Lambtons Restaurant at The Bear in Wiltshire

I wrote my last review in October '23 following an excellent Sunday lunch. As a reasonably regular contributor to T/A I find it VERY difficult to do "follow-up" visit reports, the system does not seem to cater for it and my October submission might well have been deleted when this one is submitted! We will see. I have actually had Sunday lunch here several times since October and recently took a party of seven for the same meal it being good quality and value for money compared with most venues in the west of Oxford area. And we were not disappointed - all of my guests were delighted with their meals, the attentive and helpful waitresses were a credit and the food very good. Highlight dish was the rhubarb and apple crumble - yumx2! So good to be able to report that standards are consistently high.

I stayed hear here with a friend. Reasonably priced accommodation, nice atmosphere, great beer and food and polite and friendly staff. Will definitely stay here again

I booked 14 of us in to The Bear for our department's Christmas lunch. We were told on booking that another large party were in that day and there may be a slight delay on sitting down. We appreciated the warning but knew that everyone would be meeting/chatting in their bar first so it wouldn't be an issue. Two of our party had special dietary requirements and the staff were extremely helpful in ensuring that with a few alterations that they could enjoy a similar meal choice to everyone else. Communication on this was excellent. Everyone agreed that the meal was fabulous, I had the Chorizo Cod and it was cooked to perfection and the Chocolate, Coffee Torte was amazing (it was quite rich and actually defeated a couple of people) Thank you to all the staff who attended us, we will definately be back next year!

Four of us went to the Bear for Sunday lunch , Love the atmosphere & friendly staff. Dinner was very good as usual. They were very busy with a big birthday party. This didn’t affect the service everything was great,

I haven't been out for Sunday lunch often recently. The prices being demanded at local - I live on the outskirts of Oxford - gastro (ghastly) pubs is ludicrous with around £25 for just one course, sometimes two, not uncommon. So when I invited some friend for Sunday lunch and they chose The Bear in Wantage both me and my wallet stood by for a shock. And we got several!!! All good ones, though. Arriving in the charming old town area of Wantage we found the main car park which was - wait for it - FREE ( yes, your peepers are not fooling you it's free) on Sundays. Well done Wantage. A 100 metre or so walk through a passage/shopping mall sees you arrive right outside The Bear. Simples! MOST pleasant and helpful reception and staff saw us to our table - the large dining area being broken up into smaller sections with nice big tables and chairs with the decor echoing the undoubted history of the Hotel. We were not rushed to order (the restaurant was busy anyway) and when the food arrived on lovely hot plates it was plentiful, tasty and well presented. Two sizes of lunch are offered the larger being a good satisfying meal whilst the smaller version would please those with a modest appetite. All the large roasts - beef, lamb, chicken and pork accompanied by boats of gravy and a good selection of vegetables - are, if my memory is correct, £16 a head and good value for money. Service was excellent by busy and nicely attentive staff. Generous portioned deserts rounded off a very pleasant dining experience. It's worth the drive to dine there and I will be doing so again.

We stayed with family at this hotel and found it very comfortable and welcoming. The rooms were clean and comfortable beds, good pressure on the showers. Food was excellent Would recommend and stay again

Excellent Sunday lunch. But disappointed that when asked about vegetarian roast dinner was told I could have a roast dinner without the meat….but nothing to replace it. Having said that, pork roast was excellent as was the salmon. Never disappointed with food here. But today was disappointed with the choice.

Been back here a few years running now. Reasonably priced hotel, good location in Wantage for shops and pubs. Nice friendly staff, especially the receptionist and hotel porter who helped us move rooms. Maybe in need of some room refurbs to keep it fresh.

Can’t go wrong here for the money. Nice room, quiet, the bed was really comfy and you can feel the history of the place. We stayed with family members and had about 10 rooms. Great location with easy reach to cheap/free parking.

Great food, reasonably priced and good service as usual. Last minute booking as looked at other pubs locally and we're a bit put off with the price of going out mid week !

Came here for husband's birthday and we enjoyed a really delicious meal. The steak was cooked to perfection, incredible chips, and the chocolate fondant dessert a great way to finish it off. Attentive service and a really nice atmosphere.

First rate environment, service and luncheon. In their spacious conservatory area which is part of the Bear Hotel. It's clearly a Georgian/Victorian building updated but with original atmosphere.

Sunday Lunch. Good food, decent portions. BUT what is it with heavy duty cheese on Broccoli ??? I've never seen that before and it was an unpleasant surprise as one of us cannot eat cheese. Otherwise good as normal. If you're going to encase anything in a dairy product please put that on the menu or tell your diners.

Two of us stayed 2 nights midweek, easy online booking process. We had room 19, which was at the far end of the building on the first floor. It was a compact room with a double bed, dressing table, chair and wardrobe. It was fairly basic but nicely decorated. The bed was very firm, actually too firm for us both so neither of us had a great nights sleep on both nights, not helped by a heavy duvet and a very warm room, which meant waking up very hot during the night. We heard a lot of noise from outside from very early in the morning but that might be due to single glazed windows that can’t be replaced, we’re not sure. The curtains were very light and didn’t block out the early morning light at all, blackout curtains would be a real help stopping that. The shower was excellent and the towels were thick and large, perfect. Breakfast was really good, served in a light and airy room overlooking the Market Square. Great choice of breakfast menu, juices, pastries etc and service was friendly and efficient. Breakfast on both mornings was really tasty, we both really enjoyed what we had. It was good value for money and we would stay again, however I’d request a different room.

Nice venue, typical British pub with good drink selections. The rooms are a bit too small and the mattress with big uncomfortable springs but it is a nice overall experience. Excellent breakfast.

What a hidden gem! I honestly thought these type of olde english pubs, with proper cutlery, cotton napkins, attentive and polite staff, fine food with huge portions that are beautifully cooked ,and on piping hot plates at a sensible price, were a thing of the...

Went for a mid week dinner. Fish n chips asked whether I wanted regular or large. 2 Goujons appear and 0000 customer service followed

I have been recently for business and the breakfast was very good, although without many continental options, dinner was nice too but the mattress was made by old noisy spring which made it very uncomfortable to sleep on. This problem was also encountered by another...

It’s just very consistent – again !!! No complaints whatsoever. It’s not fancy but well presented decent food - menu changes which is nice - and the service is, as always, excellent. Thankyou.

I have come here a few times and the food and drinks are very good. Staff also very friendly and welcoming will definitely be coming here again.

Disappointed with the fish pie which is normally so delicious. I was told there is smoked fish amongst the trio of fish but try as I did to taste it but couldn't. The accompanying bread used to be thicker to wipe up the sauce. Will...

Although it's probably the best restaurant in Wantage itself, it's been a while since I've eaten here. It was a special occasion and we were not disappointed. They managed to find a table for us inside the main dining area, which was busy but not...

My husband and I took our grandson to The Bear for lunch today before he starts university tomorrow. We were welcomed and given a choice of rooms to dine in. We chose to have a table in the restaurant because we wanted to chat quietly...

We each had and enjoyed the fish pie which is the best in the county. We sat in the conservatory. The staff are engaging. We had booked in advance

Polite friendly staff, comfortable suroundings. Meal well cooked although our steaks were cold The food although enjoyable was in my opinion average, not outstanding, but this wouldn't stop me going again.

20 family members were booked for a family lunch on Sunday 22/5. The food and service was faultless Sunday roasts were popular but I chose the beef wellington which was excellent.Everyone was served within minutes, food was hot and extra vegetables were served around the...

This was a very poor experience gastropub. The menu descriptions bear little resemblance to what arrives on the plate. Sea salt pepper prawns? No, battered prawns. Steak burger? No, beef burger, ground too fine, served in an unpleasant brioche bun. Mains are listed as "large...

The food was simply delicious, couldn't find fault with a single thing, thank you 😋 The service was first class also.

Took my mum to Wantage for a day out, treat, went to a recommended cafe but it was closed, tried the deli next door but they had run out of soup, bread etc. tried the Bear, by now it was now 2,25, ordered drinks, quite...

We popped into the Bear at the end of a family dog walk for a drink on Mother day. Rather than have just a coffee I asked for an irish coffee 'without sugar', coffee arrived with so much sugar in my teeth stood on end....

We had a family lunch at The Bear for my Dad’s 80th birthday. The food was lovely and the service fantastic. The portions were very generous and there was a good choice in the menu. We mostly had beef wellington and beef was done perfectly....

Called in on the off chance for lunch, no problem to bring the family dog who settled happily under the table in the conservatory. Very good menu, fantastic value for money & tasty, delicious food served by friendly & welcoming staff who were extremely helpful....

We dropped in on the off chance and so glad we did the good was delicious and affordable. We were seated in the conservatory which is light and warm. Happy Christmas to the staff in The Bear

This was our first visit to Wantage having just had family move into the town. The Bear is a great find in a good central location. Food was good quality and a nice popular atmosphere.

Socially distanced. High quality food. Nice service. Lots of different rooms. Food was lovely would return in future.

Booked here for my father's 70th birthday and was very impressed. Wanted to go somewhere nice to celebrate and chose this restaurant. Service was impeccable and food was amazing! I loved my smoked salmon!! Would definitely return sometime!!

We went here for dinner. The staff were brilliant and the food great. We enjoyed the variety of items on the menu. It was busy.

We have really enjoyed our visit and will return. Keith and Joanne ate excellent hosts and its fab this is such a welcoming family business. All staff have been lovely, we have been well looked after and the food was topnotch. Thanks everyone!

Enjoyed good food and service in the restaurant on a busy weekday - great to see all tables occupied. We had a small filet steak and a large venison pie followed by a creme brûlée and a ginger sponge all in sensible portions and well...

Ate during July just after it had reopened (booked). Staff excellent – full face masks. Layout very carefully done. Food good. Even with the attention to detail regarding Covid it didn’t feel as if you were eating in a clinical place but all the same...

Came here with a friend for a quick pint or two, landlord/owner friendly and chatty. All staff were using ppe and were very helpful :) will book a Sunday roast soon

Lovely meal. Very impressed by the menu, which was more extensive than I expected so soon after lockdown. Food was perfectly cooked and served quickly. Our waitress was attentive and we felt very safe. Prices were competitive: very reasonable for the standard of the food...

Service was excellent and the large pie was great. Friendly and helpful Keith was very accommodating with his particular brand of good humour.

First impressions are good. Nice looking pub with huge dinig areas. The Sunday lunch menu is the usual fare of roasts and a few other options. When we arrived at 12:15 it was quiet with only a few diners. Despite this service was slow and...

Came for my mums 60th birthday, service was excellent. We took ages to order as my mum was so busy chatting to all her friends that had come but the waitress was so patient! Food was delicious and we didn’t have to wait long. They...