned up the Hand in Hand and the menu and website looked good. Well it didn't disappoint. We turned up on a bright autumnal lunchtime and everyone and their dog was out enjoying the sunshine and looking for somewhere great to eat or drink near the common. We were so glad we booked, the food was excellent and great value for money. They were slightly short staffed due to some challenges getting in but we were forewarned as we checked in and it was clear they were doing everything they could on what was clearly a busier day than expected. Will definitely look to return when next in the area and remember to book a table so as not to be disappointed.

Cosy and friendly. A true local. Dog friendly and excellent food

Great pub and very dog friendly but unfortunately they had run out of some dishes by Sunday evening

Having booked for "a group of 6 mature friends who would prefer a table where we could enjoy a comfortable lunch and chat", we were pleasantly surprised to be allocated a perfect semi-private dining area where we all enjoyed an unhurried afternoon with excellent food, drinks and friendly service.

As I sit here returning from space to the planet after this out of world roast, I realise I am truly in the moment. Few times in life one truly enjoys the moment, but after the Sunday roast here; it is one of those times that earns to be fully enjoyed without thought of past or future. Every morsel is heavenly! The roast carrot and potatoes rich with flavour, pork with such rich fatty crackle 😋 Loved it 11/10!

Great pub, had dinner here and loved the fish&chips thank you!

Great food in a bustling pub. We were seated in a smaller, separate room off the bar area, which made for a much more calm and pleasant atmosphere. The service was quick and attentive, and she even went behind the bar and pulled my pint herself when the bar was too busy to get to her orders. The menu warned the beef and ale pie would be 40 minutes, which is an excellent sign that it is freshly made. It was, and was delicious. The portion is enormous, and very filling even for a person used to eating large portions. The gravy was a thinner, jus-style, that complimented the pie nicely. My wife had the bangers and mash, which she was equally happy with. We also had an outstanding sticky toffee pudding paired perfectly with salted caramel ice cream. The pub has good ales and seemed to have a good selection, though I quickly chose a Young’s I had been drinking previous to dinner, and didn’t examine the other offerings very closely. Great pub meal, with great atmosphere and service.

Great pub, very busy. Would recommend that you book a table

Great pub with brilliant atmosphere, helpful staff and outstanding food. Been a couple of times and always look forward to going back again.

Cozy pub with local crowd. Dog friendly.

Friendliest pub I have been to. Great food and couldn't be more dog friendly.

Nice pub and nice staff but on the Monday we went they didn’t have any of their famous chicken and leak pies!

Lovely roast and great service - thanks Poppy!

Just a wonderful pub , amazing cask ale selection, best I've ever seen. Food was class and staff exceptional and attentive.