John of Gaunt in Test Valley

The change of management has been a breath of fresh air and completely revitalized the JoG. Great tasty food and friendly staff make dining here a pleasure.

Booked in with the John Of Gaunt for a shoot day breakfast and for dinner after the shoot. The breakfast was one of the best I've had and dinner was fantastic also, the staff were very friendly and welcoming, nothing seemed to much trouble. 5 stars from me and the rest of the team of guns. In short, exemplary food, friendly staff and a great atmosphere. Highly recommended and I will be returning for future events! Thanks for making our day that bit better!

A real walkers pub. The staff are so friendly, the drinks superb, and food delicious and great value for money. Situated 100 yards from The Test Way, so if you are up for it you could walk 20 miles north, or 20 miles south.

Went for lunch with friends Food for lovely Partridge pie & chips very tasty, will have again., Priced well. Beer is good keep well. Staff happy & helpful. Well worth a visit & lunch, we will be returning.

Lovely pub, clean and welcoming. Super food, reasonably priced Highly recommend particularly for the Sunday roast and puddings to die for.

Great country pub food was amazing and there are some amazing walks near by. We had a roast and I have to say it's one of the best I've had

Not been by in a little while, and first time since new management. Lovely and clean. Warm and welcoming. Father was excited due to the Palmers on tap, his fave. Thatchers zero for the driver- good to see alcohol free options! Had a burger and the fish sandwich with fries between us. Lush! So tasty. We asked to take the scotch egg and pie home for later and can confirm they were also delish. Won't leave it so long til the next visit. Well done all.

Dropped in for a light lunch after a walk. Food was excellent and we had the pleasant surprise of live music. Very welcoming and an ideal stop for walkers and their dogs. A particular note the desserts were superb. We had the crumble and affogato.

My second visit to the John of Gaunt, but my first with my OH. I knew he would like it as he loves good food. And the JOG did not let me down. A lovely pub and the foid wonderful. Try the pie - yummy. Will we visit again - yes. Next time we are down Stockbridge way we will call in. Can recommend most definitely

Our first visit to the pub since the new management took over. We were really impressed, lovely welcome, nice and warm with the wood burner roaring away. An excellent selection of real ales , the Summer Lightning and the Palmers beers on offer were all top notch. The menu is not extensive but there was certainly enough choice to satisfy our party. I was told the pie of the day was very tasty as was my choice the homemade scotch egg with skinny fries. We will definitely be returning it's so good to see this pub return to the superb pub we remember from years back.

Really lovely dinner now the Pub is under new management. Lovely atmosphere, busy bar and some really tasty food! Traditional pub menu, quality food, reasonable prices. I had pie of the day which was delicious! A menu on the Facebook page would be a suggestions - so I can drool over the menu before I come next time 😜

First Sunday lunch since the New management, nothing else to say but it was absolutely delicious, one of the best roast dinners we’ve had in a while! I had pork and my partner had beef. Faultless and amazing service. We’ll be back soon.

Called in for lunch - first time since new management. Still a great rural pub but a bit smarter and tidier. Same great Palmers beers. Had 'mix and match' with three starters and a portion of chips - all were good but the scotch egg was the clear winner. We will be back!

Well done landlords Ali and Phil, you’ve turned this place around. A real local country pub, simply food done well, with a warm, cosy welcome. Look forward to trying your wine tasting evening next!

Wow, what a job the new owners have done turning around this lovely little country pub. Great atmosphere, clean and warm woodburner with a nice wine list and good honest pub food, my burger was excellent. So pleased to see this special pub back to its full glory.

Fantastic makeover with new landlords. Wonderful place for a cold or hot drink, in front of a roaring fire or in the sun on the benches. We met as a bunch of 7 friends, and had 7 amazing evening meals. The chicken and tarragon pie with creamy mash and a selection of vegetables was piping hot and full of flavour. The Affogato with hand made fudge was the star of the show. Reasonably priced, and a warm and friendly welcome. You will be delighted to visited the John of Gaunt Inn in Horsebridge.

Great little pub, clean and tidy, newly nicely decorated , good for locals nice staff, very glad it's open again, good luck!!

The friendly bar staff told us the menu was ‘limited’ which was clearly code for ‘we have no chef today’. Ordered Ham egg and chips and a bacon, Brie and cranberry toasted sandwich - after 7 miles walking we were starving and surely those choices were easy to do….wrong. Fried eggs massively overdone and black underneath, and chips that were both burnt to a crisp and soggy at the same time. My wife’s bacon was like leather and the toast was solid. She had ordered a side portion of chips - they didn’t arrive and having seen mine she couldn’t be bothered to chase. We left - £36 for essentially a large wine and a lime and soda.

We visited today, which happened to be the launch of the JOG's new £10 main meal offering. I had the macaroni cheese and my family tried the sausage and mash, and Hunters chicken. The food was great. Super affordable. I can't wait to come back with the grandkids to try the new children's menu. Thank you

Had a fantastic Sunday Lunch and also a fabulous evening meal tonight. Host Chris is a great person who has made us very welcome and Chef Maggie’s food is delicious. Can’t wait to return.

Popped in on our cycle ride today. The best pub sandwiches we have had in a very long time. Ham and cheese and smoked trout served with a fabulous salad and on doorstop traditional seeded bread. So good. Very good choice of beer (Palmers) and also very well kept. We look forward to returning

Popped in for a lunch and was more than pleasantly surprised. The pub (may look tired) but is a friendly country inn, with a good selection of real ales and ciders as well as standard lager kegs. The food was a real treat. It may have been only sandwiches, but they were huge, fresh doorstops of sandwiches. The Bacon, Brie and Cranberry was lightly toasted/fried and enhanced the flavour of the three or four bacon rashers in it. The King prawn, really was rammed with King prawns and not shrimp. Both had a good portion of really fresh salads with them. The pub collie will keep you busy retrieving its toy duck. Really worth the very short detour from the main road. Highly recommend.

We came for Sunday lunch. Superb food, freshly cooked, helpful staff, very reasonably priced. Thoroughly recommended!!

Very tasty sandwich with plenty of salad and pickled vegetables. The wine was good too. Perfect hosts.

The warm welcome was much appreciated as we arrived absolutely dripping wet from a very wet walk! This pub is very well situated just near the Test Valley way. The food was delicious and really hit the spot. Everyone was very friendly. Loved my apple crumble! If you want a great stop off spot on a walk or a day out I would highly recommend the John O Gaunt Inn. Thanks to you all. Daisy

Great service, sandwich’s are to die for Great little stop off from walking, cycling or E scootering Very good choice of ales

Popped in today after a walk in the area. Lots of friendly locals and a couple of friendly dogs. Feeling a bit peckish I ordered a starter- the whitebait was excellent and plentiful with bread and salad. . The roasts look good too so need...

We have just returned from having a lovely Sunday lunch at this pub. We had proper roast beef with 3 beautifully cooked veg, roast potato’s and Yorkshire pudding followed by a lovely apple crumble and custard. Plus the palmers beer also went down a treat....

My son and I went in for lunch today. We were walking the Clarendon way and needed a hearty lunch. We were after vegan food and there was nothing on the menu to suit us. But the chef was superb, he made us a delicious...

We passed John O’Gaunt on a circular walk from King’s Somborne and vowed to return for a late lunch. So glad we did. A very warm welcome from the owners and staff as well as few a friendly regulars. The white bait I ordered was...

As a walking group we'd booked into the John O Gaunt, excellent choice, great selection of beers and real ales, food was brilliant, very good quality and plenty of food, the whole group was very impressed, not one complaint. Excellent atmosphere and friendly staff and...

Brilliant atmosphere with great cider and excellent home cooked food. Very reasonably priced, I live locally and would choose this pub over any other in the area.

Perfect old fashion pub but with the added delight of lovely food. When we were there on Sunday there was a mixture of customers, locals, group of motorbike riders, cyclists, people from surrounding villages and some from further afield. It was too hot for us...

We parked our camper van in the pub's secluded car park for the night. The pub is situated in a lovely rural setting with a selection of good beer & wine. Everyone was extremely friendly. The landlord came out for a chat and gave us...

Stayed at the nearby railway carriage at Horsebridge Station. Thought this would be very good local pub/restaurant fayre but menu extremely limited and expensive.

Excellent VEGETARIAN ROAST! I was dubious when I only had two vegetarian options to choose from on the menu but I wasn't disappointed. The chef had obviously made a special selection of roast vegetables in a delicious vegetarian gravy, with roast potatoes and a huge...

Popped in here on the off-chance after a few hours' walk in the area. We had no expectations and we were more than pleasantly surprised. Were greeted with a warm welcome and after quenching our thirst with a swift half each and some crisps as...

We heard about this country pub from some friends who live in Stockbridge who said how good it was and we were out walking in the test way near by so thought it was a perfect opportunity to try out the John o gaunt. We...

Set in a beautiful country location the Pub has high standards for good food, good drinks and friendly service . Our roasts were freshly prepared with quality ingredients. The building has retained its charm , fire places and cosy corners. Bored of the so called...

A friend and I stopped here for coffee on our bike ride….. On our approach the pub looked closed. The hand sanitizer was empty that is situated at the front entrance. As we entered, we very quickly felt like the pub needed ‘a deep clean’...

Absolutely excellent pub with such a warm welcome, the landlord and other staff were just superb. Choice of 4 real ales including Palmers 200 which was top notch. The food was also excellent, try the whitebait if you are a fish lover. Thank you so...

Popped in for a late lunch. Great food from a limited menu. But I like that as all the food was beautiful. Unfortunately in three visit to the bar I was twice given either charged to much or given the wrong change. First amount was...

The chicken was cold in the middle and had to wait an extra 20 mins on top of the hour we had already waited for a replacement

My wife and I dropped in on Monday for lunch with my mother, who has dementia. We were really made to feel at home by the owners, who treated Mum with great kindness and respect. The food and Palmer's Gold beer were both superb. Lovely...

We came here for our annual Christmas meal, all two of us!! Terrific welcome, friendly staff, and the food was lovely. I have known this pub since the seventies, it’s now evolved into a nice place to visit, a drink, coffee, or a meal. Dog...

Our isle of wight band was on a mini tour of the north island and our last stop was here on last Sunday afternoon. Having had to be out of our b&b before and rushing for a ferry after it made sense to eat here,...

Good beer and friendly staff, in a quiet location by the river. Food is traditional pub grub served promptly.

We have visited twice recently for dinner. The first occasion we had fish pie, rich and creamy with large chunks of White fish, Salmon and King prawns, all topped with a light and fluffy mash. Tonight we had chicken curry and steak and kidney pie....

We booked for lunch and wow what a gem to find. We had sandwiches that came with a lovely salad and delicious home made potato salad. The sandwiches were huge Can’t wait to eat here again. Thanks guys

We visited last night with friends and our dog and they were very welcoming, the food was excellent (better than we have had in 5 star restaurants!), complete with locally sourced ingredients - would recommend and visit again. They even accommodated our dog and had...

This unassuming local pub provided a friendly welcome, excellent service, and lovely food including complementary doggy hors d’oeuvres for our four-legged companion. We had a thoroughly enjoyable evening and would definitely make a return visit next time we’re in the area.

We walked from Stockbridge along the Test Way to Horsebridge. We had 'phoned ahead to reserve a table at the John O'Gaunt, and we were glad we had done so, as it proved to be a very popular pub with locals, walkers and cyclists alike....

The food was very disappointing. Prawn salad was basically defrosted prawns with a jar of dreadful thousand island sauce and 2 flavourless tomatoes. For 15 pound s I would have hoped for something more imaginative and flavorsome. Staff were nice.

Three of us arrived at lunchtime. Sat outside and chatted to other cyclists and customers. The service was great. We recharged our phones. So polite and a great stop. Recommend.

We visited the Pub yesterday for a light lunch we found the pub very friendly we had door step sandwich’s which were great recommend a try

Stumbled upon this gem of a pub/ inn 3ish on a Thursday. Popped in for bit of lunch and …oh dear..you know when you’ve taken the last mouthful and wish it was the first…wonderful food. Simple ham egg and chips for me and trout salad sandwich for partner. We’ve never been so silent. Nice friendly atmosphere..genuine welcome and innocent polite service…def go again.

Stopped for a quick sandwich on route home - had the prawn doorstep and the bacon, brie and cranberry - probably the best sandwiches we have ever had - great portion size served with coleslaw and side salad - fabulous value for money - amazing food - we will be back !!!

Eclectic pub with interesting locals when we were there. The beer was excellent and brewed especially for the pub. Had a nice chat with the owner who is an interesting man and not long taken over the pub - good luck to him.

We can’t comment on the food and drink. Given the complete lack of interest in our custom we chose to leave. We found an excellent alternative pub in Broughton where we were welcomed and looked after

Outside seating area with superb heaters. Food was excellent and Chris the landlord was always in close attendance. Highly recommended for lunch or dinner. Not pretentious but excellent value for money.

Excellent meal, friendly host good service despite being frantically busy in post lockdown week. There is a substantial cover with lights and heaters so we were not cold tho it was a chilly evening. We were all delighted with our food and with the choice on offer. Beer was well kept and really clear. Nice bottle rose. Reasonable prices. We shall come back soon

We visited this pub at the end of one of our favourite walks on the first Saturday after lock down eased. We hadn't booked and expected it to be busy so was glad when the manager quickly found us a table. It was not too long for drinks to arrive but our meal (a king prawn marie rose sandwich and portion of chips) took quite a bit longer to come but we were happy sitting and waiting in the cunshine., after all th world an his wife wrer enjoying a bit of freedom.The sandwich when it came was fine with several large prawns (no marie rose sauce but we were ok with that). Then there were the chips... We've eaten chips in many pubs and restaurants so we know they can vary a lot. You can hope for them to be golden, crisp, dry, fluffy with potato inside but this was a bit different. We looked at the chips and we looked at each other. On the plus size it was a big portion. On the minus side they were the darkest brown chips we had ever seen and looked quite greasy and not at all crisp. We tried one then asked the waitress to repalce them with chips less .. well less brown. She in turn called the manager who came and explained to us that the chips were like this because that's the way that the potatoes they were supplied with looked when cooked. Hmmm. We decided not to spoil our day with a long discussion about this. Dear reader, did we eat the chips? We did not. Dear reader, were we charged £3.50 for the chips? We were. Next time we will stop at the nearby Crown inn where the food being served in the garden looked pretty good (we obviously needed a drink half way round our walk to keep us going).

6 of us were so looking forward to a pub meal out after lockdown, we booked a table for 6 p.m. to get there nice and early, looking forward to what looked like a cosy purpose built shelter with heaters as advertised. well in advance we arrived in good time, had to stand outside pub wait for a table. After ten mins or so we were taken to a picnic table, outside in the drive squashed against a brick wall. Have a bad back, sort of expected at least having a chair to sit on! We ordered drinks, no sign of menus.at about 7 p.m. we were asked if we were eating there ! Eventually we were given menus, and after commenting was expecting to be in the shelter, was found a table around 7.30. I ordered scampi and chips thinking be quick. When it arrived the scampi was dry, the so called tartare sauce was just mayo, and the chips were burnt and cold. Dreadful. Won’t be returning.

Lovely substantial meal accompanied by an excellent pint. Cracking real log fire and a classic pub dog. See you soon. Would highly recommend their home made duck and pheasant spring rolls.

Popped in for a quick pint at lunchtime after doing a local walk, but ended up spending two hours in there. Great ale and generous-sized snack (sandwich, prawn cocktail plus chips). Very friendly team; the landlord and a regular sitting nearby engaged in conversation with us were most entertaining. Could have stayed there all afternoon. Will definitely return.

Service was friendly and efficient. Great beer. The menu is varied and the food was tasty in generous portions. A really good pub. Recommended

Really great little pub. Food, staff and service excellent. It is nice to have a pub that isnt trying too hard to be trendy! Just a really great little place with a lovely walk along the river within a few minutes.

Pre-booked, friendly welcome. We all opted for the light-bite baguettes (£7-8) and puddings (£6) and both food and service were absolutely fine. Nice chat with the amiable landlord too.

We have eaten here twice recently . Both times ( once taking advantage of the eat out offer ) the food was of highest quality and served by polite and friendly staff. We had fish and chips , trout linguine and on the other occasion scampi. The hosts are friendly , welcoming and remembered us , it’s a pity we don’t live in walking distance as it would be an ideal local pub! Bonus is that dogs are welcome too . Thankyou !

Just had 2 burgers and chips,excellent would highly recommend. Staff very efficient and polite,would return soon.

We were very disappointed with our fish and chip lunch. The chips and batter were dark brown as if cooked in old cooking oil and lack fresh taste.We pointed it out to the manager, but he was only interested in being defensive.He has lost two customers.

My Friend and I both Ordered Fish and Chips - good appetites after walking 6 miles. Told there would be a wait as we hadn’t booked - waitress very polite. Waited a long time - but no problem with that.I am attaching a photo of the greasy soft brown chips and burnt battered fish which was served to us.My fish was Burnt - my Friends fish was not quite as bad..When asked by another waitress if the meals were ok - we pointed out the problems but were told that was normal and the fish was fresh and it was the type of potatoes used caused them to look brown. Th fish was indeed fresh but the batter was burnt. Chips soft brown and greasy.After paying our billl £30 for 2 fish and chips 2 shandys and 1 lime and water - a Gentleman who may have been the Owner /Manager collected our plates - see following picture this was my plate. He informed us the fish is fresh daily and was sorry if we didn’t like the presentation. When asked about the freshness of the oil the food had been cooked in we were told it is changed every 4 days. This is the first complaint I have ever written - but wish someone had warned us if that is the normal standard of cooking Certainly won’t be stopping off there again.Very sad as we had been anticipating a good meal. Would have helped if the Gentleman had acknowledged it was poorly cooked. Instead he simply said “well I am sorry if you don’t like the presentation - we don’t get complaints”.(It was a Saturday not a Eat out to Help Out Meal).

Arrived and sat down after asking for menus for food. Girl took our drinks order and went and got them, when she brought them back we said we want to order food we were told we would have to wait for 10 mins as there was only 1 chef and had orders before us. (Would have been handy to know that before we ordered drinks) My husband asked if there was anything not available on the menu we were told no everything is available so we decided to wait and try to keep the hungry kids amused. Girl comes over to take our order and the first thing I ask for I get told “oh we don’t have any left”.Grrrrrr so we left, and had to pay £4.50 for 2 soft drinks- not getting the 50% discount advertised either. Next time we won’t bother to try to find a nice country pub.

Amazing experience here many times x had such a good visit . Will never forget the experience x huge portions so good The staff are a credit to the management

Stopped at the JoG for a quick drink while cycling the test way. Been there a few times and always like to pop in and see Whiskey the dog! Unfortunately he was hiding today :( . The landlady was friendly and they have a good post-lockdown system in place with hand sanitiser in every table. If you are on the test way, well worth a stop! Next time we will have lunch as the blackboard had some good options!

What can I say .... what a top Sunday lunch listening to live jazz. This little pub was absolutely packed with happy customers, eating, drinking even a couple enjoying a little dance to the jazz. What a great atmosphere and what a lovely roast dinner. The landlord as always ensured everyone was well looked after. Looking forward to the next one! And yes the dog did get a little pork!

We were on a walk between Romsey and Stockbridge and this was the perfect place for lunch break. The staff were very friendly another food freshly cooked and very tasty especially the casserole.

We were staying nearby for a few days so popped in 3 times, twice to eat and once to drink. We found it to be a cosy, friendly pub with a lovely atmosphere. Staff were always welcoming and accommodating. Food was good. The haloumi fries are a must!! We wouldn't hesitate to go there again when we are next that way.

The John O'Gaunt is a lovely dog , cyclist , walker friendly village pub with a good atmosphere and it's pleasant to drink there in the evenings . From time to time , in addition to the standard menu ,Chris hosts special buffet evenings. The latest one featured authentic Thai food and was very good indeed. Others are in the pipe line including Spanish wine tasting and tapas in January.

Great lunch although service was a little lacking. Friendly but perhaps inexperienced staff. Can’t say the food was not good but the details are important.

We started our walk from here to Mottisfont and stopped in for lunch with a couple of friends on the basis of the trip advisor reviews.At first glance, this is a very charming pub but from the start, they appeared to be a little short-staffed and disinterested in our custom. We ordered scampi x 3 and I ordered the ham egg and chips. The food came in a reasonable time, but other than the order to delivery period, the rest was a disaster.The scampi were Brakes Brothers cheapest, the chips were obviously refried and in old oil. The hand cured ham was inedible and I did not eat it. The eggs that came with my food were cooked to the point of being boiled eggs. That they were short staffed was born out by the fact that a child brought out some of the items. The cardinal sin was on my part in that I did not complain at the time. We were in a hurry and frankly, the bar person was busy with the other two customers in the pub and was not that interested.If you are eating food, do not choose this pub, there are much better pubs in the area.None of us will ever return.

Au detour de notre voyage nous sommes aller visiter ce charmant village . Nous avons fait le choix d'aller consommer dans ce pub fort sympathique en décoration et ambiance. Le serveur nous a accueilli avec une sympathie qui donne envie d'y revenir ..Nous avons tres bien manger . Pour une sommes plus que correct. Gros plus le pub a un parking a disposition des vans . Pour nous en voyage avec notre camion amenager et un gros luxe de ne pas payer la nuit ... Merci encore et a bientôt Les Carcassonnais

Unpretentious little pub, good beers, good food, ideally placed for the Test Way, cyclists etc., recommended!

No pretentions here: it’s a peaceful local in a peaceful spot. There’s a limited menu of mostly traditional pub food, plus a few daily specials. We opted for a cheese ploughman’s and the charcuterie board. Both came with a nice variety of the main offering, and there was plenty of it. I didn’t rate the guest beer but I’ll know better in future! A decent lunch at a reasonable price. Well worth a try.

Called in on our way home for lunch. Had ham egg & chips. Lovely food, the ham was very tasty and thick, hand sliced. Comfortable bar area, pleasant landlord, all good, no complaints at all.

Been visiting here for years, it's had its ups and downs, but it survives, unlike,sadly, many village pubs.Popular with walkers on the nearby Test Way, and with cyclists..don't drive past, give it a try!

A nice country pub with excellent Palmers beer and a good pub grub style menu. Friendly service but no car parking attached.

Great service!! Popped in on bank holiday, great selection of drinks, friendly staff and great location!

We were on our way home from Mottisfont and came across this pub.

Visited for Sunday lunch and a rest from a walk along the Test Way.

I found the pub by accident while on my way to Stockbridge. The name suck in my head as he is mentioned in my family tree. It’s not the biggest place but it does have that local feel as every good village pub should have. We only stopped for drinks but the menu looked very good and the prices looked good to.

Very good food fast service pleasant time -if you are a walker this pub is nicely situated for a break- and if you're not its worth a detour.

Really great food. A cut above pub grub. Good service. Great pints and exceptional good glass of white wine.

we stop by the pub for a drink & had excellent service by great friendly staff. plus its a lovely & very welcoming pub. would highly recommend.

great food with brilliant service & very polite staff. very welcoming pub would highly recommend to this country pub.

We had a Sunday lunch here a couple of weeks ago. The food is excellent, they seem to go the extra mile to make the menu interesting. The food is of excellent quality and we believe locally sourced.

Decided to revisit this great little pub due to the excellent previous visit.

We stopped by the pub for lunch yesterday and ended up spending all afternoon there! The food was delicious - we had freshly cooked game casserole, which was served with a very generous side helping of winter veg and chunky skin-on chips. All washed down with great wine and ale. The fire was warm and cosy - as was the sofa corner with the Christmas tree. Hard to leave and head off into the cold night afterwards!

Walked with our dog Poppy to the pub on a quiet winter Monday. Landlord very friendly and helpful. Had sandwiches...sausage and onion for me and fish finger for my Wife...proper cod mind you..prepared and cooked on the prems...and excellent chips. Good beer.

We stopped here yesterday for a pint and a bite to eat after our morning's clay shooting. How jolly glad that we did. Very good Test Valley bitter quenched our thirst. Very good sausage and onion sandwiches fed our appetites. This is a simple no frills country pub. A free house with a landlord who knows exactly what a pub should be. A lovely fire and the sun streaming through the windows. Absolutely spot on. We shall be there again.