The Otter Public House in Winchester

My Dad booked a table at The Otter for his 75th birthday for food on 20th May. We were asked to turn up at 6.50 pm for the table to be ready (which it wasn’t when we arrived at the stated time).There were 5 meals, 4 of which were completely unacceptable for the following reasons:1) There were no peas with any of the meals (scampi, cod etc) that were advertised as having them, despite the fact this was the first week that restaurants had opened inside after lockdown. Peas are a pub staple!2) My father’s chicken madras looked totally unappetising- tiny pieces of shredded chicken in a sauce which was contained barely any curry at all. It looked as though it had been thrown onto a plate. There was no flavour to the rice whatsoever. 3) My brother’s burger was tiny and tasteless. 4) The chips provided with 3 of the meals looked old and were dry. They looked and tasted as though they had been reheated.5) Both my mother and father had bad stomachs the next day, despite my father only having drunk 1 pint of beer and my mother half a bitter shandy that evening.My parents did not wish to complain at the time as it was supposed to be a family celebration; however, my father rang the next day to say how unsatisfactory the meal had been. The manager told him in response to his complaint that “it was the way food was always done” there. Zero apologies or acknowledgement -dreadful. We remember The Otter from a couple of years ago and it was absolutely nothing like this. Suffice it to say, we will not be making a return visit to an establishment which doesn’t care about serving decent food and to whom customer service seems to be an alien concept.

We visited during lockdown to have a light lunch in the garden. I chose a Ploughman's Lunch; my wife opted for a smoked salmon sandwich. My Ploughman's contained two good slices of ham and two pieces of cheddar, four slices of granary bread, pickle, onions, gherkins and a varied salad. The weak link was a quite awful 'pork pie'. The pastry was tasteless and I discarded it. The 'meat' was equally tasteless and an unappetising beige in colour. This item rather spoilt a dish that would otherwise have been very good. My wife's smoked salmon sandwich looked good. She is a stickler for very fresh bread and rated the granary bread fresh but not super-fresh. My Razorback Ringwood real ale was very good, as was my wife's Stella lager. The capuccino and black Americano were disappointing, too weak for our taste and no crema (pattina). So, it was a pretty good lunch, but could have been better.

We ate under a large white gazebo. The Sun shone. The chips were fresh, salty and crisp. My burger was juicy. The salad was crisp and olivey. V’s smoked salmon bagel was perfect. The beer was cool and crisp. The first pub lunch in a year was perfect. Heaven on a stick… and oh, the chocolate Brownie…!As much as we like cooking, we loved our Otter pub lunch.

Absolutely superb!!!! We will be back after last nights meal. Absolutely delicious, amazing service and so covid secure. Big portions and a big selection. A real hidden gem! Can’t recommend highly enough!

A warm welcome and a lovely Christmas decorated pub. The cheeseboard had six different cheeses, pork pie, mini scotch eggs, pickles and crackers. A plus for me they do decaffeinated coffee as well as friends real ale. Thank you for a lovely experience.

I visited The Otter last night for a meal with a friend, sitting in their new outside heated area. We both asked for a Chilli Burger which wasn't on the normal menu and this was no problem at all.Portions were big, the burger was very nice and Beavertown Beer on draft is always a winner.The two waitresses were very friendly and attentive. Well worth a visit

We booked for our Mums wake. We ordered a cold Buffett for 15 people the limit at that time. We were told extra staff would be available as we were arriving at11.45. When my daughter arrived she had to wait outside as she was told were not open yet!!! The days previously a phone call was made to check that there would be vegetarian options and also a pregnant lady attending we were told the chef would call us back unfortunately he didn’t. When we all sat down at the individual tables the food came out and it was all fried food on silver platters it looked very un inviting and not what was ordered!! I asked to speak to David the manager I had to ask two different waitresses to please let me speak to David he did come out he Apologised and said he got a bit confused he had a not pad in his hand this obviously wasn’t written in a diary and offered to take the drinks off the bill @£15 a head we thought it was a bit insulting to be served such awful food my table didn’t have chicken nibbles on the plate we had mini quich fish said mozzarella sticks mushrooms and pizza baguette all deep fried and not very nice and not appetising not even a little side salad. In my opinion we didn’t get a call from the chef be at it was easier to olongapo it in deep fryer than make sandwiches. The table in the room was still full of Halloween bits so I moved it so we could have our memory book and photo on display in all it was very disorganised event. Mums send off was not what we expected and we were very dissatisfied

The Otter has been a long standing favourite pub to visit when in the area working and I made a reservation last Saturday evening for dinner alone. I ordered the Chicken in lime/chilli crumb with fries and salad. Anticipating a succulent fresh chicken breast marinated in the chefs own recipe with chunky chips and a green salad, I was bitterly dissapointed when the dish arrived. It was a supermarket processed chicken escalope deep fried, anaemic fries (they had no chunky chips) and the salad was some chopped up sad iceberg lettuce with a bit if cucumber and tomato. The whole thing was smothered in a dressing I didn't even want on it but I ate the fries as I was so hungry but left the processed meat. It was absolutely awful and despite the fact that I'd bought a whole bottle of Malbec but didn't eat the food, the manager still only took half the cost of the food off my bill.This is the second time I've been disappointed with food at the Otter and I will certainly not chance eating there again.

WE went for Sunday Lunch which was great, large portions, really hot and tasty. Their Covid precautions were excellent. We felt extremely safe, the staff were very hot on making sure that everyone stuck to the rues with polite gentle reminders, for instance no walking around the pub without a mask.Overall a great visit, great meal and good covid precautions in place!

Lovely meals- we were a group of six and between us we had roast beef, chicken Thai curry, salmon salad and a chicken dish. All good portions and tasty.

We had a lovely family meal here this week, the service and staff were superb. The food was great and good sized portions too. The only issue was there was no custard!

Booked a meal to meet with friends at the Otter The staff were very kind and helpful, a member of staff went out of her way to help us With our ordering but unfortunately did not wear a PPE mask which caused anxiety amongst our friends. We did find this rather strange as the guidelines for restaurants are are quite clear that staff should wear PPE The food was severed quickly and was of a reasonable standard but again the serving staff did not wear protective masks at all times.The seating was good well spaced out, as was the entrance which had good indication for entry and hand sanitiser.Although the menu was reduced there was still a good choice, just a shame that some other areas let it down.Have been to a couple of restaurants since the lockdown has been lifted and found that their precautions much stricter I really hope this will be improved as it would be a shame not to return.

Very impressed with this lovely pub on the Covid rules have got it spot on one way system hand sanitizer everywhere and the track and trace system perfect lots of space in garden to eat outside or drink I had a roast beef dinner loads of meat and nice fresh vegetables thank you

My husband and I booked to have dinner here for our anniversary. We were met at the door and the covid rules of the venue explained to us. We ordered at the bar and were served promptly by friendly young staff. The food was outstanding and plentiful. Good value for money. Thoroughly recommend.

The best pub I've seen in regards of social distancing, felt very safe there. We just popped in for lunch, excellent food. Friendly staff. Looking forward to our next visit.

A small number of us at Compton FC like to head to a pub near by as we are based in Winchester. We haven't visited before but in the past few weeks we have and all staff have been very accommodating when we have arrived. COVID guidelines in place and plenty of anti-bac available for a safe visit. They have worked with Camden brewery to build a small outdoor bar which was great on Saturday and helps have less people inside. Thank you for having us and I'm sure we will return!

Easy to make a reservation, but you have to do it over the phone, no online booking available.Plenty of seating outside which is under cover, take away pick up point outside too. The tables are spaced nicely with pretty screens in place and a one way system here as well. Plenty of sanitiser stations available for use, two well spaced ordering points at the bar. They have an ordering app (round) which you can download before visiting. They have a peculiar way of setting up a tab, they keep your card, put it in a lock box and give you the key. Not sure why they couldn't have just let me swipe my card and have prevented all the manual handling, considering all the great Covid avoidance measures in place here this seemed counterintuitive. The signs on entry say bar staff will take details for track and trace. They didn't take ours, and although I saw several other customers turn up and go to the bar to order I didn't see any of the staff ask for details at all. Seating is comfortable, the place looks clean, and temperature is just right. It is a bit dark in this pub, could do with more lighting at the tables, handy to be able to read the menu and see what you're eating.Staff were lovely, very welcoming and friendly, quick service with the food being brought to the table in around 15 minutes. The onion rings were nice, the mushrooms were delicious! The tomato was nice and fresh and the Jack Daniels sauce was perfect! The steaks were both cooked exactly as we had ordered (not common), the steak was a mediocre cut, nothing great. I would normally expect this meal to cost about £14-£15 for the quality, so with the Eat Out deal it was nice for £10, not really worth the usual £20 price tag though. The drinks are really expensive here, more than regular pub prices, around £7-10 just for a normal large glass of wine! They consider an offer on Prosecco to be £15 a bottle even! If drinks prices were more reasonable we might visit again, but unlikely at the prices they are. I expect they will be rather quiet once the meal offer from the government finishes in a couple of days.

Staff were very friendly, helpful and accommodating. Food was excellent! Limited menu but still great choices. Covid precautions in place.

Good food at an affordable price. They have certainly got the covid precautions right. but why, oh why do they need to always play their music so loud. Customers end up raising their voices just to be heard over the volume.

I visited here for the first time a couple of months ago and can't stay away from the place. Great food, great choice of beer, brilliant service, friendly staff and a nice atmosphere. A really nice beer garden as well.

Me and my fiancee went for lunch and I had the steak burger..... Wow it was delicious. My fiancee had the chicken wing which were also excellent. Lovely pub in a lovely area.

When creeping out of lockdown it’s good to test the waters with great places and the Otter is one of those. Dave and the team have transformed the entire place to be safe and clean, the service remains brilliant if not even better with their attention to the rules and our safety. We didn’t eat there last night but we have had a few takeaways and they are fabulous. The fish and chips are a treat!! Beer still great too! Thanks to you all

I visited this beautiful place a few days ago.The screens etc. that are the 'new normal are in place. The tables in the garden are further than they used to be.The staff are positive and efficient. The garden is delightful.I hesitate to recommend this place for the sole reason that I would love to keep it all to myself.Delightful.

We had a take away from here and we all had the Burger. It was so good and my mum quotes “It’s the best burger i’ve had in a long time” Would highly recommend.

Along with other pubs the Otter has instigated a take away facility with a limited menue that usually changes weekly. The service runs Tuesday through Saturday with pick up from 530pm to 830pm. Ordering and choosing a timeslot is from 1600 and 1500 Friday and Saturday.The ordering process is by phone and efficient, payment by card when ordering or on pickup. Cash is available but not encouraged. The pub is fortunate in having a large rear off road car park close to the rear entrance where the food is obtained. Area is marked off to limit numbers. Pick up is prompt and waiting minimal even when busy such as weekends. There are also drinks available, wine and beer. The pub provides a rotating 2 pint ale at £8. All good. In line with our experience in their restaurant the takeaway food is fresh, hot and great! We had the steak burger this Saturday which was, as always, excellent. Fish and Chips is also a regular favourite and very good also. Mushy peas of course.Apparently the current menu was so popular that is was repeated!The current menu is posted on the pub's Facebook page.The menu has about 6 items with a number of "sides" also available at £3. Vegetarian options.When picking up food order you will notice also an NHS donation box for food items. Social distancing is well regulated.Not much more to say except that the pub has responded to the present crisis with a sensible and efficient business option. Well worth a visit!

Local pub to us that during lockdown has come into its own. The food & service has been fab when we’ve treated ourselves & take out draft ale almost makes you feel like you’re back at a pub (well almost!)A must during these times (& beyond)

Great pub at the best of times but their lockdown takeaway menu and food is something else. As a family tonight we enjoyed steak burgers, lasagne, chicken madras Curry (with accompaniments) as well as two Children’s meals - what fantastic value for money! Food was delicious and cooked to perfection. To top it off, the sweets were also divine leaving this family fully replete and looking forward to next week!!

Second takeaway from the Otter this week!! LOVE IT! Great menu, food is lovely, and very reasonable for what you get. I’ve had the chicken burger and the steak burger this week and they’ve been delicious! It’s all very well organised. Love the drink order option too - was able to buy a bottle of wine without pre-booking when I picked the food up today. Well done guys. You’re doing a great job.

We've been coming to the Otter for a few years. It's a lovely family run pub, great food and always a good selection of beers, we've never had a bad visit!Really appreciate you guys staying open at the moment for deliveries, great food and I'm a big fan of the neck oil IPA!Happy to do what we can to support you throughout this pandemic and we look forward to visiting again soon.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused many businesses to rethink their strategy and the Otter has stepped up to the plate with a great nmenu of takeaway items. Yesterday was the firt time my wife and I had tried this new service and it did not disappoint. Called ahead to book a slot and ordered, this time fish and chips, mushy peas and also took advantage of the takeaway beer facility so 2 pints of Otter Ale were obtained. This is distributed in a sealed plastic milk type bottle. I had a 1830 slot and turned up a few minutes earlier where a dedicated entrance was set up with markings to assist social distancing. A few minutes wait and then the food was produced in a plastic bag with the meals in takeaway containers. It was excellent and well up to the standard we have come to expect from the Otter. Completely fresh and piping hot! Great chips too!Payment is by card, I had paid when I booked, but I noticed someone ahead of me paid by contactless in the normal way. Only Card/contactless payments are accepted. No cash.The menu is quite small but should cover most tastes. It does not have the superb hamburgers! There is also a decent selection of drinks. Access the Setails through the Otter Facebook Page. The pub has a large car park so access is not a problem and the booked timeslots ensure that crowds are not an issue.Takeaway service is from 1700 to 2030 with booking access from 4 although yesterday it was nearer 1630. Order taking was very efficient.We will be back!

I have just enjoyed my 3rd meal from The Otter. This is a family run pub that has adapted to the current situation and are offering a ‘home cooked’ meal as a take away. The set up is very well organised, pay over the phone when you order, given a collection time, clearly marked points to ensure social distances. This is a little treat :o) So pleased to see a local pub still remaining the hub.

Visited for 88th birthday, booked in advance. Sunday 1st March. Very busy, and from response to my email they cannot manage when they are busy. Requested hot food and plates, not unreasonable, but arrive tepid. Food also below par, much of it looking as if it had been cooked several times. Did not complain on the day as father-in-law, who booked it was unwilling to create a scene due to the numbers in the venue. I wish I had of done as they may have sorted the issue. The response to my email was to advise that in fact they couldn’t cope on the day but would do nothing to recompense. A shame the special event was disappointing.If you do wish to try, I would suggest you contact and ask what are their quiet times, and you may get a better offering.

Visited last week and couldn't believe that they charged £6.20 for small glass (125 ml) of white wine, and £3.20 for a fruit juice. That said, the food and service was good but won't be returning as drinks way too expensive.

Had a lovely meal here served by Amy - very kind, happy to help and appropriately dressed. Food came out very quickly - was definitely worth the money spent. My dad had chilli and lime chicken - he says the chicken was tender and the chilli wasn't overpowering but very tasty. I had the lasagne which was delicious, large portions which was wonderful. The only reason I haven't given 5 stars is because I witnessed someone be very rude and unproffessional towards several members of staff - I later found she was the landlady Pauline. She shouldn't be a manager, let alone a landlady! From customer perspective, a lovely place to eat.

Use this eatery for evenings and lunch time and pretty much pleased over a number of years. This lunch was spot on but your staff need to say thank you and goodbye to those who pay their wages.

Good choice of beers. Freiendly service. Quintessential English roadside pub. Plenty to like about The Otter

Good selection of beer. Friendy service. Good food. It is a pub aimed at adults so I don't think you'll find any high chairs there (see other reviews). Dog friendly and so much so that it can resemble Scrufts.

Doesn't matter how good the beer is. If the customer service is poor i don't return. Sat down at an empty table to enjoy our drinks when 5 minutes later a random man asks if we're eating or just drinking as the table is reserved for 8.30. (it was 7.45). There was no reserved sign on the table or any table that we could see so assuming he's staff we said we were having a drink, just to be told we could till 8.45.... Apparently 4 men have our table every Friday but they forgot to reserve it. Is that our fault?. We were made to feel most unwelcome. If the staff can't remember to put a reserve sign out, don't push people out who are sitting there by making them feel awkward. Extremely poor customer service. We will not bother again

We regularly eat in the restaurant as we know that there will be interesting specials as well as the standard menu. Thet visits food is well prepared and we have never been disappointed on any our frequent visits

I booked this a few weeks prior to going and specifically said I'd like a meal in the restaurant, yes no problem I was told. Our daughter arrived before us with the grandchildren and we were put in the bar area, my daughter asked if we could go in the restaurant to be told no. The restaurant has no highchairs I had to take in two seat boosters for my younger grandchildren (luckily I had those). The drinks didn't taste great I ordered a diet coke and it was horrible I had a couple of mouthfuls and didn't drink it (unlike me). The food was mediocre my grandchildren had the sausages and mash they'd normally eat it all but they didn't eat much, my daughter tried the mash expecting it to be plain it was so peppery even she had a job to swallow it. Pudding wasn't much better normally my grandchildren would enjoy the ice cream but again they left it. We had food vouchers for there and we had been before (also disappointing) but with £60 of food vouchers we thought we'd go again and hope it was better, sadly not. In the whole time we were there the restaurant part only had 3 tables full. Wouldn't go back there and it was my daughter's first visit and she said the same.

Booked a table for 17. When we arrived we were warmly welcomed, seated and quickly provided with drinks. The food was served quickly and efficiently and tasted delicious. Despite the numbers they were hosting, and that we’d pre-ordered from differing menus, the food for each course arrived quickly enough so no one was kept waiting.

Excellent pub with great food and ales.Always good friendly service at a fair price.Love going there, proper pub.

After a very wet walk how brilliant to be met by such helpful staff . Quick service wonderful Xmas dinner all the trimmings . Home cooked good honest no nonsense food . It’s absolutely the best pub around . Particularly impressed by 2 young men waiting on tables such good service .

We stopped at the Otter for dinner on the way to Portsmouth to catch a ferry. The location was excellent, being just off the main road with easy access. The menu choice was varied and the food itself was really very good. The service could not be faulted and was friendly, efficient and prompt. Very impressive.

We had been visiting The Otter regularly for a number of months, but our experience of Sunday lunch was atrocious ! The food was poor. We pointed this out but nothing was done about it. In particular my roast beef was so tough I asked for a steak knife. Even then the meat was really difficult to cut. The roast potatoes were not properly cooked and certainly not remotely crispy. The other things on our plates were very average too. As if this was not disappointing enough, there was worse to come. When we received out bill we noticed that our bar drinks had been added even though we had bought our drinks for cash at the bar before going through to the restaurant. The young waiter apologised and gave us an amended bill. But then an older chap approached us and, in full public view of everyone, insisted adamantly that we had NOT paid for our drinks. We politely tried to deal with this, but it was very embarrassing. People were looking. We tried to explain a number of times that we HAD paid for our drinks. Eventually the chap went away and then came back and said he had pressed the wrong button on the til or something and he finally agreed that we had paid. But we got no apology ! I told him we would not be coming back. The food was poor and he was lucky we had been willing to pay for it. And the service was dreadful. He asked what was the problem with the service and I had to point out to this chap how we had been accused in public of not paying for our drinks, and then when he eventually agreed he had been in the wrong all the time, we had received no apology. Even then, the rude man made no apology of any sort. So we left - never to return !

As party of 5 we were pleasantly surprised!

Come here from time to time over a few years. Good selection of ales and beers which they keep well. Good wine and spirits selection, all at a reasonable price. Lovely atmosphere, good old fashioned pub.

Sunday lunch was excellent, especially the vegetarian nut roast.However,it was obviously preferred that young children were not attending. Although a reasonable kids menu was available,there were no highchairs, so we had to sit in the bar to have somewhere for our toddler to sit as a stroller certainly wouldnt have fit in the restaurant. Then, when we deferred to Peppa-Pig-on-a-phone to keep our almost 2 year old still strategy , we were told to keep the sound down (it was barely loud enough to distract our conversation, and golly it's a bar! People were talking louder than our phone) by some unidentified rosey-cheeked man who then sat at the bar (possibly a local or owner?). Is your traditional English pub designed on the Victorian era when children were seen not heard?

Came here for a meal with partner was very impressed had ham egg and chips and I must say massive portion and was very yummy staff are lovely and polite would go back again

Popped in for a pint of lager on a hot day. It cost £5.30 It’s a nice pub but £5.30 a pint? London prices in Hampshire

We were a big party, 12 of us, a family celebration to celebrate my father's 95th birthday. I had booked in advance and that was done with understanding of our needs.

Met with friends last night at The Otter Public House for a meal .

Had a meeting with a client, chose the Otter for a quick lunch. Ham sandwiches like Granny used to make and plenty of it! Nice beer, proper pub, a drink or a munch is highly recommended 👍

Our daughter took us here after we .moved her to the area. Luckily I wasn't that hungry or the derisory portion would not have sustained anyone. Okay I didn't complain as we were a family unit and I didn't want to cause a fuss. My.meal "green thai curry" was barely edible what with the chilli heat disguising any flavour what so ever, so I mostly ate the four cubic inches of rice .I won't be returning anytime soon .

I took twenty two of my retirement association members for lunch at 'The Otter'. Nothing was too much trouble, we were made to feel very welcome, after we had pre ordered our meals by phone two hours earlier. The food was superb and all meals delivered very quickly together, and everyone commented on the quality of the food. What made this lunch so special, was the young lady waitress who served us, who was so pleasant and joyful her manner made the meal special, she is a credit to the 'Otter' Staff. Well done, we will all be coming again!

Made a booking for my birthday, 4 adults and a child

good service food came quickly as did the drinks, all portions were a goodly size and of good quality

The Otter Pub is beautiful especially in the winter with the wood burner. Dog friendly in the bar area and garden in the summer. Good choice for food and service is friendly.

Visited on a sunday in a large group for a booked, celebratory lunch.

Having just moved the Otter is one of our local pubs! It’s a traditional pub with an intimate feel.

Had our first meal their tonight. The food was superb and plentiful of it. Couldn’t manage a pudding. Steak cooked to perfection

17 ladies from the Lunch and Laughter Club descended on The Otter Public House, the hostess was very hospitable and helped us sort individual bills. The meals were delivered in good time and soon we were all eating and chatting. We were kept supplied with water for the table and our drinks from the bar. I sampled the Southern Fried Chicken Wrap, some had Fish and Chips and all the meals were served hot and freshly cooked, and the portions were certainly plentiful! I would recommend the venue for food. And per a noticeboard they have weeknight events such as a quiz, Burger Night and a OAP day!

Booked a table for 5 for a joint family birthday. Having checked the menu we had high expectations for a great home cooked meal. Unfortunately extremely disappointed to be served meals that included over cooked soggy vegetables, burnt pastry on a vegetarian Wellington which cost £13, steak with no sauce (served 10 minutes later after asking) over cooked battered fish & hard new potatoes. Having spoken to the staff we received no feedback or even an apology. We will definitely not be returning. Having said that the staff who served us were polite, attentive and friendly. The kitchen let’s this pub down 100%.

We may have been unlucky, but beef ordered for Sunday roast was overcooked and dry. Pheasant wasn't much better. Not an experience I would recommend.

Due to family working in the emergency services over Christmas, we all met up at the Otter for our Christmas meal.

A walk with the dogs on a blustery day, then a very warm welcome at the Otter. A very friendly pub the menu was quite extensive, although I am not a vegetarian I had the Butternut Tagine. It was served with salad and rice. The Tagine was excellent the right amount of spice and a little kick . It was very busy as it’s close to Christmas but no one seemed to be kept waiting and the staff were very attentive.

Go to burger night on a Tuesday, you will not regret it. Personable service and incredible burgers. Top quality meat that really makes a difference, great salad and perfectly cooked chips. Well done guys!

We called on our way to Southampton for a quick bite.

A regular visitor to the Otter for lunch time and evening meals Achieves an excellent level of consistency with good food drinks and pleasant speedy service. Difficult to criticise and improvements hard to find.

The Otter is about a mile from my house, and I and my friends visit it quite frequently. If you like a traditional pub serving high quality food, this is the place for you - and only seconds from the M3 (rather than suffering motorway food and drink). Additionally, as well as offering a very lively local and welcoming atmosphere, there is a darts board, which is always a good way to unwind from a journey. Give it a try next time you're passing - you will enjoy your time (lunch or dinner).

Tuesday Night is Burger Night.. and you’ll never be disappointed..!! Good choice of burgers on the Burger Board, as well as the regular menu, and a very varied Specials Board. I’ve been here quite a few times and have never been disappointed, it’s a friendly welcoming pub with helpful happy staff. I’ll be Back...!!!!

Great local Pub always friendly service with delicious food at reasonable prices and very large portions. Certainly value for money.

The pub is a 2 part pub. The main entrance from the road is the original bar, whereas the entrance from the car park is an add on where the restaurant is situated.

Stopped in here for Sunday lunch. Very nice indeed, the family n was excellent and the Vegetarian Roast was superb (apricot and goats cheese nut roast). Great portion size on the kids meals. Would come again.

The Otter is a great pub, very friendly and relaxed atmosphere. We went there last night for their Burger night. My husband choose from their list and because I prefer veggie they made one just as I wanted it. All really tasty and superb chips! Very good portions, struggled to finish.

Lovely evening as always. Food fantastic and lovely traditional pub. Reasonably priced and always a Specials board

Had to get off the motor way to find something to eat so we decided to take the old A33. Now we passed the normal chain establishments but just of the main road we came across the Otter. So with out a do we dropped in. And another result the food its set back from the main road and there is parking around the rear. The food is good and plentiful, I cannot say a bad word and the three of us had a good meal.

Lovely little pub just off the M3, made a perfect stop for us on a long drive. Good food with generous portions, friendly staff and dogs welcome in the garden.

We have been for lunch a number of times. It is a very nice pub which has a lovely fire in the winter and an outside area for the summer. Good service, home food and great prices. A good experience each time we have been

Obviously a locals pub as I was made to feel quite unwelcome.

I have been coming here for years for lunches and evening meals.Great atmosphere good range of drinks food spot on and service great. Almost impossible to criticise. Keep up the good work.

We visited for lunch on a Wednesday. I chose a special - a South Indian chicken coconut curry, with naan and basmati rice. The curry was excellent, hot and spicy. The rice was fine, the naan bread was uninteresting and rather hard. My wife chose ciabatta with brie and cranberry. The bread was fresh but the filling was not particularly generous. We drank razorback beer and a lager, both of which were fine.

Went for a roasts here. The food was delicious and the roast beef was huge with so much meat and very tasty vegetables. Only lost a star as they had no brownies left so we missed out on dessert!

Have had some nice meals here but this week.... not so good. Not sure what has happened but the food is ok but not great. Staff are friendly and helpful .

On holiday in this area last year we had great food at this very nice pub.

Friendly pub and the beer was very good. We arrived early and were shown to a table in the added on restaurant. It was a cold day and there appeared to be a lack of heating in this area. There were four of us and we all ordered a roast, one with the veggie option. It took awhile to arrive and we noticed that it returned to the kitchen because it had been offered to the wrong table. But that was not a problem for us really. However, the pork on two plates was very dry and hard, as was the lamb. We also had to ask for more gravy as the splash was minimal. The veggie option was okay except the gravy did not appear. When we asked for it, a tomato sauce was served that should have been served with the veggie option. We later found that the veggie gravy was forgotten too and it finally arrived when there was nothing to pour it over. We did make it known that we were not too happy about the meals and were told that the chef apologised but that is all. Looking round I think that this may not be typical with the other meals on the menu and other people in the now full pub, seemed to be enjoying their meals. So I would recommend avoiding the roast if you visit this pub and go for something else. The price was a little on the high side too.

Good food and atmosphere meant it was a very pleasant meeting point for us all. We had a good range of food between us and all meals were very good.

Good atmosphere and friendly bar staff. Locals that don't always growl if you choose the wrong seat. More expensive than the Rufus and Halfway but food is really good with generous portions.

Don't judge a book by its cover....cannot say the outside of this pub looks or feels particularly welcoming. This is clearly "a locals pub" as soon as stepping through the door it seems everyone stops talking, looks round as to see who is coming in. It was busy on a Sunday lunchtime but we were shown to our table. Whilst there was the option of traditional roast dinners, the normal menu, and the special board there was also the "Christmas" lunch menu too. So fairly extensive menu and certainly something for everyone. Food was good generous portions. Service was attentive, we were not rushed. Surroundings for the dining area can only be described as"quaint and twee" Christmas decorations were up. Prices reasonable. Shame the waitress who came to take the card payment clearly didn't have a clue how to use the card machine and I really mean didn't have a clue! Cash I could understand would be confusing to the younger generation but a card machine come on! Whilst 4* given I would think 3.5 would reflect well. Large car park to rear of The Otter. Would we return doubtful.

Great to have a non-Christmas meal option in the festive season - our choice and a really lovely 3- course meal for 4 was enjoyed - good variety available on the menu, and also excellent specials board, and as always the staff were efficient and friendly. Thank you once again :-)

We had a great meal here this week for our Team’s Christmas meal .

We came here to celebrate my father in laws birthday. The pub itself is quaint, spotlessly clean and had a welcoming atmosphere. There was a big party in the restaurant and we thought we may have had a delay in getting our food but we didn't. There appeared to be lots of staff all of whom were friendly and attentive. Lovely menu to chose from plus a specials board. The quality of the food was superb, portions of a good size and all dishes were piping hot! Several people eating in the bar area where we were and all the food coming out of the kitchen looked delicious. Attention to detail is clearly important to this team and it pays off - we will most definitely be back. Very highly recommended. Well done The Otter

EXCELLENT FOOD, REASONABLY PRICED AND A BOOTLEGGERS TALE

The starters were nice and a good size. Main courses are very large and only fair quality. Two of our team had going off salad and when we complained were told it was in date on the packet but it couldn’t be eating. Chips were very fatty and all the team didn’t finished them. Won’t be coming back again.

We found this pub by chance whilst holidaying in the area.

We were on our way to Bournemouth for our anniversary and thanks to Trip Adviser found this gem of a pub. Everyone very friendly, delicious food with healthy options and 26 gains on offer - I had a local Winchester gin - twisted nose - lovely taste!

Amazing Steak to share, washed down with a great wine. Really enjoyable evening with good food. Anywhere near Otterbourne? Then you have to try this place.

As we were in the area for a family event we decided to go here again & were not disappointed with the meal. First time was Saturday night after moving a lot of furniture & the second time was Tuesday. The bar staff on both occasions were efficient & friendly. The food was very good & we enjoyed eating in a relaxed atmosphere in the bar area as we had our dog with us.

Our visit was very brief. We had booked a table and arrived parking in the car park. We noticed two staff members dressed in black trousers, black aprons and white shirts. They appeared to be staff who would either be preparing food or waiting on tables. We saw the man climb up into a large wheelie bin and then jump in it to flatten the rubbish. As we watched we felt sure they would come away sheepishly, but instead he climbed out with the aid of the woman and jumped into another wheelie bin and did the same again. They then left the bins and went into the kitchen. We decided not to eat there. We phoned and explained that we'd booked a table but would not be eating there and why. There was no explanation, apology or apparent understanding of our concern that our food might be served or cooked by someone who had just come out of a bin.

This is a typical English pub, dimly lit in the pub section, with oak beams. The dining area at the back is more brighly lit and offers a range of interesting snack lunches, such as lamb kefte or asparagus with smoked ham for £6. I chose a boar pate ploughman's lunch (£8); my wife opted for a baked brie with salad leaves (£6). My ploughman's was ample, with a boiled egg, some fresh warm segments of baguette, a pickled onion, tomatoes and lettuce. The actual pate was a strange reddish colour but tasted OK and was topped with peppercorns. They serve several real ales and I ordered the Razorback, a Hampshire ale. My wife enjoyed her lager. It's a pleasant place to go for a light lunch. The pub and restaurant were both well filled on a Friday lunchtime and there was ample parking. .