Horse and Groom in New Forest

I have just had the most delicious Christmas lunch with friends. A friendly welcome, attentive staff. Food arrived hot, which is unusual in some places. Large portions, turkey was succulent and a large portion (I had to take some home). There was a large variety of vegetables. There was a wide selection of puddings which were delicious. My friends have not been before and will definitely be returning!

Beautiful pub with friendly atmosphere. Staff all very polite. Food was absolutely amazing. Would highly recommend and we will definitely be going back. Dog friendly was a big plus. Even Norman our frenchie was pampered with dog biscuits.

Lovely pub. Great food. Staff very welcoming and friendly. Dog friendly. Friendly locals.

I contacted the horse and groom via WhatsApp to book my table, they were really responsive and booked me in for the following day with no issues. It was me and my dog so we were seated in the bar area by the fire in an extremely comfortable arm chair. Their service was one of the best I’ve experienced in a long time. They were friendly, attentive, and were so lovely to my dog. I had the vegetarian roast and it was 10/10, then a lovely gentlemen (who I think might be the landlord or manager) bought out a bowl of beef for my dog to have her own mini roast. Honestly such a lovely experience would recommend and will most definitely be coming back.

Always good food and really nice staff at this pub. Just need a couple of veggie choices on the weekend menu to make it even better.

Great evening meal at the Horse and Groom. Very attentive new-ish owner greeted us, served us some drinks found us a nice table. Nice menu with proper pub food at good prices and great real ales. All dishes were great. My Ribs and Fries were too hot heat - haven't had that for a while!! It was nice to admire the meal and look at my Wife's Sausage and Mash. Great decent sized Crumble dessert - none of this sadly getting more common - Crumble in small cup we seem to accept these days. I had two scoops of Ice Cream which I recall was about £3.50. Service was very attentive. A very good experience - we will be back.

After a couple of previously bad experiences, since the new landlord has taken over! We thought we would give them one last try . Like dancing with crocodiles this was a massive mistake. Food was cold! I would think that a bacon and Brie would at least be warm and the cheese melted? Let me tell you that it took some chewing!! and service was poor . The time we paid, I felt like we may have lost an arm and a leg excuse the pun .

We had a really good meal here on Saturday night we have three courses each large glass of wine and a pint all for just over £70 that's really good value in my opinion. The food was really good and well cooked and presented nicely. I will definitely be back.

Had a meal slow roast pork for me crispy skin is best part this wasn't the case .meat was burnt on bottom couldn't cut never mind chew.Roast potatoes had a hard skin probably from being in hot plate to long.

Excellent beers and quick friendly service. Didn't eat but food looked good

Great food and service First visit will come again

Wasn’t a happy bunny being directed to an outside seating area in November, but once inside the large, warm gazebo, I calmed down. Table for eight booked and although they were insubstantial tables, they didn’t rock! Lovely people who attended to us patiently as one of the party was quite specific with his requirements. Amazing food. Nine different dishes. Very reasonably priced with many options to have smaller versions for anyone with a small appetite. Everyone commented on how delicious it all was. Will definitely put this pub on my must visit again list.

Being reasonably local we call in fairly regularly for a drink or bite to eat. There is always a warm welcome in this wonderful traditional pub. Landlord and staff are always wonderfully friendly and accommodating. The food is always pretty good but can vary. Being in The New Forest we were excited on our latest visit to see ‘Panage ’ pork on the specials board 😀 however when the meal arrived there was just one small loin chop, which was overcooked, offering very little value at £17.95. Two small chops should surely have been offered at that price. My husband left disappointed and hungry. Disappointing but It won’t stop us returning and giving it another try. Could do better.

One of the best in the New Forest.. can't wait to go back

Lovely old village pub. I have visited this place numerous times over the years. Fifty five to be precise. Fond memories.

What a brilliant pub, food was lovely.

If you don’t mind insects cooked in your food, only to be told we are in the New Forest you have to expect this kind of thing, then eat here!!

Great country pub in a lovely location. Very friendly staff, great service, fantastic food, highly recommended.

Lovely and helpful team, no request was too much. They looked into all of their ales for me to try and find one that was suitable for my diet, which was really appreciated. They also managed to book us in at quite late notice even despite the party size. Food was great, came out in good time, not overly expensive, and the portion sizes were very generous. We were there for long enough that the teams had switched over and the evening team looked after us just as well. Overall, a really enjoyable place to visit if you're ever in the area with options for a lot of people at a reasonable price. Can't go wrong!

Lovely pub in a great location. Popped in on a whim on a busy Sunday, and the staff kindly managed to squeeze us in between reservations. The roast lamb was outstanding, it was easy to see why it was so busy. I'll be sure to reserve a table next time I'm back in the area!

Lovely walk to the pub for a lovely roast.

Lovely atmosphere, food good but cheaase in maccaroni could have been stronger, otherwise 5 stars

Was wary with the fact that there was a new chef. Been here multiple times. And it is still good as ever. The service was great, and the food was amazing again. Thank you for a lovely evening and food!

Had a fabulous meal last night . The schnitzel on the specials board was fabulous and great with the fried egg and Caesar salad that came with it worked really well . Followed by sticky toffee pudding and the added flake on top was a great touch . Thank you for a lovely meal and waiting staff were lovely. Anne & Chris

Good food with choices well beyond normal pub fare on the daily specials, but some dishes a little over-imagined - too much mayonnaise blunting the spices on my chilli squid, and unnecessary little flowers (apparently edible but horrid taste) with ugly large lettuce (?) leaves complicating a delicious pan fried cod loin.

Lovely traditional village pub serving superb food excellent coffee and great service the staff were excellent and dog friendly highly recommend

Our food was nice but not overly special however the table next to us sent theirs back and refused a replacement. The service was shocking forgetting drinks then bringing the wrong ones. If you have a spare 2or3 hours to spare then this is the place for you as from entry to exit this is the time they needed to serve a 3 main course lunch. We definitely could not recommend a return. In a partial defence the drinks were removed from the bill and a snack was provided by way of an apology.

Only stopped for a beer (good condition) but didn't eat hence 4Stars. Not as expensive as you might expect for the area.

Went for dinner late August and was delighted by the quality of the local ales (Downton). There was an excellent jazz band playing in the garden and all four of us loved the food. Really nice staff too. Exceptional.

Sadly, we visited here this week and were very disappointed. Each of our meals was not great, we waited over 1 1/4hrs for our main course which was disappointing. Everyone one of us found it disappointing despite having good experiences here in the past. I don't know if the chef has changed but we all found the food considerably overpriced for the standard we got. Sadly, I wouldn't return to eat there. The chips and the olives were the best bit.

Super friendly staff , great service ! Really affordable prices too which was fantastic . For 5 of us we spent just over £100 , that was for mains & drinks . I Had the roast dinner which was massive , I couldn’t finish it all unfortunately!! We will definitely go back 😁

Very good food and very friendly, helpful staff.

Great dog friendly pub with a laid back vibe. The food was amazing and so much detail in the presentation. Highly recommend the freshly caught fish and chips and the rump steak.

Food is beautiful 😍 we sat in the marquee in the garden such a lovely atmosphere would defiantly reccomend

A lovely pub. Tasty food, a good range to choose from! Felt very welcome, would return!

We had an amazing meal hear,wonderful food, great service very friendly atmosphere can't wait to ho back 😀 ❤️

Friendly staff with great knowledge of beers and spirits. Good sized helpings. Lovely garden.

My prawns were. like shrimp size, chips cold, and Elton mess was frozen fruit with ice cream with tinned cream on edge. Not good at all. Rushed off table as wanted to get more customers in.

Last minute choice for a meal during a long weekend in the New Forest. A very lucky find with great beer, superb food and excellent service. The slow cooked ribs are superb. Treat yourself!

A good place to go for home made meals at a good price, with friendly service

We have had some lovely meals and great service. However I wanted to book a table for my daughters birthday. It says message and you get a reply within 1 day. I did this on a Friday asking if I could book a table for the coming Monday. This message was read within a few minutes but did not receive a reply . So after 2 days we booked . Normally I phone to book but it was not possible this time. I'm very disappointed in this service

Excellent food and excellent service, reasonable price! What more can I say.

Simply Brilliant! Fabulous venue, friendly staff, great ales and an excellent menu! Jason the landlord and host will welcome you along

Had a meal here tonight and the food was excellent. The portions were very generous and the staff were really friendly and attentive. 10/10 - would recommend if you’re in the area.

The Horse and Groom is quite possibly the greatest pub in the area. Not only is the service completely tailored to anyones needs, but the food and drinks are absolutely delectable. I would recommend this particular location to anyone in need of a good pub.

Having visited Woodgreen for my stunning partner Liz Cole-Nelson, to reminisce about her childhood home (The Old Post Office) we decided to have a drink in the H&G. On entering the atmosphere was electric and as soon as we saw some of the food come out we decided to have a bite to eat... Having longed for a "Ploughman's" last week when I was at work, I was pleased to see it was on the menu in 2 forms... 1: a sandwich Ploughman's and 2: a platter... I chose the sandwich with granary, and beautiful Liz chose a pasta dish (never my choice, as it is always a letdown when dining out)... what a fool I was... my Ploughman's was actually amazing, but you just have to look at Liz's sea-food linguine.... RESTAURANT quality and pub prices... super Lobster bisque sauce with plump mussles, great quality prawns, and aldente linguine. My Son Chris is an executive chef, so I know quality food.. I can say without hesitation this is the best food I have had in the UK... the chef (not a head chef but he/she should be) is very skilled, and knows great taste. Liz, said the food was "Yummy"... the menu had 7-10 items on which we would have chosen and it all looks amazing. Plus they were very busy, and to serve excellent food when busy, on hot plates (eating outside) is very skillful. We took time to speak with the staff, and Ali (Alistair) who was charming and informative, a credit to his parent's and his private education, and to Mark the owner ( way too good looking for a a guy, and trendy)... but attentive, informative and passionate about food and drink..... we can't fault it... don't hesitate to come here, if the food is bad... contact me, I'll pay for your lunch. Liz & Craig Cole-Nelson

We were hosted for a late afternoon Sunday roast for 10 and we all agreed that the food was fantastic; in quality, quantity and cost! We sat in the marquee which was lovely and just right on a warmish day. The staff and service were faultless. Thanks for having us - we'll definately be back.

Amazing food and first class service! The waitress even offered me her glasses to use to read the menu! The pie of the day was exceptional! I definitely recommend a trip here! 👌

Booked a family meal for 10-14 people for Sunday lunch time, we were asked to pre-order the day before what everyone would like to eat. Some family members have special dietary requirements which they were more than happy to cater for, and lots of meals to choose from. By pre-ordering everyone's meals came out the same time and were piping hot. Everyone throughly enjoyed their meals, even some room for pudding. Its very small building so I would recommend booking a table in advance especially at the weekends. Will be looking forward to going back there again.

Lovely pub in the new forest good beer garden and easy access if not to mobile

Such a shame this Sunday, we were there for my son's 40th birthday and did pre-order our meals, some of us had starters which was fine, but between starters and main meals we waited probably an hour and half we had children with us so they had no food 2 hours after getting there, also please go back to the old menu, no ploughman's on menu now and they were brilliant ploughman's before, on starter 3 of us had crayfish tails which to us was like crispy bits of chilli chicken not atall what we expected, I have always enjoyed food here but was disappointed this Sunday especially on our wait

Amazing service, food is always spot on. Especially like that children can have half portions of any of the dishes. Wonderful pub.

We had an excellent family meal it was also a great setting

Very friendly and helpful staff, lovely food. They can also make a proper peppercorn sauce which was most appreciated. Beer garden is nice with some moneys coming round in the adjacent field. This was our second visit and will make it our go to place when going down to the New Forest area.

Fabulous friendly country pub. Delicious quality food and great atmosphere. Highly recommended

We come here on our Friends recommendation as they frequently visit here having a holiday home locally. My mate has been raving on about the Sunday roast for months and months. I will say it did not let us down nor disappoint on any level, probably one of the best Sunday lunches we’ve had out if not the best. We were a party of sixteen 8 kids and 8 adults. Sevice was great and attentive, didn’t lets us down at all. Food was amazing, quality of produce was great, portion size was ridiculously big but we managed to eat it. When we are back here there’s no way we will not be back.

We are staying in the New Forest not far from the Horse & Groom . Recommended by our hosts , definitely didn’t disappoint. Must be hard balancing between locals and Holiday makers , they do it perfectly. Food is top notch pub grub , staff are always friendly and work extremely hard . This place has restored a little faith in good quality pubs. So many nowadays charge silly money for poor service . The horse & groom are re reasonably priced and with that you get great food & great service . If the Steak & Ale pie is on , you must try it - it’s soo good!!

Lovely country pub. Food and service outstanding

A little gem in the north of the New Forest. We've been to this area many times over the years yet have never discovered this wonderful pub. It was a normal Thursday lunchtime in April so not peak times but the pub was busy and vibrant for lunch. On an unusually nice afternoon in early spring we sat in the garden. I had the steak sandwich and my wife had the scampi which was first class. The steak sandwich was more than ample and I even had to take some back to our holiday lodge for later. Very good prices and the staff were exceptional. Loved it.Highly recommend.

Lovely pub, the new landlords have really made a effort to improve the pub and overall experience. Friendly service and nice food at a reasonable price. Decent pint also at a reasonable price.

Fantastic place, fantastic food, fantastic staff. Highly recommend

Really liked it in there, didn't sample but the food smelled lovely and the staff were friendly too

We booked a large group for a 90th birthday celebration, all having the Sunday roasts available. The staff were so accommodating and helpful, nothing was too much trouble and the food itself was to the usual high standard we have come to expect at this pub and restaurant. A credit to all involved.

Came here for my mums birthday with all the family. Really nice food, atmosphere and even though it was busy service was still pretty good. I would recommend booking as it’s always pretty busy here. The only thing I was surprised by is there’s no kids menu, however they do make everything in smaller sizes for kids.

Great pub with excellent food and friendly staff.

We booked the Horse & Groom for Sunday lunch on Mother’s Day, we made the booking via their Whatsapp number and they came back really quickly to confirm. Then when we had to amend the number of people, we did the same and there were no issues at all. Super easy. Arrived at the H&G and we were seated out in the marquee area, which had been well set up and, most importantly, was nice & warm. All of the waiting staff were polite, really friendly and quick to take our orders, deal with any requests and clear away empties from the table. Our food arrived without delay, which was great, especially as they were very busy for Mother’s Day, and it was all delicious! Very good size portions, with plenty of veg and gravy…. and even the option for more if required. Despite the decent size dinners, we all had room for puddings and whilst there wasn’t a huge selection we were still spoilt for choice. It was probably one of the best Sunday lunches I’ve had for a long time and would definitely recommend – Thank you to all at the H&G!!

Honestly this is a hidden gem! Wow, it was the best roast I have had in a long time! So welcoming and attentive. They fitted 7 adults and 4 children in last minute and the whole visit was just fabulous. We’re from London and I felt like I was one of the locals who they’d known forever. Thank you so much for a lovely dinner, we all loved every meal, the food was amazing! Whenever I am in the New Forest, this will forever be my pub of choice! See you in the summer.

Brilliant pub, great food, great staff, really helpful and friendy owners Mark and Nicole. And the chef is amazing best and to die for Steak and Ale pie, no better pub on the south coast.

Nice enough, but very, very long wait times for food. We were waiting over an hour in the end. One server was sadly really quite rude and blunt, but the others were absolutely lovely. We probably won't be rushing back again as it wasn't a great experience for us on this occasion, but I'm sure given another opportunity it would be much better. Worth a visit if you're in the area, although beware trying to park at busy times - the car park is very small!

Lovely lunch of spiced halloumi salad. Mini eggs with the bill was a great finishing touch. Definitely recommend this pub.

This was a pleasure to behold. Lovely quaint pub. Locals at the small bar area regalling in there days quests. Clean and tidy surroundings pleasant service by a group of the younger generation. Nothing was a bother the meals were more than ample and very nice. Me and my wife tried to remember the last time we had such a nice experience at a pub. But thank you to everyone involved it was a great meal.

Great pub with a very welcoming events space at the back. Mark, the owner, and the staff are all exceptionally helpful and the atmosphere is terrific. Good food and wine at a reasonable price.

The horse and groom had a warm, welcoming feel. There are lots of choices on the menu as well as daily specials board. I had hunters chicken with mushroom sauce and skinny fries. The piece of chicken was a decent size and perfectly cooked. The mushroom sauce was super tasty and had chopped mushrooms through it. The fries were ridiculously good. My husband had a cheese burger with thick cut chips, and he said it was very tasty. The staff were friendly and helpful. The facilities were clean and tidy. We will definitely return. All in all, it's a great place to enjoy some lovely, freshly cooked food. Our dogs were welcome to join us too.

We popped in for lunch over the weekend and can honestly say its one of the best pub lunch experiences we have ever had. All the staff were so lovely and attentive, the atmosphere was really great and the food was AMAZING, literally the best pub meal both of us have ever had.

Honestly couldn't fault it. I was a little taken aback at the meal prices but it is the cost nowadays and they were generous portions and very well done. All the staff were friendly and helpful. Service was quick even though the pub was full. The quiz master was excellent. We left just before our last place announcement! A really good night out on my mum's birthday. A relief to find people that obviously care about what they do. So very rare at the moment Lots of vegan choices I am very fussy and always find something to complain about!

The picture should say it all if you’re a regular Guinness drinker…

6 months on and I can't fault this pub at all. One of my favourite in the New Forrest area. Staff and owners are warm and welcoming. The food is excellent, atmosphere really good but booking is suggested during popular times. I have added new photos of our meals. Previous review below. A great proper local village pub. It's under new ownership and management as of this week but the owners were keen to meet and greet their customers and give them a very warm welcome. There is a great garden with lots of seating and some under canopy areas if the weather starts to turn. Parking is a bit limited when busy but you can also park outside the pub. Plenty of choice on the menu and some interesting South African dishes which I had to sample. All of food was excellent and well presented. They were even willing to make some mods for us. After both a main and a dessert I was stuffed and puffed. The service staff were also equally pleasant, efficient and welcoming. Nice to see tables cleared very quickly. No messing around. I can't fault our food or service. Prices I would say are reasonable and typical of good pub grub. There was a good wine selection, again at reasonable prices and bottled were served chilled in a wine bucket. I will definitely be going back to sample more of this menu and I look forward to some of the new menu items. P.s. Don't tell too many people about the pub.

Well I want to give a really poor review so the Horse & Groom doesn’t get too popular, however the food was fantastic, service was great and the welcome will have us returning. We had the Horse & Groom recommended, so booked for Sunday lunch to celebrate my wife’s birthday, my birthday and our anniversary, and what a result! The roast lamb was proper cut slices, the steak pie was solid with meat and the fish pie a seafood delight. Great selection of beers and ales including plenty of 0% for the drivers. My wife had the lemon sponge and it was the real deal. Full marks to Mark and his team of attentive, friendly and fun staff. I even had Opera singer Poppy Neame @poppyneame serenade me with a classical version of Happy Birthday ! Full marks ….but avoid at all costs and leave it all for us ! LOL

Excellent food exceptional service attentive staff cosy atmosphere will definitely be returning

Amazing food lovely staff well worth a visit

Sorry for the gushing review but this pub is everything you would ever want from a country pub in the forest. Mark, the most hospitable landlord I have ever met and is wonderful staff make this quintessential English inn a great destination after a forest walk. Great food, open fire and well kept beers.

Wonderful village pub. The manager and staff were extremely welcoming and set us up a table very quickly as we walked in without pre booking. Although we will book next time as it’s obviously very popular! The food was delicious, excellent quality and well priced.

Took the family,to save Sunday Cooking . Had one of the best Sunday Lunches, reasonably priced, absolutely great.

Really lovely experience. Fantastic service and the food was amazing. We had the Christmas menu and it was the best we have had anywhere in a long time. The lovely waitresses were so attentive, helpful a friendly. Thank you Horse & Groom for a great evening👏

Great food. Ale's spot on. Like the idea try before buy.

This pub has everything but a children's area, I think they took it away around COVID. But that aside it's a very warm and welcoming pub.

Excellent food, some fantastic and unusual menu choices, and very friendly service. Good GF options. Even did an impromptu birthday cake for our daughter. Highly recommended.

Been on hols in Wood Green The Horse & Groom was our local pub.Came here for my Birthday meal staff and the locals were very welcoming and friendly.Hubby and I had a amazing meal here and they are very dog friendly brought our 13 year old Golden Doodle to.

Food amazing & such good portions, lovely staff & service was top notch. To top it all it was lovely that the Manager came & spoke to us plus the 4 dogs got plenty of treats too, it wasn’t a problem having all our dogs in the pub. Definitely going to return ❤️

What a gem. Excellent food and dare I say too cheap and too much if that can be called a criticism. The value of the food is arguably second to none. Friendly and helpful staff and dog friendly too. The best pub and pub food I have ever had and that speaks volumes. Well worth a drive to come here or better still have a holiday locally as lovely countryside with the best pub ever.

Excellent food Excellent service great ambiance thank you xx

Top quality food and drink, lovely smiling and helpful staff, just a great place to go for any occasion, on your own or with company. Excellent. 🥂

The refurbishment and new chef are certainly working. Super lunch yesterday, cheers!

Highly recommend this pub - we were staying in the village for a week and were welcomed with open arms by Mark and his staff. They were extremely accommodating and friendly and even found us a table on our first night as we hadn’t booked. The food was amazing - good size portions, a huge choice and totally delicious. And real value for money. Dog friendly too which was so lovely with the dogs getting biscuits from the staff. We loved the area and will definitely return and will be heading straight to this pub again. Thank you Mark, Susanne and the team for your huge welcome, kindness and amazing pub.

A well over due good end to a week in a good place... I do love every time I come and I pop my head in and stagger home ha ha, Jason is always very friendly and remembers my order like clock work the ambience is always spot on and he could not make it any better if he tried.. Thanks again Jason keep up the hard work :)

We visited this pub last night as we are staying in an air BnB locally. Lovely pub, nice beer and good food. Service was friendly and excellent. Although we hadn't booked, it was busy so worth booking ahead I would think.

Food was amazing the four of us had the pie, burger goujouns and sausage in mash. All meals were great. Service was quick and very friendly. I would highly recommend this pub

Wonderful Monday lunch. Despite being busier than expected the manager rearranged furniture to accommodate us and talked us through the local beers. Excellent salads and hunters chicken.

Lovely food, staff friendly, maybe need a bit more training to certain situations. Atmosphere good. We had booked a table inside the Marquee because of having 2 babies and 5 dogs amongst all of us. But unfortunately it was way too tight with all the other people in the marque e. So we ended up sitting under the gazebo, not quite as warm but okay. Food definitely really lovely and fresh xx

Food was excellent. Chicken pie was the best one I have ever had, Staff extremely friendly, had 2 meals there , on holiday, first class and doggy biscuits , Brian Kathy and TJ