The Shoe Inn, Romsey

E TA left this review about The Shoe Inn

Recently reopened, The Shoe isn't sure what it wants to be. It is an old pub, as evinced by some of the architecture which has been exposed by recent, half-completed renovation work, and some which has always been on show, such as the chimney breasts at either end. There is a new, gravel car park at the side, but not much by way of garden. Inside, the long bar at the front has a tiled floor and the aforementioned fireplaces at either end. One end is a comfy seating area with a couple of chesterfields, the other has tables for diners. A second, larger room at the end furthest from the car park is carpeted and has a pool table, TV screens and more seating. The new owners bill the pub as a gastro with rooms. Rooms it certainly has, but the very limited and somewhat cliched Indian menu, reinforced with chilli con carne, puts it way off deserving the gastro tag. The young barman was pleasant and helpful, though the landlord seemed a bit less engaging. There were only a couple of customers in, they all seemed local and included a young, loud feral child. There were two handpumps on the bar, both dry, so no cask ale or real cider was available. The choices were Hawkstone Lager and IPA, both at ridiculous prices, plus Neck Oil, Guinness, Inch's Riversider, Thatcher's Gold, Moretti, Heineken and Amstel. Apart from being convenient for the A36, it's not somewhere I'd choose to stop in future given the competition in the area.

On 3^rd November 2025 - rating: 4
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