Linden Tree, Lowford, Bursledonback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I'm new to the Southampton area, and still exploring the pubs. I'm finding that Wadworths pubs are pretty good. They tend to be well run, and with lots of character. The Wadworth's beers are to my taste, and sometimes there'll be guest ales. This is fairly typical. A very pleasant characterful place. Real fire in the corner, cats and a dog in the bar. Lots of wood. Everything clean and in good shape. No guest ales on my visit, but apparently they do sometimes put one on. However, there were four casks of Wadsworths ales available, which is plenty enough.
I like the place, and could see myself popping in here for Sunday lunch, or lunch before doing shopping in the nearby Tesco. But they no longer do food - not even rolls. The pub is apparently busy enough that they don't need the food trade, and they don't find it profitable enough. That's a real shame for me as it's too far to be my local, and without food on offer or a frequently changing guest ale or a nice location, or some other special draw, other than being pleasant, I doubt I'll be visiting again.
This is, essentially, a pleasant locals pub. If you're close by, it's worth a visit, but if you're more than a mile away, then the Cottage Inn in Butlocks Heath is also a Wadworths, and has a lot of character, and does food. Or go to Hamble-le-Rice, which is a pleasant village with a good selection of pubs to choose from.
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Just to make sure we keep the good reviews of this classic pub going it's in fine shape. The Swordfish is back on and other guest ales. I think they have now stopped serving meals. My ten rating still holds good. I hear that the New Years theme is the 80's and if your in the area you really must go to this night. Thanks again for another fine years service.
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It's Xmas! And the Swordfish is on plus Blunderbus. Sunday meat draw and Roast. Can a pub be better than this? Still a 10!
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Glad to see that people are just reviewing this for the great pub it is. I'm using it on Sundays insteed of the 'Vine' (another great pub). They now do a Sunday lunch and as always the beers in great nick and my choice is the 'Horizon'. My brother loves their scratchings! Xmas is great time here and they really make an effort and try the New Years Eve celebrations out. Once again, agreat boozer!
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In again at the 'Linden' for another fine nights drinking. The Landlady was willing to sign a form for my Brother about his tax (he's got money) and she hardly knows him. The front steps have been made safer as supposedly peeople fell up them (we normaly fall down them). Nice relaxed drinking up times. One of the cats got run over and there was a little notice to that effect (it's that kind of pub).
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Yes! I do believe this is what pubs should be like and if 'Alezilla' likes Europe and the States so much there are planes leaving everyday for him to get on. This 'gent' lives in another age. The staff are great! Beer, always in great form. No wonder they've taken exception to 'Arsezilla's' comments on the food, as they're just not true. Be a man and appologise to this fine establishment. My rating now increased!!!!!
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Well if Barry thinks this is what pubs should be like then heaven help the miserable isle of Albion. This was my third visit, and will be my last. It's actually not so much the pub as the institutionalised British crummy way of life, so different to that of Europe or the US. On arrival, a hairy cat was perched on the bar, and whilst being stroked, its dander flying off into the pumps, somewhat putting you off that next pint of ale....the 6X however, that evening was in excellent condition, so had improved from my last visit. As in Fawlty Towers, it is so difficult to get anything to eat in the UK, and, more than 30 years after that seminal critique of the british hospitality industry, the trend is the same. A menu proudly displays a selection of interesting, if pedestrian menu 'specials'. However, contrary to all the laws of profit-making, the menu is only available at lunch time when 99% of the population of the developed world are at work- why put the menu up then? A paper menu is next to that, proclaiming 'THURSDAY IS CURRY NIGHT' and a list of curries and in brackets announcing the regions of origin of the dishes, as if you were convinced they were created in the Punjab, rather than in UNIT 4 of Segensworth industrial estate. We shouldn't have been surprised when at the foot of the list it is stated that these dishes are created by an outside catering company! SO much for the 'home made' as proudly proclaimed on the chalk board! Then we spot the very van that delivers this Taj Balony outside! Think they should have included 'chicken ding' from the fareham region on the menu? As is inescapable in middle of the road britain, the boring pub quiz soon got underway, and the icing on the overbaked cake was complete when i asked a member of staff if a pub quiz was starting, to which he aggressively retorted- 'yeh, got a problem?'. Not sure what it is with pubs and southerners, but it seems that the stress of being on the 07.48 Fareham to London Bridge via horsham everyday overspills into their everyday lives, and a large bucket of chill is required down here....of course, we pulled the emergency escape rip cord and bailed out of there sharpish. Gave 5 last time but reduced to 4 because of good beer and a nice set up, shame that the lack of anyone behind the bar and rude staff and cat dander let the place down. Expect the British pub experience and you won't be disappointed.
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Seeking out a Wadworth's gem, I hacked my way into rural Bursledon to find this place, which from the outside looked like a nice joint. Once inside, a few Wadworth's beers on offer, the usual 6X of course and HEnrys IPA. The IPA was dissapointing and the glasses stank, the 6X to follow was an improvement but not to the justice of how this great ale should taste. A small place, once children started to flood in the adult environment was slain and it was time to bail out- this isn't the pub's fault of course, it's Blair thinking that the UK is the same as everywhere else in Europe- which of course it isn't. Would have scored 6 if the beer had been in better condition.
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'Transformed by the new landlord & lady. Good honest food only available at lunch time. Wadworth's real ale always in great condition. Try out the rear beer garden which is excellent for children and in the evening, wait for the fox's to arrive (true). Wednesday night is Quiz night and Thursday is Curry night cooked by a Rick Stein trained chef. This is what pubs should be like!'
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Ok, now i've moved into the area and use this pub 3 or 4 times a week. This is probably one of my favourite pubs, it has excellent Wadworth beers, great landlord and lady, friendly locals, open fire, occasional party/music nights. They do big portion food wed - sunday at lunchtimes followed by a meat draw. They now hold a gunniess world record for playing darts for 40 straight hours and as of today have raised �15000 for Naomi house. This pub is located in a lovely area and don't seem to suffer from having all day drinkers in, you know the ones, arrive at 1pm and become a pain in the arse by mid-evening. I can't recommed this pub enough. I now give it a big 9/10, if they did still cider I would have given it a 10/10, it,s a proper country local.
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First time visit here, nice clean pub, including the gents. Well priced beers with Wadworth handpulls, IPA, 6X & JCB in good condition. Blazing log fire at one end with freindly locals. Didnt seem to be any food on offer and no sign of the landlord and/or landlady, strange for a friday night (might be on holiday of corse). One odd thing was the 2 drug warning signs, didnt seem that sort of pub, maybe they have sorted the problem out. Well worth a visit. I give it 7/10
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