Pulpo Negro in Winchester

We arrived with very high expectations from everything we had read and heard about Pulpo Negro. However even these high expectations were exceeded with every dish ordered bursting with flavours and imagination. The portion sizes were really good as well. To be honest this restaurant is easily on a par with the top Tapas restaurants in London and better value as well. The ambience and decor was lovely as were all the staff.

Very attentive and friendly staff in a central spot in the town. Cater really well for solo diners with a long bar area at windows (though it can be chilly). Big portions for Tapas so two is enough for lunch. 🥙 Flavourful dishes in a chilled environment. Not a 5 out of 5 but a good 4.

Really, really good Tapas restaurant. Went as a family of 4 for a birthday meal, there is plenty of choice, we ordered about 12 different dishes. The taste and flavours were excellent, it’s as good a tapas bar I have been in, in the UK.lovely bbq octopus, great padron peppers, lovely croquettas, super Iberian Jamon, all washed down with some nice Spanish lager. Finished with churros, as good as I have had. The staff were all very helpful and polite, a most enjoyable couple of hours.

We had high expectations for this Michelin recommended place. The service was impeccable. However, we were disappointed by the quality of some dishes, especially at this price point. The very loud house music did not fit with the ambience and made conversation over dinner difficult.

Amazing food, amazing service, don't miss it!

Brilliant food and excellent service. An absolutely top restaurant. Reasonably priced as well. Go there - you won't regret it!

Came here on recommendations. It surpassed all of these and more. Anton served us and was incredible. Gave us all the time in the world although being very busy. Explained everything we asked. The food was amazing. Dishes came out at right time, and complemented each other. The Beets with mojo Verde were out of this world, and after having the octopus really cleared the palate. Worth every single penny. Will definitely return soon

Fantastic restaurant with superb food, service and atmosphere in a small, quiet English town. I recommend the Iberian ham, the cod "pavias" and the eggplants, although the rest of what we ordered was fantastic too. Also, excellent wine list.

It's a nice tapas bar. Tapas are good but wildly overpriced for what it is really. Been here a couple of times, spent a lot of time in Spain and eaten a lot of cheaper and nicer tapas.

wow what a place, super tasty tapas, friendly staff, great atmosphere. Will come back again for sure. Awesome tapas near Winchester/Southampton, unexpectedly good!

Great food and atmosphere, even better service. Anton was very attentive, as were the rest of the staff. The food was deserving of its premium pricing.

Our Valentine’s celebration here was great in every way - food, wine, service and atmosphere. As we hoped, the menu is interesting and varied with every taste catered for. Everything we chose was beautifully presented and delicious. The white anchovies were dressed in a lovely lemony sauce, the garlic prawns were meaty and perfectly cooked, the winter salad was fantastically fresh and dressed with what tasted like tarragon oil, the patatas bravas were nicely crispy under a lovely tomato/paprika sauce and mayo and my grilled octopus was simply the best I’ve ever eaten. Greedily, we had three desserts between the two of us: an unctuous Basque cheesecake, a crema Catalana with a cracking sugar top and a hint of orange and chocolate con churros. The sparkling Albariño, the carafe of soft, oaky red and the 1866 brandy were all lovely and the espresso was good and strong to finish. The kitchen is on display and everyone seemed to be working hard to serve a stream of freshly cooked dishes, seeing all of which as they passed our table, whetted our appetites for another visit. It’s not cheap - our meal was £140 for two including 12.5% “optional”! service charge but it was worth every penny and we left feeling very well satisfied. A particular mention must go to the lovely Fran from Yorkshire whose friendliness and efficiency made our lunch extra pleasant. We hope her summer holiday in Turkey lives up to expectations!

Fantastic Restaurant , the food is top notch , the staff are great and the ambience was perfect , if you want Spanish food at its best this is the place

The most delicious meal we’ve had in a long time. That cheesecake will change your life 🙌🏼

Our visit was for an anniversary. We had heard nothing but great reviews and decided to treat ourselves. From the moment we walked in the door to finally leaving we were treated as everyone was like vip,s 👍 the restaurant is a hive of energy and creates a brilliant dining atmosphere. The tapas is beyond words, the flavours of everything we had teased our palets through the whole experience, I say experience as its not a massive meal dumped in front of you , though we left feeling full and very happy. We shared 2 starters of wafer thin Jamon and catalan tomatoes on sourdough, then were helped through the list of tapas and chose pregnant bread , gambos "prawns in a sauce" hispi cabbage , sea bream and crocquettas. The dishes were brought out in the order the kitchen would pair them and how right they were. I wish I could describe everything but I will let your taste buds do that bit. And yes we managed a pudding each , obviously the churros and a burnt cheesecake. If you love real food made with love and emotion and you enjoy a proper culinary experience then you will love this place. If your a McDonald's person treat yourself and allow yourself to taken to a place where you eat slowly purely because every bite makes your mouth sing. Personally I love both but would rather go back to pulpo and enjoy their hospitality and experience their passion in food.

Terrible service from the manger, we had spent a lot and felt the service was not very good. We were offered a tapas taster menu and on our table of six the food was good, but portion sizes terrible! When we asked for more food, the manager was dismissive and said there was plenty of food! It’s a shame as we had been looking forward to it.

Amazing food, great service and lovely setting… highly recommend! 😍

Every time we dine here we have an exceptional experience. The food is divine, the drinks are so moorish, the atmosphere is uplifting and the staff are so nice. Very much recommended.

Absolutely fantastic 👌🏻 incredible food, brilliant staff, great wine. If you’ve never been to this sensational restaurant, then you have to go. Every part of the experience was perfect from potato bravas to octopus to some incredible Dexter beef with rosemary. Stunning 🤩

Absolutely wonderful experience. From the greeting at the door to our heading home full of amazing food. I cannot recommend highly enough.

Consistently extremely good. Food, service, atmosphere. Still wish there was one in Winchester. We shall return exellent! 5⭐️

We were in the cellar, and it was a really lovely venue. Our waitress was really nice, the first lot of tapas that came out was just amazing. Olives, padron peppers (none hot which was a shame!) the iberico ham, bread and Aioli, Almonds All lovely…. The larger meals let the side down cod cheeks that were far too salty and in a soggy batter, a Smokey sauce that wasn’t great, also too salty. (We don’t mind salt used well - we had two portions of padron peppers!) and an unappealing braised cabbage dish that promised to be so tasty. The sherry was awesome as a starter and the wine was lovely, and fairly inexpensive. There were staff members being loud, hectic and running up and down the stairs which was a bit odd. In the end it seemed quite an unusual experience that cost just over £200!

Sorry, but VERY expensive for the portion sizes. £230 for a table of 4 with only 2 of the party having a couple of drinks! Great service but went away feeling ripped off....

First time to Pulpo. And we were not disappointed. Fantastic atmosphere, great back ground. Music, great service by all the staff. Great food although wines were slightly limited but still good Definitely recommend the PN and we would return

Parking is poor, staff are friendly, place seems like it has a decent atmosphere, but I would say it is very expensive for what it is. £5 or £6 for a 90p Sainsburys 0% beer seems quite a mark up. £100 for two people for light lunch with 2x 0% beers and 2 coffees is a LOT of money.

The minute you walk in the ambiance is amazing. Saturday lunch and every table was taken. Friendly greeting. Service was very good. The menu - everything sounded so good so was hard to decide what to choose but everything we had was delicious. We were sat in front of the open kitchen so could see the busy chefs at work and they didn't stop. Thoroughly recommend Pulpo Negro for a special experience.

Coming to Alresford from London, where food is notoriously good, we were astonished at the service and prices for very ordinary food. Lovely waitress from Yorkshire but very disappointed by the standard of the expensive food compared to London. Top London prices - not comparable in quality.

We spent the evening here for New year's eve for the early sitting. Starting with charred bread and violin, followed by a crispy potato dish. Whilst eating this I found a foreign texture in my mouth but continued eating as I didn't want to cause a fuss and esides I had pointed out to the restaurant on three occasions that I was vegetarian. After researching the dish and its contents it contained Sobrasada (sausage). I emailed the restaurant on the 2nd January with my concerns and still haven't heard anything 😡😡😡

I took my staff to Pulpo Negro for a Christmas meal. The food was excellent. They suggested one dish would do four people. We ordered lots of dishes but the kitchen wisely did not deliver all. We could not have eaten everything. I suspect the bad review was starters which are smaller. Wine was great and the service excellent. They were busy with another large party that night plus all tables filled but I cannot fault anything. My husband and i have been several times on our own. Staff are careful not to allow you to order too much if you listen. When it came to dessert most of my staff wanted everything on the menu although hard to finish the pudding after so much food. Great restaurant who deserves their good reviews. We will go again as a couple and as a Firm.

Fabulous meal - again. Every dish bursting with flavour and surprises. As with previous visits our conversation stops when a mouthful demands investigation - how does this taste so good?! How can the taste and texture of a sand carrot or the succulence of a sausage leave us speechless. Table next to us asked what we were raving about and then when they had tasted the same dishes had the same reaction, thankfully. The menu changes all the time but the quality and originality is consistent. Delivered by lovely staff who really care.

Unfortunately, I cannot agree with the other reviews for this restaurant. The flavours of the food were good however, we received a selection of tiny servings that barely resembled a starter. There were 8 of us and we had 20 servings. A couple of examples of serving sizes were 2 tiny pieces of chicken thigh to share between 4 of us and 4 slithers of fish, which you could barely see! The waiter managed to get our drinks orders wrong even after recommending a particular red wine, which he then delivered lime and soda 🙃. After our miniscule array of tapas dishes, we then received the bill of £48 each 😲. Bearing in mind, 20 dishes, 3 drivers drinking soft drinks and the other 5 had no more than a g&t and beer. We still had a bill of £48 each. How could this be when we were all still hungry after the meal. The amount of food we had received was basically a small selection of starters! It was a birthday celebration yet we were not permitted to bring our own cake! Well, we will not be returning to this restaurant nor would we recommend any aspect of it due to the tiny portions and outrageous costs. What a great shame.

Went there for my birthday. They have recommended 16 to 20 tapas for a group of 8. The portions are really small so this was never enough. The food was really tasty but tiny portions. Sadly we also took a bday cake with us and we weren’t allowed to serve it as per their rules. We had 2 drinks each and 3 of them had non alcoholic drinks as they were driving. The bill Come to £98 per couple and in all Honesty we left the restaurant disappointed and hungry. We come come for some cake and more food! In my view overrated prices, tiny food and not particularly great experience.

Never had anything less than a great time with lovely food.

We went on Saturday night for our 30th wedding anniversary. We’d not been before and it had been highly recommended to us. We weren’t disappointed. Everything was excellent. The food is incredible, the welcome and service were equally as good. I thoroughly recommend it. We’re lucky enough to live just a bus ride away so we’ll be back soon.

Good selection of tapas, can always find a few things we really enjoy. Welcoming atmosphere (tho can get a bit noisy), good service even when busy.

A shining jewel in the crown of North Hampshire. Tapas which is as close to being in Andalucia as I can think of in England. Lovely atmosphere. Staff were friendly and helpful, and the food really delicious. The seafood dishes eg Galician pulpo, was wonderful. It's a special place to go for a special experience. Thank you Brian (😉) for reinforcing my feelings that it would be worth a try. We'll be back!

This was our 3rd visit and every time we come I fall in love with pulpo a bit more. The food is satisfying deliciousness, the staff (special shout out to Patrice for being oh so lovely and efficient and enthusiastic and sparkly and golden, he literally makes it feel like you’re at a friends house) are excellent. Their patatas bravas are to die for. As are the croquettas. And the garlic prawns. And the padron peppers. And the chocolate mousse with sherry… I could go on. I won’t. But I could.

Did not disappoint and will be visiting again!

5 star Amazing experience Highly recommended Great atmosphere Great service Wagu steak superb .

Anton was amazing! A nice treat to have one of the chefs serving us too who gave us lots of recommendations and info about how the food was prepared (the soaked pears that came with the burnt cheesecake a particular highlight). The food was flawless. We highly recommend the two tomato dishes as well as the burnt Basque cheesecake and crema Catalan. The restaurant has a nice relaxed atmosphere which fits perfectly with the tapas food theme. This is my second time and I’ll definitely be returning again and again.

Very friendly service and fantastic tapas. Will definitely be going back! Thanks for an amazing lunch.

Lovely food. Great staff. Lively atmosphere. Love this place. X

What a shame, some good food in a nice atmosphere but spoiled by glitches in the service and overpricing of some items. We ordered a variety of dishes for 4 people and whilst the venison in chocolate was very good, £20 for a less than remarkable octopus was over the top. The head waiter was attentive at first but soon lost interest in us and others when a couple arrived and he spent his time talking to them instead of watching the room. He had to be reminded by one of the other staff that he hadn't taken our dessert order after quite a long delay. He also annoyed us by offering to get us some bread to soak up the juices from the prawns and then charging £2.50 for 4 small pieces. It is a pity that what could have been a really good experience with nice food was diminished by poor service.

Fantastic food, great atmosphere

An incredible experience. Very few words required other than that. The food was fantastic; best tapas we have had and so well priced for the quality. This needs to be talked about. Get your friends here so more places like this can thrive!

An absolute gem of a place, tucked away in Alresford. Managed to get a table on a Saturday evening. Warm and welcoming restaurant, superb quality tapas, lively atmosphere highly recommended!

One of our favourite restaurants in the UK & possibly the best Spanish restaurant in the country! Absolutely delicious food, great service and always a fantastic atmosphere. The chefs here really know how to cook. If you like authentic Spanish food, do not miss this...

We had an outstanding evening here this week. The food was incredible, the service was amazing and the atmosphere felt lovely and cosy without being too much. We were a difficult table with various allergies and intolerances but our server was very good at pointing out what was safe and not safe. I will 100% be returning but one small thing to be picky about - I ordered the chocolate mousse which was so tasty, but had a layer of liquid on the top and it was only when I smelt it and asked if it was coffee or liqueur that I was told it was liqueur. I know the majority of people wouldn’t have a problem with this but I don’t drink alcohol. I noticed another table had a mousse with the liqueur in a side shot glass, maybe that could be standard practice? Otherwise though the whole experience was 10/10

Food was 5*, possibly the best chicken wings I've EVER had! All the small plates were divine not to mention the fabulous desserts.. Service outstanding, a big shout out to Fran for putting up with our 'noise than normal' table! Pulpa Negro is a jewel...

What a lovely experience from a really warm greeting and great atmosphere in the restaurant. The tapas is exceptionally good and if you are unsure about anything the staff have great knowledge and listen to their recommendations glad we did. Fab wine list, basically you...

PN continues to hit the high spots. A slice of sourdough, olive oil and a rosado would suffice as the authenticity of the ingredients is sublime. The menu is delicious full stop!

Amazing food & incredible service from Patrick!! Had Chef Sam’s recommendations, and they did not disappoint. Thank you so much

Great food, attentive and engaging staff, and a really buzzing atmosphere (friday night).

Wonderful food served by polite, knowledgeable staff in lovely atmosphere. What more could you want? Loved it.

Absolutely fantastic. Cannot recommend this restaurant enough. I've been a few times and I'm so pleased this place is a popular now as it has always been. Visited for a friends birthday dinner last night and the food was exceptional, the service couldn't have been better, they really made us feel welcome and special. The atmosphere was great and the waiter was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the menu. He told us he's moving into the kitchen from now on and we wish him luck and can't wait to come back and taste his food.

Fabulous atmosphere and service. The food was exceptional. New favourite. Great vibe.

Great service and the food was delicious. And they know how to make a great gin and tonic, transported back to Spain. Catalan tomato bread,relish reminded me of breakfasts in Spain. Also croquettes, chicken thighs, and the gambas al ajillo, there version of pil pil,...

My new local favourite. Great food, service and setting. We'll definitely be back!

Excellent tapas and good surroundings. Not cheap and langoustines very over priced. Lose points due to being bit of a killjoy: not allowed to take own cake for a birthday celebration. We asked in advance so beware if you plan just to turn up with...

Hands down the best Tapas I've had in the UK! Outstanding. The servers were even better than the food if that's possible! Thanks

I’ve eaten in some amazing restaurants in New York, London, Cape Town and so many other cities. This, by a country mile, is my favourite restaurant in the world.

Situated in the pretty Hampshie village of Arlesford. Outstanding food and service in a slighly overcrowded upstairs but more spacious basement. Charming and attentive service from a very knowledgable server. Very cool atmosphere with non disruptive house music in the background. Difficult to pick a...

I was treating my husband to a trip on the Watercress Line for his birthday and found this restaurant for lunch in between trips. The food was exquisite and very authentic. We started with the boquerones with some bread and aoili. We lived in Mallorca...

Very impressed with this. Slick front of house (too slick? Depends on the individual, I guess). Pan con tomate was excellent - lots of spicy olive oil, fresh tomatoes and raw garlic. Jamon Iberico carved fresh from the leg, as it should be. Prawns were...

Blessed with a sunny day in this beautiful setting in Alresford, we enjoyed really good interesting food courtesy of great service and recommendations. A memorable experience!

First time here, been waiting a while to make it for lunch and very pleased with the experience! Busy small and buzzing. Great service from Patrice and co. The food really is good here. Get stuck into the pregnant bread, croquettas, lamb empanada, BBQ chicken, fried courgettes, tomato bread and more. Ice cold refreshing beer to wash it all down with. 2 minor let downs for me, personally. The tortilla was a little bit too wet inside. I always appreciate that it is best to have some moisture with the egg in the middle but this was too much for my Spanish taste! It could also have benefitted from salt and pepper. But we still ate it all! Secondly, the churros con chocolate, the churros themselves were so so good. The chocolate sauce however was far too thin and runny and it should really be a lot thicker. Don't get me wrong, it was quality chocolate, but it would have been perfect if it was thicker. I ended up drinking it rather than dipping. That aside, it was very very good overall and it's deservedly busy! I look forward to returning.

My wife Janet and I had the pleasure of a delicious meal in a restaurant takeover, at Meanwhile in Brighton, by Pulpo Negro last night. What a treat. Every course was just fabulous - from the opener of Vermut with orange Gordal olive via Payoyo...

A jumbo single shrimp for £30 was too expensive, plus kicking us out in less than 2 hours later as you had a wedding (not warned until we arrived). Our lunch was shortened without possibility of having any dessert while waiter thrown the bill at us. In conclusion, for almost £300 bill the food was scarce. I would expect the tapas much bigger for those prices as we left hungry.

Great place if you fancy tapas, great atmosphere and delicious food. Friendly staff and service. The downstairs area is my favourite. Perfect for a lunch or dinner date

Perfect evening Anton was incredible - we ordered based completely off of his suggestions and we had the most amazing meal! Wine was delicious, loved the chorizo, tomato bread & gambas! Can’t wait to come back

Honestly cannot rave about this restaurant enough! The service was outstanding from the moment we walked in it was friendly, helpful, but unobtrusive. Listen to the staffs recommendations they absolutely know what they are talking about. We started with bread alioi and olives, then chorizo...

The food is lovely as is the atmosphere. This was our second time visiting pulpo negro. We were a table of 3 and had 8 tapas between us and desserts which we found to be the perfect amount and great value for money. Highly recommend...

Excellent authentic tapas. Even the vibe was Spanish... Relaxed, friendly, smart but also family friendly. Great value wines. Pretty much flawless apart from the slightly disconcerting sticky tables:)

First time, with my son for his birthday, midweek, didn't expect it to be so busy but great atmosphere, music was OK, just a relentless beat in the background but tolerable! Staff attentive, but never quite sure who was serving us. Food was an experiment...

Absolutely incredible food and amazing service!

Pulpo Negra stands out amongst the more traditional cuisine of pubs cafes and tearooms in New Alresford.The reviews speak for its popularity and it was a real surprise to experience such an authentic Spanish tapas restaurant in a traditional English town. The interior has a...

This is a very special place in a beautiful town. We're fortunate to live quite close and are regular visitors.

Well this is a special place to visit! Authentic Spanish Tapas and perfect for special occasions and if you like a relaxed atmosphere sharing food and trying different things this is perfect. It's not cheap, but it was worth it as it was very special. I'm going back for my birthday to try their beef. Wine menu is great too. Staff really informative and helpful. The food was exceptionally nice to eat and experience.

I was taken there for a birthday lunch and I found it amazing. Everything was perfect. And I got to try the best pork I have ever eaten in my life. Looking for excuses to go back!

Wonderful food. Friendly informative staff. Would definitely visit again

Excellent food. Great service. Very imaginative menu, which is not bog standard tapas. Yes, very much worth a visit. Have a negroni before you start. They're excellent.

Fabulous food and service for lunch. Wow. Just wow. Every dish was spectacular. The serving staff were enthusiastic and knowledgeable. We will be back!!!

Excellent snack & drink sitting in the afternoon sun today. Extremely friendly, polite and attentive staff. We had delicious Spanish Olives and bread with aioli washed down with an excellent wine and lots of water! Patrice and Alexandra were very efficient and prompt with service....

Brilliant, happy and delicious time had by all!

Our new favourite restaurant. Seriously good cuisine, authentic enough to feel back in Mallorca/Spain but inspired enough to add interest. A great atmosphere and the best people too. Glad to know that gems like this still exist! Would not hesitate to recommend.

We’ve always loved the food at this place but this most recent visit was the best yet. All dishes were absolutely delicious, the menu (which changes regularly) was exciting and cooked beautifully. Since last visit I have been diagnosed as a coeliac and there are...

Went for dinner with my wife tonight. Well what can I say from not even stepping through the door we were welcomed into this cozy and well presented restaurant. The food was outstanding every dish was executed incredibly well. The flavours were spectacular hats off to the chefs. Our server Anton could not have been better I have worked in the industry myself for 17 years and he had the right balance of professionalism and casual attendance. With exceptional knowledge of the menu. It really made us feel welcome so thank you Anton. We will be 120% returning. Hold your heads high you should be proud. As Anton said himself "life changing" Only downside I can never enjoy another cheesecake in the same way again 😉

Loved the venue, the service, the wine and half the food. Of all the things to disappoint it was the Octopus - eye wateringly expensive but extremely plain with an odd texture. The prawns by comparison were delicious.

We came on Saturday lunch as a party of four and thoroughly enjoyed it. Positives - The food was fresh, full of flavour and interesting! the fact that the dishes came out one by one didn’t bother us, we thoroughly enjoyed it and one of...

3rd visit , every time we go it is sublime. Stuff are superb and so well informed on the drinks and food. Food was exceptional - we had a set menu for a larger party and it was so generous , well balanced and curated - could have asked for better. Honestly the best place near Winchester , can't wait to come back. Deserts are next level , but so is basically everything

Very delicious food, good vibe, friendly staff.

Absolutely brilliant food, atmosphere and service! Had such a lovely evening, well worth the money and would absolutely recommend this place to any and everyone I know! Will defo be back, thank you Team! 🙌

The food is delicious, if a little pricey like most things these days. The service is great and very attentive. I have to agree with other reviewers about the noise levels; much too high and really hard to hold a conversation. The restaurant is small...

Great restaurant, well worth a visit. Friendly staff and lively vibrant atmosphere. Food was excellent!

Unreal food, outstanding service, amazing cocktails, great atmosphere, the best food experience we have had in a long time! We could not fault this place. Some of the Tapas we had was some of the best food we’ve ever eaten. We booked for a birthday for 6 people in the cellar which had a good vibe and music. It’s hard to find somewhere these days which ticks every box like this place. The evening went so quick as we had such a good time. We will 100% be back and if you are thinking of eating here, book it you won’t be disappointed! Thank you for such a great night

My daughter took me here as a surprise. It was absolutely fantastic. Can't wait to go back and would definitely recommend 🙂

I spend a lot of time in northern Spain and their offering is probably 3 times the cost of a very good restaurant there and the cooking and produce not as good. Find it hard to justify say £30 for a large prawn !! Not...

A good selection of tapas in a busy little restaurant. Dishes averaged £5-6 each.

Wow, this restaurant is truly amazing. We were lucky to get the last table. The atmosphere is wonderful, the food is stunning, I can't wait to go again

Great food and service, music was a bit loud for a middle aged man like myself trying to speak with the wife. But I can live with that, the food was awesome, our waiter was personable yet very professional. The local sparkling wine was also reasonably priced, and went down well with our food.