The Shoe Inn in Winchester

I can't believe I haven't left a review already! Been going to The Shoe for the last 14 years and continue to do so at least once a month. Never had a bad meal or experience ever. Great friendly staff, food and atmosphere. Would highly recommend.

This is an amazing place to eat,foods fantastic.

Fantastic pub, great food and service. Especially loved their home baked bread!

Nice stop whilst on a long walk

Lovely pub with a unique pub garden, hardworking staff and a good atmosphere when it was busy. Really well worth a visit of you wanted to stop off on your travels or grab a quick beer on your ramble through

Went for lunch, parking was almost impossible. Service was a little stretched. Very nice setting and atmosphere. Food was tasty, large portions, slightly over salted though. Loved the bread.

Food is great, book in advance for Sunday roast.

The beef mushroom and red wine pie was absolutely delicious. The pastry was flaky, the filling was packed with flavor, and the mustard and horseradish mash was the perfect accompaniment. The atmosphere was cozy and inviting, and the service was friendly and attentive. Definitely recommend this pub for a hearty and satisfying meal.

Called in here on our way from Beacon Hill to Old Winchester Hill around 11:00. Luckily managed to get a lunch reservation for 14:30 and a delicious hot chocolate. The Sunday roast continued to exceed our expectations, and we ended up taking a loaf of their freshly made bread home, too. The staff were so friendly and attentive. Cannot fault this place. Highly recommend.

Definitely the best pub in the area. It had a lot of plaudits and it is a lovely pub with hard-working staff. The menu was very promising so my expectations were quite high for an excellent meal. The food was good but not great. The Asian pork salad, lamb shank and the pork belly were all a bit dry and overcooked. Not bad enough to complain or send back but just not as good as I’d hoped. I will return to try again though as the menu alone shows that they do understand food - maybe it’s was just a bit of an off day in the kitchen.

Beautiful location. Beautiful pub. Fabulous staff. Fantastic freshly cooked food. Definitely frequenting again soon.😊

Wonderful pub, lovely staff and superb food. The pork belly was divine.

Great food, nice staff, nice atmosphere! Book ahead for weekends as it gets busy.

We had a Sunday roast. It was amazing. The Yorkshire Puddings were enormous. Did not have any Guinness stout, though. They had run out. The second of three pubs this week that had no Guinness?

Our favourite country pub. Traditional English meals are the best. Other non-English options are nice but less flavoursome, for example the chicken burger textures are great, really crispy chicken ❤️, but lacks flavour. Lamb and vegetables or roast beef and Yorkshires are so tasty and so worth it. Service is great as are the staff. Don't forget to get the bread and oil / balsamic dip while you're waiting for your starters and mains to arrive. If the weather is good, then eat out on the other side of the road next to the river 💪🏻

A very comfortable place and environment. Excellent service and very elaborate cuisine, lots of flavor, excellent meats. We opted for the beef. Ah!! The bread of ten. A place to remember.

Great place and nice staff, what more could you ask for.

Absolutely gem Fabulous food and service Staff are a credit to this place and the manager is superb attentive and has time for everyone with the clientele his priority Amazing food thankyou chef (s) Superb alround excellet prices don't rip u off everything you pay for is justified

The food is always cooked well, lovely garden with the river Meon at the end of it. Perfect for summer drinks. Can definitely recommend the pork belly and Asian pork salad.

Great little pub/ restaurant, definitely worth the drive to get there. On a sunny day there is nothing nicer than sitting in the garden with a cold drink and on a cooler day they give you blankets and hot water bottles ❤️ The food is also delicious, just be careful not to fill up on the scrumptious bread offered lol.

Excellent pub with brilliant food and service!

Is the shoe the one of the nicest pubs in the south of england? Yes.

Had a lovely meal here today. It was just what my husband and I needed. The food, especially the scallop starter and lemon tart dessert, was incredible and the staff were friendly and attentive. Visited again today and the food was just as good! Can't wait to go back again!

Never disappoints. Fabulous food, as ever. An impromptu visit, wasn’t expecting a table. There is a God 🙏 Perfect for a rainy gloomy pick me up, homemade Steak & Mushroom Pie, DEEEELICIOUS! Today, the most outstanding experience, the staff … EVERYONE!! In a livelong day .. Best spirit to serve I have witnessed for some time!! Well done team

Fantastic pub, Top quality food, varied and modern menu. Professional friendly service, Great setting by the stream.

Excellent food and service sorry to say the beer was cloudy with finings floating around. Sent email suggesting that the staff would benefit from some training. No answer!

Unbelievable scenic pub in a quaint location. Great staff and food, only stopped for a sandwich and a quick pint. But was absolutely lovely and will be attending again in the future.

We had supper at the Shoe Inn this week while walking the South Downs Way. The food was excellent and the service equally good. The pub ambiance is great. Highly recommended!

Always have a great meal and they have separate fryer for gf food I was told recently. They seem to be able to adapt easily for my gf/df diet. One of my favourite pubs in Hampshire.

Excellent all round. Another perfect visit to the Shoe. Food was superb as usual and very reasonably priced for the quality. Will be back again soon!!

Beautiful beer garden next to the river. Dog friendly.

Simply the best fish and chips for miles perfectly cooked and presented there is no where better .

A great evening out with good food and service.

Lovely food, lovely staff. Made a call to book for dinner for 3 people and dog, had to change it 3 times due to train delays and the staff were so helpful. Thank you!

Lovely spot with a garden by the Meon chalk stream.

Recommend booking a table, we did last minute and were sat in the covered terrace which was lovely on a summers evening. Food was fabulous 👌

Really lovely place to visit. Tough to beat the sandwiches here. Huge doorstop wedges of bread with delicious fillings. Not the cheapest of places but, you certainly get what you pay for.

Great little quick lunch in the beer garden at the shoe in. The pub looked really cool inside, even had a little bakery and locals were popping in for loaves of bread 👌, sandwiches looked ace, they were on the menu as door wedge and they certainly looked it 🔥, we went with a pork salad and panko scallops and both were really tasty, we had fries on the side, a coke and a half IPA and just over £20. Great stuff, proper local pub, the type I'm sure we wished we all had.

Lovely food ... a bit different from everyday pub grub, which makes it stand out from the crowd. A very pleasing place to be, characterful decor, beautiful location, efficient staff, although smiles and eye contact would've been nice when we were being served. Definitely worth a visit. Edit: Further to writing this review, I have to say, the staff now working here are excellent, and everything is now spot on. It is one of our favourite places to eat. Edit July 2024: We love eating here but had never booked Sunday roast, so this was the first time. I booked a table online in the enclosed terrace (for a legitimate reason), paid the £20 deposit, and my table was confirmed. On arrival, I was really miffed because we were seated inside the pub because the lady whose table we were being given, saw a high chair placed at the adjacent table and told the staff she didn't want to be seated beside a young child, so she was given our confirmed table. How disgusting is that? The girl in charge, however, was very professional in her handling of the situation, so top marks to her. As a good will gesture, our desserts were taken off the bill, which, although appreciated, we would rather have sat where we were booked and paid for our full meal. We just felt that some random woman was treated favourably, and we were treated unfairly. It really put us off coming back here, and I'm really disgusted about it. The Sunday roast was poor in comparison to the weekday food, and we've definitely had better elsewhere. My beef was tough, and considering I buy my beef from Buckingham's and it's melt in the mouth when I do a roast at home, I can only blame the kitchen, because Buckingham's meat is exceptional quality. The roast potatoes weren't crispy, my Yorkshire pudding was overdone, and my cauliflower cheese was topped with black burnt bits. We won't be back for a roast, and until I stop reeling about the staff giving away our table for such a petty reason, I'll be avoiding a pub that I really did enjoy going to. Poor show The Shoe.

Delightful busy pub, good sized portions, home cooked. I had the pork belly which was moist, the fat had been rendered down and the crackling crispy. My husband had a pie which he thoroughly enjoyed. Three of us then shared the trio of puddings which included a lovely crumble. Would thoroughly recommend the pub which also has a bakery with good bread (also served to the table as an aperatif)

Idyllic little country pub with great food and garden by a stream

Wonderful pub in a beautiful location. The food is of the highest quality. Took two friends today who had not visited before and they were both very impressed.

Has been our "local" for a few years, always exceptional food, excellent atmosphere and very friendly staff. Good value for money, slightly higher than average prices but the food is exceptional, all local produce and the staff are superb.

Fantastic food again. We keep coming back to The Shoe, it's always good. Essential to book at busy times. We had light lunches this time.

Great food, staff not particularly friendly and hard to say anything about the atmosphere because we were sitting in the garden.

I recently dined at The Shoe at Exton with a group of eight, and we had a wonderful experience. Our table enjoyed both the pork belly and the lamb for our main courses. While I personally found the lamb a bit on the salty side, the overall quality and flavour of the dishes were excellent, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals.For dessert, we opted for the cheesecake, which was simply outstanding. It was the perfect way to end our dining experience. The service was attentive and friendly, making our visit even more enjoyable.I would highly recommend The Shoe at Exton to anyone looking for a delightful meal with great company. The quality of the food and the pleasant atmosphere make it a must-visit.

Arrived on a Tuesday evening to find this beautiful country inn. It is set in wonderful location in the heart of the south downs. The food and service was perfect. The Inn has an outside covered area for dining alfresco and also a lovely beer garden. If you are ever in the area of Exton you must give this place a try for lunch or dinner, you won't be disappointed.

Great food, home baked bread, friendly service, good atmosphere. We have been to the Shoe a few times and it's never disappointed us. This time was a birthday meal with friends. All very impressed. Food plentiful, well cooked and presented. A favourite spot in Hampshire

Be warned - no Sunday roast for walk-ins/garden tables. Decided to go for roast on a nice sunny warm Sunday lunch time. Arrived at midday to be told no roast for people sitting in the garden. We’ve been coming here for years and have enjoyed many Sunday roast lunches in the garden. We didn’t book a table inside because we prefer to sit outside in the summer. Apparently, they were saving the roasts for people who booked inside tables. Very disappointing and even when we offered to wait a while the response was negative and unhelpful. Let’s hope they see the light and go back to how things were.

Incredible food, very highly recommended but make a booking :) We shared a spicy cauliflower and a Hampshire asparagus starters and vegan rice bowl. Followed by crumble :)

The food at The Shoe Inn is awesome. We visited in April and luckily the weather allowed us to sit outside as the restaurant was fully booked. Best to book in advance as it’s very popular!!

Beautiful pub, nice staff and great food!

Superb steak and mushroom pie with wholegrain mustard mash. Sitting by the stream in the pub garden. Idyllic stop.

Lovely little place. Shame the kitchen shuts between lunch and dinner

Lovely veggy or non veggy menu and fab bread!

Friendly staff and gorgeous bread! Will definitely come back here for sure.

Pretty grumpy staff - seemed like they were having a bad hair day! I had an e-Bike and was looking to charge it. Everywhere else we stopped on the multi-day route was super friendly and happy to accommodate, but the Shoe did a good job of making it feel like we were taking liberties by asking for a little bit of juice. Oh well, life’s too short! 😂

Had lunch here today. Food was excellent. Hubby had the belly pork and I had chicken. Both meals served in good time, excellent service and lovely staff. The bread with balsamic vinegar whilst waiting goes down a treat. The only downside was we didn’t have any space left for dessert as we were full. Definitely going back again.

We parked up at Old Winchester Hill, and the Shoe Inn was half way through the route. A great lunch spot, varied menu and lovely garden with plenty of seats.

Had a drink here in the garden so didn't try the food but the garden next to the river is lovely. Nice to have seats where you can sit next to the river, very peaceful.

Just went for a starter with fries, delicious. Would have loved the roast but you had to preorder when booking for that. We will know for next time and will definitely be back. Very friendly staff and beautiful village, riverbank setting.

We popped in for an impromptu dinner and we will be back. The bread is a nice touch and so delicious All mains were presented well and very tasty, including gluten free options.

We went to Exton today to visit Exton Park Vineyard. We stopped at The Shoe Inn for an early lunch and thank goodness we booked a table as the pub was full by about 12.30. Exton is a lovely village and the Inn is set in the middle of it. It is a lovely building with a lovely beer garden at the front and a stream to its right. Although it was a rainy day today, it didn’t take away the loveliness of this place. The inside of the inn is quaint and cozy. The food was amazingly good. We were expecting the usual pub lunch. However the food was beyond our expectation when it arrived. The ale was very nice according to my husband and his brother-in-law. I enjoyed the coffee very much and bought a bag of coffee beans to take home. If you are planning to visit The Shoe Inn it is best to book ahead because it was full today on a Tuesday, I can only imagine how busy it will get during weekends and bank holidays. Be aware that parking is limited. But all in all a very lovely pub with great food and service. We loved it.

Lovely place grest garden shame we could buy any fresh bread

Another beautiful meal at The Shoe. We have been going for years for husbands birthday and our anniversary meal and have never been disappointed with the food. Highly recommend the Pork belly, the locally made bread is very tasty served with balsamic vinegar and rapeseed oil dip - all available to purchase at the shoe from the Hampshire pantry. Service was good, friendly. Only reason 4 not 5 stars was the noise level with an unbooked large group as we were finishing our meal. We didn't stay for another drink as it became difficult to hear each other. Only occasion this has happened in our visits.

Very nice pub and excellent food. I did burn my mouth because it was so hot though, so take care!

Very nice indeed. Have never had a meal here, but as it was my son's birthday, it was his choice and a good choice, and I will definitely be back. Thank you.

Great pub with excellent food. Lovely garden by the water as well as cosy inside. Divine champagne style wine from local winery. Superb steak from local butcher that was perfectly cooked.

A beautiful pub with fantastic beer and friendly staff. A real treasure.

Amazing food and amazing location lovely staff perfect for a stop along my travels thanks to the shoe I will be sure to be back

A great place all round, peaceful and beautiful location. With some lovely walks nearby.

Really nice food and drinks. Great staff and fun atmosphere

Perfect. Food is incredible, location is beautiful. Wish I could visit everyday. Oh and their homemade bread is just delicious

Super place to go for a drink and/or a meal. Food is very good, staff are great, and the pub garden is lovely, right next to the River Meon in the Meon valley, beautiful.

Amazing picturesque country pub. Very well run, great food and drink. What more could you want? A river view? Ok you can have that here too!

Great staff, good beer, and tasty food. What more do you want?

Great pub with nice pub garden by stream and good for South Downs Way stop off.

Great food, great service, ate early so it was fairly empty, thus only 4 stars for atmosphere.

This really is a gem, lovely setting with fantastic food, what more could you ask for

Third update (Visited again on the 12th April 2024) Visited many times since the last update. Every time the food and service has been of the highest level. Last night was no different. Love this pub, and can't wait for it to get warmer so we can sit in the garden. Second update (Visited again on the 19th August 2022) Again, extremely happy with our visit. The staff make you feel so welcome. This time we had food and it didn't disappoint. We have tried the food in a lot of pubs in the area and this is by far the best. Update (Visited again on 13th August 2022) Again, very pleased with our visit. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Along with the food and drink they sell they also make and sell bread. If they have sold out, you can buy pre-made bread mix. Will be visiting again very soon. Lovely pub hidden off the beaten track. Drink prices were very good. Didn't eat there but the dishes that were being brought out to customers looked very good. Staff are very friendly.

Lovely little village pub with a bakery inside, always have the pork belly when we go, the potatoes they do with it are amazing.

My partner and I booked for lunch at 12pm on Sunday 7th April. We only made the booking the night before as a last minute plan as we were looking for somewhere to eat before going to a wedding in the evening nearby. Unfortunately we had to cancel our booking yesterday morning as we were invited to the full day of the wedding on the morning of. We cancelled this via the online booking and charged a £20 fee deposit for cancelling. We called the pub today to see if we could come for lunch and whether there was anything they could do to take the fee off our bill. Our call had to be directed o the manager, who we felt was a bit rude and unapologetic considering we even made the original booking last minute. We completely understand the policy, however our original booking was less than 24 hours notice and we wanted to come today for lunch. We decided not to bother booking for lunch today with the way she spoke to us.

The second time eating here and we were not disappointed . Great food , great service, can not fault The Shoe.

Excellent food, fantastic service. Would highly recommend

Situated in a lovely part of the Meon Valley, the menu is great, and if you want you can pick up some delicious freshly baked bread (and one or two other culinary ingredients). We went for lunch as a family group, and were all impressed (including the vegetarian). A range of contrasting dishes, and everything we chose was excellent. And good beer two. The establishment caters for hikers, and those driving in for a great meal - one of the best pubs in the area, in a valley pretty well served by good pubs. And if you aren’t after a serious hike, there are short picturesque walks nearby. Tip: if you are driving, and have have the choice between a big car and a small car, go for the latter. It’s a small pub car park, and the local lanes weren’t really designed for big 4x4s or SUVs.

We have been to this pretty pub for food quite a few times and been presented with delicious food always but we went again on Saturday and I am sorry to say the food was not anywhere as nice. The lamb was dry and the fish and chips where soggy. We are hoping it was a one off and intend on trying it again very soon. The service and atmosphere is always good. Heres hoping the food improves as we would like to carry on coming here.

Very nice country pup in a beautiful location. Has a nice, friendly, rural character but without feeling pretentious. More interesting menu than is sometimes the case with rural pubs, and included some imaginative vegan options. Friendly, helpful and efficient service.

Amazing lunch with my wife! thanks guys was perfect!

Lovely place, always busy, most localish places can't contend with the quality of food, prices and service.

Really nicely presented food and is much better than most in the local area.. service was good and the atmosphere was nice

We enjoyed our lunch at the Shoe. The food was excellent. Initially the service was slow until more staff arrived. Although there is an outer conservatory, the room still feels a little cramped but much better than it used to be. We hope to return!

Today, myself and 6 of my family had a very special meal at The Shoe Inn. From the offset the staff were so friendly they went above and beyond to make our meal special The food was amazing!! We will be returning asap. Thank you for making our mums mothers day treat special. I didn't get the name of the young man that served us, I wish I'd asked. Thank you for the best service have had had for a very long time.

Just staggeringly bad. If you think scallops are best fried in a batter jacket, you may not agree. If you think shoulder of lamb is a dish best shredded and patted into some kind of cake, then hurry back. Pretentious pomegranate, the silly addition of tasteless cress, failed to elevate these dishes to anywhere beyond the dire. How can you fail to offer a good, as in, properly cooked, roast potato?Second best pub in the county? No, I don't think so.

We called in late one evening whilst passing and the restaurant was full but we managed to get a table outside. The food was great. Best pub food we have had in a long time.

The Shoe is fantastic, the food is out of this world they are also very welcoming, fast efficient service. Would like to give a shout out to William our server who caterd to all of our needs and made the afternoon an absolute enjoyment.

Amazing place, very pleasant and good food and desserts. Staff were very pleasant too .....Good place to chill out with friends and family....

Lovely pub with very friendly staff. Good, simple food done well. I started with the black pudding which was delicious and followed by belly pork. Both dishes very tasty and well cooked, The jus served with the pork was delicious. Just a small winge - the pub was quite cold at the time.

The best fish and chips I have ever had.

My partner and I decided to go for a long walk around the Beacon Hills and stop for lunch at the Shoe. We have been trying to find a pub as good as King Henry VIII in Hever but closer to home and I have to say I think after years of searching we finally found it! The food was amazing and the service was friendly and quick. We will definitely return with friends and family in the near future.

Nice dinner for two. I had the scallop starter which was excellent and the mushroom/vegetarian pasta was good too. Friendly staff and attentive manager.