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Detail Pages
The Wykeham Arms, Winchester
Winchester
SO23 9PE
Pub Type
Fuller'sReviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about The Wykeham Arms
A superb traditional pub very close to both college and cathedral.
I won't repeat the accurate and extensive details given in the reviews below. Suffice to say that little has changed and the interior remains very traditional with the walls covered in pictures, hats etc, a lit fire or two and those characterful but deeply uncomfortable school desks.
As previously mentioned the emphasis is on food but the menu looked fairly ordinary on my cursory glance and they're still serving on wooden boards.
The welcome was friendly enough and the locals are chatty. It's worth noting that children under 14 aren't allowed in and those over 14 in the restaurant only. Dogs though are welcome in the bar.
Beer was mainly Fullers: Seafarers, HSB, Pride and Red Fox along with Flowerpots Goodens Gold as a permanent guest. Hats off to Fullers for stocking the latter as it's a good beer. The Red Fox was very good but a touch eye watering at nearly £4 a pint.
It's such a characterful place this that it's a must visit in Winchester and the beer is good, if a little pricey.
On 12th November 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Wykeham Arms
Nice traditional pub in the back streets behind the cathedral. The pub has two main bar areas and a couple of dining areas well described by previous reviewers. I particularly liked the seating formed of old school desks and the many old college-related items hanging on the wall.
It was an Eldridge Pope pub in the early 1990s and eventually it was taken over by Gale’s thus why it is now a Fuller’s pub.
Five pumps on the bar with London Pride, Gales HSB and Seafarers featuring, but also a non-Fullers guest in the form of Flowerpots Goodens Gold and the couple we tried were well kept.
We were lucky to visit early in the day when it was quite quiet but I could imagine it may not be the most comfortable place during a busy period.
As others have mentioned, it is a food led establishment but we didn’t eat here because it’s one of those places that uses lumps of wood instead of plates and charges you for the privilege.
But wouldn’t hesitate to return for a beer though when next in Winchester.
On 10th May 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2122 recommendations about 2001 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Wykeham Arms
A fine rambling pub to the south of the cathedral. Wooden floor, a central bar and various seating areas with tables made from old school desks and the like. Wall & ceilings are covered with artefacts, tankards, walking sticks, hats, the odd oar. Its all very charming, if expensive, and a nice place to relax.
5 real ales from Fullers (with the emphasis on Gales considering the location) and very well kept.
On 25th June 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Wykeham Arms
In the narrow streets behind Winchester Cathedral and close to the college is The Wykeham Arms, a well known 18th century pub.
2 adjoining rooms – The Nelson Bar and The Hamilton Bar – are furnished with a fine collection of old photos and prints. An area by a large brick two sided fireplace is devoted to Lord Nelson and The Victory ship. The main room also features a collection of walking sticks and drinks jugs suspended from the ceiling beams. Down one side of the wood panelled room, tables consist of old school desks complete with old ink well holes, reminding those of us of a certain age of our days at Primary School. Down the far end is a dedicated food area – The Coach House – which is well appointed and furnished with military memorabilia. A large enamel sign here tells us that the pub dates back to 1755.
Etched glass denoting “Coffee Room” gives us a clue as to what the adjoining room one was. This is now the Hamilton Bar and is similar in style, also including military memorabilia, including a splendid photo of the funeral of Winston Churchill, accompanied by an Order of Service. There’s also several photos and cuttings of one Vince Broderick- a former professional cricketer apparently – who clocked up 50 years as a customer in the pub until his death in November 2010.
The Wykeham Arms is very food orientated and has a good reputation locally. It’s not a gastro pub, but a definite step up from normal pub grub. Prices are on the high side. An “early bird supper” is offered between Monday and Thursday for two courses and three courses at £ 17 and £ 21 respectively.
Not surprisingly, there’s a rather upmarket atmosphere, enhanced by the absence of TV’s and fruit machines etc. It’s also a quiet, music free pub. Although drinkers only are not discouraged, they may feel more comfortable, as I did on my recent visit, occupying a stool at the bar.
Surprisingly not branded as such externally, it’s a Fullers pub. Beers on were London Pride, Bengal Lancer, HSB, Seafarers and, as a guest, Perridge Pale from the Flowerpots Brewery in nearby Cheriton. The latter - £ 3.60p – was a superb pint in excellent condition. The pub is listed in the CAMRA 2012 Good Beer Guide.
It’s not really a drinkers pub, but it’s definitely down for a return visit when I’m next in the area.
On 21st March 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Wykeham Arms
From the outside, this appears to be a fairly straightforward street corner pub, but once inside, a large, multiple room layout unfolds in either direction from the front door. The main bar is carpeted with dark wooden beams and a mixture of seating including some old school desks which ties in nicely with the pub's location near Winchester College. A collection of walking sticks are suspended from the ceiling and tankards hang from many of the beams. Moving through the doorway to the left, there is a second bar with bare floorboards, a large fireplace on the far wall and vast amounts of pewter jugs. Seating is a little more limited in this room, although there are some benches near the windows. Beyond this room is the restaurant area. At the rear of the main bar the pub extends further into a room set up for diners, with another fireplace and walls predominantly decorated with cigarette cards. A small, gable roofed room with a long table ideal for a medium to large sized group to occupy can also be accessed from this end of the pub.
This is a former Gale’s pub and they had Seafarers and HSB on alongside Fullers London Pride and Flowerpots Gooden’s Gold. I tried the Gooden’s Gold which was pretty good and it was pleasing to see a Fuller's House offering something from a local micro-brewery.
I was a little apprehensive that this might be a bit too pre-occupied by the food side of the business, but I thought the layout of the pub meant that it could easily accommodate diners and drinkers in pleasant separate areas. I enjoyed my time in this pub and would suggest that it makes for a strong double header with the relatively nearby Black Boy.
On 13th July 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about Wykeham Arms
A corner V-shaped pub of exposed brick, with beer patio, which also does accommodation and has a restaurant. In GBG 2010.
The interior had a nesting of rooms, a couple of which i couldn't see as we were shephered back as they were for diners only. The bar room was in red ood panel, nornal wood panel, exposed brick and a mustard colour. As my interior photo shows, there is a plethora of ephemera; tankards, brass, paintings, photographs cover the walls and shelves to the point that it looks like an episode from the Antiques Roadshow - and, as the previous reviwer says, you can even sit at an old school desk complete with inkwell. There was no music or TV. The service was really good, and the place was busy with a real mix of clientele.
Beer; tap stuff with Fullers London Pride and Bengal Lancer, as well as decent Gale's HSB and Seafarers.
It is fun to visit this ecelectic place, but it is very busy, which being miserable like me, is a drawback - hence i was please i got in during the day!
On 7th May 2010
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3067 recommendations about 3062 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Wykeham Arms
This doesn't look much from the outside, but is very pleasant and quite unexpected once you do venture in. Quite a large pub, with the first bar you get to geared more towards drinking with the rest of the pub being more food orientated. There's plenty to look at with the walls being literally plastered with photographs. Staff were friendly and helpful even to the extent of apologising profusely when a customer's dog ran from the bar in to the restaurart area - hardly their fault.
Food was very good and of a restuarant quality, and I understand it was recently awarded the Hampshire Dining pub of the year award. To be honest I find this slightly surprising - the food was good and I'd recomend it, but I can't believe it was the best in the county. If so, Hampshire is a long way behind Somerset.
Beers were Gales HSB and Seafarers, plus Fuller's Chiswik Ale and London Pride. Unfortunately the only cider was Strongbow.
On 6th February 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1951 recommendations about 1864 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
matthew hill left this review about Wykeham Arms
Strong associations with Winchester College. Quirky interior decor (you can sit at school desks to drink your pint). Once supplied by George Gales, now Fullers. Beer kept well with good range of hand pump real ale. Larger selection of specially sourced wines (you should read the wine menu!) Emphasis on food in the evenings, with limited interior seating. Large courtyard garden. Very easy to find and justifies its glowing review in other publications. Downside - meals can be expensive and you need to book well in advance. Limited and not too flexible area to sit and drink beer in the evening. Does B&B accomodation which is nice for a treat, but don't expect big rooms.
On 19th October 2007
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3 recommendations about 3 pubs]