Spencer Arms in Barnsley

Excellent service and surroundings. Good food at reasonable prices.

There seems a big change in the food today. Not the usual tasting beef gravy and puddings smaller portions of meat ect. We haven't been for a few months but noticed a big difference. Used to be our favourite place for Sunday Lunch. The desert was nice though.

We went for lunch with friends on Easter Monday. Really enjoyed the food. Good quality and fresh with a good selection. Lovely atmosphere and a light and airy feel to the pub. Will definitely be going back.

Always fantastic 🤩. Excellent food, service, atmosphere. Highly recommend .

Fish n chips to die for - please don't ever change the recipe! Great service from the staff. A lovely experience and we'll definitely be back.

A beautiful top notch steak night ( Thursdays) seated quickly , the room was really lovely and had beautiful art work/ photography by a local artist Chris Sedgewick, these really made my night and I recognised them straight away, it think it’s wonderful that they have used local talent. The food was beautiful we all had the steaks ( one was slightly over cooked but not worth complaining about) , service is very good , my only slight criticism is the deserts , two of us had the bread and butter biscoff pudding, it was large but had not the best texture , so left most of it , again thus might just have been our taste … cannot wait to go back. Great food , wine , service and atmosphere

A pleasant light and airy feel to the pub, plentiful parking, and a lot of tables. We had a lovely meal, couldn't fault the quality, it was first rate. I had the calves' liver with 'burnt onion mash' and vegetables. All cooked to perfection, especially the liver, beautifully pink, served with a gorgeous 'jus', Mash was really tasty. My wife had the lamb rump, again beautifully pink served with dauphinois potato's, celeriac and baby leeks, again with a lovely lamb 'jus'. I had a pint of Timmy taylors boltmaker, which was spot on, as was the Guinness my wife had. We struggled to get served at first, I've knocked a star off as a result. I think it was partly because they put us behind a small screen near the till, but it was also very busy. I couldn't fault the atmosphere & food, and I would very definitely return.

Had a gorgeous meal here this weekend. The atmosphere was ambient and the staff were attentive. The food was delicious. I had the honey cured salmon with Asian salad as a starter and it was well presented, tender and awoke the taste buds with good flavour. For the main, I had and can recommend the pork with the spinach/ricotta ravioli and butternut squash paste. The pork was very tender and flavoursome. All the meals had by are party of 6 were excellent. We will be back. Thank you

Booked table for 6.30 so only start of service , very pleasant staff . But I feel when you charge these prices there are things that are not acceptable. The guy who came to clear our main plates he scraped the left over food onto one plate at the table. Sorry this I find is not acceptable ! I had the the red snapper with gnocchi , my plate was full of oil very disappointed .. we ordered two cappuccinos wow!! Two flat whites with chocolate sprinkled on top .. if you offer cappuccinos you should be able to make one !

Batter killed me all night . Onion ring although crispy were like sponges of oil. Wouldn't it be nice if chief didn't all think they were Gordon Ramsey. Wife had Red snapper again with the chiefs twist . Say no more she can cook it better and regarding fish and chips try Townsends Cartlon rd

Very warm welcome, so very clean, food was plentyfull, and very tasty, team very clean and smart, thank you.

Great service and the food is delicious. We enjoyed a family lunch. The staff were lovely and went above and beyond to make sure we had everything just right. Many thanks.

Perfect for a leisurely Sunday roast with well kept ales and excellent service from staff.

Excellent service as always at the Spencer’s brilliant Steak at steak night. Staff are Marvellous, friendly,welcoming, cannot fault in any way

Went to this pub after a wonderful day out at the local Cannon Hall farm, with my son and Granddaughter. It was busy but managed to get drinks served without much trouble. We ordered the sharing meat platter and extra veg. This arrived with no cutlery or serviettes. We were both very disappointed in the food. Most of it was cold and the chicken pieces were overcooked. The pulled pork burgers were inedible as they had a really bad artificial taste. The "sauces" that were served in 3 separate egg sized cups were skinning over as if they have been standing for a while. The staff were friendly and courteous. I would have complained there and then but I didn't want to spoil our day. We won't be going back.

Good roasts with great sides of veg, other options including pizzas and more on a Sunday were available. Kids (4Y, 6Y & 7Y) enjoyed the perfectly sized sausage and mash, pasta and cheese, with a nice variety of classic desserts. Service spot on, not rushed. All nine of us and the dog really welcomed and looked after with friendly service, we'll call again when we're in the area. Just could have done with a check back and offers of coffees etc towards the end, but thanks all round for a lovely time.

Updated for 2025: Good roasts with great sides of veg, other options including pizzas and more on a Sunday were available. Kids (4Y, 6Y & 7Y) enjoyed the perfectly sized sausage and mash, pasta and cheese, with a nice variety of classic desserts. Service spot on, not rushed. All nine of us and the dog really welcomed and looked after with friendly service, we'll call again when we're in the area. Just could have done with a check back and offers of coffees etc towards the end, but thanks all round for a lovely time. Very good first visit Feb 2020, booked in again for second Aug 2021. Second visit food was good but service poor, we were not told the specials and as we asked for a few more minutes to select our food it meant we were there 1 hour and 15 mins before we got any food in front of us. No check backs at all, no asks for more drinks, almost like we were sat in a blind spot in plain sight. There was a wedding function on later that day and we felt the attention was more on the prep for that than on us. We were there for nearly three hours for what should have been a two hour meal, kids got restless.

This place never fails guys. Everything from the lovely warm welcome when you first walk in to the service, food, cleanliness of the place and amazing atmosphere. They always go the extra mile too by adding little touches like a live artist playing music which isn’t too loud and great whilst having your meal on a romantic evening like St Valentine’s Day which is when we attended. Very highly recommended guys and the quantity as well as the superb quality of food is second to none. Fabulous.

Excellent food and atmosphere. The staff are brilliant and the service is fabulous. Had a really great evening meal with my wife. Will definitely be back

Lovely as always. Attentive, warm staff. Beautiful decor and atmosphere. Good comprehensive menu. British faves with a twist.

Pleasant place. Good food. Good service. Busy but not too busy. Decent range of ales. Had a decent pint of Bradfield blonde. Served Guinness zero (my second drink as I was driving) steak sandwich was amazing. Served with fries but they swapped for their beef dripping fried chips. The chips were amazing but maybe could do with a fraction more on a portion. They were nice.

Absolutely beautiful food, 1st class service. I can honestly say it’s the best lunch we have had over the Christmas period and we have dined out a few times. The food was so very tasty and we had plenty.

We booked the Spencer Arms after visit to the near by Yorkshire Sculpture Park, our welcome was pretty flat, initially sat next to the main door and route through to the bar - requested to be moved to a better placed table which was granted after a few huffs & puffs… Service was pleasant though pretty basic, no check backs on food upselling of sides, starters or coffees etc, some staff training on this would benefit all. The real star of the Show was the food, Fish & Chips served w curry sauce and mushy pies were some of the Best I’d ever had, the steak sandwich w fries was equally impressive, we didn’t order desserts as the portion of the small Fish & Chip was plentiful. It’s unfortunate when the quality of the food outweighs the quality of the service provided, though you find this happens more and more…would I return again - absolutely the food we had was delicious.

Nice steak pie but poor chicken burger.

Excellent food and service. We were well looked after despite being very busy. Loved the open fire and the warm atmosphere inside.

Recent work night out. Excellent choice of food. Exceptional and friendly service. Good choice of draught beers. I wasn't impressed by the dessert choice , hence 4 stars. The portions of desserts could however be smaller from what I saw other members having.

Haven't been here for years as last few times were awful. WOW I have changed my mind the food was gorgeous. We had pie and chips and the pie was massive and packed with tender meat and gravy it was delicious and one of the best pies i have had in a long time. The peas i loved they were super tasty and the gravy was like propper home made tasty gravy. I have wanted to come back ever since so willbe doing soon. Fully recommend. More chips would have been nice as that was a very small portion. Book before you go as it is very busy x

Everything just lovely Whole of the restaurant inside and out just beautiful Food tasty setting and ambience great staff friendly and very efficient good value for money

Table booked 8.15 and slightly late due to previous occupants. Thats when it started to go wrong. 8.30 not taken orders but next table who sat down at 8.25 had there's taken...so had to go chasing to get food ordered. 9.05 no sign of any food so had to go chasing again. Apparently they had a party of 30 upstairs which was delaying them. My view on that is don't book people if you over commit and can't serve them in a reasonable time scale. Food arrived just before 9.15 which give or take a few mins is an hour after table booked. It's fine for them as we were knocking drinks back... no apology. Food fortunately was very nice and almost made up for it. Would I go back... hmmm yes for the food but if I got the same service again... thats me out of there for good.

I celebrated my birthday at The Spencers last Saturday night. The atmosphere, service, food, and drinks were impeccable as always. Toni's Christmas decorations are amazing. She never disappoints

Out for lunch with my sister and really enjoyed our afternoon at the Spencer Arms, it has a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere and we were able to chat away whilst enjoying our food. The food was delicious and very well presented, the portions were just right too. The staff were great and looked after us really well, even double checking allergy information when I had made a mistake, really appreciated that. Would definitely return again to sample more of the menu, thanks for a great afternoon.

Enjoyed a celebration meal with 10 friends. The food was fabulous and the service excellent. Always a buzzing atmosphere… all christmasy and magical. Perfect.

Excellent, if somewhat pricey, country pub. Excellent food and setting (recently voted South Yorkshire's poshest village). Nice fireplace, in winter. Lovely beer garden front and rear. Accept motorhome overnights free if you have a few pints and a meal. Cannon Hall museum and farm 10 mins walk away. Well worth a visit. 9/10 👍

Sunday lunch and we had all travelled quite some distance. It was extremely busy, and staff were busy but, could not have been more pleasant and helpful when they came to the table.

Lovely meal great service and very good prices

Another visit for lunch food and staff top notch

Not a place where one can dine peacefully as the conversations of others are audible to all. Food is reasonable if overpriced. Had mussels to start and received 6 - 7 small mussels in a sweet white wine and cream sauce. Tasted fine but at £9.50, the portion was small. Had farmers blonde battered haddock with chips, crushed peas and curry sauce. The batter was crisp but overcooked judging by it's very dark colour. Crushed peas are a hopeless concoction as they were neither tasty nor enjoyable, the curry sauce was standard fare at many chip shops, so not made on site. The chips were excellent.

Beautiful food and fantastic service.. The best Sunday dinner in the area

food very poor had chicken tasted like it had been cooked the day before very dry like it had been per cooked and keep warm for hours :( save your money and go to toby carvery ,. as its better food their

Really lovely lunch today, we ordered two different sandwiches to share, both with a tasty fresh salad and fries. We enjoyed everything. Beer was excellent. Staff friendly and efficient, we will definitely return and recommend to others.

Not one for Sunday lunch out but this was absolutely outstanding . 10 out of 10 without question . I would go as far as to say it’s the best Sunday dinner Iv ever had . Sorry mum . Keep up the high standards .

First visit to a well considered place to eat. The setting is very pleasant and the parking facilities were adequate. I ordered Mussels, with white wine cream sauce and toasted ciabatta bread. There were about 6 -7 mussels in a good serving of cream sauce, some pea shoots and 2 triangles of toasted ciabatta with pesto dressing. Overall it was good though the cream sauce was a bit sweet (have to say I am more used with eating mussels in garlic sauce). For the main course I ordered a medium farmers blonde battered haddock and chips with crushed peas and curry sauce. The chips were great, cannot fault them as they were hand cut and chunky. The haddock batter was crisp though rather heavy and much darker than I had anticipated. The haddock portion inside was rather small but was bolstered by the heavy batter encasing it. The crushed peas were a non-starter for me, not sure who thought it 'artistic' to crush garden peas but they were too sweet and, for me, unpleasant to eat both in taste and texture. The curry sauce was akin to many purchased from local chip shops, so nothing special about it, was nice though. The restaurant itself affords very little peace and privacy and it is nigh on impossible not to gain an understanding of other people's business, especially if sat on the next table (appreciate this says more about the diners than the establishment). Overall the experience was reasonable, though would not pick this as a must visit place to eat personally.

Food was OK. The service was extremely slow and the staff were not very friendly. I wouldn’t recommend eating there unless you want to spend two hours for lunch on a week day.

Stopped over at this pub in our motorhome. I do advise you phone them first and they will make provisions to accommodate you. Was made very welcome on arrival and enjoyed a first class sharing seafood platter. The food was fantastic and a great selection of well kept beers. The pub itself is very modernised and tidy. We sat outside on a beautiful September afternoon and enjoyed all the local people. Fantastic dog walk nearby to Cannon Hall Park and gardens. Highly recommend. 👍👌👍

Stopped over at this pub in our motorhome. I do advise you phone them first and they will make provisions to accommodate you. Was made very welcome on arrival and enjoyed a first class sharing seafood platter. The food was fantastic and a great selection of well kept beers. The pub itself is very modernised and tidy. We sat outside on a beautiful September afternoon and enjoyed all the local people. Fantastic dog walk nearby to Cannon Hall Park and gardens. Highly recommend. 👍👌👍

Excellent food excellent service lovely atmosphere.

Excellent food excellent service lovely atmosphere.

Very inviting warm welcome and enjoyable food. Helpful service too. Most enjoyable, Thank-you

Great venue , the food was excellent , the service brilliant & professional even though it was very busy , well worth a visit & can’t wait to go back

Celebrated my 80th birthday with a lunch in the Baarn. Thoroughly enjoyed by all. Excellent food and service. Must mention Lisa who made it extra special. Thank you for a wonderful day.

Had a drink outside on a lovely, warm, sunny summer's afternoon.

Had an excellent lunch today. Really tasty food, well presented and great service. Highly recommend, we are coming back for Sunday lunch !

Dropped in on the off chance but despite being busy we were more than well looked after. I’ll definitely return.

Seems like a lovely pub. We only popped in for a drink but hope to be back for a meal at some point

Had a lovely meal here last week. What a really nice experience in a most attractive setting. We were warmly welcomed, four of us, food was great, three had the lambs liver and one the chicken risotto. Puddings- summer berry pudding and tiramisu were absolutely delicious. Definitely want to go back. There was live music on as well and the beer garden was full. Nice to see a village pub so well supported but I can see why.

We ate here last night as although we were in the area for a festival Lady D’s friends come from here! All the food was delicious but I have to say that my Beef Stroganoff was quite simply the best I have ever eaten! It was cooked with pieces of steak and it exceeded all expectations. Lady D had the Chicken and it too was superb. We will come again we just don’t know when we will be back!

Very disappointed with the food as it was cold but over cooked ? like the chicken had been pre cooked and the service was stocking service ....... would have been better going to Toby carvery and got better food

Really good food here don't miss out call in or book very well worth while

What a super pub/restaurant we was on holiday the staff so polite food spot on 3 course excellent value

Very nice modern village pub and restaurant

Came in Monday for lunch Gareth was amazing friendly and helpful couldnt of asked for better service.

Lovely place. Service good. We had heard lots about this place and all good. However we were very disappointed with the food. We had chicken burger. It was a big lump of chicken that looked like it was out of a pack of frozen chicken. The bun was very flakey and dry. The burger had very little bacon or cheese or tomato so it was hard work eating such a dry dish. Very disappointed. Maybe we just picked the wrong dish.

Literally the best meal me and my wife have ever had. we both had three courses all were incredible. The staff are so friendly and helpful and the service is second to none. We couldn't recommend the Spencer Arms highly enough

Great food & service, slightly too noisy, some soft furnishings gs may help reduce noisy chatter. Will def return,

Lovely beer garden loads of seating and gorgeous pub

Great food. We go here on a regular basis and haven't been disappointed. Would highly recommend

10 stars, incredible procure well handled by the expert kitchen

Fantastic food! The steak and ale pie is spectacular, North Americans missing their gravy and biscuit are in for a treat with the pastry. Excellent service, pleasant surrounds and the best food.

We ate here as a party of four (can’t believe it had been over 12 x years since our last visit) and it was absolutely brilliant. The service, the staff and the food simply couldn’t be faulted. I dad the steak pie - absolutely exquisite. Will NOT let it be so long before we go again.

The last time I went to the Spencer Arms it was smart, linen table cloths, buzzing, good value and well worth a visit. This return trip was very disappointing with tired and bland decor, no atmosphere, very expensive for the food served and a bit grubby looking. I understand that it has probably reinvented itself as a gastro pub but please, standards are important. The waiting staff were great, the food below average and all in all I doubt I will return.

Second visit to Spencer arms. Visited for Sunday lunch, very busy on arrival, lots of tables taken with diners and drinkers. It was a lovely sunny day so lots were outside enjoying the sunshine. Shown to our tble which was nice and in the main restaurant. Both decided on Sunday roast, 1 sirloin of beef(pink), & 1 roast of the day(lamb). Both meals arrived in due course, piping hot, huge Yorkshire pudding, accompanied with veg selection, cauliflower & broccoli cheese and extra jug of gravy. Delicious. Cannot fault any of it. Top marks to all the staff at Spencer arms for once again making our sunday lunch visit memorable. We will beback, for sure. Ps, make sure to book as its very popular. First visit to Spencer Arms, definitely not our last. Popped in for a late lunch, lovely ambience on entering. Shown to a lovely table in front of open fire. Nice menu, lots of choice. Opted for fish & chips and roasted cod loin. Both main courses were delicious, good portion size, all freshly cooked and well presented. No room for desserts. Service, ambience, food, atmosphere were all very relaxed. So good, we've booked again for Sunday lunch. Can't wait. Thanks for a memorable visit. Compliments to all staff at Spencer Arms. We've now returned for Sunday lunch, thankfully we booked as it was very busy yet had a nice atmosphere. Shown to our table and given menus and drinks request. Well it's got to be roast dinner. Opted for main course only, 1 roast beef( pink) 1 roast of the day ( gammon). Both meals arrived in due course. Lovely presented, tasted even better. See pictures. Can't find a fault with ambience, service, food quality. 5 stars to the team at Spencer Arms. We will definitely be returning.

The food was lovely and the staff are great

excellent lunch as always service and food spot on. we try different places but always compare to spencer arms which is with out doubt our favourite

Our first visit to the Spencer’s Arms and we were blown away, the friendly staff and relaxed atmosphere to the amazing fresh home cooked Sunday lunch was well worth our drive. We could not fault anything. We will definitely return x

Good food, good service and good atmosphere, can't say much more.

Had a date night here and the food was absolutely amazing. Both myself and my partner loved every course. Top quality ingredients, attentive staff, beautiful pub. Can't wait to come back!

Friendly service with good food in a bright and social environment. Staff are happy to help and the selection is good.

My Yorkshire puddings were absolutely gorgeous! Give my compliments to whichever back of house staff made them!

Lovely atmosphere in this pub, lots of twinkly low lights. Friendly staff really took to my little dog. I had the fish which was so light, flavoursome and delicate - with the gnocchi which was also quite light.

Relaxing friendly atmosphere where delicious food is available served by friendly staff. The restaurant is a lovely place to relax and enjoy the whole experience. Plenty of gluten free choices on offer including desserts. Prices are very fair for the high quality food on offer. Wish we lived nearer!! If we could give more than 5 stars we would. Enjoy!!!

Went to the Spencer's for the first time for dinner with my wife on the 26th March and was really impressed with the whole evening. The inside of the bar/restaurant is decorated brilliantly and the soft lighting was perfect for date night we were promptly shown to our table by the staff who were all really kind and professional and took our order quickly. Starters were tasty and my soup was so nice I burnt my mouth trying to eat it too quickly. The burger for my main was cooked well and the sauce and onions inside finished it off nicely. Dessert was my favourite the Bakewell tart served with cold ice cream which helped cool my mouth down after the soup. Overall an excellent experience and I loved how the staff weren't too over attentive and let us enjoy our meal which I always prefer than having people hovering around you whilst eating. Highly recommended by me.

Came up with friends on Friday for drinks food and music, wow, absolutely love this place. The staff are so attentive and nothing is any trouble, lived the food and Georgia singing is a treat. If Carlsberg did Fridays.

After having being a Land Lady for over 22 years I do like to support our local pubs when possible.Today my family & I called at the Spencer’s Arms Cawthorne for a cup of tea you would think in Yorkshire it would,nt be too much to ask.The middle aged women working behind the bar should,nt ever be allowed to work with the public in general,she was rude,confrontational & had no idea what manners are a person like her can ruin a pub single handed . When I asked to speak to the manger no one behind the bar seemed to know who this mysterious person was ,I was presented with some one who needed showing how to deal with a valid complaint .I was shocked & disgusted how low the standards dropped.This pub should be a professional restaurant with staff that’s been trained properly not just in turning up & doing the minimum that they can get away with because being pleasant, polite, helpful & good mannered costs nothing .If the staff are rude it doesn’t matter if the food & drinks are bad or good people won’t come back to be insulted the owner needs to get on top of his game.

Absolutely outstanding food and very pleasant staff

Met friends for dinner mid week. Lovely atmosphere on entering, nice table, good menu choice. Friendly attentive staff. Good food portion size. All freshly cooked and piping hot. Highly recommend steak pie & fish & chips. Will definitely return. Thanks for a lovely dining experience

Lovely greeting, nice reception area. Food was divine, staff were very kind, helpful and checked out food was ok. The steak is fantastic, one of the best we’ve had.

Absolutely delicious meal, party of 6, everyone loved the food they ordered. Stunning outdoor areas, roll on summer.

Amazing staff and food, steak was perfect, we’ll definitely be back soon.

Excellent all round..really enjoyed evening. My niece and her husband, up from London were impressed with choice,quality and prices compared with restaurants near their home

Had the 3 course Sunday lunch today. Beautiful food. Best Sunday roast out I have had in a long time. Great service and staff too. Good value for money.

There’s always a bit of a lukewarm welcome from restaurant staff. It’s almost like they’re surprised/disappointed that you actually have a reservation. Unless you’re a regular - and then the welcome is over the top enthusiastic. Witnessed the on and off switch a dozen times during the evening. Anyway - decor is beautiful and the ambiance is really cosy. Menu choices are good and the food was superb. Well presented and good portion size, cooked to perfection. It’s highly recommended for the food - just don’t take the tepid welcome or lukewarm serving attention personally. You just need to go more often !

Beautiful country pub/restaurant. Food was beautiful, service excellent. Can't fault & will be back.

Lovely pub, in a beautiful village set near cannon hall country house. Food and ale are delicious. Staff are friendly and attentive, and very busy lot of the time. Good atmosphere, highly recommend a visit if you are in the area. Grilled steak sandwich and a pint was exactly what i needed after a 6 mile walk through the hills and woods of the surrounding countryside.

Very nice pub, efficient service, tasty food. Steaks are on the pricey side. Dogs are welcome inside. Sizeable parking. The outside seating area all decorated with small lights makes it look like a fairy tale.

I’ve reviewed Spencer Arms twice in the past, some years back. My experience then was average, things haven’t improved at all. The latest visit was for Sunday lunch. With a booking for 2:30pm you’d think the food would be cooked recently. The roast chicken we had was dry and overcooked, which along with the vegetables had obviously been cooked and plated some time ago and lukewarm at best. This place charges a premium as compared to other nearby gastro pubs and really doesn’t warrant the extra cost. Try the Dunkirk and the Wortley Arms if you’re planning a Sunday lunch in this price bracket.

We visited the restaurant one night during the week which was nice at it was fairly quite with a cosy atmosphere. As we were celebrating an anniversary we started with wine and dishes off the bits and bobs section of the menu, deciding on the curried vegetable crisps, chicken wings with blue cheese dip and olives which were all nice to nibble on. The waiter was attentive and I was pleased to see different Gluten Free options to choose from, that are clearly marked on the menu. Our starters, mains and desserts were all presented nicely and tasted great! The steak I had for my main was cooked perfectly how I wanted it. Thanks for a great evening.

Great food, friendly staff and excellent service. Went on a Sunday evening , menu was varied and reasonably priced

Couldn't have asked for any better. Can't wait to go again.

We celebrated a 95th birthday party in The Barn a private room with its own bar. The venue is beautifully decorated and a lovely warm atmosphere is created. The 25 guests pre selected a 3 course meal which was served on time and everyone praised how good the food was. The staff were both courteous efficient and very helpful. We had an amazing evening and I could not recommend this venue for a private function highly enough.

Went for a family meal today Sunday fantastic had the best sausage I've ever had service good beers good every one enjoyed there meal & sweet highly recommended