The Queen Inn, Winchester

This pub has to be the most appaling in Winchester. Having experienced very average service and food once or twice a few years ago, our recent visits have been nothing short of disasterous. It must surely be the most shining example of a nice country pub in a fabulous location, that has been totally wasted on bad management. With all the opportunities in the world to make it a success, it has been left to dribble down the drain. One visit was for lunch. Not greeted for several minutes while the landlady finished her chat/drink. Ordered food and paid for it only to find out that on a weekday lunchtime the wait would be 45 minutes. Having waited over an hour we finally received one of the 3 below average meals (packet food, not exactly home cooked). To wait a further 10 minutes for the other 2 meals with not so much as a genuine apology or attempt to get the food to us any quicker. All a bit of a joke to the staff. Not so much fun for me in my lunch hour, and with my hungry parents. A subsequent visit meant that we were to see the landlady grooming her dog on the bar. We drank quickly and left. Most recent visit (to give it one last chance) was for an evening drink. We didn't have money on us so we checked it was ok to order just a couple of drinks and pay on a card. We were told clearly yes. We sat outside, enjoyed our drinks and when we came to pay we were told a card was not acceptable. We explained we had already asked and were told it was fine, only to have what I can only describe as a particularly vile member of senior staff 'bark' at us to say that we would have to pay. She was rude and clearly happy to start a full on argument with paying customers; incapable of talking to us in a normal manner. Keeping our calm and trying to quietly deal with the matter we eventually managed to pay and leave, only to go away massivley disappointed that this pub had reached such lows. If I were you, I would walk 5 more minutes down the road to the far more superior Wykeham Arms which has friendly and courteous staff, good food (actually home cooked and completely delicious) and drink and is without the incompetent, lazy, non-caring people who somehow manage to call themselves managers. Shocking and we will never go back.

4 Jul 2008 17:22