The Carpenters Arms in New Forest

We used to come here regularly, both for the food and for the service, which were excellent. However our last visit - our very last visit - was appalling. The landlord has obviously decided to cut back on quality to protect his profits. Not only was the quality of food lower standard than usual, but I ordered a Latte and was served a watered down version (literally). When I asked the waitress to bring me a jug of milk with which to top up my coffee, she brought a jug of watered-down milk!! Once I removed the froth on top I could actually see how watered it was! Never again!!

We had Sunday lunch here today and I have to say the service and the food was 10/10 also very reasonably priced too. A pub full of life - nice and busy but very quick service !! Definitely will come back again

Great food, great value, never disappoints. Party had mixture of pies, liver and bacon and a generous nut roast. Be back in April in my motor home. Thank you carpenters, lovely friendly greeting and service as always.

Best pies ever, I tried all the special ones for British Pie week and they were lovely. Yummy freshly cooked veg. I can’t wait to come back and have another pie 🥧

Second visit and probably the last. Steak & Mushroom pie was great however veg were tasteless sauté potatoes undercooked and tasteless. Burger had to be sent back as was bloody and very rare- bun was soaked in blood chips undercooked ! Burger came back cooked better still with bloody bun❗️not impressed. Maybe compared with other reviews we had a different chef. But please get better tasting vegetables.

When we go out to lunch we always go to the carpenters arms because we know that we will be well fed with good quality food at a reasonable price. Always a good selection of food in nice surroundings.

Nice location, very busy Sunday lunch time, slow service excellent food. Large portions and reasonably priced. Car parking has potential to be difficult.

Fantastic pies, nice traditional pub.

The home-made pies are incredible. Plenty of choice for fillings, all served with fresh vegetables and a large choice of potato sides. The rest of the menu is based around hearty home cooked food at a very reasonable price. You can’t go wrong here.

I went with my wife, her mother and friend for lunch. All were happy with the food, I had steak and kidney pie with mash and fresh vegetables. It was first class, the pie was a proper one (not in a dish with the crust stuck on top). The staff were all happy and friendly. We hope to return next time we're in the area.

Good selection of beers. And the food was good today.

Great place and very friendly staff highly recommended fresh home cooked food and the pub is clean and also dog friendly

A first class country pub. Amazing service and great food at decent prices. The home made pies are to die for. All this and a great place to just spend time drinking, superb atmosphere and excellent customer service

Nine of us, had Christmas Day Lunch here today. The meal was excellent and the service was warm and friendly. We all really enjoyed ourselves. We will do this again.

Place packed out with office parties, and it showed. Food okay generally although the sauce on the hake fish was insipid and made the fish taste awful. Service slow as to be expected. Staff worked very hard to accommodate the numbers. I'm sure it would have been better if it wasn't so busy. Obviously popular.

This place is the business. Just had our Christmas lunch at the carpenters Arms, and it was great. I would recommend this place with confidence. Thank you, carpenter arms.

Went as part of a group Christmas thing. The staff did their very best and the athmosphere was great.

Lovely food at a reasonable price. Staff very efficient and friendly. Feel that the stark white interior makes it feel like a canteen but I can see what it once was.

We recently visited this pub / restaurant with friends, and the first thing we're noticed straight away was the atmosphere from a nearly fill restaurant. The waitress showed us to our table and handed us menu's which covered both standard and special meals, which covered all tastes. It was good to see Gluten mains and desserts on the menus. Everyone of us choose meals from the special menus, and when the mains arrived they were piping hot and tasty. Overal we all enjoyed much our meals including desserts. The staff were very friendly and helpful, also the service and food were amazing. They also served gluten free bottle cider. I would certainly recommend this pub / restaurant, and we will certainly visit again in the new year.

Introduced to this pub in the New Forest on a Tuesday lunchtime by a mate. Very large spacious pub with excellent food & service at reasonable prices. Not exactly cosy due to its spacious size, but pleasant enough.

We visit here every 3/4 months, food is always lovely and decent sized portions. Puddings are a little expensive (but they are everywhere now). The chocolate peanut cheesecake is divine! 😋

Food very acceptable but the pub is a bit like a canteen,not a lot of atmosphere the were OK but acted like it was just a job to be done.

Absolutely sh*t hot. Brilliant service, fantastic food. Nothings to much hassle, generous portions, good range of food. The chef must be some kind of super hero making all those different dishes so well. Just go there. You will not be disappointed

Fantastic food. Will be taking friends next time.

Very spacious pub/ resturant. Staff are lovely & friendly. The food is also very good. Will definately go back. 🍽🍾🥂👍👍

We "discovered The Carpenters Arms a few months ago and this is our 3rd visit. We have no hesitation whatsoever in giving it a five star review. My Wife had Lamb Shank with a well stocked dish of vegetables. and I had the Steak and Kidney pie with saute potatoes. It's a little out of our way as we live in Mudeford but it's well worth the extra drive. We will happily return another time. There was a 70th Birthday function on at the time but it didn't affect the service we got.

We have been eating at The Carpenters Arms for the past 18 years, travelling some 120 miles there and back because we loved the food, service and ambience. However, over the past year we’ve noticed the quality of service has gone dreadfully downhill. Today, for example, we ordered their steak & kidney pie with new potatoes, peas, carrots and cabbage. While the pie was as delicious as always the potatoes and carrots were tasteless…perhaps tinned? Also - and to me most important - I’ve noticed they had begun serving their latte coffee with more water than milk, so today I asked for a separate serving of cold milk. When the jug arrived it contained WATERED DOWN MILK, frothed up to appear milk-like - and when I asked for it to be replaced with MILK, I received a jug of BOILED milk which still, when added to my coffee, didn’t improve the flavour! It appears they are cutting back on quality to save money; something we can’t forgive them for. So we shan’t be going there again.

We were treated to a Sunday lunch from friends, it has been a while since we were last at the Carpenters so we were extremely surprised as the place has been updated and does look amazing. The menu not changed too much it’s all old fashioned pub grub but it’s good food piping hot and good portion sizes. Highly recommended and we will definitely be returning. Parking an issue sometimes as car park is not that big.

Have been to the Carpenters Arms many times with family to celebrate various occasions. The staff are always lovely and friendly and their pies are brilliant too - I highly recommend the steak and stilton!

Have been going to The Carpenters for Sunday lunch and their legendary pies for years. With two significant, family birthdays in October we decided to hire the function room for the party. Lynn, John, Katy, Ben, Noah, Steve and all the girls in black could not have been more accommodating. Room available for us to do what we wanted, bar close by and a bespoke buffet which featured lamb canapes, and Carpenters pies in individual format! Thank you Carpenters - a great night was had by all.

Absolutely excellent steaks and homemade steak pies followed by superb homemade sticky toffee pudding or ginger pudding with mint conditioned Fuller's London Pride! Great service too! Thank you!

Great food and drink in a pub without commercial pretence run by a hardworking family..

We drove to The Carpenters today, as my friends gave me vouchers for my birthday. Homemade Steak and Mushroom Pie was fantastic. Scampi and chips where very tasty. Good prices and portions where plenty. Very friendly and well worth popping in if you are that way, or on holidays.

Pleasant place, clean and staff very helpful. Very nice and large portions.

We had a family gathering last night of 18 people to celebrate my wife’s retirement. The food & service, choice, was as lovely as ever. The perfect venue for large or small parties. Thank you ever so much Katy 🙂👍🙂👍

My wife and I met with friends it was a table of 11 on the 20th September at the carpenter arms Bransgore and what a great experience it was, the food the staff and the atmosphere was exceptional. I had asked one of the staff what would she recommend for dessert, and she was very helpful. I found out she was the owner and her name was Lynn. She was great. Thank you Lynn for recommending the sticky toffee pudding.....it was lovely.

I initially visited here with two family members for lunch which was very good as I wanted to see what the food was like as I needed to book the function room for 30 people later in the month. The function food was just the usual buffet items of sandwiches, pizzas, quiches, sausage rolls, gala pie, scotch eggs etc. which was fine but I was very surprised to find that when my guests requested tea or coffee they were asked to pay £2 for it. I had assumed that these drinks (obviously not alcohol) would be included as every other similar function I have arranged included tea/coffee as part of the buffet food/refreshments within the cost. The bill for 30 settings was £300 i.e. £10 a head and whilst it was not really a problem that this didn’t include tea I had simply assumed that it did and so was left in the embarrassing position of discovering that my guests had had to pay for those teas themselves. Since this function was food after a family member’s funeral, that embarrassment was something I could have done without. Overall good but I really do think that the policy of not including tea with the food cost needs to be looked at by the owners of this establishment as it is atypical for this type of event.

Just love this place, love the menu and vista. My fourth visit

I visited this place for the first time on 6 September 2023 with my partner and his cousins. The service was prompt, considering how busy it was. The food was delicious, the portions generous and the prices very reasonable. I'd definitely eat here again, but next time I'd leave some room for the sticky toffee pudding!

Exellent food, great value and all home cooked , and hot food, well worth the ride from Southamptoand

This is the place to go for well cooked traditional food, we go there fairly often and have never been disappointed, consistently well cooked, good portion sizes and very good service. i would recommend the pies as they are delicious and have plenty of filling, I would also recommend booking, as it can get busy.

This pub has a good menu for people with dietary needs. I recommend it here.

We dined here as a family travelling home after visiting Bournemouth. As the weather was so good we decided to dine outside and unfortunately this didn't prove a good a choice as we first thought, the smell from the drains did put us off to the point of moving tables. Inside may have been better with plenty of tables available. The menu was good with the usual favorites as well as vegetarian options particularly good for my daughter. Service was friendly and the food and drinks came quickly. This pub is dog friendly and welcomes them inside and out.

We called in here on the off chance with our son and his family. It was so nice we called back in with our daughter and her family the following week. We had the steak and ale pie and a burger. Some had chips some and had mash, and everything was excellent. The kids had a good choice and had nuggets and fish fingers. We will definitely be back soon.

Very poor meal. Waited over an hour for our food to arrive when it did it was dissaponting. Veg was clearly a few days old. Steak was cheap and not cooked to what was ordered. Worst was probably the chicken burger, again not fresh and clearly from frozen, in a "seeded bap" which here means cheap doughy burger bun with sesame seeds on top. Salad was wilted and old. Sweet potato fries were average. Waiting staff pleasant enough but zero atmosphere and shocking prices for the quality of the food.

Very tasty food and lovely staff.

After checking the reviews I decided to book Sunday Lunch for our Bank Holiday guests. There was 9 of us and I must say even with a late booking of 2.30 the food served was very good. The lunches were served hot and on hot plates (which is a must). We all chose different roasts and all thoroughly enjoyed. It's the first time at the Carpenters Arms. Will not be the last. Also must mention the young staff on duty. All very pleasant and service with a smile although they were rushed off their feet!! Well done!

Good value Fullers pub.. would go again

Great food, good service - M was great! Popular place, convivial, welcoming. Clean, comfortable. Good parking.

Yet again superb service and meals Gammon steak , 2 eggs and chips .... just what was needed after a day on the the Solent boating. and a 12oz Sirloin for that price was fantastic value for money. See you again soon

Excellent meal with the family. The service was excellent and the food and drinks all served hot and delicious. Absolutely recommend this place.

Food lovely we had trio of fish, liver and bacon and steak and Stilton pie all were served hot and very tasty. Definitely will be returning.

A lovely pub with a large choice on the menu ,a little wait on food but all cooked freshly so worth the wait .generous portions .a large selection of different pies and roasts every day .would definitely go back if I was down that way .

Staff are friendly, welcoming and helpful. Easy access for people of limited mobility. Good variety of food on standard menu, with a great range of home made pies, plus a daily specials board. (I thought the trio of fish was really good) Fair choice of drinks including real ales - especially liked the ESB. Overall it's good value for money.

Great pub food with a reputation for very good pies. Wait staff were very busy with some looking a bit stressed. Prices very reasonable.

Nice food and good portions. Only critism long wait to be served food.

For anyone visiting with kids- we came here as other reviews and the website said they had a small outdoor kids play area. They don't have any play area (visited July 2023). The kids menu was good, and highchairs available, but we were disappointed there was nowhere for her to play.

Excellent place to eat, food was amazing and a great choice,friendly staff, One dissatisfaction disable toilets not good

It's a fairly traditional family pub, the staff are amazing, the prices are very reasonable the food is very nice will go back

Lovely local pub with very tasty food 5*

Great food and friendly service. Price towards the higher end for pub food but worth every penny.

Yummy vegan nut roast and excellent menu and service. Pies are also delicious and very filling.

Nice place. Really good food without being overly fussy and pleasantly surprised how good the value was.

Nice pub. Closest to the football field. Free hall. Оne of the best places in the area.

Fantastic homemade pies, great fish and chips.

Best food in the south of England

Not visited for six years due to relocation, Beer, food, service and atmosphere as good as it was then, only disappointed is there is no longer Banana Split on the the menu.

Called in for an early dinner on a Sunday. I had Salmon which was cooked well and tasty. The saute potatoes were ok but didn't really go with the salmon, boiled jersey Royals would have been tastier. My husband had a pizza which he said was nice. The roast dinners were popular and looked very nice and plentiful. The interior was very pleasant and colourful, offsetting the white walls. Lots of garden space outside.

The food is delicious and very traditional. Nice place to relax, have a drink and enjoy the tranquility of the countryside. And the service is exceptional!!

Fantastic family run pub. Eaten here countless times and never been disappointed. A+++++

Great friendly place Food delicious specially the pudding

Nice food and staff are friendly

Great staff, great service. Very frindly and affordable too

Great value and service. Food was excellent

Best food ever a little bit pricey but very good

Fantastic food. Fantastic service.fantastic food

My family and I have been visiting the carpenters for years, The staff are all lovely and make you feel very at home. The menu is fantastic, You'll definitely find something delicious here too. The sundaes are a must try they are so tasty.

Booked table for 6 of us for friend's Birthday on a Sunday ..It was very busy but the food was excellent & nice & hot ! Had very good service even tho busy excellent choice of meals if you didn't want a roast & all freshly cooked ! You can also take a dog with you if you have one , we all said we would definitely be going back again..well done to all the staff .

Lovely meal and friendly staff as usual. Highly recommended

Another lovely visit and fantastic pie as usual, don't be disappointed if your favorite is sold out they are very popular, try another you won't be disappointed 👍👍

My 1st time for food. Very good.

Food was good and at a reasonable price, fruit machines and sports on the TV, big garden lots of tables.. Would definitely return!!!!

Really good food, and excellent service 100% recommend the Steak and Stilton Pie. Been there many times. Definitely be back.

Absolutely great cod and chips - own made batter, and own made tartar sauce. Great service and a lovely pub restaurant. Would definitely visit again if in the area.

Delicious Sunday roast beef lunch. Good crispy roast potatoes & petite pois peas carrots and cabbage.

Decent pub and restaurant - visited on a Wednesday lunch time for meal with friends. Extensive menu + specials - perhaps too much to chose from. Quick service - food was well prepared and fair prices. Log fire at one end of pub - good size car park - though perhaps the long un-used Mazda RX7 covered in moss could be removed !

Very good - I had the chicken and ham pie and my husband had the ham egg and chips - good and friendly service

One of our favourite places,the food is piping hot especially Sunday roasts,never had to complain about the food & staff polite & friendly, what more can you ask for when eating out

Love the Home made pies with loads of veg. Friendly pub, good beer,very good value

We are very much foodies in our house. I am a good cook myself and we enjoy good food wherever we are in the world. But right on our doorstep we have this wonderful family run pub that we discovered a few years ago that we love to go back to every time we like to get a homecooked meal. I can hand on my heart say it is the best pub food ever. Their portions are big, always well-cooked, hot, delicious and very reasonably priced.They work very hard as a family to keep the kitchen going and they always meet our expectations. Nothing is too much to ask. We love the homecooked pies. We enjoy it so much that whenever we have visitors or guests that we invite out, we take them to The Carpenter's Arms.

Absolutely wonderful food! The staff were helpful and attentive. The food was fresh and delicious. Highly recommend the pie!

Lamb special came with potato croquet and the burger was bland. No seasoning, no salad. All blatantly frozen. Could of done better myself.

Lovely food and happy atmosphere with cheerful staff

The food was nice, came out quickly, and a few mixup's at the beginning with our party booking, but that was sorted quickly. Some waitresses did look rather miserable, which made some of our party feel uncomfortable.

I visited The Carpenters with friends for our Christmas lunch. We had pre ordered from the Christmas menu in advance which was a varied great choice. My lunch of roast lamb was fantastic, and 3 others had the Christmas pie which was just as good. The pub was very busy and staff were friendly, efficient. A great visit as always, fantastic food, good value for money. Will be back for another visit.

8th Dec. A party of thirty plus, excellent food, excellent service, a very good time was had by all, Thank you

Great food and a warm welcome, can recommend the steak and Stilton pie

Quite a while since we last visited, but as good as it has always been. Would highly recommend the pies. Excellent home cooked quality food and very reasonably priced. Good service.

Great menu good service,food served hot and tasty.I would reccomend.

Fabulous food...burgers are AWESOME and you definitely have to try one of their 😋😋😋😋