The Bear & Ragged Staff, Romsey
Quick info
About The Bear & Ragged Staff, Romsey
On Stoneymarsh in Romsey, The Bear & Ragged Staff pours London Pride alongside other real ales, beers and ciders in a traditional interior split across multiple dining areas. The kitchen runs a Sunday roast with chicken, gammon and beef options, plus a lunch menu of ciabatta sandwiches and chicken or Caesar salad, and steak and fries also feature. It keeps set kitchen hours rather than serving through the afternoon, and the pub takes walk-ins with no reservations. Regular bike and car meets bring riders and drivers together here, and live music events run alongside them. The outdoor area is expansive, giving the terrace garden room for these gatherings as well as everyday drinking and dining.
Good to know
“Classic country pub with real ales and a menu of traditional pub-style grub, plus a terrace garden.”
- ReservationsWalk-in only
- AccessibilityWheelchair: entrance, parking lot, restroom
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention sunday roast, caesar salad, steak and fries and overpriced crisps.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention sunday roast, caesar salad, steak and fries and overpriced crisps.
Customer Review Summary
Sunday roast draws the most consistent praise, with diners calling chicken, gammon and beef "tasty" and crispy with generous veg, one even ranking it among the best they'd tried. Close behind, sandwiches and salads earn strong mentions, including a chicken caesar salad called "as good as it gets" and a ciabatta sandwich called one of the best. Steak and fries and jazzed-up ice creams with fresh berries also get singled out, alongside the outdoor terrace, live music and bike nights. Several note friendly, quick seating even without a reservation. But service consistency is a real complaint: one visitor describes being kept waiting fifteen minutes and handled by an "untrained" young staff member under a flustered supervisor, while a vegetarian diner found choices so limited they were left with defrosted bread and cheese. Another party balked at paying £7.50 for three packets of crisps alongside £14.20 pints. Reviewers otherwise repeatedly call the setting lovely and say they'd return.
Customer Review Summary
Sunday roast draws the most consistent praise, with diners calling chicken, gammon and beef "tasty" and crispy with generous veg, one even ranking it among the best they'd tried. Close behind, sandwiches and salads earn strong mentions, including a chicken caesar salad called "as good as it gets" and a ciabatta sandwich called one of the best. Steak and fries and jazzed-up ice creams with fresh berries also get singled out, alongside the outdoor terrace, live music and bike nights. Several note friendly, quick seating even without a reservation. But service consistency is a real complaint: one visitor describes being kept waiting fifteen minutes and handled by an "untrained" young staff member under a flustered supervisor, while a vegetarian diner found choices so limited they were left with defrosted bread and cheese. Another party balked at paying £7.50 for three packets of crisps alongside £14.20 pints. Reviewers otherwise repeatedly call the setting lovely and say they'd return.
Featured reviews
- Google user
“A surprisingly nice find, on the way back to the Midlands (the quiet way...) Has regular Bike and Car meets, live music and other special events. London Pride on tap, plus more real ales, and various other beers and ciders. Good food variety, using locally sourced ingredients, which is pleasing to see. Expansive outdoor area, great with the hot Summer this year. Lovely traditional interior, with plenty of dining options. I commented that the door on the Gents was like Arkwright's till...(Open All Hours - classic TV..) Probably the only pub outside Warwickshire that is called the Bear and Ragged Staff....? Fabulous pub.”
- Google user
“Stopped after a long journey and road closure came upon this pub by accident, looks lovely from the outside. However 15min to be seated, spoken to by an untrained teenager who was ordered to stop speaking to us and to help take orders out from the kitchen by want appeared to be flustered supervisor. Didn’t get any better when trying to place our order at the till when I asked what flavour juice carton they have for kids and told “it is whatever is on the menu!” Tried paying with an Amex which didn’t appear to go through so I asked do you accept Amex and the reply was “it would appear that would be no”. Nothing major but very poorly trained young staff with flustering management doing a poor service to what looks like a great pub from the road”
- Google user
“Popped in yesterday afternoon and had an amazing lunch I had the steak and fries and my wife had the Cesar salad. Her salad was as good as it gets as was my steak and fries. The staff were friendly and efficient what else could you want. Lovely place and definitely worth a visit.”
- Google user
“Myself and 2 friends went for a motorcycle ride and stopped off at this nice looking pub . We were all quite hungry so thought we will grab some food but unfortunately it was 5.30 and the kitchen was not open to 6pm . We bought 3 pints 1 Asahi at £720 2x Peroni at £14.20 which is top end price but ok . I thought il add 3 packets of crisps to my disbelieve 1x cheese and onion 1 beef 1 plain to a total off £7.50 . Total for this stop was £28.90 I expect the drink price but the crisp price no .It put a bad taste so we decided to eat at another pub we have now set a target to find if we can find a pub that serves crisps above this £2.50 . That evening we looked at 2 more pubs but the bear and Ragged Staff is still very much leading.🙁”
- Google user
“Family of 5 came for a Sunday lunch. What can I say first arriving at the pub we were a little concerned with the emptiness of the carpark. However, we were seated and served quickly. 4 of us has a roast and agreed it was up there with one of the best we had tried. Would definitely recommend and go back.”
Amenities
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
Show more amenities
- Accessibility· 2
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
- Wheelchair accessible restroom
Location
Bars near The Bear & Ragged Staff, Romsey
- The Four Horseshoes4.41,0876.3 mi away
chicken supreme, sticky toffee pudding, roast dinner
- 7.8 mi awayReservationsWheelchair accessibleOutdoor seating
fish and chips, sardines on toast, bavette steak
- Cricketers Arms4.12,2618.1 mi awayWheelchair accessible
sunday roast, burnt lasagne, eton mess
| Place | Rating | Distance | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bear & Ragged Staff, RomseyWheelchair accessible | 4.31,016 | — | sunday roast, caesar salad, steak and fries |
| The Four Horseshoes | 4.41,087 | 6.3 mi away | chicken supreme, sticky toffee pudding, roast dinner |
| The White Horse OtterbourneReservations · Wheelchair accessible · Outdoor seating | 4.2954 | 7.8 mi away | fish and chips, sardines on toast, bavette steak |
| Cricketers ArmsWheelchair accessible | 4.12,261 | 8.1 mi away | sunday roast, burnt lasagne, eton mess |
The 3 nearest bars by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
Similar Bars nearby
Browse more
Explore more of Romsey, or find Bars in other cities.