The Fighting Cocks in New Forest

I'd rang in the week before the Saturday (19th Oct) lunchtime, and pre-booked a table for our party of 13, and I said we needed 2 high-chairs. (How nice it was to ring and book a table verbally, instead of booking on-line.) On the day, we arrived to find 3 tables pushed together for us, and all was good, though no high-chairs, which the staff member got sorted fast. We arrived in a bit of a disjointed way (an initial 5, then a 3, then a 5), but this caused no problem, and we had drinks on tab. Our meal experience was really very good, with good attention by all staff (at bar and at table). The food (we had main and dessert) came in good time, and it was delicious. All in our party thought their main course was excellent, being really flavoursome. I had the cottage pie, it was delightful, as was my partner's pork rump steak. Yes, prices were a couple of pounds more per plate for mains, but definitely worth it. At no time were we hurried along, or unduly hassled, and we ended up spending much of a great Saturday afternoon there. Our 7yo in the party enjoyed the wooden play apparatus outside, and I loved the Exmoor ales! Lastly, how refreshing to have no service charge automatically added, and allow customers to decide. We'd never eaten there before, but we will again!

Visited with family and had 4 lovely meals, there was a great deal to choose from food wise. 2 of us had the fish and chips which was large and well worth the money, the burger was really lovely and I had Prawn, Chorizo and Cherry Tomato linguine which came with garlic bread, again all worth the money we paid. The staff were very welcoming and friendly and we arrived before our reservation time and this was not a problem we got our table early even though it was quite busy already. Would be happy to visit here again when next in Fordingbridge.

Today I have had the worse lunch ever!! First let me explain what we had - my friend had a bowl of soup with an extra roll and I had a bacon brie and cranberry paninis and it came to just under £24.00. The soup was £7.99 and the paninis £10.95 which means the extra roll as £4.00!! Really £4 for an extra roll? The paninis - well see attached photo which is totally self explanatory. I would have expectedat least 2 wholes slices of bacon minimum, 3 would have been appropriate but chopped up bacon totalling less than one slice and let's not start on how little brie there was. To say we will not be eating there again is putting it mildly. Also, we are local which means our friends will hear about this, not like the poor visitors who will go away from our wonderful area under the impression that this is normal for the New Forest.

The only appeal is that there’s so many horses in the car park. Ordered 2 paninis and they tasted burnt. Probably would have had a better meal on a hospital ward. Please just have a picnic and go elsewhere.

friendly and good food! meatless Mondays is great! Plenty of smiles, dogs, and humans. Would go again if in region. Sticky floors and sticky tables makes a good pub!

Visited yesterday for Sunday Lunch. What can I say the staff were absolutely amazing. Queue for the bar was out of the door, even though I'm sure it was stressful, the bar staff were calm, helpful and friendly to every single customer. They were patient and efficient too, it seemed to be a very well-run bar and restaurant. Our food was gorgeous, I had nachos and roast turkey and the portions were generous and great quality. We visit every time we are in the New Forest and absolutely love it.

Family spontaneous meal. Walked up to the local pub for a drink. Welcome and friendly barmaid. We looked at the menu and decided to have our meal. Initially we thought about having a meal outside but decided against it and we ate inside. The food was good, large specials board. We were not disappointed with our meals. The pub seemed busy but the team handled it well and were friendly. Food was hot and fresh. We would recommend Thank you to the team.

Nice location, ok food but very pricey compared to other pubs nearby. If you’re looking for somewhere to stop off for a drink, cake or a sandwich it’s fine but for a meal it’s very expensive and just average quality. It is in desperate need of a refurb.

We were out and about and decided to venture to the Fighting Cocks for lunch. Very glad we did. Wasn't too busy and the service was very good. My partner had the Spicy Thai beef salad and I had fish and chips. Both dishes were excellent as was the Guinness Zero that I had.

Extremely disappointed. Ordered Nachos which cost £10.99 and it consisted of some poor quality tortilla chips with a dollop of sour cream and overly sweet salsa and a bit of cheese. A portion of Chips were very deep fried and the chicken wings were barely edible. Nearly £30 for these three snacks.

Excellent pub, VERY dog friendly. Lovely food, polite and friendly staff. I am so impressed with the service we got. We had pre booked a table, when we came in we mentioned our dog is in training so we were seated out of the way which was great. They brought over a bowl of water and gave our dog a good fuss too. When other people came in with dogs, they made sure they didn’t sit right next to us. We had such an enjoyable experience because of this. Thank you again for looking after us and our dog. If you’re in the area, please pay them a visit. If I’m honest, I don’t normally write reviews, but I thought I need to on this occasion because they were great!

We received good service on arrival and the waiter was very friendly. We received our drinks order promptly and placed our food order, after 40 mins we had to ask what had happened to our food order, The restaurant was nearly empty, we were informed that the bar area was busy, our food eventually arrived after 50 mins of waiting. The food was good and we both enjoyed our meals, when it was time to pay we were informed on how to pay for service, yea write! All we received was a verbal apology.

Went here for my granddaughters birthday. Because we were staying in sandyballs. Holiday camp. Services was great. all staff we spoke to were very nice. Meal was one of the best we have ever had when eating out can't fault it would definitely go here again.

Gorgeous food in equally gorgeous surroundings. Such a lovely menu, so much to choose from, spoilt for choice.

Popped in after a walk in the Forest. We ordered croque monsieur, mushrooms on toast and brie & cranberry baguette. The food was excellent. They were busy but service was nice and quick. Will go back again.

We tried this pub for a change as normally eat down the road. Wasn't disappointed.. so many choices. The cobbler was great.. really could tell it was homemade. Good friendly service..

3 of us plus 4 dogs stopped for a late lunch on October 17th.. Quickly served with food that hit the spot. The liver dish was definitely the pick of the 3 ...😊👍... See you again..😊😊

Visited this pub for the first time yesterday, we had a large party and the place was busy - not surprising for such a lovely October Sunday. The staff were amazing, very efficient and friendly. The food was absolutely fantastic! Be warned the portions are large 😁 but oh so good - i especially recommend the beef and ale suet pie. Just make sure you leave some room for the homemade desserts - the white chocolate and mango cheesecake was soo good! If I was a bit closer I would be back again and again, but fingers crossed we will be back next year.

My partner and I stopped by after a walk through the new forrest and fancied something lighter than a Sunday roast. So we decided on two soup of the days, a loaded nachos with beef and guacamole as well as a drink each (total £42 which seemed expensive but justifiable if nice). We tried to order a desert and we’re told to order dessert after we’d finished eating because it would be easier for them. Something my partner and I were quite taken a back with given that you have to order at the bar. The food arrived over half an hour after we ordered it having asked for a check up on where it was and to say we were disappointed was an understatement. The two soup of the days (tomato and Basil) I am 99% sure were Heinz served with a warm baguette that had melted the butter down to liquid and left it soggy and unusable. The nachos themselves had nothing fundamentally wrong with them though the ground beef (at an extra £1.50) were clearly just chucked in a pan and forgotten about for ten minutes based of how dry it was, not seasoned at all and then chucked ontop of some nachos. It’s safe to say we decided not to order desert and we will definitely not be returning.

Just moved into the area and decided to try the local restaurant for my birthday. Food and service was great. Would recommend the trio dessert - lovely having a bit of everything - it won't disappoint.

Really poor service. Very over priced. Waitresses didn't seem to care about us or whether we were ok. Weren't checked on after meals served. Glasses were empty and no further drinking requests asked. For a large bill, to not have the staff say thank you or bye was quite rude. Won't be returning.

Having read the reviews I was nervous about our meal here, but I really shouldn’t have been. The portions were generous, and the roast potato’s and Yorkshire pudding in particular were fab. Good selection of wines and ales. We are in the restaurant and it was lovely. I would say the bar area was a little run down but that didn’t affect our experience. Also had a lovely children’s play area. Would definitely return and recommend for a Sunday lunch.

Had a really nice Sunday lunch, portion size was huge, certainly worth the money. We had pork and beef, both had plenty of meat and very tasty. The staff were very good, friendly and helpful. Dog friendly. The only thing that would put me off going again is that the place was quite ‘sticky’, the furnishings were filthy, it felt like the place would benefit from a good clean and some new furniture.

To write a review about how good this pub is would take all night so ..staff ..food and location . FABULOUS!!

Had a lovely vegan curry and dessert. Food was lovely, pub was busy. Staff were polite and helpful.

Having ate here for 14 years and had many birthday parties here spending £100s of pounds at each visit . Tonight our table booked a fortnight ago was not available, put into a back room and forgotten!! Drinks ordered never arrived !! Main course ordered...

POOR AS........ DO NOT GO HERE SERVICE POOR FOOD POOR DRINKS POOR Go in and order drinks and food at the same time after being left for ages Food starts coming out no drinks to be seen. Then drinks come out all wrong Let's start...

Once again we went to our favourite pub whilst on holiday in the new forest as a family. Service and food was out of this world, very fair on pricing ( we live on South Coast so we would pay £3-4 pounds more for the...

I came here for a pit-stop to grab a quick drink whilst out and about in the Forest. There are some quite awful reviews on TA surrounding the food, but I can't comment as I didn't eat here. The menu looks good though with a...

Given the recent poor reviews I wasn’t sure how our meal would go. It was one of the best pub meals we’ve ever had . Friendly staff suggested several places for us to sit with our two dogs . Drinks were fairly priced . Meals...

We were all impressed with the food: Big portions and very tasty, although not cheap. The kids enjoyed the play-park and the place has a nice country pub feel. However the service however was comically bad. I'm happy to make the effort to do things...

Ordered a glass of Rose at £8.55 a glass as other wine was above what I would normally pay.The bar staff were having difficulty in finding it to which the man in the blue chequered shirt was shouting the cheap the cheap the cheap French...

There needs to be a facility to place a zero rating as this establishment and staff are worth nothing more. The staff were loud and inattentive too busy leaning on the bar and chatting amongst themselves, 2 of the waitresses were continually playing with their...

I’ve been in the past and it was amazing, however we came last year and staff were rude and we waited ages for food, we decided to give it the benefit of the doubt and return, well what a mistake to make, we waited 45...

We had a really lovely meal and good size portions indeed, situated in the New forest in a lovely setting, worthy of a visit.

It was a great experience. Food was fantastic and the waitres sat is by the kids play area so we could keep an eye. There was soo much food to choose from it was wonderful and the staff aimed to please

Visited with our daughter and our three grandchildren. As we expected the pub was busy but the play area and the crowd of ponies around the pub kept the children amused. We ordered from the children's menu and the main menu. The staff were friendly...

Please please go somewhere else, this pub is only busy because of the location! For starters the pub is dirty, flies flying around you while you eat your cold roast dinner. When we complained about our cold roast dinner we were sarcastically asked what we...

Some of my favourite walks surround the Fighting Cocks and once I heard it had been taken over was pleased to visit. Unfortunately nothing has improved but the prices have increased.

We had dinner twice during a stay at Sandy Balls which is just down the road from the pub. Food was excellent and staff were friendly on both visits. We were a large group on both occasions so we didn't expect fast service but we...

This pub is our local. It was taken over by a new group in January 2023. We have visited it for a meal on several occasions and each time hoped it would have improved. But no. My husband is disabled and uses an electric wheelchair....

Well what a treat and great find The Fighting Cocks is! We popped in for a drink during the week, saw the food served and decided to book for dinner Thursday! We were not disappointed! My Husband requires gluten free, usually he struggles to find...

Sad really. we used to stop off in our campervan overnight. we would have a meal for 2 and have a bottle of prosecco. Spend £50 to £60 for drinks and meals. New owners now say its not worth motorhome stops. We only visited out...

Sat outside on one of the cleanest tables we could find and even that was filthy. One table had a puddle of dogs urine underneath it and most of the others were beyond dirty with filth in between the wooden slats and cigarette butts scattered...

Ordered baguette with coke with chips and a side Order of chips Bought out the wrong baguette when they returned with the right one, the chips were stone cold - also forgot the side order of chips had to wait for a new batch to...

Disgraceful service food was burnt ask for it to be changed to be then told you will get nothing not friendly at all do not recommend keep well clear

went at lunch time,food was good ,the steak and ale pie was amazing ,pub was busy .staff were friendly ,lots of donkeys,i will be back

It is a lovely country pub set in the new forest. Surrounding the pub are the wild horses and donkeys. Beautiful to see and get up close and makes the pub unique. However, naturally there is horse manure which can attract flies. Nevertheless, it did...

Fast food, mediocre roast, loud music, smelly toilets. The staff didn’t appear to have a clue - one waitress didn’t know what beers were on offer and when I asked a simple question about the food it took three of them to get an answer....

Ordered evening meal, 6pm 20th July, the Steak Suet pie was to dry to eat, did eventually get some gravy but had no impact at all, it was already quite cold, probably been left on the side since lunch time, the Pork belly was not...

Fantastic pub in the new forest, best location to see the new forest donkeys and horses. Staff were so friendly and although the pub was busy we had great service and food came out on reasonable time. Food was so good and would recommend

Lovely country pub in the middle of the New Forest. Lovely step back in time to Olde England. We didn't dine here, but the menu is extensive with a section for everyone....vegans too. Very reasonably priced and portions look good....People on the next table were...

In a beautiful area and I have been coming for years but food is just too expensive now. I have never been anywhere that charges for fizzy water either.

Can not fault the food it was absolutely amazing and very filling, Justine our server was very attentive and friendly would highly recommend this pub to others staying in this area. You are right in the heart of the national park which is great to...

Great pub located in the New Forest, pet friendly both inside and out. Excellent staff, great food and a spacious car park, (mind the horses and donkeys).

We were staying a few night near Godshill and ate here most nights. Good range of food choices, prompt, friendly service and dog friendly. Tables inside and outside with a children's play area. Donkeys from New Forest gather outside. All our meals were between £16...

Visited twice on our trip to new forest. Both times the food was delicious and had no complaints from the group at all, expensive but I don’t mind paying it when it’s nice and everyone’s happy

Staff were lovely, and quick to serve and take orders, food was amazing and the sticky halloumi bites were wonderful. Large selections of drinks and the deserts were lush

Used to love this pub under previous owners. New owners have reduced the menu and made prices sky high! An Eton Mess was £8.49 - ridiculous! We wanted coffee before we ate. My sister asked for decaffeinated and they didn’t have any. I had a...

Having been here many times before and enjoyed it, today we were disappointed. Order took half an hour. Other customers were smoking outside whilst people were eating. Fish and chips, barely any chips, batter pasty looking. Gammon was very thin, just like thick bacon, tomatoes...

In fact we had both lunch and dinner. Service was quick and friendly, the food was a very generous portions even though we had the deli version.

First time we’ve been to this pub and unfortunately we won’t be returning. Burger buns were past their best before date (bordering stale) and my burger was lacking any lettuce or tomatoes. Burgers were very bland and at around £16 each with skinny McDonald’s size...

Decided we would try for a Sunday lunch. Great staff and a lovely meal would defo return the roast beef was amazing and being honest never ending. Sat outside afterwards to here one of the staff being spoken too badly by a tourist after she...

We booked a stay at the Sandy Balls caravan park and decided upon a walk into the New Forest with the dog. As we crossed the cattle grid into the forest the Fighting Cocks is situated at the junction of Purlieu Ln and the B3078....

Had a fabulous time at The Fighting Cocks which is now under new management - very friendly staff, excellent food & sone great local ales - will definitely be back!

I am local and always avoided this pub before. Was grotty and a tourist trap. Since the new owners have taken over I decided it was time to try again. All I can say is it’s now GREAT! It was a pleasure to see how...

We cycled to the Fighting Cocks and we’re served promptly after ordering at the bar, my fiancé had a beef burger, I had the chicken burger and the kids had sausages and chips. 2 cokes a glass of white wine (the house one is lovely!)...

We went for dinner here on 29th May, bank holiday. It was busy and we had a round of drinks before ordering food. Not everything was available on the menu which was understandable after a busy bank holiday weekend. We ordered 3 taxi driver burgers...

Oh dear!! Been using this pub for years on and off and have always loved the friendly welcome and atmosphere from the long serving landlords so hearing of their decision to give up the pub was quite a sad occasion. After hearing that the new...

We have been many times to this lovely New forest outlet for lunch , we went today for our first spring special lunch , Wow !! what a change , rude staff , very limited menu and without realising they had changed ownership/management ordered our...

We went for dinner as staying at a local Air b&b. The welcome was poor. The woman behind the bar was rude and despite sending back some half cooked chips they returned still uncooked. The woman from behind the bar took our plates we were...

We all had the baguettes at £10.99 each, the food came up hot, plenty of it I could not finish mine. Good quality ingredients, attentive staff, clean toilets. Dog friendly. Lovely location well worth a visit.

Beautiful location to observe the horses and donkeys. Lovely old fashioned pub whilst maintaining a bright airy atmosphere. Loved the food, real value for money with very friendly staff who made you feel welcome. Just pleased they managed to squeeze us in at no notice,...

Shame this pub has changed hands , use to be quick and reliable, now it’s slow and expensive!! Twice now we have been and food has been forgotten and only one meal brought out . Today my wife and son had there’s and I was...

Recently under new management - and it shows, what a great dinner at the Fighting Cocks. We were part of a large family group (no kids - just middle aged couples with elderly parents) and we were all, including our dog, made very welcome. We...

Called in at the fighting cocks for Sunday lunch as we have done many times in recent years. If im correct its under new management which then might explain why the quality of the Sunday lunch has gone downhill steeply. Off the top of my...

Possibly the best steak pie iv ever had, portion sizes were amazing and very filling. We also had a toddler with us, and the choice of meals for him was great. Again, portion size amazing, will certainly return when out that way. Staff were also...

I had one of my favourite meals, liver and bacon and boy I was not disappointed, large portion which I managed to clear after several attempts. Staff were very friendly and attentive. Would definitely recommend

We went for a spur of the moment lunch on a Wednesday. The pub was busy and had a good atmosphere. Service was excellent and friendly. Be warned! The portions are massive - don't have breakfast if you are lunching here. I had delicious steak...

We have been a couple of times since new ownership and not disappointed. Yes it is different to before……isn’t that the whole point of new ownership…… make it better and different……. So far no complaints, food was delicious, staff refreshingly very friendly, dog friendly a...

Great pub, friendly staff. It's dog friendly and there's a great kids play area. It has a good selection of ales, wines and spirits. The food is excellent but be warned it does get very busy. We would definitely come back again when we are...

Called in for very very late lunch, and they were open ! Friendly greeting good service and really good food. The new management know what they are doing.

The most amazing food, not cheap but well worth the money. Friendly staff and prompt service, would highly recommend

One of our favourite rambling pubs. Came back here for the first time since it was taken over and were completely taken aback by the pricing. We paid £12.40 for 2 pints! Not much in the way of real ale and Old Rosie cider is...

We have not been to the Fighting Cocks for a while. Because we had a meal, and it was dreadful. Roast dinner and Yorkshire Puddings, Like it had been plated up, and just reheated in the microwave. We didnot like all the menu boards around...

It started off by leaving us waiting almost an hour to be served, the roast dinners were excellent. But when we got to a member of our family that was gluten and lactose intolerance there wasn’t a lot of choice. We ordered fish and chips...

Took a friend and her young baby here for lunch on Thursday. The staff were amazing - brought a high chair for the baby without being asked and couldn't have been more accommodating. I don't usually order steak when out, because it's often tough and...

Our first visit under new ownership. The food was incredible. Yes, it was more expensive but it was definitely of a high standard. The staff were very attentive. When we were given our desserts the member of staff asked us to be careful of the...

Great place to watch the forest go by with really delicious food, lots of different foods to try couldn't be more helpful, all the staff really friendly, best to book.

Impromptu stop for a late lunch enroute home to Chichester on April 12th. It was nice to see that dogs were welcome throughout the establishment. Warmly greeted & shown to a table that allowed the 4 of us ( 2 dogs & their humans 😊)...

We’ve used this pub many times over the years and it’s been a firm favourite of ours for drinks & lunch when walking in The New Forest. With some great weather over the bank holiday we put on our walking boots and paid our first...

Many moons ago, we used to pop in here often on our trips to Southampton, and initially, always good until the time came when there seemed to be an "iffy" chef, both in quality and attitude, so the visits ceased. Wind on, and on seing...

Wonderful food and great portions. Very child friendly! Staff couldn't have been more attentive or helpful. Great vegetarian and gluten free options. Will definatly return when next in the area. Thank you

Food was good but nothing special the staff yet to find their feet. Not no where near the food choice that used to be. However the prices are huge for basic food so a family meal here is going to cost you big time. We...

Wow. New management, great menu delicious food. So glad you came. Looking forward to the same terrific food and service that we have enjoyed in your other pubs. Have recommended you to friends in the village. Great to have decent food locally.

Excellent pub. Sunday lunch and deserts were amazing. All home cooked and great value for money. Very dog friendly too. The staff were very friendly and welcoming.

It appears the pub has new owners and you can tell the difference already……. The staff are friendly, the customer service is brilliant….. I pity who employed the previous manager as he was a horrible man with no customer service at all…… the previous landlord...

Great food, great staff, great place had the beef and ale pie with veg very tasty. we will be back for more very soon.

Popped in on the way home. The steak and ale pie was amazing, packed full of tender melt in the mouth meat. Good choice of vegetarian options for my partner who choose the plant burger. Staff friendly, nice atmosphere.

We stayed at Sandy balls this week so stopped here on the way back one lunchtime. What a lovely find! The ladies working were so friendly and welcoming. Traditional pub menu and we both really enjoyed our mains, and the dessert fridge had some very...