The Fox — Restaurant in Basingstoke and Deane

We were looking for a suitable venue in the area to hold a funeral wake and booked with The Fox after meeting with Rob, who assured us that he & his team would look after us on what would undoubtedly be a very difficult day. We arrived shortly after the service to find the restaurant 1/2 full with other (jovial, happy, laughing) customers and a thin green net curtain strung up sectioning us off into a much smaller area. This is despite assurances when we booked that we would have exclusive use of the the entire restaurant for 3 hours. We tried to complain to Rob and the restaurant manager (we were too upset to get his name) who just said they were sorry and blamed each other for the mix up. Eventually, after much complaining, a large table of paying customers relocated outside so we were able to at least provide enough seating for most of our guests at the wake (thank you to them for doing this, they were obviously out celebrating - with much laughing coming from their group - and we really appreciate them moving). It is difficult to (politely) express how awful it was for our family, having just left the funeral service, to walk in to a room 1/2 full of strangers, with a background noise of fun & laughter. There wasn’t enough room for our guests to stand, let alone sit down together and reminice or grieve. If we could have left straight away and gone somewhere else we most certainly would have! The experience we had has made an awful day even worse. Please do not book here for a wake. I can’t really remember much about the food provided to be honest, it was ok I think. We paid 50% of the agreed cost.

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Izzy, thank you for your prompt reply to my comments above; if you agree that what we paid was insufficient to make up for the awful experience we had, then please feel free to refund the 50% we did pay.

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Update - 25 Feb

Rob at The Fox has contacted the family this morning and is arranging a full refund. He has also agreed to make a charity donation to Papyrus-UK by way of an apology. Nothing can change our awful experience but he does seem...

Just had to write a review to share what a lovely lunch we had here! The Fox had been recommended quite a long time ago and I believe ownership has changed since then. After seeing the menu online we decided to give it a try. The pub is very old school with a separate public bar and restaurant. The door was closed to the restaurant and we were never pointed in that direction so we are not sure if it was closed or if there was a private group in there (it seemed the person on the bar may have been training so perhaps she just didn’t think to send us that way). However, it didn’t matter as the unseasonably warm October meant we could sit out in the garden. The gardens have your traditional pub benches and you are in the middle of the countryside where we could hear the occasional whinny of a horse. What a treat to be able to enjoy all that in October!

I have to admit I was initially very underwhelmed upon entering the public bar, we love a traditional pub but we had gone out for a rare child free lunch and I was a little worried about what the food might be like. (It must have shown on my face as one of the friendly locals told me ‘it’s not that bad in here’!) I needn’t have worried, the food completely exceeded our expectations, proper traditional pub food but brilliantly done! I had the Brie and the bbq ribs, my parter had the haggis and burger. Both were good portion sizes and both delicious!

It’s so lovely to see these traditional pubs still running when so many have been lost along the way. The Fox came complete with a group of men sat at the bar like I’m sure many generations have done before them!! They were so friendly and welcoming, just like all the staff we encountered.

I was reminded of a very important childhood lesson - never judge a book by a cover! I would definitely recommend a trip out...

Family meal on Sundays Menu. This is a small pub, so if you’re a large family it might not be for you. It’s boiling in there so dress for summer conditions.

Food quality is good however some meals did come out cold. Cold roast potatoes on Sunday dinner is not great. Only 2 chefs during a busy Sunday trying to completed 15 + Meals. You see the issues here. The waitress did forget one starter but it was rectified and removed from bill. She was probably the best waitress I’ve ever come across. Bar forgetting a meal.

There’s young waiters here, they are ok. Your typical young adults that have selective hearing and sloth about the place with no real purpose.

This pub doesn’t have a drinks meal. I know, crazy right. The chefs are good. But over worked. They need another 2 in that kitchen helping. Would I go...