Winchester Royal Bar in Winchester

Stayed at Winchester Royal for 2 nights in a quiet upgraded room overlooking the garden. The bed was very comfortable and the shower in the very large bathroom was fine. It had a hot towel rail which was great for drying towels - an extra not normally seen these days. The TV remote control batteries were running out and we asked for replacements. They were replaced together with a NEW TV and remote. Never ever seen that before!!!!. A bedside lamp didn't work so that was replaced immediately as well. Ate in the restaurant both nights as we couldn't be bothered to go out and the food was lovely. Only downside was the difficulty in finding the Parchment street car park and then locating the back entrance to the hotel . Although we were advised that there were clear signs, couldn't find them at all. We cannot praise the hotel enough for the very friendly staff and the service whilst we were there. We hope to return to the hotel for the Xmas market.

The lady hosting the afternoon tea was very welcoming and friendly. She was very busy as lots of people had arrived but she had a smile and was highly professional. 10/10 service thank you!

This hotel is very old. This is no problem for me. My problem is price vs value. £162 per night got me a blocked toilet upon arrival. The recetion was helpful to allocate a different room to me. The initial feel to the room is old and outdated. My first use of the bathroom facilities validated my feeling of old and outdated. The water pressure from the shower is not strong enough, the water not hot enough to suit my preference. The shower head is old with truly unsatisfying options of water dispersion. On the topic of water pressure, one has to fight with the toilet to get proper flushing. The daily upkeep of the room is commendable. The highlight of my current stay is the proffesionalism of 1 of the reception staff. My stay is for business and my compay paid for my expenses. Personally, i would not step into this hotel in future.

Totally recommend a stay at the Winchester Royal Hotel Fabulous stay. One of my favourites of the last few years travels for work. Great location. Wonderful service at every touch point. Relaxing lounge and bar. Loved the menu with quality food. Cleanliness attention. Plus overall a super mix of retaining the history with the modern features added by the new management team . You won’t be disappointed if you book some time to stay here.

Really disappointing. Booked months in advance to have 11 people here for lunch for my 50th birthday. Told them we had a child with a nut allergy. Booked for 12:45. When we arrived they had prepared afternoon tea (which I hate) for 8 people. I explained I had booked the lunch menu for 11 people. They told us all to wait in the lounge while they tried to sort it out. We waited an hour before anyone offered us a drink and then another hour until we were served. We are served at 14:45, 2 hours after we arrived with no other drinks. No mention of a happy birthday. I don’t expect much but they knew it was a special occasion. No complimentary glass of Prosecco or even a verbal ‘Happy Birthday’. We all had to rush as the time on our car was running out due to the 2 hour delay in starting. We tried to quickly eat a pudding but when we asked for nut free puddings as requested when I booked it we were told that they couldn’t guarantee any of the puddings would be ok and weren’t aware there was an allergy even though I have booking confirmation of it. It ruined my celebration. How can you take a booking for 11 lunches with allergy for a 50th celebration and produce afternoon tea’s for 8 with no happy birthday expressed and no puddings available for the allergies that were asked about at booking. I asked to see the manager on several occasions and was told he wouldn’t be in until 4. We ended up leaving at 4:30 and he still hadn’t made contact with me as promised or contacted me afterwards. If you are having a celebration I definitely would not recommend here. ** Since your reply I have tried to contact you on several occasions as requested but have not had a response back. As you stated, I booked direct and have several emails going back and forth with yourselves so you have several ways to contact me but I still haven’t heard anything. I’m assuming your reply was just to look good on the reviews without any desire to do anything?

I organised afternoon tea. Whilst the hotel itself is lovely, the admin and service leaves a lot to be desired. Not living in the area, I trusted the hotel to get the finer details right, but I had to intervene to fix things. Not the relaxing or luxurious experience expected.

Reception staff was very helpful. Room 127 was fine. The showerhead in room 138 needs repair. In general, the rooms were spacious and well-appointed. Beds were comfortable with nice, crisp bed linens. The common sitting rooms were comfortable. The hotel is centrally located. The breakfast was excellent. Parking was convenient

Called in at lunchtime (19/2/25). We had the dining room to ourselves and enjoyed the meals we chose. Service was quick and friendly staff. (We have visited before)

I sent you an email with photos instead of sharing publicly here

We stayed here to celebrate our son in law’s birthday. It is in a great location for sightseeing, pubs, cafes and restaurants. We booked a family room as our grandson was sharing with us and requested a room on the ground floor as my husband has mobility issues. I enquired about disabled parking as my husband uses a wheelchair, unfortunately the wheelchair lift was not working but we were offered use of a ramp. My husband did manage the stairs down to reception. We had a lovely lunch and asked to use the ramp to access our room. Unfortunately it was too steep for us to use it safely so my husband did manage to descend the stairs. Our room was as requested with the extra bed, however we had been told that we would have a walk in shower and it was an over the bath shower. I could not fault the staff who tried to help as much as they could, particularly the waiter who served us lunch.

Go for the communal spaces not the rooms. Though I can’t speak to the food, if you want a nice atmosphere with lovely staff in well decorated communal areas then this is the hotel for you. The bedroom rooms however, are another story. Extremely dirty - including towels, sheets, stained carpets, dust everywhere and black mould (which I couldn’t help but notice when sat in the bath feeling dirtier by the second). A lack of phone or fridge may also affect your decision as well as parking being a paid extra (unlike most hotels). To the WR: Please stop your staff turning cups/mugs upside down so that the edge is touching the [dirty] sideboard. If a room is unoccupied for a while just use cup dust covers. I have spent more than 4 months in total in hotels this year, and I was sorely disappointed that the room is described as 4*, noting Travel Lodges are cleaner. They are in dire need of an upgrade, including the bedsheets, duvet and the beds themselves. See photos for proof. You really must address the rooms as they let you down and should be considered the core business. However, as I say, you have lovely staff and beautiful communal areas.

Lovely dinner and most pleasant evening listening to jazz singer

Wonderful centrally located hotel, with lovely (quiet) rooms, perfectly placed within easy walking distance of all attractions and restaurants. Central parking, a wonderful breakfast... What else could you need? 🙏👍😊

Wonderful Sunday lunch at the Royal Hotel Winchester….the food was wonderful but the service by the friendly efficient nothing too much trouble waitress was outstanding. Highly recommend this little hidden gem in Winchester. We will definitely be back! The afternoon teas that others were being served looked such a treat…on my list now to try!

We stayed with another couple for 2 nights B&B plus one dinner. The hotel couldn't be better placed in Winchester but both the car park and the dining room are far too small for the number of guests. One of us had to wait for about 40 mins for a car park space (for which they charge £15 per night) and we had to wait for over 30 mins each morning for a table at breakfast. The hotel was busy but they should operate booked timings for breakfast rather than making guests wait for tables when they cannot accommodate the numbers. The food was very good but at dinner two of us were served our main courses about 10 mins before the others. I paid for the wine separately but when the bill was presented a service charge had been added which I asked to be deleted which it was.

Very close to all amenities. Very clean. Good customer service.

This place should be called a scam hotel. They are charging you for things you never order at the bar!!

AVOID! At all cost I had my wedding here. There were so many things wrong with this place it reminded me of Faulty towers. From guests sweltering in the room to dirty cutlery. We chose this place as it fit in our budget but we should have paid a bit extra to go somewhere competent.

The good. Nice spacious room. Room was clean and tidy and comes with tea coffee making facilities. The mattress was very soft as we are used to a firmer type however surprisingly very comfortable. Good powerful shower. Nice bar and lounge area plus restaurant. Nice gardens. Friendly staff and excellent location. Onsight car parking. Good value for money, would recommend and stay here again. The not so good. Room is slightly tired. Windows would mist up slightly and wires hanging from back of tv. There is obviously an issue with shower water hitting the door as the bottom is showing so wear. Air vent in bathroom did blow out some dust so would be good to be cleaned. You can hear people walking above in the room or the corridor. Had an issue getting out of the carpark due to a car not parking in a parking bay, not sure if the carpark is monitored by the hotel. Wasn't asked about our stay when booking out.

Thank you Raj for being and angel and upgrading me to a beautiful room. 🥰🥰🥰

Our room was a little basic for what we paid and breakfast was pretty poor - one coffee machine, really? But nice location and staff very friendly.

As five family members we booked afternoon tea and were so disappointed we walked out after twenty minutes, having only had drinks. The service was poor - actually non existent; the table was not laid out for afternoon tea (as we left the manager asked if we had booked a tablecloth!); there were no menus; our drinks order was incorrect and the staff were indifferent. The experience was akin to Fawlty Towers. Sadly we will not be recommending this venue for afternoon tea to anyone. Fortunately a local public house welcomed us warmly and we had an excellent experience there.

Great location, shame about everything else. Kept waiting at reception for 20 mins when I arrived as apparently there was only one member of staff who was too busy showing an engaged couple around to spend 30 seconds checking me in. Room was insanely hot but they did provide me with a fan when I asked. No hot water for a shower in the morning was an unpleasant surprise when I'd just got back from a run. To top it all off, halfway through the conference we'd travelled for, we got a call from the hotel to say there had been a mistake with the booking and we were only booked for one night instead of two. We asked for confirmation of this and it wasn't provided. They demanded we return and clear our rooms but we couldn't get away. When we didn't come back, they went into our rooms, packed our stuff up and left our bags unattended in an insecure room for several hours.

Lovely break in a lovely friendly hotel. Nice clean room & lovely hugs comfy bed.

Great place , quirky and had friendly staff

Excellent location, easy access by car. There are two parking lots with limited parking space, one in the front and one in the back of the hotel off of the Parchment Street. You need the exit code to leave, which you'll receive once you pay for the parking at the reception (12bp overnight). Really good tasty breakfast (buffet full English plus the standard continental). The newer wing rooms are very comfortable. Free cookies in the lobby in the evening!

Room was very hot. All the radiators were on. Bar service good. Had breakfast, typical hotel hot buffet, so nothing outstanding. That being said they did have a proper toaster, and not an all or nothing conveyor!

Lovely hotel, great staff, oozing history from every corner. Amazing menu, reasonably priced. Nice gardens and small but well stocked bar. Large conference rooms and good sized dining room.

Very historic and location was great. Breakfast was very good and the staff was very helpful.

Lovely hotel for stay in centre. Some parts a bit dated but clean, comfy. Good breakfast. Lovely gardens.

I booked three rooms here for a group of friends to stay and explore Winchester. The hotel has a secure car park next to the property, although this is quite cramped. The entrance area to the hotel is very grand and the staff throughout our stay were lovely and very helpful. The location is great - a few minutes walk to the High Street and the cathedral/military museums/Great Hall/ Westgate are all within 10 minutes stroll. My room was a good size, very quiet but well laid out. There was both a kettle and a coffee machine and biscuits too. The only 2 observations I'd have would be that none of the plugs had USB charging ports and that the curtains were too long and completely covered the radiators. We didn't take evening meals in the hotel but the breakfast there was lovely, in a nice room overlooking the garden with a good choice of buffet options. The lounge area in the evening was very pleasant to sit in too.

Pretty hotel in Winchester city centre for afternoon tea, parking available, lovely staff

Lovely old entrance that needs some interior decor magic added. Nice staff but no one around when booking in for breakfast . Very large garden bedroom nicely decorated. The bed was very soft and bouncy and the sheets didn't fit. The bathroom was functional but could do with some updating . The parking was fantastic and very central to the town centre. It costs £12 overnight. Overall we would return

In city center. Historic building with lots of charm, but adapted to today.

Afternoon Tea - Garden room was lovely but everything overall could have been better. Service was ok at the start and then you get forgotten about. Food was average at best with rock hard scones (despite being told they were 'fresh out of the oven') there were more veggie options that could have been provided but just got given cheese and Cucumber. Tea selection ok but no menu provided and server wasn't too sure of options. Wouldn't go again, wouldn't recommend sadly

Went for afternoon tea- the portions for two people were good and the scones were warm but went very hard once they went cold The hot chocolate (for our children) was very watery and had an oil like substance floating on the surface Sandwich selection was limited if you didn’t like egg or fish and whilst the waitress was lovely, the gentleman (who whilst smartly dressed and presentable) hovered uncomfortably throughout the service which made us feel ill at ease (almost like he was eavesdropping)….sadly would not come again

Stayed for 2 nights, rooms were spacious and clean, excellent breakfast in the morning. Really good location as well.

Lovely hotel we had a room overlooking the garden which was beautiful. Clean and a really nice stay. Very close to the town and a beautiful area to explore.

Didn’t get a chance to try the food but heard it was very nice. The rooms are a bit old but adds to the ambience. Decent for a 2-3 day walking trip around the city.

Nice hotel. Bed was not especially comfortable- I could feel the springs. Everything else was great!

Brought my family to enjoy a wonderful afternoon tea. Great selection of foods and even gluten free options!

We popped in in this pub today for a cup of coffee with my friend. There was no coffee. Ice-cream which I ordered there didn't look attractive at all, just 3 scoops in a ordinary bowl and was not testy. I guess they could at least decorate it. It was my first and I think last visit to that place.

A little hassled around the edges the staff seemed to be, distracted? Just an observation - although the service and pleasantness factor was nothing to complain of. Had to search for a waiter to pay - that sort of thing... No cakes available so settled for scones with jam and clotted cream - freshly baked scones with oodles of cream and jam - my grandmother would have heartily approved (and snaffled most of the cream). Excellent tea too. Large lounge in which to relax and view the ongoing autumn in the garden. Off center of town but worth making a detour if in search of high tea.

The staff were great but the food was disappointing particularly the steaks. Sauce was watery and chips not well cooked. We were very disappointed as had a lovely meal there this time last year

Booked for afternoon tea. Pushed my wife in her wheelchair to front door and told disabled access from rear by a staff member. About 10 minutes walk to rear entrance,when we got there we expected to be met by the staff member to operate disabled lift but nobody appeared. My wife had to climb out of her chair and struggled up the 10 or so steps. When we did go into the dining room the staff were cold & unwelcoming. The waiter (tall chap with ponytail) put our tea tray down, pointed at the sandwiches and said only "those are the meat free ones" and walked away - perhaps he had a day off when they covered customer care at college! Not once were we asked if we we were happy or if we would like the teapot re-filled. Sandwiches and scones very nice but mince pies were clearly shop-bought. Very disappointing experience - we will not be returning.

We enjoyed our evening in the garden room where we ordered the venison pie which was excellent. They have a fairly good selection of beers and wine. The dining area could have been warmer as it was a fairly chilly evening but a pleasant evening nonetheless.

I used the hotel's restaurant and, additionally, had bar food on separate occasions. Restaurant food is good; the chef puts in an effort. Bar food is, well, bar food... What should I expect. One meal, though tasty as it was, appeared warmed up in a microwave. However, staff are very friendly and acommodating and that's good.

The food we had were very good and tasty. The staff who look after us was very attentive and polite.

Generous tasty dinner selections. Nice staff. Quite slow. Good beef. Attractive dining area. Convenient.

This small bar is cosy, but handy for the spacious garden through one door, and the lounge through another! Tea, coffee, and soft drinks are also served.

We stopped in for a drink and liked the feel of the place We returned the next night and had a meal It was priced well , the food was good and we really enjoyed the place We will be back before we leave

Lots of outdoor seating on the terrace outside the bar and in the gorgeous walled garden - a great place to relax with a drink any time of day! My disappointment was being sold "champagne" at champagne prices then finding out when I returned the foul-tasting drink to the bar that it wasn't real champagne and I had been served a vin mousseux.

Only had drinks there but tried their local gins. Comfortable, cosy, not large. A good place for pre-dinner drinks

With lots of seating outside. Good range of drinks, and some bar meals too. Staff friendly, prices a bit high (but not badly so). Very confortable and rather stylish

Midweek lunch is served in the conservatory with great views of the garden. The choice is limited but the food is excellent and great value for money. You can choose between 2 courses for £10.95 or 3 courses for £12.95. I have eaten here with a group of friends on 3 occasions and each time we have been impressed with the quality of the food. We would highly recommend the restaurant and wonder why Wintonians are not more aware of it

There was a good choice at dinner and all food was served very well The buffet breakfast had everything you could want

Friendly and inviting bar, good wine selection, reasonable prices, beautiful views of the walled garden

El servicio era excelente, nada era demasiado pedir.

Reservé una mesa para 8 de nosotros para tomar el té por la tarde con un bono de groupon. Excelente relación calidad-precio y tan delicioso. Teníamos 4 diferentes sándwiches poco cada uno, un bollo con crema de leche y mermelada y un montón de diferentes tortas caseras, todo muy sabroso, junto con tazas de té o café. Era incluso mejor con un vaso de proscecco cada una, una buena forma de pasar una tarde celebrando un cumpleaños con amigos.

Un grupo de 5 de nosotros fuimos para el té de la tarde, lo tenía reservado por un tiempo. Al llegar al final encontramos a alguien que era capaz de mostrarnos nuestra mesa y el té de la tarde salió... para 4 personas. Tuve peldaño en la semana y modificó la reserva a 5, estábamos en una mesa para 5, la reserva era de 5. Pero pensé que sólo quería un asiento extra?!?!?

Bar staff attentive provided water after long cycle ride. Lovely garden to relax in,. Breakfast good. Room keys need attention

We had to accommodate in that hotel for a night and it was a very unpleasant experience!The hotel didn't have any parking spaces available but one and we have to pay extra for that one and the room even though was big n comfortable,was in...

We ate here while staying at the hotel. The afternoon tea tray is an experience but we opted for a glass of a very good PG

A hidden gem of a gem of a garden in a lovely old hotel. You walk through the bar and the tables and chairs are nicely laid out with a large lawn and pleasant borders.

Back today and after some recent visits are so disappointed in the current standard. Today the once immaculate garden was uncared for and unkempt. Lawn full of weed and unmown. Itis hard to find bar service but if you are lucky enough to find management they promise to "find someone for you". The have willing junior staff and an excellent waiter, George, but this hotel is crying out for an efficient hotelier, who actually cares..

Friendly bar, maybe a bit small for the size of the hotel, but lovely and well stocked. Bar staff very helpful and will take your drinks into the lounge area and the garden.

Used this bar whilst staying at the hotel. Very friendly staff. Cream tea was excellent and good value at £4 a head. Beautiful gardens outside.

a warm and cosy well stocked bar, with speedy service, friendly staff and once served then left in peace.

We had dinner here whilst staying in the hotel. We had a lovely view across the gardens and there was a decent amount of space between the tables.The service was impeccable, three different perople serving and all of them were a credit to the hotel. The food was just superb, both of our dishes were delicious and well presented. Portion sizes were very good and the food was well cooked. The desserts were grea too, sadly we only had room for one each!

A great bar with good service and wonderful access to the private gardens - terrace is a great spot in good weather and the ambience in good but the wine list choice the night we were there was quite limited

Delicious afternoon tea in very comfortable surroundings, we had a bay window table overlooking the gardens which was very pleasant. Lovely veggie sandwiches, a good selection of delicious cakes and warm scones with individual pots of jam and plenty of clotted cream. Would certainly be happy to visit again.

We had lunch and dinner at the Royal and the food was really good and the service outstanding. Even if you don't stay at the Royal is worth going to enjoy a proper English Afternoon Tea or a very good dinner in their bar or in the Secret Garden... We would totally recommend it.

We had a voucher from Groupon for afternoon tea and I have to say were a little concerned about what it was going to be like having read some very mixed reviews from there who had also used Groupon but we thoroughly enjoyed our food in the sunshine outside in the peaceful garden and the service we received.The Reception staff were welcoming as were the staff in the bar. Our order was taken and brought out to us with no delays yet without being rushed.The service was attentive without being intrusive and our food was well presented.The sandwiches were acceptable but I personally would have liked more seasoning.The scones , however, were some of the best we have ever had - fresh, warm, deep and light and generously sized with plenty of jam and cream. there was also delicious fruit cake and lemon cake.We were more than satisfied and left feeling full up and relaxed. Thank You!

no atmosphere whatsoever, staff patently very bored and wanted to retire, but it was not quite 10pm, then bar closed 10.30 and requested that we take our drinks outside or bedroom. We did not return the following evening.

We went for afternoon tea as my wife had a Groupon voucher. As it was a reasonably warm afternoon and no rain we dined in the very peaceful garden.The tea was excellent, lovely fresh sandwiches, cake and warm scones. Perfect for an English summer afternoon. The service was very friendly and professional. We will certainly visit here again when in Winchester in the afternoon, even at full price the full English tea is good value.I would have rated the visit as excellent except for one small downside. My wife and I discussed the toilets. The gents were very good, clean well maintained and even if they were old they were good. However my wife said that the ladies did have a 'not very nice aroma'! I am sure that if the hotel know this they will correct the problem.

The selection in the restaurant is not extensive but very well cooked, vegetarian menu is quite limited, the wine is not expensive. Staff very friendly and generally attentive

My friend had previously booked an afternoon tea here for a treat, but as a vegan the choice was very limited. I emailed the manager with a link to the Vegan Society, and we re-visited. What a difference! Lovely sandwiches with roasted vegetables, and others with avocado, sundried tomato and salad. A scone with jam and vegan ice cream, and lemon cake and chocolate brownies, with a pot of coffee. We were given the table in the bay window with a lovely view of the gardens. Staff were friendly and the food was lovely. Will be making The Winchester Royal a regular haunt when in Winchester.

We found the Winchester Royal Hotel was exactly what we were looking for. Walking in through the elegant lobby, I could tell this place was going to be good. A warm and friendly welcome, on reception, and then onto our room, which was a suite in the old part of the hotel. On entering, it gave us both the wow factor. Stylish decor, lots of space and one amazing bed, which was so comfy, we had to literary drag ourselves out of, or we would have stayed there all day. The bathroom was also a very good size and impeccably clean.The hotel is ideally located, in this beautiful city, with everything within walking distance. We were very pleased with the value for money, and will be going back in the near future.

Had an afternoon tea here, food selection lacked any excitement, cake slices looked as though they'd seen better days and worse still both of us ended up with stomach cramps within a few hours of leaving, definitely wouldnt return! The hotel itself seemed ok, would be disappointed if I was staying there, £10 for parking is a complete rip off its Winchester not London! Paid only £8 in central London as a matter of fact for a top notch hotel. Staff were slow and more interested in chatting about their social life than attending to guests