The White Horse Otterbourne in Winchester

We had visited The White Horse in the past and enjoyed a more than acceptable meal. This time, I'm afraid to say that it was anything but . We booked the latest time which was 6pm (anything earlier and it would have been high tea. My parents and partner opted for the cod and chips, I had half a cauliflower, breadcrumbs in a leek, spinach, mustard sauce with caper and raisin purée. My parents enjoyed their fish and chips. My partner said the fish was just about cooked, but the batter was swimming in oil and not palatable at all. My cauliflower dish promised much, but delivered a dish that was predominantly mustard and cream. It was poorly balanced in my opinion. Regretfully, we shall not be returning.

Excellent food which was all served piping hot, very fresh we had cod chips and peas thoroughly enjoyed it with a sharing Camembert to start all very scrummy, staff were very attentive defo be back

90 minutes next to loud women who got louder and more annoying with each cocktail they drank, complained and left the manager trying to pacify them with free drinks next time. Nearly £20 for freezer cod chips and peas, I live in the village and haven’t been in for 4 years and won’t be back!

My wife and I went to the White Horse recently for Sunday lunch We both had pork which came with a good selection of vegetables and had puddings and a carafe of Merlot, We live locally and walked so was no problem with drink driving! We were served by a smiling young waitress A very enjoyable Sunday lunch

My favourite restaurant, we visit regularly and have done so for years. Always excellent food and a warm welcome. Highly recommend

Went for this years team lunch. So we all chose from the set Christmas menu. It is acceptable to produce food to a price for set menus. However if they are, then make them enjoyable. My ‘ slow cooked beef brisket’, instead of being what I had assumed would be slow cooked and fall apart. Was a tough lump, as if it was an inch cut from last Sunday lunch left overs. Those that had the Turkey faired better, but one twig of greens on a dollop of mash, with five strings of red cabbage ! My pint of beer was good but, Guinness from a can ! If I had been with family I would have sent it back. But we were on time constraints to return to work. In past years I have been retirement drinks here, then stayed to eat. Shame.

They had live music on the Friday night, it was very good atmosphere, good food, good drinks, I would say a tad expensive but worth it. The only thing that let it down for me was the table service. There was plenty of staff and It wasn’t even that busy. They never asked how my meal was. I asked for drinks a couple of times and was told he would come, after the second time of asking him, I had to go to the bar myself. He still never came over. They then added an extortionate service charge which was offered to be removed before I said anything. I felt the young lad who brought the bill was aware I had to go to the bar, and I had maybe been neglected, even though I hadn’t complained, you could tell he had noticed and was being decent. Overall Pleasant evening 😊

Excellent service and food served to a table of thirteen, booked at short notice. Good drinks menu including select Real Ales

The staff were really friendly and helpful and the decor was lovely. Unfortunately the lunch menu was uninspiring and all a bit on the posh side, but didn't deliver. Ordered only item that vaguely appealed to me, which was avocado with poached eggs. When it arrived it was pureed avocado piped onto thin slice of sourdough bread, with two poached eggs on top, which were cold by the time they got to me. The whole combination didn't work, sourdough was soggy, pureed avocado was like baby food and obviously refrigerated, which made the eggs cold. I should mention that the waitress took my meal off the bill, so thank you for that. Bring back club sandwiches and homemade soup, simple things that satisfy hungry lunch clientele!

We hadn't been here for a while when the prices were high and the food minimal. But now it is obviously in new hands and the food was very good, An excellent selection of ales and good menu - the ploughman's sandwich was massive and very tasty and the fish finger sandwich had very large haddock fingers in it. Good friendly service too. Champion

My friends and I decided to meet for drinks at the White Horse in Otterbourne having seen on their website that on Saturdays from midday until 6pm, they offer 2 cocktails for the price of 1. The actual wording reads as follows: “Saturdays may be our favourite day of the week with BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH from 10pm – 4pm, where you can enjoy any dish from our menu with 90 minutes of bottomless Prosecco, House Wine or Aperol Spritz for an additional £25. And the fun doesn’t stop there – keep the good times rolling with our incredible 2-4-1 COCKTAILS from midday until 6pm!” However, on arriving at the pub, what we were actually offered was 2 of the same cocktail for £14 from a much reduced (and uninspiring) list. Worst still, when the bar staff were made aware of the website promotion (which I showed them on my iPhone) they refused to honour it. The charmless way in which our query was handled, coupled with an obvious lack of the business acumen required within the hospitality industry, meant that we didn’t order any further drinks and moved onto a different pub.

A good place if you want a nice meal and are willing to spend a bit of money. The pub was very clean and tidy. Food is brilliant do recommend the pork belly as a starter. Service by Erin (I believe was our server) was very good.

we had called ahead to book a table and was grateful that we had a table reserved in the bar area Staff are friendly answering questions about items on the menu and the service was okay The menu isn’t the best choice and as a sirloin steak was £38 it is on the heavy side of expensive albeit the food was cooked and served nicely definitely not worth the money The only other negative point was as we asked for the “discretionary service” charge to be removed from the bill - only because I want to determine the amount if any for a service charge- the attitude of the staff changed to the point one ignored my wife’ saying thank you as we left More places need to look up the word discretionary before they start getting frosty about people not paying it and as the bill was over the £100 mark I am certain (having worked in the restaurant business) that the restaurant made enough money from us on the meal and drinks Would not recommend and will not be going back

excellent friendly staff /service, but food extortionately expensive for what it is, I hate to leave a bad review but...........

Friday dining 6:30 we found live music 6 till 8. Added bonus! Great food and music very enjoyable. Will go again if local.

Food fabulous and Miranda our waitress completed the perfect evening. Fully recommend for a cosy winters night! Wendy

I thought that learning how to cook beef burgers, so that the middle is not served raw was one of the first lessons given at catering college. Mine had an uncooked middle but the restaurant lighting was so poor that I had eaten some before sending the dish back. The manager confirmed that it is their policy to serve burgers 'pink' which leaves precious little room for error if the chef is not up to standard. A simple check with a food thermometer would have shown the chef that the meat on my plate was not safe. Yes, they reheated my food to cook the meat, but I still didn't touch my meal again as I now had no faith in their chef's attitude to hygiene and food safety in general.

We were very disappointed ☹️ with the food. The roast was luke warm and the meat so hard you couldn’t cut it with the knife provided. We ordered jam roly poly and that arrived the same nearly warm!! Would not recommend to anyone and won’t go again.

We had a family celebration for my father's 91st birthday. Originally the manager, who I believe was Brenton on the night, had placed us in a long table. The slight hiccough was there was a step up and dad's mobility is challenged, using a stick..as is my brother's who's in a wheelchair. With no hesitation, we were moved to a table on the flat and another table added to it, BUT, Brenton put blocks under each leg, so my brother's chair could easily go underneath. This is real customer service in my opinion! The food was delicious, as last time and the service, prompt, efficient and warm without being over intrusive - as if you were eating at a friend's. If I lived locally as opposed to London, this would be my second home.

Tilly is the perfect bar person. Amazing customer service and skills. Makes the best cocktails and attentive to the utmost 🙌🙌🙌 reason why me and my lass come back every fortnight for our date night

My wife and I were part pf a group of 9 friends who had booked lunch. Service was slow but our main complaint was the kale which was served with sea bream. 7 of the party had prdered this dish and not one of them could eat the kale becaise it was so tough. My wife had specifically asked for it to be well cooked - it was so tough she couldny even chew it! The peanut sauce which was served with the chicken wraps was flavourless but at least this was changed when we complained!

Sunday roast for four. Tussle to get the beef cooked without the trendy pink look. Portions were on the small side. Thin gravy. Sunday roast is not difficult to do well. Couple next to us had returned their food a couple of times - clearly wasn't going well. Pudding menu: I was going to go for the sticky toffee pudding with ice cream until I spotted it was vegan, gluten free, unleaded and so forth. Vegan ice cream is a contradiction in terms. How on earth does this get past trading standards. Milk Stout was banned out for similar logic. Very average.

Our waitress was very attentive and did her best to convey our comments about a very disappointing family meal. Prices charged for meagre portions were excused by the cost of their ingredients. So, that’s meant to explain a £30 sharing platter of 4 small, overcooked langoustines, 4 blinis with a small amount of trout and a dessert spoonful of crab, limp salad and two slices of bread. We used to be fans of Ideal Collection but our last couple of visits here have been very disappointing and we’ll be dining elsewhere in future.

The staff were attentive but not overbearing. Great menu with most of it locally sourced (map on the back of the menu). Food was prompt, perfectly cooked. Enjoyed the décor and atmosphere. Well run, well trained team. Coffee and local cake for desert. Lunch lasted 4 hours! What else can I say? Will be back. That's for sure.

My partner and I took my parents here to celebrate their 69th anniversary. Clean, well maintained and nicely decorated. The people working there couldn't have been more welcoming and helpful . The steak was cooked to perfection and perfectly rare, just as I like it. The young lady attending us was very helpful and obliging...and wished us a lovely meal as she was leaving, having finished her shift. We shall most certainly return when we are visiting family

Six of us met here for lunch. My partner and I shared Duck Arancini to start. To follow I chose Crab and Prawn Pappardelle with Tobacco Onions which were lovely. Others had a burger, fish cakes and ham, egg and chips. For one the chips weren’t hot so were replaced and the ham was too tough to eat so was not charged. Service was good.

Very over priced £9.80 for a Gin and Ederflower tonic, all drinks are silly prices £6.20 for a pint of San Miguel and so it goes on. Food was not great all day breakfast eggs snottu,toast undercooked and cold,sausages very spicy with no mention on menu.Most of the meals ten in total were luke warm.Worst of all it was a celebration on my wife's life as the funeral was today and they forgot to good my wife her meal and tried to say we hadn't ordered it,!!!!!! fortune-telling we had written down our order and handed it to the waitress. Lame apologies were offered and a free dessert.At over £200 wasn't good value.

Read the Wine List before you order! Dont want anyone else to be 'caught' like we were. Lovely venue, good food, friendly staff. Whilst we were looking at the Menus, we were asked if we would like to order drinks, which we did - without checking the price. Two glasses of 175ml Spy Valley Sav Blanc came to £18! Outrageous for something worth no more than £5 per glass. Don't think we will be going back, and will certainly warn others!

Have been before, nice pub - nice interior, good parking, friendly staff. Friend and I had a sandwich each with a few crisps on side, two soft drinks (one of them a very cheap to produce lime and soda), two coffees. The bill, to which 12.50% service charge had been automatically added, was just shy of £40.00!!! Without the service charge was, I feel, expensive for what we had. But to be charged a service charge on top for a basic item such as sandwiches, on a table of just 2, is really taking the micky.

Food was OK although not as good as the last time we had breakfast. Black specks on egg white and on bacon. Toast not very toasted. Main objection was being told when bill presented that a 12.5% service charge had automatically been added. Not been done before when we have been there for evening meals or breakfasts. Expect that if a large party but not when only 2 people. Should be my decision if we wish to put on a service charge, we shouldn't be put in the position of having to ask for it to be removed. Didn't happen when we were there 10 days ago so must be new idea. Won't be going back

The White Horse is our go to place for Sunday Lunch. Nice atmosphere, staff always polite and attentive but not too in your face. Menu is good and the food is always excellent.

Let’s start by saying we had visited the place before and liked it. On arrival all looked good and the table they gave us was nice. From there on it went down hill. We ordered 4 roast beef which was taken by the waitress. Five...

We had dinner outside on the patio. It is really comfortable with a good atmosphere. The food was delicious and the staff was lovely.

Quick drink out and a chance to chill out. Relaxed atmosphere and lovely wine and attention to detail evident. Recommended

Visited on a Sunday, for lunch, and purposely booked for 15:00 to avoid the usual chaos. It was lovely and I would recommend the timing. Food was great; we had the usual 'Sunday Roast' type offering and it was so much better than the quality...

My friend and I enjoyed a wonderful bottomless brunch on the Terrace, the food was delicious and the service superb. I’d like to give a special thanks to Tilly who served us, she was absolutely brilliant and her customer service was impeccable.

Came here with a friend for a lovely evening. The burgers were really tasty and the desserts were very nice as well. It's a lovely building with a nice beer garden and plenty of parking. The staff are really friendly and the food came out...

Absolutely fabulous meal, and service was excellent, the young waitress had the same condition as my partner (coeliac) so was aware of what was required. I have sent an email to the Manager praising her.

Visited on a Friday evening for dinner for 5. Have to book as it’s so popular. Lovely atmosphere, Live music ( a little loud for my grandmother to hear our conversations due to this but I knew when booking there would be music so on...

Apologies first. My original review gave you only one star. My mistake. An excellent experience. A very interesting menu which had unknown items on it. To be especially recommended we’re: asparagus and duck egg, tobacco onions ( no cigarettes were harmed in this recipe), squid,...

Haven’t been to the White Horse for a few years and was very impressed. Staff were friendly, food was delicious. We had a very enjoyable evening. Highly recommend the salt and pepper squid and the chilli prawn linguine.

Just got in from a lovely evening, excellent service from start to finish. The little hut was perfect, tasty cocktails and steak cooked beautifully! Thank you all!

Called on the off chance we could get a late booking as sunday lunch is nearly always full. We were able to get a late table. Really good food. Had sunday lunch with excellent service. Thoroughly enjoyed our visit

Lovely venue. We booked an outside hut which has its own heater and fairy lights. TOTALLY Amazing food and cocktails (highly recommend the king prawn linguine and espresso martinis!!). Had a great evening and will definitely be going again.

Fabulous Sunday lunch with the family. Wanted to enjoy a Sunday roast with the family some who had come from Canada. Staff were so attentive. The food was fantastic, roast beef served slightly pink just as it should be. I had the tuna fish with...

Terrible service. Can’t comment on either the drinks or food as we never received any. We booked an outside hut for a special birthday celebration. On arrival made ourselves known to the staff to obtain our hut number to be told we hadn’t been allocated...

Service was extremely slow. There were about 5 members of staff milling around and I was finally acknowledged about 5 minutes after standing at the bar. I was finally served by a member of staff who could have served me within two minutes of arriving....

Lovely atmosphere. Great menu with varied size and selection for those less hungry/with smaller appetites. Best of all amazing selection of gluten free - including things that rarely. Kitchen staff clearly passionate about ensuring those with food allergies are able to eat as well as...

Lovely atmosphere for a leisurely lunch. Great choice of food for people with all types of dietary needs. The service was excellent, the staff were very attentive and the food was delicious. Have been before and will definitely visit again.

NOT GOOD FOR ME, MY FRIENDS WERE OKAY. I HAD RUMP STEAK WHICH WAS OVER COOKED AND TOUGH - NOT WORTH £29 - DISGRACEFUL

Have been lots before for lunch and always had good food and service and food, especially the muscles on a Tuesday. So came with grandparents and our toddler for an early Mother’s Day dinner. We sat down and the waitress was quite rude actually and...

Booked for Sunday lunch 5 children 6 adults The only pub in the Winchester area that would allow the convenience of online booking. Table was ready Service flowed despite being busy service was seamless Quality local ingredients. I will return for the ice cream alone!...

Booked online for a Friday lunch out as my husband had to meet someone nearby. On arrival, sign on door said they were closed because they had no water. These things happen, but let us know! You had my email address as you confirmed the...

I booked a table online for 2 on Valentine’s Day at 6pm. When we arrived we were greeted and immediately made to feel welcome. We were shown to our table and drinks were ordered. The choice of food on the menu was good and it...

I visited the pub for a quick business lunch. I've been there a few times and the food is always pretty decent. They had a good menu, the prices are quite punchy now though. I had scampi and chips - it was £16. I'll let...

We loved everything about our lunchtime visit to the White Horse. Our food was delicious and served with a smile. The interior of the pub is beautifully decorated and feels warm and welcoming. The staff team are great, nothing was too much trouble and we...

First half an hour of our stay, immature staff singing loudly (and badly) karaoke -style. Three customers, one meal lukewarm at best, calves liver hard and small portion despite being £18 - a bit of mash and some leaves of kale = poor value for...

Really good pub for family visits with large, safe play area for kids and heated cabins for outdoor eating. Menu doesn’t change a lot and serving size can be variable. Very helpful staff always willing to try to get a table ready if you haven’t...

We had a very pleasant Sunday lunch here in late January. The car park was almost full but we were able to get a space. Inside it was warm and cosy with a fire lit. The place was very full of families enjoying their casual...

Excellent menu, quality of food and timeliness of service. Staff were attentive but equally gave us time just to enjoy our catch up and eating experience. Questions regarding the menu were answered or answers quickly obtained. Food quality was excellent and perfect quantity. Will definitely...

Booked online and worried may have to wait for table as very busy, but no worries on that front it was reserved. Great choice of food on menu. Waitress was very attentive and got drinks for us quickly. We had Chicken Burger and Duck as...

I've always had a good meal and friendly service at the White Horse. Although I'm not a vegetarian, they have some really different veggie options, my Mum & I had roasted cauliflower steak and it was delicious.

I have frequented The White Horse many times and am more than happy to re-visit. On the most recent occasion it was with a party of 7 who were accommodated comfortably and served well by a well experienced team The menu was varied and was...

We had a really nice Sunday lunch at the White Horse. There were six of us, one was dairy free and another gluten free. Neither was any problem at all and in fact a special dessert was found for us. Good food, great service and...

9 of us descended on the pub after a very muddy walk. Table only booked for 6 but extras arrived due to the better weather. No fuss about the group, swiftly served, plenty of veg to rebuild the power supply after the walk. Thank you.

Great pub with excellent service and delicious food that’s sourced locally! Plus the have a marquée set up for the World Cup!

4 of us came to the White Horse to enjoy their fish and chips (x3) and a bavette steak on a Friday evening. Great food, welcoming, smiling staff, and a nice buzz in a busy but not overcrowded pub. Recommended.

I Love this place; I don't overdo it and come here very frequently, but when I do come I always have a great experience - food always great, staff always friendly and helpful. Also love the overall look and feel of the pub.

Went for other halves birthday for Sunday lunch. Great welcome, very attentive staff and an excellent meal. Gorgeous pub and would definitely recommend.

We recently visited the White Horse to have an early birthday celebration meal. As always the staff were friendly and patient when we took time deciding and the food and service was excellent!

2nd visit as hadn't been for a number of years, heard good reports & always loved the village atmosphere. Wasn't disappointed, lovely menu & food was excellent. Service was the same & very friendly & drinks menu & selection supports the menu. Only been for...

We came for the first time last week (Saturday) and the welcome was lovely, the service was on point and the food was delish. Thank you very much, we will be back!

I really don’t write many reviews on here, but today it was just so terrible I feel compelled to. We came thinking we’d have a nice relaxed family day out and all I can say is the service was absolutely appalling. We ordered 2 starters...

We went for lunch with friends midweek. Really friendly staff & great service. All the food was delicious and nicely presented. Excellent drinks menu, both alcoholic and non alcoholic. We'll definitely return here.

Very friendly and attentive staff who always look after us very well and the food is great! The selection on the menu is very good and they have regular specials.

Fab service from the start with options to sit inside or outside! Helpful staff and very attentive! It is quiet pricey but everywhere is to eat out right now! The food was delicious 😋and the cakes are fresh and very yummy! They also bought out...

We had a fantastic meal at the White Horse last week. It was a very sunny Friday evening, so naturally it was busy in the garden, but the service was really quick. The food was very good quality and the menu catered for a wide...

Had a very relaxing and enjoyable lunch - comprehensive choice of food. Lunch was excellent backed up with friendly and attentive service - I will certainly be back.

We discovered The White Horse a few weeks ago for a colleague's leaving do. While we were sitting outside, we were all taken by the beautiful inside of the pub and the large array of yummy cakes on the bar. We all had brunch, something...

Booked for a large family meal. Looking at the menu choices seemed good, but pricey. The food was overall very well cooked, but some portions could have been bigger. The environment, staff and service were all good, but I felt the food was rather overpriced,...

Do not order the chicken burger. It is a deep fried thigh fillet (completely the wrong type of cut for a burger and most definitely not worth £15). And it was undercooked. Do not order the beetroot salad, at £15 this was so small I...

We booked Sunday lunch for a family birthday celebration and although the two children’s meals were passable, all four adults found theirs disappointing. The chicken burger was passable but looked no more inviting than any fast food restaurant but at £15 was considerably more expensive....

Isabel was a wonderfully attentive server. Staff were very accommodating of our pram. Food was fab and our little boy enjoyed an evening out!

Friendly greeting on arrival and drinks sorted. Food was good and eating in one of the huts on a warm evening was a really pleasant experience. I had the duck salad which was excellent. Been here a few times (it is conveniently located to meet...

Interior of this pub is lovely, understand it was refurbished recently, and we were pleased to see proper fabric napkins. Starters were good though we felt a little on the pricey side. When the mains came the belly pork and butternut squash risotto were good....

On this visit, we had great food and very good service. The beer and wine were cold and the food hot. A good menu, not too fussy and something for most folks. Well done The White Horse.

Very comfortable and welcoming. Food excellent - fillet steaks cooked to perfection and a decent house white. Did not have to use the app to order; discussed the menu with the server and then he took our order, simple! Ally looked after us impeccably.

Excelled venue, service, menu selection and food beautifully cooked and presented. We cannot understand the negative comments this is a superb place to drink and eat. Thank you everyone at the White Horse Otterbourne

Enjoyed lunch in the garden. We had two children with us and they had a great time. Their menu’s were fun and they loved the play equipment. The service was a little slow but then I would expect that as it was a sunny Saturday....

Popped in for a family meal and was not disappointed. Friendly and welcoming staff, clearly working hard and busy but still attentive and smiling! Food was excellent, the sweet potato curry soup bowl was amazing, the rest of the family enjoyed burgers and pizza. The...

To still be using order from your table via the app is just ridiculous now , so four of us popped in for drinks and a light bite Then walked straight back out A win for the old forge though Go there guys The white...

First visit to the white horse and we weren't disappointed at all. Amazing food and brilliant service. We will definitely be going back

Always a pleasure to visit the White Horse. Lovely food and great service. Looking forward to another visit for my birthday lunch.

I must agree with most of the other very negative comments, extremely obtuse & patronising, slow service & awkward app I gather they run the Kimbridge Barn as well, good luck wiv that one then.....

Popped in for a quick drink as we were driving past. Was immediately met with a notice saying not to approach the bar during food service times, and to order on the app. The app took ages to download and was awkward to set up,...

Waited 45 mins for a simple pasta dish. No apology. Service at best disinterested if not rude Food below average No atmosphere. Better places around - will not come back

steak sandwich was cold and not asked how would like it cooked, £6 for a pint of lager shandy and no atmosphere but least have tried it, you only get one chance to make a good impression...

Having just left the pub and after speaking to the waiting staff, totally unimpressed with the food and service. Ordered a starter , which whilst we were still earing asked if we wanted our main course as it was ready??? Ordered the fish with no...

We can not rate the White Horse highly enough - friendly, professional team - very good with little people too. There is an outdoor play area that is safe for them to run around in. Great menu choices for all and lovely modern decor inside...

Great staff, very helpful and cheerful. Lovely food each time we have visited. Came across the restaurant by chance during covid restrictions. A lucky find!