The who'd a thought it in Wiltshire

This place probably doesn’t need anymore good reviews but it certainly earned one. Ate here for a long lunch with friends who I hadn’t seen for years so there was a lot of talking and catching up. The place lends itself to that. It is comfortable, friendly, relaxed but the food and the service are absolutely excellent. The owner who was on duty yesterday ( forgive me for not catching your name) couldn’t have been more helpful and accommodating. He paced his service around pauses in our conversation and made us feel very welcome. He also caught on to the fact we were ex military and upon showing proof gave us a generous discount, which was very much appreciated. We stayed through the afternoon chatting away, and he kindly left us in peace . An absolutely lovely place, thanks for looking after us.

Lovely pub with a great atmosphere. Amazing food. And bike night on a Monday is an added bonus.

4 of us dined here last night and I can honestly say it’s some of the best food we have had. Table service was brilliant and the place has a great atmosphere. Can’t wait to go back.

4 of us dined here last night and I can honestly say it’s some of the best food we have had. Table service was brilliant and the place has a great atmosphere. Can’t wait to go back.

Absolutely love the place. Food is amazing and the staff are brilliant.

Excellent! Warm welcome on arrival. Good choice on menu. The steak was excellent. As was the gravlax starter. No room for puds! Good choice of wines. Thoroughly enjoyed meeting up mid-way with friends and will come again. Thank you.

Having pre booked our table for a Friday celebratory lunch and having perused the website before hand we looked forward to this our first visit to this pub/restaurant. On arrival it was clear the pub was busy with many families with children enjoying the fine weather and the adventure play ground. That was nice to see. We were disappointed with the garden which seemed neglected and very unloved especially for a country pub. The ambience inside the premises and from the outside was also spoilt by roof scaffolding, which of course will not be permanent feature. We chose to eat inside. We were 'welcomed' seemingly by a staff member who was rather indifferent towards her customers. In fact there was hardly any welcome at all. We explained we had booked a table and after a wait was handed 2 menus and told to sit at a table. We were not taken to a specific table but left rather suspended/abandoned not knowing which areas were for drinking and which for eating. Tables had no table clothes and it appeared that rather randomly some had condiments and others not! The scaffolding which about 2 metres away from where we were sitting was very intrusive and dark. We noted other areas inside the pub which did not have such a view. In fact such areas appeared more comfortable. A considerate host would have apologised for the view and offered us the option of eating in rooms which more not so i impacted. This was something which could have been easily achieved as very few people were eating indoors preferring to eat outside. We sat down and waited for a waiter to take our order. After 15 minutes or so I went to the bar to ask if someone was going to take our order which one would expect in a good restaurant or at least one would expect to be told order at the bar. Whilst at the bar I noted another customer asking for a wine list. The bar attendant made a cursory and unsuccessful effort to find one! Surely bar staff should know where to find one and make an effort do so. The same person took our order and brought our cutlery. We expected it might take a while to be served as we overheard the bar attendant tell another customer there was only one person working in the kitchen. We ordered olives and bread to nibble before the arrival of our main meal. However these arrived with our main meal. This despite the menu saying "why not have some olives while you wait for your main course"! One of us had duck, the other a risotto. Neither of us were blown away with the quality of their meal. It was just about ok. It was not bad enough to return to the the pass; neither was it good. At no time did anyone come and take an interest in whether out meal was OK. On leaving the manager/owner missed an opportunity to say "good bye to us and thank us for our custom". This appeared to be another example of indifference. Another apparent example of indifference was the failure to inform the customer what the 'pie of the day' was. In view of the invasive nature of the scaffolding hugging the front of the building I would have expected the owner/manager might just have made the effort to display a notice along the lines of apologising for the building works and thanking customers for their custom. Our experience was not what was promised on the website. It seems to me this establishment has an identity crisis. It is not fine dining or indeed a restaurant with high standards. At best is is a parochial village pub trying to present an interesting menu but in a manner which is off putting. It certainly is not an outstanding restaurant, nor a friendly one. We declined to leave any gratuity, which is unusual for us. Though living within a 15 minute drive of this establishment we will not be returning there again or advising others to eat there. Read less

Booked a table for today 31/8/24 to arrive to the pub being closed for a private function. When I checked my emails I had noticed I got a email from their booking app “dojo” on Thursday 29th August to say my reservation had been deleted no call to explain why this had happened. As I work in the hospitality industry this is not a a way you contact your client. When I asked for the manager I was told he was at a wedding. All the lady could say was sorry and that was it. I’m very disappointed and this shouldn’t have happened.

Fantastic pub just off the main road with a great menu with decent variety of dishes. Comfy seating and attentive staff, including a humorous landlord. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. They also have a large garden area with climbing frame etc for younger kids. Nice and rural yet close to Marlborough and Avebury. Top notch, thanks 👍

Lovely meal out with good friends. Drinks served superbly, gins with ice, lemon & juniper berries. We all went for the beer battered haddock and chips...real chips cut from real potatoes! Lovely tasty fish and lots of it. Two of us chose ice cream for pudding. Third had chocolate Brownie. All delicious. Bill for 3 which included 3 rounds of double g&ts was £151. Landlord jovial and attentive. We will be back.

Lovely atmosphere, food and team. Proper country it.

Lovely Pub- good seating both inside and out. Great welcome-table already booked. Good selection of food- the pie of the day was excellent. Very unusually , my wife who has a nut allergy,was able to have three courses. A bonus as it was her birthday. Staff friendly , helpful , efficient without being intrusive.

Best pub menu in Marlborough. Very reasonable price got excellent food. Owner super friendly and welcoming. Can’t wait to go back.

What a great pub we were lucky enough to stay near while on holiday. Such a lovely building from the roadside, so welcoming. A fantastic garden with outside seating and children’s play area. But inside, this lovely pub/restaurant is just so welcoming, not just down to the staff, but also to the welcome you get. We went several times to eat. Such a wide choice of food, with just a different menu to the usual pub offerings. And the choice is…well, we were spoiled! Amazing food. And as for the homemade ‘pie of the day’….. a ‘must have’. We thoroughly recommend it, whatever the type of pie. Never beaten by a long chalk. (Just a suggestion: if you intend going to the Who’d A….” for an evening meal, do not have the lunchtime sandwiches!) We absolutely a thoroughly recommend this lovely lovely pub. All the staff are so welcoming, knowledgeable, fun but the food……… Just give anything a try, you will not be disappointed!

What an absolute gem of a country pub. Family friendly, with a great play apparatus for children. Our 7 and 11 year old absolutely loved it. The food is very, very good, with sensible sized children's portions that don't cost a fortune. The adult meals were delicious and very well presented and sized too. Good selection of on tap and bottle beers and ciders, with a decent amount of choice for the chosen drive in the zero alcohol department, almost half a fridge worth. Overall a wonderful place with the right balance of cost for quality, and they really do care that you are enjoying your time with them. If you're passing through Marlborough and just want that bit of space and decent food, 5 minutes extra on your journey is really going to be worth it. Oh, and if you have any allergy or intolerance they will accommodate, I know because I do, and they did.

Stopped here after a long day of walking in the downs. Friendly staff and wonderful food. I had the Pork Roast from the Sunday menu. Served in good time and tasted amazing. Perfectly cooked and good crackling. Will be back again and recommending to friends.

Had 2 x burgers which were just amazing. Homemade food to a very high quality. Pub was friendly and inviting. Was a pleasure to visit and would highly recommend

A lovely pub that we found when we needed a pit stop, while travelling. We liked the look of the menu so much, that we detoured back to it on our way home for an evening meal. The menu is a bit different to the usual pub food, which is great. There were also variations on standard pub food such as fish or scampi and chips. Ribeye steak with triple cooked chips. Burgers that were different meats, beef, cajun chicken, lamb with tzatizi sauce. Confit duck leg with a plum sauce five spice potato cake and cabbage, for example. There was a pie of the week and risotto, which was different every week . Pie was chicken and mushroom, risotto was broccoli and blue cheese. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options were available. There was so much delicious choice that my partner struggled to choose 😋 It had a friendly, warm atmosphere and I would definitely recommend it, if you are in the area to pop in. Well worth a visit.

A lovely village pub with excellent food and pleasant staff, can't be faulted.

Having eaten here several times since the brothers took over I have nothing but positive things to say. The food, service, garden and overall presentation of the pub are everything one would hope for from a family-run village pub and more. Heartily recommended.

Great place, shame I'm not a local.

The Whoda is such a great pub. We've conducted extensive research into Sunday lunches in Wiltshire and this is one of the best! Vard is completely charming and always has time for a chat and to make you feel welcome. The atmosphere is lovely. Big fat recommendation from me.

Fabulous vegie Sunday roast. Cold do with a couple more vegie options on the menu but all in all pretty damn good.

Such a lovely pub. Great food and knowledgeable about allergens. Very accommodating and dog friendly. Friendly and energetic team. Will be back.

What a fantastic find! Great pub. Staff so helpful and welcoming to we humans and Bonnie the springer spaniel . Food was delicious. Thank you - we will be back.

We had the best experience at this fantastic local pub. Beyond exceptional customer service. We walked in on a Friday night for dessert and drinks . The bartender helped us right away and was very patient with us. We wanted to take ice cream home for our mom, as well as some butter for the bread we bought that day, and he sent us home with an ice pack and Tupperware with exactly what we needed. I was beyond impressed. I highly recommend taking a visit. Everything was yummy and the pub was just an excellent vibe and experience all around.

Monday lunchtime treat. Pub was busy. Food was lovely

We had the most enjoyable evening at who’d a thought it pub. Food was great, atmosphere wonderful, service above and beyond. So glad we were able to spend time here!

Great pub and nice atmosphere. Only stopped for a pint but will call back again another time for food.I’m sure.

Really excellent pub ... The BLT sandwich was great, fries were great and tea was very good. Landlord very friendly and helpful. Great place to stop for a bite of food, just off the A4 Would I go again? ... Very much yes.

Great pub - very friendly staff

Went with my family five as a group Easter Day had chicken breast meals ×2 risotto ×1 scampi ×1 fish and chips ×1 Yorkshire puddings, cauliflower cheese, absolutely lovely,good quality ingredients,cooked to prefection. Hats off to the cooks.

We visited here while we were visiting the area and were looking for a dog friendly pub. Booked in for Sunday lunch and weren’t disappointed. The pub is in a fantastic location and we were given a very warm welcome. Good choice of food and fair size portions aswell. I had the pork which was lovely and the rest of the party had chicken and dish and chips ( which looked and tasted great). Well worth a visit. We will definitely be back when we visit again. Thanks for a great welcome and great food.

We ordered from Sunday Menu. My wife & I, my 2 daughter's and their partner enjoyed the meal here,very much.We ordered two chicken meals,one risotto,one scampi and one fish and chips.Extra cauliflower cheese and Yorkshire puddings. High quality ingredients food cooked to perfection Hats off to The Cooks and staff. Will definitely be going back. Other weekday menus available. Good Website. Thank you.

I absolutely love visiting this pub, wonderful food and service, always a good selection of well-kept ales, outside play area for the grand children too

One of the most disappointing Sunday lunches I’ve ever had. Firstly, the service was incredibly slow; we probably waited 20 minutes before our order was taken. I had roast chicken, my friend had beef - both meals were swimming in (very thin) gravy, there were only 2 roast potatoes each & they hadn’t been seasoned. My bread sauce was revolting; very watery with bits of clove in it. It should be thick & creamy with just a hint of clove which is infused into the milk. The smallest ever bowl of cauliflower cheese was at an extra cost of £3.30 & definitely not worth it. Nobody asked us if the meal was okay at any stage, so after waiting about 15 minutes once we’d finished our roasts (& no-one asking if we’d like dessert or coffee), we paid the bill & left. An ‘experience’ we won’t be repeating.

Had a nice walk and planned to eat here. Very accommodating and good food and reasonably priced. Staff were attentive and was a very enjoyable experience. Book ahead to avoid disappointment as it is busy but well worth it.

Lovely place, Really nice engaging staff and a really homely atmosphere.

Pretty much perfect. Friendly, lovely food at a reasonable price and Wadworth 6X beer.

We loved the Sunday lunch especially the bed of red cabbage which really made the meal. It was quite expensive but we felt it was value for money and we would definitely visit again.

Very friendly. We popped in for a drink after a walk.

Great hospitality and delicious food - very dog friendly. Small car park but option to park on the quiet road outside. Definitely would recommend the beef on the Sunday roast!

What a little gem! Very warm and friendly welcome by all the staff. We had a wonderful Sunday lunch in front of a roaring log fire. We would definitely go back should we find ourselves in the area again.

We had an amazing roast. Very friendly pub. Will definitely be back

Great pub with lovely staff who make you feel welcome before sending you home with a happy belly full of fantastic food. Little fireplace brings the atmosphere to 5 stars!! Well worth a 1min drive off the A4.

Great food and great service. Stopped off for Sunday lunch while visiting the area, hadn’t booked and were lucky enough to get a table. My wife is coeliac, there were gluten-free options available, good knowledge shown of the dietary requirements and she felt perfectly at ease eating here.

Had a superb lunch while catching up with friends on a wet Monday lunchtime in early October. Excellent 6X and a great menu with certain dishes recommended by the landlord. We took one of his recommendations of the Thai Curry. The choices were fish or chicken and I have to personally say that the Fish Curry was excellent. Nicely spiced and served on basmati rice with a naan bread. Portion sizes were great. The other choice made was the rib-eye steak served on a bed of mushrooms with vine tomatoes and an bowl of chips. The steak was so tender that you didn't need a steak knife. Definitely worthy of a 10/10. They also offer a nice selection of desserts but we were all too full to take advantage. The pub is also very attractive and comfortable and although it was quiet at 1.30 on a Monday, it certainly didn't lack atmosphere. A nice touch is a selection of books for sale to raise funds for charity. Will definitely be back for another visit soon.

Had a superb lunch while catching up with friends on a wet Monday lunchtime in early October. Excellent 6X and a great menu with certain dishes recommended by the landlord. Three of us took up one of his recommendations of the Thai Curry. The choices were fish or chicken and I have to personally say that the Fish Curry was excellent. Nicely spiced and served on basmati rice with a naan bread. Portion sizes were great. The other choice made was the rib-eye steak served on a bed of mushrooms with vine tomatoes and an bowl of chips. The steak was so tender that you didn't need a steak knife. Definitely worthy of a 10/10. They also offer a nice selection of desserts but we were all too full to take advantage. The pub is also very attractive and comfortable and although it was quiet at 1.30 on a Monday, it certainly didn't lack atmosphere. A nice touch is a selection of books for sale to raise funds for charity. Will definitely be back for another visit soon.

It was Monday, so very quiet. Three curries and a stake. All very nice and washed down with Wadworth 6X. Comfy, clean and friendly. Nice facilities and good car park. Ideal place to finish a walk.

A lively welcoming pub. Great quality beer. 11/10. Will return for food.

We have had two meals here, one evening and one Sunday roast, both were excellent and very tasty. Such a warm welcome, very friendly also wheelchair accessible, I would highly recommend it. They are also open on a Monday when most other places are closed 🤩

First visit and will be coming back , did not have a booking for Sunday Lunch but greeted very warmly by a young lady , drinks were promptly served and checked if we were eating , explained we would like to but not booking and a pleasant reply I will sort you a table (such a pleasant change ), we were informed maybe a wait as kitchen busy which was a nice touch, the roast beef was excellent and home grown vegtables were lovely . The head/chef/manager was extremely busy but seemed very happy and was not only cooking the food but also delivering to the garden. It seemed that all the customers seemed happy with their food and we certainly were and full credit to the young lady working the bar who was professional & very happy.

Our much loved local. Great for sitting outside and with kids or happy, cosy atmosphere when it's cold out.

Great food, Friendly and helpful staff. I've stopped here several times now and definitely recommend!

Booked in for a business lunch with clients. The food was really excellent, especially the homemade ice cream! Friendly atmosphere too.

So lucky to have this fantastic pub on our doorstep! Always have an excellent meal, great drinks and wonderful friendly staff. Good vegetarian options (delicious risotto), save room for dessert! Our dog loves it here too! So worth the 5 minute drive from Marlborough. Parking available.

Fabulous pub with amazing food and equally as amazing staff. Always feel welcome here. I highly recommend the beignets they are insanely good.

Cosy atmosphere, very dog friendly! Good good, decent portion sizes and reasonably priced. The staff are very friendly and welcoming.

Food delicious and welcome good until one of the kitchen staff listened in to our private conversation and made very nasty comments about us. We were very uncomfortable. We won't be back!

Lovely quirky village pub with loads of character. Great menu and good variety of drinks available. Ideally located for trips to Avebury, Lockeridge Dene & West Woods.

Came here for a family gathering for Sunday lunch. Interesting selection of beers on offer, good atmosphere, great service. Only minor complaints would be that portion sizes were a bit small and there was too much sauce on the pork.

Great food, great beer, great people!

Friendly welcome from everyone made to feel totally at home. Had the roast beef and it was delicious and would definitely go back and try more of the menu

Very old world, first class service and made very welcome

Fantastic food and great service will be going back again soon.

Excellent lunch. Six of us stopped by and had a great time. Good food and beers. I'd thoroughly recommend....

One of the best pub gardens in the area and extremely friendly service

Biker & Dog friendly. Great service too.

Lovely pub. Good food. Pleasant staff

A treat , great service by happy cheerful staff. We had roast beef as it was sunday , lovely yorkshire puds with it. This is a lovely good ole honest pub with a good menu. We shall return. 👍👍🍻

Lovely find we happened to stumble upon this pub on our ventures in the local area. Food was perfect, will return, thank you for having us.

Absolutely fantastic country pub. The food is REALLY good. We went for the Sunday roast; one pork, one beef, both were excellent. So often pub roasts are a let down but we were very impressed: really well cooked meat, proper roast potatoes, even the crackling was perfect. Puddings were outstanding. Incredibly friendly atmosphere, staff could not have been more lovely or helpful. One of the bar staff even gave my wife a lift to pick up my daughter as our car had broken down - true story! The perfect Wiltshire country pub, am recommending to everyone.

Absolutely fantastic country pub. The food is REALLY good. We went for the Sunday roast; one pork, one beef, both were excellent. So often pub roasts are a let down but we were very impressed: really well cooked meat, proper roast potatoes, even the crackling was perfect. Incredibly friendly atmosphere, staff could not have been more lovely or helpful. One of the bar staff even gave my wife a lift to pick up my daughter as our car had broken down - true story! Would give six stars if I could.

Just had lunch here on a quiet Saturday afternoon. We were made to feel very welcome right from when we walked in. The food really nice and was great value for money (Apparently the bread is made on the premises for the sandwiches). We will definitely be back to try the evening menu. Highly recommended. I can now say we've been back and the evening menu was just as nice and again really good value. Well worth a visit

Excellent place for a meal and very friendly staff!

Fantastic locally resourced food with TASTE. And a great story behind the name of the pub.

Absolutely love this pub! We’d not visited since the most recent change in management, kicking ourselves now! The roast dinners are absolutely incredible, good size portions and a great choice of desserts (if you can fit one in!). We’ll be back asap! Highly recommend!

Friendly village pub. Wadsworth beers, good size tidy garden.

Really nice place for a lunch in a lovely old pub. Food was great and prepared with care. Would definitely stop again off in the area.

Great find. Fabulous village pub. Great food, service, and friendly helpful staff.

Wow. So lucky to find this place for Friday lunch. Good beer and great food. And everyone really friendly. Unbelievable gravy. Only two tables left at 12:15, so may be a good idea to book ahead. And did I mention the gravy?

Our group was made to feel very welcome with a smile and a chat as we settled in. There was something on the menu for us all, the meat eaters, vegans and vegetarians as well as for the children. The portions were hot, delicious and large and served with great attentiveness. We visited in August 2021 - now the place deserves five stars.

Really excellent food, great hosts, 100% recommend!

Went here for dinner last weekend. Absolutely superb! Friendly staff and we overheard them explaining how pretty much everything on the menu was made in house (including the ice cream) and you could tell! So tasty! If I'm ever sailing along the A4 again, I'll be sure to pop in again!

First visit last night, tasty home made food and well kept beer. Landlord pleasantly chatty and engaging. It’s worth considering calling ahead/booking if eating as everything is fresh.

Great pub, great staff, even better beer and food

Great food , great atmosphere. I would highly recommend

Always a friendly country welcome, great beer and lovely food to suit

Excellent drink, unsurpassable food, and a welcome of the highest quality. It's a beautiful pub in a lovely setting. We'll definitely be back.

went for a Sunday roast and will be returning. The roast sirloin of beef was perfectly cooked, pink in the middle, tender and tasty. The roast comes with 2 large Yorkshire puddings and loads of gravy, the roast potatoes were crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

What a great find :-) Emailed Ian at The Who'd Thought It to question if a booking was necessary or not for a Saturday night as we were camping in the area. The reply was honest and genuine in that they could be busy and that he'd booked me in for the Saturday. Brilliant. Unfortunately due to partners work commitments I had to short notice change the booking to Friday............Ian was accommodating and we had a table for 1800 this Friday. I'm so glad that we got in as the reception from Ian and his team was really friendly and personal. The real ale that I had was perfect which set the standard for our dinner. The ambience of the Inn was friendly, chatty accompanying the roaring log fire well and made for a pleasant evening. The Food was simply top of the game with good large portions, we had Roasted pepper and tomato soup, Brace of Eggs Ham and chips and Pulled pork and apple pie with roasted vegetable and mash. We rolled out of the inn completely stuffed. Ian wasn't kidding when he said that they can be busy the place was packed and I now know why it was so popular. Please please make a booking and visit this 'quaint" country Inn as you'll enjoy the company of great staff and food.

A small but perfectly formed pub with the required range of ales and lagers, burgers and delicious things (home made ice cream) and charmingly eccentric and pedantic landlord. Good child's play area, reasonable prices and clean loos. Warning, car park is smallish and tables by the door are tall and leave your feet dangling (although you are near the open fire...) Great place, heartily recommend.

Went for Sunday lunch with my husband, we had the beef, served on a bed of root vegetables. Not sure what the magic ingredient is in their gravy but it's very tasty! A lovely atmosphere.

Went for Sunday lunch with my husband, we had the beef, served on a bed of root vegetables. Not sure what the magic ingredient is in their gravy but it's very tasty! A lovely atmosphere.

Lovely Sunday lunch They kindly fitted us in at very short notice and we were so pleased they did. The atmosphere was warm and friendly and the owner made us very welcome. The food was really good and freshly cooked, very nice Sunday lunch and a good pint of ale followed by delicious desserts. Was well worth the trip and a great fund as the local place we had booked had closed down ( we didn’t know until we arrived there !) so thank you for your hospitality at the who’s have thought it ! Lovely pub 100% recommend

Unexpected Sunday lunch as the place we had booked had closed. They kindly fitted us in and we had a fantastic Sunday lunch. Lovely friendly staff and atmosphere with great food. Thank you. Well worth a visit.

Lovely cozy pub, great meat and vegan options, good wine too. Has lovely soup of the day and steak do the week, portions and quality of food is great. Staff friendly, exactly what a pub should be! Couldn’t recommend enough.

Good food, helpful staff, good beer and open fires. Great atmosphere.

Really lovely Sunday. Excellent food all round, great service, friendly and hospitable all round. Exceptionally clean and well presented and great with the kids. Would highly recommend a visit.

My husband and I turned up with our 10 year old dog and could not fault either the service or the food… my husband chose the pork belly (apparently it melts in your mouth) which was served with black pudding bonbons and veg… the black pudding bonbons were delicious! I chose the BBQ pulled pork pie which came with mash & roasted veg. The pie was delicious and the roasted veg still had a bite to them, which I loved… I barely touched the mash but that was only because I couldn’t fit it all in! Beer was delightful (thoroughly recommend the Wadsworth 6X) and the dog even snoozed in front of the fire. We could not recommend this pub highly enough.