The Golden Bowler in Fareham - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Excellent traditional British pub. Welcoming, relaxed atmosphere, great food and a nice selection of drinks. Staff are very pleasant and helpful and welcome all ages of guests. Food is high quality and well priced. Lots of seating inside and outside and very family friendly. This pub has retained its character and continues to do so. Will definitely return and would recommend to anyone.

Myself and six girlfriends had lunch (long lunch - 5 hours!) in the Golden Bowler yesterday. The food and desserts were all delicious. I had Prawn Stir Fry - the best stir fry I have had in a long long time. All of us thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Such lovely friendly staff too. Thank you for the great service.

Very impressed, Lambs liver, bacon, mash and peas for me. My partner had Hunters chicken, chips coleslaw and salad. Both meals were well presented by a friendly, approachable service team member. Thank you for a very enjoyable meal.

Four of us had Sunday lunch here for the first time just recently. Note that 5* is for something exceptional so not a score I give easily. Pros - we were with my brother and my adult son who both have special needs. We were offered a table in a quieter room at the front which was very helpful. The young waitress who served our table was very nice. Attentive and friendly but not over bearing. For the price the food was good. We ordered one king prawn tempura starter, a cheeseburger, a jacket potato with tuna, hunters chicken and a ploughman's for main courses and cherry cheesecake, apple crumble/custard and mango sorbet (loved this) for dessert. With 3 soft drinks and an apple juice the final total was £97. The coleslaw was especially good. Seemed to be made fresh and was unlike any I've had before. The ham on the ploughman's was very nice and proper baked ham. The venue was clean if a little dated. Cons Nothing major but felt the hostess seemed a little bit aloof. Maybe I'm reading too much into it but she made me felt a bit uncomfortable. The venue is clean but definitely dated. I understand given the current climate it's hard for businesses to invest in cosmetics but I think some investment would increase footfall. They could really do with a POS system. By the time we paid there were 5 tickets! One for the starter, 1 for the mains, 1 for dessert and 2 for the bar. You pay at the till but it's difficult to check that your bill is correct because of the numbers of bits of paper and the way they calculate each one separately then add them together. The food was good but the ploughman's is pretty basic. While the ham and coleslaw were very good the single pre sliced piece of cheddar was mediocre and there's a baguette but no butter for it. I'd pay a couple of ££s more for a better offering but it was ok for the price. Overview If we lived in the area I would definitely visit the Golden bowler again. There are some good midweek deals and overall I think it offers value for money.

We visited with our two friends and for all of us it was the first time for many years. The pub has a new summer menu which is very extensive but then leads one to think “is it fresh?” or just microwaved? Our friends had a chicken curry and prawn curry and were happy with their choices . My wife and I decided to try their good value menu of £20 for a main course for two. I opted for the sausage and mash and my wife chose the ham egg and chips. Sadly my sausages (3) were tasteless and my wife’s ham was very salty. We all had glasses of house red wine which we all enjoyed. 3 of us had deserts which were OK and I had a liquor coffee. The bill for each of us came to £54.80 as we split the sum involved. Overall the food was OK and the pub looks very old fashioned (the owners are trying to sell it).

An excellent meal with friendly staff and a welcoming atmosphere. We took friends from New Zealand there who thought it was an amazing place.

Appalling unless you are in God's waiting room. Waitresses grumpy. No atmosphere. Very very poor vegan options, not even a salad. And £2.50 for a soda water?!?! Friends had omelette that looked good, but just because it is an independent pub, doesn't mean it can't offer something aside from a curry (At noon? No thanks 🤢) Needs to be hauled into the 2020s as far as the menu is concerned, and the coffee! You can buy powdered oat milk now so there's no excuse!

Lovely village pub with great food and drink selection and friendly staff!

Lovely food and friendly staff will come back with some more of our friends

Brought my father here for a birthday meal after driving past for the last 3 years and saying we should try . We were surprised by the pub the real ales are ( in my dad's words like he remembers from his teens ) the food is very good large portions and well cooked the staff are attentive and friendly would recommend

Lovely food and great service. Ample parking. Could do with a rubbish bin in the outside areas.

A staple of stubbington. Staff are welcoming and the atmosphere is friendly, lovely place to sit in and relax with friends and family. Only thing letting it down is the food - never had a meal there that's really blown me away. Usually tastes almost like its been reheated or something is wrong with it. Thankfully it's quite cheap Still would recommend it if going there for a drink or a quick bite. Genuine pub with lovely staff.

12 of us for birthday meal. The GB has gone down hill meal wise. The steak was flat as a pancake and thin and chewy for thr price. Curry was tastless , liver and mash very salty ,we did mention this but it only goes back to the chef ....the evening was quite expensive and not enjoyable. We have had soom nice meals in the GB before but it will be a long time before we go back

Have not been there for a while, the food was excellent, the staff were very friendly and the service excellent. We will be going again very soon.

Really enjoyed my experience at The Golden Bowler today. The staff were police, professional and welcoming. There was a great selection and quality of food & drinks. The pub itself is a 10 minute walk from the seafront. Can think of a better beer garden to have a drink at in the summer. Overall 10/10 Food 10/10 Service 10/10 Atmosphere

Well run clean and tidy pub with Kronenbourg. The menu looked good, will go back soon.

Went in a group. Pub very noisy. Incorrect food order. Not a good meal as fish was skimpy.

A disappointing roast dinner. We had the lamb it was very tough and not particularly enjoyable the roast potatoes were barely roasted the dinner was saved by cauliflower cheese but it's probably not somewhere we'd go again to have our Sunday lunch, despite being fairly reasonably priced.

Omelette's burnt, eggshell in one and so salty. Chips awful. Service with a smile, definitely not.

A quiet traditional pub that is dog friendly, The beer is well kept and the food is well cooked and tasty. Decent seating in the pub garden, but disappointing to see no shelter. Worth paying a visit to, however, food prices above average for the fair served.

I hadn't been to the Golden Bowler for years! We had a meal and a meet up there, 5 of us old school friends and is was lovely. Traditional pub with a good range of pub food and real ales, it was perfect for our evening.

Great food,presented well,hot which is important,can't fault the standard of the food,service efficient and staff very friendly,will definitely return.

I had a meal about a week ago. The food is home cooked and it was so tasty. I am taking my friend back next time. The staff were so nice as well. well worth a visit.

We had lovely food at lunchtime. Wonderful service. Good vibe. Definitely worth a visit.

Fantastic roast and dessert, the service was extremely lovely will definitely go again

Popular local place for someone who enjoys a more relaxed atmosphere. Good choice of food and specials, along with some nice beers

Regarding the poor review by the cyclist I must strongly disagree with him. I was in the pub at the time of the altercation & I can say without doubt that the pub was indeed very busy with Christmas bookings etc, so on that count the cyclist is completely wrong. The other point he makes about the chap at the bar was being aggressive is also completely wrong as he was measured, never raised his voice or swore at any time (unlike the said cyclist & his friend). Also I think it’s fair to mention that the cyclist distinctly said that it was the sixth pub that they had been too, perhaps this had something to do with why they got aggressive & felt the need to start swearing? All in all the pub is a great place for families to come & relax with great food & friendly atmosphere.

Great place to eat, drink and be merry👍👍

Just read a review of a couple of people who thought it was ok to bring their bikes into the pub (and potentially block one of the exits) and were asked to move their bikes to the secure bike racks by the owner (sounds a reasonable request to me) but it seems they took umbrage at this request because they did not bring appropriate locking arrangements to secure their expensive bikes (bit of an oversight I would say). So they decided to give the pub a bad review based on their strange assumption that that you can take your bike into a pub (personally I have never been in a pub with internal bike racks before !). My review is to clarify that the Golden Bowler is a great pub for friendliness, food, beer and cyclists who use the appropriate securing locations for their bikes (e.g. not in the pub)

I have just had the worst experience ever in over 15 years in this area. A friend and I were having a beer after a charity bike ride and as it was dark, we walked our bikes into the empty pub. Staff were polite and we ordered a cider to unwind from the day’s activities. Some 20 minutes later, a member of the public sat at the bar, challenged my friend and I why we brought our bikes into the pub. Much to our surprise this individual continued to become aggressive; to the point I asked him what was his issue - pub was empty and he took umbrage to us bringing our bike, to the pub. We tried, to ignore this individual. Though to our dismay, the landlord approach us and said (some 30 minutes post entry into the pub) I don’t want bike is my pub. Landlord backing an unknown aggressor. The WORST pub I have ever visited and would STRONGLY recommend you give this pub a wide bearth unless you are desperate.

Excellent service lovely waitress food Excellent home from home we had Christmas Dinner it was so good every thing on the plate was cooked to perfection will definitely be returning thanks thanks for a lovely lunch. 😍

A long time since we've been in here but a warm welcome back. Especially as our grandson had flown from Australia to be with us and our Beavan family. Thank you to the staff for making it so special

Really lovely food! Great staff can't do enough for you!

Popped in for a roast with the in laws. Really good. Place was busy, but service was quick and very friendly.

Excellent service. Lots to choose from their homemade meals. Will definitely be returning. Bar needs updating. Drinks a reasonable price.

Great Sunday roast with a decent service, especially given how busy the pub was. Catered pretty well for vegetarians, including the roast which was silly tasty. Good selection of Ales and other drinks, OK price wise. Friendly staff. Heard many describe the decor as dated, which it is, however it feels like a "proper" pub and nice warm, friendly atmosphere. Also very impressed with the effort they've gone to indicate allergies on their menu.

Friendly and obliging staff, but the food is dire. The lemon cod was only just thicker than cardboard and all the plates in our party were overloaded with either chips or potatoes. Not balanced at all. It would be okay if it was cheap and cheerful, but the food is moderately expensive.

Stopped on the off chance after a beach walk with dog. Very clean pub. Great service from the young lady behind the bar and the silver haired lady who looked after us. Food was very nice too. Highly recommend. AA+ 😊

Popped in on the off chance of a table, and were very pleasantly surprised! A lovely quiet table was available and the food and service were great. I can definitely recommend the liver and bacon.

Lovely pub warm and friendly just like English pubs should be

Went here for a 90th birthday celebration, and was pleasantly suprised, great food, great service and lovely atmosphere

Fantastic Sunday lunch. Everything was delicious especially the roast potatoes yummy and plenty of them. Staff all lovely and a little hidden gem of a place to eat. If you've never been you won't be disappointed. 100 % from us .

Nachos to share for a starter was innovative, interesting and tasty. My main was rather overcooked but I would expect better on my return !

It was pretty average. Pleasant but nothing special.

Old skool pub with fantastic friendly service. We had a Sunday Roast, absolutely delicious and great value.

Excellent, great food, great staff, great service

What an absolute treasure of a well run local pub and restaurant.

Didn't eat. Lovely pub garden and friendly staff.

Very nice food! Excellent service!

Great atmosphere and with really good service apart from. Having to get your own drinks from the bar even when dining in. But, nevertheless, we gave enjoyed our visits there.

just stopped for a beer, friendly and helpful service AAA++++

The food is excellent and the staff are very friendly and helpful. And parking is good. Highly recommend anyone thinking of going there, its great.

Friendly atmosphere and good food and value for money

Just a nice place for something to eat or drink.

Had a great food , lovely service. Recommended.

Great lunches, spacious garden, quick service and good prices 🥰

We tried here for a Sunday roast, food appalling to be honest. Potato's were under cooked, veg was frozen not fresh, meat was sparse, only nice thing was the Yorkshire pudding.

As usual friendly staff good meal value for money. Unusually I opted for liver and bacon which was excellent. Some pubs seem to make liver gritty but not here.

My Wife and I visited the Bowler last night 4th May. Yet again the Food absolutely Gorgeous I had other Homemade Pie. My Had the Chicken Stir Fry. Thank you so much. Regards Alan and Trisha Lewis

Lovely meal,as always. Staff friendly. Good selection of drinks.

Good food and excellent quality

Good food and friendly staff. Some choices on the menu were not available. Nice beer.

We had a lovely Sunday lunch, freshly cooked food meat was great cannot wait to go back 😁😁

Great food, warm and friendly .

Lovely meal and excellent customer service. Would highly recommend.

We came here for Sunday lunch, food was amazing, served quickly and staff were so friendly and welcoming! Enjoyed our food and very well priced!

Really old pub. Basic food. Not up to date.

We came for mother's day lunch and had a lively day. Service was brilliant and all three courses were great.

Very friendly staff and great food

Booked in for Sunday lunch today with my husband and adult son. What a lovely place. Clean,comfortable and welcoming. The well lacquered table gleamed in the light conservatory area. Our table was tucked out of the way which normally I wouldn’t like ( cos I’m a nosey people watcher!)but it looked onto the neat garden and new furniture))and that was nice.We all ordered the roast. The meat was plentiful and good. The vegetables cooked perfectly and enough gravy so we didn’t need to ask for more as we do everywhere else. Plates were warm and food was hot. The wine was good too. Also the beer ( although they didn’t have Brains SA at this time!)I told my son that this is what pubs used to be like! The staff were very polite and kind. We also had the apple and pear crumble one with custard and mine with pouring cream (not on the menu but was provided without a problem) 2 of us has a latte which was far better than many coffee places and a lot less expensive! So I think we’ve found our go too pub! It’s only taken 30 years! And as Arnie says-“ I’ll be back!”. Thank you Golden Bowler for surviving and maintaining good old fashioned care, food and drink.

A very welcoming pub. The staff were very polite and attentive. The main courses were cooked just right, and both of our sweets were light and hot. Sensibly priced and well-presented.

Down from Aberdeen visiting family, thank you for a great meal, good service , well done to all the staff.

Great and friendly service, excelent food! Nice restaurant area.

Great night out with friends. Lovely staff who made our night go smoothly & directed our guests to our table.

Lovely atmosphere, wonderful food and great staff

Lovely friendly staff and great food. There's a good choice of gluten free food on the menu.

My mother and I had the Sunday roast yesterday. It was hot and delicious - home cooked. We are definitely going there again.

We really enjoyed our new year celebrations such dedication and true wealth of honest fun these guys are simply superb very well done to you all. A amazing night thank you Kevin and Georgie lol Andrew and Jacqueline Piggott xxx

A really superb evening great value for money and great fun these guys are so dedicated to a really proffential team. Hats off too you for such a great evening we came out of covid very low and this really lifted our spirits. Thank you for a great start to the new year. Superb food cooked on site no lorry delivered microwaved food here. The enthusiasm and warmth of reception was outstanding. Happy new year to you all . Andrew and Jacqueline Piggott x

Works Christmas lunch was lovely and staff were very helpful and friendly.

Our party of 6 had a super Christmas meal on Saturday 10th December. Soup was piping hot, loads of potatoes with the turkey dinner plus a stack of veg - particluarly liked the red cabbage with sultanas, and the Christmas pud was tasty. Wished we'd asked for more gravy - however, that was our fault. Best value Christmas meal around. Choice of house wines is impressive and keenly priced. Service was excellent and attentive - special thanks to Ella for sorting out our transport after the meal without which we would have been stuck. Only down side was the lack of taxis available during the England v France match - nothing to do with the pub.

Excellent food. Excellent service. Friendly staff, and customers. Reasonably priced. Meat raffle, bingo, and other entertainment as well as a good pint of Westons cider. Well worth a visit to this well run very clean amazing pub. !!!!!!

Great food, nice location. Once inside you feel like it's a big local country pub, not one in town. Service is excellent. Loved the draft beer.

Good family run pub. Friendly staff, good meals and a fine selection of beers.

Excellent food and value for money is one one way to describe this restaurant but also the service is good and the waitresses pleasant and efficient

Wonderful food, excellent, warm and welcoming staff.

A beautiful pub with a friendly local atmosphere. The food was very good and not too badly priced for the current climate. Service was also excellent.

Best ham and eggs bar none. Service was also first class

Nice place for a family lunch as we relived the seventies (the decor) but the menu is good and was well served and delicious.

Good range of beers, relaxed atmosphere and nice garden to enjoy a drink. Decent Sunday roast but worth booking ahead for that. Good range of real ales.

Welcoming, good food, good prices. Party of 8 well looked after.

Expansive menu and reasonable prices. Ok service. A restaurant upgrade would be of benefit.

Lovely pub, nice range of ales, going back in couple of weeks for food. The menu and prices looked great.

Nice pub lunch, friendly service and good food

We stopped here by chance for a bite to eat. Had a nice menu to choose from Staff were very friendly and made us very welcome We chose a ploughman's lunch & jacket potato with brie, bacon and cranberry. Good sized portions and food was really tasty. Would recommend

Few vegetarian choices. My husband enjoyed his macaroni cheese, but my beetroot and butternut wellington was a disappointment. There was half inch thick layer of raw pastry on the bottom. When I told the manager, I was assured that it was because the pastry was vegan. No money was taken off our bill. I will not rush back or recommend.

Great food, friendly helpfully staff

Like a scene from Cocoon, basic and clean with good service but don't expect too much from the food! Ham ploughman's was more like a deconstructed sandwich apart from you can't make a sandwich with 1 slice of bread but it was nice ham. Similar with the roast beef which was nice but everything else was mediocre and swimming in far from "rich" gravy.

The pub is ( in my view) just how a pub should be. Olde Worlde atmosphere- not a plastic facsimile- friendly staff and good range of ales. To top it all our lunch was great!

Food was lovely as always, desserts very enjoyable, every one very friendly, we always eat here as we really enjoy the food and company