Haunch of Venison in Wiltshire

The service on Friday night was second to none and the barman is a friendly oldie like me, maybe Italian or Spanish? . The beer is good the banter is excellent and non partisan, all in their gloomy glorious genuine medieval setting. The whiskies are massively varied but be patient, it takes them awhile to find them on the checkout. Improvement in the somewhat disinterested staff who are there in the week. You need staff with balls for this place, staff make a place like this. Take note. Still five stars. You should see The severed hand, and the ancient door to the toilets. Yanks, newcomers will love it. I have a theory, as do many people on the hand I love this place.

Stopped here for a drink. Lovely small pub. Friendly staff. Great beers. Cosy surroundings

Really quaint pub with lots of character

Oldest pub in Salisbury. Frequented by Churchill no less. Lovely small rooms in an unchanged tiny building. Try the Venison scotch eggs.

One of the best friendly pubs frequented by locals. Good English beers served warm, low alcohol, good comfort pub food but they also have a restaurant menu although we didn't eat dinner. Great atmosphere.

One goes here for the atmosphere, for the authentic old pub vibe. Great English beers, pub comfort foods and there is also a restaurant but we did not eat a full meal. Very friendly place and locals go there.

Had a beer in one of the oldest pubs in the UK, The atmosphere is amazing!

It's been a few times i went for dinner and i never got disappointed. Food is amazing always what i expected , so nicely done! Staff is friendly too! Just love going there i know i will have a nice meal there😃and keep recommending to everyone!

Unique, historic pub with a cosy interior, I enjoyed reading the story of the mummified hand.

It’s such a shame. I have visited this pub many many times over the years and I feel that in recent times, no effort is made to welcome guests or even ensure that there is someone to serve behind the bar. When it is quiet, it is not unusual to wait for 5 minutes for someone to appear. Several times I have met a friend in the Haunch and been unable to communicate because of the volume of other guests shouting at each other. In a small environment noise must and should be controlled- don’t get me started on the foul language. It seems that the pub is trading on its place in the local history books rather than ensuring guests have a super experience

The title of this review sums up our experience. The food was pretty good although the venison casserole was disappointing as the gravy/stew was a .little watery and there could/should have been more venison and vegetables in it. The service was okay but again could have been better. Would recommend as mid price local optio with good ales if in the area.

Great food, service and relaxed atmosphere, really good vibe in this place!

Fantastic food and stout! Thanks for a great dinner. Cheers from Norway!

I fulfilled my dream of eating a traditional Sunday Roast in a traditional style pub. I loved the atmosphere, the exposed wood details, the amazing fire that I sat by while I defrosted from being outside, the paintings, the small details to me are what made this pub incredible. I had a beef Sunday Roast with a glass of wine, to eat and to cry for more! Thank you so much to the attentive staff. A very satisfied costumer here, I'll come back!

Excellent lunch here, great service and lovely atmosphere.

Haunted very old Pub. Excellent atmosphere and staff. If old pubs and haunted places are your thing, then this is a must see.

Great place full of character and the waitress was brilliant too

Fantastic food, the service was great and was easily one of the best parts of my trip to the UK. My mom left her purse for a good 15 minutes before we realized she left it and when we returned they had taken it to a safe spot and gave it right back.

Oldest pub… very cool. The girl at the bar was very rude. Both young, but older one was very rude. We came in at 11:00 when they opened, asked about food and she said no, then made snide comment to her bar mate about Americans looking for food before 12:00. We asked if they had local beers and told with much attitude NO, then asked for Lagers and same response . We settled on ale and beer was good. We were four Canadians.. they do not deserve any tourist business. Avoid. Do want to point out that the younger was nice and it was only the one female. Sept 24th

Customers make this place as I don't think the staff are all that clever to be fair, bit full of themselves. (Young Monday night bit too cool for school) Nothing can be written that's hasn't already, I'd imagine it is usually heaving with Americans so maybe dodged a bullet there, they'd lap up this place. I'm sure, it's one of oldest pubs in Britain, dark nicely gloomy, timbered accordingly and see the mummified hand is a must see. Beers of a nice standard. Strong selection of whiskey but you can't see as it's too dark, and Mr Helpful at the bar isn't much of a yardstick . It's deffo got an atmosphere about it, love the etched glass in the doors... a must visit in Salisbury. Just had drinks. Deffo worth a visit though.

Excellent meal in an atmospheric place.

Got chatting to Bill a local in the tiny bar. Nice.....2 x small wines £14 ouch. Not nice. Barmaid short and to the point no real service to shout about.....so 3 stars. Didn't get chance to explore more of the pub. Looks good but that price tab......back to The,King's Arms I go.

Fabulous old pub in the centre of Salisbury. Vibrant history, fabulous restaurant with creaky floorboards. Good selection of real ales. The historic interior with the ‘House of Lords’ upstairs and the ‘Horse Box’ downstairs is fabulous. If you are visiting Salisbury this pub is a must. Oh yes and don’t miss the severed hand!

Our tour guide felt that we simply had to visit this piece of history on our way to Stonehenge. What a novel eatery nestled in Salisbury. Besides the “patina” of the interior, we had the best service and our first authentic fish & chips. Too bad we cannot sample the ale(s).

Just walking around Salisbury and found this very old pub , lovely restaurant upstairs . Great service and the best fish and chips we've had for a long time . There is even an old severed hand illuminated in the wall , what more can you ask for

We were walking around Salisbury with a few other people and were pretty hungry when we discovered this quaint restaurant. Set up on several floors in a historic setting, there were several seats, some of which were very comfortable. The very friendly service staff advised us on the food selection. I got fish and chips and I have to say, it was the best fish and chips I've ever eaten. So if you're in Salisbury and hungry, definitely go here. We were walking around Salisbury with a few people and quite hungry when we discovered this quaint eatery. Set up on several floors in a historical ambience, there were several seats, some of which were very comfortable. The very nice service staff advised us about the food selection. I got fish and chips and I have to say it was the best fish and chips I've ever had. So if you are in Salisbury and are hungry definitely go here

Beautiful historic pub, in Salisbury city center. We had a great time, enjoying a pint with friends and talking about the history. Worth a stop to see and for some refreshments while in Salisbury.

Probably under staffed, which could explain, the attitude of the staff, which ok, you get served. Just cheer up a bit. What's that all about? Pub itself, is very old and, very interesting, but should be a little more welcoming, to people who are spending money!

This place just drips history from every beam & stone. It is small & snug, the food is good & the ale, well kept. Well worth a visit & if you do, go check out the "Hand"

In Salisbury, I visited this a place with a friend and it is like no other pub I have ever been in. It is very historical with wooden walls and floorboards. It is very cosy and can get quite busy. There is soft lighting and a wood burning fireplace for the winter. It can feel cramped but it is the nature of the building. It has a spiral staircase to the upper level and has a choice of different seating areas. The food we had was delicious. There is a variety of options available. I would recommend this place for couples and small groups. The atmosphere is pleasant and relaxing. It is not a place for necking shots and wild, noisy parties. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

What a fantastic little slice of history, along with a great pint and lovely food to match. This is what all English pubs should be like. Superb!

Very disappointing. Venison casserole watery and small. Starters were late to the table and then mains came up too quick like a McDonald's restaurant. Waiter in a hurry but pub was quiet ,so no need. Very expensive low standard meal. Won't be going back.

Oooooold building that is fun to see. Food is good but was better on our last visit. Definitely a must-do in Salisbury!

Really nice and cozy place. Ancient and beautiful Pub. Small but really nice!. The staff very nice. The crab linguini spicy but tasty. The venisson casserolle really tasty. Good place, a must go in Salisbury. Reservaron recommended.

Great venue to show Australians medieval architecture. The food was super, although the chipped crockery was not . The staff were the scruffiest I have ever encountered, with long hair which should be tied back in a food establishment. The company T shirt could be accompanied by other than old jeans. Our wine glasses were brought to us by the waiter with his fingers in the bowls of our glasses, not carried by the stems. At least thank you to the chef for the superb cooking.

After reading the good food reviews on here we looked forward to a decent lunch. So disappointed. Staff were great. Husband had the set menu. Soup was extremely thick and tasteless. Main course of fish in a bun with cheap tastless oven chips equally disappointing, served on chipped plate. My goats cheese salad was good but extremely small for £14 and belonged on starter menu not main. The building is stunning but for us not worthy of another visit or recommendation.

Awesome pub, hundreds of years old which you can feel the moment you walk in, good selection of drinks, amazing food 👌

We visited on a Sunday specifically for toast day. And we’re not disappointed. The Venison roast was lovely as was the pork belly. The potatoes and the vegetables decent and the red cabbage slightly more aniseed than we both like but most would probably like it. The Yorkshire pudding was giant and slightly overdone but good for mopping up the gravy. As per previous visits the beer was well cared for and a few choices.

Old and very quirky pub. Well worth a visit and a drink. Really nice atmosphere In the bar. Decent choice of drinks at reasonable prices

We visited here for lunch with friends, the venue their choice, on the basis of reviews, I would not have chosen this place. There was no welcome, menus were presented without a word. It's a limited menu with very limited choice for vegetarians. The best of the food was mediocre and it went down from there to poor and in the case of a chocolate brownie, dry and stale. The staff were not engaging at any point. Never again.

Classic fish & chips, but not the best I've had. Beer choices with good variety. Courteous and fast service. Really nice pub on several floors.

A truly enjoyable time with great food and a amazing atmosphere. Our waiter, Paulo, was excellent and very attentive. Would recommend to anyone!

Went to the Haunch of Venison for an evening meal and a drink. The setting and atmosphere is really exciting as it's all crooked and aged! It feels almost like a museum. The food was brilliant and you can tell the time and love that's put into each dish. A definite go to if you are in Salisbury.

If there's a pub you want to try in the UK that has got history and stories, then this is the one. Its older than moat cathedrals and charming.

We had dinner at this pub on the only evening of our stay in Salisbury. Typical English pub, very friendly and efficient service, good and tasty food. We had the Guinness stew. We also had dessert, a very good cheesecake

A truly magnificent mediaeval pub. Excellent all round.

The pub is very small which is why I down it a star. I know it's old and unique but the size made it stuffy and uncomfortable. Incredibly expensive for non alcoholic drinks.

Steered here by the Real Ale Guide - and glad we were. A historic pub with oodles of atmosphere. Three of us had Sunday lunch here. The ustairs dining area was impecable. The ales on offer, the service and the food were all, superb. I hope to visit again.

Great real from the local Hogs Head brewery 🍻🍻

Nice friendly place with top ales.

Lovely, quaint place, food very good, helpings a bit on the small side, but that way we had room for dessert. 😁 The tap water they serve for free tasted awful to us but other people were happily drinking it so maybe it was us. Anyway, we were enjoying the beer and cider so who cares about the water? Definite recommendation!

Old and very quirky place. Well worth a visit. very friendly staff. We had booked Sunday dinner for 4 but had extra guest, It was no problem as they accommodated extra person. Food was excellent and good portions. would definitely come again next time I visit Salisbury.

Historic pub in the center of Salisbury. Really beautiful interior with historic rooms. In one room there is a relic with a hand of a card player of the time who was discovered cheating and had his hand cut off. I tried the pork belly with Yorkshire pudding and vegetables as a side dish (very good and filling). There is a good choice of wines by the glass and in the bottle, while there are few beers. Average prices. It's really worth it because you eat in a place where you can breathe history.

A terrific venue. We were drawn by the 1300's medieval restaurant description. It has been an outstanding experience. Livvie and Jack are the most welcoming hosts. Engaging, professional, faultless. The food, trio of Venison and mushroom gnocchi was excellent. Couldn't recommend it highly enough. Will be back.

Expensive, mid food, waiters bring you food you haven't ordered and charge you for it. 1 hour and 30 min just waiting

Lovely, quirky old fashioned pub. Little gem in a modern Salisbury

Tl;dr poor service, quality of food, and representation of local cuisine. Took 3 attempts before finally getting served (1st 2 times kitchen closed, hours not publicly available and lack of clear communication from service staff). After finally sitting down, menu very limited, portions small, and the sole venison dish was a burger that was fairly dry and a poor reflection of how venison should be prepared. Steer clear of this place especially if you’re looking for a good representation of local fare — this is not it.

Went out to eat with some friends, had a great time! The atmosphere was so nice and we really enjoyed the food. I had the fish and chips since I was visiting the UK, and it was pretty good.

Great place with lots of character and fantastic, friendly atmosphere and service.

What a fantastic place! Food was amazing and service really good. Was quiet for a Friday night but definitely recommend for lots of quality meat and fish dishes.

Attempted to have a late lunch yesterday but was rudely welcomed by young members of staff. You can’t go to the restaurant unless you’re seated but the place is understaffed. Don’t bother unless it’s for a pint.

What an amazing little pub, so much history and original fittings and fireplaces, staff really friendly and there's a few hidden gems, a severed hand being one! Great selection of beers and ales and food lovely aswell. Would highly recommend if visiting the area.

What an amazing meal. Rich, flavorful and savory. It’s a hearty meal so bring your appetite. I have to recommend the venison. No shame to the other meat options but I just don’t have venison very often, so it’s nice to have this when available. Of, and don’t skip on the dessert even if you stuffed yourself with dinner.

Lovely old building, incredibly quirky with some fairly unique features. Food was very good but slightly over priced in my opinion. Some attention to detail was lacking in areas. Overall a good experience and would definitely return.

Great little pub. Very old building with character. Incredibly tasty food, and lots of good Hopback beers available. Not surprisingly (from the name of the pub) there are several venison dishes available, but that's not all they do - the crayfish and avocado starter was great, and the mushroom and stilton gnocci was lovely. The service is great too. Would definitely recommend.

Pub food at its finest, friendly staff, historic building.

A must visit in Salisbury, beautiful cosy setting. I was very grateful to the staff to cater for a request not on the menu, and really enjoyed the venison sausages. Not the cheapest place but enjoyable. There is a ground floor and dining room upstairs but the pub is not really suitable for children or wheelchair people.

Old bar~ The food I had was a memory from more than 10 years ago. I also had the sunday roast at 4:00 in the afternoon. I was very moved and very happy. Except that the Ukesa pudding was too hard, the beef was delicious and the vegetables were flavorful. The fish cake was very good with fennel. eat.

Good food, fair prices, magnificent location, impeccable service: highly recommended!

Had the fish and chips. Needed a little salt but other than that it was good. Sit upstairs and make sure you see the hand before you leave.

A popular and historic place and situated into the heart of the city. We nipped in for a drink end of the day and located in the snug next to the bar. A great little space that feels very bijoue and bespoke yet retains access to main bar and public area. Especially ially good for parties of 4-7 ideally that want to sit together without fuss of table moving. Loads of history Inside that goes well with the choice of drinks available.

This is a really popular and pleasant place to catch a Sunday lunch or dinner, very good food and service in the day we visited. Great views of the market place from the dining room, really feels like an occasion when you're eating here. Again, smack in the middle of the city of Salisbury

I remember that the service and food in the place were ordinary. Grumpy staff pretending to be busy with occupation less than ⅓ of capacity. Food came barely warm (Yorkshire puddings sluggy, cold, not crispy; lack of vegetables as well cold. Not my dream of Sunday roast. Only pork was more than Okey

This review is for foodies who can distinguish good food. For a place that has venison in its name, the venison dishes disappointed me greatly. If you value your tastebuds, this place is not it for venison, but they serve really good Roast Pork Belly. We ordered the Venison Casserole, Venison Burger, and Pork Roast. The Venison Casserole felt like it was cooked for too short, and too much liquid from the venison seeped out, leaving the meat easily shredded but dry. The venison burger is not ideal either, too dry and lacking in flavour, almost like it came out from a supermarket packet. But the pork roast is brilliant. Soft with a good chunk of mashed taters mixed with mustard seeds for a zingy exciting spiciness. Order this if you are visiting and want the experience of dining here and eating relatively good food. Avoid all things venison here at all costs. I have no clue why people rate this highly, but someone ought to set the record straight that they need to improve or 86 the venison dishes.

Only drinks. Very old pub. Worth a visit.

We went here for Sunday lunch with friends. The roast was fantastic, a great choice of meat and vegetarian options, with up to three choices. All of which was cooked to perfection with lovely potatoes and vegetables. Highly recommended

Wonderful food, very helpful staff, and the downstairs at least very atmospheric. Can't comment on the upstairs, because my wheelchair can't get up there, but the place is as accessible as it can be for somewhere that old and that small

Wonderful old pub. Had a great pint.

Fun to visit such an old estaishment. The food was underwhelming, but not too bad.

Food tasteful and creative. Staff very friendly and tried hard but not always attentive. Special flair.

Great old English tavern with church bell tower outside window. Great ale and venison choices!

Brilliant pub, always go there when visiting Salisbury.

The go-to whenever I’m in Salisbury. Enjoy!

The atmosphere is amazing in this 700 years old pub. The food was also, unexpectedly, very good and with a good look. Recommend for a pint and/or having dinner!

Lovely old building with stacks of character, ok beers, ok staff, destincly below par food, particularly as this is a premium priced venue & I won't give it a second chance

The finger pub!!! Nice little quirky pub on various levels with loads of character. Beers alright too

Came here for dinner and was not disappointed. Had the trio of venison which was excellent. Well presented, good portion with lots of flavour. The starters were also excellent. A great setting in a very old building. Highly recommended for food and a decent pint of Guinness. The sticky toffee pudding was superb with mouth watering flavour.

I suppose we must just have been unlucky, but our meal was terrible. We waited an hour for our food, and when it arrived, my rare steak might as well have been the sole of a shoe it was so cooked. It had clearly been sat under a heat lamp for quite some time. It was genuinely unpleasant to eat - chewy and tasteless. Rocket had also been piled on top of it, perhaps to try and cover that up. The peppercorn sauce had SO many peppercorns in it, my husband asked how my lentils were, thinking the steak had been served on a bed of them. I like peppercorn sauce, a lot, but I don't want to eat 100+ peppercorns. The seasonal greens consisted of 1 piece of tender stem broccoli with a remainder of creamed cabbage - if I'd wanted creamed cabbage, I would have ordered that from the selection of sides. The whipped goats cheese on toast was delicious except for the fact the toast was burnt (!). I also had no fork to start my meal with once it finally arrived. My husband had the pork belly which he described as fine, and the best he could say afterwards was that he was full. Perhaps the lunch service is the issue? Another table complained about a 40 minute wait between their starters and their mains, and the table behind us waited 15 minutes for 3 cold desserts that should have taken seconds to prepare and deliver to the table - two lemon possets (which will have been made in advance in order to set) and a cheese board. Admittedly we arrived around 1.30pm - but if you don't want to serve food through the afternoon, run two separate lunch and dinner services. I checked with staff downstairs when we arrived that we were okay to come in and eat. Staff also need proper training on handling allergies - they did not ask us about allergies when we were seated, and when my husband asked if there were any nuts in the trio of venison, we were told that they 'thought' there were nuts in the sauce. They did not offer to check this, offer any alternative or the dish without the sauce. Yes, the dining room is old and atmospheric, but it was also dusty - I could see clumps on dust on the metal light sconce where we were seated. We were really disappointed with this meal. The problem was by the time it arrived we were both so starving, complaining and delaying the food any longer wasn't even a possibility! We won't be coming back.

Very old with small cubby holes. Great atmosphere and got on with people we've never met as close inside the room

Fish and chips were spot on. Crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Well done

One of the most unique pubs I've been too. Wonky floors, low roof, skinny stairwells and doorways but it's all absolutely perfect. Incredible food too...the Sunday roast probably one of the best I've had

Lovely antique restaurant. Good menu and reasonable prices. The Sunday roast is highly recommendable.

Friendly, compact pub with a great atmosphere and good beer

This restaurant is located in an ancient building - where EVERYTHING is crooked and shaky right in the center of Salisbury. As the name suggests, it is Venison which is the focus. I had an appetizer (whipped goat cheese on toast) and main course (Trio of wild venison) + good wine at a fully acceptable price. Everything tasted VERY GOOD 😋😋😋 The service was pleasant and service minded

Super little restaurant. Not very disabled friendly, steep stairs my wife struggled with. The food was very good

Historic (very) old pub which used to accommodate the stone massions working on the Cathedral, with lots of nooks and crannies to hide in! Churchill and former Prime Minister Edward Heath, were previous customers and a history of the pub is available with the menues on the ground floor (copied in the picture). We all ordered light bites and devoured them hungrily! Another vote for the duck paté!

Beautiful little pub right in the heart of Salisbury. Came on the train and had a lovely beer in the upstairs room. Table we were sat at was booked but we were not rushed and the staff could not have been friendlier. Will definitely visit again.

Surly staff and no atmosphere, beer was ok though, wouldn’t go back.

A very unique pub, great beer. A must visit for any one who appreciates good beer a one off pub. The locals were a joy.

Easily in the top 5 pubs in Salisbury. Solid Guinness, great whisky selection.