My friend and I set off from London's Waterloo station on a 45 minute journey out to the Hampshire countryside to escape the hustle and bustle of London. We stayed in a delightful cottage amongst grandiose homes set in park-like properties. After spending all afternoon relaxing...we weren't sure what to do with all our spare time so we set off down the road to the 'local' pub. What we found was far from an old English pub full of farmers and dirty gumboots, but a very warm, sophisticated drinking establishment with a stellar wine list, and menu!
Where: Tolford, Hampshire
Who: My friend and I, sitting by the open fire and a mix of shooting groups, cyclists, locals and walkers
Food: Delicious hearty pub fare with a modern twist
Drinks: A Chianti red by the fire and then 2 delicious bottles of Sancerre at the bar for dessert
Service: Excellent. The bar manager even provided a taxi service and dropped us home down the country road after dinner
Clientele: A mixture of shooting groups, cyclists, locals and walkers and of course a couple of girls from the city
Ambiance: Convivial, warm and friendly like that of a mountain chalet
Bathrooms: Great
Saw: Some really friendly local people, and lots of dogs standing at the door. We also took a sneak peek at the boutique accommodation upstairs for future reference. The bedrooms are modern, with power showers, flat screen TVs and crisp linen sheets.
Would I recommend to a friend: Yes. I would like to take a group of friends back there for the highly acclaimed Sunday lunch.
Also been there before and its a real country gem! Lots of local produce and tasty wines. Highly recommended.
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