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Picture of Haunch of Venison
Image posted by Quinno _
Submitted on Sunday, 26th November 2023
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Haunch of Venison, Salisbury

1 Minster Street
Salisbury
SP1 1TB
Phone: 01722411313
Correct details

Served areas

Reviews of Haunch of Venison (Average Rating: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Quinno _ left this review about Haunch of Venison

Has had a light refresh in the intervening years so the varnish now gleams brighter and there’s less of a dusty and sooty ambience – retains its *** CAMRA rating. Bonus ball is that it opens before midday, so an ideal start point for a crawl. 2x Downton and 2x Hop Back at the bar, ours weighing-in on the NBSS at 3, 3, 3.5 which is fair enough for early opening. Did notice that the one we didn’t try, Summer Lightning, coughed and spluttered through the pump and came out hazy, yet they still served it; so not quite the big win here it could have been (and GBG listed too, tut-tut). Still, you’ll not want to miss this one and starting here at 11.30am means you get to enjoy the interior without the attendant squawking of tourists.

August 2012
Salisbury’s most ‘tourist tick-box’ pub, which is claimed to be around 600 years old and is listed in CAMRA’s list of heritage interiors. Situated over a number of floors, the ground floor houses the small main bar whilst the first floor mezzanine holds a small drinking area which is also home to the mummified hand (to the left as you reach the top of the stairs, in a glass fronted hole in the wall). Up another flight of stairs is a restaurant area. The ground floor area is very attractive, with a solid pewter bar, oak panelled walls, chessboard flooring and a real fire. There is an interesting sign above the bar advertising live eels – one assumes that these are no longer available. There’s also a tiny snug (the ‘horse box’) accessed through a door – not obvious to find! Drink-wise, an unadventurous three ales (for Salisbury) were on; Hop Back, Courage Best and a Ringwood, alongside a number of single malt whiskies. Beer quality is ok but nothing to write home about. Prices for the beer come in (perhaps unsurprisingly) as the most expensive of the day. Seating is at a premium most hours. I enjoyed it here as a tourist and would make a point of popping for a quick half to take in the atmosphere (when quiet). Whether I’d make much of an effort to drink here if I were a local is a different matter. Rated 7

On 30th January 2024 - rating: 8
[User has posted 5043 recommendations about 5026 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about Haunch of Venison

This is a fantastic multi-roomed heritage pub in the centre of Salisbury, set across three levels. You enter through a small front porch with some nice etched glass double doors, into a very cosy front bar with a chequered tile floor, beautiful full height wood panelled walls with the odd bit of exposed brick and timber here and there, and a small servery to the right. The bar counter uses the same panelling as the walls, beneath a fairly high canopy with a ‘Live Eels’ sign on it and topped with a few decorative barrels. The nice mirrored bar back houses the handpulls in two banks of two and there’s a very nice old beer font at the right-hand end of the bar. The front right corner acts as a cosy little snug, with its own small doorway and enough space for a lone table and just a handful of customers. The rest of the room has hard bench seating to the front and rear, supplemented by a few low stools. A fine brick fireplace dominates the left-hand wall, with a lit stove inside on my February visit, beneath a nice decorative carved mantle. A few traditional paintings, books, clocks, lamps and the like add to the traditional, historic feel of the room and this aesthetic continues up some steps to the rear, where another seating area can be found. It’s another cosy space with standard tables and chairs, darker wood panelling and a second lit fire on the end wall. A staircase to the right leads up to a first floor dining room, which I didn’t explore on this occasion. Sadly, I was unable to locate the pub’s most famous feature - a mummified hand supposedly belonging to a customer who had been discovered cheating at cards - but I had seen it on a previous visit 15 or so years ago and I’m told it is still on display somewhere, after being stolen a couple of times in the past.
All four handpulls were in operation when I visited, offering a choice of Stonehenge Danish Dynamite, Butcombe Original, Exmoor Stag and Wye Valley HPA. A bored looking barman served me a well-kept half of the latter at £2.20 and I enjoyed this whilst chatting to a couple of the jovial locals who were surprisingly knowledgeable about the pub’s history.
I suspect this place feels like a bit of a tourist trap during peak season, but visiting on a relatively quiet Monday afternoon, I feel I really saw this place at its best. It’s a pub that rewards repeat visits, as the multiple rooms and plentiful features take time to fully explore. The beer choice has improved since I was last here too and their regular listing in the Good Beer Guide suggests the ale quality is consistent. I really enjoyed this visit and would say it’s a ‘must do’ when visiting the city.

On 21st February 2022 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Gill Smith left this review about Haunch of Venison

A quick visit here found real ales from Hop Back, GFB and Summer Lightning, plus Exmoor Fox which we chose and was fine. Very busy pub which seemed popular with locals giving a friendly vibe. Would have loved the time to explore the rooms in this old inventory pub but so many places to go to in a short time.

On 12th May 2019 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]


View more reviews of Haunch of Venison (14)
External web links for Haunch of Venison

No known official website for this pub.

Pub location see interactive map of local area
Map location corrected by Jonathan Wilde
Salisbury, 0.5 miles, 9 min walk (show)
Dean, 8.24 miles, 2 hr 39 min walk (show)
Grateley, 11.43 miles, 3 hr 40 min walk (show)
Latest updates View all updates for Haunch of Venison, Salisbury
30th Jan 2024, 16:41
Review submitted by Quinno _ amended by Quinno _
 
26th Nov 2023, 19:10
Picture submitted by Quinno _ approved

Pub Details

Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.

  • Accommodation : No last updated 21 February 2022 by Pub SignMan
  • Bar Billiards : No last updated 21 February 2022 by Pub SignMan
  • Beer Festivals : No last updated 30 January 2024 by Quinno _
  • Beer Garden : No last updated 21 February 2022 by Pub SignMan
  • CAMRA Discount : No last updated 30 January 2024 by Quinno _
  • Car Park : No last updated 21 February 2022 by Pub SignMan
  • Child Friendly : Yes last updated 12 May 2019 by Gill Smith
  • Darts : No last updated 21 February 2022 by Pub SignMan
  • Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 30 January 2024 by Quinno _
  • Function Room : No last updated 30 January 2024 by Quinno _
  • Hot Food : Yes last updated 30 January 2024 by Quinno _
  • Jukebox : No last updated 21 February 2022 by Pub SignMan
  • Karaoke : No last updated 21 February 2022 by Pub SignMan
  • Live Music : No last updated 30 January 2024 by Quinno _
  • Live TV Sports : No last updated 21 February 2022 by Pub SignMan
  • Micropub : No last updated 21 February 2022 by Pub SignMan
  • Pinball : No last updated 21 February 2022 by Pub SignMan
  • Pool Table : No last updated 21 February 2022 by Pub SignMan
  • Quiz Night : No last updated 30 January 2024 by Quinno _
  • Real Ale : Yes last updated 30 January 2024 by Quinno _
  • Real Cider : No last updated 30 January 2024 by Quinno _
  • Wheelchair Access : No last updated 21 February 2022 by Pub SignMan
  • WiFi : Yes last updated 30 January 2024 by Quinno _
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