Cricketers Arms — Restaurant in Eastleigh

Just popped in for a glass of wine on Sunday 15th October. We're able to take our dog and sit in the beer garden. (There is also a decked area with seating at the front) There were 2 water bowls to offer the dog a drink too and what looked like a beer keg which was on it's side and had a tap fitted. I'm presuming this would usually have water in it as one of the dog bowls was placed under it. There is plenty outside seating and a large 'TEEPEE' with seating inside it too. I was inside this when it was new and it was lovely, sadly it is now looking a bit tired inside. The seats are grubby and damaged and there were some cigarette buts on the floor. (I'd have thought a no smoking policy would be sensible inside this?) Quite a few of the tables had not been cleared but, I'll put this down to the fact that it was about 17.30ish on what had been a lovely Sunday afternoon and I am aware that it can get very busy. Although, one member of staff did come out to the garden and went back inside empty handed. Inside the the pub, seemed clean & tidy. The bar area was clear when I purchased my drinks & the staff were friendly & offered water for the dog. The lady's toilet was clean but, one of the toilet seats had come off and was on the floor which, I'm hoping would be noticed and dealt with by now. We didn't eat here on this occasion but, in the past we have enjoyed most of the meals & sharer boards that we've had here. All in all a lovely little pub which is in a good location with easy...

Great lunch for the rest of our party (of 6) - my personal experience not so great. Food served promptly and my mussels arrived at the same time as the rest but so volcanicly hot the server was struggling with the plate. However, mussels themselves were cold but broth and plate white hot.

Mussels clearly weren't freshly steamed, surmising probably frozen (?) given temperature and actual size (puny). The server's approach when dish was returned, laughable. He consulted the chef and returned with the same dish and said they'd been re-heated (blasted for a further, infernal session in the microwave (my guess)). When I expressed concern about hot broth, cold seafood just being reheated I was asked "do you just not like the dish". When asked could he guarantee I wasn't going to be ill, the surly server replied "I'm a bartender not a chef".

No acknowledgement, no apology, no offer of a replacement in fact no attempt at customer service from this place. Just an accusation that the food had been served 20 mins previous (more like 10) and the mussels may have gone cold. An excuse as limp and as minuscule as the offending mussels in their previously frozen shells. Other food relatively good - avoid...

It was busy. I get that it can get busy, we were told upon entrance that it would be a 45-minute wait for the food, but that is not the issue here. Firstly, the server was literally running about and screaming orders at people. At one point she ran up to our table, chicken burger in hand and repeatedly yelled: "CHICKEN BURGER" at our table before my shell-shocked colleague had a chance to respond, at times it felt like we were being dressed down by a drill sergeant: “HOW IS YOUR MEAL SOLDIER?”. Secondly, we also had around 20-minute difference between the first meal (the aforementioned chicken burger and the final meal, a jacket potato). I understand that different meals take different times - especially as we were a party of 7 - but how is that acceptable that the first person to receive food, had finished before the last person was served? The food was average pub fayre, I had the cheese and bacon burger, the burger was well cooked and tasty, although the chips were a little greasy for my liking. The pub itself is well presented and clean, as a whole there are worse places...