The Old Vine, Winchester - pub details
Address: 8, Great Minster Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9HA [map] [gmap]
Tel: 08721 077 077 (ref 15705)
Winchester (0.4 miles), Shawford (2.9 miles)
Pub facilities/features:
- Food served, Real ale
- Credit cards accepted, Smoking area (Entirely smoke-free)
NB: Information may be incomplete or out of date as this pub is not currently registered.
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> Current user rating: 6.0/10 (rated by 23 users)
> Local guides: Winchester pub guide, Hampshire pub guide
other pubs nearby:
Slug and Lettuce, Winchester (0.0 miles), Eclipse Inn, Winchester (0.0 miles), Old Market Inn, Winchester (0.0 miles), Exchange, Winchester (0.1 miles), Royal Oak, Winchester (0.1 miles) - see more nearby pubs
user reviews of the Old Vine, Winchester
please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
5 most recent reviews of 24 shown - see all reviews
| In contrast to TWG, we found the "bar half" of this pub to be very lively, almost to the point of being nosiy. It was very popular, no chance of getting a table, and the majority of the punters appeared to be just there for a drink. Certainly that was the case by the end of the evening, we were there until gone 11:00 and they certainly weren't having their pre-dinner drinks at that time. The dining half of the pub is just that, it's very much a restaurant and not somewhere to go for a pint. The staff were very pleasant and friendly, it's conveniently situated right opposite the cathedral green, and there's an enormous window at the front of the bar to take full advantage of the outlook. There's a selection of board games at the back of the bar, plenty of wood beams and unusually even the outside seating area and courtyard is non-smoking. Obviously this may be a good thing or not depending on your point of view. I'm not going to get in to that argument. Beers were Flower Pots, TT Landlord, Ringwood Best and Bowman's Swift One. Cider was Thatcher's Gold. Blackthorn - 6 Feb 2010 21:47 |
| Plainly, this is a restaurant that happens to serve real ales. One half of the premises is devoted to foodies, and on my first visit last weekend this certainly was proving a draw - my two friends and I were unusual in that we were only there for a drink and not to eat. The food has a fine reputation and one day I would like to sample it, but I fear that I will have to find a girlfriend first, as the Vine was populated almost exclusively by upper-middle class couples, all whispering to each other coyly so as not to stand out against the very low hum of voices. Dining there on one's own, or even as a group, seems not to be the done thing. The other half of the venue is given over to what clearly aims to be the "pub" portion, but does in fact come across more of an ante-room where diners congregate for a polite quiet aperitif before moving to their table. It operates in the same way as most hotel or restaurant bars do. Again, there was a faintly prissy air to the place as well-to-do couples ensured that they remained as restrained and genteel as possible so as not to risk offence. All this notwithstanding however, the establishment does have its place. The decor cleverly combines contemporary design within a traditional setting, and the quality of the beer was up to standard. Four pumps were all active, serving 3 ales from Hants and 1 from Yorkshire. Bar-proppers, though few, are in no way discouraged, and if a few more drinkers were to adopt the place for its pub rather than grub element, it would help to balance the two more convincingly. Service was with a smile, and efficient. So yes, a place for a civilised meal, preferably with the other half, but also not somewhere to discount if you like alehouses, if only because somewhere that so easily could be lager, wine and spirits only serving a good range of proper beer should be supported. TWG - 28 Jan 2010 16:27 |
| Not fantastic if what you are interested in is a quality pint in a traditional boozer, but this place is geared more towards the food. My wife and I picked this place out specifically for our evening meal on a visit to Winchester (with the Black Boy and the Eclipse for the serious ale-drinking) and were delighted with our food. The rib-eye steak I had was the best steak I have had in years. My advice would be to treat this place like a restaurant with a decent ale selection and you will not go far wrong. I would eat there again without a second thought. frolix22 - 30 Aug 2009 17:12 |
| After a couple of mediocre pints during our crawl, we were delighted to find a good pint of TT Landlord here. A pleasant enough stop for a few but nothing exceptional about the place otherwise. fr21555 - 16 Feb 2009 19:45 |
| I really like this pub, friendly helpful staff, good beer and excellent food. I think it does have enough pub to resturant area and is nicely laid out. Blows most pubs in Winch away. ILBuono - 24 Oct 2008 15:41 |
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