The King Alfred in Winchester

The King Alfred offers a very relaxed atmosphere and we have always found the service to be exceptionally good. This visit, we particularly enjoyed the sardines on toast, beef and ale pie, cod and the spicy apple pudding. As a bonus, on that Monday evening, there was a jazz band playing. 🙂

Lovely atmosphere. A family and dog friendly pub. Close enough to the city center but in a quiet residential area. Amazing food too ! A cosy pub in the winter. Lots of outdoor seats so must be nice in the summer too

Owing to a mixup with a booking we thought we had elsewhere, we booked the King Alfred on the day. We had no preconceptions but were delighted that we followed the crowd forming outside at opening time. Roasts all round - all outstanding. Perfect roast potatoes, enormous Yorkshire pudding and a pile of nicely cooked veg. So glad we found this place. Staff & service lovely, reasonably priced. Good selection of ales. Would definitely return.

Great pub . Staff were really friendly and helpful. Great food ( we had pie of the day , which were hand made , fresh and delicious ) Great and interesting selection of beers )warm and welcoming atmosphere. I wish I lived closer .

Great asparagus starter, crap chicken burger main. It was like a kids meal - 3 pieces of overcooked, flavourless chicken nuggets in a brioche bun with ketchup. Service fine till 9.30pm on this Saturday night. Then we were the only table left indoors, and staff were jangling cutlery around like they were setting up a breakfast service and after a long wait we asked to see the dessert menu. Decided on coffees instead. Apparently they don’t do espressos as they only have cafetières. Really??? I’d go back because the pub itself is lovely and the rose wine was good, but I’d struggle to get excited by the main courses and choose something reliably good. Pies good apparently but beef burgers and chicken burgers not so.

Siamo stati ieri a pranzo in questo pub dove abbiamo anche preso una stanza per la notte. Il pub è molto bello e la sala ristorante è arredata con estremo buon gusto; c'è la possibilità di consumare i pasti sia all'interno sia nel fresco giardino posto sul retro. Abbiamo ordinato il classico fish and chips, ma il pesce in questo caso non era il solito merluzzo bensì il più polposo e gustoso hake (nasello). Fritto benissimo con un contorno di patate non surgelate e un pure di piselli aromatizzato alla menta. Il tutto accompagnato da due freschissime guinness. Un'ottima premessa al breve soggiorno a Winchester.

Lovely friendly traditional "back street" pub with lovely decor, friendly staff and very good choice of food and drinks. The service was excellent with a smile and the wait for food wasn't too long. If back here in Winchester, would not hesitate to book again.

Pleasant pub a 10-15 minute stroll out of town and hence more of a local. As a tourist we find it friendly and welcoming. Nicely furnished, if a little eclectic and comfartable. Very popular for meals so would advise booking.

We stayed and ate here. Would definitely recommend. Excellent room, meal and staff. Stay here, you won’t regret it!

Overall I enjoy The King Alfred in Winchester and find myself going back. The food sometimes is hit or miss, depending on what you order. Recently I have enjoyed the quinoa salad, the falafel salad and the Chalk stream trout, but was unimpressive with the cheddar/chutney sandwich that had shredded cheese instead of thin slices and not enough chutney, £7.50. The spiced falafel & green salad bowl consisted of broad beans, spinach, wild garlic, buck wheat, honey/ mustard dressing, £13.50. The curried quinoa & vegetable salad included delicious grilled halloumi, £13.50 The Chalk Stream Trout, samphire ( a seasonal delicacy) , sautéed potatoes, teeny tiny brown shrimp & chive cream, £17.50 was tasty. Service is average, a 10% service fee is added automatically to your bill. Vegetarian and gluten free options are clearly marked.

Booked a table in order to meet friends for lunch. Nice comfortable pub. Nice choice of food. Not rushed to get out even though very busy. Slightly off main thoroughfare for general tourist visit (I felt) but well worth seeking out. Certainly worth booking ahead if you can. Nice choice of food for a lunchtime meal.

Food is ok although I don't think you can go too far wrong with ham and eggs. Had several beers and had to ask each time for them to be topped up, had about an inch of throth. (We're not in Germany) the last time I asked the bartender to top them up he did with a massive attitude and almost threw the beers at me before stomping off in a huf! I mentioned this to the host whilst passing and apparently I'm the only person in 20 years of this pub to ever ask for a proper pint. Her attitude was that I should just suck it up as they are allowed 5% froth. . When going to pay the bill we (a group of 7) the pub doesn't accept cash? They also added 10% staff tax to the bill. Why do they add this extra charge? Do they not pay their staff minimum wage and have to top it up with tips or is it just a money making scam, the latter I expect. So to sum it up, poor pints, bar man with attitude of death, stroppy host, no cash taken and their own income tax of 10%

Great friendly local pub with some real ales and serving good food. Worth the 10 minute walk from the town centre.

We went for lunch on Saturday. Nice cosy atmosphere. Food was average. The only thing that brought it down was how slow the service was! I understand it was Saturday lunch time, but they could really do with an extra few pairs of hands in there. We had to wait ages before we were even offered a drink,and then our food took so long to come out. We would have had an extra drink and pudding, but feared we might have been there all night if we had ordered! Not even an apology from anyone about the wait for service or the wait for food. Wouldn't hurry back.

My brother in law died recently and as he used to attend The King Alfred with his college friends in the '70s we thought it would be a good venue in which to hold a memorial for him. From start to finish landlady Ali was very helpful and prompt to respond to my sometimes odd questions! We were able to have sole use of the side room and WiFi with a Zoom link up so a friend from Australia could attend remotely. From the tea, coffee and water on arrival to the large and very tasty buffet when we were finished, The King Alfred made an otherwise difficult time enjoyable. Every member of staff was friendly and polite and bent over backwards to help. As a result everything ran very smoothly, and was very reasonably priced as well. I would definitely recommend the pub. There was a wide selection of drinks too, and having eaten there the previous week I can vouch for the food being consistently delicious. I am very grateful to Ali and her team!

The food is reasonably priced, and most importantly, for me at least, the food came hot. I had the half rack of ribs which was packed with more meat than you sometimes get at other restaurants on a full rack. my wife had the fish, we were both very well fed by the end.

We attended the King Alfred yesterday afternoon (Sunday) with family and some friends.What an absolute shambles with service and attitude!The place appeared to be running on students who didn’t seem to have a clue and were clearly missing leadership.Customer service and customer interaction training needs to be addressed.I witnessed a male staff member ‘having a go’ at a customer. He began his interaction by shouting ‘Oi mate!’ and continued inan extremely aggressive manner.Appalling!Food was OK. I’ve had better at a more reasonable price.It was my first time at the King Alfred and think I’ll give it a miss if ever in Winchester again.

What a wonderful find in Winchester - a nice leafy walk from the river in the centre of town. The outdoor setting is sheltered with large umbrellas, a marquee, a well-established garden and a cool play area for children which looks well maintained and clean. Indoors this pub has a cosy ambience with vintage furniture finds and smooshy cushions adding to the comfort level I think I'm used to. I can only imagine how great this place must be in winter with the fire going!Even though the sun was shining yesterday we found ourselves hankering for a hearty Sunday lunch which is exactly what we got! Add to that a few glasses of wine served by lovely staff who were extremely friendly with our party made our day quite the outing. Yes it was busy but from what I can gather everywhere in Winchester is on a Sunday, so my advice is to definitely book in advance if you can.All that said, I was somewhat surprised to read the negative review below as by sheer coincidence we were lunching here yesterday at around the same time. I feel compelled to say that the reason the staff member was upset was because someone was attempting to change their baby's nappy on one of the tables! Ugh how gross! Perhaps the reviewer below was not in a position to see what was happening but we did and in these times of COVID and germ transmission this is completely unacceptable - especially when there are baby changing facilities in the pub which are pristinely clean! I feel the staff member had every right to say something about this as personally I would not want to eat off a table if a baby's nappy had been changed on it - even after cleaning!. And yes I have children :)

Food was just about average/acceptable for adults, but kids burgers were shocking. The kids burgers consisted of half a burger patty, an oversized, poor quality bun, no spread on the rolls and no garnish. When extra ketchup was requested it was of a different product, than in the sachets, and wasn’t as nice in our opinion. Why would a pub do that? The gammon with the gammon, egg and chips wasn’t bad, but wasn’t as good as I’ve had elsewhere. Table decorations in the marquee consisted of half dead pot plants, what were they thinking? I hope they can improve their food offering, and pay a bit more attention to their table decorations as the venue itself looks good.

Lovely French rose wine, fabulous IPA, food quality was on point. The beet salad appetizer was exceptional, the cheese dollops on the beetroot literally melted in my mouth. The rib plate was solid, not the best ribs I have ever had but tasty. The corn on the cob was fresh, the coleslaw was small and had far too much mayo in it for my taste…the chips/fries….far too good.Atmosphere inside was lovely, there is a large garden in the back with outdoor seating. We appreciated the fresh air and distances of tables due to Covid.Service was scattered as they were busy.

Visited with a group of friends for Sunday lunch. The service was extremely slow - we waited over an hour for our meals and heard similar complaints from near by tables. The food is expensive but the portion sizes were reasonably large. Most of our meals were of average quality however the nut roast was fridge-temperature cold in the middle and inedible. We weren’t asked how our food was and there wasn’t a staff member in sight to mention this to until they came to collect our plates some time later. We mentioned it at this point and the waiter responded that he would tell the chef, without an apology or offer of discount. Wouldn’t visit again.

This is a great local with a lovely garden, and is very busy serving food. However, they allow people to put their dogs not only on the seats but also the tables! So you can wipe your hands as much as you like but could still be served food where a dogs backside has been?

This looks and feels like a traditional English pub, the staff are friendly and made us feel very welcome. I didn’t eat here, but will definitely do so next time as the food coming from the kitchen looked very appetising and watching Simone mixing the drinks I think this is probably an amazing place to have cocktails!

Went round to the King Alf this evening for a Tier 2 “substantial meal” and drinks. It felt so good to be back in a pub again and to enjoy some expertly cooked food and good beer. The dark ambience and laid back atmosphere combined with great service made this a really enjoyable meal out. I’ve give this place 10 out 5 if I could.

Went for a cheeky lunch on thursday with the family my other half had vegan curry she said it was delicious I went for the burger which again was delicious and our son went for the pasta which he thought was great the service was very good and all for very reasonable prices I will definitely be returning.

Managed to get a table on a busy Sunday, we were welcomed by really enthusiastic staff who explained the new layout of the restaurant and how best to stay safe. The place was really clean and well managed. We had the most amazing roast with all the trimmings whilst sat in the garden. Service was outstanding! Can't wait to go back.

Loved this place. You can book on-line which is great. Covid-19 safety well dealt with with one way systems, sanitised tables, disposable menus etc. Food really tasty too.

Fantastic food and drinks. Great menu options. Top quality food with good sized portions. Very friendly, welcoming and helpful staff. Excellent COVID precautions in place. Plenty of seating space outside with private areas. The best we have found in Winchester! Will be going back again. Highly recommended!

We had a lovely meal there on Friday night. It was so nice to be back doing something normal after lockdown was lifted. They had worked so hard to make it safe. I hope everyone comes out and supports their local it would be a tradgedy if places like this were lost.

Had lunch in this place the lady behind the bar was very friendly and the food we had was very good washed down with an excellent pint of Abbott

The staff were very nice. Books and art everywhere. Which was nice but made the pub a little cluttered. The cider is Stoford Press (very good). The staff were pleasant and engaging.

I love all sorts of food but sometimes you just want good hearty grub... and this place delivers!I’ve never been here before and I’m staying In Winchester whilst on a training event for a few days but what a find this place is!A great cosy pub, with great beer and if you’re after proper pub grub, then you won’t go wrong.I had one of their Pies with Chips and at the age of 50 it was possibly one of the best I’ve ever had. You really can tell when someone makes an effort these guys do!

This is a cracking pub with a lovely atmosphere and great food. We're only occasional visitors to Winchester and we were lucky enough to have this place recommended to us. It's located about a 10-15 minute walk from the city centre in an older residential area of Winchester which gives it a true neighbourhood pub feel.. The internal decor and furnishings are really attractive, in a kind of shabby-chic style, and the staff were friendly and welcoming. There is a varied menu of traditional pub food, to include a number of veggie options, with prices typically £12-£15 for a main course. Our group had a selection of burgers, pie and good old fish 'n' chips and it was all delicious (and plenty of chips which isn't always the case). A choice of three cask ales on the bar just finish things off perfectly. There is plenty of seating available through 3 rooms. Parking is only on street.

This is a proper old fashioned pub a few minutes walk out of the city. It has a great homely feel about it and is a bit quirky. Watch out for the uneven floor. On the night I was there the bar staff were excellent. Really friendly but professional. I had the steak and ale pie which was really good plus a few pints of a local gold ale. They had a few hand pull beers on tap plus some of your standards. Would recommend if in the area.

This is a great little pub, with an almost 'village community' feel too it. Great internal decor, plenty of things to look at and inspect, including books, pictures and assorted items. Lovely atmosphere and friendly and welcoming staff. Good selection of beers, ales, lagers and ciders...probably average prices for Winchester.Plenty of seating, both inside and outside with the addition of a small, but very relaxing garden, play area.Free WiFi, 2 hours free parking in immediate vicinity, but I believe they have other parking solutions available for their hotel guests?Slightly too many dogs from my personal perspective, but that's just me.Recommended.

Great family Sunday lunch here - delicious veggie roast and our daughter could play on the climbing frame. Lovely friendly atmosphere.

We just had a two night stay here. Excellent welcome, very friendly staff, great atmosphere, easy parking, lovely gardens, clean well equipped and very well priced room,delicious food, great beer and wine - all just as we love. Not a single thing to say against it! We would definitely love to stay over again without a doubt! Thanks to all the staff!

A lovely pub and garden for a drink but the food has gone down hill recently in a big way. The pub has a small menu so can’t see why it is so difficult to make what it does have so terrible.Today I had a ploughman’s which consisted of 3 slices of dry bread and 3 tiny wedges of cheese, a small ramekin of pickled vegetables. That was £12 ..... no salad....no pickle...no apple....no coleslaw.....literally nothing else.£12.

This is a really nice pub with a lovely atmosphere. Have been for a drink here several times, and recommended it to friends. The food however is not very good. Poor quality and not very well cooked. Each time I have eaten here I have been disappointed which is a shame as it is a great local pub.

A cosy pub with friendly, helpful staff. Service was, nevertheless, slow - even for a Sunday lunchtime.

I was recommended the King Alfred by a good friend and was not disappointed. I’m a fan of The Little Pub Group so had a good idea what to expect. Lovely pub! Nicely laid out, very cosy and great roast! The service was also very good which i think is even more important

Stayed here for the night before the start of our South Downs Walk - lovely 'period' room, great hosts and super evening meal. Central Winchester is just a short walk away - will certainly visit again.

Its a bit of a hike from town, but the food is delicious, and the staff are lovely. Highly recommended!

Fabulous food, great vegetarian options including a great nut roast for Sunday lunch and the best, most cheerful and helpful service. Been visiting here for three years and although the hosts have changed the food continues to impress. Short walk from town to a quiet treed environ with terrific beer garden.

The King Alfred is only a 10-12 minute walk from the centre of Winchester, yet the area is very quiet and laid back. The interior of the pub is appealing, with lots of different spaces, all nicely furnished and there is a large and shady garden. The staff are extremely polite and helpful and the loos are clean and nice to use.

Located more in a residential area of Winchester and well off the tourist track. I only know the pub because relatives live on Monks Road. Had a drink in here before setting off into the city. Good looking pub inside.

Very hot evening so ate in garden and stayed till 10.45. It was very dark with little or no lighting in our area of the garden. However the food was good and indoors looked very cosy for winter evenings.

Really cosy pub with a lovely restaurant area. Food was excellent, staff were very friendly and cider was great!

Rund um gut. Moderne britische Küche, gemütlicher Pub, aufmerksamer Service und Vogelgezwitscher beim Aufwachen :-)

Wir hatten auf gut Glück auch den Aufenthalt im angeschlossenen Hotel gebucht. Wir haben es nicht bereut und warne sehr zufrieden. Wir haben hier zwei mal gegessen und wir waren beide Male mit allem sehr zufrieden. Das Personal ist nett aber sehr zurückhaltend. Die Einrichtung ist stilvoll und die Auswahl an Bieren lädt ein einige Pints zu heben.

Great Pub, great beer and a really nice room. The location was excellent, walking distance from all the best Winchester sights. Staff were all friendly and attentive. I would recommend this pub to anyone for drinks and dinner or an overnight stay.

We stayed here for a night this weekend so that we could attend the annual Winchester Hat Fair. We arrived around 9.30am as we were unsure what the parking would be like, especially on a weekend which was bound to be hugely busy.

Came on a night when the bar staff were very busy as there was a football match on so didn't get much attention at the bar. However the food was very good and was served quickly by a very friendly waiter who we later found out was named Dag (Dan?). Although they do not offer table service, we still felt he looked after us well and, despite us not watching the game and sitting outside, we were never hurried along. Will definately return (maybe not when England are playing) for the friendly service.

Been twice this week and it’s been great and relaxing every time, we all had food nothing complicated but nice and good value , will definitely be back .

This is my local pub. Massively improved since it reopened under new management a year or two ago. A good mix of local boozer, comunity hub, decent pub food and rooms. Very friendly and competent staff, one of the best beer gardens in Winchester.

A hidden treasure in the suberbs of the city.

We know that the King Alfred is very popular for Sunday lunch but we thought we’d take our chances today when we decided to go out for an impromptu lunch.

This is a local pub which sells food. I regularly (monthly meet here) with friends for a drink or to eat. However twice recently I have been asked to leave before normal pub closing. Both times we were the last in the pub. So last orders were called at 10 and we were asked to leave at 10.30! The pub shut then. This is frustrating as you expect to stay til at least 11 or 11.15. People will not go if they cannot stay for regular pub hours. There are busy nights and quiet nights so financially it evens out surely. Sorry may not return

Well presented pub just at the end of Monks Road, The King Alfred is a well established pub and is great to have a few beers in. Pleasing interior.

We had a table for eight (four adults and four kids) for a Sunday afternoon. Two of us had just run the Winchester half marathon so we were super hungry.

Popped into Mitchells local pub for a couple of pints, quirky local pub, with an eclectic range of furniture and nic nacs around the place. The staff were lovely and gave a great welcome, a decent pint of Guinness and a great range of real ales. a vast range of different spirits as well. I thought the prices were a bit expensive, but my son assures me that they are average for Winchester. Unfortunately we missed food service but from what we saw looked very nice. Again prices in line with other places in Winchester Comfortable level of background music and bar billiards. Toilets nice and clean, but as with every where in Winchester, parking can be a pain. Would use again. Thank you for a pleasant evening

Just a quick visit for a cup of tea and for my daughter to have a play on the climbing frame. Staff were pleasant and the interior cosy. A chipped tea pot doesn't bother me as you should expect some wear and tear but there was old crusty milk marks on the milk jug and the cup hadn't been washed properly.

Decided to give the King Alfred another chance but all the things we didn't like on our last visit still stand. Most importantly they still don't open the front door and make access for anyone with mobility issues very difficult.

I've eaten several times at The King Alfred when visiting Winchester and cannot recommend it highly enough. Lovely garden for alfresco dining & delicious bar snacks as well as full menu for lunch/dinner. We popped in for one of their 'sharing platters' & had hot melting camembert flavoured with garlic & rosemary with crusty french bread & it was utterly delicious - can't wait to repeat the experience!

Me preguntó si el King Alfred acogerá un retiro temprano no para mí. Esperaba alrededor de 30 personas. No estaba seguro de que volvería a comer o cuánto tiempo personas para así que necesitaba ser flexible!

Visitamos aquí para una cena temprano durante una reciente estancia en Winchester. Escondido en una zona residencial, cerca del río estilo, es una maravilla de familia pub que sirve una estupenda comida. Bendecida con un clima bueno nos sentamos y tuvimos nuestra cena en el jardín. Puedo recomendar gin sorbete de remolacha curado truchas y de arranque! Servicio amable y relajado. Gracias.

Llegamos al pub King alfred el viernes por la tarde y me recibió con una sonrisa amable, nos registramos sin ningún problema y me enseñaron a nuestra habitación.

Welcomed as soon as we got there by the manageress even though the pub was busy. Room was beautiful and the staff helpful and friendly. Wish we could have stayed longer but will be back soon. Thank you so much :-)

Went in to have a look after returning from Cyprus. Not my taste full of old funture saw manager who I new who said was not happy with last reviewe and told me to vote with my feet which after I gave back my pint did. Thank god we have pubs in Winchester town that can stand being criticised.

This used to be a family pub, but since it has been taken over by new management it is certainly not now. We booked for four adults and two 20 month olds (which we made clear when booking). It was obvious that the woman in charge was not happy with the toddlers running up and down. Now we were not letting them run a-mock we were watching and following, in all the years we have frequented this pub, this has never been a problem. However, the lady in charge came over to make it clear, via a passive aggressive exchange with the toddlers, that they were to be seen and not heard. We felt so uncomfortable afterwards that we left without pudding or after dinner drinks. The same lady also had a go at a member of staff in front of us and then later apologised to this member of staff, also in front of us. We eat out at least two times a week in Winchester and over the country and the world in fact and this is the most uncomfortable we have ever been made to feel with our child. It's not the pub it was in terms of being family friendly and I would not recommend for those with children under 6. If they don't want us there, they really should say! We will not return.

Called in for lunch on Friday. Broccoli and Stilton soup subtly flavoured, Mackerel pate a bit ordinary, but the Venison! Husband had venison pie: (£16) Hot water pastry, lovely chunks of venison, mushrooms, nice gravy, with mash on top. No sign of soggy pastry, served with roasted veg. I had the loin of venison on lentils with cabbage.(£16) It was a generous portion and absolutely perfect. Tender, well aged, full of flavour and beautifully cooked. I asked for chips and they were to die for. Chunky, fluffy in the middle, crisp on the outside, just out of the fryer and very hot!and (I think) dusted with polenta - best I've ever had. The wine list looked great, but we are on the wagon for lent. Treacle tart sticky and almost toffee-ish. The staff were friendly, and it was good to see such a mix of locals. Pensioners for the cheap lunch (£12), several Mums with babies and toddlers, men for business lunch in the back. They will have a big garden soon with barbecues for the summer. Parking a bit tricky_ a few 2 hour slots outside, and yellow lines for the weekends, but you might be better parking at the leisure centre and then walking along the stream to Saxon Road.

Although i have lived just outside Winchester for many years & have driven past the end of Saxon Road on numerous occasions, I didn't know The King Alfred was there! We lunched outside "on the street" in glorious warm sun for mid March and watched the world go by! Both of us had venison - one was pulled venison in a bap with chips & mine was loin of venison. Both were excellent - well seasoned, extremely tender and just melted in the mouth. Great service & excellent value - to be repeated!

We have visited the King Alf many times over the years as we live nearby. The recent takeover by the Little Pub Group has certainly brought about some improvements but it isn't all good.The very large TV screens showing sporting events have gone and with them the rowdy viewers. The pub does seem to have turned into much more of a family gathering place along the lines of the Corner House (part of the same group). The back bar areas are now VERY dark and although it is nice to have candles it would be nice to actually be able to see. The place has been crammed full of stuff to give it atmosphere but it isn't organic and developed over years, it is just stuff bought from somewhere like 'Pub Atmosphere Ltd.' and doesn't really say anything about the type of place that it is.The food was fine and if anything the portions rather too large. I'd rather have smaller portions and go back to the £5.00 type menu.The central front door has been blocked off and is now only a fire escape. This means that everyone has to enter via a corner double door up two very uneven steps. The doors are heavy and this certainly isn't accessible for anyone with mobility issues. Coupled with the fact that the place is crammed full of furniture too makes me wonder how anyone in a wheelchair would navigate the place.The staff were sweet and helpful, but it does now feel like a 'managed' pub rather than a local. Not sure what their plans are for the garden. This was always a particularly good pub for families and friends in the summer.

Ate here last night. It has got a lively ambience about the place, with muted lighting and lots of candles and comfy chairs. Nicely decorated and feels like it has character. Only negative is that there was no scrumpy cider, just that fizzy rubbish. So opted for wine instead which was okay. Also ate here. Not many vegan options, but several vegetarian options. I opted for three of the starters/tapas which they do as a main or sharer platter with extra bread and dips for about £10. Good value for money and they tasted good. Although the marinated tofu was a bit odd and I wouldn't get that one again. Would return again as it seems like the kind of place that changes their menus regularly. And it was such a relaxing chilled out venue. So glad they've got rid of the tv screens like previous reviews have moaned about. Wouldn't have been in here if it had been like that still.

This is literally at the end of my road but I never used to go there - beer not that well kept and a rubbish atmosphere, as the place was dominated by TVs and blokes watching them silently. It has now changed hands and is massively improved. Beer much better, including Black Sheep on tap. They had some good gin and whisky as well. The place also looks much less tired and had a far better atmosphere. My kids (8, 6 and 3) had a very warm welcome and the food was good (I especially enjoyed the whitebait). What was a fairly mediocre pub is now a good one.

We received a warm and friendly welcome when we arrived. Staff are helpful and friendly. We managed to park outside and they give you a parking permit. Our room was clean, newly decorated and very comfortable. The bar area is very pleasant and the food served was very good. We ate here both nights of our stay. It is a 15 minute walk into Winchester. The Christmas market in Winchester was festive with lots of crafts and food etc.

Excellent in every way. The whole evening was extremely well organised. The service was great - efficient, very friendly, cheerful and nothing was too much trouble. My husband said it was the best pub meal he had ever had. There were welcome drinks, a disco, midnight drinks - and sparklers - an nice touch. Thoroughly recommend. Only point for me and that is a very personal pov, was the décor - too heavy and dark.

We stayed at The King Alfred last weekend. We had a very comfortable room and as it was very busy in Winchester we were unable to find a table for dinner on Friday evening. We should not have worried as TKA looked after us and we had a wonderful evening meal. We had breakfast on both mornings at The Corner House again excellent food. I cannot recommend TKA enough - we've stayed in Winchester many times before - this has to be the best yet - well done and thanks for a great weekend.

We visited on a Saturday night, to meet up with some friends, and arrived to a very friendly welcome by the helpful staff. It was pleasing to see some very understated decorations this close to Christmas, and some real music in the background rather than tacky Christmas songs!There were only 3 real ales on but the one brewed for the pub was reasonably well kept and very drinkable. The waitress taking our order was helpful and pointed out that we could, in effect, get a free extra starter by ordering the sharer option. The starters were tasty, although I had to wait for mine due to a communication mix up with the kitchen, although this was handled very professionally. The mains were also very tasty - the pie of the day, which both my wife and I chose, was delicious and very filling, so much so that we couldn't be tempted by the puddings, so we can't comment on that.There is a small wine list - we had the Rioja which was a little on the pricy side but very nice.The lighting produces a nice ambience but is rubbish for reading the menu by - maybe torches should be provided for diners of a certain age?!?All in all we enjoyed our visit - great ambience, friendly & helpful staff, good food and reasonable prices. We will be back.

In July This year I wrote a somewhat scathing review of a Sunday lunch at this establishment that we never received! Having heard that Jane is now in charge we decided that a return visit should be attempted, which we did today and am delighted we did! Service was excellent from start to finish, as was the food (which we did receive in perfect time!) , and what's more police were not even called....ha!!! Thank you King Alfred, well and truly redeemed, well done Jane, Ali and your team, S, T, P, and N xx

Para todo aquél hispanohablante que quiera disfrutar de este lugar, buen trato y comida excelente, he disfrutado de unos platos deliciosos y un ambiente cálido, 100% recomendado

This pub is now under new management. It has had a major refurb and is comfortable and cosy. It's a good place for morning coffee and/or to meet your friends. No more big screens! The staff are pleasant and helpful.But they are let down by the food. It's traditional pub food, badly cooked. For instance, there is far too much mashed potato in the fish pie, about twice as much spud as filling. The other pies have soggy pastry, and the Sunday lunch wasn't as good as my home cooking. I like traditional pub food, but it has to be well-cooked.

I have been visiting this pub and its lovely restaurant for over ten years along with my family who frequent it weekly. I has served us well with great long term employed staff, great food wonderful menu choices and a lovely warm and inviting atmosphere so as I travelled from Wiltshire to visit my family for a pre-christmas meal I had no hesitation in booking the KA.Wrapping up warm against for the stroll to the KA nearing we heard the unexpected noise of drunks cheering and basically behaving badly. When we opened the door to the KA the noise was deafening. We made our way round the round to our table, always being given a good table to find that the new owners had made changes to the layout and we were put out to grass at a table directly by the back door and the ladies toilet! We asked to be moved but there was a large party dinning and so this was not possible! So we sat down keeping our coats on because of constant opening and shutting of the back door to the smoking area. We then suffered a large guy drunk as a skunk coming through the back door crashing into our table! Wonderful. We wanted a pleasant evening of good food and conversation. We couldn't really hear ourselves talk due to table placement, a constant stream of traffic to the back door and loo was off putting and left us cold eating our meals with our coats and scarf on. The food to be fair was reasonable if limited by choice and only one vegee option of Chef's choice!! The staff were attentive and apologetic. If you want to eat in peace and hear yourself think go in the lunch hour. The change is not good for us. we have relocated to the Bishop on the Bridge in the high street! Much better on every count! KA would turning in his grave.

Visited on Saturday lunchtime as a family, big group of 11 ageing from 14 to 90. Haven't visited the King Alfred for a couple of years and after hearing it had changed hands and been refurbished, was looking forward to going.No obvious disabled access for my elderly Grandad but a lovely staff member was incredibly helpful, even assisting him up the steps and taking care of the wheelchair. We were given just the right amount of attention by the staff, leaving us alone to chat but checking often enough if we needed anything.I know from experience myself how confusing it can be taking the order of a large table but everything was correct and came out at the same time.Everyone had 3 courses and there were no complaints, we were told as soon as we sat down what they had run out of.I had falafel and salad to start and then fish and chips. (chips were cooked to perfection!)Toilets were clean and well looked after.I can't comment on the value due to another family member paying.Overall a lovely atmosphere, looks brilliant after the refurb.We'll definitely be returning.

We chose from the £12 for two courses menu, excellent choices and well cooked food with good sized portions! Lovely friendly staff too, a real treat just a short walk from the City centre....you will not be disappointed! I loved the decor although a little dark during the day, really loved the shelving with all the beautiful books!

We arrived as the builders moved in . But we still had an excellent stay and the breakfast at the corner house was superb . When the refurb was complete it was not my sort of pub , but I liked it and the team were superb great fun we thourghly enjoyed our stay . Even when I got locked out at 11pm Jane turned out to let me in & it was my fault .we wish them every success

The pub looks great after the refurbishment, really cosy and welcoming.The staff were excellent. I love the changes made to the top area, it would be great for a private party. We stopped for lunch and had two courses for £12. Both courses were excellent, I had a veggie pie which was lovely and then sticky toffee pudding which was also good. It was excellent value for money. It sounds like the new owner has some interesting plans for the outside space as well so really looking forward to that as the pub is a favourite spot in the summer when able to sit outside etc. We will definitely be back, very pleased the pub has remained family friendly but also perfect for drinks in the evening with friends etc.

Lovely relaxed atmosphere, good service and an amazing rib-eye steak! Staff were warm and welcoming.

Have waited for years for someone who knows pubs and food to take over at The King Alfred. Finally, Jane is now at the helm and what a wonderful difference that has made. We have eaten here 3 times in the past 10 days and all meals were excellent. There are delicious burgers and steak, but my favourite was the stone bass with cider jus.There is obviously a talented chef in the kitchen as the sauce was superb. Pleased to see an excellent selection of wines by the glass as well as very good beers and ales. The service was friendly and efficient, and Manager Lucy has got a great team working with her. We are proud to call the Alfie our local.

You are not normally bowled over by a tuna sandwich but I must say it was one of the best I have had! Warm, freshly baked granary loaf, perfectly seasoned tuna and very friendly delivery. The others around the table had an equally surprised look about their lunches. Excellent. Will certainly be back soon. Grown up & friendly staff who really knew how to make you feel welcome. Well done team.

N.B. this review is already out-of-date, but it does represent our experience. A classic neighborhood pub B&B in a great location for walking in Winchester. The room was small, but reasonably comfortable. The wi-fi was good.Unfortunately, the King Alfred changed ownership two days before we arrived. The pub was undergoing renovation, so there was no food or drink on-site (we stayed two nights after flying in from the States). A major disappointment! We had good food and ale the previous time we stayed there (2013), which is why we booked this property again. The new owners did offer free breakfast at one of their other properties about a 10 minute walk away. Not very convenient, but there it is.The pub reopened a week or so later. We returned hoping to have dinner, but they were fully booked. More disappointment. Couldn't catch break on this one.The above said, we attribute our experience to bad timing and don't necessarily blame the owners who did what they could for us under the circumstances.

The landlord has massively increased the prices since recently taking over - the Christmas menu has doubled in price. Future group bookings will be going elsewhere!

Having given a glowing review in January, we've been back numerous times with various friends and family and always felt warmly welcomed, and experienced high quality food and great service. On arrival today we found the pub had changed management and the interior looked quite different from before. The TV's were gone, as to be honest was the atmosphere. We were met with the usual "have you made a booking" query, which we hadn't, but given the pub had four visibly empty tables we felt confident that it'd be fine on a Monday lunchtime. We didn't feel welcomed, in fact there appeared to be some deliberation as to whether they could even accommodate our party.We ended up on a narrow bench set up with an extra small table for my son and I - it was a bit of a squash. (The irony being there was a large empty table adjacent which remained empty until a lone drinker who arrived and sat at it halfway through our meal!) The lady who took our order was friendly enough and the food, as always, was high quality and generously proportioned. Sadly for us despite the excellent food and very nice lady serving it, this place appears to have lost the personal touch and warmth we have always enjoyed. Not sure we will rush back.

New owners have removed all TVs. Taken away the only reason my family and I went....to have a drink and eat dinner watching football. No reason to go now! Asked the new owner and she said she had 5 TVs in her other pub! How is that supposed to help???? Ridiculous answer! My local is gone! Very sad!

Been taken over. Tv all taken out used to be a good sports pub and local now under new management. Not good. Used it for years won't be going back. Seems some one is buying all good old pubs and trying to turn them into restaurant.Going to lose a lot of support from the drinkers. Won't use it. Find new local.

This used to be a nice pub, and it has many redeeming attributes, but in the last months it has deteriorated rapidly, probably related to it's forthcoming sale. Sadly now the bar service is poor, as is the beer quality and wine temperature. Unfortunately too, the after work drinkers are now unrestrained and free to swear loudly and relentlessly. Not a nice pub any more. I hope the new owners take over quickly and are efficient in realising its potential, at the same time establishing and enforcing decent standards for the clientele.

An establishment just a few minutes walk from the city centre that is well worth a visit. The steak was very good and also the ham and eggs, but i think that the ham and eggs would have been better if it came with a few peas or something just to finish it off. Drinks were reasonably priced as was the food and the staff were friendly and efficient. There is also a garden at the back with playthings for the children.

Although not a pretty location, The King Alfred makes up with good and spacious rooms, well furnished and comfortable. Having said this the hotel exterior in summer is ablaze with colour from scores of delightful hanging baskets - have never seen such a good display.Breakfast is good, served promptly and full english cooked well, tasty to boot.Evening bar is averagely nice and the bar food good without being award winning. All in all this is a surprise package delivering all that is required to good standards.Just note that parking is on the street and the hotel provide a permit for your dash. For some this may be a small drawback, but I was lucky and got a spot right by the front door.

First things first. We did not visit the King Alfred, but cancelled our booking after discovering misleading information regarding the pubs "car park". So this review is purely about that. I think prospective visitors need to be advised of. . We had booked into the pub for two nights on Booking.com, Being disabled, it was an important feature to see the profile of the pub on Booking.com advertising...and I quote ..."free parking". The price was good, so we went ahead. On the emailed receipt the free parking claim had changed to "free parking nearby". I google earthed the pub but found no car park nearby be it public or pub. So I emailed the pub. The free parking offered was in the street that the pub gives you a permit for. So obviously there is no guarantee of a place. Its on the junction of a cross roads, and google earth street view shows it as a busy area. So be careful if you book. The pub offers NO parking. It is just street parking....if you can find a space. The free parking claim was misleading. We cancelled our booking by the way. Although the pub, its food & drink, and service may be perfectly ok....we didnt chance it because of the misleading claim.

Never find the staff to be particularly friendly but the food is always good with big portions and reasonably priced. Plenty of seating but parking can be tricky at peak times.