The Goat in Test Valley

Great place to visit, excellent service, love the way the manager checks you are ok with everything in a very timely fashion. Not interrupting your meal or conversation. Good selection of beers and wines. Couldn’t recommend this place enough

Warm welcome on arrival, very pleasant friendly lady showed us to our table. Lovely waitresses with very good service. Varied menu selection for a Sunday - we had the trio of meats for our roast. Juicy chicken wrapped in bacon, tasty pork and perfectly cooked beef. Great selection of vegetables and plentiful. Gravy was ten stars! Good value too in a lovely setting. Would recommend.

Sadly nothing lower! What a disappointment. An evening of dinner and conversation with friends that hadn't seen eachother for some time. It was almost impossible to hear ourselves speak...an exceptionally loud disco going at the same time. It would have been considerate to have been warned of the party at the time of booking a table. Needless to say we won't be returning...the food wasn't great either!

Awful customer service! Extremely rude and passive aggressive landlord, to the point it upset one of the children. No apology for food missing and being extremely slow. Emailed feedback after aswell and got no response. Awful experience from start the finish. Food was extremely poor quality and not the standards it used to be by the lovely owners before hand, would not recommend this place based on this experience since it’s been taken over. Avoid.

Unfortunately we had the most disastrous Sunday lunch! It started when we had to ask for cups for water 3 times before they eventually came. We were then informed that the sausage and mash we had ordered hadn’t been put through leaving a family member without food for 25 minutes later than the rest of the party. When the sausage and mash did come there was no apology for the delay and the mash was vile. My partner then felt it would be worth telling the manager about our poor experience. He proceeded to shout at her using hand gestures which was very intimidating for her. A total disaster from start to finish with incompetent staff.

Well. We were supposed to be having a late Sunday lunch here (2.00pm), but due to illness in the group we needed to cancel and were charged £20.00 as a no-show. We cancelled about 8.00am Sunday morning. Have been advised by the restaurant that bookings are handled by a 3rd party and as we cancelled less than 24 hours before, we got charged. Lovely.

Popped in on my way home from the coast. Decided to stay hor dinner and ordered the pork belly, which was excellent. Excellent choice of beers too.

I visited the Goat for their first bike night. It is a lovely pub with nice food and friendly staff. I am looking forward to visiting them again. And they now have a pool table and gaming machine.

Top notch food & wine. Well worth a visit.

Recently changed back to the Malthouse and it looks great inside. Great selection of beers too. Haven't eaten there yet but certainly will in future

Went for a Sunday lunch and my dinner only had three tiny potatoes, thinking this must be an error I asked the waitress for a couple more and was told I would need to pay extra if I wanted more! Other guests had more so I asked the waitress to chat to the chef but chef sent me a message via the waitress saying it’s not the number of potatoes you get it is the size that matters. There was clearly an error here so I didn’t expect i would need to pay extra to get a decent amount of roasties! Eventually was given a couple more by another waitress who was as shocked as I was, but the damage had been done. £17.50 for this! Won’t be going again I’m afraid.

A short menu but all meals generous and we'll cooked. We went for Sunday lunch and we're served with copious quantities of sliced pork or beef. They have a selection of pizzas with original toppings: haven't tried them but we will be back to do so. Sweets are exclusively cold. The chocolate mousse is good and there are a miriad ice cream and sorbet flavours to choose from. Excellent service and ambience.

Great for bike nights on Mondays evenings and they have added a pool table too.

AVOID AVOID AVOID! Partner and I were looking forward to returning here after a great experience months ago when it was named The Goat. However we were extremely let down by the food. It was genuinely awful. Both had steaks, where once we’d finally managed to cut the mountain of gristle away with the lack of any steak knives provided, chewing them was like trying to fold a brick in half. The steaks could survive a week in the desert and still come out unscathed. It was like gnawing on a tree branch, only less flavourful. The service was friendly enough, but I think 5 different people serving us at different times might’ve been overkill. The atmosphere wasn’t what you’d expect on a supposedly busy Friday night. The price as well by god, they’ve kept the prices as they were before but clearly lowered the standard of food. Safe to say we won’t be back😬

Lovely staff, really attentive and friendly but thats where the compliments stop. Mackerel tasted like it was straight out the fridge and 40% of the steak was inedible due to hard fat and gristle, doesn’t help they didn’t have any steak knives… It wouldn’t have been that bad if it wasn’t £32 for a bit of cow that tasted like chewing on a door mat. Wouldn’t go back

Visited for Sunday Lunch. Received a lovely welcome. Staff very very polite and attentive. Food was fantastic. Couldn’t fault it at all. We immediately rebooked.

Friendly staff, tasty food. Pet and children felt welcome which was nice.

This should be rebranded as a restaurant, not a pub. In a pub you can go in for a drink you are not pounced on at the entrance by staff with menus you can sit where you like and if you decide to order food so be it. This was not the case with the Malthouse. Told where we could or couldn't sit, OK if tables are reserved just put a reserved sign on it, not rocket science. The beer was ok no better than that, had better Timothy Taylor's locally and cheaper. We had a light lunch which again was ok if a bit expensive, can live with that. What I can't live with is being told where I can sit, far too regimented, won't be returning, plus get rid of that awful noise coming out of the speakers, I would say music but it certainly was not that when I was there, just totally annoying.

Went to the Malthouse for the first time since changing from the Goat. And the food and service was absolutely excellent. Will definitely return.

Bike night on Mondays Food excellent Friendly staff Recommended

Visited the pub for a drink with my children, having heard it had been taken over and was family friendly, but that was far from what we experienced. The male member of staff who i beleive to be the manager is rude and aggressive and, in my opinion, should not be running a pub which welcomes children.

Service very slow, waited 40 minutes for meal. Roasts swimming in gravy which was very strong in taste. Music very loud and total rubbish, really had to shout to be heard. Disappointed, when it was The Goat it was very much better.

just a bit sterile, feels a bit yuppii like so long as i i me me have a good time phuque all other

Food is okay nothing to shout about and the prices are higher than normal so bare that in mind

Excellent lunch today Fantastic food, great service & exceptional value. I would highly recommend The Malthouse

Lovely time at the newly rebranded restaurant. Quite pricey which was a shame as we weren't quite expecting it. Friendly staff and prompt service. Good beer selection. Is more of a celebration place to attend for our family rather than a nice pub to go and have a decent meal purely due to pricing...

I went for my very first bike night. I met some very friendly people and saw lots of nice motorcycles. I'll be back soon!

I have no idea how grumpy you need to be to leave a 1 star review for this place. It has a fantastic vibe, is the kind of foody pub, with a great drink,food balance, everyone decent deserves to have within walking distance and I would love to live nearer to walk through their menu over many visits. The Mahou is cold, tasty and is one of a decent lager selection. Wine was also superb and cold…an absolute must. I had the ham,eggs and chips - boring I know but it was first class. The wife wolfed down the fish finger sandwich and we had a fantastic lunch. The atmosphere is friendly, with a relaxed vibe and the beer garden is huge and simply first class. There were only a few younger children here but there appears to be an amazing play area. The owners are clearly making a huge effort. All of the staff were super friendly and cheerful and a special shout out to Alex for the 4 amazing grades at A level and good luck and Uni big man…we look forward to seeing you in the pits at Silverstone when we can say, ‘we know him! Great waiter turned mechanic’. What can I say other than if this wasn’t a 3 hour drive I’d have my own chair by now. Great pub.

Food was lovely, service was great. However i will never return. we only had lunch for 3 people and the bill was £74. when i looked at the bill £8 of this was the service charge that no one had mentioned. I always leave a tip but i dont like being told to leave a tip. I made them remove it and on this occasion i never left a tip and that has unusual for me. sorry but i will not return if they are trying to rip people off. I should not be asked for a tip and certainly should not be told how much.

Really good roast, loved the beef. Good service, friendly people and a nice atmosphere. Great for kids, lots of stuff to do. Fin (10yrs old)

It's now changed hands and called The Malthouse. We went for Sunday lunch, we've been many times in the past and it was good. Positives, staff friendly and helpful, food was good and well prepared. Negatives, very noisy, music very loud, seemed very busy and noisy which made it difficult to talk easily. It appears to have gone for families much more, so is noisy, also dogs allowed in restaurant but didn't seem to have own area.... Overall it has disappointed us, not sure about going back.

Should really be a clean slate for reviews as the pub has completely changed under new ownership, name and all. The Goat was previously aiming to be an upmarket gastro pub type of place. It's a totally different proposition now, with DJ & biker nights, live sports on TV and a different menu etc.

Lovely looking pub, lots of outside tables, but no outside service. £7.50 for a dismal sausage or bacon bap. Machine coffee with no non-dairy alternative.

Came on yesterday morning for coffee and cars it was a nice atmosphere lots of cars we really enjoyed it the marshals outside and staff inside were friendly although they were a little overwhelmed with the coffee requests they were doing there best and we look forward to coming back 👍

We visited the Malthouse today which has recently changed hands and name. The service and food were outstanding and I would highly recommend the Sunday lunch, it was delicious and the most tasty Sunday Lunch that I have ever experienced In a pub. Will definitely be returning very soon.

The Goat WAS amazing now since the management takeover it’s lost its edge on food , service by changing what was a super successful business into a cheap Wetherspoons version. Won’t be going again - what a shame!! Top it all now called Malthouse which is awful!

Quick stop between deliveries. Lovely staff, large car park, good selection of food on the menu but only had time for a packet of crisps, orange juice and a coffee. Hopefully have more time on my next visit.

Amazing food and service, my first time visiting will not be the last, the owner and chef are both amazing hosts

This place is beautifully styled, and the food was lovely. The atmosphere was fresh, bright, and relaxed. Even the restrooms were spotless and well-designed. The dishes were served with great care, and the chef did an excellent job with each one. This place is worth visiting, and I'm happy we chose it.

First time there since the new ownership. The menu is lacking in quality vegetarian and vegan options for adults - and has NOTHING for kids. We asked for some flexibility but there was none - suggesting the meals aren't cooked fresh. Not much atmosphere. My Wine was warm. My chicken burger was not great. 3 stars is generous.

As a family we used to love the Goat but not after our experience today. The restaurant was booked for a family group of 14 via telephone for our granddaughters birthday. We phoned today to check everything was OK only to find they had cancelled our booking. The Manager was extremely rude and said they don’t take bookings over the phone even though the maximum you can book online is 6 and for numbers over this they say call! We have a very disappointed young lady and needless to say we certainly will never be using the Goat again while this management team is running it.

First time visit, very friendly welcome

A phrase to strike terror in the hearts of returning regulars... We need not have worried. Same Chef, same Menu. Excellent service from the delightful Justyna. Three of us had the Steak & Ale Pie, two the Calves Liver and one Trout. All beautifully presented, delicious and sensibly sized portions. To follow Triple Chocolate Brownies seem to win the vote. Lemon Posset, also brilliant and not too heavy. Coffees, Americano and Macciato. We will return. Hayling Seagoon

The place is nicely decorated. The menus offer quite good choices although we preferred the lunchtime menu to the evening menu. The evening menu seemed a bit prissy, as if they are trying to be a gastro-pub, but they definitely are not! The service was a little slow but the most disappointing part is the (French?) bar tender who brings your drinks to your table and then lifts them with his fingers around the rim of the glass. He even did this with the wine glasses!! 😳 Surely it is common sense not to lift glasses in this way, let alone part of the basic training when you start working behind a bar? People do not want to put their lips on the area that has been touched by someone else. It’s very unprofessional. Our overall experience was ‘ok’ but there are much better pubs around Romsey.

Excellent friendly professional service, we were late for dinner, said we would gratefully accept what was left available, the chef kindly offered the full menu, which was excellent with puddings for afters, washed down with some local ale.

A great cosy pub serving higher-end food; expect higher prices as a result but it was definitely worth it.

1st time we visited Travelled from Sunningdale in Surrey Will be revisiting again Thanks Andre

Spotless. Great feel about the place. Excellent lunch, not over- priced and fast service. Really friendly staff. Dog friendly out and in. Good quality WiFi. Ample parking. Best int for miles around. So.., totally recommended.

Walk in on a Sunday and was accommodated very easily. Sunday roast was lovely (it is not often my husband clears his plate - but he did here) staff are very polite and professional. Will definitely be back for goatfest

BEWARE - A pleasant pub with good food but quite pricey AND then a stealth addition of an "optional" 12.5% service charge - without any warning or permission.... apparently its put on automatically to prevent embarrassment 😳 😱🙈

Arrived and they had booked us in for evening meal despite the confirmation said lunch. Were told the menu on the web site was being changed the following day so therefore there was no Fish and Chips of other dishes we had picked from the web - a very poor choice remained and very expensive for what you got. Manager (new) didn't seem to care.

Really nice friendly staff not massively busy so didn't have to wait to be served or get food. We stopped in a for a bite to eat on the bank holiday and was plenty of choice available.

We often go here, it's our local and never disappoints as a rule. However today (Sunday) I was a little surprised and disappointed. I ordered fish and chips and the batter on the fish was overcooked and far too crisp, the fish was lovely. The chips were not good, completely overcooked and tasteless, unlike the usual ones they serve up. My wife asked for her proscesso as usual to be told they didn't have any and offered a carva which she didn't like. Service was friendly and very good as always. I hope the new management don't let things slip, this was always a good and reliable pub.

Meal was very nice staff friendly

Good, well priced food in a pleasant surroundings.

Dreadful and will never go again. We went for a family birthday lunch arriving a few minutes before our table was ready to be told the oven had no,gas? We did not believe them we guessed the chef didn’t turn up.

Delicious food and the most wonderful team of people, all so friendly and helpful.

Drove past and thought we’d give it a try as it had been a few years since we visited to what was the Malthouse back in the day. We thought it would be good to eat outside so l went inside and ordered a couple of drinks, my wife carried on through to the garden and asked the lady in charge if we could have a parasol as it was warm and sunny, the lady promptly told her that they have ‘some coming’ so we found the only bit of shade that the premises had. The food came out quickly and was ok. Not long before we finished it looked like a couple arrived which seemed to be known by the hosts, and everyone seemed to be making a fuss over them, anyway they plonked themselves out in the sun and immediately the hosts brought out parasols! Ok maybe we are not that important, but don’t lie to us, as our money is exactly the same value as theirs. Won’t be returning. I don’t normally write poor reviews as l like to see the positives in most things, but l felt the need for this one.

Called in without booking for a last minute Sunday lunch. Staff very helpful in finding us a table, and roast meal a delight. Service extremely efficient and courteous. Particular mention and thanks to Keisha our server, whose attitude, friendliness and smile made the visit so pleasant. Would definitely visit again.

Food, service amazing, along with a very friendly atmosphere.

It was our first time at the goat and everything was going okay. The staff seemed polite and the food was good so everyone was having a nice time. We ordered another round of drinks and settled the bill no problem. Then all of a sudden, a manager comes charged over to the table telling us they were actually closed and starts throwing our water in our glasses back into the jug and clearing the table while we were all still sat there. There was no 15 min warning nor any last call for drinks and she was very abrupt and rude. Its shame because it’s a lovely building but safe to say i won’t be going back there again

The goat is hidden gem we just stopped for quick drink from driving back home and we were offered a menu so we deicided to eat . i had the chicken mushrooms and it was so creamy and delicous and my parents had steak and ale pie which was proper pie !! . the waitresses were so attenvie and friendly . we definetly will be there again !! we booked for sunday lunch and we exicted to see what thats like !

Had been to The Goat a few weeks ago and had a lovely meal so suggested it to my 5 girlfriends for a birthday celebration lunch. I ordered the flame grilled chicken bacon and smashed avocado open sandwich as did one of my friends. It came with chips (which were tasty!) but just over halfway through the chicken I noticed it wasn’t cooked through (my friend actually thought I had prawns as was so pink!) (I am a very competent cook myself) so called a waitress over. She then said she would have to speak to her manager. A little while passed and then the owner (who I have seen before and been to his past restaurants) came over…lent over me and questioned if I had a problem with his food…I explained that the chicken wasn’t cooked and he disagreed…was very dismissive..was told the food was always temperature checked…didn’t apologise…didn’t offer anything else but said don’t worry I’ve taken it off the bill!! That wasn’t my intention but to point out that my chicken wasn’t cooked!!! He wasn’t interested apart from informing me that I wouldn’t be ill! He then walked off!!! My girlfriends and I were very shocked by his condescending and rude behaviour..,we won’t be back!

Good Sunday lunch, quick service, staff are attentive.

The staff were all friendly and attentive and the roast dinner was the best one I’ve had at a pub! Can’t wait to go back again.

Arrived table was double booked Front of house was more interested in his lap top Food was chewer than an old sock The staff wasn’t interested when we complained Wouldn’t recommend to go there

Nice pub with good food and friendly service.

We visited today for a Sunday roast , the meat was delicious and tender and beautifully presented , a large bowl of fresh vegetables including cauliflower cheese and extra roast potatoes which were perfectly cooked, and oh my the richest gravy iv ever encountered it was delicious, Absolutely amazing thank you was definitely worth the hour drive to meet up with family

Exceptional. Great welcome . Brilliant staff. Exceptional food. Fairly priced. Spotlessly clean. I can't think of one thing ilthat wasn't great here. We eat out a lot and this place was Exceptional in many ways . Will be going there again very soon.

Fab food and brill service - Emily was super welcoming and really made our evening - she looked after us so well we were sorry to say goodbye

Great food ,Not cheap but fantastic quality produce hence price

Under new management has had a complete overhaul. The menu is extensive and the food is excellent. Very friendly staff.

The pub was shut and no warning given to anyone who made a reservation.

I would not recommend this restaurant. We booked a table about a month before for a birthday celebration with family and when we arrived they said they had no gas! So couldn’t cook. Well they have two great big gas cylinders in the grounds so I think they were telling porkies. Do they not have electric as back up? We think the chef didn’t turn up so they couldn’t be bothered. They turned other guests away too. They couldn’t offer any alternative. Oh but they did want us to go in and buy drinks …..well no we didn’t. They said they phoned but not until ten minutes before our table and there were no missed calls, which is one of the good things about mobile phones. We’ve been before and food below par. This was their second chance and they blew it.

Nourish bowl salad tasty and filling, and children's pizza option generous (I assume it was also tasty because my son wouldn't share any of it).

Excellent Guinness, food and service and dog friendly!

Booked a table for 14 people, pub said they would call me back for a pre order and deposit. This did not happen because they have wrote my number down wrong and on the day they cancelled our table and when we arrived the owner older man was so rude and arrogant. Did not listen at all and turned us away for a special occasion. I am 37 weeks pregnant and did not expect him to talk to me in the way he did and he has really upset our party of people. Would NOT recommend anyone to visit. Such an extremely rude man, I would understand if we couldn’t be seat for whatever reason however he spoke to me in such a rude way I am so upset. This needs to stop!

First visit. This is such a lovely pub and the Roast was possibly the best I've ever had. I wish it was closer so that I could go more often.

I had the most amazing roast here today. One of the best I've ever had. My first visit as its quite a drive, but well worth it. A gorgeous pub. 😍

We were very disappointed with our main meal and our puddings the 2 x beef roast dinners were undercooked and the gravy was watery we were there for a family celebration and did not want to complain and cause a fuss this represented poor value for money

Excellent roast dinner, really good quality. Food came out hot, the beef was perfectly cooked. Yummy desert too! Thank you

This is the best pub I have been to in a long time! Three of us plus a small dog popped-in for lunch today, after visiting a nearby National Trust property. We were warmly-welcomed into the clean, modern, yet cosy dining room and shown to our table. The waitresses were very pleasant and the service was great. The food was also delicious, good in quality yet fairly priced. We will definitely return!

Deliciously hot food, and top marks for cleanliness . The apple crumble was not just apple but included other fruits, was simply delicious. Thank you to all at The Goat.

We booked the table for four, as we had to cancel our Christmas booking due to illness. I then booked a table for January Sunday 6th for lunch. The other couple had to cancel due to a family matter, My partner and myself kept the booking and we had a thoroughly enjoyable lunch. I had the Chicken Roast and my partner the Salad Bowl.Follwed by a declious desert Service was prompt and staff were friendly and professional. We will definitely be back.

Good pub food at reasonable prices.

Perfectly scrumptious fish & chip lunch. Great wine selection. Good service, especially from Marie. Thanks guys.

We arranged a 40th birthday meal at the goat for my son who lives nearby, We drove from Essex and arrived early to decorate our table, we were 5 adults one a wheelchair user and 6 children under 10, the staff went above and beyond and catered for all needs and requests without hesitation, the food was exceptional and everyone had a great time Thank you so much

A beautiful stylish pub, with top notch food, my meal was simply perfect and I would highly recommend it. I had the sea food tagliatelle, and the family had the belly pork and rated that highly too, the service was great, and friendly, the atmosphere was lovely and welcoming, decor was clean and stylish yet traditional looking, and the Christmas decorations were beautiful too. A really lovely evening which I would happily repeat more often.

We booked the snug and had pizza. Seems to be becoming a new family tradition for us.

There were 4 of us for a slightly early Christmas celebration. We all ate from the Christmas menu. The Christmas Dinner was tasty, well cooked and piping hot. We had different desserts and all of them were well presented and delicious. The staff were excellent being friendly and efficient. The tables had festive decor and crackers. There is a good selection of wine. We had a lovely evening and will definitely visit again in early 2024.

We were due to have an evening meal, but as we have covid, we are not able to go. We have phoned 73 hours before the booking to cancel, and requested our £20 deposit. The front of house manager refused to refund the deposit, stating that the deposit was non refundable (which we were unaware of). We felt that hs tone was very rude and demeaning, and not at all empathetic. We will not be going to this establishment, after this experience.

Arrived without a booking, we got a table. Only wanted a light lunch. No where to sit and just have a drink, need to be seated at table. Choice of drinks very good and staff very friendly. Very relaxing environment. We had a light lunch and it was very nice. Would be a lovely place to go in warmer weather as well as has a lovely outside space.

Went in Saturday evening. Cold night. Sat in the top area as only having a drink. Nicely decorated with a lovely woodburner....which wasnt lit. So went to Bear and ragged who had a lovely fire going on a cold November night.

Lovely afternoon there although they seemed keen to get rid of us! Maybe we weren't drinking enough!!

Great staff,polite well presented food great love it

A gem of a place!!! Food was amazing 😍 and staff were attentive...ambience perfect and a great place for friends to meet. The owner is also a gem!! Polite friendly and working amongst staff which was lovely to see

Very good service and dilcious food. We had very juicy Sunday roast chicken with cryspy potatoes and teasty gravy Highly recommended.

Table of 12 friends and family birthday celebration. We was asked to pre order to help the chefs this was no problem at all for us , the food was delicious ,hot food ,hot plates. Dessert that we had were lovely, fair prices and amazing...

Nice pub, attentive, friendly staff. Website menu is out of date, as in prices are higher when you get to the pub. Superfood salad was a bit of a mush, and not much in the added topping of chicken. Other menu choices were good. The...

Dinner with partner and friends on a Friday evening. Quite busy but not packed, nicely decorated inside. Drinks ordered quickly taken (decent Stowford Press cider on draft). Interesting menu, we skipped starters and went straight to mains - all were very good, only minor issue...