The White Horse in Rutland

What a nice little surprise. We travel with work a lot and I get so tired of mediocre gastro-pub food that tastes all the same at a London price. We had lovely, friendly service and the food was tasty, plenty and served in good time. They did forget to charge us for our extra drinks but we sorted that out. They are trying really hard and that always earns points in my book. I had the lamb rump with a snappy caper sauce and sprouting broccoli done perfectly. Prices were reasonable.

Went for A Coffee as it’s under new owners! Lovely space, nicely layed out looking forward to see what comes of this pub in new hands!

I’ve just been in to this pub for a drink with my daughter, which is under new ownership. The staff were very friendly and the beer was good and clear. There was a very nice ambience about the place. I would definitely recommend.

Pub has reopened (May 2024) under new management. Loved the coffee shop, which is open during the day. Coffee was nice and daughter enjoyed a fruit smoothie. The dog was made very welcome too with a bowl of water and some treats 😁 Looking forward to the restaurant reopening soon!

We’ve passed this pub a few times and it’s always looked inviting. Hi we’re the reviews have always been terrible so never stopped. We gave it a go after a long walk and craved a pie and chips. Barman was helpful and friendly and pub is nice and clean. It wasn’t overly busy but it was Saturn January. The food was just what we wanted,l after a long walk, warming and tasty country pub food. This pub is probably suffering from historical bad reviews which are not deserved

Ignore old reviews. Now under new management. Limited menu but also had Christmas menu. Good service, food was well cooked and presented. No complaints. Very good value.

Welcoming bar man who was very friendly and accommodating to your needs Food was excellent Looking forward to going back again

Arrived after a birthday paper chase with family a d friends. Upon entering, whilst we we still getting our bearings, just found our way into the bar when a portly white haired elderly fellow came down some stairs (owner, manager, landlord?), and started flapping his hands as if he were shooing chickens in a farm yard at a young mother with a pram (not part of our group), whom he apparently wanted out of his path, no sooner had he shooed her out of his way then he started on me, flapping and shooing . He literary had to take one step around me, there was plenty of space, or he could have simply said " excuse me please" like any normal person let alone a host, but no, flap flap flap with his fingers before loudly announcing that the resteraunt was fully booked, (not that anyone had asked or indeed said anything). At this point we turned around and left the premises. In conclusion if you wish to be shooed around like farmyard poultry and have questions you have haven't asked loudly answered then this is the place for you, on the other hand if you would like to be treated with a modicum of respect, politeness or made to feel welcome then I would advise going elsewhere. We went to the Horse snd Jockey at Manton at the other end of Rutland Water and had a much better experience.

Excellent food with a warm reception from the staff. Vastly improved with the new management in place and I look forward to my next visit.

We came here as a family of 5 and a toddler for lunch last week. Despite it being an extremely hot day, it wasn’t particularly busy with roughly 3 tables seated before us. Drinks were fine and as expected. My partner and I ordered some dishes from the ‘starters & nibbles’ section and they were really tasty! The pork belly was super crispy. The halloumi was fresh and the sweet potato fries were some of the best I’d ever had! However, another family member had the honey glazed ham which unfortunately was extremely fatty and didn’t taste much of honey glaze. Also another family member ordered the vegetarian tart which came as an extremely small slither but the rest of the plate was piled high with about 20 new potatoes and handfuls of green beans. Disappointing as the vegetable side isn’t necessarily what you pay for. The manager wasn’t very helpful when we explained the situation to him and told us ‘well you should have said something when we brought it out.’ Also there is a huge uneven area right outside the entrance to the pub which our toddler tripped in cutting both her knees. I think this needs addressing as could become a huge health and safety issue. Overall the meal was okay, would be an okay place to stop for a quick bite to eat but I think there are still a lot of improvements to be made

Came in for a spot of lunch and wow what an experience. Fab handmade burger and a high fish and chips and nice local beer Thanks to the new owner and his son the chef

This was our first visit since it has recently reopened. Good beer and good food - my partner enjoyed her burger and I had the Fish & Chips, the fish was HUGE and delicious and great chips as well. The young lady that served us was very pleasant and efficient. Service was a bit slow - there only appeared to be one waitress, supported by the manager (I think) operating between bar and restaurant. I guess this is down to the well publicised shortage of staff and I noticed recently they’ve been advertising for a second chef. The food is essentially “Pub Grub” (nothing wrong with that) but hopefully once they are established, the menu choices will widen. We’ve previously enjoyed sitting outside at this place with a drink and snack…watching the world go by….and we’ll look forward to that again…..once Summer finally arrives :- )

First time I have visited the area and therefore the White Horse. Excellent early evening family meal. Steaks were perfectly cooked . Catch of the day was ‘ beautiful ‘ according to my wife . Excellent local ales . Young staff were really helpful and polite. I therefore tipped them accordingly. I am told the pub has recently changed hands so that probably explains the number of negative review comments being at odds with our personal experience . I would certainly recommend the pub

Very disappointing. We went in for a quick fish and chips. It took 2hrs and when we mentioned that the manager was rude, argued back and disputed the facts. He told us we ordered a starter which delayed the lunch. We had bread not a starter. A rude, unpleasant man.

This was a fine pub with excellent Italian food for a while, and we had booked a table to entertain visitors from the other side of the world. We turned up to find the whole site closed, with no explanation offered - not even a sign on the door. It looks like the business has failed, which is a pity. It will be a tough job for new tenants to recover the credibility of the offer, although we'll wish them luck of course. 'Probably best to steer clear until then, though.

Had the gourmet burger (not sure they know the meaning) and chicken Olivetti (precooked chicken breast with prawns and cream with peppers and over cook frozen veg and wedges) with a pint on flat lemonade and Amstel (only draught beer). Food totalled £31.95 and bill came to £47.19. Expensive drinks and very poor food. DO NOT RECOMMEND! Wish we looked at reviews before we went and went to the nearest maccies.

Been to this pub got home and realised 1 pint of lager and single gin lemonade £15.90 Jesus , this isn’t right , thought that’s London prices £6 .95 for a larger £8.95 for single gin lemonade , need to look at your prices very disappointing

This place needs reporting to the council food standards people. The restaurant was absolutely filthy as was all the cutlery, plates and glasses. My wife and I ordered pizza as it is supposed to be Italian but what we got was an undercooked mess. We would have been better off buying a frozen one from Iceland !. The manager could not care less about it when I complained and was very rude. I would advise everybody to avoid this place like the plague. DO NOT SPEND YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY HERE!!!

Gave this restaurant a second try as the first time was awful. To give them their due the first time they apologised and gave us a voucher to try them again. Which we have now done. The bread was burnt, the antipasti was oily, the pizza was not cooked in the middle and the pasta was bland. To top It off we had to listen to the football blaring out from a laptop. Not what you expect in a ‘nice restaurant’. Told the staff that we wouldn’t be going again but they did not care. Way to keep your local customers coming back!!!! Very poor excuse for an Italian restaurant. I would not bother if I were you!!!

What A gem. Recently taken over with amazing food and great service. You must try the proper Italian Pizzas. Good variety on menu and good sized portions. Lovely new look to the pub, plenty of tables with log burner for a cosy feel. Many Thanks...

We visited Rutland for a wedding and stayed here, expecting bed and breakfast. We had to change room upon arrival due to a freezing room, with a broken, open window and no curtains. Our second room was also freezing and we had to ask the...

Table of 6 Two adult drivers. The alcohol free choice was orange juice. I wasn’t sitting in the sunshine having just pop. Drove onto Oakham to the secret garden at The Wheatsheaf. Alcohol free wheat beer on offer.

Dirty, awful, overpriced. Black mould in the plastic cups given for toddlers to drink water from. Gents toilet was in a hideous state. Fod, overpriced, service awful .

Absolutely delicious food. We had a pizza, a burger and chicken nuggets for our child. Amazing, flavourful food that arrived in good time. There was a really warm welcoming feel to the pub with a friendly greating. Highchair was provided and a good quality. Price...

Good service, awful food. We were practically the only people in the restaurant on a Saturday night, so there was a distinct lack of atmosphere. They only had one pizza left, despite being an Italian restaurant which offers pizzas….go figure! The starter (we all ordered...

The White Horse at Empingham is our new Favorite for Sunday lunch!!! Benny made us feel at home and ensured the service was 5 star! Special thanks to Mohammed for the friendly and professional service today! See everyone next Sunday … if not sooner! 😉

I had the steak and it was cooked to perfection, proper melt in the mouth steak!! Great atmosphere and friendly attentive staff

We turned up mid afternoon after a long walk with the dog hoping to get a bite to eat and a couple of beers. Our hosts could not be more accommodating. Well kept beer and great food. We will visit again soon

Really lovely pub, good atmosphere, great food, friendly staff. I really enjoyed our date here. I was stuck deciding on a drink and a member of staff chose for me which I really appreciated and enjoyed! The food was really good, I had salmon which...

Always a good friendly welcome, whether just for a drink, takeaway or evening meal. Excellent service in a pleasant atmosphere with a lovely log fire. The meals we had were Fillet Steaks, chicken and pasta, all well cooked and enjoyed along with a bottle Amicone...

We saw the White Horse while driving back from Stamford back to the hotel we’re staying at in Rutland Water. What an amazing accidental find it was! From the start we were greeted with a smile. The pub has a cosy, welcoming feel to it,...

We enjoyed a nice lunch from a large and interesting menu. The service was good a minor point we were the first in for lunch but the table wasn't properly laid. We would certainly go back again.

My family and I booked here for Christmas day and did not know what to expect. What a surprise...from stepping in to walking out, we were treated fantastically!! The Christmas menu was good and the meals were excellent, all of them. The staff bent over...

Great night for me and my fiancé I ordered the rice and stroganoff with blue cheese sauce I was surprised by the negative reviews however that didn’t put me off I would like to give a warm appreciation to the staff and chef for welcoming...

Went here to shelter from the storm…we should have just got wet! One of the worst meals I’ve had. We ordered 2 roasts and some garlic bread. The garlic bread came out as a margarita pizza???!! Just what my partner, who hates cheese, wanted! The...

We booked a table here (only two days ahead) because we were returning to the area late on a Saturday night and they claimed to be serving until 9.30. On arrival, they were closed - and it was too late to find anywhere else to...

Dont go to White Horse Empingham. I went in personally and booked Oakham room for OUR WEDDING NIGHT. He wrote it in his book. My future husband went in and paid by card. As arranged left my car there durung the day. Due to a...

We are pensioners. We were getting married in Oakham Castle. Reception in oakham pub. Months before booked one of the 14 rooms. Oakham room. Area was packed due to a Bird Fair. I went in personally to see the room and watched him write our...

We were staying in Rutland on holiday and decided to do a long walk round Rutland Water. Empingham was about half way on our walk, so on a hot day we headed for the pub. We were greeted enthusiastically by a member of staff sitting...

I don't recommend this pub, you have been warned, silly expensive for what it is. Will not be going here again......

My little girl and I had had a nice day at Rutland water,and as usual we stopped at the white horse in empingham,wish we hadn't bothered,the bar food was usually very good,home cooked ham,local cheeses etc,my ham salad baguette came with ham that could only...

We absolutely love this pub and go quite often. We decided to have our wedding reception there. We couldn't have been more pleased. We had a buffet which went above and beyond expections, with both hot and cold food to cover all tastes. The staff...

Having passed this restaurant many times and then having a look at the menu I decided to book a table for myself and my husband for his birthday, I booked online and told them it was a celebratory meal, we arrived and were met by...

£16.50 for a chicken breast in sauce. We were told they only have pasta dishes. Ordered pasta and chicken in sauce but when the order came out it was a single chicken breast in some sauce. We asked the waiter who said we had ordered...

A very mediocre meal for a high price. Dishes were described lavishly but when then arrived were basic and ordinary. For example, the panne cotta turned out to be no more than two spoonfuls of panne cotta with a drizzle of chocolate sauce over it....

If there had been an option for no stars then that is what we would have given! Over charged by £50 was just the start! We spoke to the owner, proved our initial booking figure, and he told us to see him at breakfast at...

Have been driving past this pub for years visiting family in the local area. Nice building and always people outside so thought we'd finally give it a go. Our party of 4 each ordered the sandwich and chips (or rather small basket of french fries)....

This establishment was booked back in may through booking.com. looked good and price was good with breakfast included. So day before arrival I called the establishment to confirm my details, l was told I needed to pay straight away to secure the room otherwise it...

Visited today, 27 Aug, staggered to pay £12 for a basic starter and £17 for a rather small pizza. The VERY small bottle of water at £3.95 seemed like a bargain in comparison. The man that constantly tried to talk to my wife and daughter...

Stopped by for a quick drink and a snack. Arbi, our host, was incredibly attentive and kind! Can’t rate him highly enough!

I’m so totally confused by previous reviews - had really good platter with rib of beef - vegetables nicely cooked al dente - beef very tasty and beautifully cooked lovely potatoes. I thought maybe we were just lucky but other food coming out looked top...

Not content with having as much atmosphere as a night out with Michael Gove it offers a Sunday dinner that most condemned prisoners would return and ask for a refund. On the subject of refunds £19.95 for meat that looks like it’s been regurgitated by...

I think that the only reason this awful pub is still going is that poor souls stumble upon it accidentally.We had had a wonderful holiday in Cambridge and faced a long journey home to Scotland.We passed through many gorgeous villages but could not find somewhere...

Really poor service, bad food and not at all value for money. Menus handed out were dirty. Out of Diet coke, stated had J20 but then came back saying out of stock. Agreed to orange juice and lemonade, to be bought just lemonade. Taken back...

Wrong drinks delivered. Then 3 out of 4 meals delivered, but the 4th was totally forgotten. Outside there are signs saying ‘Proper pub grub’ - absolutely nothing of the sort. This was our first and definitely the last time here.

This hotel is a complete disaster. The worst thing was the lack of hygiene. When I asked for the tea and milk to be replenished in my room, I was given a handful of loose tea bags and a tea pot half full of milk....

We booked a room for two nights for a special wedding that we are attending nearby. We booked through Booking.com and on the day we let them know what time we’d be arriving, between 10 and 11pm as we were coming up from Dorset after...

Called in with friends for lunch... What a mistake that was! The owner was apparently on holiday leaving a young guy who was completely out of his depth, not surprised, he'd only been there 3 days. Most beers had run out. My wife ordered a...

Checking in was chaos. The guy behind the bar was shouting and being abusive to another member of staff, who was trying his best to accommodate us. They didn’t seem to have a record of our booking. We were eventually led through the kitchen to...

We didn't read any reviews - just needed lunch so stopped here. Very odd experience overall and we didn't really have a good time. We had pizzas. They were ok but not great - bearing in mind the staff are Italian? No red J20, no...

I went to the White Horse for lunch yesterday with a friend. I had Burger & Chips & my friend had Fish & Chips. We also had one beer each. We sat in the beer garden with my dog and the food was passable but...

Unremarkably food and grossly overpriced. Avoid like the plague. It used to be a pleasant spot for lunch. In a decent location close to Rutland Water

Arrived with my partner and son. Menu seemed massively over priced but nice setting so fair enough. My partner is gluten intolerant so we asked what he could have an they said the risotto. He doesn’t like risotto. They banged on about him in Italian...

I would never knowingly slate a business especially when people have to work so hard to run them but this really is dire. Greeted at the door by a well dressed and polite waiter but he really didn’t know what he was doing, first alarm...

Despite the numerous poor reviews for this establishment, we decided to give them a fair chance. Big mistake. Waiter struggled to grasp one of our friend's order and was rude to her, seeming impatient to move onto the next person's order. My pizza arrived with...

The staff seem to veer between solicitously charming and incredibly rude and unhelpful. Ridiculously overpriced menu. Instead of rocket on my husband's pizza, they sprinkled it with manky, bagged lettuce. The chef thought it was a good idea to add prawns to our friend's salmon...

This is in a prime location and looks good but beware! The food is cheap frozen food and scampi & chips had no salad. Salad on another dish was limp and dead, uneditable!!! Over priced for what it is. Price was high for this type...

We use to spend many a summer days at this pub years ago . Our recent visit was an experience to remember. As we walked in we were told to sit anywhere because there were only seven people in there.We ordered our drinks without being...

The food was less than mediocre. We were told at the start that the steak pie was unavailable but that there was burger instead. Ordered two fish and chips and a scampi and chips, but then after a few minutes advised that there was only...

Stopped for lunch break whilst on cycle ride (having stopped few years ago). Very poor, initially ordered steak and ale pie only to be told that they’d run out so ordered tuna and mayo sandwich only to be told they’d run out of tuna!! Ordered...

Went here on Tuesday evening for a friends 30th having wanted to try for a while. Food was pretty awful, clearly very “pre prepared” and not fresh to order. Was told manager and pizza chef away. Terrible customer service from a young guy who was...

We visited this delightful pub situated in a charming country village ona Monday evening. We were welcomed warmly and the food was excellent. I had a pasta dish with strips of fillet steak in a pepper and mushroom sauce. It was one of the best...

The food here is lovely, but you’ll have to sacrifice customer service. We came here as a group of 3 after a walk at Rutland water and were told to sit where we like and then asked for our drinks order. We ordered Diet Coke...

Called in on a warm Monday afternnon for soft drinks and a bite to eat. Dire! Tomoto Moz salad came with salad tomota rather than beef one 4 slices of cheap nasty mozzarella and nothing else. No basil no olive oil nothing. Ham and cheese...

Burger was a frozen Makro beef burger, suppose to be served with pancetta but bacon instead. Raw egg on pizza and when sent back just blow touched black to make out was cooked. Fries weren’t fully cooked and service was shocking!! Guy serving couldn’t remember...

First visit to The White Horse in a couple of years. Food extremely poor quality. Everything appeared to be out of a bag or from frozen. Scampi were pathetic in size and number and swimming in grease. As was the fried eggs. Salad was again...

Horrendous Food moderate to ok. However deliberately wrongly prices or over prices. £10 for garlic bread !! Wrongly priced main course. Chaotic service. Ruined what was a good traditional English pub. I love Italian food but this was awful.

Had a meal here and the hours are variable but the food was excellent and it was opposite to where I was staying in a local B&B

Italian menu,food is absolutely out of this world,looks and tastes fresh produce.we sat outside to eat as a sunny day,only came across this pub by chance but will definitely come in again if we are in the area.cannot recommend this place highly enough.5star dining

No prices for a reason! We dropped in here for a nice mother's day lunch. Before sitting down I asked what food was served, I was told £15.95 for a two course Sunday dinner meal, either main and desert or starter and main or alternatively,...

To say this place is run by muppets is an insult to muppets. The people running this place could not organise a proverbial drinking competition in a brewery. The rooms were terrible. Dirty linen, dust and filth on every surface. Breakfast was a complete joke....

First of all it was a small menu compared to the one on the website. No wine list. No jugs of water for the table we had to pay for bottled water. Scallops overpriced for frozen scallops. Vegetables were frozen veg and very small amount....

We popped in as we were staying in the village and we wanted to see the pub for ourselves. The staff were very friendly, and as we only had a drink, we can only review on that. The menus we were given to brouse were...

So popped in for a light lunch and ordered a cheese and tomato sandwich Very disappointed to pay £10 for Kraft cheese slice and tomato sandwich- what a rip off!

Had an amazing Sunday lunch today! Very friendly staff and quiet service also amazing Sunday lunch and the desserts were gorgeous

Turned up after telephone booking a month before, and confirming later as the original person seemed vague, to find they had no room booked for us. They tried to blame us, and said we never rang. Unbelievable.

Had been for a lovely walk round Rutland water so we had built up an appetite, saw the pub on the way in so we decided to come in for something to eat. Lovely little place. Got sat down and we was handed 4 menus....

Table booked for four people after a walk but service very slow and lackadaisical. Waited for 15 minutes before they took a drinks order. Menu on crumpled paper, not at all reminiscent of the one on-line. Food micro-waved and not really hot enough. Instant mashed...

Excellent quality tasty food, varied menu, lots of choice of drinks. Staff extremely friendly and helpful. Pity it's quite a way from home, we met with family, who live an equal distance South to our North.

We were served by Joyce, who was very pleasant, had a sense of humour and happy to serve us with a smile. The chef, Valerio, cooked amazing meals for all four of us and the steaks were cooked to perfection and very generous. The veg...

We were suprised to find this lovely village pub had changed to Italian and a very expensive menu, we thought at these prices food must be good, how wrong was I. First I asked for a lime and soda but I was brought a bitter...

Starters were large, ribs were cold. Main course risotto and lasagna were small, penne stroganoff very tough meat, pizza was very tasty however the buffalo mozzarella which is probably very good quality made it look like a pizza soup, they asked if we wanted to...

The Chef went out his way to accommodate us, I had the burger which was really very nice. - thank you Valerie. The Austell was a good pint also. The decor is what u would expect from a village place with a beautiful picture of...

Lovely food and great service. As a vegetarian I asked if there was any extra veggie options and the staff made me whatever I fancied…which was a mushroom risotto and it was delicious! Husband had the burger and it was yum! Not sure what all...

Me and wife went for lunch here and it was incredible. Dog friendly, good beer, the kitchen made a bespoke vegetarian dish for my wife. Honestly can’t fault it!! Would recommend!! Great pub after a long walk at Rutland!

Good Italian food served quickly and pleasantly. Food on nearby tables also looked good and again quickly served

This beautiful place is being dug into the ground by terrible management. Terrible food, terrible hygiene and terrible service. Please please save our beautiful local pub and take over, someone!

Amazing food and amazing night.thanks to Joyce and his team for a great night and entertainment .It was like to be out with very close friends.can't wait to be back

We went here for Sunday lunch having been here for our first date 3 years ago. What a difference! Not in a good way. The options were limited and we several minutes later could only choose from either 2 or 3 courses. We both opted...

We visited with friends on Saturday night for a meal and drinks, the service was great and all enjoyed their meals. Big thanks to Joyc who made us feel at home and provided excellent service and kept us amused all evening. We’ll be back.