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Detail Pages
The Finch's Arms, Oakham
Hambleton
Postal town: Oakham
LE15 8TL
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Steve of N21 left this review about The Finch's Arms
This one has clearly undergone a makeover and repositioning since the previous reviews, as the front garden has gone and the internal space and especially the bar area remodelled and it is now more of a modern posh restaurant and 10 bed hotel than it is a pub. But there are certain reasons why it is worth a visit.
Firstly its location on the Hambleton Peninsula jutting out into the reservoir and as one of the few eating and drinking spots around and especially for a few miles when on the Peninsula, makes it a popular stop for walkers, cyclists and car propelled tourists.
But more importantly, it does very good food and also a couple of very good ales.
We actually used it in its capacity as a hotel for a three night stay and utilised it thoroughly as a bar and restaurant.
It markets itself as a 17th century English country inn, and although you get a bit of the age of the building in the remaining two small lounge rooms next to the even smaller two sided bar serving area, the larger dining rooms beyond, where the focus now is, are thoroughly modern in layout and decor, although some nice wood panelling in these rooms have been added to give a sense of the past.
Then beyond the dining area is an excellent stone patio garden space hemmed in by trees and bushes, but the far end does give a very good view towards the reservoir.
On the beer front the small bar top now supports three hand pumps but only two ales were available and TT Landlord and Old Session Hen were on for the duration of our stay and seem to attract enough attention to keep them regularly changed and in good condition.
As a pub experience my recommendation would be to treat this one now as a good restaurant where you can get a decent ale, but if you are here on a fine day in the summer months then the external garden justifies it as a stop just for drinks.
On 18th July 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2279 recommendations about 2135 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Finch's Arms
Very upmarket food-led pub on the Hambleton peninsula in the middle of Rutland Water. Various seating and (mostly) dining areas around the bar, and a very swish restaurant further back. Also has a small grassed beer garden at the front and a much larger patio area at the rear. Landlord, Castle Rock's Harvest Pale and Red Kite from Grainstore available from three of the four handpumps.
On 20th August 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8813 recommendations about 8813 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Finch's Arms
Close by Rutland Water, where we had a constitutional prior to the second day’s Rutland conquering and I got bitten by a horsefly. Anyway, this is an inverse horseshoe shaped place with flagstone floor, chunky wood furniture and a strange metallic contraption by the bar (an old beacon?). There’s a dining room to the rear and a beautiful garden with partial views over the water and Burley House. Four ales on; St Austell Tribute, Tim Taylor Landlord, Oakham JHB and Grainstore Red Kite (good nick and was less than I expected to pay). Whilst it isn’t aimed at the casual drinker, I thought it was a decent stop.
On 3rd August 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5657 recommendations about 5638 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about Finch's Arms
A country pub in local stone, with an extension built onto the side which at present stands out like a sore thumb, but should blend in nicely once the stone mellows with age. It's obviously food oriented, but a very nice pub to sit in with just a beer or two in front of you. The furniture is not too smart and off-putting, as can be found in pubs of this type, the atmosphere of a village local being maintained to a certain extent. Beers available on the three hand pumps were Castle Rock Harvest Pale, St Austell Tribute and Grainstore Rutland Bitter. I went for the last named and enjoyed it to the extent of having a second half instead of just the one (we had to cycle back to the nearby camp site after dark), but I must admit to having vocalised an "Ouch!" on being charged £3.80 for two halves, and had to gird up my loins for a return to the bar. Nearly £4 for a 3.4% ordinary bitter? They're having a larf, ain't they?
On 1st August 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 4392 recommendations about 4036 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about Finch's Arms
The Finch's Arms is a stone built pub that is the only pub on a peninsula that is in Rutland Water.
Once inside there was an oblong shaped room to the front,this room had a low beamed ceiling and a stone floor,there was a smaller room off this to the left and a seperate dining room to the rear.
There were three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Grainstore Rutland bitter which was a decent drink,the other beers were Castle Rock Harvest Pale and Pedigree.
The pub was very busy with very posh people who liked to hear their own voices,my brother got the drinks in,gave the chap behind the bar a note he never came back with any change,so he asked for his change from an older bar person who gave his change back grumpily.
We are not ones to moan about service,but the service here was crap,probably because we were normal people and not posh.
If you like very upmarket pubs full of posh people this one will be right up your street,we could'nt wait to get out of this hell hole.
Pub visited 19/10/2013
On 19th October 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]