please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Having spent a week away in Hambledon, we cannot recommend The Vine highly enough. Fantastic team, great food and a wonderful atmosphere meant we kept returning again and again. If you're in the area (or even if you're not) make sure to pay them a visit!
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This pub has now reopened after a four month closure under completely new management.
It has been thoroughly cleaned and redecorated and the pretty garden has again been returned to grass and flower beds with a covered area to one side for smokers.
We ate there on the day it opened and had an excellent freshly cooked Sunday lunch and friends who have eaten there since have been pleased with their meals.
Steve and Rachael are welcoming and staffing levels ensure good service.
At the moment there is a fairly limited range of ales, but it is early days and Steve has shown himself to be open to requests for old favourites and willing to extend his range of beers
If you have been disappointed in the past, try the pub again. I'm sure you will be pleased you did!
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We had a very good meal at the Vine on 21 Jan 2012. the meal, the service and the beer was well worth the visit.
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We visited the Vine on the 11th January and had a very nice meal. The restaurant was inviting with about 20 people eating. Our orders were taken at the bar by very friendly staff and our meals were served quickly by, again, friendly helpful staff.
We expected a limited, frugal choice as we had purchased Groupon vouchers but were extremely surprised at the choice and quality of the freshly prepared food.
Last evening - 18th January 4 of us returned and had an equally delightful meal. I understand there were problems a few weeks ago but we could certainly find no fault on either of our visits. Well done to the Chef and Staff of the Vine.
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We went for a Groupon Meal on January the 11th and had a pretty perfect evening!
Food was good and plenty, service was very friendly, toilets clean etc and ample parking next to Pub.
Was surprised to read previous comments, can only assume these were teething problems that have since been sorted.
Hoping for another Groupon offer, however having seen the specials board may venture back in any case.
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I also used the Groupon offer for this pub. Terrible night out!
It took 3 hours for a 3 course meal to arrive, never received the requested drinks and condiments.
Not surprising considering there was just one waitress on her own for the entire restaurant/night and she was run off her feet. She tried her best, but it was a complete joke that she was on her own.
Starter was essentially an Iceland meal that they'd heated up, an hour later, the fish and chips were terrible - soggy batter, odd-tasting fish and a side of shrivelled peas. The desert was also sub-standard but at least it was the one part of the meal that I would consider a decent size.
Under Groupon, I paid �16 for a 3 course meal for two with coffee. Didn't dare stay for coffee due to the amount of time the rest of the meal had taken to arrive. The billed price for the meal was �44 (if I remember correctly). The meal was barely worth the �16 that I paid, it certainly wasn't worth the full asking price.
The waitress explained that the pub had recently been taken over by new management and the Groupon plan was to get more people in the door to raise awareness. I'm now very aware of the pub and won't be returning.
We tipped the waitress for her hard efforts, but overall, poor food and poor service. Would not recommend.
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We went to the pub for the first time since the new management took over and used a deal from 'GROUPON' for the meal. I was very disapointed with the size and quality of the meal together with the fact that none of the meals shown in the GROUPON deal were available and, in my opinion, had been reduced in size compared to the non GROUPON meals. How a professional chef can spoil fish and chips is beyond me, but they succeeded. The staff were pleasant and there was a good atmosphere but because of the food I will not be returning.
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After visiting The Vine last week I definitely will not be returning. My husband suggested going for a meal here as it's under new management. Previous land lords haven't been much cop so we didn't go in with massive expectations.
When we arrived the bar was un-attended and we seemed to be waiting for what felt like a good 10 - 15 minutes before someone served us. My husbands drink of choice didn't taste quite right (perhaps it has been watered down?) I had a small glass of white wine and when I say small this is an understatement. The glass can only have been half full and was covered in smears - It doesn't take a lot to clean a glass.
When the food came out the peas were shriveled and hard and everything looked like it had just been thrown on the plate. Yes it was edible but I won't be returning again and certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone else.
The staff we're quite friendly when they were actually about, but we got the impression that they would rather the pub empty so they can 'lark' about.
It's a shame as it's a lovely pub and us along with many other people in the village fear that there really isn't much future for The Vine.
Hopefully the brewery will get their act together and sort the staff out before it's too late.
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What a wonderful pub with a genuine village atmosphere. Friendly, food is absolutely great and the couple running the pub really know how to do things. Really like the beer garden where i can have a cigarette and read the papers in peace and also the well inside the pub just adds authentic history to the place. Well worth a visit.
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The Vine was surprisingly quiet when we went there for Sunday lunch recently. The landlord was very welcoming, as was the log fire. Reasonable range of ales, including Ringwood (ordinary, not 49-er). Food was good rather than great, which maybe explains why it wasn't packed out. Sit in the bar area rather than the restaurant if you can -- it has much more atmosphere.
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What a fabulous place. A real jewel. We walked in and it had the most fantastic feeling about it. Just the right ambience. We had a fabulous lunch and the beer was local and tasty. We will be calling again and again. Great Landlord and staff too..and met Jodie.... a real pub asset!!
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once MARSTONS food pub of the YEAR .......
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This used to be a great country pub with real homemade meals and even their bread homemade with a real cosy pub feel. Now its changed hands its no longer that its far to fussy with tables decorated as though its xmas and the food is clearly microwaved no doubt from frozen. a real shame come back previous owners.
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A lovely country pub with a good selection of well kept real ales and friendly and welcoming bar staff. Recently (2007)awarded the Marston's best food pub of the year. The menu is inventive and in keeping with modern trends, but still broad enough to satisfy a hungry walker and a discerning dinner.
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Decent Marston's pub serving a reasonable pint of Ringwood - though selection limited to bland nationals and regionals beyond that - and food of a quality well beyond the pub average. Good atmosphere too.
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A friendly village pub. Good well kept ales. The food is very good but there is better value for lunches (The Farmer Inn, Catherington which has the best chips in the country)
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Handsome old pub in the exquisite, chocolate box Hampshire village recognised as 'the Cradle of Cricket' and home to the Hambledon Vineyard. Nice mix of eating, drinking and plain loafing-about areas with a handful of shaded tables on a deck out back. Excellent menu but still a comfortable drinking pub. Good beers, including the Vine's own and a fine example from the Black Sheep brewery in Cumbria. The rolling road from the A3 through Clanfield takes you past Broadhalfpenny Down, the oldest cricket ground in England and still, surely, one of the most dramatically located (home of the feared Broadhalfpenny Brigands). The Bat and Ball, opposite the cricket ground, not half bad either.
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Popular village local with a good choice of well kept real ales. Brands on offer change. Menu is good and pub is popular for food, which is cooked by local lady. Park in street or neighbouring village hall car park.
Potbelly - 13 Aug 2004 10:14 |
