Hare and Hounds Pub in New Forest

When we arrived we were taken to our table,there was no room to move , they had crammed the tables so close together that you couldn’t get out of your chair. We asked for a table with some room as we had a pushchair with us, but no. After an hour waiting a staff member came to take our order, not a lot of choice , some of us had the trio of roast, sounded lovely, when the dinner turned up it was disappointing, the stuffing didn’t taste or look very nice and as for the veg well, not the usual Sunday veg, it turned up in a small dish for 3 of us , there was red cabbage , courgette and carrots. The puddings not nice either, waffles hard you couldn’t cut , cheesecake which tasted like it had loads of gelatine in, and the treacle sponge pudding usually is a light brown colour,well it was almost black and tasted of black treacle, not nice. We didn’t have coffee, wasn’t asked. Staff not friendly , never asked if we wanted any more drinks, if our dinner was ok, we had to keep calling them over. Wouldn’t go back .

We stopped in as was staying near by. We managed to get a table even though there were lots reserved. The food was very good, even a fussy 10 year old and fussier 15 year old enjoyed theirs. The service was wonderful - staff very friendly

We visited on Easter Sunday. They squeezed 7 of us on a four seater table. Service was extremely slow. We had to get up several times to get drinks from bar as waitresses were only interested in looking to see who had finished meals rather than attending to customers on waiting tables. Roast trio was shocking! Stuffing was like mashed potato, veg consisted of courgette , carrots and red cabbage. Asked if they had broccoli, green beans or cauliflower but no. Sticky toffee pudding was a treacle, cheesecake was like marshmallow, waffle so hard you could kill someone with it. Waitress with blonde hair was very rude and had a disgusting attitude! Table behind us were asked to leave as they needed the table back. They were not offered dessert or coffee. The wait time for food order was 45 minutes, meals came around a hour after that. Will never be visiting again!

We had been assured by friends that the roasts here were very good but that was not the case last weekend. The big issue as previous reviewers have mentioned was the quality of the meat. I had the beef and my husband had the pork and both were tasteless. The slices appeared to have come from a catering pack, think school dinners. The gravy and stuffing were not great. Potatoes and veg were fine. The beef was £15.99 and the pork was £13.99 which is probably reasonable these days but maybe why they need to cut costs by sourcing the meat from a cheaper wholesaler. The pub was packed and is clearly very popular. Service was friendly but slow.

This restaurant was one of our favourite (I stress the was!). Today’s visit was for my wife’s birthday and I must say it was a bit of a disappointment. The food was not up to the standards we had experienced previously, and whilst the pub was heaving the service felt rushed and not very attentive. We both ordered a roast dinner and the meat was tasteless, overcooked and to be honest felt as if it was carved from a processed joint (think Bernard Matthews!) It would be great to see the food return to the lovely meals we have had in the past, but we will have to wait to see if we return in the future.

Blessed within a beautiful location the pub is currently undergoing an external renovation however it doesn’t stop the staff from being friendly and serving delicious food! Plus having Fullers in barrels is a magnet for any beer lover 👍

Went for game week special, partners guineas fowl very good. My game casserole very poor, not much flavour and few small scraps of meat

Lovely country pub, great food at reasonable prices, happy, attentive staff, what more could you ask for? We arrived Friday at 1.30pm and the pub was full, although early lunchers were just starting to leave. Liked the varied menu too. My husband liked the draught beer, Double Drop! Overall a very enjoyable experience.

The food here is excellent. We ate on the Friday night and enjoyed it so much we went back again on the Saturday. Would highly recommend this pub. We eat here regular now and every dish has been superb.

Hare & Hounds Sway I run a sports club in Sway and have done for 15 years. We will no longer be using the Hare and Hounds as our after training venue. The bar manager Jamie is incredibly rude and today made it very clear that, in his opinion, all we ever do is "take up space and drink lemonade and eat cheesy chips" - he refused our booking for next week and said that we'd have to "take our chance or sit outside, in January, as he could sell our seats and booking 10 times over." 15 years we've been using that pub and that's his attitude.

Absolutely fantastic service and food! Came here 12 years ago as a couple and so thought we would revisit again. Didn’t disappoint! Would highly recommend :)

We had lunch on Friday and had a chilli nacho share bowl and a bowl of chips , there was definitely a lack of taste and heat in the chilli , as we were in the area for the weekend we then booked for Saturday lunch , my wife had the lamb rosemary and cranberry pie , she said the pie was lamby but no hint of rosemary or cranberry I had the fisherman’s pie which was ok but could have been better. Will probably venture to Brockenhurst in future A shame because it is a nice location and is closer to where we stay

Christmas break in Sway. Family meal in this beautiful pub. The service was excellent, the food fabulous with very generous portions. The decorations created a cosy atmosphere. Will definitely visit again when we return to Sway.

Thank you Hare & Hounds for a delightful Christmas Lunch…… always amazing food and venue, see you soon

We booked for Sunday lunch the night before and when we arrived, we were quickly seated at our table. Our booking was at 1pm and the place was already quite busy with other diners. We both chose the roast pork dinner which was really tasty with lovely roast potatoes, flavoursome pork (lots of it) with nice crackling and lashings of gravy. The accompanying veg were nicely cooked. We’d seen other diners with massive Yorkshire puddings but we assumed that was only for the roast beef. We got lots of apple sauce too and were very full at the end of the meal. The beer was ok and I’d be happy to return another time.

Family Christmas - superb. Brilliant dinner and organisation by Julia and her team. Back again this year for birthday.

Lovely friendly pub , excellent service. Food good. Reasonably priced. What could be better than that .

Had a lovely welcome, we were a group of 10 with 5 bassets and 2 smaller dogs. Service was friendly and prompt and the food was served all together and was delicious. Would highly recommend

Once again, The Hare and Hounds have come up trumps. We stopped here for lunch during a circular walk around Sway. Great menu, great staff, great service. I have lost count of the number of times we have eaten here but it is lovely to...

Was recommended the pub by a friend. First of all this is a really lovely pub. My wifes meal was liver and bacon which she enjoyed and I had the steak and ale pie. The for the negative review is the chips weren't attractive side...

Fresh hot food lovely waitress lovely liver & bacon , pie of the day , lovely atmosphere, really busy on a rainy Wednesday lunchtime and it was packed , so shows how lovely it is

Ate here on Friday 15th September in the evening. 4 mains, hit and miss! Service felt begrudging and was definitely minimal. The family with us had visited several times a year ago and we were all there on their recommendation so decided to give it...

The food and the service here is excellent. The garden is great, lots of equipment for children to enjoy and plenty of parking. We were able to book a table close to the door because of one of our friends needing ease of mobility. There...

lovely food, surroundings and staff. Most menu items come in two sizes for the smaller (or larger) appitite. I had the small salmon fishcakes followed by the home made cheesecake and my husband had thesmall lasagne followed by the syrup sponge. They were all delicious...

Dropped in for an early evening meal “”very friendly reception by the staff “”great choice of food and drinks “””the burger I ordered was delicious and the fish pie outstanding “””The young lady who looked after us was a True professional “”outstanding service “””she was...

Visited for dinner while visiting this area for weekend Good vibe and friendly atmosphere Tasty food , bit slow to take order but good food and generous portions ( lasagna and scampi) We couldn’t manage puddings ! Would recommend

Recommended by our host during a week in New Forest. We were greeted and shown to our table immediately ( even though we arrived 15 minutes early. Waitresses all providing an exceptional service - took our orders promptly, extremely helpful and cheerful. We chose the...

Excellent food which we chose from the specials board and very reasonably priced. Staff friendly and sort any queries you have straightaway. So good we are there two nights running

We went here for dinner and the Sunday evening quiz. The roast beef was really tender and you could have housed a small family in the yorkshire puds, but the star for me was the gravy. Good old fashioned spotted dick and custard was a...

This was the worst roast I have possibly ever had. We tried to book a table but they were full ....knowing this I'd decided to try the 'famous roast', with nothing we were early and probably the first people to order the roasts.... Firstly they...

We took our friend's for their first visit to the Hare and Hounds (we've eaten their a few times before ) and I can honestly say the food was excellent, 3 had lasagne, 2 had ham, eggs and chips and I had admirals pie. All...

A fantastic pub in the New Forest. Friendly staff, fantastic food and very comfortable furnishing and atmosphere. Would highly recommend. My partner and I had a wonderful time.

This pub is top drawer. Very busy which is always a good sign. Excellent staff and standard of service and customer satisfaction is well catered for; there was even a row of spare glasses in case you had forgotten yours. There was a pet bowl...

Lovely food and desserts. The roast dinners are lovely especially the roast potatoes and gravy, epic!

Fitted us in last minute for a Sunday roast. Really nice food and staff. Kids loved the park as well. Will come again when we’re around.

Absolutely top class pub for both service and food. Staff are efficient and polite and attentive and the food is excellent. Be sure to book as it is very rightly very popular. Many thanks for a wonderful evening.

Jamie was extremely helpful and friendly. We popped in for food after lunch but before dinner time and this was no problem for them. The burgers were succulent and delicious. Would definitely visit again.

Unfortunately after visiting many times regularly enjoying as a family, on our visit today after a recommendation to friends we were truly let down. With 7 of us with children we moved a bench approx 6feet from its location in the garden so we could...

Excellent food. good pub food.quick service and friendly staff. Went 2 nights running as 1st night good. Will return if in the area again.

A warm welcome, a relaxed atmosphere, drinks order taken promptly and our meal ( Admirals pie) was the best we’d tasted. Just great!

Return visit to a pub we used to frequent many years ago before moving out of the area. It was superb then and even better now. Handled my wife's coriander allergy without batting an eyelid. Beer was a good price and well kept, wine less...

A warm welcome for us and our rather sandy dog, when we called in on the off chance that a table would be available, especially as the carpark was almost full. Comfortable and relaxed, with thoughtful details. Extra cushions for seating, beds and rugs available...

We visited the New Forest over the weekend and stopped in the Hare and Hounds on Monday for an evening meal. Service was friendly and efficient even on a bank holiday. Food was excellent so much so we booked to go again the following day!...

Had another great meal at the Hare and Hounds. We come here when we are in the area and we love it. Food and ambiance are great. Never had a bad meal. Special shout out to Tara who always goes out of her way to...

Had Sunday lunch here. The trio of roasts was excellent, the service really good and the setting is beautiful. Not much more I can add really; it’s awesome!!

After reading lots of mixed reviews. Some very bad. We did not know what to expect at the hare and hounds. As soon As we walked in the staff welcomed us. Very polite. The menu is a pub menu. The food took a bit of...

When in the New Forest we always try and visit this pub with our dogs. On our visit this time some tables were reserved so we sat at an empty available table. We were immediately stopped by a man behind the bar telling us not...

A member of the hotel staff were were staying at recommended this pub as a place to visit whilst we were in the New Forest area, first went at 17.15 hrs on a Tuesday when tables where quickly filled, a good indicator that it was...

Went for lunch the Saturday before mother's day,x6 people with 2 children cannot fault anything, staff so friendly, and food excellent as always. Our waitress was super friendly smiley, and really helpful. its always our go to pub, propper classic country pub grub and a...

Lovely atmosphere but plastic food and poorly cooked/ presented. We had a Sunday roast. Reminded me of the classic ‘school dinner’ ‘NHS hospital food’. Staff were friendly and the pub was very busy so we were hopeful as this was our first time visiting this...

5 of us enjoyed a tasty roast for Mother’s Day. The restaurant was bustling as you would imagine on Mother’s Day. The staff were happy and attentive. I had roast beef, it was cooked perfectly with an enormous Yorkshire pudding, plenty of veg and horseradish...

I had been told the food was good at this establishment , I disagree. The vegan roast was dry and crumbly and the potatoes, it's not difficult to cook a roast potato. I'm afraid these resembled day old potatoes fit for a bubble and squeak....

Nice atmosphere ……terrible food Having never been to this pub before, I had an open mind as what to expect….. Unfortunately there was nothing on the plastic menu that interested me much, so went for the pie of the day, chicken and mushroom ( not...

We dined with friends, and not having been here before, were a little dubious as to the quality of the food. We found the atmosphere warm and very friendly, the staff were kind and efficient, the food excellent. We shall defiantly return as I would...

Popped in on the off chance after a walk at Hurst castle, a very helpful person answered the phone and organised for a table and space for our dogs. Place was very busy, staff were very helpful despite being busy. Food was good. Recommended

We ate at the pub today. The food was delicious and plentiful. Service was excellent and attentive. I have been a fan of the pub for many years. But today the pub was cold. There was no getting around it, I was with my 83-year-old...

Greeted at the door as had reserved a table. Friendly staff. Dog friendly with biscuits, water bowl and dog beds if required. Warm and cosy atmosphere. Hot well cooked food. Have visited before and standards have not dropped.

Superb restaurant excellent food and staff very helpful and friendly. The restaurant is very well presented clean tidy with great car park. Will definitely visit again when in the area.

Couldn't park in a neighbouring village so drove on and came across The Hare and Hounds. I was looking forward to one of their beers but unfortunately the barrel had just finished. It was very busy so service was slow but the wait was worth...

This is a lovely pub, with good food and excellent staff. But I do query a couple of items on the menu. You can get a plate of whitebait that is massive, but it is only small fish. That end up being to crispy and...

3 generations of our family and 2 dogs away on holiday and wanting a lovely Sunday dinner. In comes the Hare and Hound. We’ve been a few times over the years and it doesn’t disappoint. Lovely food and good hospitality. We all left very content.

Everything much the same at the Hare and hounds, little or no change to the menu, although the food is usually good here, but not exciting, when eating out one is usually hoping for something that they would probably not have at home but it's...

We had a lovely meal here for a Sunday Birthday celebration. The ONLY thing to let the whole meal down was the yorkshre pudding, they were dry and turned to dust and crumbs on cutting into them. Otherwise the meal was delicious and the puddings...

They tolerate dogs but you can tell they do not want them in there. Staff are not polite . White Hart Pennington is miles better for quality and value, and they really are dog friendly.

Visited Saturday evening for dinner/drinks. Food was lovely & waiting on staff pleasant & helpful. However the landlord was rude & unhelpful - despite us spending over £200! Went again 2 more evening for drinks & landlord was particularly rude & unhelpful. Will not be...

Some of us did okay foodwise - others poor food. Staff keen to serve and try to impress - gppd atmosphere

My family of four stopped off for some drinks at this very pretty pub. It has an excellent play area that suits all ages. Decided to book a table for the next day for lunch. Glad we booked as it was very busy. The food...

Came here today 28th August for a Sunday lunch and was not disappointed the food was lovely the waiting and bar staff were welcoming and attentive

Was told from our friends how lovely this place was. Wow. They were right. The warmth of service from the staff...the gentlemen who said he was the manager was simply lovely. An infectious smile. Every bit of the food was amazing. The steak and ale...

We received a very poor standard of food on Saturday evening. The mushroom starter was made with very old mushrooms, the steak and stilton pie special had a strong taste of ammonia and the pepper sauce for the steak special was very acidic. We explained...

Questionable hygiene, surly staff and mediocre food. There are far, far better places than this in the forest! Looks pretty from the outside but keep driving!

We go to this pub on weekly basis and eat in their garden as we always have dogs and a small child with us and they have a lovely play area for children. We always have starters and a main meal but today we were...

We had a wonderful family birthday lunch yesterday and could not have enjoyed better hospitality throughout our 2 hour visit. The staff were super welcoming, served to a high standard and the selected 10 meals, exceptional. Very many thanks,

We had the turkey and beef roast and the falafel burger. The roasts looked like someone had thrown up on the plate. We left the turkey, the veg was tasteless, just sweet. Very poor. The childrens fried food and chips were lovely. The falafel burger...

Great Pies for Sunday lunch in a lovely garden. Friendly and efficient staff, great pies. A children's playground if you go as a family which looked amazing. Central to so many walks and amazing attractions around Sway. This enchanted New Forest worth visiting any time.

We live local and visited here this evening for an unplanned supper on the way home from Southampton. Had a drink to start with and decided that we couldn't be bothered to cook so ordered some food. We have eaten here a lot but not...

We visited last night but hadn’t booked, they were very helpful in finding us a table. Service by all was friendly and helpful. The food was delicious recommend the chilli and the mushroom pot, all served hot. They have a lovely garden to enjoy too....

Firstly I must say that the staff are incredibly friendly and welcoming. Our drinks order was taken and we perused the quite extensive menu. Be aware that although salmon is on the menu, they no longer serve it but don’t tell you until you place...

We visited today as was waiting for a horse ride for our kids. We had drinks and dessert. The orange cheesecake I shared with my husband was one of the best I’d had in a long time. Next time we are in the area we...

Cheerful and friendly greeting by the manager was followed by more of the same The table was lovely by the window. The food really good traditional casual dining. The liver and bacon was delicious, salad superb. Goats cheese ciabatta melted in the mouth. The serving...

Visited for lunch at this lovely dog friendly pub on the outskirts of Sway. Varied choice of food and my wife and I opted for freshly made baguettes and we was not disappointed. Also a vast choice of beer and cider all served very efficiently.

I have driven past this pub so many times over the years and this was the first time stopping in. Friendly welcome as we arrived just before midday ordered lunch and drinks, we were told that food only starts at 12 but it arrived quite...

We have been eating at The Hare and Hounds for years, in fact every time we stay in the New Forest. It is always a pleasure with welcoming staff and a lovely comfortable “feel” to the pub. Like so many pubs in the area THH...

Found this gem of a pub while looking somewhere handy for the Lymington Ferry and had a decent choice of gluten free meals. We visited with our 18month old and our friends & their three children. Great choice of meals for all including the children....

A varied menu with something for all tastes. Traditional pub with good beer and does everything very well. nice and friendly, efficient staff. Feel you can just come and drink rather than need to always have food. Would definitely go back.

We visited last night, we booked as we know it gets busy on Saturdays, a table for 3 in the restaurant area, the staff were very helpful and friendly. The starters were very good, can recommend the Garlic mushroom pot, really tasty. The main course...

I love this pub but tonight not up to scratch, The steak and ale pie was more pastry than meat - like really just pastry - advised the waitress who said I will mention to the chef. On questioning several people have mentioned this issue...

We enjoyed our meal at the Hare & Hounds. The food was excellent as was the selection of beers & wine. Service well balanced attention.

My wife and I went to the Hare and Hounds on the first evening of our recent short break in the New Forest.We received a very warm welcome and we sat in the dog friendly part of the restaurant.The service was vg and the fish...

AMAZING food and great service…the food was roasting hot, Chilli-con was fantastic, fish was beautiful and cheesy garlic bread was to die for.

Such a beautiful and welcoming pub. Visited this pub with my girlfriend as part of a trip down memory lane. Firstly and as a stand-alone observation - the food was so nice and the ambience perfect. The staff were really attentive. But what made it so special was the genuine reaction from the owners/ management when I told them my connection to one of their previous regulars - my uncle Nigel. I was in the pub as a “cheers” to him after 20 years overseas and sadly not being around for his wake nearly a decade ago held in his favourite pub. My day could not have been made more by the stories of his times there and the heartfelt thoughts of his patronage of their pub. Thank you so much guys. I/ we will be back in Sway more regularly and can guarantee that you will be our first port of call. Brilliant. Exactly how a pub should be.

Visited here twice in one month. Came for a Sunday roast, absolutely brilliant. Very tasty. Had so much selection for vegetables. Came here second time and had a delicious smoked salmon with water cress sauce and mash. Fantastic!! The food quality is excellent. The puddings are great too! Belgium waffle with chocolate sauce and ice cream. Lovely!All staff are very friendly and welcoming. A nice cosy pub. One thing. I didn't like when the table behind us clicked there fingers at the waiter this was very rude!! Would definitely recommend and will be back.

Cheerful and efficient service, well cooked locally sourced food. Menu typical pub grub, but quality of ingredients a cut above. Well worth the visit. Have eaten there a couple of times for lunch recently.

Great friendly staff couldn't be more helpful. Food excellent good choice of beer and cider. Would thoroughly recommend. Was served by excellent barstaff called jack and Lisa