please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
We visited the beer festival this afternoon having not been for a couple of years. Well organised but perhaps a bit smaller than in the past. Plenty of beers and ciders on offer and found a few good ones but not enough to keep us there all evening. A few aspects put one off though: £4/pint is quite high for a beer ex and we've never been to a beer ex with uniformed security guards before! We must've missed the guest appearance by Kylie! Bring back beer festivals where you can get drunk and stagger into your tent without being watched! Previously this was a good venue but it seems to have become too commercial. What a shame.
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Had an excellent No Name Strong, whatever that is. It must be a rebranded beer (Old Thumper?). Will be popping back for the Longest Day Festival, 20th/21st June when there will be dozens of real ales.
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Well worth the effort finding this pub! Its bar feels as if it hasn't changed for a couple of centuries. Good selection of beers, although we found the food rather uninspired. Will be back once I've dug out my maps again.
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This remote pub is strongly recommended, if you can find it. Go into the right hand bar, it's superbly atmospheric, dark, old wood everywhere, the sort of place you could sit for hours. It's dedicated to Edward Thomas, who wrote his first poem abouth this pub, just before the first world war.Beer was well kept (I had Ringwood Best), and the food looked popular.
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Popped in for a pint at lunchtime today. Hordes of people sitting outside in the sun. Inside the pub it was pleasantly quiet and comfortable. My friends had an excellent pint of Ringwood 49er and I had an excellent Boondoggle. We had a couple of plates of cheesy chips at £4 a small bowl a bit on the pricy side! All in all though, a pleasant experience in an old comfortable pub serving a good selection of beers and tasty food. I've stopped complaining about the price of things recently as I can remember Gales putting Ordinary Bitter up from 16p to 18p a pint and everything seems expensive now!
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Visited here at Xmas 2005 for a car owners club (RX/8) meet including Christmas Lunch. Pub very difficult to find, driving around in the hills above Petersfield for 45 mins before chancing upon it.
But the 19 of us all enjoyed tasty fare from the varied menu, and excellent waitress service. A day I'll always remember.
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I went to their "Longest Day Beer Festival" last weekend. Over 100 beers, and live music.
Good atmosphere, despite the weather.
This was the ninth year, long may it continue.
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Hard to find rambling pub with attached camping site. Beer in good condition, mainly from Fullers/Gales range. I can recommend the moreish smoked nuts if you want a snack.
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Good location on sunny day, but food is overpriced for very average quality ,and the staff when we visited had to be corrected over the price. Could do with changing staff (including the chef) to bring a service orientated attitude. If you are only drinking beer then OK-but many other pubs are trying harder in Hampshire.
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Visited last night after a break of 20 years! Same feel, very traditional counrty pub. Not the best or cheapest food around and quality was average to be honest. Ale was excellent but soft drinks prices too high. Clientele generally well heeled enough not to care I suspect. Worth driving 5 miles to visit but if you live further away you almost certainly have as good or better on your doorstep.
odbod - 24 Jun 2010 10:08 |
One of my Favourite pubs i have ever been in. Top class location, 10/10 beer choice a lovely warm feel about the pub, friendly bar staff and locals and nice home cooked food. Didnt have much trouble finding this place after all i did look on Google map before i set off, if not then i may still be driving around. Looking forward to visiting again
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The rightly famous "Pub With No Name" has a fantastic atmosphere, if you can find it.... Although some earlier negative comments have found fault with the food and the staff we have been going there for some time and always enjoyed our visits, with no problems to report. The beers are great and the Edward Thomas room with its fire and display on the life and work of the local poet is a wonderful spot to while away a few hours with friends. Hopefully the few problems people have encountered recently will be ironed out and all will be well again with this brilliant pub. Definitely worth a visit.
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Had a very nice meal at this excellent pub a few weeks ago, and was very pleased to see alternatives to many other pubs usual "Vegetarian options", a very tasty "Barkham Blue Cheese and Caramelised Onion Tart". The Ales were excellent and staff polite and helpful.
Step back in time and visit this hard to find pub, no jukebox, no fruit machines, no nonsense, a nice mix of young and old, this is just a good honest pub, with a fine selection of ales to suit any taste.
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here here "gelboy", for all the pubs trying hard in these difficult times lets hope the current landlady takes some notice and closes her doors. the beer may be good and the summer events obviously have following but this pub just needs tlc and yet it gets ignorance from its current management. rudeness, overpriced and poor quality meals wont keep this pub going for long
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Are proper pubs dying out � discuss.....you could spend countless hours debating the sad demise of the Great British Boozer but the length and breadth of the country there are thankfully brilliant landlords and landladies, keeping this veritable icon of our culture alive and well.
So when you see one of Hampshire�s most hallowed inns completely lose its way, then it is quite simply, heart breaking .The White Horse at Priors Dean or as it is fondly known �the pub with no name� has for years been a veritable treasure. The famous Italian chef Antonio Carluccio says it is indubitably his all time favourite and we all used to agree it was a quintessential English country pub.
So what�s happened ....
Well the current landlady seems to neither care about the quality of food coming from her kitchen or about the views of her customers. After years of enjoying this hostelry we were amazed today to discover not one but a number of insects resembling the well known �sea monkeys� happily traversing our water cress and smoked platter. Maybe we should have rejoiced and appreciated our place in the wider scheme of the animal kingdom. Call us old fashioned but we were appalled however keen not to make a fuss, quietly told staff and were told we wouldn�t have to pay for it ( what an act of heartfelt generosity) At the end of the meal we were told �2.00 had been deducted from the bill as an apology for any inconvenience we had been caused. So not only had we been served Hampshire�s finest creepy crawlies but also having been told we wouldn�t be expected to pay for it, we were given a derisory( let�s be honest a rude ) discount.
We asked to speak to the landlady who eventually arrived to tell us that we should calm down as these things happen. As fellow publicans we asked her how often this happens - she said �never� and we replied we�d never had to suffer such shoddy standards before. So we were all agreed on at least one point, this has never happened before nor should EVER happen. So did we get an apology - �NO� � we were then insulted and the landlady tried to quibble with us over �1.50. I know times are hard but come on...! So she ruined our lunch and killed the years worth of attachment and affection we felt for the Pub with No Name.
So it is with deep regret that I sadly announce the passing of the White Horse at Priors Dean � let�s raise a glass to the memory of a truly great boozer � God Bless you and we�ll miss you � Rest in Peace.
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We left before the music started yesterday but enjoyed the beers and ciders on offer at there festival. Another Idyllic setting and the burgers and O'Hagans hotdogs were well priced at �3 a shot. Would give it a 10/10 but for the rather rude young barmaid inside the pub 7/10.
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Oh dear oh dear - ale ok, service and attitude of staff appalling, food no better than cafe in town but at three times the cost. Local food does it for me but a Taste of Hampshire plate at �12 thats got to be special - thin slice of smoked salmon (hampshire??), cooked cold smoked duck slice, cheddar stithers and pineapple relish, all in very small quantities, ok as a starter but billed as main course! Loved the charm of the building, but why oh why do these olde worlde buildings never get cleaned properly - cobwebs dont add charm especially in a food environment. Wont get a return visit. Will try the trooper next time in the area.
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I went there for the 7th Longest Day Beer Festival, last weekend, and was not disappointed!
There was a jazzband on the Sunday afternoon session went down well despite the intermittant drizzle and cloudiness.
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If you enjoy stepping way back in time then this is a gem.Two bars plus a restaurant area,fire roaring lovely relaxing atmosphere,large choice of real ales,(not so good on the lagers tho) food good.
You will need a map i`m sure sat.nav would get you lost.
Great trip out for the summer months.
Only neg.point the staff could be more friendly.
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A great pub. Good to find it sold Mr Whiteheads' perry.
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Famous traditional pub in the middle of nowhere, still notoriously difficult to find, despite the fact that is now signposted from the main Alton road ( which I dont think it was last time I visited yonks ago )
Perhaps surprisingly, the pub serves a good range of real ale. My pint of Deuchars IPA at � 2.80 tasted fine.
The pub is quite food-orientated on the whole - there's a large restaurant at the back - but even the 2 bars have a warm friendly traditional feel to them.
Note the old framed price list in the main bar advertising Bass at 24p, Directors at 28p etc and some old settles.
Perhaps also surprisingly, the pub is open all day on Fri, Sat and Sunday.
Disappointingly for someone who's not a big fan of dogs, they are allowed in the bar, but horses must remain outside, as the notice says !
There's outside seats for summer drinking , including a garden at the back.
Well worth seeking out - recommended to be combined with a visit to the Harrow in Steep, but allow time to find them both !
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Big old pub in remote, somewhat bleak spot up on the downs. Name derives from empty pub sign which swings grimly out on the main road. Two bars and restaurant, lots of room outside and in. The two snug bars inside, candle-lit and cluttered with old furniture have a dark, Jacobean feel which, in winter, warmed by open fires, is wonderfully welcoming. Can seem less so on a summer's day, but a big sprawling garden makes up for that. A brighter and lighter restaurant has been extended at the back. Food is traditional pub stuff but done extremely well with excellent ingredients (Cornish scallops, Scottish mussels or O'Hagan's celebrated sausages), a good repertoire of standards backed up by regularly changing specials. Excellent range of ales including its own No-Name bitter. Has plenty of fans, including the poet Edward Thomas who was a regular and made it the subject of 'Up in the Wind', and celebrated chef and undoubted food enthusiast Antonio Carluccio. Excellent beerfest every July with food, bands, camping available for weekend revellers. and other events through the year (check the listings). Recommended.
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After being served at the miserable Harrow, we were grateful to arrive here a pub with a story which boasts a nice array of ales and ciders, but more importantly, was friendly! The owners were happy to chat in between tasks and we were made to feel welcome.
Beers sampled included Oakhams JHB, with No Name Strong and Best also. The cider was a particularly dry one (Heart of Hampshire I think), which certainly stripped the plaque off the teeth, should keep my dentist happy.
Couple of small downsides - I found was that the interior was a bit dark for a sunny day, and I wanted to get outside. I dare say it�s a better bet in the winter months. Also the beer, whilst fair, wasn�t of the quite of the top quality I was hoping for (and I had been spoilt by the Moles!). I am being picky though � it�s well worth a return visit.
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Went there for a meal, on Sunday.
Great value food washed down with a pint of "No Name" bitter.
anonymous - 2 Apr 2007 14:15 |
One of my favourite pubs in the world, with a truly unique atmosphere even after renovation. No Name beer is possibly the nicest pint too! Glad its hidden away so only connoisseurs can find it! The only trouble is that we always aim to pop in for a couple of lunchtime pints & end up staying for hours...
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I grew up in this pub since i was 5 and worked in this pub when older. i loved it when i was young and loved it when i worked there and still love it now. my only wish is that i could buy it and own it. a lot of fond memories. love the locals ie the coles, the trencards and a lot more from Froxfield, Privet and surronding arears. please remeber i'm only 25 when you read this but i remember all the locals that i loved.
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Since I bought "Classic Country Pubs" 20 years ago I've wanted to go to this pub, and without GPS I found it! Beautiful place, worth the search, great beer selection(too bad I was driving), nice people. Too bad I was there before they opened on their Bonfire Day, but the staff couldn't have been nicer, and though I couldn't make it back that day, I will be back, and not just for a short stop.
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Winter, a fire, a pint (or 2), and food (try the home-made fish & chips). A eutopian evening. May you spend many more trying to find it!
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A great atmospheric pub for a session or with the family. Excellent beers. Food very good. The small bar is full of charm but can get pretty smokey. There's loads of room in the no smoking restaurant area at the back. Unfortunately, the friendly young bar person is not yet good enough at the English language to hold a conversation, but she'll improve!
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Try a pint of No Name ale and you will be glad you made the effort in locating this hidden gem of a pub. Originally and formally the pub is still called the White Horse however the only sign to the pub was lost - and never put right - many years ago, hence it is often referred to as the No Name pub today. It is one of my favourite pubs I have ever had the pleasure of quenching my thirst in ... it may be off the beaten track and tricky to find but that what keeps it special.
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Excellent food, sumptious wine choice, real ales/wines
Rural, relaxed, cosy atmosphere
Mel - 30 Sep 2004 15:12 |
Excellent pub. I had not been here for 20 years but it was as good as I remember. The beer range and quality was superb and was matched by the food.
Simon Wenham - 20 Aug 2004 13:07 |
This is probably the best drinking pub in the area! Here there is a rare mixture of young and oldder people, all sharing in the same fantastic pub experience. I love it!
Vespy - 8 Jan 2004 21:17 |
Famous old pub and has won many awards. It is really very difficult to find as it is set in a field and there is no real pub sign to show it is there. It is a very cozy pub with a large range of real ale. Well worth finding though.
Adrian J Thorley - 8 Nov 2003 14:52 |
