The Carnarvon Arms Pub in Basingstoke and Deane

We wanted somewhere for my birthday lunch but being in a Motorhome can make finding parking challenging. We were visiting Highclere and passed this pub and did a quick u-turn. We were able to park at the back of the car park as it had a couple of extra long spaces. We were asked if we had booked a table and advised we hadn't, the serving lady found us a lovely table in the window for 2 plus our dog. We didn't want a big lunch so I chose the scotch egg starter with a side of chips, my hubby had cod cheek scampi with fries and salad. It was lovely, cooked beautifully and tasted homemade. Prices of some dishes were a little hefty but our dishes were well priced. There were dog snacks and water bowls We would definitely recommend, some dishes we saw coming out certainly looked very generous portions so be warned. Congratulations to the lady serving as she was serving behind the bar as well as waitressing, I don't think the pub had anticipated being quite so busy but she managed extraordinarily well until a colleague turned up to assist, well done.

Since when did a ploughman’s lunch look like this! Only a slither of cheese - for £25. You may want to order something else!

Very comfortable and cosy Inn. On walking distance from the well known castle 🤗. Good food as well. Delicious break first and diner!!! Highly recommended.

Fantastic place to stay,local to Carnarvon Castle,friendly staff,rooms beautiful,very clean,also had dinner which was cooked to perfection will definitely return

Popped into the Carnarvon Arms after a visit to Highclere Castle. We had a lovely meal served quickly and the portions were huge. Would highly recommend

Lovely warm bar area and seating on a breezy, wet April day. Food and drinks arrived quickly after ordering and staff were friendly. Builders on site were considerate and did not affect our stay.

We came here with my two kids (10 and 8) for a mid week lunch. The service couldn't have been friendlier and the food was delicious! 4 clean plates... We will be back again, Thank you so much!

Had a great lunch with clients whilst on a trip to see Highclere Castle. Although the booking process had been a little fraught at the beginning, everything on the day worked out really well; the food was great, the service and ambiance too and we were really pleased with out visit. I will definitely come again with clients as long as the booking process is slicker.

The Carnarvon Arms is a hidden gem ! We have stopped here for dinner several times on our way home to Southampton and the food has always been fantastic. The pub is clean and the decor is nice too . We have just stayed overnight here for the first time and our room is delightful 🙂. Lovely shower and the bed is wonderful; the room is very nicely decorated and is clean and nor dated. Don't tell anyone about this place, we want to keep it to ourselves!

Service was very good and they were helpful. Food was disappointing and roast felt like it was heated up and yet expensive. Also not very big portions. Desert was nice. It was quiet on Sunday.

We had a lovely relaxing lunch with family and our elderly neighbour as all our birthdays are in the same week, everyone enjoyed the food and the service was very good

A first rate Sunday Lunch. We’ve been here a few times now, for dinner and lunch, and this did not disappoint. Roast Beef and the Pork Belly were both superb. Plenty of food and beautifully prepared. I don’t understand how this place doesn’t have a higher rating, it really is 5 star for Sunday roast!

Perfect service! The gentleman didn’t even write down our orders and got it all right, such a Lovely evening!! Great waiter.

Our first visit to the Carnarvon Arms. Friendly staff, good food and plenty of it. The quantity of side dishes should be a bit clearer as some side dishes would cover three to four people where others would just be enough for two people. Side dishes could of been a bit hotter. All that said everyone was very satisfied with the meal and we will be visiting the Carnarvon Arms again. Many thanks

Lovely pub, delicious food, great service and close to an excellent walk on the Highclere Estate via a public footpath. Definitely would return, and would like to try the newly refurbished accommodation. Coeliac friendly - although it wasn't obvious what was gluten free on the menu, the chef made an excellent recommendation.

Great food and good service. Disappointed we couldn’t celebrate with bubbles no Prosecco or even sparkling wine available. Sunday roast was tasty however portions of beef were very small so not great value for money.

Always our favourite pub, delightful delightful. Good food, lovely landlady, fires, atmosphere, lovely decor. Right amount of busyness. AWESOME rooms too.

Very friendly and welcoming staff. This was our first visit to this property and we will definitely be coming back again

Delightful evening in warm, relaxed atmosphere! We lost our way to Highclere so were late and somewhat fraught on arrival but young, friendly staff put us at our ease. we were given an alcove table because the 6 Nations match was being broadcast is the bar but in fact the noise level was such that it didn't disturb us at all and it was good to see Irish fans enjoying the match! The food was excellent - I had Venison ragu which was rich and delicious and my partner - who is a very critical diner - very much enjoyed his steak and mushroom suet pudding. We didn't have much room for dessert but the coffee with Martell rounded off the meal for me while we shared some very tasty icecream. My partner was driving but treated himself to a half of Young's Bitter while I indulged in some Whispering Angel Rosé, which is a real favourite and very pleasing to be able to buy it by the glass! Thak you, Carnarvon Arms - we will certainly be back and will bring the family!

Went for Lunch with friends and had an average meal. Selected steak sandwich in sourdough bun from the Specials Lunch Menu. Was served strips of steak in a normal white beard slices and this was very dry. But the worse thing we saw was a waiter stroking and being licked on his hands by a customers dog, then took food from another waiter (without washing his hands) to serve to some more customers at another table!!! So don't think we will be returning here for food.

We decided to stop at the Carnarvon arms for a roast Amon New Years Eve and it did not disappoint. The food was great (the best roast we’ve had out in a long time!) the pork belly especially! Although the beef was delicious too. The service was also great, very attentive and friendly. The only downside was the children running around screaming and throwing balls at the wall…

We were a large work Christmas party and the carnarvon arms provided a tasty warm 3 course menu for all 19 of us. We were looked after by Claire and her team - we will look to do this again next year. Thank you

Ditto to the three reviews below , food over priced, poor service, staff not interested, no management around over seeing staff... £37 for a 8oz sirloin? Won't be back !

The food was fine, but the lack of staff meant that service was pretty poor. We had long waits for staff to appear and had to ask for every thing we needed, such as mustard or vinegar. There did not seem to be anyone managing the staff which is part of the problem. Perhaps go when it’s not too busy, not Saturday lunchtime!

Terrible from start to finish. Considering it was the second Saturday of December, I was shocked at how quiet the place was, however we quickly realised why. The service was poor, staff very unfriendly. From the get go, it was like we were an inconvenience, despite the pub and restaurant being mostly empty. Our starters were wrong, dishes not as advertised and one dish not served to us at all (later taken off bill) We waited over an hour between having our plates cleared and getting our mains, which when they arrived 5 out of 7 of the meals were cold. The cold steak alone (£37) I had seen better in Whetherspoons. It also had the wrong sauce as advertised and considering the cost was tiny. Raising our concerns about the cold food, the staff member we dealt with was very rude. She had already walked away, scoffing halfway through a drinks order due to a member of our party taking time to consider options. Walked out paying only for starters and drinks. Dreadful. Avoid.

Went for Saturday lunch with the family. I will start with saying that the food was amazing when it arrived. Unfortunately the starters took over 45minutes from ordering to get to us. When the mains arrived they brought another tables food to start with, but this was rectified straight away. I had ordered a steak, but there was no steak knife. I requested one, along with some English mustard, to which the waitress openly sighed and rolled her eyes..... when the steak knife came there was no English mustard, I asked for another type and she said there was dijon. She then brought this eventually but it was actually wholegrain and tasted like vinegar..... when we finally got the bill we didn't pay the service charge and this appeared to be a big issue with the waitress even though we are not obliged to pay it and the service had been bad. When we left and said goodbye we were given equal hostility and an eye roll. Thankfully the food was so good but unfortunately the experience wasn't.

This is a great place for a Christmas lunch. We pre-ordered and everything everything arrived without a hitch - tasty, generous portions and piping hot. It was like the best of home cooked Christmas dinners with roasties that were crisp on the outside but deliciously soft inside.Three young waitresses were efficient and friendly. Thank you

We both had roast beef Sunday lunch. The food was well presented and looked great on the plate. The only trouble was that the food was only luke warm. It was a shame because it would have been delicious if only it had been a...

Extremely disappointing. I visited this evening with a friend for dinner. Sadly so many items not available from the menu. Settled on 2 roast beef with a side of cauliflower cheese and stuffing (pigs in blankets unavailable) Stuffing very small slices for the money, cauliflower...

We have been here several times over the last few years. We went today for lunch to celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary and it was very enjoyable. The food was great as usual and our server Alyssa was very professional and friendly, great service.

On arrival we waited ages to be seen and taken to our table. On trying to order our starters we were told that half the starters were off the menu. Maybe because there was only one chef on duty. At the end of the meal...

We chose to meet here as it was a good point between our two homes (150 miles apart). We ate delicious cauliflower soup and arancini, served by lovely staff. Next time we'll take the dogs, as dogs are welcome. Lovely vegetarian food & dog friendly...

Lovely pub, really good food (great Sunday lunch) and excellent service. Been here lots of times and it's always consistently good.

We met some friends here for dinner. We all enjoyed our food and I think it is reasonably priced. I would have liked more custard with my crumble as it was a small jug only half full The staff were nice and the service was...

Had a lovely meal catching up with friends Quiet, but busy, which was nice to see. Lovely food, had fish and chips, veg risotto, steak pie and the fish pie.

Our first time here, and will come again. The food was lovely and the service attentive. The lounge bar looked very welcoming and cosy. Nice, friendly staff.

A nice gastropub with a friendly atmosphere. We had a good dinner and can recommend the trout fishcakes, delicious cauliflower soup and perfectly cooked steak. As well as the best chips we've had anywhere! However the mushroom arancini were disappointing, mainly because they were smothered...

service was terrible and non existent. food wasnt much better. my mom is suffering from sever food poisoning the day after. had a nice meal here last year but it has certainly gone majorly down hill since then.

Lovely catch up with friends. Afternoon tea and cake yesterday afternoon. Sat outside. Lovely staff, friendly locals. Have had Sunday roast here and dessert here before. Lovely place, good food. One to return to. Thanks

We met friends for dinner in a Sunday. It’s not easy to find a quality gastropub offering a full menu on a Sunday evening. The Carnarvon Arms was excellent. A great choice of food, very friendly service and very high quality.

My wife and I literally fell across this pub several years ago when we travelled to the southwest. The atmosphere is excellent, staff are friendly and very obliging. The food is great and the portions are good too, prices are very competitive. We will use...

From the website, I thought this would be a special place, However the service was poor; 1) The drinks arrived after the food 2) the soup was cold on one half of the bowl and hot on the other 3) there was a 45 min...

Came in for the last time on a Saturday. I asked whether I could order chips at 20:40, to be told the chef said he’s not cooking anymore? The website states food serving times till 21:30. I would have gone somewhere else if I had...

Visitrd after Highclere visit. Four of us had sandwiches...one egg...two cheese and chutney and one BLT...All lovely on fresh bread.Service with a smile and quick. Glad i decided to pop in!

Very disappointed. Room very dark and badly lit and in need of some paintwork especially around windows. For god sake put some brightness in the rooms! Let us ladies be able to put our makeup on in the room. I am not fat but just...

Fabulous Sunday roast and good service. Nice decor, beautiful hanging baskets outside. Would definitely return.

We had booked a table but decided to sit outside in the good weather. Food was good and nicely cooked. The service was a little slow but it was worth the wait. The inside of the restaurant looked very nicely decorated but the garden was...

Went on 22nd August 2023 for lunch. A lovely pub, great atmosphere, nice decor. Had lunch with a friend whom I hadn’t seen for some years. Food was excellent and staff very friendly and helpful. My friend had bought me a present for my recent...

Booked Staycation Deal, as a couple for two nights B&B plus two Dinners whilst visiting Highclere Castle. First impressions were great, nice casual lunch in the bar. Very friendly staff. When Reception opened (its in a broom cupboard outside the toilets) we were given keys...

Need a restaurant that catered for vegetarians and was a little more creative than the usual pasta and this fitted the bill perfectly ,the vegetarian wellington was apparently excellent as was the plant based burger .We had the roast beef which was fine a little...

Late Sunday lunch booked for 3pm. . Great location just off the A34. Lovely setting. Excellent service, just let down by the food which was all a bit dry as if it had been sitting around for a while !!

As we visited Highclere Castle we decided to have a Sunday carvery at a local pub. Probably the best carvery I have had followed by a sticky toffee and panacotta. Excellent food, quickly served and delivered (hot). Excellent service.

Lovely pub, lovely food, friendly and welcoming staff, great service. It's become our first choice for meeting friends and family.

We booked a table for two at The Carnarvon Arms after exploring Highclere Castle nearby. The quirky dining room was adorable with very comfy seating. We ordered the pork and veggie Wellington roasts, which we both agreed were delicious, and we cleared our plates. For...

The food in the restaurant was delicious. Our waitress served us very well and all orders came speedily . We stayed the night . Bedroom was comfortable but rather noisy due to the traffic passing close by. Also the shower entrance was minute and I...

Booked a table for 2.30. It was our second visit, very opposite to our first which was lovely but this time went today 30th July for Sunday Roast. The staff was very rude and squeezed us between 2 very close tables. We sat waited to...

Table booked online while at Highclere Castle as Carnarvon Arms nearby. Pub didn't look very busy, ( Thursday evening) but service was slow. Staff however were friendly and apologetic. My burger and chips was delicious, really crispy tasty chips. Dessert ordered was not available and...

Scotch egg was not cooked. Sausage roll was not cooked. Replaced with uncooked meat again and white of egg runny. Sharing platter at £20 was a joke. 4 thick slices of toast no butter. 2 small pieces of cheese 2 pieces grizzle ham hock and...

Great service and freshly cooked and very tasty food, very accommodating regarding food intolerances, also very helpful in giving hints and tips for walks around Highclere Castle, even happily printing a set of walking route descriptions for us. All in all a very pleasant experience.

I took a classic car group to the Carnarvon Arms. The weather helped as we were able to take our pre lunch drinks outside. Before the event the correspondence I had with Rebecca was very positive and she took changes to the preorder with no...

Went for spontaneous weekday lunch. Very happy with the experience. Staff were friendly and attentive and the food was excellent. Would definitely visit again.

We had a reservation for 1pm but arrived early, which wasn’t a problem for them so things started well. Again after we placed our order our starters promptly arrived and were really nice. But then things unraveled….. Took a while for plates to then be...

We stopped there for some hot and cold drinks as we had climbed the steep Beacon Hill and needed to rest before we could go and explore Highclere castle. The pub was very well kept (inside and outside) with tons of parking. Josh at the...

We stayed overnight just for a break, with our Jack Russell. The staff were very welcoming and dog friendly. The room was convenient for the pub/restaurant and any quick trips outside with our dog. We had booked a table for evening meal and the table...

Very dissatisfied in the food and service. Booked a table for 1pm for 6 adults 1 child and 18 months old. When we arrived we were told that we have have to wait 30 minutes for our food order to be taken, as they had...

We were disappointed with our lunch, as the pub has a good reputation locally. The service was poor. We had to wait over an hour for the main course and the kitchen lost our pudding order, so that was another 40 minutes or so. The...

Booked a table for 2 for 2pm, was told the wait for food would be 30mins. After waiting an 90mins with no sign of food, decided to leave. Really disappointing. If there is a delay it would have been good to have been told about...

After spending a morning at Highclere we selected the Carnarvon Arm for its close location and apparent good reviews, however, I was generally disappointed so much so as soon as we had eaten our mains we paid and left. Upon arrival we were seen by...

We stayed overnight and walked to Highclere Friendly staff delicious dinner and breakfast Will definitely return and recommend

Stayed here before and had an excellent experience but would not go again. Bar staff very grumpy. Waiting staff scruffy. Brought wine and didn’t even open it for us. Food overcooked. No atmosphere. Room stiflingly hot and duvet far too thick and bulky for the...

Late lunch on a Saturday here was a good experience. The interior of the restaurant is stylish and comfortable and the young lady who served us was friendly and efficient. We had a broccoli based pie, and a dish of lamb sausages, which were not...

Lovely friendly service yesterday evening. The food was good too. We had a fab time (second date). Just one issue being the ladies loos - still not fixed and generally in a poor state.

Overall very good with a couple of things that could be improved. The staff were very friendly and attentive and the food and drinks came quickly. We had nut roast (Sunday) which was delicious, the portion was fine for me but perhaps a little small...

Great food and customer service! Went the extra mile for my husbands birthday with a chocolate birthday message on his dessert and even the dog got a treat bag 😊

Joined the dog walk organised by the landlord what an excellent experience . Could certainly go to any more that are organised. We then stayed for lunch. Fish And Chips was amazing, well worth a visit.

Very nice location, country stile, comfy, very cool atmosphere. The people are friendly, the food is amazing. Try the battered fish, fantastic!!! We really love it!

Lovely warm interior and welcome. As I walked into the bar, I was greeted with comfy armchairs and a fire - the perfect setting for a country pub. The dining room followed the theme, the decoration was colourful and welcoming, the dining chairs were comfortable...

When this was revamped they had pride but the peeling paint, collapsed fencing and generally tatty exterior lets you know on the way in that the passion has long since gone out of this place. In fairness, that doesn't carry through to the decor inside,...

We had a lovely family get-together with a party that included a baby, toddler and neurotic dog! We were put at a large table with lots of space to spread out and where we didn’t feel as though we were inconveniencing others. The staff were...

Lovely stop over. Have been here before, lovely atmosphere in the bar, super food in the restaurant, very warm and pleasant rooms and most importantly very friendly and polite staff, from checking in to when we checked out. Brilliant. Keep up the good work

Friendly atmosphere and the service was vey good. The chef was able to modify one of the dishes to accommodate one of our diners. Food was tasty .

We had lunch in the restaurant, the service was very good, I had fishcakes to start and then fish and chips. It was good and it's definietely somewhere to try again.

We had to wait over an hour for our food. The pub was very busy as it was Sun lunch. We all had a roast. There was little difference in the size of the adults and children's plates, in fact all children had 2 roast...

We were in the bar area as requested I would comment that the chairs we had were rather low in relation to the table. Getting drinks and placing a food order was prompt. However the wait for the food to arrive was almost an hour...

We had Sunday Lunch with our visiting Australian friends, we were all very impressed. Great food, excellent value for money and very professional friendly service, I'll definitely be back again. Many thanks indeed!

Took my parents and our two young children for a late lunch after a winter walk. Pub was cosy and lovely interior design. Staff gave a warm welcome and were attentive. Clean plates all round, food was delicious. Would definitely go back and can recommend.

Lovely venue - food was great and service was attentive - the food was of a good standard and well presented. We wanted to try somewhere different outside of our local area - well worth it.

Lovely place, friendly staff, good spot for a business meeting on a quiet Tuesday in January. Sandwiches for lunch were tasty and sensibly priced.

We had dinner there last week with friends, and were looked after by friendly staff from the moment we walked in. Super menu that was reflective of the various dishes we enjoyed. Food was top-notch quality. We should mention Becky and Josh - the staff...

We booked a celebration lunch for my mother's birthday in the lovely private dining area and had a marvellous time. Both the general manager, Rebecca and Joshua who looked after our table couldn't have been more professional, friendly and helpful. The food which we chose...

Came with friends on Sunday eve and had a wonderful meal. The veggie roasts, burgers and fish and chips were cooked to perfection...the espresso martinis were spot on too! Staff very friendly. Can't fault anything x

A beautiful Inn that oozes charm and cosiness! Separate dining area for meeting friend's for coffee and chat or a great indoor our outdoor dining experience . Old World Charm, with warmth from log burners, little alcoves, large Inn, great food, friendly attentive staff. Just...

The staff are always so welcoming and kind in this lovely pub. It is always a treat to go there as the setting, ambience, service and food are all amazing. They have a good choice on the menu and the wines are excellent too.

Stayed for one night & had evening meal & breakfast. Bedroom was cosy & warm & a complaint we had about the room blind was dealt with to our satisfaction. Food was delicious. The staff were absolutely great, pleasant & polite. A big thank you...

Definitely not! The front door lady was really rude for no reason!. We booked a table and she gave it to someone else!. Asked us to sit down 25 min later, in table for 4 (we were 7!) Finally we were served 1 hour and...

We came to the Carnarvon Arms to meet our friends for some catching up and food !  Food was delicious, sadly staff could of done more !  Wasn't really busy, maybe us and few more tables! Bar staff ( Young lady with long hair) she...

Lovely place, great decor and ambience, and friendly efficient staff. However the food was overpriced for what it was and portion sizes on the small side. The chicken Kiev (Kyiv?) wasn't nearly as nice as Sainsbury's and rather more costly. Sadly this will mean we...

We had a good time. Ambience is excellent, food good and staff very helpful. It was also good value.

Met up with an old friend for Sunday lunch. Hadn't been here before and simply chosen as a half-way point. The food was lovely and served really promptly. However, the atmosphere was so warm, welcoming and relaxed, it made the experience even more special. Thank...

Delicious Sunday lunch with the most amazing gravy...Far more positive and welcoming experince dining here than previous visits, very much thanks to the new owners. We would definitely reccomend and will be back soon!