Victoria and Albert, Netherhamptonback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Superb country pub. 4 great ales. Food was popular. Bar staff friendly. Open fire on on a chilly April evening was welcome. Lots of character.
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Another wonderful country pub in rural Wiltshire. Although this one is quite convenient if you're in Salisbury. Unlike my previous 2 pubs, the Victoria & Albert was busy. There was a mixture of diners and drinkers, plus a fair few characters. A roaring fire was a welcome site, on a chilly evening. Ales were Plain Ales Hairy Hooker, Church End Goat's Milk & Moles Gold. Cider was Moles Black Rat. The barmaid was friendly.
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This is a wonderful place. I first visited while on holiday on a cold, damp October Monday evening and was delighted to be welcomed by a warm fire, a fine meal (the soups are excellent), a well-kept beer, and a charming landlady. When I visited again the next Friday, said charming landlady remembered me and asked about my trip to Cornwall which we had discussed during my previous visit. This is one the coziest and most welcoming pubs I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. I hope to go back, sooner rather than later.
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Arrived early Saturday lunchtime to a warm welcome from the landlady. My wife and I both enjoyed good ploughmans lunches and tested all three beers on offer (Cotleigh Seahawk, Oakleaf TSB and Sixpenny Handley Gold). All were in very good condition. My only regret is that it has taken us far too long to retrun to this gem of a pub. Highly recommended (receiving its CAMRA Regional Pub of the Year award tomorrow night!).
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Cracking little pub, very full when I was in there but as a lone punter with his book to read I was made to feel very welcome. I will return one day to eat there as the food looked (and smelled) great
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Called on a Sunday evening in June. Sat in the quiet garden until it got a bit chilly, then retired inside to sit by the fire! The landlady told us she was reluctant to put it out as people kept having to use it to dry out! Food was tasty and hot, and portions reasonable size. Beer was good. We were the only people in for a while, and the landlady sat and chatted. We were made to feel very welcome, and ,no, we didn't take any books home!
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Well worth the walk from Salisbury. Friendly welcome, 3 ales all in excellent condition and a real cider as well. Sat in the spacious garden and enjoyed a filling lunch. Re the signage - most of it that I saw was very "tongue in cheek" and even if it wasn't , sadly there are many people these days who do need to be reminded of how to behave in a public house
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After reading a few of the somewhat negative reviews for this pub, my lady, her daughter and I decided to visit anyway as it's the nearest country pub to the house. We were greeted with a warm welcome to a bustly bar on which 3 ales were available and a local cider. The 2 ales we chose (Cottage Tornado and Chimera Dark Delight from Downton) were in excellent condition and not overpriced. The signs regarding children's behaviour however were much more tongue in cheek than totalitarian! A bit of good humour accompanied with good ale and a nice beer garden combined for a brief but pleasant evening. We both look forward to visiting this pub again in the near future, minus the little one next time (for one or two more pints of course). Cheers!
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Best (rural) pub around Salisbury by far. Excellent beers - there's always 3 real ales on which are changed constantly and, in my experience, always in perfect condition and usually a 'real' cider. �3 a pint - not too bad, these days you can pay more than that for run-of-the-mill stuff. The food is very good, properly cooked, no boil-in-bag nonsense, not the cheapest but you get what you pay for! Landlady and barstaff are welcoming - it all makes for a nice, relaxed atmosphere. As a local I suppose I'm biased but I would heartily recommend this pub - best to book beforehand if you're eating.
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No, it's not cheap. Yes, the notices in the garden are ludicrous. But the beer and the rustic charm of the V&A help it through. Country pubs need to do whatever it takes to survive these days - an extra 20p on a pint and some frankly silly parental advice might not be to my taste, but the drinking landscape of South Wiltshire would be a lot more barren if the V&A were to go under like so many other country pubs.
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Interesting to read some contrasting views about this pub. I should say I've only found myself here twice; once about 4 years back and again last Monday, courtesy of the Good Beer Guide of course. I ate on the first occasion and found the food to be hearty, a good portion, and very tasty (they employ what looks to be a "chef" as opposed to a cook and the menu looked fantastic - also it has a heavyweight wine list to match; it's a rare boozer that sells '78 Port, '96 and '05 mid-range Bordeaux!). On both occasions I found the beer selection to be excellent, although on the recent visit the conditioning was perhaps a notch off-kilter, but this may be a rarity. The interior exudes well-heeled classic rural pub, logs and dogs, and is most welcoming. There was some local gents clearly enjoying a good session at the bar, and although the landlady/barmaid seemed a little schoolmistressy, she was pleasant enough.
The real chink in the armour at the V & A is the pricing. Luckily, it was my friend's round, but he reliably informed me afterwards that he got stung for a hefty amount just for 2 halves. Perhaps the standard of the cuisine, and the wine, can justify a more generous mark-up, but, good as the ale range was, it didn't justify the prices in my opinion.
In general, a very nice establishment, but maybe just a touch self-important, and more than a touch over-priced.
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It's an OK pub -- nothing more. On our visit they had, interestingly, a couple of expensive Okell beers from the Isle of Man. Not really the island's star export -- we know these beers very well. What particularly irritated us was the profusion of notices telling customers what they COULD NOT do in the garden. Please, please spare us from licensees who wants to lay down obvious rules of behaviour. Why not just tell us that we are welcome -- we didn't get that impression here.
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Been to this pub many times on the way to the racecourse, always a good range of beer, went on Tuesday 10th June and had a big shock.........2 pints of beer cost �6-40p, normal strength beer from fff brewery at Alton so not even many 'beer miles' to explain the cost, will look elsewhere next time !!
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Nice choice of ales, tho three of the four were 5%. Hogs Back RIP, Branscombe Summa That, Slaters High Five, 3 Castles Leap Beer. Lovely slow burning log fire greets you with that great charred wood aroma as you enter & adds an immediate homely feel. The problem was that this out-of-town pub was visted during the Sunday �de-brief� and as it is evidently popular for food, esp Sun lunch, ALL tables were reserved for diners, many of which stood empty awaiting arrivals, meaning that drinkers were left with little space at the small and fairly choked bar. It is, however, a lovely thatched building with low beamed ceilings, decorated with brasses, some wooden picnic sets to the front and, standing opposite the church, carries all the trademarks of a great country pub, we were served quickly stayed for a a few. Oh, and that food did look pretty good!
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A lovely old pub with uneven floors and low door openings.
I had a bacon sandwich for lunch which was stuffed full of bacon and with a large side salad included.
Beers were excellent, can't remember them all but a good choice and well kept.
Well worth a visit if you are anywhere near Salisbury
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The Good Beer Guide 2007 came up trumps again. A delightful ancient pub twixt Salisbury town and the Race Course. We enjoyed huge platefuls of really good food; delightful, chatty staff; lovely, lively ambience with a roaring fire on a miserable May day; and a great range of beers. Waddies Summersault and Moles Barleymole were excellent. A very uplifting visit for the wife and me. Anyone going to or near Salisbury should pay a visit. I give it high rating.
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Popped in last Friday on my way to jazz at Salisbury Jazz Club. Quiet local with a friendly atmosphere.
About half of the dining tables were reserved, but there did not appear to be any diners! As they serve food from 6 - 9 pm., there must be a local trend to eat late.
anonymous - 12 Mar 2007 14:19 |
No other pub like it in the area. Great atmosphere, good food, wide range of beers always on offer.
Barking mad escapades, such as the Chimera challenge!
If you are in the area, make sure you visit it. Even been mentioned in Times suppliment, can't be all that bad.
Always 4 real ales, 2 draught ciders, and some very interesting and respectable lagers. Wine list is also good
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Friendly welcoming Village Pub just outside of Salisbury. Four ales from local Breweries such as Gales, and others from further afield in the West Country such as Cottage. Food freshly prepared and can particularly recommend the beef baguette and Cheddar Ploughmans. Near to wilton Shopping Village, so once your wife ahs spent all your dosh, get her to drive you for a beer!
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A friendly pub, good decor, good and good beer. Local CAMRA pub of the year in 2005.
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When I first visited this pub, it sold Watney's Red!!! An excellent pub serving great food. Last pint I had was foul, perhaps this was a one off. Bar staff MUST check the quality of their beer.
Nigel - 25 Mar 2004 16:44 |
Great pub, Best beers about, top food the best i have had in the south of England and a lovely tall dark haired waiter, although only there in the holiday periods or so it seems. Best pub around 5 stars.
Emma - 21 Nov 2003 17:58 |
Absolute quality food, great beers, great atmosphere, friendly staff, brilliant!!
steve - 25 Sep 2003 21:06 |
17th Cent Thatched country pub in a little hamlet. Fine selection of ales, cider and lager. Decent size pub garden for the summer and cosy open fire for the winter. The menu's are yet traditional but with a touch of class.
Duncan Scott - 5 Sep 2003 14:41 |
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