White Horse Inn in Rutland

Early evening meal, met by a friendly but chaotic atmosphere, having booked a table to be told sit where you want good Italian menu covering all the usual fare.Service was slow from getting our drinks to taking the food orders.Plus food when arrived was really good full of Italian flavours.We never got to sample the deserts as we gave up waiting which was a shame as I’m sure they’d have been wonderful.Would have like to rate you higher sad can’t

Well what a fine stopped of on our way back from the gates garden centre it's been incredibly hard to make yourself sit outside in this weather but thinking of the people that are trying to keep there business going service with a smile what ever the weather we decided we were going for it had a sharing antipasti was amazing would of feed 4 people tgem shared a mixed grill totally fabulous the meat was so tasty and tender and I was advised by the guy serving us apologies as didn't get his name o only do sweet Rose wine but he got me to try what they were serving an south African Rose wine and it was fabulous all in all this is only the third meal that we have had outside in May but we can't thank them enough normal as normal could be roll on tomorrow of these guys to get back to some form of normality well done will be back

We stopped by on our way back to Stamford for a drink on a beautiful sunny afternoon. When we saw the couple at the next table eating pizza it was too much to resist. We ordered the Diavola to share which was delicious and washed down with a refreshing cider. Staff were friendly, service was good and the table in the beer garden was great. We’ll be back!

A friend told me they'd had great lockdown pizzas from the Whitehorse in February so sounded really promising bearing in mind we've gotten bored of other take out meals over the weeks.We planned to get food last night (Saturday 20 Feb). Earlier in the day the restaurant was showing as pre order for food but we waited until the evening. When we went to order it was shown as no orders possible. No worries, we had something else.Fast forward 24 hours. I ordered food for our family mid afternoon today. 15 minutes before the delivery should have arrived, I get a text saying the order has been cancelled. That's it. So now, having looked forward to a lovely meal for 4 there is nothing and I will have to order elsewhere or cook. Shocking and will not bother ever again. Restaurants need all the support they can get but it seems this one can pick or choose. Big mistake.

Pleased to see this place open again. Great selection of Italian classics. Very welcoming service and food was great quality. Highly recommended.

Called in just for a drink today and perused the new main menu full of tasty sounding Italian dishes. They were also doing a traditional Sunday lunch which was posit. Friendly staff too. I will be back to try the food very soon. The newly improved decor is a great improvement on what existed before.

Please note this Hotel and Restaurant closed Jan 2020, and it is understood has gone into administration. The Uncertain if it will re-open.

Had a decent roast turkey lunch with the trimmings, just before Christmas. Quite tasty. Service was prompt. Would return.

Went to the White Horse for Sunday lunch on our way back to London from Scotland by default as we could not find a parking space in Stamford to go where we had booked and gave up after 20 minutes circling unsuccessfully. Perhaps our judgement was a little colored by our annoyance but found the White Horse to be a very poor substitute. The service was pleasant but the food disappointing, our starter of white bait was the usual frozen packet pub serving and the two roasts, one slice each , pork, no crackling, and beef, were only marginally present being submerged by vegetables. The Yorkshire puddings which one would expect to be produced in house on a Sunday were dry, virtually inedible and probably also cooked from frozen.On the plus side parking was plentiful and the price whilst high for what we received , not unreasonable for what we expected to get.Would not recommend.

stopped by to see if we could dine, but not open? the sign on the door says bar open but not restaurant but it wasnt could have dined but no options? cant rate any higher which is a shame as it looked a nice place!

Whilst choosing from the menu in advance, I politely pointed out by e-mail to them that hard Italian cheese is rarely vegetarian. I had a snippy response saying that some vegetarians don't mind eating animal products so long as it isn't actually meat. NOT any vegetarians that I know!! They also said that if I wasn't happy that I could always cancel (which I thought was a bit of a overreaction, I couldn't anyway because it was a large group booking). They said that their Italian cheese is vegetarian, which I feel that I cannot trust as, after the event, upon discussing the issue with a vegan who was also in our party, informed me that their meal was not strictly vegan.

We booked a table for four last week and have to say that the roast beef was to die for, it melted in your mouth. The staff were friendly and efficient and we were made welcome, good value.

We'd been to Rutland Water and called for Sunday lunch. We sat in the little garden because it was a lovely day and we had the dogs with us. It was ok, but the tables needed some TLC. We ordered drinks and asked for a menu, but were told they only do sandwiches outside! We stayed but only because we had already got drinks. The sandwiches were basic and my bread was a little dry on the edge, but sweet potato fries were good. The pub looked lovely inside but on a nice day you want to take advantage of the weather, so such a shame about the limited menu.

This has been done up since we were last here and the decor and food is definitely improved. All my family liked their food. The service was a little slow, but in general OK (I think some new staff). Good place for lunch.

Lovely pub, very pleasant and helpful staff, good decor and generally welcoming. The food menu was limited (a good thing in my opinion - better to have a small menu of great individual meals than a vast range of microwave specials!). My choice of smoked haddock was not available tonight, so I opted for the shoulder of lamb - and wished I hadn't The smaller portion was beautifully presented with a variety of vegetables forming a 'bed' for the meat, and a potato 'brick' to one side and the roll of lamb on top of the veg. The meal was only warm, and I found the meat was tough, sinewy, still very red and difficult to cut or chew. It also lacked flavour and was hard to tell it was lamb. I left most of it and just ate the rest (which tasted very nice!). My dessert was a very dry 'custard sponge' with a scoop on nice lemon sorbet to the side - on a hot plate! I left feeling hungry and very disappointed. It was not good value for money.

We escaped from the crowds at Rutland Water, on a sweltering hot day, to the peaceful cool of lunch at The White Horse. A reasonable range of beers but we opted for a cold Thatchers cider. A varied menu and we both chose a fish dish. Both fishes (a rainbow trout and properly smoked hake) were very good and well cooked. We could not fault the cheerful helpful service, the food, the drink nor anything else.

This pub is in a wonderful location just off Rutland Water. The food is top quality at a reasonable price. Great local Real Ale to wash it all down! Much recommended!

Fabulous food. Very good service. Some unusual dishes on the menu. Ambience: a little dated and tired. Large car park.

Roast beef was cooked to perfection and melted in our mouths. It was better than places that charged twice as much.

We stayed for one night over the busy bank holiday weekend and were very impressed by the White Horse.

Went here for lunch, not planned, just seen in passing. Four adults and 3 dogs, we could sit inside in the bar area. We had wanted to sit outside but they don’t serve food outside. So we sat inside and had the most amazing lunch. We had roast beef, roast lamb and a fish pie in our party. All really tasty, plenty of it and served by friendly staff. We asked where was good to walk dogs nearby (not Rutland Water as it doesn’t allow dogs off lead) . The Landlord (?) was so helpful and even drew us a map to direct us! Above and beyond. Would definitely visit again.

If you long wait for your food and high prices this is the place for you .staff were cheerful enough but so slow at serving all our food .drinks were ok puddings very lacking and the rhubarb and custard cake terrible .I will not be back again .

We have eaten here on several occasions and can honestly say that the food has never disappointed. The fish and chips have to be the best in Rutland, if not further afield. However, on this occasion, it was the Bubble and Squeak Fritter and Poached Egg in Mustard Sauce which stole the show for me - fantastic.

Friendly happy staff and beautifully presented plates of home cooked fresh food brings the white horse to stand out as a real up and coming gem in rutland, pub classics and more adventurous dishes gives something everyone can enjoy, talented and creative team in the kitchen who obviously really care about the food that goes out and the most amazing cucumber sorbet with a tomato salad...perfect and refreshing for a warm spring evening.

We had lunch yesterday having booked a table. The food was on the whole ok but for the price we expected, and didn't get, a big bowl of fresh vegetables. Even without a separate bowl of vegetables to share we expected more vegetables on our plates. Mainly the vegetables were not visible. The staff were very friendly, the service a bit slow and the food over priced compared to what we are used to.

We stopped here for lunch on regular family visit journey. Although website said not open monday it was. Without a lie it was the best pub lunch in a long time. I had the slow cooked shoulder of lamb with sweetbread and my husband had the chicken breast with risotto. Although it took a while to arrive it was well worth the wait. Would definitely go here again and regret that in 30 years of doing this journey we havent tried The White Horse before

Went to the White Horse in each of the last three months.

First visit for a long time but decided to book for Sunday lunch. What a mistake. Both roast pork and roast beef were practically inedible and tough, although desserts were ok. Yorkshire puds were done to death and vegetables too al dente. Such a disappointment and will avoid in the future.

Fish and Chips were frozen. Pork belly was hardly cooked and cringe-worthy. One of these pubs that somehow has a high rating (bribery ?) but doesn't make any effort.

This use to be such a nice country pub serving good honest food.

Food was absolutely brilliant. We all had fantastic lunch. Particularly recommend the fish pie and the pork belly. The deserts were lovely too. Panacotta and the rhubarb and custard donut (what an ace idea) were excellent. Well done the White Horse! Pub food as it should be.

I stopped off at The White Horse on the way back from an appointment in Oakham. It was an unbelievably warm day for February and a spot of al fresco lunch was very appealing.

Saturday lunch for 6 adults and a toddler. Really good fixed price two course menu for £15 available during February. Very nice food and good service. Good friendly pub environment. Recommended.

Stayed for a night here and were too tired after a long day to go anywhere other than the bar, what a stroke of luck this was. Glad we booked a table a couple of hours in advance as the place was heavy with walk-ins! Massive portion of tasty fish and chips and a truly beautiful belly pork dish with wonderful sage and onion hash browns..... wow, sometimes you get lucky!

With a family of four we booked and were made welcome from the minute we walked through the door. The table by the wood burner was intimate and cosy, albeit a little close to the next table which made getting in and out a little difficult.

I was a bit worried about what type of food we would get as there have been some mixed reviews on this site. I expect the food I eat out to be equal or better than I can cook myself at home and the current menu on the website has clearly not been updated since the change of ownership or chef. I must say I was pleasantly surprised! The menu is interesting and the flavour combinations are excellent. The waitresses were efficient and friendly. We walked from our village on a cold night to the pub with friends and had a table for 4 by the log burner. It was a lovely really relaxed evening with great food and good wine. I can’t wait to go back to try some of the other dishes on the menu.

Met a friend here for a sandwich lunch after seeing a good menu on the website. The menu was out of date and only a choice of 4 sandwiches with fries (which I didnt want!) for £10 each. Choice of brown or white slices, no butter/spread. Salad garnish. Disappointing.

Excellent meal, great service and very comfy. From the moment we arrived nothing was too much trouble

We met our friends for lunch, each couple had driven 60 miles to be here. This is not the first time we had met up here and as usual the atmosphere was good and the food was lovely. We had a very friendly welcome and great, efficient service.

We were recommended to go to this place and were greeted by a friendly helpful waitress who showed us to a table where we ordered two drinks one a bacardi with a BOTTLE of coke and beer Bacardi arrived three quarters full with two tiny pieces of ice and gun dispensed coke. When waitress explained no bottles of coke I accepted this and ordered food which took some 25 to 35 mins to arrive one meal was hot and the other was cold. The vegetable dish arrived 10 to 15 mins later and was cold and eventually returned still cold.had to be sent back again as well as one cold meal which was replaced and was then fine. We asked for a coffee and one drambuie which came together in the coffee cup without milk I asked for it to be taken back by the waitress and have it separately and happened to look over to the bar where the barmaid threw her hands up in the air and flounced out of the bar in a temper throwing what I thought to be our bill in the air. When I went to speak to her about this and to ask for ice in my drink she ignored me and served other customers and so I spoke to a gentleman who I thought was the proprietor of the hotel who promptly told me not to try to discipline his staff . I was completely shocked and disgusted by his aggressive and inappropriate behaviour and finally when approached the the owner was informed that he was not the owner but her husband. I have to say that we were not charged for this meal and offered to pay for the drinks we had but could not get out of the horrendous atmosphere any quicker than we did and would not hesitate to disrecommend this awful place to any passer by.

My boyfriend and I were staying locally for two nights and after a Google search decided to come here for dinner.

Have you been here lately? If not you really should go. Fabulous duck beautifully cooked and presented and a wonderfully warm welcome last night. Well be back!

We decided to stop off at the White Horse Inn after a shopping trip to a nearby town we only intended to have a light lunch and a drink and then continue with our journey. I had visited the pub in the past but not for some considerable time. I remembered it as being an extremely lively pub full of customers and atmosphere. Alas not on this visit, the pub had no one at the bar and only three couples having lunch. We decided against a cooked lunch being put off by the very strong smell of burnt chip fat? coming from the kitchen. We chose instead salmon baguettes which were an acceptable alternative to a cooked lunch. We only drank soft drinks. We left after our lunch the pub then apart from staff was empty. The white Horse commands a prominent position in the village it needs to improve its ambience before it can hope to regain it's past successes.

Evening meal was delicious. Staff were very friendly. Breakfast was lovely too. Would definitely recommend!

We booked in here for a short stay. On arriving a few minutes after the earliest check in time we were informed that our room was not yet available. A very nice lady offered us tea which we gratefully accepted, so far so good. We said that we wanted lunch so the lady behind the bar said go to the restaurant and they will get you a table as we will not get busy until between 1pm and 2pm. When we walked across the bar to the restaurant we were met by a less than helpful lady who's vocabulary seamed to be reduced to grunts when we said that we had not booked but the bar had said that we could get a table. On being seated we waited..........and waited.............and waited eventually we were asked for our order, we both ordered a roast dinner, my wife beef and pork for myself, again we waited.........and waited..........and waited. Eventually we were served frozen roast potatoes, cold flavourless meat and average trimmings. If I have had a worse roast dinner I can't remember when! for pudding (you only get the choice of two or three courses) I had a very poor chocolate mouse and my wife had a parfait that was so frozen it could have been used as a house brick!

Called here on the way through Rutland for a quick lunch. Although very busy for a Friday the food came surprisingly quick. The bar/restaurant had different rooms so Gould accommodate a lot of people. Very good lunch

We were allocated the Oakham room, a nice spacious bright clean room.

Stopped for lunch - typical pub menu with some interesting specials. We had the trout, new potatoes and salad, roasted gnocchi and a cheese salad sandwich Together with three non alcoholic drinks we spent £37. 56 so a reasonable amount for very very average food. The decor is okay, not outrageously gorgeous and if I was in charge, I would make more effort with the pub garden and the flower beds to the front. I think you can always judge a place on attention to detail, so there is a dog bowl near the front door but no water in it (on a hot day, and dogs are welcome) and no water in the water barrel next to it! The server who brought the food out was jolly and lovely but the girls in the restaurant looked a bit fed up to us.

We called here on spec as wanted to eat early. Lovely pub, great location and very friendly staff. I had a chicken on skewer dish, with new potatoes and salad. Can highly recommend and would go back again

Comida tipicamente inglesa, com boa carta de Ales para acompanhar. Atendimento simpático, e preços justos.

We were staying here overnight and decided to eat our evening meal here.

A pleasant meal in a pleasant inn in a pleasant village! We both enjoyed trout fillets, salad and new potatoes.

Four of us visited after a day trip at near by Rutland water aqua park. The decor is nice and cosy while still feeling quite modern. There was some outside seating available. We ordered steak and ale pie, cod and chips and burgers. Was very impressed with the steak and ale pie which didn't skimp in good quality meat and gravy. The burgers were good to although the accompanying coleslaw wasn't anything special (all our dishes around £13). They also offered a lunch menu. The service was fine but drinks seemed a little pricey with a pint of off the rap coke@£3.20.

We ordered beer battered fish,it was discusting could not eat it batter think and tasted flowery luke warm,everything was terrible,won't be going there again.

Called in for a lunchtime bite, ordered the Ploughman’s. In my opinion that was the worst one I’ve ever had put in front of me. The apple slices looked as if they had been sliced the day before and had gone brown, one slice of brown bread when I always expect a Ploughman’s to be served with crusty roll or baguette. No tomato in the salad leaf salad and horrible soggy pickled onion. Extremely poor value for money and I pity any Ploughman who had to experience such awful food. Never again I will take my £9.95 elsewhere. I do not recommend you eat here until they can improve or change the chef.

We arrived without a booking on late on a busy Sun afternoon and were given a table by very friendly staff. The Sun lunch menu was good; various roast options plus fish and vegetarian with a good range of starters. After our starters and very tasty, good quality roast beef with a an excellent selection of vegetables, we were too full to have a pudding although the choices on offer did look tempting. We'd certainly visit again if in the area.

Good place to stop en route to Stamford. Good ambiance. Reasonable menu. I had ploughman’s which was a bit ordinary but what more should I expect. I think with a little creativity it could be great.

We met some friends and booked for Sunday lunch on Easter Sunday. The restaurant has a lovely atmosphere with tables not too close so you feel you have your own space even when it’s busy.

We enjoyed a tasty lunch on a snowy day. The pub was warm and welcoming. We were the only customers due to the weather and sat by the log burning stove. It made the bar very cosy.

Now to be fair we stayed at the end of the Beast from the East. The car park was treacherous. Things were amiss due to the filthy weather. The welcome was as warm as the weather was cold. This hostelry is under new management. A work in progress. Had we been staying a few months later this would probably be a 5 star rating. Well placed near Rutland Water. The breakfast was excellent. What more could we want? Decent weather! And that was hardly the fault of the White Horse.

Visited the White Horse a few times now and we just love the place...a true village pub at its best with great staff and great food... we just liove It!

Stopped at White Horse on way back to our lodge at Barnsdale Country Club, not very busy but it was still quite early. the service was good and the Steak and Ale Pie was very good, whilst we were there the pub started to fill and there was a warm feeling to the place complimented by an open fire. We asked the waitress about the famous Normanton Church which was quite close and that we intended to visit. The meal was good, the atmosphere pleasant and we spent an enjoyable hour or so.

We dropped into this lovely picturesque inn for lunch. It was quite busy considering it was a Monday.

A lovely pub with good friendly and attentive staff being a family run pub . there is a lovely big woodburner in the middle of the dinning room.Wewent there twice because we enjoyed the food so much .

Again after a good walk from out hotel, The Normanton Park, we enjoyed a lovely lunch, complemented by some lovely ale. This was preceded by the trust shown to us by Charlotte who when we had finish our morning drinks there said she would add them to our bill when we had our booked lunch.

We went in after a walk recently and as it is near Rutland Water we thought they would be used to people coming in wearing walking/biking gear. Obviously not! I was greeted by “how can we help you today?” before I’d managed to shut the door (well it’s a pub, what do you think we’re here for?!) by a waitress standing right inside the door, as if she was there to stop us walking too far into the bar, and we were quickly shown through to an empty room. To be fair the girl who served us was polite but it felt like we were unwelcome and I even got a bit of a strange look when I asked to pay! After a while another party were seated in the room we were in and after listening to them questioning the waitress for a good five minutes about the quality of the soda water we realised what sort of place it is and left..........I’d give it a miss if you aren’t dressed in your best outfit unless you like 17 year old staff who aren’t exactly posh themselves looking down on you!

We drove passed and the outside looked lovely so called and arrange to have Sunday lunch, we were allowed to take the dog in, the room they use for the dogs was lovely, ( not just put in the corner like most pubs) nice sofa together with an open fire, felt really cosy, ordered the roast beef, came with plenty of vegetables, we even made just enough room for a sweet, fantastic food, good value for money, if we are in the area again would go back without any hesitation,

This is our local village pub, and after several excellent evening meals we decided to go with family for Sunday lunch. There was a good choice of 3 roasts, a fish dish, a vegetarian dish, a pie dish, as well as several good starter options and puddings. All beautifully prepared, served hot and couldn't fault anything - a great option to a homemade Sunday lunch. The fire was very welcoming, the service also very good. Awaiting a fuller wine menu! Thank you.

The food at lunch time was really lovely and well presented. We couldn't fault anything.

We had lunch here today and I feel that I would like to write a review to tonight. The food was excellent, my husband had the smoked haddock and salmon roulade, on the ‘specials’ board, which he said was fabulous and I had the butternut squash risotto, which was very tasty.

Just visited the White Horse in Empingham for Sunday lunch. We had a large plate of beef, roast potatoes and a Yorkshire plus selection of vegetables. For dessert, I had the chocolate nemesis and my husband had a cheese board.

We ate at the White Horse in November 2017, the pub has recently changed hands and being our local pub we had hopes that this would mean a change for the better! We were not disappointed. It was a cold evening, but the pub was warm and comfortable - would have been nice to have seen the fire burning though - and the food was very good pub food. The chef has only been there a couple of weeks, and I am sure things will improve even more. We were very happy with our meal, and the limited wine list was well priced too. Under the previous management, the pub only seemed interested in tourists but hopefully locals will be looked after now! Many thanks. We will be back very soon.

New owners only took over about 4 weeks ago and what a transformation. A very warm welcome from Gail and Geoff. A new chef arrived this week and so we booked for Saturday dinner. My wife chose mussels in a thai broth - superb and I had a steak and ale pie, home made and both were delicious. The starters and the puddings were equally good. We had a long chat with the chef who seems very experienced and is keen to make use of local produce where possible.

We have visited White Horse twice since the new owners took over and have enjoyed the lovely warm atmosphere on both occasions. Our first visit ( 5 of us) was the day after the new owners took over and we received a very warm welcome from the friendly, helpful staff. There was a varied menu and the food was beautifully cooked and presented. One of our group had special dietary needs and the chef produced a meal ‘on the spot’ as it were. We all agreed that the food was excellent. Our second visit was just for two of us and we experienced the same enjoyable atmosphere and delicious food as we had on the first occasion. We shall definitely return.

We returned here having had great meals last few times to find the restaurant closed. We'd booked a room for the night and we were not warned despite owners obviously knowing ahead of time there would be no chef. There was not even the offer of bar snacks or sandwiches ... We had beer and crisps in a cold bar. The room was very strange: very small bed, enormous wardrobe with no hangers, no chairs and no internet. Also the bathroom was very old fashioned with no shower. We kept being told they were new owners and would soon have chef and Internet but that's not much help and actually rather annoying! The breakfast was the highlight: cooked and served by a very friendly efficient lady.

Five of us had the Bacon and Cheese burger.Five of us had perhaps the driest patty of meat humanly possible.The cheese had melted on top to the point it seeped into the formed crevasse on the dried out burger. Unseasoned, unhappy.

Visited last week for lunch. Was told that we would be able to have soup and it would take about 15 mins to be served. After 90 mins we were still waiting. After asking a member of staff ( under new management) it arrived shortly afterwards. It was Apple and celery. It contained apple cores, skins and the stringy parts of celery. There was no bread but we were later served half a slice of bread with no butter. Hopefully both the food and service will improve. It cost £5 each.

Called in for sunday lunch after a day walking, beef was to die for and the new hosts were full of personality and hospitality will be back to taste their new menu. Off to a great start

We went back, as we said we would and again was excellent. I had roast beef and was asked if I wanted the meat rare or well done, this was a first!! Nothing else to say, just excellent food, staff and ambience.

We treated our friends to dinner and regretfully decided on the White Horse. Delightful building, waited to be served, waited to place order. One choice was unavailable. The menu that we saw on line, the reason for booking, was not available but still showing on line when we checked at home. Two of the party did not want anything on the offered menu so had to make do with a starter as main course for which we were charged main corse prices. When it eventually came it was cold and our partners had started their dinner so we said nothing. There was little to recommend this inn. There were other difficulties and eventually the sous chef came and apologised, as he did to another table of 4. The chef had gone home. We appreciated his effort to smooth things over but it was too late for that.

It was busy so we bought some drinks and took them to the beer garden- piles of doggy poo meant a move inside. Once the rest of the party arrived we were told the coffee machine was broken and that they were so busy they were not taking anymore orders!We settled for tea and crisps but wont be rushing back!

Younger members of staff would benefit from training. Sitting waiting for our first course we were surprised to hear the fire alarm. We sat at our table for a good 3-4 mins with the alarm sounding before staff came around and asked all personnel to evacuate. Remaining calm we assembled outside. We were told to come back in after about 5mins. Staff explained it had been a false alarm and they were discovering how to turn off the alarm. Full marks to the chef - our food was very good - however perhaps due to the alarm our salad appeared to have been left unwashed. Some diners had to leave their meals during the alarm and return to them cold/er....I wouldn't have been very happy.

Were meeting some old friends here, so booked a table and was assured that it was a dog friendly pub. Got there and it was vibrant, good natured pre-wedding drinkers outside so pretty busy. Went in but weren't allowed to take the dog into the main area but shown into the bar area. That was OK but deserted, and it took a good ten minutes for someone to come in with menus. And that was the problem really, service was slow, staff coming in and asking if we'd ordered and then being forgotten. Ordered a second pint and it didn't turn up for 20 minutes and then only after 2 trips to the bar to enquire where the drinks were - luckily we weren't in a hurry. I accept that it was busy because of the wedding party but they left halfway through our visit. Food was OK, nothing to get excited about, the fish was fresh enough but chips were soggy.Shame really for a pub in such a prime position.

On a long car ride from London with my parents, Melton Mowbray was just too far for my mother to cope with not having a "proper meal", so we stopped in here, The White Horse. Both the girl on the bar and the girl waiting tables seemed less than thrilled to be there, certainly to start with. And although the waitress brought over some kitchen towels and a few extra serviettes after I spilled my Coke over the table after our food order had been taken, the soggy serviettes stayed on the table for the duration of our visit.The food was really lovely, though. My starter portion of Chicken Caesar salad kept revealing more chicken under the salad leaves, and it was certainly a big enough portion for me as a main meal. The fish and chips mother had, and gammon and chips father ordered, were both commented on for their tastiness, however both parents found the garden peas a little too al dente for their tastes.The prices were reasonable and the male waiter/bartender was much more 'on the ball', being very pleasant and noticing the steak knife he handed my dad had water spots on and immediately swapped it for a clean one. We had the waitress smiling and chatting politely for a bit when discussing the centre pieces. Yes the flowers are real, she had picked them herself, and yes my mother remembered the name of the plant too!The music wasn't too loud and my mum very much liked that the music was from her era -> two major plus points when it comes to dining with my picky mum and nearly deaf dad at unknown establishments!All in all, a very nice meal, building and location, though I think the staff could do with a pep talk to boost their energy and positivity :)https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g1645211-d626089-r519470422-The_White_Horse_Inn-Empingham_Rutland_England.html#

Went here with my partner and another couple after being at Rutland Water's Aquapark. It was very easy to find gluten free options as the waitress gave me a menu with GF written next the options. I had a large Caesar salad with chunky chips, which was really tasty. The three others also enjoyed their meals. A lovely place to sit outside on a sunny summers afternoon.

We try to visit this establishment whenever we visit this area. On this occasion wee were not disappointed either. The service was warm, friendly and efficient and the food was excellent. It is a jewel in the crown of Rutland Water area.

We often use this inn as a meeting place, situated as it is midway between our house and that of long-time friends. I booked a table for 1st August though on arrival it was not necessary as the place did not start to fill for another 30 minutes. The White Horse is a typical village pub, with a large car park, plenty of tables both inside and out, horsey wallpaper, farm-animal cushions and brassware on the walls. We were advised at the table of items that were not available on this occasion (including my favourite Ploughman's) but that just gave me the opportunity to try something else on the not too large menu.Plenty of choice of regular and local beers, and wines for the ladies at less than £4 for 175ml made for a good start. My wife's scampi went down well as did the penne arrabiata for the other lady in the party. My wife is fussy about chips but said that hers were the best she had had for many a day. Both of us men went for the meat pie of the day - always a risky choice in a pub but we knew this one well enough and the pies, big chunky chips, garden peas and a jug of gravy for each of us were delicious and finished to the very last pea. I especially have to commend the two young ladies of the staff - the only ones we saw - who seemed to have no problems dealing efficiently both with the bar and the increase of customers at the tables as time went by.The toilets were clean, fresh and breezy but while I looked for the displayed verdict of the council inspectors I could not find one. Maybe they had not yet caught up with the latest change of management - I shall look again next time. Overall verdict - a typical and excellent English, or rather Rutland, pub, and we will certainly be meeting up here again.

We stayed here for 2 nights and it was fine, I must admit after reading some of the recent reviews I was a little apprehensive, but need not of worried, the staff were friendly and welcoming, the rooms were fine, we had 2 different rooms and preferred one over the over, but no complaints with either, they were clean and comfortable. We ate in the restaurant on one occasion and the food was very good, once again with friendly and efficient service, breakfasts were very nice and with a good choice on offer.

So we pre-booked our table and stated we never visited this establishment before. We were greeted and shown our table after ordering drinks. The barmen was lovely. The waitresses were friendly but clearly don't communicate effectively to each other as both thought the other person was taking our order. Despite us witnessing them discussing this prior. This meant 25 minutes later we went to the bar to ask if we could order. He came over and took our order. When our food arrived- hubby ordered pie n mash... The mash was flatter than a piece of toast but the pie was amazing. I had chicken in a basket. Again lovely but the homemade coleslaw was far to thick with mayo and it did not taste right. The mayo tasted like it was off or something maybe it had been left on the side too long. A table next to us, ordered the same meals and there mash was fine - looked like mash. My husband said his just tasted like cheese, like he got the scraps of what was left in the last pan. who knows. I tried to feed this back to them after our meals. (we didn't see much point in complaining as the kitchen was closing soon and to be honest they don't hang around enough for you to give your views properly. The deserts were lovely too but I wasn't wowed buy them like others had reviewed. Maybe i just got an off day and they ran out of brownies which seem to be the staple favourites by fellow eaters, so i couldn't try one. All in all i'd say service balanced out by the bar man against the waitresses lack of co-ordinating. They didn't seem to even think to apologise for the mix up. The barman did that. I might visit again to see if it was purely a hiccup but I won't be going any time soon, thats for sure. We debated going MacDonalds after the mash arrived... purely cus we very hungry. Thank god the Pie saved my husband from generating a mood or temper and my chicken was cooked to perfection. All in all if i had to say anything, it would be to retrain your waitresses, they seemed either far to occupied or relaxed. I realise its not a career but you are representing the business at the fore front and with the right communication skills you could do so much better.

We had Sunday lunch with my elderly father. The food was excellent, particularly enjoyed the dressed crab.Nice surroundings & excellent service from the polite & friendly staff. Will return again in the near future.

We arrived for our weekend at the White Horse on Thursday 13 July with dog and cycles in tow, to a friendly welcome. Lunch consisted of a delicious cheese and chutney sandwich, which I just managed and an enormous ploughmans which we shared with four friends! Portions are big here and all locally sourced. The location was a perfect base for our daily cycle rides and just a few minutes walk to Rutland Water for our friend who volunteered to mind the dogs.No complaints about the rooms which had everything we needed and were clean and comfortable. Our party were allocated a small dining room for the three nights for breakfast and dinner and the cheerful obliging staff looked after us well. Huge breakfasts kept us going all day and a good choice of food and wines in the evening. I was reliably informed that the local beers alone are worth the trip!The bar was comfortable and we were made to feel welcome by friendly locals inside and out. There is also a quieter beer garden where my friend and the dogs sat undisturbed for a sunny afternoon.Plenty of parking, cycle storage, dog friendly and good service. Already planning a return visit!

I find myself frankly astonished at some of the reviews criticising the White Horse. My wife and I took a chance on a Saturday to see if we could be fitted in for a meal, the young lady at the bar said there was a 15 minute wait in serving which posed no problem to us so a table was found. We both ordered and in due course the food appeared and it was excellent in both cases, the staff were both friendly and efficient and it appeared a popular eating place and from what I could make out everything appeared to be going smoothly and if everyone else's food was like ours there would be no cause for complaint. As it was a very pleasant evening a great many people were sitting outside having a drink and again from where I was sitting there was no problem with the range of beers being served. I certainly would have no problem in returning to the White Horse.

Went in 2 years ago, it was a really nice place, however it's gone downhill a lot, staff were polite but looked like they had come straight off a building site, the young man was very scruffy for a waiter, the food was actually ok, it was just very unorganised and scruffy. They can even take the money correctly, the bill should have been £98, however they only charged £65, we actually went back and told them they had undercharged, they did it again and said oh that's another £20 then please, when we got home we checked again, they still had left off 1 gammon meal and 1 coke. They won't last long doing that. They must survive on passing trade as I wouldn't go back if I were local, very poor all round

Stopped here for lunch as I remembered seeing it on a previous visit. The place wasn't very busy, so we were seated, given menus and the waitress took our drinks order. She came back with the drinks and took our order, and then decided to tell us that as the kitchen had had a 'rush' then our food would be a while! There were all of half a dozen other people in there and we really should have been told there would be a wait BEFORE we ordered our drinks so we could decide if we wanted to hang for sandwiches or go somewhere else. When the sandwiches finally arrived they were horrific doorstop things; there was no mention that they were going to be doorstops on the menu so that wasn't really a good start as we would have asked for the bread to be cut thinner as each slice was around 1"/3cm thick! While myself and my husband had a reasonable amount of filling (although mine had a reasonable amount as I'd ordered cheese in addition to the ham), the BLT that my sister had ordered had two tiny bits of bacon in it and absolutely load of salad and you couldn't even taste the bacon at all. When we mentioned this to the waitress she rudely said 'no one has ever complained before' and 'what do you expect from a BLT, most of the filling is made from salad which makes it as thick as the other fillings'. The did deduct it from the bill, which we didn't ask them to do so fair play there, but I really don't expect the staff to behave in such an unprofessional manner and we definitely won't be returning.

The sooner this pub changes hands, the better for all the long suffering locals. Its decline over the last 18 months has been appalling. There is a clear lack of management and the staff who are there seem to just be watching the clock until they go home. I visited tonight after a wonderful sunny weekend in the village with lots of events and it was dead. The bar was cleaned down and some of the staff sat around drinking wine (despite the tables outside having empty glasses on them) We had 1 drink and upon ordering a 2nd we were informed they were closed (7:40pm). You are lucky if they actually have beer in stock, one local was recently served 1/2 pint of line cleaning detergent and what should be a great village pub that welcomes many locals and visitors are turning people away on a sunny Sunday evening because basically they cannot be bothered. It is shocking that the brewery have let this pub decline to the extent it has. Hopefully someone can take over soon who actually wants to manage a pub environment with well priced food and drink so we can have a quality establishment to support a thriving village community.

Our friends and I arrived for lunch during a busy service. Despite the havoc of our kids and a barking dog the staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating. Tentative service, friendly atmosphere, amazing food. Definitely recommend and return!

Visited for lunch mid week, service was first rate as was the food. Good choice on lunch menu with plenty of variety. Great atmosphere in the pub and restaurant with friendly staff. we are going to use this venue for future reunions which will get bigger.

Came here for a reunion and as I was first to arrive was able to take everything in. Very impressed with the welcome and the attitude of the staff. When my two companions arrived they were made to feel just as welcome. Drinks very reasonably priced which can sometimes be a let down. The food was a good typical pub lunch with a good selection to choose from. Nothing too much trouble for the staff. I used to work in the industry and the standard was what I expected. We were not hurried and we the last to leave. Will come again

Stopped here for a drink on them way to Rutland Water decided to have a snack very expensive for sandwich very small and £6.95 probally cost no more than a £1 to produce!!!

Very nice food with good service all home cooked this pub/restaurant is very busy which meant we got a poor table by the door/book in advance for better seating it is busy because it is lovely