The Thatched Cottage in New Forest

My friend and I visited Esme's for breakfast during our stay in Brockenhust to visit the New Forest and Hampshire County Show. I enjoyed a very delicious cooked breakfast on both days and my friend was tempted by toasted teacakes and toast with jam. Had some great chats with Storm and her colleagues! On our final morning, we were tempted to take home some deep filled chocolate cookies which had just been put on display on the counter....scrummy! Lovely display of other cakes and bakes too, but the cookies were definitely a winner. Looking forward to returning again next year!

It’s called Esme’s tea rooms now and the local lady that owns it is just lovely. Making everything on site, the food is fresh and delicious. I’ve been for TWO cream tea visits taking family the second time because the first experience was so good. For £20 you get a host of sandwiches, loads of scones with cream and jam AND lots of little cakes, each time it was different depending g on what had been made that morning. This is a great place with lovely staff and I’m so pleased she’s in Brock. Keep up the good work guys!

Esmes tearoom is a must! Spoilt for choice with the menu. I picked sweet potato and coconut soup and ham salad sandwiches both of which were delicious 😋. My husband had BLT wrap which he also found delicious. The staff were lovely, efficient and chatty, everything you need. There is a vast array of cakes and the two we took as takeaways tasted wonderful.

This now comes under the name Esme tearoom Beautiful building really friendly service We had toasted tea cakes and coffee price was average for this area

Staff and service acceptable but not convinced on the trip advisor rating this currently displays online. Wasn’t convinced my scone was home made and the jam certainly not sourced locally, why not! The B&B we are staying at in the same village sources everything from local suppliers, including jam. Coffee delivered and noted by waitress as having spilt in saucer, thought might come back and wipe up but didn’t. Maybe I just didn’t hit a good day for their Best service.

Reason for stopping here was because they accepted dogs ( he was well behaved) and the charming setting of the thatched cottage and tea garden. Service was excellent and food was all HOMEMADE! Average price , not too expensive. I would rather pay for a cake and tea here than a garden centre at the same price !

Pooped in for a tea and cake having seen this tea room a couple of days earlier. What a charming and friendly place. Staff were friendly and efficient, service was excellent , and quality was perfect. Wouldn’t hesitate to visit again and it’s dog friendly too!

Esme's team rooms, managed by Esme's mum is just perfect. The afternoon tea with gin and prosecco was amazing, and Esme's mum was the friendliest, most accomodating person to have as the host and baker. i will be back again, and wish her and her family all the best. wonderful afternoon!

Fell across this beautiful tea room today! So quaint, the staff were very welcoming and the food was delicious! If we lived nearby I think I'd visit every day!

Esme's tearoom absolutely 5*. Had a great toasted sandwich served up with coleslaw and crisps. Followed by a melt in the mouth homemade scone jam and cream all washed down with a pot of tea.

What a lovely place , quirky clean rooms, lovely gin tasting and breakfast was lush ! Thanks to Ebony who looked after us and all the staff were lovely ! A great night away with some lovely little pubs to try, had a lovely Thai meal too which was fab ! We will be back Thank you

We booked this Afternoon Tea and added a gin and tonic. A wonderful selection of sandwiches and freshly baked scones, with a generous supply of clotted cream plus macaroons, chocholate brownies and lemon posset. All beautifully presented. We couln't finish it all, so this was kindly boxed up for us to take home. Huw was very attentive and explained about the various types of gin. Other members of the team brought us our tea. Everyone was delightful and we had a thoroughly great time and would wholeheartedly recommend. A super way to end our New Forest mini-break.

We shared a lovely panini followed by afternoon tea with homemade scones and plenty of jam and cream whilst sat in the shaded garden.

Lovely afternoon tea but would not have booked if we’d known they allowed dogs in the dining area. I don’t like dogs yapping and barking at other dogs and shaking themselves all over my sandwiches. A little bit off putting to see waiter petting said dogs and then handling our tea pots etc.

We came here with an afternoon tea voucher. We throughly enjoyed our experience. We started off sitting outside and then moved inside due to wasps which they were extremely accommodating. A lovely man (don’t know his name but he mentioned he was from Slough) was very polite and gave us top service. The afternoon was yum and you could tell how fresh the scones were. After this I tried one of their gins (so hard to choose) and sat back in their garden which was so beautiful. Highly recommend, definitely will be back!

We had afternoon tea here back in August 2022 while cycling round the area. We sat outside and had a cream tea, a teacake and a hot chocolate. It was all good, but the scones were small and only one had fruit in.

Enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea and gin with girl friends. Fresh, well presented and tasty. Friendly staff and relaxed atmosphere but still felt like a treat. Amazing selection of gins. We will definitely be back. Thank you Thatched Cottage

Beautiful setting lovely gardens and indoor setting Had a lovely afternoon tea Staff were helpful and very friendly would highly recommend spotlessly clean

Came across this little gem of a place whilst walking round Brockenhurst. Lovely cream tea - scones were gorgeous and good value too. We then decided to do a gin flight there were a few options to choose from. The gins were served in a really lovely way and we were left to sample them. Each flight is £15 which we thought was great value for 3 small g&t’s that we wouldn’t normally have tried. Lovely little garden - great place to while away an hour or so and watch the world go by.

Had full afternoon tea. Excellent selection of sandwiches and cakes. Fruit and plain scones with plenty of jam and cream. Lemon posset was nice at the end. Plenty of tea refills. Lovely venue. Very friendly and efficient staff. Would definitely recommend

Dropped in for a few G&T’s, really helpful bar man, very welcoming and lovely selection of Gins. Could have stayed there all night just chilling and chatting.

We enjoyed our stay very much we had a little problem the second day and was sorted within minutes the staff are excellent and can’t do enough for you great breakfasts and good gin.we will definitely recommend this place

We stayed here just the one night at the Thatched Cottage and had a wonderful experience. The room had a real old world, yet cosy feel to it. We had to taste the array of gins on display and decided to have a gin taster...

My friend and I had an afternoon tea in Thatched Cottage tea room. It was my friend's special birthday treat ....and it WAS A TREAT. It is such a cosy ,little place with lots of character and very friendly staff. The afternoon tea was delicious...

Lovely old world charm with delicious breakfast cooked to order. Excellent place just 2 mins from train station.

Really cute, sat in garden, dogs welcome, good price, nice staff, would return, had fruit scones, served warm, lovely.

We had an absolutely fantastic stay at the Thatched Cottage. We stayed in the Garden suite which was spotlessly clean. It had every amenity you could wish for. Two huge comfy beds. Two bathrooms, one with a bath and the other a shower. The staff...

Sitting in the garden next to this quaint small hotel sipping from their very wide range of gins and tonics , a pleasant to relax on a warm summer afternoon ! Service was pleasant too . A wider range of cold snacks to go with...

I treated my best friend to an afternoon tea from buyagift ..com , we went today 1st June and we were very diddappinted with our afternoon tea , now we have done few of these and they have always been amazing and u come away...

I booked this for my friend for her Birthday with the Gin Flight included the room was beautiful and overlooked the garden very comfortable. The Young man that did the Gin Flight was very informative professional and relaxed we had a lovely time. Beds are...

Wonderful Afternoon Tea in the New Forest. Delicious scones and selection of cakes. Brilliant service by Callum who went the extra mile. Fabulous Gin selection. Highly recommended.

After a day cycling we were ready for tea and cake and just happened to spot The Thatched Cottage. We were just in time for tea and cake in the their small, but rather lovely garden. Scones and cake were excellent and the teapot was...

Great Afternoon Tea with a good selection of sandwiches, scones & cakes. The setting is beautiful in the garden, Staff were very attentive. It was so nice we stayed & sampled a few Gins. Highly recommend

Our afternoon tea comprised a selection of crustless sandwiches made with melt-in-the-mouth bread and with fillings that met the dietary requirements of our party followed by incredible home made scones with jam and more cream than anyone could wish for, rounded off by a selection...

A really friendly service in a gorgeous setting. A fantastic selection of gin right in the heart of the village.

So friendly service! Really prompt at replying when I booked. So lovely to go to a place for afternoon tea that allows dogs. The food was lovely and we will definitely be returning, probably with more of my family too.

Delicious, light and bouncy gluten free scone, suitable for a coeliac! Our 9YO daughter loved it. Thank you. The paninis were also excellent and so were the regular scones. Dog friendly too. Nice and quiet. Perfect find. Thank you!

Definitely the nicest spot for a cream tea in Brockenhurst!! There’s tables indoors and outdoors in the garden which is a beautiful setting on a sunny day. The full afternoon tea needs to be booked 24 hours in advance and spaces are limited. We however went for a panini, which was fresh, tasty and perfectly cooked. And then Cream tea, the scones were warm and came with more cream and jam than we could eat - most places aren’t so generous so that was very welcome!The gin bar is incredible, there is an outstanding amount of choice. Highly recommend having the Gin Flight - for £14 you get 3 different gins and tonic. The staff all seem very knowledgeable about the gins and will explain a little bit of background about the ones chosen as well. I went for the ‘local’ option and was very impressed by 3 very different gins that I hadn’t heard of before from the local area. Could quite happily have spent a whole weekend trying all the gins available! Will definitely be back, as the price, food, drink and staff all make this a delightful place to visit.

Lovely staff, good service & a pretty garden to sit on a sunny day. The gin list is great but also tea, coffee & various cakes to recommend. Very good attention to the current covid situation.

Called in one rainy day in August for lunch. Very welcoming and dog friendly. Very very limited lunch menu but the paninis are good but surely could have a tad more on the menu. Gin selection incredible sampled 3 amazing gins of about 300. Recommend go for flight of gins or maybe several flights.

We had an early evening flying visit, where we enjoyed a gin flight that introduced us to 6 unusual and varied gins. The service was lovely, too.

We stopped in for a gin on a Saturday afternoon. The service was fantastic, the staff couldn’t do enough for us. Extensive gin list and knowledgeable staff who talked us through them. They were also brilliant with our dog, brought water for her and gave her a box of treats, as a gift! All round amazing experience and can’t wait to go back

Great place to stay, very comfortable room in the cottage. Love the gin tasting experience, staff very knowledgable. Breakfast very good plenty of choice. Staff lovely very friendly and helpful. Would define stay here again.

Highly recommended for something out of the usual we stayed a night in the old part of the cottage built in 1627

We had a afternoon cream tea here this afternoon...the thatched cottage looked beautiful from the outside and we were not disappointed when we went inside ... Richard and the team were wonderful, very attentive, polite and friendly ..the atmosphere was relaxing and the food looked and tasted great ! We took our time enjoying the delicious sandwiches, scones and cakes. We were asked if we wanted more/ fresh tea which we did twice .. and could have more jam or clotted cream if we wanted...it was such a lovely experience that we will definitely visit again.. lovely place , fantastic service , really pretty garden...I called in advance to request certain fillings for our sandwiches this was no problem at all ....thank you Richard and team

Came here with my boyfriend as part of a mini-break to the New Forest. We used a Buy-A-Gift voucher we had for afternoon tea. The staff were welcoming and attentive, the warm scones were lovely, as was the lemon posset. Think the sandwiches and cake could be improved. Tea and coffee was also very nice. Overall an enjoyable experience!

A lovely old thatched tea room with a difference and when you step inside you are warmly welcomed. Apart from the traditional cream teas and cakes on offer, there is a lovely small bar stocked the a huge selection of gins. The large gin menu (available from 4pm until 8pm) offers an amazing variety, all fairly reasonably priced, and the knowledgeable staff are on hand to explain the various types of gin on offer. A lovely and unexpected bonus whilst staying in the Thatched Cottage Hotel.

A traditional English tea room with the added addition of an extremely well stocked Gin bar and staff the are very helpful

Had afternoon tea in this lovely place. Fresh and welcoming throughout. Only one thing from making it 5 stars was the amount of staff just hanging about. Loads of staff everywhere. Sometimes we like to be left alone but staff kept coming over to ask if we were OK. Otherwise lovely place

Found this place whilst out on our bikes.There is places to put your bikes and sit outside or inside as well. The staff are welcoming and helpful. Trip Adviser askes questions on this place as a restaurant. It's not.We went during the day, so didn't partake in the Gin. The coffee was really good. The cheif is a talanted cake maker from scratch with good size portions. Jon who served us was great. I got into a conversation with the owner who was good to talk to and knowledgable, we've been twice now and would go again.

The staff are really friendly and helpful. There are so many gins to choose from it did take us some time to make up our minds. The only negative is that it closes early, its 8 most days and 5 Sundays

Fab selection of gins. Great hospitality. Lovely little place to have a stop for an hour or more. Nice light menu. Would benefit from offering or selling crisps and nuts. An absolute must, place to visit.

This is a lovely gin bar in a historic thatched cottage. I especially loved the charming outdoor garden, perfect for relaxing with a nice gin. There are over 150 gins to choose from. You can select gin flights to suit you if you are having trouble deciding. Though Luke and Richard really knew how to suggest gins to fit my taste. The only problem here is not having enough time to try them all!

We celebrated our 41st wedding anniversary at the hotel staying for 2 nights. Even though we were on a Travelzoo deal, Matthew upgraded our room for us which was a lovely gesture. The Garden Suite room we had was very comfortable with a kitchenette which was great as the weather was so hot so we could keep things cold as we had brought our bikes to do some cycling. The gin flight we had was very good and breakfast excellent. The atmosphere was genuinely relaxing and the staff certainly cared for you well. When we had a slight issue with the wifi it was resolved immediately. An excellent stay and would recommend.

My wife and I visited for a pre dinner drink. The staff were very knowledgeable and talked us through the menu and guided us through the various fins on offer. The gins in the gin flight are small measures but are advertised as such and meant for tasting. We tasted two of the flights and I think of the six guns we tried there was only one that we would not try again.

What a lovely little hotel with an amazing selection of gins! We enjoyed a couple of flights, the first chosen for us and the second we chose ourselves. Both times the gin was brought out and explained by a lovely young lad, who was very knowledgeable but also not afraid to admit if he hadn’t ‘yet’ tried one of them. The tonic was paired well but if you preferred a different tonic, no problem either. We were also provided with complimentary olives and nibbles, which was a lovely touch.

My husband, daughter and I had a lovely welcome when we arrived. Our room was full of character. We were impressed at the huge gin selection, we enjoyed our drink experience, sampling various gins, such a great concept.

Friendly service and great choice of Gins . Nice outdoor seating area in the sunshine. Great for a pre dinner drink.

We drank here on 2 successive evenings and sampled at least 10 different gins between us. The staff are enthusiastic and can advise you if required and offer a 3 gin tasting 'flight' or a big measure of a specific gin if you prefer. Nice ambience and well located in the town. Accommodation is also available if you overdo the sampling! As you would expect from the name the premises are beautifully thatched with a picture postcard frontage.

When phoning to book an afternoon tea I had a very polite and helpful lady.

I could not fault the food or the service. My friend and I had a cream tea which I had pre-ordered. The sandwiches were made on our arrival as they were fresh. The scones and the coconut panna cotta with pineapple were exceptional. This was one of the best cream teas I've had in a long time.

This was bought for us as a Christmas present. It’s set out like a little tea room but with a bar. Staff were so friendly and helpful, explaining everything and making suggestions. The food was delicious, lightest scones we’ve ever had. Impressive selection of gin. What more could you want

In a lovely setting with an enormous choice of different gin cocktails served with high quality nibbles.

We were going to a wedding nearby and wanted somewhere to stay. All staff were welcoming and very helpful. The rooms were lovely, clean and well equipped with very comfortable beds. Gin Bar excellent and the breakfast was outstanding. Will definitely be back.

Was given a present of afternoon tea here for Christmas from a friend and only just got round to using it! So glad we did, we were warmly greeted, service was brilliant and the food was great! We told them at the last minute we both were not fans of smoked salmon and they gladly changed it for us! Will definitely be popping back to try the massive range of gins one evening

Lived around the corner for 20+ years and never been to Thatched Cottage before. Prompted by the chalk board outside, decided to go there today for tea & scones with another local lady for our “monthly catch up”. Service very friendly and good, scones fluffy and warm, washed down by large pot of Earl Grey tea. Perfect little place for afternoon tea and meet up. In fact, think we’ll be back to try the gins pretty soon too.

Stumbled across this 1620 original thatched building offering a quaint and substantial pot of tea & cake (alternative meals available). Tea in a pot with china cups and saucers, with a sublime huge slice of Earl Grey tea & lemon drizzle cake complete with edible flowers!

Friendly, attentive, knowledgeable, really superb service. Lovely find and gin ‘flights’ were great to trial new gins. started our trip to Brockenhurst so well would highly recommend a visit even if you’re not normally a gin drinker!

Another fantastic visit to The Thatched Cottage. The staff are friendly & very attentive, serving quality cream tea with fresh scones!. My son said his hot chocolate was one of the best ever. Lovely setting. Highly recommended.

This small tea room and gin bar is a little gem. Nice food and a vast selection of gins, staff very knowledgeable on the gins. Well worth a visit

We arrived here after a recommendation from the staff at cyclexperience. We wanted a nice cup of tea and coffee after our day exploring the forest on two wheels. This did the trick and we were pleased with the service provided and quality of tea, coffee and cake. Would recommend.

Great for afternoon tea or an evening meal, service is great, and children are catered for, food is good, restaurant is lovely and clean.

they did no snacks to go with the gin. surely some olives would be good? gines were good. just did not do it for us.

we stopped here bofore going for shopping and coming back from shopping. Great variety of Gin and tonics, nice little corner of quite

We popped in for a bite to eat mid-afternoon on a recent holiday in the area and decided on the pesto and mozerrella panini, along with some cakes to satisfy our sweet tooth. We were really tempted by the afternoon tea, but wasn’t sure if our appetites could do it justice. We actually saw the afternoon tea options brought out to other guests and we were really impressed at the quality and value. In terms of our food, again that also was delicious and clearly freshly made.

This a beautiful old building in the heart of brockenhurst, which is in the heart of the new forest very close to the railway station direct line to London Waterloo, also just one stop to Lymington a nice old Geogian town, better to go on the train no wear to park there.We didn’t stay in the cottage it was full, stayed in the newly built building in the gardens nice room good bathroom,very clean and very peaceful bed very comfy.The breakfast was excellent lots of choice,the service was excellent also the owner and staff very friendly, the gin tasting well worth having, all presented beautifully a lovely little garden to site and relax with your drinks or afternoon tea

A gin bar in the new forest!!!! Love it! We experimented with the gin tasting which was brilliant! Definitely going back.

I pre booked a few weeks ahead for afternoon tea with a friend, & mentioned on booking that I could not eat any other meats other than chicken or fish, & I was told this would be catered for. We were served pork meat sandwiches (according to the waitress), along with egg, cucumber, & salmon. I asked the waitress for a different sandwich other than pork meat, & she came back with two more egg ones. I was disappointed, as I would have expected a different one to what I'd already had, but we shared them anyway. My friend did not eat the salmon sandwich, nor the coffee panacotta type of thing with cream, nor the chocolate brownie, but the rest we shared. I started feeling sick 3 1/2 hrs after leaving the establishment, & after 5 1/2 hrs later was violently sick, this continued during the night with stomach pain, diarrhoea, headache, aches & shivering. My body was clearly expelling something it could not tolerate. My husband sort advice from the 111 NHS, & a nurse advised on the best way to treat me, which was not forcing me up to visit a doctor unless certain symptoms got worse (however, I later found out from the Environmental Health that if you don't visit a doctor with a stool sample while you are being ill, then you have no actual proof of the cause of the illness). I am a usually very well & fit person, & I was exhausted & drained by this evening & over night illness, it's unfortunately also given me a kidney infection (which my doctor confirmed Friday). My husband also called the establishment to let them know I was being sick several hours after eating there that day. I was perfectly healthy at the start of the day, I'd been for a long run, & had not eaten anything because I was saving my appetite for the lunch at 12 noon. 48hrs prior I had prepared only the usual food I eat myself & for my family, & no one else was sick. The manager e-mailed twice, to show concern, & to let us know he was taking it seriously, but his chef had told him that food poisoning usually takes 24 hours to weeks to come out, however, I've had these symptoms before, years ago, & it came out a few hours later, & in fact this too is quite usual, he should refer to the NHS website. It’s such a shame because I chose this establishment to celebrate my 50th birthday with my friend.

We came across this gem by pure chance and are SO glad that we did! Gin and scones - perfect combination. Lovely atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff. Hoping to come back when I'm not the designated driver!

Warm and friendly welcome in a lovely setting. Nice coffee too. Lots of Gin to sample but it was only 11.30 so may well pop back!

The draw to this lovely little cottage tea room was its gin bar. Very well stocked with a helpful list by gin style and suggestions for gin flights. It was enjoyable choosing what to have so when my single (I had to refuse the normal double) arrived, it was all the more satisfying as I really enjoyed the gin I had chosen.

Great stop on a cycling ride - tea and scones were excellent and a warm welcome too! Lovely historic building.

We had booked a "Gin Making Experience" at Daisybank Cottage in Brokenhurst, but in researching the area we saw the "Thatched Cottage Tea Rooms, so when we passed it we stopped to sample the tea.

My husband and I visited today and found the food, drink, service and setting to be wonderful! We chose to each try a different gin ‘flight’ which allowed us to sample 3 small g&t;’s. This is a great idea for those who, like me, aren’t usually a fan of gin, because you’ll find something you love, for sure! Or even if you do like gin, you can try something completely different.

Cream tea and exciting gin selection. What better way to end an afternoon walking around this wonderful little town.

Everything pointed to this being a really cool little pub and it sort of was!!!

We’ve just spent the night here at this lovely old thatched cottage. We had a garden room as we had the dog with us. Although small, it had everything we needed- great shower, tea making facilities and some complimentary bits for the dog! We also had access to a small kitchen so we could put some wine in the fridge.

Lovely little spot, it’s a tea room and gin bar set in a beautiful old cottage (I think they have rooms as well). We did a couple of gin flights the ‘local’ and the ‘unusual’. You get three gins per flight, along with a top end tonic. The staff then talk you through each gin and seem to be both knowledgeable and passionate about gin. I really enjoyed most of the gins along with the talk with the staff on each one. I’d really recommend this place to anyone

Had a fab range of gins and flights on offer, friendly staff, my favourite gin was the nettle gin!

My wife, myself and granddaughter were visiting the area and as we were passing we popped in for afternoon tea (no gin). Very pleasant experience and the cappuccino cake was a particular delight. Easy to park and full of olde worlde charm once inside. Would go again and would stay in the B&B; next time we are down that wy.

Had a flight of 3 ‘Unusual’ Gins, tasty and interesting! Accompanied by olives and crisps. Nice quaint setting with outside seating.

FAO the owners: my friend and I stopped by this afternoon wanting coffee and cake (which I have been served before on another occasion at around the same time, so I know that you normally offer this) but I was very rudely told by a female member of staff that the place was closed (despite the door being open!). Luckily a male member of staff appeared who was polite but told me that they were too short staffed to serve me, despite the fact that I saw at least three members of staff and zero customers. If you are unable to serve customers during your normal opening hours I suggest putting a sign on the door, or locking the door rather than rudely turning people away. Extremely disappointed.

We came to Brockenhurst especially to try the gin bar here after wanting to visit for a quite a while. We arrived at 5pm to find the door locked, despite the closing time being advertised as 6pm on Tuesdays, and the staff wandering around inside. We knocked on the door a few times and walked around the building to see if there was perhaps another entrance. Eventually, one staff member noticed us through the window and just pointed dismissively towards the door. We waited outside and knocked again but no one came to let us in. We left feeling disappointed and confused at being dismissed like that. Such a shame as we came to Brockenhurst especially for this and had been really excited to visit!

Came here to try a gin and tonic or two and it was a very nice way to spend a few hours also had some panninies. Cakes that came out looked very good as well.

They have a good gin selection but the place lacked atmosphere. We did the local and the unique tasting gin planks which were nice. It was good to see the bottles but it would have been better to also have some more information about the gins, or to try them with the recommended tonics rather than just one tonic for all

A lovely little gin bar in the middle of the New Forest. We loved our time here - friendly, informative staff, lovely outdoor seating in the sun and great gin! We had the gin flights and would highly recommend. A great way to add a twist to your average gin and tonic and try new flavours. Careful though - the Sailor's got a kick! Get here early as the bar closes between 6pm and 8pm depending on the day of the week and this is certainly not a place to be missed!

Were on our way to somewhere else saw this and decided to pop in. Lovely looking building. Loved the idea of a gin tasting board of local gins. Friendly. Would call again

I went as a part of a special occasion to celebrate the significant birthday of a friend.We started with gin flights (a shot each of 3 different gins). They have 300 different gins, with 75 out front at any one time. Choosing was so very hard, so some of us left it to the proprietor to decide, and he did not disappoint.Neither did the afternoon tea disappoint. The sandwiches were tasty, the scones substantial and warm, the cakes a variety of delicate flavours.The lucky birthday girl took home quite a doggy bag, and I could only manage some fruit for the rest of the day.We were made so very welcome, and the staff happily joined in the conspiracy of keeping a presentation orchid safe until given a signal, then they all joined in singing Happy Birthday too.Such an enjoyable afternoon, and I am already planning my next visit, or two.

We last went there 20 years ago and could not fault it. We went back to the New Forest to reminisce and we were thoroughly disappointed. I had tried to book in for a weeks stay here, but thankfully they were fully booked and we will never go back. Cream teas were thrown at you and I spent that night in the bathroom of our B & B.

as we walked by the beautiful building we just had to go it, we had eaten lunch only an hour before, so initially thought we would sit and have a drink. But!! we went for Cake and a great scone. Very simple pleasure great cup of tea excellent choice of cake. Inside and out a beautiful place, service was excellent. we certainly would have taken lunch there if we had seen it in time. I'm not a gin drinker but there is a huge choice, certainly the most I've seen. We will remember this place and if local again it will be our first choice. well done all at Thatched cottage.