Selborne Arms in East Hampshire

Nice warm fire fantastic service

Had a disappointing experience - I found myself in need of lunch and checked their website to see what time they served food. It said until 2pm - it was already 1.30pm so I raced over there, parked and practically ran in to the pub and straight up to the bar to place an order. I was pleased to make it to the bar for 1.55pm as I was absolutely starving hungry and there aren’t exactly a lot of lunch options available in the local area. Sadly, I was told that the kitchen had already closed ten minutes earlier. I mentioned that I’d raced over having checked the time on the website so it would be good if they could get the website updated to show what time last food orders are to save someone else having the same problem. Instead of just apologising (which is all I was expecting, I wasn’t expecting the kitchen to be re-opened for me) the two staff behind the bar decided instead to argue with me about it. First they implied that I should have known that the kitchen closes for orders before the time stated on the website. Perhaps this is something that’s known among people who work in the industry(?) but as a customer, if a website says the kitchen is open until 2pm, I assume that means I can order food until 2pm if it doesn’t say a different time (e.g. kitchen open until 2pm, last orders at 1.45pm). When I said this and just asked politely again if they could get this added to the website they then moved on to trying to say I’d been too late and had arrived after 2pm. I showed them my iPhone as I already had it in my hand which still showed it being 1.58pm. They then moved on to saying that they go by the kitchen clock which said it was after 2pm (in which case the kitchen clock is incorrect as iPhone times are set automatically to GMT). Anyway…all this to say….all I expected was an apology and a bit of empathy. Getting into a back and forth argument with a customer just because they’ve asked if the website could be updated to show there is an earlier “last orders” time to save anyone else the same trouble is not good service. Having previously had a good opinion of the pub, I left feeling irritated (as well as hungry!). I run two businesses and wouldn’t dream of arguing the toss with a customer in the same way. I’ve had good food and service previously so will happily take this review down if / when the website is updated to state when last food orders must be placed.

Great atmosphere and location. I nice reward after the zigzag path

Wonderfully friendly local pub who made our group feel so welcome....bar staff were amazing and a fine array of local beers

This place is a proper country pub. I don't get to go that often, but I love it!

Lovely establishment just a short stumble from the infamous Gilbert White's Brewery. It was everything we'd hoped for and more. Claudia did not disappoint.

Lovely village pub, great staff, and excellent food!

Great pub! Very friendly helpful staff. Pies are the best in the area. Great local beer and cider selection. Traditional English pub with relaxed atmosphere.

It's quirky, has a heated outdoor covered seating area and large garden to the rear which is a bit overgrown and in need of some TLC. Big carpark next to the pub too. Didn't eat but the menu looked good and reasonably priced.

I only had 1 drink as driving but would have liked to stay longer. Rare now to find a pub that is still pubby and not moved too far towards restaurant. Good beer and friendly, I will be back.

Very disappointing lunch early September 2024. Obviously the chef/owners have lost or never had any inspiration for the food in this pub. Value for money very low and quality of food pathetic. Welsh rarebit - one line soggy piece of toast with a bit of cheese and a small pile of random pickle for a friend. Insult. Cheesy chips..a small handful of bulk bought chips with a smidgen of cheese scattered on top. What would be the profit margin here? 400 per cent? I don't mind paying for food because of course there are many costs and overheads - understand all the details that go into a pub - but at least get the chips right - truly pathetic. Hamburger - dry and boring. Chips :( tsk tsk. Scampi and chips...oh oh..I would hate to know the life history of this scampi. Not good. A huge disappointment considering the price. Maybe it's time to pass the running of this place onto someone who cares. Considering the location and numbers of potential customers it could be great. Feel sorry for the foreigners who visit Selborne and end up here - they can at least confirm English food us crap.

Silently put £5 on the bill when we asked for gravy with our meal. Never, ever, going there again. Beer tasting flight was nice though

Lovely pub. Beautiful surroundings and really kind and helpful staff. Can't wait to be back and spend a sunny afternoon here.

Proper oldy world pub. Looks a little rough around the edges. Kids playground is a parents health and safety nightmare. But kids love it. Garden needed a mow. Food was very good as was the service. Very busy which is always a good sign. Worth a visit.

Lovely old traditional boozer, outside gardens could do with a makeover

Popped in to the pub for a pint after a scenic walk around the common. Considering how busy the village was with walkers and visitors to Gilbert Whites House, the pub was noticeably quiet. We sat inside and positioned by the window, the pub felt tired and unloved. Floor boards and wooden chairs in keeping with a traditional pub, but no soft furnishings or quirky fixtures to interest the patrons. Even the pictures were random and misplaced, with only a nod to the rich history of the village. Surfaces were sticky and there was a musty smell. Window ledges were dusty with dead insects and poor paint finishes. Looking out the window to the front, the pub had no kerb appeal. Dead flowers in old wall baskets, weeds and rubbish collecting in the forecourt and beer barrels stacked high to the side of the entrance. As the only pub in the high street it really felt like they were missing a trick and with a little love and attention it could be amazing. Even the gardens (which were much nicer than the inside space) had missed opportunities with an outside greenhouse / covered seating area stacked up like a store room, dusty and dead flower vines. It was perfect for a private function venue, all it needed was a clean up and some fairy lights. Such potential but lacking the care and attention to make it work.

Party of 6 adults and 3 children had lunch there today. Food was terrible and grossly overpriced. Tuscan stew was lukewarm, veg undercooked and tasteless. Steak and ale pie was dry and needed gravy. Ham and chips was OK. How can you go wrong with that? Don't eat there if you are hungry or want food that is good value for money.

We stopped at the Selborne Arms for lunch after a beautiful walk. Pub was cosy but I'm afraid to say the food was not good value for money. The portions were very small. I had the a steak and ale pie which was lovely but there were hardly any vegetables and the gravy arrived when I'd almost finished. My husband had the scampi which he said was dry and tasteless and the chips were poor. The accompanying salad comprised a couple of small lettuce leaves and a slice of tomato. We were both so hungry that we had to have something else when we arrived home.

It was strange. We felt they saw us as intruders. It wasn't very welcoming.

Lovely place. Great staff and the cheesecake (which is savoury not sweet, so a flan??) is fabulous

On the way back from the beach after a lovely day just myself and my Dad, Google says that this pub closes at 11pm, we have always been curious to try it out and clearly should have stayed curious. Upon arrival we were told “we are just closing closing up” so naturally we asked the question “could we please get a single pint each” along with this, there were easily another 10 people within the pub, but instead of a pleasant response we were instead told that they ‘are closed’ extremely misleading, unpleasant staff and not a place that will come to mind when asked about good pubs around this area!

Booked for table for weekday (4 at 13.00). Arrived a bit early. Told not it was not possible to order food before the time of the booking. At the end of the main course the staff ignored us until they came at 14.10 to ask if we wanted the bill - the kitchen closed at 14.00. The place was empty. It was also cold.

Great pub. Beautiful inside and out. You can sit wonderfully outside.

Old interesting public house with a good beer selection and food choices.

Perfect kept beer and a good range. food excellent 👍

We come back as a group once a year to the Arms and we get looked after perfectly by Hayley, Nick and the rest of the team. They make us feel welcome and keep our glasses topped up and belly’s full.

Myself and a big group of friends always visit the Selborne Arms once or twice a year. Without fail we are always looked after by Hayley and Nick, welcomed in with open arms and a roaring fire. Great food, good prices and wonderful country setting - you can’t ask for more when it comes to a proper country pub. Look forward to my next visit

Fantastic little spot, lovely people, very welcoming. Lovely array of food on offer aswell as some fantastic ales. Can’t recommend enough.

Have been coming back here for a few years now with a group ranging between 5 and 10 people, the staff are always incredibly accommodating of this group. The pub has everything you could want from a country pub; great atmosphere, good selection of delicious food, a lovely garden…and so much more!!

Taking my children there reminded me of my parents taking me to a pub. And it's situated at the bottom of a great walk. Good beer selection too

Came here following a review about the pies. I had steak and ale pie with potatoes and veg. Pie was succulent and full of flavour. Very friendly staff. Pub had a relaxing, country vibe. Perfect for a rainy spring day. Will definitely go back.

Excellent drinks selection and hearty pub grub, perfect for a pit stop before walking on the common.

Lovely pub, good atmosphere, nice food.

Really good, decent ales and food

Great village pub. I've known it off and on for 40 years and what I like about it is it hasnt changed. No juke box , no machines. It's great.

We had all pre ordered our food and it was all awful. Not one out of 10 of us enjoyed our meals. Will not be visiting here again. Very poor quality at very expensive prices.

We had a fantastic Christmas Dinner. Including a vegan meal. Everything was just right. Very friendly staff. Can't wait to visit again ,very soon!

Dog friendly. Always enjoy their steak and dressed salad

Enjoyed our visit only a pint and some nuts but nice warm fire and friendly atmosphere

We booked a little last minute as a group of 9 for a birthday dinner - the team were so lovely and accommodating. The food & service was really great.

Great meal with my brother and sister in law, thank you. The chicken pie was a little dry but apart from that, all good

We were told the wait for the Pie would be around 20 minutes, the landlord explained it would be worth it. How true was he, absolutely beautiful. Now I have had a good pie but today this was an awesome pie. The pub was warm and friendly, run by those rare people we so much miss these days, i forgot to do a tip but promise to do so again, because we shall come back.

We took a visitor from Geneva ( a place full of culinary delights) and she pronounced the traditional Sunday roast the best food she'd eaten out in a long time. We were also all pleased to be able to have small portions with an appropriate smaller price, which is what most of us in our 70s want! That left room for some excellent desserts. Tomorrow we shall return with a visitor from Australia. The pub itself is traditional, authentic English - not the "make up" imitation favoured by chains. Perhaps some people find this dull, but we find it charming and uplifting to go into something that represents one of the better aspects of our culture. Proximity to the very interesting Gilbert White Museum (with great shop, also very good cafe and fascinating Antarctic Exhibition) is another bonus.

Avoid avoid avoid Popped here late afternoon for a drink after a dog walk , we asked the barmaid if our dog was ok to come in with us , she said yes of course Ordered drinks , sat down on on a sofa that stank of grime Barmaid was very polite and chatty Out of nowhere a guy (apparently the chef and landlady husband appeared from nowhere telling us to lead our dog (a puppy cavapoo) he was rude, arrogant and stared at me like I was a nobody , definitely wouldn’t want to eat anything he attempted to cook We later learnt from the barmaid he’d been bitten by a dog once … not surprised , dogs are very intelligent and a good judge of character It was also very dated , tired looking and smelly

Great food, great atmosphere. Massively recommended!

Great pub, I sometime go in here when up Petersfield way

We were here for lunch on a very hot day. Interior was pleasantly cool and food selection good. Beers on offer were very good choices. Staff were friendly enough, although at times more interested in their mobiles.. I would be happy to return for lunch on another occasion.

Only stopped for a drink but lovely garden and space for the kids and dog

Wir haben ein Ferienhaus direkt gegenüber. Also sind wir heute Abend für Bier, Cider und Abendessen über die Straße gegangen. Bier und Cider waren natürlich gut, aber das Essen war sogar sehr gut! Wir hatten Steak und Hühnchen Pie. Dazu Pommes und Gemüse. Alles sehr zu empfehlen. Ein Paar Tage haben wir noch und kommen sicher nochmal wieder.

A good selection of beers, nicely kept. We arrived, a party of 4, after 1pm on a Tuesday lunchtime. We checked with the bar staff about whether we could still order lunch and were told it could be 30 minutes, in fact it was about 15 minutes and all the food was very good with a special shout out for the pie, “that’s a proper pie”. Staff were very pleasant and helpful and a nice village setting.

We walked over from Petersfield and were ready for a pint by the time we arrived. This pub has an excellent selection of local draught beers, but the food we had was a very pleasant surprise. We both ordered baguettes expecting them to be those not very nice part cooked ones that pubs heat up. Wrong, the bread was fresh and the crust crisp. My beef was not some wafer thin bit of topside, but a thick slice of pink sirloin. Unctuous and quite the best beef sandwich I have had in a very long time. My colleagues ham and cheese also earned high praise. Sadly so many pubs have lost sight of doing simple things well, based on this the Selbourne Arms is a fine exception to this trend.

Good menu and a lovely shady garden to sit in. Parking somewhat creative though.

A play park for your little ones. Outdoor beer garden . The food was delicious.

Village pub serving a wide range of dishes and beer from far and wide.

Nice pub but fish and chips were pretty average.

Stopped for lunch at this lovely little pub. We all had the beef baguette to eat, which was very good. A range of ales, ciders and lagers served by very friendly staff.

Birthday meal. Great beer, reasonable pub food. Excellent beer garden and atmosphere...

Nice atmosphere and a nice garden. It would have been even nicer if the tables were kept clean. The dishes were a bit too simple for the price.

Homely, welcoming country pub , with some tasty well kept ales.

Beautiful country pub. Lovely garden, live music, food was great, friendly staff. Can’t wait to return.

A proper Pub..Good food too. As old pubs should be ! Love this place

Great food and kids loved the playground in the garden. AVOID THE PAID PARKING SPACES (for Gilbert White's House)! Got a PCN after paying for 90% of my stay there...the other 10% was spent understanding the app / trying to make the payments! Don't make your stay here £60 more expensive than it has to be and find free parking elsewhere. Edit - Thanks for the prompt response :) I should have called before paying it, looks like I tried to make the problem go away too quickly!

This pub is a dog friendly pub but if you go with children the stuff acts like you are not welcomed at all. I had the worst experience ever in my whole life. When we arrived the place wasn't busy. Two people with 2 dogs were sitting next to us (no Ady else was near by). We had to go to the bar to order, they didn't. We had to pay when we ordered they payed off when they finished. They were checked up, asked what else they need. We were left without drink and had to wait for long for the food. The managed (?) asked me to take out (!?!?) my son, who was crying of hunger, so we don't disturb the dogs and their owners. This is not acceptable. I don't recommend this place at all. There is a sweet little coffee place just a couple of doors towards the center wich had cool intenior, very friendly stuff and tasty coffee.

Had a lovely meal and drinks tonight with family. Hayley cooked and Sharon served. All beautiful. Great service and great food. Hope to be back again another time. Thank you. Jina and family.

Excellent atmosphere, food and service

Lovely food, very helpful staff.

I met a friend at the Selborne Arms. It was a cold day and the pub was pretty cold inside, which made the experience less enjoyable. The food was fine but nothing special. The atmosphere was dull and the staff were OK but not especially welcoming.

We only stopped for a pint on our walk, but had a great feel. I especially like that you can get a flight of 3 beers that amount to 1 pint. Nice touch

I visited the pub and found it the most unwelcoming I have been to in years. The exterior had an unkempt look and it did not make me want to eat here. My friends and I will certainly not visit again. DP

Booked for a Sunday roast in advance, and had been looking forward to it. Arrived at the pub for our allotted time, was shown a seat. Took over 5 minutes for a menu to be placed in front of me. Meanwhile, a table across from us were givens menus and promptly told that didn’t have some dishes - she listed about 5 dishes from the menu, including the Sunday roast. Presumably, places like this thrive on footfall on a Sunday of people that specifically want Sunday roasts. Not the case at the Selborne Arms - they clearly do not prepare for such strange things! We were asked 3 times for an order - as service stops at 2pm?! Again - beyond bizarre for a pub on a Sunday. I ordered the jacket potato with cheese - £9.50. That was all it was. A potato, with cheese. There was no side salad or coleslaw or even an attempt of garnish on the side. £9.50 for something that at most costs 50p to buy in a shop. And, I’m well aware of inflation costs etc - but this seems to take the mick. Staff were incredibly nonchalant and the whole experience was atrocious. Even the tap water tasted disgusting.

Lovely place. Amazing staff amazing food. Would highly recommend. Camilla is an amazing host and so welcoming

We've visited regularly for a few years except for the Lockdown during "The Disease" of 2020-2021/2. We visited again in January '23 and were, as always, delighted: very good menu selection and welcoming staff. Good food well prepared. As an aside - the negative reviews here always puzzle me because that is not our experience. Certainly there are notices about muddy boots and muddy dogs, but it's clear that the Selborne Hanger is a very muddy place in wet weather. Mud must be a problem and visitors should be careful not to trail it into the pub. In summary: we love the Selborne Arms. We visit with friends about 4 times/year.

I have been going to The Selborne Arms on an off for many years. Great pub. Wonderful bar staff! I recently experience the landlord.. what was a joy filled, happy and well needed evening, quickly turned into a horrible atmosphere when experiencing the attitude of said Landlord. An unnecessary way to speak to people who are a few of 5 people in the whole pub and just trying to cheer themselves up. Really disappointed. Maybe he was having a bad day.. which maybe I would understand but if not .. not pleasant.

Great food, pleasant atmosphere and friendly staff what more could you ask for? Oh and craft beers...

Just a lovely pub in a very pretty village. Simple but cosy, log fire, great menu. Welsh rarebit to die for. Lovely staff, super cider. Nice garden and ouside area when the weather is fine.

We had supper at the Selborne Arms last week. The pies were delicious, the lamb keema one was probably the best pie I have ever tasted. They are all homemade and you can definitely taste it. The steak and ale pie was really good as well, the meat was very tender. I had steak (along with stealing people’s pies!) and it was perfectly cooked, they clearly have a good butcher!

We had supper at the Selborne Arms last week. The pies were delicious, the lamb keema one was probably the best pie I have ever tasted. They are all homemade and you can definitely taste it. The steak and ale pie was really good as well, the meat was very tender. I had steak (along with stealing people’s pies!) and it was perfectly cooked, they clearly have a good butcher!

Super freindly, lovely country pub. Food was outstanding from starter to desert.

Nice, country pub feel. Everything as expected, nice drop of ale. Does the landlords beard stop him from smiling? Or was he stressed!

We popped into the pub for a quick drink prior to our 5 mile walk, at the suggestion of our AA book of walks. We decided to go back for dinner. What a wonderful find. Both Starters, both Mains and both Desserts (I had the Vegan Blueberry Bakewell tart which was to die for!) were delicious. We found the staff very welcoming and the pub had a cosy atmosphere on a wet evening. The staff were wonderfully accommodating for me as I have food intolerances on all dairy, egg, yeast, mushrooms and all wines. Thank you and we will come again even though we live 70 miles away 😃

Ook dit is weer een echte Engelse pub, heel oud, lage plafonds, gangetjes, gezellige bar en een patio in de tuin. Ik kom erg graag in the UK, motorrijden is daar een feest. En de Engelse cultuur, historie en mentaliteit spreekt mij erg aan.

We stopped for lunch and ordered lemon sole and new potatoes, fish and chips. Pricey, so had high hopes. Sole was riddled with small bones, even after we'd removed the usuals. The 4 halves of new potatoes tasted reheated. The battered fish was small and the chips were coated with something to make them crunchy. They tasted like supermarket chips. My local chip shop produces much better for half the price. I've paid less in central London and got a better meal. We got short shrift when we complained and treated as though we'd never had whole fish before. Offered chips as a replacement! We should have stopped at that point. They didn't seem to care about our spoiled meal. Every mouthful had a bone. The prices were definitely not justified by the food and poor customer service. I recommend you drive on and try the next village.

My wife and I visited the Selborn Arms on 17 August and were parked in front of the pub waiting for our takeaway lunch. We were confronted by a very rude and aggressive man who told us to move on as we were taking up too much space and we were on (his) private property. He was parked in the best space himself. He must have assumed, as many people do, that owners of campervans never spend any money in local businesses. It's a pity because the indoor staff were friendly and they did provide our lunch eventually.

This could be a lovely pub but it feels a bit down at heel. The bar and garden are scruffy. Gastro prices for mediocre food...

Beer quite expensive. But still a lovely pub especially great Beer Garden. Frequent every year or two.

First time there, lovely place, lovely staff, amazing menu and food was great, but on the slightly more expensive side. Will be back!

Good food friendly staff.Menu fair.Would have a meal there again.

Lovely old pub with a choice of 2 gardens to sit in on a hot summers day. Choice of food was excellent.. recommend the shepherds pie and steak and Ale Pie..excellent The choice of ales was impressive The staff were friendly and helpful Will be back

Lovely old pub Very friendly and helpful staff Excellent food.. especially the shepherds pie and steak pie Local ales were excellent Choice of 2 gardens on a hot summers day makes this a great place to eat and drink Will be back

I’ve visited this place multiple occasions and I hate to spread negativity but the staff on each visit seem to have an attitude problem. My last visit was topped of by an argument with the chef as he said my car was blocking his bins which if he would have rotated 90 degrees wouldn’t have been a problem (public car park btw) but he didn’t even make the effort and rested his bin bags on the top of my car. I even asked him if he needed help which was immediately met with an aggressive sarky reply. I would stay away from this place if I were you as it seems to have a local only vibe, they say it’s dog friendly but they really begrudgingly let them in the premises, expect loads of side eyes and dirty looks. I really hope this establishment gets taken over by some friendly people that encourage the staff to be friendly too as it’s a lovely pub just a shame about the constant aggression.

Food was awful, I had Ham, Egg and Chips, The Ham looked like it was pre-packed from Tescos, One Egg, Tiny Portion and cold, When we tried to complain the bar staff argued not a great experience....!!

Food edible but not great. Very slow service

Lovely food and service, great gin as well as fab brownies

Charming old pub. Wonderful, chilled service. Really decent food. A rare find these days. Thank you.

This was not our first time attending this lovely and friendly place. One of the best aspects of visiting this place today is that someone had clearly made an effort in relation to the flowers. They were absolutely beautiful and this level of attention to detail is one of the things that makes The Selborne Arms such a lovely place to visit. We only stopped in for a pint. It was fairly busy and I liked the fact that there were so many dogs in the pub. The owners kept them on a short leash and the dogs didn't cause any trouble. I took the time to walk around the pub and photographed several items. It is evident that there is a dinstinct attention to detail. The woman behind the bar was lovely (she had blonde hair) and the members of staff appeared to be working hard, such as the young woman with darker hair who was getting the cutlery ready. They clearly take pride in their work. I recommend this place 100%. It is a friendly atmosphere and I also recommend walking around the pub to appreciate its idiosyncrasies.

Always greeted with wry humour by landlord. We always have our cocker spaniel with us which is no problem. Husband usually reverts to having pie and chips as it is so good. Today I had the smoked duck salad which was excellent. Drinks were Swift One beer for him and a Montepulciano red for me. Rounded off with a nice cup of coffee.

Sat in the garden with a drink and it's very tatty, we won't go back there

All three stars are for the exquisite bar manager Camilla (she deserves more) after the gentleman, who we understood to be the owner/landlord, was verbally abusive to our group….for turning up. We made a booking. We assumed it was a booking. The pub’s booking book had the booking written in it as a booking. The landlord told us it was cancelled, and that she required us to call in advance to reconfirm, and informed me that I had been requested to do so by a reminder email. I knew this might be required but funnily enough I forgot in the stress of organising a wedding to call back. I hadn’t received any reminder however, and was able to show them I hadn’t. This is fine, but despite having my number and email address, they did make no effort to contact us, and cancelled a booking rather than lift a finger to confirm the party was still coming. It took as much effort to cross out our booking that was there in their book than slinging a “you still coming?” text my way. While I was speaking to the wonderful Camilla, the bar manager (I think), about how this was all fine and we’d of course manage, the owner came from the kitchen to aggressively remonstrate with me. Again, it was more effort from him to be verbally aggressive than a quick phone call to ask “hey you coming next weekend or not?” If there were any other choice in the village I’d have taken the group elsewhere immediately. The owners are lucky on two fronts: that they employ great staff that make up for their attitude, and, they are clearly making so much money they don’t need more customers and can act in such a manner. Always get your bookings in writing, folks. The pub is otherwise gorgeous.

Firstly the positives, the beer selection was good. Can’t say the same the rest of the review. Owner was grumpy and unwelcoming. Wouldn’t let one of us add cheese to a chicken burger as apparently they can’t do that. Food took nearly an hour to...

Adore this pub! Friendly and welcoming. Excellent service and fabulous food. A fantastic place to stop for refreshments when enjoying the many walks around Selborne.