King Rufus Public House in New Forest

Having had a ploughman's at another pub in the week, this was a breath of fresh air. Served on a sensible sized plate with a good choice of main items such as Pork Pie, Scotch egg, Cheeses but it was enhanced by a choice of bread, Branston or local chutney, silver onions, gherkins and a sensible sized piece of butter. Everything had so much flavour and was good value for money. A+ and will visit again.

Friendly little pub. Popped in for a couple of drinks and relaxed in the traditional small tavern experience. We had an excellent ploughman's lunch on our Sunday visit. I recommend you book in advance as when they run out they run out. Only open on Friday and Sundays but worth making the time to visit.

We have visited the King Rufus twice recently and have been made very welcome on both occasions. They have a good selection of bottled ales and, from memory, a bitter, a cider and a couple of lagers on draught. On Sundays, they serve a fantastic and very generous ploughman's lunch with a variety of cheeses to choose from. They are currently open on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoon from midday. This is a very friendly establishment and I would recommend a visit .

We've found this pub by chance when having a walk in the area. There's a lovely garden on the main road but the pub inself is full of character and charm. Very friendly service! We had drinks and a ploughman lunch which was out of this world! You can choose what items you want e.g. different cheeses, pork pie, roasted ham etc Everything was super fresh and watercress and cherry tomato salad was delicious. It's a generous portion for 1-2 people depending on the appetite. Only open on Friday and Sunday. We will be back for sure as it's a little gem.

We're so lucky that The King Rufus is walking distance from our home, as its a little gem of a place, with a great selection of draught beers, wines and spirits. It opens on Fridays and Sundays only, it's a new venture for the hosts Mike and Cat, who are finding their feet and winning friends with their fresh approach to running our local. Now, the subject in question, the Ploughman's, made by Cat, is fabulous! It consists of all the usual fayre that we've come to expect from a decent British Ploughman's, baked ham, pork pie, various cheddars, including an amazingly creamy Black Bomber from Snowdonia, Stilton and brie, plum chutney, wonderfully fresh salad, plus the most fabulous marinated red onions made by Cat. If all of that wasn't enough, Mike and Cat are passionate about the provenance of each item on the menu with each supplier named on the blackboard. It absolutely was the best ploughman's I've ever eaten, both myself and my wife cannot wait for our next one.

Decided to take a break from the traditional Sunday roast and we were not disappointed. Quiet little pub, newly decorated with a good choice of beers and wines. However, the Ploughman’s lunch was outstanding, with a choice of breads, cheeses, ham and pork pie. I strongly recommend you ask for more marinated red onion ( you will not be sorry).

A hate the word ‘quirky’ but this is the best word to describe this truly unique ‘pub’. It is a pub, a tea room or just somewhere to meet for a drink of anything. Open just Thursday to Sunday. Food is cooked by the landlady who is also an artist and responsible for relaxed and pretty interior. Her cooking is good - we had a very very good curry. Menu is limited but quite enough choice. Good beer, open fires, great ‘outdoor space’ full of bits and pieces, large room out the back with big table for a gang or family to gather at. They do music - landlord plays double bass. Landlady is learned and great conversationalist; went out of way to accommodate our varied wants and whims. We will come back again and have recommended to friends.

Great service. Nice seating area. Very pleasant we will be back. They are shut mon, tues, Weds. pizza oven in garden Friday. Very clean place

After a nice walk and visit to Eling Tide Mill, we popped in the King Rufus for a drink and ended up having a meal. Locals were friendly and they have live music mostly Jazz on Saturdays. A lovely area with lots of history.

great evening at the king rufus with good beer & excellent pizza thanks for looking after us so well

Great welcome to a local pub off the beaten track. Small but varied menu of home made food, well cooked nd delicious

We came across this fabulous, quirky pub when looking for a bite to eat. What a place! The owners were welcoming, engaging, enthusiastic hosts. It was quiet when we visited with our two young children, but obviously gets busy on their jazz nights and pizza nights, when they cook on their outside wood - fired pizza oven, which the landlord was proud to show us.The menu was small, but lovely home-made fare.We loved the art that decorated the walls, which were all painted by the landlady.We will definitely return to this gem of a pub, it's great, but.... shhhhh don't tell everyone!

Mi ripromettevo sempre di fare una visita a questo locale sulla strada che conduce al centro del paese. Mi è capitato di essere invitato lì per una ricorrenza di famiglia e devo dire che sono rimasto ben impressionato (non me ne avevano parlato molto bene). Personale solerte, cibo buono e ben presentato, locale pulito e accogliente.penso che ci tornerò.

After an evening stroll we decided to go to a local public house. Its been several years since I went to this pub and since then it has had a major over haul. It has been totally transformed in to something unique and extremely pleasant. The new owners have given the pub a whole new lease of life. It is open 4 days per week - Thursday to Saturdays 12 noon til 10.30pm, and Sunday midday til 6.30pm. There is a limited menu and Friday night is pizza night when they serve stone cooked pizzas in the rear garden cooked to order. Once a month they have a Jazz evening. One owner is a jazz musician and it is his band that play there regularly. The other owner is an artist and the walls are festooned with her art work. We enjoyed a very pleasant evening there and will be going back to sample the pizza's

I visited The King Rufus with family on a Saturday evening when the Solent City Jazzmen were playing and I must say, they were brilliant. The pub was light and airy and the staff were lovely. It was a busy night due to the Jazz and everyone had a great time. The only downside is the parking is limited. I look forward to visiting again.

Heard so much adout this place and there pizzas on a Friday and I wasn't disappointed the staff were very helpful and accommodating wouldn't hesitate in going back

When you have finished exploring Eling Tide mill and the beautiful church on the hill, said to be the 10th oldest in the country and boasting a beautiful painting of the last supper. Carry on down the hill to The King Rufus pub where you will receive a very warm welcome. Great atmosphere, lovely garden at the back of the pub if the weather is favourable and beautiful artwork on the walls painted by the landlady.

It's a bit of a grotty pub, but it's on our training route, so we've tried it a couple of times. On both occasions they have objected to letting us bring our bikes into the back garden, despite there being plenty of room. The suggestion to leave a 2 grand bike out the front unlocked didn't go down too well with the group. And we prefer soft drinks while we're riding, which also didn't go down well. On my second trip we were about 10 or 12 in number and one person who asked for just water was asked to leave. Very unfriendly. We are a large network of riders and good places and bad places to stop tend to be one of the topics we share.

Keep this one short. Liam and I walked along the permissive path from Marchwood and met Debs there. We had several beers ( good draught ale) and 3 fab pizzas. Ray and Philippa were there, usual sociable selves as were the other customers. A seriously good evening. Th only fly in the ointment is that the pub is on the market .... it will be a real shame if Ray and Philippa move on and a tragedy if the new owners end up getting a change of usage on the Rufus and making it a "home"

We went for a Friday night pizza special after the owners showed us their "proper" wood pizza oven at the back of the establishment. (We had a drink there a few days earlier).

Good pub, nice staff, very busy on the night of our visit probably because the word is getting around that there is a nice atmosphere and the pizzas are very good.

The King Rufus kindly hosted my Grandad's 90th birthday. They laid on a great spread. Very tasty buffet in the afternoon followed by homemade pizza's in the evening. The owners and staff could not have done more. Lives music in the evening in the garden with a nice glass or two of red wine! If only all pubs made this much effort. Well worth a visit!

Stopped here for a drink as we were staying at the B&B; next door. Lovely little place, with good decor and a good selection of drinks and real ales. Service warm and friendly.

Estuve con un grupo de amigos un par de veces.

Visité este lugar con un grupo de amigos en bicicleta. En el sitio web de pub que mencionan el carril bici, así que creo que habría una mejor comprensión que los ciclistas necesitan un lugar seguro para dejar sus bicicletas. Tuvimos que pedir que la...

Nos alojamos en el ser y estar al lado y cayó en sábado por la noche para ver si estaban haciendo la comida. Sólo parece que anuncian comida en una noche de viernes (pizza), pero ofreció algunos chili y nachos que nos vino muy bien.

We have never tasted such lovely pizzas, all cooked in the wood burning over, the flavours were superb. Lovely little pub, very light and bright with a lovely friendly feel about it.

We had a lovely evening at the King Rufus. The food was delicious and the art work on the walls added to the feeling that you were in a friends home. Live music with Fragile Lucy was great. We will be back! Definitely recommend

We found this lovely pub by chance while travelling through the village of Totton. What a lovely surprise - it has a clean country atmosphere and a friendly couple behind the bar. Large windows at the front bring a light and cheerful mood to the seating. The menu selection is quite limited, and the portions are very small, especially for the price, but they are tasty, well cooked and nicely presented. Great Shepherd Neame Ales, and attentive service. Great little gem of a pub.

We heard The King Rufus did pizza on a Friday night so popped over for an early, family meal. The pizzas were excellent, all homemade using 00 Italian flour and cooked outside in a pizza oven. Will definitely be going again.

We were driving somewhere else in the new forest and I looked online to see the nearest place to eat was. And the king Rufus popped up so We swung by for some lunch. It's a beautiful little country pub which does a lovely drop of ale. We all ate and loved the food.. thank you

Nice pub in the middle of nowhere, but cosy and artistic.It is worth a visit, for a quick lunch or just a pint.

The King Rufus at Eling on the edge of the New Forest is/was a well established pub and in the last few years has changed hands a coupla times. The current owners re-opened in May 2016 - a little later than possibly originally intended!! From the outside it had obviously had a good re-furb, over and above a lick of paint - which boded well for the internal decor? I have to admit that when passing it on numerous occasions I did wonder when it would open again - and when it did how would it do? I would have liked to have been privy to the business plan...Well it has opened on a limited basis Thursday- Saturday - offering food and good beer. The "Swift One" I had was really tasty ( needed three to confirm that!!) The other real ale on offer was "Spitfire" - no reason to doubt the quality of the "Spitfire"The menu on Friday night was limited to a wide range of pizzas ( slight contradiction there) Which were freshly made in the pizza oven - they were seriously good. Highly recommended. A wider range of food is offered on other days.The decor is basic wooden tables / chairs (comfortable), open fire and some interesting art on the wall - I believe painted /created by the Philly? It all went well with the atmosphere.It was a very enjoyable evening.

Philly and Ray have completely restored an old and rundown pub and created a colourful and comfortable establishment of increasing popularity in the area. Specialist beers, art gallery, live music evenings and a new pizza oven have proved to be big hits.There is a covered veranda and outdoor table tennis as well as a welcoming bar area. What a difference!

This pub has been recently taken over and given a fantastic makeover. I first visited before the renovations when it was a rundown business. Now the new owners Ray and Philly have given it a fresh style. Clean, bright and full of fun. Philly's colourful artworks hang around the walls. There are regular music nights and since the installation of a wood fired pizza oven Thursday nights are pizza nights- all made to order. At other times there are deli platters and soups on offerI called in with my husband this morning and had a great cup of coffee and cake while my husband had a half of a local beer.There are tables under cover in the garden with a stove to keep autumn chills at bay. An outdoor table tennis table also available.This pub is worthwhile taking a detour for, highly recommended

Ive been a regular of this pub for over 25 years and seen many come and go some great publicans serving great beer and food some downright forgetable We wont dwell on that The present owners Ray and Phillipa Are most definatley the best this pub has had for a long time , the hospitality is second to none and the atmosphere is friendly and cosy The beer Im a real ale drinker and at the rufue they serve two good real ales spitfire gold and whitstable bay ,it would be nice to see some differant ales but they are good Various other beers on tap for the cider and lager fans The food They have just installed a great wood fired pizza oven and have just started doing fresh pizzas , other snack items are available Come along and give it a try at the moment only open thurs to sunday Great log burner to sit near in those cold nights and thomas the barman is also a delight to know Well done so far folks

Happy to see this place open again. Decor very bright which is nice during the day, need to visit at night to see how it feels then. Did have a bit of a shock when we were charged £10 for two JD and cokes, bit steep for a village pub. We only stayed for 1.

Ignore any reviews prior to June 2016 - they don't refer to the same pub - same building but that is all there is in common.This delightful little pub has been completely transformed from its rather dingy former self by the new owners. The interior is scarcely recognizable as is the garden to the rear.Friendly reception, good beer and enjoyable light lunch following cycle ride from Marchwood.The lunchtime food offering is restricted to the platter referred to in previous posts but it is imaginative, attractive and nicely presented and at £5 per person good value. A wood fired pizza oven has just been installed and pizzas are promised in the next 2 or 3 weeks.The husband and wife owners could not be more welcoming. This September visit was our second. It will not be our last.

The original King Rufus pub closed and was taken over by a husband and wife being pub licensees for the first time. The décor is bright pale/pastel colours, wooden tables and chairs with paintings from the owner around the walls - giving the feel of a café that sells alcohol. Rear garden is nicely done with tables, wooden dolls house and table tennis. What is letting the owners down is the prices they are charging - nearly £5 for a medium glass of average wine, £16 for five small slices of average cake and three coffee's. The service was also slow - being just the two of them and one assistant.Applause to the owners for having a go at something different but to maintain customers they need to bring the prices down.

This pub has recently reopened with new owners and a refurb. It is beautifully decorated and the owners were so friendly and accomodating. If this was my local I would be more than happy!!

Only one choice of food but the platter was lovely. The service was great sbd very personal. The beer garden is beautiful...Really well set out. Perfect place for a chilled drink on a weekend!

Having lost two pubs in quick succession it was good to see the Rufus open again. It seems to be either a 'hobby' for the owners or a folly. Tried to get a beer on a Monday shut. Open Thursday to SundayNo sight of a menu. The public areas are bright and fresh the gardens had a bit of a makeover. I wish them good luck and may adventure in for a meal by surprise one night!

The pub is now run by Raymond and Philippa Goold who took over the 'failed business' a short while ago. The pub has been transformed! It is furnished with light wooden furniture. Philippa is a painter and her artworks are featured throughout the pub.What was the rear dining area is now a light, airy and welcoming tea room where you can enjoy a slice of cake and a freshly made tea or coffee. Ray is a jazz bass player and music friends can drop in and play. There is a decent acoustic piano in the bar. The garden is large and welcoming. My previous impression of the pub was that it was dark . . . no more! A most pleasant experience!

Under new management and totally refurbished, a warm welcome awaits you from the friendly proprietors. Excellent Saturday night jazz for an easy going laid back atmosphere. No food available but a good selection of wines, draught & bottled beers & cider. Currently open Thursday- Sunday. Recommended.

We were on a cycle ride from Chandlers Ford to the New Forest and were looking for a place to stop for coffee. We came across the King Rufus pub just up the hill in Eling, across the tide mill and it was fantastic. The new owners have completely refurbished it, it is lovely inside and has a great seating area at the back in the garden. There is great attention to detail, the new owners are trying to make it a community hub. We will definitely be back with the group. The pub welcomes cyclists, walkers and everyone who enjoys dropping in. Look forward to going there for a meal in the future.

We had a great breakfast with excellent service. Very accommodating. Excellent for our meeting. Gonna use again soon.

Popped in here for a quick drink, the area used to be thriving but now with the closure of the village bells ,this is the only pub in eling open for drinks,shame as it is and always has been,a nice lite pub but was so quiet. Hope it doesn't go the same way as opposite (the ex village bells)

This used to be my local for many years. Indeed I wrote the very first trip advisor review on the King Rufus. Since I wrote that review the pub was sold on and the new owner opened as a Free House, specialising in gourmet food. All was well for a few months but then business tailed off and turnover of staff, particularly chefs, became quite rapid. The interest of the new landlord waned, as did the support of the local community. Opening times were erratic with the pub not opening at all on some days or closing before the published closing times. It is now a shadow of its former self. Food is no longer cooked although snacks are served. The standard of service is quite unique. You order your drinks, pay and then you are left on your own in an empty bar.The pub has recently been resold and the incoming owners are expect to arrive end of August/beginning of September 2015. Let's all hope they can raise the old Rufus up to it's former friendly and hospitable glory.

cheap, yummy and friendly. The food is always great with great price deals and friendly staff! The wine deals are amazing and it is a great place to go if you want to eat or drink outside in the summer. At the moment my fav place to go with my fiancée, family and friends.

We read the reviews and all seemed good ,but the experience was far from good.I only wanted a starter which was no problem until I got it horrible battered prawns of avery poor quality with a tiny dash of bottled sweet and spicy sauce ,my Husband fared rather worse as he ordered the Sunday lunch which was served cold and badly presented ,he sent it back ,it was returned microwaved and the kitchen staff hadn't even bothered to re plate it so it was a mess of congealed gravy and somewhat crisp cabbage ,the only thin that was pleasant was the beef which seemed to be of good quality.The service was poor due to the fact that one poor young girl was left to clear the tables reset them serve behind the bar and take and deliver the food orders whilst 2 young guys looked on or just disappeared when they were sorely needed.The ladies toilets smelt strongly of mould and nowhere looked very clean in all a very poor experienceThis is by no stretch of the imagination a Gastro Pub

The service in this pub was fantastic. The chef was very interested in what we thought about the food and his balsamic vinegar and olive oil dip was definately the nicest I have ever tasted as was the bruschetta. My partners sId his lamb was delicious and they had checked how he preferred his lamb cooked and it was cooked exactly right. My vegan meal was not the best, but the chef did say the menu was changing as he had inherited the current one from the previous chef. Bonus is that his mother is a veggie, so he really does understand vegetarian food. Will definately be going back to try his new menu.

Had food for 3 people. Superb quality and presentation. Had fish and chips, steak and a veg option. Very tasty and well priced. Quick service Will visit again. A step up from the average Pub Food.

Our first visit to this pub and I booked a table near to the open fireOn arrival we were warmly welcomed and the fire as promised was well stocked with logsFor service and quality was excellent with no request too much for the staffVegetarian option was imaginative and tasty and deserts good traditional favouritesOverall excellent and the bar staff was so friendly and made us all feel like valued regularsHighly recommended

Visited with friends and found a friendly atmosphere and incredible food. Menu choice not large but still gave a reasonable selection.Beer good and wines at a good price . Presentation of food was first class.I was so pleased when on a second visit 2 weeks later the same high standard was still in place. Keep doing a great job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

popped in on the off chance, not visited before probably not the most inspiring of pubs but the menu had a good selection so thought we would risk dinner....wow what a pleasant surprise ! First class food, well prepared and cooked and superbly presented. Well worth a visit !

We've been visiting this pub and the Village Bells opposite over the years through the various owners and currently both are excellent in different ways. We dined in the Rufus twice in the last week and both times the food and drink were excellent - cod & chips, chicken supreme, and two different guest ales all particularly good. I just wish they had more customers. On Thursday we dined on our own and on Tuesday there was one other couple for company, which means it does lack the atmosphere that the Village Bells has. We understand they are busier at the weekend which is reassuring. Ideally both pubs will survive as they are streets ahead of any of the other pubs in Totton for food, service and welcome.

If you want designer food at comparatively good prices go for it. For example if you order the mussels you are able to count them on your fingers. However, it is very tasty. Sunday Roasts are more generous in quantity though. Atmosphere friendly, and traditional.

My wife and I popped in off the cuff and decided to have some dinner. We arrived just after 6pm to find just a handful of friendly locals in the bar. The pint of Ringwood 49 er I had was perfect, clear, good head and the right temperature.The staff kindly brought us some menus and I chose the king prawn starter followed by the special salad. My wife had linguini followed by sea bass.All dishes were faultless, not huge portions but divinely tasty and beautifully presented.With a bottle of wine and a couple of drinks the damage was £50. Perfectly acceptable and, I felt, good value.One tiny criticism is, as a non smoker myself, the bar manager/head waiter really smelt strongly of tobacco, some avid anti-smokers might find this off putting, and something the management might want to address.

Having used the Rufus for many years landlords come and landlords go mike is making a real effort with the Rufus The beer gos from give star to one star generally it's near the 4 star mark , only issue mike when your beer drinkers say it is no good then believe them and change it don't defend you beer quality whatever Dave the bar guy is a real asset And a pleasure to see behind the bar Just keep on the same route you are and the Rufus will become a great local country pub you are not quite there but on route Camra members get 15 p off a pint well done Give it a try you hopefully won't be disappointed

Four of us went for a meal and found it excellent quality and value. The whole atmosphere is friendly and welcoming and it is a treat to find a country pub close to Southampton which still has that country pub atmosphere.

Visited Saturday 26th April.* Pre booked a table for four the day before for 5.45pm* arrived at 5.30 for a pre meal drink to be told we weren't expected until 6 as the staff don't come on until then. That's ok, we can wait.* Went into the dining room at 6 given menus, ordered about 10 mins later.* Yummy, belly pork on the menu, salivating just thinking about the crunchy crackling and creamy sage mash. Good value at £11.95. Friends ordered lamb with boulangerie potatoes @£12.95. Can't wait.* Then the maître d arrived to ask if we aware that the lamb didn't come with veg?? Unusual but the two of them ordered a dish between them.* Food arrived. Strange, never ever had belly pork with the skin soft, what happened to the crackling you usually get? We asked the waitress if it was possible for the chef to crisp it up, plates whisked away.* Meanwhile two ladies tuck into their lamb. Boulangerie potatoes, is that it, probably about enough each to cover a tablespoon. When they questioned the waitress she just said "well that's what you get". Not wanting to complain they carried on eating then realised the veggies hadn't arrived and they'd nearly finished the food. Waitress just said "oh I forgot" !!!.* My friend and I then had our pork returned which presumably had been flashed under a grill or with a flame gun. It was ok, still a bit soft, not ideal. I must say at this point that both the lamb and the pork meat tasted lovely.* Lets move on to dessert. Blueberry and gin creme caramel not very 'ginny' and struggled to find 7 blueberries between two portions. Chocolate mouse as per menu(not mousse) ok, nothing to get excited about. Bread and butter pudding, burnt around the edges, dry and inedible. Custard on top piping hot, custard on the plate cold.* I spoke to the maître d who was very defensive stating they'd served over 50 belly porks with no complaints. I said we weren't prepared to pay for the veggies which arrived too late or the bread and butter pudding. Also not happy about the pork crackling. Maître d went off and brought the landlord back to speak to me. They were both very defensive and edging on being offensive. I felt that they didn't believe me and said they would have liked to have seen the pork. They said it couldn't have been so bad as we ate it, my argument was that the actual meat was lovely but the crackling was non existent. I asked them to please see if they could do anything about our concerns and to let us have the bill asap.* The Maître d came over and politely pointed out that they'd charged us just over the price of one pork dish, for both, not charged the £2.50 for the veg and not charged for the bread pudding. We were happy with that.* We did also point out that the chef looked extremely stressed and appeared to be working alone. We were told that the second chef had walked out. Well done to the chef for coping as well as he did but no excuse for sending out the pork and the bread pudding in that way.*Perhaps the waitress could do with some better basic training, as sweet as she was.On the way out the landlord did apologise but The King Rufus is not somewhere 4 of us would recommend or return to.

I have watched the new landlord over the last few months work hard to change the image and aesthetics of the Rufus, always was a steady eddie pub with regulars, but I'm seeing different faces in and it was time to check the new food proposition out when I heard several people comment positively about the new chefs food proposition.We booked and managed to get a table in the bijou 20 seater restaurant that looks into the open planned kitchen.Forgive the young staff, they are new and will get what they have to do once practiced and rehearsed a few times. Both girls and kitchen staff worked hard to make sure everything was as it should be.Before going into the restaurant we browsed the menu, not basic but not striking, but the mix is enough for a good 3 courses of almost excellent food, (based on the vegetable lasagna, the chef is carnivore, this got a 3/10 from my guest)We had drinks I had a Brit Hop summer ale which was fresh and deep of flavour but light enough to drink through dinner, another guest had the locally brewed Flacks Double DropStarters were a mix of seared scallops Saltim Bocca cooked to perfection, feta and ollives, and mozzarella wrapped in parma ham, brilliant!Mains were the lamb which was cooked just off pink, sea bass which worked well a sea food linguine (This was swopped out because the confit of belly of pork wasn't ready?) and my main was a wing of skate that was so fresh (often can smell of ammonia if its not fresh) this was brilliant< as said the vegetable lasagna could have been better. Desserts of blueberry and gin creme brullee was the best I've tasted, the chocolate mousse was big enough to satisfy two young appetites! Coffee came promptly.A really pleasant evening, but could do with another CD than Chas and Dave landlord!Take care and park along the side of the road if the car park in the front is full.All in all this was a really good experience of a local pub trying really hard to give locals a pub and food proposition that deserves it having local and other support it, worth giving it a goWe'll be back......

Wanted to try a new local pub,serving something a bit different. Popped in on a Tuesday, curry night ,but decided to eat from the main menu . We sat where we could watch the chef prepare our food, something I like to see.The quality of the the meals and ingredients used was excellent much higher than we've experienced in more expensive restaurants. The presentation was superb and the food delicious. The staff were very friendly and attentive. I would add it was fairly quiet when we ate but I think it's a pub (nice selection of beers ) well worth giving a try. We will return for a repeat visit!

Lovely Sunday lunch there today, beautifully cooked and presented food with courteous and attentive service.The pub has recently been totally refurbished and this is the landlord's first foray into the business, opening the kitchen just before mother's day was a brave move (ref the previous review) but i think they'll do well. All of the food is freshly cooked and my sometimes hard to please parents went away vowing to return.

Can I just preface this review by saying - we're English, it was Mother's Day lunchtime, so all gripes were between ourselves and not passed on to front of house staff (although I really hope they read this!).The problems started early. We were handed menu books that included a lunch, Sunday and (right at the back) a Mother's day menu, with no guidance from the waitress. This also included a walk away to ask the kitchen what the soup of the day was, even though the MD menu - when we found it - had it shown as tomato. My dad was in a grump as soon as I pointed out that (now we'd found the MD menu), he was unlikely to be able to get fish and chips from the lunch menu. This proved to be the case when we checked with the waitress.Now we get to the food. Apparently, the suspicion is that they'd forgotten to fully cook (grill?) the field mushroom (although listed as mushrooms on the menu) so it was a bit weird - and cold. The tomato soup was apparently OK. I had the 'chicken strips' and was gobsmacked by the tininess of said strips; I know it's only a starter, but I reckon I could have got half a dozen portions of strips out of one chicken breast, I wish I'd taken a photo, it was laughable. The taste - of the dressed salad and garlic mayo, I couldn't taste the tiny chicken - was fine. The main course was a slight improvement with most choosing the roast, although I would expect a 'medley' of vegetables to be more than the actual 'brace'. I was also disappointed at choosing to use the salt and pepper shakers due to a lack of seasoning, the first time I have chosen to do this at home or eating out in well over half a decade.Moving on to the desserts (I would call them puddings, but apparently we were in a 'gastropub'). The people that had the ice cream were happy, unsurprisingly. I had the caramelised figs - the figs were pleasant, the uncaramelised sugar on top of the figs wasn't. They had saved their worst until last though, a - surprisingly - generous portion of apple crumble was placed down on three places, but no liquid was offered. On request, a tiny jug of cream was brought out (for all three) to accompany the crumble. Having poured on the cream, the overall temperature of the crumble was increased, as IT WAS STONE COLD!!!Wanted to get the food out of the way before my other moans. If I sit down at a fully dressed table (ALL cutlery, wine and water glasses), if I choose to have the soup or a different starter, I expect the redundant cutlery to be taken away. However, even more than this, if I - and everybody else - just want drinks rather than wine and water, I expect to have some glasses taken away so it is a functioning table!I'm really offended by the King Rufus calling themselves a 'gastropub'. You earn these stripes by delivering great pub food that is a patch above the rest. You don't just re-brand and take the right, especially when front of house is clearly not even trained in the way to operate!I wish them all the best as I don't want to see old-fashioned locals close, but I think they've taken as mis-step.PS My daughter's chips she had with her kids meal were great!!

Had our second meal tonight and have to say it was most excellent, would recommend people to try here at least once, i dont think they would be disappointed, very reasonably priced, and always a good pint{lager} for me.

Full marks to the new young chef Paul on producing such wonderful "gastro" meals. The new restaurant has just opened ... did not disappoint at all. Top marks and big round of applause. Can certainly recommend....

We sometimes walk at Goatee Beach in Eling and we popped into the King Rufus for a drink. The welcome was very friendly and, after only one visit, the barman (Mark) remembered us on our next visits. The pub has recently been renovated and is a great local.

We were passing and just buy change come in and had a 100% time. The staff /food and a great in side made it a great time many thanks will return.

Was informed on entry that if you sit outside, you will need to order at the bar and they will bring your food to your table. Very welcoming and friendly.Good value meals, tasty with a variaty on the menu.

If you want a local pub that is quiet with good pub classic food then this is the best kept sectret. The landlord keeps great ales!Parking may be a problem in Summer.Love it and go back regularly.

The King Rufus is a Victorian Pub located in the picturesque hamlet of Eling Hill, south of Totton in Hampshire. The New Forest is right on the doorstep.It is a pub in the true sense of the word. There are no televisions, music or gambling machines. Entertainment is by way of conversation. There is a pleasant garden to the rear with a children's play area. The King Rufus is child and dog friendly with treats being offered to both species on arrival.Real ale is served from four pumps. Ringwood Best Bitter is on permanent tap, with three regularly changed guest ales. Apart from the comfortable bar, complete with log fire, there is a dining area that can comfortably seat twenty four guests.Meals are prepared by the Landlady, Kim, and is good country cooking with very generous portions. There are a wide variety of dishes available, including seafood, home made pizzas and vegetarian. The home made Steak and Ale pie is a particular favourite of mine.Kim is rightly proud of her culinary skills, and ensures that everything is to your satisfaction.The staff, and the locals, are very friendly and ensure a convivial atmosphere.It is a country pub, so don't expect any frills with it.