The Old Ship in Fareham

I have to say this was absolutely fantastic. Great food lovely atmosphere and the best service I’ve ever had ever, and I’ve been to a lot of pubs and restaurants. Totally recommend

No rush for you and family to finish your dinner for the next customers. Food tasty and well presented. Service was good and attentive.

Food was amazing. Great portions. Friendly staff nice and relaxed in the restaurant

Went last night 24/10/24 .took family had booked a table,staff were great so friendly food was lovely and plenty of it, superb night

Great pub. Staff and food brilliant. Lots of different tables to suit small and large groups.

Very unimpressed with my fish dish.

My favourite pub and restaurant, and has been consistently for years. Really nice atmosphere and building, being parts of an old age of sail ship, there's many places to find cozy tables. It's on the more expensive side for food, but definitely worth it. Many pubs are not good value for money and offer few chips and small portions. The old ship offer lovely food and always happy to accommodate us when we wanted substitutions. It's also a perfect place to either finish at or visit during a hike, being on the river Hamble. Dog friendly too!!

A lovely pub, with great looking food. We didn’t eat, but could see how good the food was. I’m sure we will be back for a meal. Ales were good, but could do with a guest ale on.

First visit to this pub.Went with family.The pub is quite large and there was a good choice of meals on the menu. The food was good and portions large. My only negative was when four elderly ladies arrived and sat on the table next to us.Between them, they had 6 dogs. I don't mind dogs, but I am allergic to most because of the fur. They spent alot of time rearranging the tables to accommodate the dogs. The waiting staff was petting the dogs and allowing the fogs to pick their hands.I asked that they washed their hands before delivering any more food to our table. I am not sure I would visit again

We visited on a Monday Evening for Dinner. We were staying nearby and had eaten at the hotel the night before and wanted to try somewhere else nearby. We booked earlier in the day by phone and found the staff very helpful and informative. She asked if we wanted a particular table, we hadn’t been before and she said she would give us a’popular’ table. When we arrived, everything was in order and a small window table was reserved. Alex behind the bar was very accomplished and efficient, as was the young lady that showed us to our table and took our order. We found the locals very friendly and chatty . The staff obviously got on well with each other and the customers. The food was mostly traditional English, our meals well well proportioned and very very tasty, beautifully cooked and presented well. We were too stuffed to go for a dessert, but again plenty to choose from. A previous review complained that they charged £45 for a bottle of Rose wine, yes they do, an extremely good Rose Wine, however they do serve many other standard cost very nice wines. A great pub, well worth 5 Stars, just wish I could pick it up and bring it back home!

Great food for lunch nice place staff friendly

Very very generous portions! Food was delicious but if you don't have a large appetite suggest you ask about smaller plates. Staff were very friendly and helpful - they were happy to slit a kids meal into 2 for our 2 youngsters and there was more than enough for both of them.

Good food, reasonably priced. Has to order food and drink at the bar each time, no table service other than bringing the food. Parking difficult when busy.

Great food, and big plates. Friendly staff. A stones throw away from the river.

Lovely character in the 16th century pub

Went there with work colleagues, good choice main courses and desserts, downside no desserts that were dairy free.

Only went in to confirm pre order Pleasantly dealt with Dog friendly

First time here. Lovely old fashioned pub. Sat outside with drinks went to order food to be told kitchen doesn't open until 6pm. The food came and it was very nice. One thing I noticed their 'special deal' on wine .... bottle of rose £45!!!! This is absolutely disgusting. The markup on a bottle of wine would cost £15.

Great dog friendly pub , fab food and great service

The Old Ship is a wonderful genuine old pub. The menu is a pub menu with classic English dishes, very copious. Delicious desserts. Good choice of drinks. The staff was very professional and kind and very helpful

Excellent meal this evening. First time my Wife and I have eaten here. Thank you and we will be returning. Regards Alan

I totally agree with a recent review, ridiculous policy of booking tables in the main bar area, as a regular visitor to this pub I now go elsewhere. My suggestion would be to have a notice on the table so say this table is booked from ie 7:00 pm etc. shame other than that nice food, drinks staff etc

Lovely food but watch out for the low beams. Ouch!

Nice pub but only one person serving everyone, so a long queue to get a drink. She was very efficient and friendly but a lot of people were waiting.

dont know if they have changed there chef but roast dinner disgusting .dry roast potatoes couldnt cut them all veg almost raw beef all fat .felt so sorry hubby paid 45pound for 2roast and a drink .very very dissapointed put me off going anymore ,so sad always rated and recommended this lovely pub.whats happened??

Great list of food to choose. Very fair prices. Nice staff. Good comfortable seating areas. Plus nice clean toilets.

First time for about 8 years I went there Tues night with 2 friends. We had booked a table and it was busy and they were short staffed, I had to wait a while to find which table we were on and I I nearly walked out. After the average start everything just got so much better, the staff worked their socks off in a calm efficient way. Then the food arrived, Hugh platefulls of tasty food at a decent price. A very enjoyable meal and I will certainly be go back soon.

We always feel welcome when we visit here, staff always friendly and helpful, can't fault the food. Proper pub food. Great atmosphere.. dog friendly in the bar area even a doggie menu. Would highly reccomend.

Nice old pub, gets very busy. The food let's it down though.

Really good food. Very dog friendly

We have eaten many times at this restaurant and never had a problem. We both ordered the roast chicken Sunday dinner my husband ordered and paid and within 3 minutes our dinner was on the table.I could tell the potatoes were reheated and had to assume so was the rest yet they state all freshly cooked. I couldn't eat all mine.Later the same day I had griping stomach pains and was violently ill warranting my husband to call paramedics who said it looked like food poisoning after an hour and an anti sickness injection they were happy to leave me at home to recover.We will not be eating there again as freshly cooked obviously means pre cooked and reheated.

nice pub with plenty of seating , had some friends over so we popped into the ship , very welcoming and a wide range on the menu , the food was served well and the staff very helpful , thank you as it was a last minute booking

Absolutely amazing place, 1st time there & wasn't disappointed food is 1st class would recommend 👌

Fab food. Drinks a little pricey. Lovely staff

So we ate here Friday night . Food looked great on arrival lasagne/liver &bacon, all lovely and hot . Husband said the liver was missing flavour . Sunday lunch today / disappointing! Portion size good & it was hot , but lacked flavour especially the meat & potatoes. On paper the roasties sounded amazingly but soggy & tastless , I questioned myself but my husband confirmed my thoughts.

First time here, and loved the old fashioned quaintness , with the fireplaces dark wood and similar atmosphere. Good selection of drinks and ales. Staff were friendly and explained the history of the Inn.

Good atmosphere, great food, large portions.

Still good, first visited here more than fifty years ago. All standards maintained. Great drink and lunch. Most enjoyable.

Good service and food. Ruby the dog loved her treats and attention from the lovely staff. Thank you

Lovely service , very quiet in there but was nice, food was lovely jacket potato was huge! Food a little bit more expensive than other places but it is supposed to be all home made so worth it.

Ate 4 nights in a row and great menu with lots of choices …service was exceptional

Unable to pick up the phone. Place a facebook message regards to bank holiday food serving times

Just had a cappuccino this visit. It was good

Lovely lunch, fish finger sandwich delicious. Didn't realise how big the pub was. Friendly staff.

Looked after in here bit of alocal for us walking along the hamble

Really quick service and good pub food.

Very interesting old building, multiple beams so watch your head 😉 food excellent and quite a few main courses offer small portions, more than sufficient for our small appetites 😋

Great old pub, great food, well stocked bar, efficient friendly staff. Free parking, plenty of seating and good service. Ideally situated very near the Swanwick foreshore and close to the marina for all you yachtsmen and ladies.

Lovely evening in a friendly atmosphere. Food was very tasty and very generous portions. The bar staff were very attentive and friendly, bringing the drinks to our table. All these elements combined to make it a very enjoyable evening.

We visited The Old Ship pub today (Bank Holiday Monday) and I'm so dissapointed to say that it feels this place just isn't what it was. Despite being fairly busy, the atmostphere was dull - a little bit of background music wouldn't have gone a miss. The place seemed tired and in need of a good clean - our table was very sticky. The food wasn't great either. The fish and chips were unsual. The batter had a yellow colour and curry taste, which wasn't advertised on the menu. It was like someone had mixed the batter up in the same bowl a curry had been made in. We also had the steak which was possibly one of the worst steaks we've had out by a mile. Not only was it well underdone (medium rare was what was asked for) - this cut was still mooing - but it was tough as old boots and so chewy. May have been a bad cut - these things happened, but not at one point did a member of staff do the classic 'how is your meal?' check which was really dissapointing. This is a standard part of any pub/restaurant service delivery. It's a shame, as this was a cracking pub before, with great food, but I think some work needs to be done on the fundemantal basics here.

The food was uncooked. Difficult to chew.

We went here for a birthday treat.

Varied menu, good atmosphere, and tasty food. I especially like that some dishes are available as smaller plates. I did think the puddings were pricy; I declined to have one, so I can't comment on value for money.

Our first time here in a number of years. The food was delicious and service prompt and friendly. Another place on our visit as again list

Came here in December and loved the food, so brought my family along this week to celebrate 2 birthdays and wasn’t disappointed. They all agreed they would be back.

The food was lovely hot and lovely enjoyed it very much will go again,👍👍👍,

Take note other pubs this is how to do proper pub food! We were a large group, none of whom had been to this pub before. There really was something for everyone. Small portions were available for those who didn't want a large meal - the full size portions are big. I had a Cumberland sausage sandwich which was packed with good quality sausages, really nice chips and a decent side salad not a couple of piece of limp lettuce like you get at many places. Re drinks there are three real ales to choose from and a couple of premium lagers on draught. They had HSB which I like but I went for a pint of Adam Henson's Rare Breed which was excellent. Drinks are fairly expensive. My wife couldn't finish all her food, unprompted a member of staff brought her a takeaway box. Overall a very good first visit to this pub, I'll be back as I'm sure will others in our group.

Went to the old ship for valentines day lovely meal and friendly staff thanks to everyone definitely recommended

Food delicious lovely atmosphere and quick service

Lovely food, nice portion size - we'll be back!

Well I have to say that my last visit has really destroyed it for me. Arrived to a fairly busy but still lots of space environment, got served drinks and told that they are still doing food. We decided what we wanted and ordered at the bar (within 5 minutes of getting drinks). all seemed ok. Then we get approached by one of the staff telling us that she is the bearer of bad news. the news was that they cant serve us any food as the kitchen has an electrical fault and when they turn anything on it blows everything. Ok, thats a shame as we were looking forward to a meal. but these things happen. However, this is the bit that has inspired me to write this review and never visit again. We were in eye line of the kitchen and whilst we finished our drinks over the next 30 minutes, meal after meal after meal came out of the kitchen. So we had been lied to. probably because the chef didn't want to cook anymore meals was our guess. On going to the bar and getting a refund for the meal, the staff didn't know how to do it and we were stood around waiting for that to happen (would have expected some form of action on this before we went to leave and not as we were leaving). On exiting we noticed that a reserved table as you enter the main door now had people sitting on it. They arrived after we had ordered food and they were being served food. I have no idea what went on or why we were denied any food at all after being charged for it. but at the end of the day, a list of lies and bad customer service has now left us in the view that we will never visit again. ------- PREVIOUS REVIEW ----- Great food, great service and a lovely venue with some really nice views no matter what the weather. The old ship has many little hiding spots to have a quiet meal or drink with friends. The atmosphere is always vibrant and energised. Plenty of space inside and out to enjoy especially in good weather. The team are very friendly and always willing to accommodate or help. Waiting time is spot on, no matter how busy they are they set expectation at the start of your experience. Bar service is always very quick and the team always know who's next to be served. No only that, they acknowledge you and make you feel at home. They have space to hire for events, parties, meetings. So if you want your own space, they can accommodate. However, I highly recommend booking. All in all. Top notch experience, highly recommend

Great pub and staff always helpful food faultless alway big portions ordered large scampi tonight waitress come out all apologetic we only have small scampi would you be okay with small scampi and small cod so had a beautiful fish dinner luuuuuuuvly thankyou all again see you soon

An abundance of chantecter, a quirky layout and filled with amazing food and service. Our new favourite stop! It's made even better that they are dog friendly so you can still go for that dog walk afterwards to walk off any guilt you'll have from over-indulging in the great food!

This is a very cosy and relaxing pub which is located very close to Lower Swanwick Marina on the upper part of the River Hamble. As such it is a great watering hole for people after walking along the River Hamble shoreline path, which runs from Warsash to Lower Swanwick. In addition I visited there on a recent weekend and I had another pleasant evening there. I visited there once again at the weekend and it is still very nice and inviting.

My meal was not great. Ordered egg, chips, peas . Supposed to be ham, egg, chips , peas. I’m vegetarian so requested extra egg instead of ham. All three fried eggs were rock hard, dried yolk. £14 was not value for money and eggs yuk. Not great

Off season just for a drink with friends excellent

Lovely pub with good vegetarian options. We enjoyed a nice country walk around the shoreline before we had our food. Having read the reviews I can see that it is slightly grating to not be told it isn’t table service & not being shown to your table. However, when I went in September for a birthday we were served by Alex (I believe) who was so accommodating, kind & helped us to sing happy birthday. I really do enjoy visiting but I do agree it is good service to show people to their tables & not just point, and to inform people it isn’t table service.

I had a first date here yesterday, first time I'd been here too. It's a lovely old pub and although I didn't eat here myself the food looked and smelt great.

What’s with pubs nowadays reserving tables in a pub!? I’m a local to this pub and have recently noticed it’s impossible to get a table for drinks. Most recently, the Friday before Xmas, we visited this pub and despite the time being only 4pm, the majority of tables were empty but were ‘reserved’. So we had to walk in and straight back out. I’ve now given up going to this pub as it prefers empty tables rather than actual punters. Don’t bother going to this place unless you’ve booked. Plenty of other nicer pubs in the area that don’t reserve tables just for drinks.

Lovely setting, good food, gf choices. Friendly attentive staff

Only had drinks but the food looked fantastic on both occasions we visited it was extremely busy we will be back to try the food great atmosphere

Such a beautiful place to have lunch food was amazing and really large servings. Would recommend not the cheapest but we'll worth the price.

Had our Christmas meal here. 7 mature ladies. The food was lovely but took ages to arrive. Meal was pre ordered as Christmas menu and was for 1.30. Our meals arrived at 2.05. Home cooked fresh veg. Atmosphere was lovely with a fire burning. All in all a nice time. Staff were pleasant

I cannot believe how poorly run this pub is, and let's not pretend it's anything other than a pub, even though it charges restaurant prices. upon arrival we weren't shown to our seats in the dining area, we were told,"your table is down there" as the girl behind the bar pointed at the steps which led to the dining area, which was empty! we then sat at our table for half an hour before going to the bar to see if anyone was going to serve us, only to be told, "we don't do table service", the staff knew we'd been sitting there for 30 minutes without so much as a drink, but didn't seem to care! During our meal we wanted drinks, so, yes you guessed it, I had to go to the bar at the other end of the pub to order our drinks, this took over 10 minutes, my food was cold when I got back to it, very disappointing! This pub has zero customer service or attention to detail, yet charge just shy of £20.00 for a Sunday roast! We couldn't get in anywhere else, yet this poor excuse of a pub was empty! WONDER WHY!

Very nice food and friendly staff

This is our new favourite place for Great grub and a lovely atmosphere. The bar area is quite small and you have to order food at the bar too which means it can sometimes take a while to get anywhere. The waiting staff are all nice but it would probably be a smoother, more pleasant experience if they did more table service. The food is incredible though and compared to the Jolly Sailor which used to be our go-to but has gone down hill, the Old Ship is the best!!

Very warm and friendly atmosphere with good food

Follow Mr & Mrs R on TikTok. Another great pub with real ale and tasty food to suit all. HSB is delicious 🍺 Great place to start a walk along the Hamble River path towards Warsash

We fancied some good homemade pub food and we were not disappointed. Often pubs have homecooked on the menu but homemade is harder to find. There was a good selection of specials on the board on top of a pleasing selection of staple pub classics in the menu. The food was very good, piping hot and the portions were generous. The bar area was cosy, comfortable and had a good selection of beers, wines, etc, as you'd hope. What I like about the Old Ship is the querky mix of open seating at ground level and the inviting central bar that faces stairs that take you down to the even more cosy and low ceilinged seated area below. Sometimes the open fire is on and it brings a lovely warmth to this old tavern. It has a friendly feel to the place and is more traditionally presented which I love. Food and drinks are ordered at the bar which is fine but I think the staff that were delivering food could be a bit more attentive and proactive. Also the seat my wife sat on was filthy... perhaps from dogs? Otherwise we really enjoyed it and will definitely be back soon.

Proper home cooked pub food. Large portions, great value for money. You won't be disappointed 😊😋😁

Great pub.Nice selection of beers etc.Food always good ,large portions and great service.

Nice old traditional pub friendly staff great service average pub grub

Lovely old pub lots of character very good food, we will definitely eat here again.

Excellent food and top quality. Friendly staff, always very helpful and attentive. Have been there before and never disappointed. Will definitely go back again.

Great pub, good selection of food and drink to choose from, prices ok. Reasonably sized carpark, dog friendly.

Its ok, old style pub serving usual pub food. Some items run out after ??? busy period. Welcome was good & friendly, waitress attentive when bringing food,(why is salad served when having hot food, it becomes limp quickly) but the portion sizes were good. Table was a bit sticky and may have been missed as a member of staff was cleaning but could the waitress who was chatting by the bar not check these things instead. Would go again if passing by.

Nice little pub as I was camping across the road.

Lovely old pub with lots of character. Nice food

Got three course for £20-£30 per person always a win when place does crème bûrlee

Lovely experience every time we go. Food portions are spectacular for their prices. Staff are really friendly. The atmosphere in the pub is nice. And child friendly. Definitely recommend. Pies are lovely and the sandwiches are massive!

Was surprised offer of a early evening meal here from the boyfriend who had come for lunch a few weeks ago.The car park is big enough so no worrying where to park we were lucky as we hadn't booked a table here we got seated and food order you have to do at the bar and pay beforehand which is a good idea as soon as you eaten no waiting around you can just go.The food was really delicious and decent size plates we has the lasagne and chicken pie which was plentiful didn't have room for pudding!The one downside was allowing dogs in which we had a dog near us and it kept barking of which we also heard another table commenting on this that was the only thing we found wrong but it won't stop us going back as food was nice

Plenty of parking. A great old worldly pub with real ales and good food.

Delicious hearty pub food boasting large portions to feed the eyes and packed with flavour. Recommended to family friends and now they go as much as we do! • Good location, has parking • Nice relaxing atmosphere

Visited tonight for drinks which turned into dinner… service and food is lovely. Proper home cooked food and staff are great. Ordered a chicken pie and a bacon burger. I asked for burger to be done a little more after it came out (not chefs fault at all - my fault for being fussy!!) and to our surprise a fresh plate arrived - clearly chef is a perfectionist. Burger was delicious and my partner loved the chicken pie. Plan to come back on Sunday for the roast! Yummy! P.S - probably the best chips I’ve ever had. And I don’t say that lightly! 🤤

The meals we had today with the family were fab .( they gave me another meal as I didn’t like the one I ordered ) Quickly dealt with my comments and hence had another meal delivered .Great service vast portions and overall great prices

Only stopped by for a drink as passing by. Clean, friendly pub. Seemed to have a good atmosphere.

Amazing staff at the Old Ship. Welcoming and friendly...I spilt my wine on a wobbly table and they couldn't have been more helpful ...and refilled my glass...very generous and above and beyond the call! Great staff always make you want to return!

The food was not nice ordered 2 chicken carveys n not nice at all veg was very hard watery gravy n chicken pressed food not like it use yo be

Great food, good size portions and also giving you the choice of a 'smaller plate' portion too on some of the meals. Dog friendly and staff great too!

Fabulous, friendly service and wonderful food. This was our first visit but will be back. I would thoroughly recommend The Old Ship.