The Cowherds in Southampton

Nice and friendly bunch working here, tasty Sunday roast albeit a little bit pricey. Definitely recommend.

had a lovely walk and roast today, food was LUSH! pork belly, beef and turkey literally so tender - and we all know how easy it is to overcook those three lol. Luke was excellent, on the ball, just a great customer experience!

Great service from Luke and fab food. Highly recommend.

I visited The Cowherds a couple of days ago, and as someone who had never properly been to a pub/restaurant setting like this—much less alone—I felt a bit timid at the start. I asked a bar member a few questions and was met with a superbly kind tone and informative answers. I was then guided to the seated restaurant area, where my server, Lexi, showed me to my table and provided a menu. From the outset, the service was excellent, accompanied by a warm welcome. As aforementioned, this was my first proper visit to a pub restaurant like this, and I wasn’t sure what to order. I asked for suggestions and truly appreciated the receptiveness and assistance in choosing. I ordered the Chicken Liver, Apple & Cider Brandy Pate served with hedgerow chutney and toasted ciabatta. Following the recommendation, I opted for the Slow-Cooked Pork Belly, served with a pulled pork & apple bon bon, creamy chive mash, green beans, and crackling, all accompanied by a red wine jus and a side of fries. Along with the meal, I had 2 pints of beer. Admittedly, I asked quite a few questions of the waitress, but she answered them all very well, seemed extremely well-informed, and was happy to help. Throughout my time at The Cowherds, Lexi was very attentive, ensuring that I had all I needed. I also observed her serving other customers in a phenomenal manner, adjusting to their specific needs and requests, while ensuring each table was satisfied. The food arrived in a reasonable time; the plates and food were served hot, with presentation and taste being impeccable. I chose to follow up with a mango, raspberry, and coconut milk sorbet, which, again, was excellent. Overall, I found the experience to be outstanding and will most definitely be returning, bringing friends along with me. Although the food may be somewhat pricey, I believe the quality and overall experience more than justifies it. As someone who has worked in service and restaurants a fair bit, I must say that Lexi was amazing and truly made the experience all the better.

Went for Sunday lunch. Will not have it again, roast potatoes were not roasted some veg was like rock and others were stodgy, meat was ok but a bit cold. Must say I have had other meals and they have been fine. Will go again but not for Sunday lunch.

First time enjoying a Sunday roast here and the service was lovely from our waitress Leonor as she was very hospitable and made sure we had everything we needed. We would definitely come again to enjoy the food here.

Will like to start with the bar staff and service staff done the best they could. Think they where understaff or there was little management on Saturday night. The amount of broken glass that night was a bit extreme. We order on the app for me and my partner. We were a part of 5. 2 drinks turn up and 5 mins later mine and my partner turn up. We had to ask about the other pint that never turn up. My burger turn up with a different ticket and my partner never turn up u till 10 mins later. I order the special burger and paid 50p more for the better chips. Think half mine got lost and next to no mayo on top. My partner chicken was cold. One other burger turn up that look like it been dropped and his partners meal never show up until we ask at the bar. Between the first meal and the last it took over 20mins. The price you charge I expect a better service. I do think you should employ some more staff as the one need some support.

Food and service were amazing. Terry served us and was so so helpful, nothing was too much trouble. Highly recommend Cowherds as a family friendly pub.

We waited 2 and a half hours for our mains to arrive

Very dissapointed. Waiting a long time at the bar to order drinks, where we were not permitted to order drinks instead ushered to our table where we were ignored. Ordered through the app, drinks took around 30 minutes to arrive, food almost an hour. When it did arrive one meal was entirely missing as were the sides. The meals which did come out, one looked like it had been thrown together, and one was stone cold. Went to the bar to enquire about the missing meal as the 4 meals which did arrive took over 20 minutes from the first meal to the 4th to come out, the 5th meal eventually arrived after asked about this, but sides were missing. No condiments available, no cutlery available this was anotjer trip to the bar to ask about, no pudding menus available dispite the main food menu prompting us to view the pudding menu. The staff were polite but it appeared very poorly managed. No one appeared to know what they were doing, the almost constant soumd of things being dropped and broken rang through the place. Very dissapointed indeed

We were served Liv... She was fabulous... We don't need to ask for anything... Great service and amazing Sunday roast. Will come again

Very good food, everyone enjoyed it. Took a while as they were busy, but well worth the wait.

Food was tasty atmosphere was fab and Luke our server was great, friendly and attentive.

Very welcoming and great service. Thanks to Luke and Tabi for their hospitality.

We came at the end of a really busy day amd we still received excellent service and delicious food. Dog treats and water available so our small pooch was made welcome too.

Everyone so friendly.. Dog Friendly in the bar end. Advised to book weekends .. Lovely Meal. Great service. Was served by Sophie.

10/10!! We ordered a roast dinner and couldn’t fault it. Yorkshire puddings and gravy packed deeper so no sogginess, piping hot, huge portion of meat. It was all so full of flavour. Would definitely order again.

Luke are server was very good and our food came out quickly so that was nice . Was attentive and asked if we needed more drinks when are glass were empty . Good food as well so would happily come again

I love the historic old pub, adjacent to the Common. The food was excellent as usual. Service was a little slow but only because they are so popular. Liv and Leonor who served us were lovely and took the initiative to provide a high chair for our baby without being asked.

We had a meal here with friends served brilliantly by Keira. It was all tasty and nicely prepared. A great place to stop for a meal. Easy parking off the busy Avenue and adjoins the Common. Top job!

Kieran was brilliant! Amazing food and service - would definitely recommend.

It was very busy tonight and we were warned food may take longer than usual. Appreciated the heads up and Luke our waiter wad a gem. He clearly stood out amongst the staff.

I have only visited the bar section of this restaurant and haven’t explored the food, so this review is strictly about the bar experience. The place has a great whisky collection, but the service was disappointing. I visited on a Friday night and ordered some expensive whiskies, expecting a proper experience. However, the bartender served them without telling us which was which, which was frustrating. Since it was my first time there, I didn’t want to make a fuss, so we just guessed and drank them. I had put in a lot of effort researching places with good whisky, asking around on Reddit, and finally settled on this spot—only to be let down by the service. I was hosting a gathering with friends, and this experience left me feeling embarrassed. I didn’t want to start an argument or have a passive-aggressive conversation with the bartender with my guests around, so I let it slide. For the second round, I even asked a friend to place the order instead, just to avoid dealing with the same issue again.

As usual a great meal with a special friend

I’ve been here a few times and the food is always so good. Just had such a delicious Sunday roast. Staff are lovely, we had Leonor who was very friendly serving us. Will happily come again :)

We had a fabulous meal at the Cowherds (Sunday roast)… great food and excellent service (thank you Leonor) Would recommend.

Leonor was such a great server! Had an amazing time. Not giving a 5 star review because there were a lot of stuff in the menu that weren’t available

Superb Sunday dinner. Food very good. Service was excellent. Everything was delicious. Accept blue light cards for a 10 % discount too.

We booked a table several days before travelling down to visit our son at uni. That afternoon checked the emails and had a message that table was cancelled for no reason. Went online and rebooked. Staff not very welcoming, no greeting, table not ready. Had to order at bar and pay up front which was annoying when you want another drink mid meal. Food came out in 2 lots a few minutes apart. Heard good reviews but unconvinced and won’t go back.

Weekend lunch with our son and his girlfriend who are at Uni here. Keirah served us and was great. Food is good and very good value. Limited salad selection but the one they had was nice. Menu otherwise is extensive. Garlic prawns excellent, the skewers were excellent. Doom Bar bitter was well kept. Nothing at all to complain about. Has a huge park next to it for dog walking.

Lovely food and excellent service as always. Served by Luke this time, thank you!

Best pub we go, we go at least once or twice a week for the long islands and the guiness. I recommend a lot.

The bartender Jade was so so lovely

I come here every week with friends and LOVE it. lovely staff lovely drinks and food good location.

Service is great, food amazing! Lovely atmosphere.

It was so cosy after our cold walk. We loved the menu allowing us to have a Sunday roast or a good variety of other menu choices. All the food was excellent quality and Luke our server was really friendly and helpful. We couldn’t have asked for better service. We only wish you had rooms to rent too as we visit frequently to visit our son at university. We will definitely return and couldn’t recommend the pub/restaurant more highly.

Food was perfectly cooked, staff was friendly and served with a smile and the atmosphere was cosy. Didn't get to sit close to a fireplace so maybe next time 😊

Really lovely food, such friendly staff, really enjoyable Sunday lunch!

Great food and service from Tabi. Highly recommend

Really impressed with the quality of food in this place, the quality is consistently a cut above usual pub food and the service is good too.

Totally disappointed with our Valentines meal. We were so looking forward to our meal as the set menu looked amazing. However we were told that our choice of food was not available as it had run out!! Not really acceptable to run out of meal choices when the menu was so limited. It was very busy and the table service was very slow waiting at least 15 minutes for drinks and having to remind our server. All in all really disappointing

Agnes was an absolute pleasure, very grateful for her hosting and the food was delicious!!

The the rump skewer was delicious! And the atmosphere was really nice. Luke was our server, and he was kind and gave us really good recommendations!

Lovely lovely food although there was a bit of a wait. Luke was incredible, recommending food and checking everything was ok 👍

We had a lovely meal at The Cowherds. Our waiter Luke was very friendly and made sure everything was okay with our food and drinks throughout. The only thing was that we were waiting for our puddings for quite a while but Luke made sure to apologise for the wait multiple times! Highly recommend :)

It’s a really nice pub, whether you’re looking for a stop at the end of a dog walk or a meal. The food and service are generally very good. We were served by Luke today and he was excellent all round. As others have said, the toilets let the place down and could do with a lot of TLC.

Went to The Cowherds for a Sunday roast. Warm welcome, but that's as good as it got. Just under an hour for our meal to arrive. We were informed that this was due to them being busy, but this was a lie, the waitress put our order in incorrectly. When the food arrived the beef was so fatty that I couldn't eat any of it. Due to the wait my kids and wife were past hungry and left the majority of their meals. I informed a gentleman that I guess was working there and his response was like that he didn't care. Then when we went to the bar to pay we were asked if we wanted to leave a tip, no we don't. The only tip I will give is to people to avoid. There are much better places for a Sunday lunch than this overpriced pub.

It's not the cheapest and certainly not the most expensive. So far, the food has been better than just ok. So that's saying something these days.

Warm, welcoming, service was friendly, welcoming and attentive by all the staff especially Luke our waiter.

The skewers were fresh and delicious and pricing really good. It was a beautiful pub and dog friendly. However the pork belly was overcooked and served with butter knives, so my granddad found it difficult to cut. The female bathrooms were also really run down, and there wasn’t even a lock on the stall.

We went last night for a family dinner. Typical place with suggestive dishes, Luca very attentive and precious when consulting the menu.

Should of written this review awhile ago as my family had a Boxing Day meal here and it was absolutely amazing from the starters the mains to the desserts. I had the duck which was absolutely delicious could go on forever 👌The staff were brilliant atmosphere was great will definitely be returning 👍

Good food and excellent service, also pretty good value

Great food, served super hot despite how busy they were, and lots of it at a reasonable price. The real stand out though was our server Gemma who was really attentive (without being overbearing) and really friendly and helpful. You could tell she loves her job, which she also confirmed. Better service than I’ve had in much pricier places. Not been to the Cowherds for years but after that experience I will be back! Thanks again Gemma!

Bit of a chain pub, but great location.

Visited for an early lunch before an appointment. Seated by a cheerful team who took our order and delivered drinks. As the restaurant filled up and no food arrived we had to chase the staff after 45 minutes. They had to ask what we had ordered... Clearly the order had not got to the kitchen and was then rushed through. The result was disappointing not just in the time we waited but in the quality of the food. Obviously a popular pub but based on this experience, I would not bother to go again

Over the years this pub has gone up and down in its food quality but currently someone is doing something very right! The food was excellent, we had the trio roast and some desserts with tea and everything was plentiful and delicious. Clearly management and the chef mixed with excellent engaging wait staff like Warwick have got the right idea. Long may it continue! 3 of us with drinks, mains, desserts and tea was around £100 which is great value too. The location is lovely, roaring fire on a blustery day in a beautiful setting. (oh and we weren't given a time to "give our table back" - little details go a long way!) 👌

This was a birthday meal out. the menu was varied and delicious. Really enjoyed the ambience, with fires burning and soft lighting. perfect for the occasion.

Dog friendly but not to everyone taste.

Lovely food, lovely service, and really nice surroundings.

Milo thought it was a great place to have lunch with the family. Thank you Aaron for the great service!!!!

Lovely roast beef dinner. Excellent service by Aaron. Fully booked but he was very attentive and the kitchen also efficient at getting the food done. Very happy customers.

Food seems to have gone downhill in terms of quality but up in terms of price. Service quite slow but friendly

We came here for Sunday lunch and the food is always reallt good. The service was very good and Aaron, our server, was attentive and helpful. We always book because it does get quite busy. It's a really warm and cosy atmosphere.

Polite staff but refused to serve food outside.

We booked for 7 pm and did not leave till 10.30 as the food was so slow. Every course took an age, my father is a diabetic and this caused a lot of problems, It's Such a shame we have visited this restaurant on many occasions as well as others in the chain and never had such an issue before. The serving staff did their best (although it was his last shift and you will miss him!) don't think we will be going again in the near future.

amazing vibe good food and good drinks.

Good breakfasts. Great atmosphere.

We had a 50th birthday party here, The management was very helpful with all are requests. We have been here before and it was great no problems with are meal where happy to come again, but on 10/1/2025 this occasion we were gluten and would suggest if you are coeliac or are gluten intolerance best avoided at busy times.

The aspect of my visit to The Cowherds I was most impressed by was the warm and convivial atmosphere , felt very comfortable and at home whilst dining there 😊

Delicious food in comfortable pub with welcoming and efficient staff.

Great service and brilliant food. Thanks to Luke who served us.

Went on the Festive Dog walk hosted by Harry. Lots of people turned out and we had a lovely walk around the common. Went back for coffee and a mince pie and the pub. Harry was friendly and attentive. Nice to meet fellow doggy people! 😊

We had the office christmas lunch here. The service was excellent considering how busy they were. The food was perfectly prepared and cooked.

Hi I have to say Gemma made our experience at the cowherds a very special memorie,my son has autism and can get quite anxious when going out for food,but Gemma was instantly so kind and helpful,the food was spot on,everything was in the right place. It's a beautiful place to take family,right next to the common ,so you can walk those extra pounds of before or after your meal.Many thanks to all at the Cowherds,especially Gemma x

Gemma was very friendly and good with the children for our post Christmas family gathering.

Excellent service by Ray who is an asset to The Cowherds. Food was perfect as always. Highly recommend

Roy did an excellent job serving our table. The food was good and flow between the courses was good will be back next year …………………..

Boxing Day evening meal, a great atmosphere with lovely food and a good vibe too, very good.

Definitely worth the money for an amazing roast

After Christmas day 2023 being fantastic we booked for this Christmas day 2024.wish we hadn't as not very good , Starters brilliant but awful main courses. Potatoes and parsnips were hard and microwave not a crispy bit insight.beef wellingtons dry and pastry soft and sprouts not even showed a pan of water,rock hard .and cabbage couple of slices ..desserts were lovely. Unfortunately not on par enough for the money and won't want to bo again for 2025 .sorry. round of drinks offered from host .

The staff were so helpful,the food was great, also a great atmosphere.

Fantastic food here! Bit pricey but worth it. Had a particular lovely server. Was one of the managers called Harry. Very polite, patient and attentive service from him, particularly with my lactose intolerant sister.

Spent Xmas day at cowherds Lisa and staff really went the extra mile had a wonderful meal atmosphere was great looking forward to going back

First time eating out on Christmas Day. Very impressed, food lovely and service was very tentative never had empty glasses or plates left on table. Would definitely come again.

Brilliant table service . Very friendly and efficient even though it was extremely busy Food was delicious

Fantastic food and service, madecour xmas day

Good 22nd December visit. Very good. 2024 this time as always.

Excellent , efficient friendly service by Gemma Good was absolutely delicious Arrived with no delay Lovely atmosphere even though very busy on Christmas Eve

Great place for breakfast fast.

We had a great Christmas Eve lunch today at the Cowherds. There was a good choice of food particularly for me as a vegetarian and the quality didn’t disappoint. The staff were attentive and friendly, the atmosphere relaxed and friendly.

Superb food. Very pleasant service. Lots of choice. I'd highly recommend

Lovely place, great food, great service.

Fab warm and welcoming environment. We will be back.

Staff was Freindly and our Waitress was helpful looked after us well and kind. Was really Meal. Starters were and Pudding was nice. I was impressed with other starter and Cheesecake should of had that. Pork belly was really nice. One thing Is that was expecting Caramelised Mini Apple pie with it. Would of been perfect but there 2 Festive menus saying different things and wasn't clear enough. The Apple was cold and it didn't really go with the dish. Wasn't impressed but dish itself i enjoyed it and tasted good. Was impressed with the Festive Turkey Never seen a good Festive Turkey like that before. Thanks for having us 🙏. Will happy to come back again.

Lovely location, friendly staff and good value for money overall.

The service was incredible and the food was amazing. Gemma was so welcoming and engaging, especially with my 4 year old which made us all feel so welcome. 10/10 would recommend.

Great atmosphere, ample parking. Went here for Sunday Lunch. Would recommend. Good portions and tasty food. Our waitress Gemma was very attentive and friendly 👍 Would recommend - great menu choices.

Fantastic place, only shame was some starter options were sold out at only 6pm.

Always a great service and food, thank you Gemma, staff and the chefs!