The Potters Heron Hotel in Test Valley

I have been to the Potters Heron for lunch a couple of times during the summer and had really good sandwiches - fresh bread and fillings. Today my friend and I had medium sliced, poor quality brown bread and my egg mayonnaise was mostly mayonnaise. My side salad was gritty. I spoke to the two members of staff and said that I was not impressed with the quality for the price (£7) and to pass it on, but heard nothing further. I had a similar experience earlier this year but thought that things had improved over the summer. It's such a shame, because when they're good they're very good but when they're bad it's such a disappointment. I won't be going back any time soon.

This has been a regular destination when getting the family together. We booked for 10 of us today, a 12.30 booking which was made a couple of weeks ago to celebrate two birthdays. We arrived on time, to be pointed up to where we would be sitting. A table that wasn't set, with chairs strewn around, being advised they needed to run all the cutlery through the machine to clean. The atmosphere was non existent. Aside from our party there were 6 other people there. I think understandable given our experience and the fact that even though there are menus online referencing Sunday Roasts, that we've have before, they don't serve roasts anymore. There were two people working. One who was really trying and struggling to cope and another who was rude everytime she was asked something and didn't help her colleague at all. Meaning unfortunately that even though she was trying the service was slow, below par and meant that when sauces were asked for they arrived after the meal was finished. The food itself was very expensive especially for the quality that was served. Sausage and mash was bland, chicken burgers were dry and flavourless, beef stew was more potato stew. Sausage and Mash £17.50 and Chicken burger £18. So disappointing and for the cost even more so. It was so bad most decided not to have dessert. I wouldn't recommend anyone eat here, service, quality and value for money non existent. We have vowed to find a new family venue moving forward.

Staying here now for 2 nights. Appalling. Shabby room, breakfast awful cold dirty cups. Tables not wipes down. Exterior on arrival full ashtrays dirty tables. Don't stay here. Leaving tomorrow will be skipping breakfast. There is a serious problem here.

We had our wedding here in May 2024. Would not recommend. Our meetings running up to the wedding were very positive and attentive. Unfortunately on the day staff were noticeably absent whenever (multiple) problem arose. Not everything that was discussed and agreed on was delivered. The provided DJ was awful, played very little of the artists requested in advance by email in and caused a couple of embarrassing moments (trying to encourage the first dance whilst everyone, bride and groom included, was gathered at the cake for the cake cutting). The wedding breakfast had mixed feedback. Allergen requests were not appropriately catered for (3 GF portions agreed, only 1 provided, nothing on the buffet was labelled for allergens). Breakfast was very slow,. multiple items were cleared out within minutes of being put out and there was then a lengthy wait for more to be cooked. These are just some of the issues. The venue itself is looking very tired in places. Feedback was sent to the venue 8 days post wedding (whilst on honeymoon!) and it has taken multiple chasers and 95 days for them to reply and the situation is still not resolved.

Second stay here. Booked 4 rooms for ourselves and family. Staff very friendly and helpful from check in to bar n breakfast. Room clean and did what it says on the tin. Would I visit again yes I would. Thank you for another lovely stay.

Stayed for a couple of nights booked through the peppa pig world experience! The room was small for all 4 of us, and was extremely hot as our stay coincided with 2 of the hottest days of the year and no air conditioning! First night was like a sweat box, second night was much better after a discussion with the receptionist who later spoke to housekeeping who gave us a fan, thank you for that! Bathroom was also small and very dated, but the shower was extremely powerful which was a relief! One small issue with the room was when we woke the second morning there seemed to be a leak coming from the room above which had gone all over the wife’s clothing for the day, she wasn’t best pleased! Moving on to the restaurant, the food each night was delicious, the short rib beef burgers get a special mention as they were mouth watering! The service was very hit and miss unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be any leadership and it was all over the place. We sat down at 17:45 but didn’t receive menus until gone 18:00 and food didn’t arrive until gone 19:00!! Breakfast each morning wasn’t anything special at all, eggs cold and rubbery, beans so dry the sauce had disappeared, no hot water for any drinks! I feel with a little guidance from someone with front of house experience and the restaurant would run much better and be a better experience for the guests!

We held our wedding here 29th June 2024. 10k wasted overall ok but that's really pushing it. After these people have taken your money any issues there not interested we did try to raise our concerns with the Manager who politely told us to ............... Hotel Rooms infested with mosquitoes venue is falling apart in places. Smells of damp DJ was an absolute joke who still uses cds. So its like letting uncle Albert do your music. Food for wedding was brilliant but somehow the breakfast was a bismal mess greasy food vile coffee tasted like they dug it up from there gardens. Overall all smoke and mirrors don't be fooled this is more an illusion then blissful reallity

This was a place we would come to regularly. Craig, Ollie and Chris are always so welcoming and friendly. They go above and beyond to ensure we receive the best service and look after my family who have various allergies between them. However, the management has changed and it is not what it used to be.

Excellent food and great service. A little slow but worth the wait. I was staying over on a business trip and was eating alone. Tina made me feel welcome and was very attentive even though she was busy. The reception staff were friendly and helpful. When I checked in I found the room very nice. The bathroom needed a refresh but the bed was really comfortable and I slept well. I had everything I needed. I would recommend this hotel and would definitely go back

Always liking to try different hotels, decided to book Potters Heron for one night with breakfast, direct with hotel as a halfway home break with little dog. We booked it as recommended by Secret Escapes which we have used many times and have never been disappointed. Arrived early evening to a very ‘pleasant on the eye’ hotel and was delighted with our room on garden ground floor. A surprisingly spacious room with king sized comfortable bed and with private access to the delightful garden. No toiletries except an on the wall dispenser for soap. The breakfast was great and overall the experience and stay was lovely.

We booked this as part of the Peppa Pig World package and it was ok. The room was nice and the set up was great for our family. A double bed and two put up beds for the children. The room and bathroom was clean. Check in was a bit non existent and everytime we walked past reception, there was never any acknowledgement. Even on check out, the receptionist didn't even turn round when she told us to leave our key on the desk! We went straight to the restaurant from check in as the children were hungry but the service was quite slow and it took 45 minutes - 1 hour before we got any food. Fortunately we took things to entertain the children but they were tired. I had the chicken supreme and the piece of chicken I had was absolutely huge, I was a little bit suspect of the chicken right in the middle so I just ate the outer edge. Both the children had chicken goujons and chips which were huge and my husbands burger looked tasty. There was no chocolate brownie but the starter main and desserts were all on the menu so they'd chosen a main and dessert on that basis. We should have been told at the time of ordering. The waitress was heavily pregnant and looked like she was done 😂 The next morning, the same waitress was there and it was like she'd never seen us before, no recognition which would have been a personal touch. The breakfast was very very tasty and lots of options for me as I'm gluten free. The room was boiling during the night so it was an uncomfortable sleep but the children slept which was the main thing.

Attended for a retirement dinner for one of my colleagues and ten others. Pre ordered meals. Service was wonderful however meals weren’t great. In fairness starters were a good size and delivered as described. Mains the tarragon chicken was the only main that met with approval. The fish appeared huge but was mostly batter and regarded as the most awful fish ever tried. The short rib burger was dry. Unfortunately I also made the decision to have a pudding. Lemon meringue at £8:50. Imagining a luscious, adequately sized pudding… imagine my surprise when a lemon meringue came out no bigger than a jam tart that took three bites at best, my colleague who I was sharing with was disappointed also. In due respect the meringue tasted wonderful but it was not an £8.50 pudding.

We Did a Couples Secret Escapes. wishing they also did their homework!! Staff were lovely....Dinner was quite good despite millions of children screaming and a gentleman in the bar speaking for an hour on speaker phone a little bit drunk!! and having to eat in general bar area as restaurant was not open. Room was poor, very dated, curtains hanging off and the bathroom was terrible, rust marks everywhere and really small. But it was clean enough.

Honest review about Special Mother's Day Lunch. The staff were very welcoming and the service was good. Unfortunately the meal didn't get off to a good start when the waitress spilt a pint of Pepsi at the table. This was quickly cleared up however and we received more drinks. The Mother's Day menu didn't have much choice so 3 of our party chose the Pork Belly. There was hardly any meat on the pork belly and the fat layer wasn't nice and crisp but oily and rubbery. The creamed cabbage was an acquired taste, the gravy very thin and watery and the apple slices were hard and crunchy. The Roast chicken would have been the better choice. For dessert we had the berry pavlova which came in "deconstructed form" which wasn't mentioned on the menu but was nice. The sticky toffee pudding however was very odd, almost like xmas pudding and was very rubbery and chewy. Most of it was left and our waitress gave us some discount to reflect this. On the whole, for the price this wasn't a good meal.

We have visited the Potters Heron on a number of occasions prior to the pandemic and been more than satisfied with our stay, how it has changed. The hotel decor is tired and the bedroom did not feel clean, reception had a musty/damp odour, not helped by waste bins positioned to catch water from a leaky roof. When turning down the bed, on the underneath of the quilt was blood stained finger prints, in fairness to the receptionist, she appeared at the door with a replacement. Bathroom, the toilet bowl was badly stained and the rear filthy. The area behind the bath taps was rusty and the shower control so corroded that it was difficult to adjust. The fixture holding the bath plug chain fell off. Buffet Breakfast, 1st day , fruit selection, apple and orange, fried eggs on continuous heat were solid and bacon cold.2nd day, fruit selection, few small unripe melon wedges with the seed core still attached. One solid fried egg, asked for fresh, told yes they were on the way, after 5mins they arrived, only four rashers of bacon. Waitress delivered plates for toast and removed a tea towel to reveal the bread leaving the tea towel on top of the toaster which was on toasting another guests bread, had we not rushed over to remove it, it would have caught fire, the waitress was unaware and returned to her normal position behind the bar chatting with the manager. The attention to managing the breakfast and service was non existent. Needless to say we will not be returning!

We stayed at The Potters Heron for two nights and were beyond happy with the entire experience. The hotel was clean and in good repair. The staff is one of the friendliest and most attentive I've come across in a long time and the restaurant food was delicious! I wouldn't hesitate to visit again on our next trip.

We stayed for just a couple of nights as a "get away from it all" mid week break. Had a nice and clean room and the bed was very comfortable. The hotel is very nice and comfortable throughout and all of the staff are very accommodating to make your stay a very pleasant experience. We found that the restaurant menu is fairly small but I personally prefer this as I believe too much on offer has more to go wrong. Portion sizes were large and the meals we had were delicious, breakfast is a help yourself continental including a buffet style 'full english' etc all very nicely cooked and presented. We enjoyed our stay and will hopefully be able to return for a 2nd visit soon.

Had dinner here recently on a mid-week night. The atmosphere was soulless as there were maybe only around ten people in the whole place. The food, while just about being ok, was crazy expensive and not good value for money. Example a simple plate of beef stew with three crispy roast potatoes was £18. Then a dry chocolate fondant with a tiny scoop of ice cream £9. I wouldn’t recommend it or return for these reasons, which is a real shame as I’m local and it could do so much better…

Just popped in for drinks, seemed clean and tidy and staff were friendly and efficient. Plenty of free parking available at front.

A beautiful place (no doubt) in 2007, tired now but staff were friendly, bright and helpful. Evening meal was dire with the chef clearly on their way out the door at the end of a long day. Breakfast was delicious with the chef clearly starting a new shift revived! Still better than a souless Premier/Holiday inn but it’ll need more than a lick of paint soon.

We chose the Potters Heron for Christmas Day lunch as we'd been to a wedding there before and have had lunch a couple of times there and its a lovely setting. There were 8 of us and we had a really lovely time. The food was delicious and a decent amount of it and the staff very friendly. We were in the garden room and had a lovely table setting. Would definitely choose to come here again for Christmas. Just one thing, some kind of Christmassy music in the background would have been nice to make it feel a little more festive. But overall we enjoyed ourselves, thank you :-)

Overnight stay before a cruise. Parking available for the duration of our cruise! Room very comfortable, bed just right with lovely pillows. Had a meal in the restaurant which was very good, steak cooked just as we liked. Good wine list. Staff are extremely helpful and friendly! Our thanks to Kerry who was working the bar on the evening of our stay. Lovely girl! Lady on duty in reception very professional and nothing was too much trouble. Lovely staff on duty for breakfast. If we take to cruising we will most definitely stay again. 20 minutes from the port.

We are here for 6 nights over Xmas and this is our first night. I can’t wait until the end to praise Ella and Ewan. They were SO helpful and held it together so well in the afternoon when they were swamped with customers. Food was fabulous and the room is perfect for us. Maybe a little dated but nothing I would complain about. So big shout out to the team, there were a few others who were really helpful as well but I’m afraid I have forgotten their names :-(

I booked 2 rooms for myself and my 90 year old parents the night before they boarded a Christmas cruise from Southampton. When we arrived, the place was obviously gearing up for a Christmas party, which rang alarm bells. Reception was generally cheery and we were directed to our rooms. The corridor to the rooms did smell badly of damp, but the rooms were OK. Everything worked and the bed was comfortable. We had booked a table for dinner at 7pm and were seated around 6:50. We sat for 40 minutes before someone took our order. My wife ended up with a 3rd choice veggie meal as everything was out of stock. Food arrived at 8:05 and it was immediately apparent that we were going to be very disappointed. My ribeye was ordered medium rare and was grey. I suspect that it had been cooked the night before and microwaved. My dads rump was worse! Mums fish and chips had burnt batter, probably reheated in an oven and my wife's 3rd choice veggie christmas special was just stuffing. No sign of the promised nuts and cranberries. We ate it, we were starving after a 4 hour drive from Nottingham. It tasted worse than it looked, mind you, the chips were OK... We ordered a desert, which was again OK, but took half an hour to arrive, probably due to the medical emergency on the next table, that called for an ambulance to attend. So, 4 mains, 4 deserts, 2 pints of bitter and 2 glasses of wine...£165.00. I felt bad for my dad, who had offered to pay. He is 90 and really can't afford this for such dreadful food. We went to bed at 10, only to be awoken at 12 by the bang, bang, bang of the disco that went on till 2 and then by the sound of someone throwing up in the next room at about 4am. Breakfast was self service and was actually pretty good. Probably a different chef as the one from the previous night needed sacking. We did complain, but nobody seemed to give a damn. We left, never to return. I have to pick up the parents later in the month and I have found a different hotel.

Overall a two star hotel. The room provided was tired in terms of decor and the finish in parts of the bathroom was poor bordering on ridiculous. The restaurant served reasonable meals when they eventually arrived. Not unlike a lot of places in the UK the service is poor. The reason for this in my experience is twofold. Firstly, lack of proper training and secondly, too much time spent chatting with mates. Only respite was the lady who served breakfast. She earned her money.

Really poor experience today. Roast was was cold , lack of vegetables. Condiments turned up as the last mouthful went in. Turkey didn’t have stuffing, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce . Possibly the worst pub roast I’ve ever had. Stuff seemed to think they were doing us a favour by working. Really poor experience.

Visited the Potters Heron to meet up with friends staying as part of a tour group. After an hour and a half’s drive, what a welcoming sight - looked so pretty! The interior was just as welcoming; beautiful decor and just the right amount of Christmas decorations. Great staff, great food - a really lovely evening. My friends dining as part of a larger group also had a fantastic dinner - compliments to the chef and team. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

Been here a few times lately for coffee or light lunch. The lounge area is still very pleasant; contemporary decor and spacious with plenty of seating options. The coffee and food has always been good. Plenty of parking. Shout out to the lady who manages to stay friendly despite often being on her own and busy.

3 night stay in October and disappointing. Stale unpleasant odour hits you as you arrive. Room and general decor was tired. Bulb in the room was not not working and unable to be replaced during our stay, no extraction fan in the very old and outdated bathroom that was in need if renovation. Weekend breakfast was totally self service ( no choice of eggs), Monday breakfast was much better - mix of table service and buffet for continental, and a choice of eggs! Main redeeming feature of the stay was a comfortable bed and staff on the whole were pleasant and helpful with the exception of the tall gentleman ( manager?) mainly stationed in the restaurant who was VERY officious to the point of being rude. I would not stay in this hotel again and do not recommend it!

We walked in and the smell hits you straight away, like old persons home. The phone at reception says it all its from the 1980’s. Spiders hanging from the ceiling as you walk down the corridor. Food left outside rooms in the corridor. We opened the hotel room and we paid for the “premier” king, the carpet was like toffee. The room smelt damp and due to asthma too, we sat on bed was hard and the springs were about to jump out, we walked straight out asked for our money back and promptly left. The management was friendly when checking in and out. While checking in, management asked how his dessert was, he replied “stringy, and there was no crumble it was like a bit of oats, Honestly would not stay here for £40 never mind £140. I dread to know what the kitchen and fridge looks like.

My husband booked a table for two here and when we arrived we were shown to our table and waited for someone to first take our order for drinks so we waited and waited and waited my husband then got really frustrated so went to the bar himself to get our drinks himself. None of the staff seemed to be in any great hurry to serve anyone and one waitress in particular was walking around like she had all the time in the world at first l thought she was a customer! She eventually took our order of humous and pitta bread as a stater to share, lamb shoulder for one for me and steak for my husband. Nearly an hour later the humous arrived which was definitely not home made. The piece de la resistance was when the main course eventually arrived. My ‘lamb shoulder’ was nothing more than a lamb chop perched on top of raw vegetables and pale insipid hardly roasted potatoes on the side. At £25 it was a total ripoff but after waiting so long for the dreadful service l sucked it up as a bad experience and we most certainly won’t be returning in a hurry. I did have some compassion for the kitchen staff as l asked the waitress on shift if they were short staffed and she said they were and had one chef on and one kitchen porter trying his best but he’s not a proper chef so she apologised for the quality of the food.

Stayed at this hotel recently and the staff were very attentive and friendly. They couldn't do enough for you. When we had dinner in the restaurant I had the lamb which was melt in your mouth delicious! However when it came to my wife ordering her food I asked if she could order from the children's menu as she has not been particularly well recently and there was no question as to why they just let her do it, the manager even came over personally and explained he could do most of the food from the main menu as a smaller portion, he didn't need to do this but he went out of his way to do it as they could see my wife was struggling. 5/5 would visit again and would definitely recommend!

Similar Travel Zoo voucher experience to someone who wrote a review recently, sadly this place is not great, has real potential, but is very tired. We stayed 2 nights, room adequate but dark, bed quite comfortable, bathroom clean with a small bath with overhead shower. Dog friendly and having a door from room straight to a garden is definitely a bonus. The garden was nice, with table and chairs. Sunday roast was ok on the first night, breakfast inedible the next day. We were due to meet friends for lunch, but hadn’t been told they were not doing lunch that day due to no chef, so we went out for lunch so just a snack in the hotel later. Didn’t bother staying for breakfast due to experience the previous day. Most staff friendly, but as like other review, our check in experience wasn’t great. If you are not fussy, it probably has good deals, but we won’t be back.

Such a pretty building, from the outside. But the inside was a complete let down. Old outdated and dirty. I’m really sorry to write this but old bath and shower tub. Curtain hugs you when you have to shower. And you trying not to touch the mold on the wall. Bedroom was ok. Furniture was rotten. And the pullout bed for use of family was really dirty and uncomfortable. (Not fit for purpose). The window had a broken privacy screen so the curtains had to be closed and light on all time. I was actually put off by breakfast because the furniture was so dirty. Dining chairs. Then I looked at the knives and folks and they was not clean. I actually hated it. I gave 2 stars for outside beauty and the peacock that roams around. But even that annoyed me with its crowing early in the morning. I would give this a miss untill the cleanliness is fixed. And 3 stars. Was from when it was open as it would only get two if it had a review. Very sad

We went to the restaurant for dinner tonight and it wasn’t a brilliant experience. 1) we had booked a table as we have young kids and I found it annoying that no kids menus were easily available. 2) the staff attitude was extremely poor. My husband ordered a whiskey & coke and without telling him they poured a whiskey & Pepsi max. I know this sounds very trivial but he can’t stand Pepsi max and is always quite specific when he orders. The staff member didn’t apologise and tried to blame the miscommunication on us. 3) The food took aaaaaages to arrive (over 45 minutes) and they weren’t more than 1/3 capacity of tables. When it did arrive it wasn’t ordered. The kids had baked beans instead of green beans with their sausage and mash and no gravy despite it coming with gravy. My husband ordered some garlic bread with his salad and it was 4 tiny pieces of garlic bruschetta. We asked the waitress and she didn’t seem to care and told us to email management if we have a problem. Not the response I was looking for. 4) We tried to order another drink and were basically ignored by a young waiter. It has made me think twice about booking this restaurant again. We stayed here as we have a two day trip to Paultons Park today/tomorrow. But friends and family visit here with their children and I wouldn’t recommend it to them.

The building is lovely and we were greeted in the car park by Ken the peacock. The room was clean and adequate. Bed was very comfy. Would suggest that décor could be updated, to give a less 'corporate' ambience to the room which would be more in keeping with the beautiful externals to the property. Also shower over bath should be replaced as quite tricky to get in and out of and it is generally dated. Public areas and bar were very nice though. Staff were very friendly and helpful during our 3 night holiday. Breakfast was always fresh and well stocked (we ate around 8am each day) with plenty of choice. Sausages and bacon of a decent quality. The meal we had on our first night (Tues 27th June), was absolutely outstanding and totally delicious. We ordered the chicken and pork and it was presented and cooked to perfection. However, we ordered the same dishes on (Thur 28th June) and the same ingredients were put together with much less care and love (black eyes left in huge potato chunks, spines left in greens for example), making only a satisfactory meal from the same ingredients. Chef on Tuesday needs to do some training with Thursdays chef to maintain consistent food quality. Overall however, we were very pleased with our stay and had a wonderful time exploring the area. Particular shout out to the bar staff who were outstanding during our evenings with you. Especially, the lass from Bristol! Hope you take my improvement comments in the spirit they were left (to help you improve) as overall we loved our stay with you.

Just a shambles from start to finish. My friends and I have been come here on and off for a while. But we won’t be back. Bad food. Long wait. The waitress who served us was on a losing battle from the on set. She was a star. In difficult circumstances. I overheard someone call out to her. Ella.

Given the location & layout this establishment should be amazing, but it isn’t. In fact, it’s dreadful. The decor is shabby both in the communal areas & the bedrooms (our family members occupied rooms 7&8). I’ll start with the bedroom. Sofa was filthy with grubby arms (see image). The bath tap was covered in limescale / mould & the shower rail was rusty (see images). Paint work is poor and shabby. Worst of all, the door out to the (tiny) paved area was rotten & had only a 3 lever door lock (insurance companies require minimum 5 lever for security). The room also lacked USB charging points, which are essential now. Now the evening meal. Drinks took an eternity to order with only a single bar person. Dinner was no better. We had to wait 40 mins for food to be served. The food was poor quality & despite repeating my order to the waiter several times, it arrived incorrect. Desserts arrived at different times and without what was stated on the menu. Breakfast was no better with items being consumed and not replaced & for some inexplicable reason beverages were located 20 feet from the food. Staff appeared miserable, under-trained & stressed. There was a wedding on at the time, but that isn’t an excuse for poor service & food quality. Do NOT believe the Misson statements on their website. Reality is nothing like the picture painted.

What a wonderful place. Plenty of parking. Greeted by a resident peacock.. Yes a peacock!!! Staff were absolutely amazing. Very attentive. Afternoon tea was superb. Very fresh gorgeous food. Especially the scones... Wow. A beautiful place inside and out. Had a great time. Well looked after. Definitely will return and maybe stay over next time. Thankyou.

We had a two night mini break which was disappointing. The grounds and the external area are beautiful and build expectations. The menu looks upmarket and the prices suggest that too. However the hotel and restaurant are juts not there. The room has some modern decor to give the image of an upmarket room, but the mattress was one of the worst I have slept on. The bed itself was two double that were pushed together and did not stay together so my partner and I ended up sleeping on separate sides of the the bed as it was just too uncomfortable to let in the middle next to each other. The bathroom was also tired and dated, with the mixer tap difficult to turn due to the build up of soap residue and lime scale over the years. There was no way to regulate the temperature in the room and it was either too hot or too cold. The room we had, did have a balcony but the room and balcony was overlooked by local neighbours to curtains had to be drawn just to get changed. The windows are also clearly very old and I suspect would not be very good at keeping in heat during the winter. On the plus side the room was clean and I cannot fault housekeeping. Considering the location we came to cycle around the area but there was no secure area we could leave our bikes. In terms of the restaurant is was disappointing. Considering there was a help yourself buffet. We had to wait 20mins yes to be seated as the staff were busy ignoring us and seeing to other people and cleaning tables. When we did finally get seated the most items of the buffet had run out and were not being restocked and the items that were left were cold. (We arrived in the middle of the allocated time period so no excuse really). When I questioned this with a waitress I got a smug disrespectful reply of “that’s what happens in a busy restaurant”. That member of staff might wish to remember that I had paid for breakfast and I expect the same level of service and food that everyone else has paid for. I will also point out that I would not call 20 people a busy restaurant. When considering the Main restaurant food, strip this back to basics and steak and chips with mushroom and tomatoes will set you back £25, or you could walk half a mile down the road and have a bigger sirloin instead of rump for the same price. I think this place needs more work. I certainly won’t be going back

I gave my score not just based on the excellent food but the excellent service too. There were three females that seemed to be doing the bar and table service. I went out of my way to find out the name of two of the servers. Christine and Ella had a real good report with our table. A good sense of humour mixed with excellent service. Hopefully next time my friends and myself are here we get the service of these two. They made our dining experience so much more pleasant.

Just had a two night mini break at this lovely hotel. Nice location and a very nice place all round. High standards of cleanliness and rooms warm and cosy. Staff were without exception helpful and friendly. Must give a special mention to Jewel and Tom from the bar and restaurant. Absolutely brilliant both. A true asset to the place. Nothing was too much trouble and the service second to none. Would definitely return at some time in the future.Highly recommend this fine establishment.

I had hoped to stay at this hotel during Easter with my husband and granddaughter as part of a visit to nearby Pegga Pig world. I contacted the hotel to make some general enquiries and spoke firstly to one member of staff who then passed...

Nice food well cooked,nice staff .We stayed in the hotel and we where realy happy with our room ,My wife left two items of clothing in the room and they found them and returned them by post it was not a problem to them.

I have visited the Potters Heron several times over the years and enjoyed the food and the atmosphere of the restaurant and bar. On this occasion we visited with friends for a drink and light lunch and were very disappointed. On the positive side, there...

Staff were lovely, helpful & attentive However, value for money is very poor. £16.50 for a dry vegan burger & bottom of the basket chips is expensive in my opinion. don’t live in this area/region,, but in my opinion it is very expensive food for...

Wow what can I say…. We saw the charm of this thatched hotel whilst driving pass and decided we would try the restaurant out. It was a great experience. The decor of the bar area and restaurant was lovely and very tastefully done, the bar...

Some friends booked to stay here so we decided to eat here too. The young waiting staff were friendly and attentive. They made us aware that there was a large function in another part of the complex and warned of delays in the kitchen. We...

A great experience from the moment we arrived until our departure. Staff very good. Food although a bit pricey. Very good

Hotel looks lovely and rooms are more than adequate until you get to the detail - the hair dryer is fixed to the wall too far away from any mirror to see. There is nothing wrong with this hotel that a change of mangement and...

Came here for the restaurant to celebrate my mum's 60th. We had a lovely time and Craig was so attentive and thoughtful. We made a reservation and mentioned we had someone with allergies, he spoke to the chef and made a thorough menu with what...

Excellent pub / hotel had dinner and breakfast here ,both Excellent! Great service and friendly, helpful staff. 5 Stars .Thank you.

We had terrible travel issues but the staff were ok with the fact we arrived very late and were still smiling and welcoming at 23.30 at night. Room was gorgeous, lovely and clean, and loved the the door into wooded area.

We’ve driven past the big beautiful place so many times and kept meaning to book a table. It’s always looked really busy when we had driven past so for our wedding anniversary we visited on a Sunday with our two children (5yo and 1yo). The...

I had the Pork Belly starter which, priced at £11.50, was absolutely not worth it. It was quite possibly the smallest portion I’ve ever seen. The pork was generally well cooked but it was served with the most unappealing ‘slaw’. For main course, I ordered...

Met up with some friends as a last minute thing. Was greeted by a lovely young lady who sorted us out a table and seated us. The service was impeccable. The food was amazing. Not too sure but I think it was a manger (...

I booked a table in the restaurant to celebrate my husbands birthday. We had visited before for a breakfast and it seemed like a nice place. However on Sunday despite the fact that the staff were pleasant we waited approximately 35 minutes for our starters...

I enjoyed a comfortable stay, with the bar and restaurant staff being very friendly and delivering excellent service. Reception was disappointing at both check-in and checkout. On arrival I had to wait to be seen, while the lady sitting at the sales desk immediately next...

Let down by the accommodation. Expensive for a basic ‘tired’ room. Dirty cups. Bath plug hole full of someone else’s hair and gunk. Dirty grout on bath tiles. For the money, I’d expect more than budget coffee sachets and no glasses . On the plus...

The staff were lovely & very helpful. Beautiful setting & nicely decorated. However, the food was a disappointment. I ordered the vegetable curry as did my friend. Poor value for the money charged! Very little rice, a minute piece of nan bread & curry very...

The positive needle of previous experience swung rapidly negative today. Whilst we hesitated to book due to the very limited restrictive menu, we had previously enjoyed a pleasant evening in company. However, the bar staff didn't know what a 'bitter lemon' was to start! We...

So Mother’s Day lunch booked four weeks ago for a table of four in the restaurant, arrived five minutes early and told the table wasn’t ready have a drink in the bar , drinks ordered told your on that table over there in the bar...

Worst Mother’s Day lunch I have ever had. Really disappointed and wish we had gone somewhere else. Very nearly got up and left halfway through. Very small choice on the menu (only option was roast or 3 other items!!). Roast was probably one of the...

Nice hotel, nicely decorated rooms with plenty of space. The welcome from the receptionist was nice, she made us feel important and she was very polite. The beds.. The beds were too hard, I couldn't sleep and also if our neighbouring room turned on a...

How disappointing.....the menu is beautifully worded with mouth watering descriptions but unfortunately it didn't measure up. We ordered the roast beef at £16.50 which was really tough and us and the neighbouring table were unable to even cut it.....the vegetables which consisted of boring and...

Pre-Covid we came here many times and were never disappointed with the food. This is when the restaurant was under the title Clayton Kitchen. However since then we have eaten here twice. On the first occasion the food was very disappointing and had no intention...

Still live for food on the internet but very much dead when you get there having driven from Petersfield only to be told no meals until October. Please update and save clients the hassle of driving there for nothing to eat but baguettes

Avoid the roast. We ordered one at 12.05 and it arrived barely luke warm and potatoes were not roasted, they tasted like they were from a frozen microwave meal. No condiments offered and was only asked if it was okay towards the end of the...

A limited menu choice but nicely cooked and well presented. A choice of 3 floor levels to chose from. I enjoyed the top level. The restaurant has been new carpeted , with new furniture and is very clean.

I had booked a table in the restaurant for 6.30pm for myself and my partner to have an evening meal. I am registered blind and have a guide dog and she comes everywhere with me, as she should. As soon as we arrived, we were...

I ate here. Originally it wasn't my plan to eat here. I was staying here and I needed lunch so I thought I'd give it a go. For lunch, I ordered the fish finger Bap. This was extremely nice, and the homemade chips were amazing....

Superb hotel and restaurant. Excellent facilities throughout. Very comfortable bedroom with private outside seating. Very well decorated and tastefully furnished in all areas. Delicious food served all day and a wide selection of wines and spirits available.

A lovely looking restaurant but very overpriced and slow service although there were very few customers. We had the Sea Bass which consisted of one sea bass fillet (2 sea bass fillets cost £4 at Tesco), a small mound of mashed potatoes and a small...

Upon arrival the outside looks amazing and very inviting, as soon as you walk through the door there is a very musty smell, the staff however are very friendly at reception, we had the keys to our room and took the short walk to room...

So the majority of reviews on here are amazing for this hotel.. which is partly the reason I booked it for my wife’s birthday. I have really high standards for when it comes to where we stay so I was expecting big things specially after...

We quite often visit the potters for a few drinks or something to eat the service here is always good and the food here is really good never had a bad experience here if something is wrong with your meal they will take it away...

We had a great meal tonight to celebrate a special birthday. Food was excellent, service was spot on and we felt that the management and staff had taken more than enough consideration for the current social distancing situation. We felt safe and well looked after...

We were drawn to this eating place by the very attractive exterior (and rumbling stomachs) and we were not disappointed. The interior is large with plenty of seating and space between. It has a rather elegant feel to it and this is reflected in the...

Visited The Potters Heron with a friend to celebrate her Birthday back in March. Due to Covid and other unforeseen circumstances the event had to be postponed twice before. We were not disappointed, a beautiful selection of sandwiches, scones, jam and cream and of course...

We booked a meal last week to celebrate a special occasion. Usually good food but not this time. Limited menu, main course was fine (both had burgers) but dessert was dreadful (chocolate custard tart). Didn’t complain at the time as we didn’t want to ruin...

We visited for a 2-course set lunch. The quality of cooking is generally good (if unexciting). We both started with cheddar cheese Bonbons. The were well presented, but the taste of cheese was not particular pre-eminent. I continued with sea bass fillet and fries. This...

I stayed at the Hotel (separate review) and ate in Claytons Kitchen. I had a lot of work to do and it was a real pleasure to sit on a lovely sofa, boots off curled up with bottle of prosecco warm and comfy. I had...

We visited for lunch on a Wednesday. A set menu with three choices per course was offered. £18 for 2 courses. We both chose Goat's Cheese Bonbons with spiced apple chutney, followed by corn-fed chicken on crushed potatoes with porcini sauce. Both courses tasted excellent...

Fabulous food and service, just wished for a more varied option for Vegetarian. I struggle to understand why they try to be so fancy? just good old fashioned sausage n mash or wellington as an example. Hey its still worth it. Recommend.

Gathered in the bar with family & friends before our NYE Party. Although didn't order food, the menu looked very good, the drinks/ales where well presented & the interior design of the bar/restaurant was excellent. A very enjoyable afternoon, Well worth a visit.

The staff, Caroline, Caitlin and Nicu where exceptionally helpful, courteous and polite. They made our two hour visit very warm and cosy. True, we only had sandwiches which were absolutely delicious, and a drink - but we were treated just the same as other guests...

My daughter and l happened to be passing, very good decision it was too. Couldn’t fault the service, food, ambiance, price - made very welcome, very warm and cosy venue. Caroline, Caitlin and Nicu were so happy and friendly couldn’t do enough for us. Size...

So we held a somber occasion at the Potters Heron early on this month. On the day are expectations were exceeded. The staff in particular were excellent and we thank them for making the day a celebration. Special thanks to Nina and the team on...

beautiful downstairs and evening meal food amazing! breakfast a let down. disgusting filthy old style rooms. this is what we walked into for £130 for one night. room 42... which is nothing like the posh photos they have uploaded.

Had a room at the hotel, and after inspecting the menu we decided to eat at the restaurant. We came in, the place was almost empty and I asked if we “could eat a hamburger” (which was on the menu placed in our room). I...

My sister and I had a wonderful time at Xmas at this lovely hotel. The food was amazing and made Xmas day one to remember.

We stayed here for one night as a family had rooms 17&18 both furnished beautifully. I would of given 5 stars but the bathroom was a bit grubby and the bath took ages to run. We ate in the restaurant for dinner which was delicious...

We were greeted by helpful, friendly staff.The food was absolutely delicious.The fìsh I had and the apple sorbet I ate for pudding was to die for. The apple sorbet was so smooth.I also had a gin, lime, and cucumber cocktail to drink which was so...

Spent a night at this lovely hotel in Ampfield as a little midweek treat. The hotel looks lovely with a newly thatched roof and is in a nice location midway between Romsey and Winchester. We had a very pleasant ground floor room with doors opening...

After having driven past this place many times and watching the thatched roof being restored we finally had the opportunity to pop in for a family Sunday lunch but much to our disappointment we left feeling rather underwhelmed. While the outside gives the impression of...

Our first visit since becoming Clayton's Kitchen and we loved it. Three of us went for the Portland crab starter which was pretty on the plate and a delight to eat. Our son went for the goats cheese which he enjoyed too. For mains my...

We stayed 3 nights. The room (17) had everything we needed and was clean. The breakfasts were buffet style. Nothing was too much trouble. The Fathers Day menu was excellent, and the service attentive for such a busy time. From booking the hotel with Ludo,...

Food, surroundings, staff, drinks, atmosphere, price. All 10/10. You won’t be disappointed here, simply amazing.

My wife and I visited for a second to select from their lunchtime fixed menu. As before this was only £15 for two courses on a set menu. The dishes offered cost around twice as much in the evening off the a-la-carte. As I mentioned...

We did not stay overnight so this review is for the restaurant only. We booked a table for eight including one wheel chair and one pram. The table was up a number of steps and there didn't appear to be any dining on the ground...