The Cat and Fiddle Harvester in New Forest

Lovely pub with great food, service and atmosphere, we visited on Saturday evening for food and drinks, then came back for Sunday lunch as it was so good, and the roast was delicious!

What an amazing pub. I've used this pub for over 40 years and have to say what a transformation! It has a great atmosphere, lovely food and Barbara is the best landlady ever! She is attentative and always happy to please. I can thoroughly recommend this pub with no hesitation. Myself and my family will definitely be back. Keep up the good work Barbara, and all the very best to you, you're a star. Dave and Zul. X

We love to go to this cosy pub for their mini pudding and hot drink special. They also have good children's food.

Great food and always given a lovely welcome from Barbara and her team. We've had dinner here twice. I had the kebabs, which were fantastic. The meat was succulent and juicy. The burger was great, too. Went back for breakfast and again the staff were friendly and the food was great. I notice they do takeaway, I'll be trying that next.

Great food and beer! Very friendly staff

Can’t recommend the Cat and Fiddle enough! The most incredible roast I’ve ever had and so much food. Such good value for money and the staff are so friendly and welcoming. The decor is so lovely and we were sat right next to an open fire. The head chef Fabio came and spoke to us to ask us how our food was and he was so lovely and you can tell he really cares about what he does. Will definitely come back for roasts here over anywhere else!

We came here for a Sunday Lunch and it didn’t disappoint, incredible food. This will be our new Sunday lunch spot!

Wow best roast ever! Plenty of meat and veg all cooked to perfection, a truly amazing roast with great service and lovely surroundings with lovely log fire. Compliments to the chef - we will certainly be back

Lovely atmosphere, generous portions, high quality food, little waiting time, our table for 2 dinner was complete within 1 hour. Would come again, with my lovely husband!!

For food I would have given 5. How ever our main meal, came with chips. The menu mentioned nothing about, pepper being on the chips. I suffer with severe acid reflux. My wife has this as well. So both portions had to be remade. Service was a bit slow. And it didn't look overly busy. Atmosphere was pretty good, but perhaps some back ground being played, would have been pleasant. Would I eat here again. ? Yes

We had a really lovely meal here on a Saturday night. Nice atmosphere, nice and clean. Food was great no issues at all.

Best Sunday Lunch we had. Lovely atmosphere, warm fireplace, friendly staff, great quality food. Definitely recommend it.

Very good, superior food pub. Nice servers too.

Halloween event was great fun, Barbara the landlady did a brilliant job organising and the band were very entertaining. Thanks, Barbara!

Popped in late afternoon, food was amazing. Definitely recommend the pork belly! Service was a tiny bit slow but there was only one girl on, she was friendly and very helpful regardless. Really impressed and will be back !

Absolutely bloody delicious food and lovely people

My partner and I visited Monday 28th October and we were greeted and served by the lovely Barbara. The food and service was amazing. I had the lamb skewer and my partner had the Fish and Chips. Everything was lovely, my meal when brought out only had 5 chips. However this was quickly rectified when mentioned to one of the young waitresses. The pub looks lovely with the recent refurbishment. Barbara gave us a postcard with info about the pub- a lovely touch. Thank you for a lovely evening and we will be back. 😊

Lovely place. Staff are amazing, we were difficult customers and should of got an eye roll but they were great 👌 Great food as well.... And the beer was good to 👍

We visited for Sunday roast, hadn't been for years and heard it had been refurbished so thought we'd give it a go. All food was luke warm, had to ask for condiments and extra gravy. Service was slow and not the friendliest, was hard to get the attention of anyone. The manager seemed to be working the hardest and was very attentative, shame her service team let the place down, as did the food. Our plates were left on the table for around 45 mins after we'd finished. The kids wanted dessert but the service was so slow we didn't have time so didn't order and asked for the bill. The bill was the quickest thing to arrive and was thrown on the table without a smile or a thank you. The manager took one of our roasts off the final bill to make up for the piece of jellied fatty pork without crackling that two of us had been served as part of the roast trio. The 3 stars are for the manager who clearly cares about her pub and tries hard to keep customers happy. The food was over priced and lacked taste and warmth and the service was at times non-existent. Maybe its better during the week when they're not so busy.

Such a great family friendly pub. Lovely open fire, board games on tap, super atmosphere and tasty family food. The kids menu is really varied for the children too.

Seated 8 of us without a booking (which never happens for us) staff are kind and efficient. And the food was delicious. Everyone throughly enjoyed their lunch. Such a lovely menu with a variety of well cooked dishes.

Sad to say, our food wasn't hot, apart from the anaemic microwaved Cauliflower, the roast spuds were hard, and the gravy was tasteless. Took 40 minutes to turn up, after we asked twice. The restaurant itself was ok, but loads of tables with plates and glasses were left for ages without being cleaned. I fear management doesn't care or don't train the staff properly 😥

Had the roast lamb rump Sunday lunch there, don't know if we were just unlucky but the roast potatoes were very over cooked, the broccoli was not cooked and the center of the lamb was not cooked.

Incredible food and great service!

Sorry no food pictures as camera last thing on my mind when it arrived. Two signature burgers. Excellent. Chicken buttermilk burger. Excellent. Prawns on skewers and houmous selection. Excellent. Drinks. Aspinall draught served in product glass. Excellent. Malbec. Served just right. Unchilled. By open fire. Service prompt and courteous. Great interior and good easy parking

Lovely renovation, very clean and cosy. Roast dinner was delicious, especially the turkey, cauliflower cheese and stuffing. Staff very welcoming and attentive, will definitely be returning.

Truly magnificent lovely meal lovely stuff very friendly served by Kyle great service !

Thank you, Ruby, for looking after us today. We really enjoyed our meal in a beautiful environment. Would definitely recommend. Thank you Barbara. Simon & Sarah

Just been there with my family and parents - its a rarity we do that in these tough times so we excited at the prospect. Our waiter Tristan was an absolute gentleman. Kind, courteous and caring. Without a doubt, our experience was enhanced because of him. Thank you for making our treat more memorable all for the right reasons. Thank you!

The pub is part of the Vintage Inns group, so the standards are pretty good. The food was very good and the surroundings were delightful. We had a very long, relaxing lunch with some friends, we were there for over 3 hours. The staff were attentive but not pushy. After our meal, they left us alone to chat. It was a very pleasant experience.

Have you visited the Cat & Fiddle and Hinton Admiral since Barabara and her team have been running it? We just went for a casual Friday early evening dinner, but more importantly, to book our place for New Year's Eve. Come and join in! The menu is mouthwatering, and the band 'bigger than mary' will be entertaining us 😄

Wonderful pub with great scenic views. Kids menu is especially great with lots of variety. We tried a lot from the menu and it’s all be wonderful. We keep coming back for more!

We called in for coffee and brunch. Brunch is advertised outside but they do not do it! We ordered an Americano coffee and and earl grey tea but got served a cappuccino with chocolate, which I really do not like and a zesty tea. No food available at all, which we needed for a medical issue. Will not return

Fantastic refurbishment! Make over is impressive and food so much better! Worth revisiting if you remember it as a sad Harvester!

Services slow, nice roast , the roast potatoes where a let down, great sweets

My friend and I went on a Thursday at lunchtime. The service was impeccable and the food was delicious. The prices are reasonable and the atmosphere was welcoming. Highly recommend.

An excellent choice as a lunch stop before a journey to the Midlands.

Very rarely leave reviews. Visited once over 10 years ago when it was a harvester. Remembered it a couple months ago and suggested to my partner to go for Sunday lunch here because it would be less busy than the Bournemouth harvester. Was originally miffed to find it was no longer a harvester but we ordered a roast dinner anyway! Omg!! Literally THE best roast I have ever had in a pub before. We were extremely impressed so when deciding where to eat out with our children last night, we opted for here again and we were not disappointed. My daughter voted her tomato pasta as a 10/10, my eldest son and partner loved their signature burger meals, I had the lamb with mash and gravy which was just amazing. The only slight let down was the margarita pizza my youngest son ordered as it was a little bland, nevertheless, he ate the lot. We also had halloumi fries and onion rings which were the best! The staff were extremely friendly both times, no long waits for food, kids kept occupied with colouring and the big meadow outside to run about on. Will 100% be back as this is quickly becoming one of our favourite places.

Enjoyable family meal here today. The roast options were good and enjoyed. Burgers were juicy and cooked just right. Family get togethers taking place were a sign of everyone appreciating the welcoming approach and service from the staff.

Had drinks only. Nice venue. Definitely one for the next trip.

First time in years we have been to the restaurant and it was a very good experience. The recent refurb has much improved the restaurant. The staff were excellent and we were greeted with a warm welcome from everyone. The service was also excellent. The food was well presented and very tasty we will definitely be going again.

Above indicates the change from a good venu for a drink to a restaurant. Sad sign of the times

Great 3 course meal here with my partner, our first visit. Strongly recommend the duo of lamb and the sticky sharing platter. Barbara and her team were so welcoming and we are looking forward to coming back to visit again.

Nice restaurant. Only had drinks so cannot comment on the food. Service was ok. Venue very trendy

Ate here yesterday at lunchtime with my wife. Good food, friendly and attentive staff, relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, we will definitely return.

Pie of the day was lovely. Service was a bit slow considering they weren't very busy.

Stop off here on a whim, camping just up the road we thought would be nice to have a nice meal. They asked if we had made a reservation which we didn’t so we thought we had bummed out, but thankfully they squeezed us in. Wow, what can I say, I had the Signature burger with bacon and brisket 🤤🤤🤤 wife had the halloumi skewers which she loved and mother in law had the pie of the day again very satisfied. Service also absolutely brilliant and cost was very reasonable for such quality food. Full belly’s all round.

Cozy pub with an expansive menu.

Enjoyed a two course meal with my husband today. We were looked after by Martha who was lovely. Nothing was too much trouble for her and she was very welcoming. Other staff we encountered were also lovely. Would recommend a visit.

Absolutely amazing! Food and service great!

Made to feel very welcome on arrival. Lovely staff, very attentive. Food was very flavoursome and plenty of it. Will definitely return again.

great food and amazing service from all the team, especially Caz! thank you very much for a wonderful evening!

Very good meal but let down by very slow service, an hour and a quarter for our main and it wasn't over busy, plus the waitress gave us the bill for the adjoining table ,not a good night.

Busy lunch service, bit of a wait due to staff issue, but the new manageress was working hard and all was good - overall decent experience and nice food.

Quiet atmosphere with careful decoration and good tasting food. The service was very slow, 40 minutes waiting for our service while we saw other tables being served.

Fantastic staff and great food will definitely be coming back again.

Beautiful pub, amazing staff and lovely food, so nice we re-booked for our last night down here

Fantastic place to eat. Good food lovely atmosphere. Only 1 issue, I am not keen on dogs being allowed in the restaurant.

My tastebuds jumped over the moon. The food was delicious - pork belly with mash, gravy and veg all cooked to perfection. After a day of wandering round Hampshire, this haven with a big car park, lovely building, great decor and wonderful staff was a welcome haven. Definitely a place to try, we hope to go there again.

My prawns still had their poo in them I told the waitress who spoke to chef. The chef said they come in whole that's why they are like it. I disagree the chef should of sliced slightly to remove to poo and then close them.

Excellent food and service will definitely be back with the family. Loved it. Beautiful area too, nice outside tables

Came here today with my friend for a late Birthday roast dinner. A warm greeting and great service from all the staff. One of the best roasts we’ve ever had, everything was superb, especially the crackling. We will definitely return. Thanks Barbara for having a look at my photo book, if I get round to doing one of pubs visited in the area, the Cat & Fiddle will be in it

First time got the timing wrong but Barbara was such a great host got a lovely table food great, wine was very good value for money service was excellent really enjoyed our evening

Fascinating back story about smugglers tunnel under the fireplace. Calamari was fine but probably from frozen. Pork and scratching meal was delicious.

I came here with my friends, we ordered the charing platter, the wait for the food was a bit long bit I did not mind because the quality of food was outstanding. It was full of flavour, each dish pooping and had lovely touches. Presentation was lovely also,served hot and by a lovely waitress, helpful and polite. The atmosphere was lovely, and the establishment was clean and tidy. The washrooms tho blew my mins, so very clean, offering seated soaps and moisturiser, lovely touch. One would think yes, this is a five-star place. There is just one thing I would like to point out to the kitchen regarding the rocket salad, altho the dressing was nice I could clearly tast the salad wash, and this tells me they just opened the bag of rocket and did not was it before they dressed it. But other than that, what a lovely I shall come back to try some more food.

Very good but puzzled that I booked on Harvester Web site and it is definitely NOT a Harvester. Food and service excellent and huge improvement on original. Loved Barbara's red shoes.

Great location, between the forest and the beach, lovely old thatched pub, really friendly staff, definitely be back

Lovely Sunday roast . Decent staff . Couldn't fault it .

A well furnished food pub. Good location on main road but with large garden area and covered outdoor area. Sundays not limited to Sunday lunches but with good menu with good vegetarian option. We had turkey and triple meat lunches served with a nice selection of vegetables. Usual roast veg, mixed green veg and a good amount of moist meat. Deserts offered were a good range with a mini desert and drink option. Coffee and mini brulee for me. My wife had a generous lemon tart with cream and blueberries. Only issue, if at all, was a lack of attentive staff. Although when they arrived they were good.

Great food and staff. Really lovely atmosphere. We will be back!

An excellent Sunday roast with chef Aaron delivering a great service

Recently taken under management and freshly renovated … Delicious Beef Sunday Roast - Fabulous friendly staff - A must try for locals and people visiting the area alike. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nice family meal. Reasonably priced mains ( average £20) nice atmosphere.

Wow so impressed. Food is absolutely amazing. Service was really good. All so attentive and a great atmosphere. Will be back for a sunday roast very soon. Thank you ❤️

Beautiful summers evening spent at the Cat and Fiddle sat on the terrace with the late evening sunshine beaming in.Food is always on point and everything I have tried I have not been disappointed.The Morrocan chicken skewer with pineapple salad was tasty and fresh and perfect for a barmy evening.Barbara is super friendly and made us feel very welcome.Def be back soon

Lovely Sunday Roast with friends. 1 had lamb, 1 beef and the other pork. Huge portions, all perfectly cooked. Definitely recommend and would go back without hesitation.

On arrival, you are greeted with the stunning view of a gorgeous Thatched roof building, it's charm hooked me instantly.  I found the disabled parking easily and spotted a sweet sign saying Muddy boots and paws welcome.  There is seating outside and in.  Upon entering, I was greeted immediately by a Bar person who was preparing a round of drinks.  They smiled and said hello, another person took over that preparation and I was taken through to a table for lunch.  I hadn't pre-booked.  The table was in a wonderful airy room, bright, attractive and nicely spaced out.  There were other diners around, but we all had privacy to chat and it felt a very relaxed atmosphere.  The servers were friendly, helpful and just so lovely.  Nothing was too much trouble at all.  The food was fantastic, a huge selection to choose from, plenty for vegetarians too.  I was left with my drink in peace to peruse the menu at leisure.   Once I made my selection,  my food arrived piping hot and it was plated beautifully.  The portions are a really good size and full of amazing flavour.  I had a starter, main course and afters (they do a mini dessert with drink option, which was plenty).  I would love to go back again soon.  I cannot praise the Staff enough, every single one of them was just incredibly lovely, welcoming and smiled.  I am a very anxious person and I felt so comfortable and happy here.  Thank you all for making my visit to the lovely New Forest even more special.

Welcoming to us and our dog. Lovely food. Would come again. Thank you.

Been here three times over the past few weeks and the first two visits were great. Lovely place. Staff great and food really nice. We visited Wednesday lunchtime. The guy behind the bar was lovely and very welcoming - as was our waitress. Everything was fine until we came to pay. A young lad was dealing with this. We had a free dessert on the reward app , but he didn’t seem to understand this and kept trying to tell us ‘no you don’t get that today ‘. Instead of asking for help, he just walked off saying ‘I will leave you to sort that out!’ Never returned. We had to go up to the console to pay, where we showed the reward due to us on the app. The young lad didn’t apologise when in fact we were due £11 off our bill. We always tip. Always. This time, unfortunately, because of our experience and his attitude, we did not tip. It has put us off wanting to return, which is a shame as it is one of our local pubs. Maybe better customer service training is required. It’s not that the guy didn’t know the correct reward system on the app - it was how he handled it - poorly.

The welcome was very good, the table service was attentive but not intrusive. The soup could have been hotter, but was nice.

A gorgeous pub and the food was to die for. My wife and I had lunch there with our one year old. The staff were extremely accomodating of our needs with the little one and always greeted us with a smile. We had a chance to sit down with the joyous Land Lady Barbara and loved it when she told us some of the pubs rich history. Only a fleeting visit but would definitely go out of our way to go back again.

We had a lovely meal and the staff were very helpful

Another lovely evening meal at Cat & Fiddle...staff very supportive of my Gluten Free requirements ....

Excellent food, a little slow ,but worth it.

Had amazing meal great staff as well thank you all

Excellent pub meal, fantastic vegan options! Service was good and we enjoyed our meal.

Very nice pub great service excellent food friendly staff very clean

Such a shame as this pub is beautiful but everything let this place down. No welcome when we arrived despite place being almost empty Service took ages. Food was extremely poor. Bacon was freezing cold and very salty. Asked to swap tomatoes for extra toast & given scraps. When food came waiter said he would come back with butter and forgot. All in all very poor for price would not return.

This place is Soooo good. Yummy food. Lovely atmosphere. It’s beside a petrol station but you don’t notice it cause you’re just enjoying where you are.

We had an amazing dining experience at the Cat and Fiddle. It is such a beautiful place, steeped in history and a real hidden gem. My partner and I really enjoyed the buttermilk chicken burger and the chicken skewer with a feta salad and tortilla. The chicken was seasoned to perfection. Thanks to the friendly team and the lovely manager Barbara who gave us a history card giving great insight into the history of this wonderful place. Can't wait to go back when we are next in the area.

Lovely food, new manager Barbara is welcoming and approachable, venue is beautiful, very clean with fresh flowers on the tables, nice touch Delicious food, so good we had dessert, not bad prices and good wine list, try the sea bass worth it

Amazing pub and restaurant can't fault it absolutely spotless clean and service and food

Food was good however the puddings were very expensive at £9, the service was poor. Sat for ages to order our drinks and then again for food, took them ages to clear our plates.. atmosphere was very quiet. Not sure I would go again.

Went in a couple of weeks ago, only 2 people working front of house (1 was a manger who seemed to be actively avoiding customers). Our starters and mains had a very long wait (nearly an hour between courses) despite there being only 3 tables in. When the mains arrived 3 out of the 4 orders had mistakes, my pork belly was burnt and had a powdery texture.

Such a lovely place! Great food and Barbara was exceptionally helpful and welcoming. Will definitely be returning again soon. Thank you for a lovely afternoon

Great food and service, very enjoyable meal

Lovely place, I didn't like what I'd chosen, but that's mostly because it wasn't what I expected it to be from the menu, so it's just a matter of personal tate, really. You dont get much fir your money. Service was a bit slow but again not an issue as we weren't in a rush. We were seated by the door, which was annoying with people constantly coming in and out, and every time the door opened, you received a cold breeze. I asked between courses if we could move, and they kindly found us a warmer nicer spot to sit. I thought it was very expensive for what it was.

Outstanding food and service, even got the opportunity to stay the night in the car park in our motorhomes just outside the pub. We were served by Liv, Charlotte, Oli and Lewis with meals cooked by Matt and Aaron. Fantastic visit and amazing atmosphere. Recommend this to anyone wanting a overnight stay and good food

Stopped here for a meal on our last night in the area and we weren’t disappointed. Great meal and service, even though they were extremely busy. Shout out for Barbara who couldn’t do enough for us.

Overpriced meals but tasty. Good atmosphere delayed service.