Plough & Barleycorn — Restaurant in Havant

We visited today for a special Mother’s Day celebration, booking a table for 17 guests and sending a pre-order in advance to ensure a smooth experience. Unfortunately, the visit did not go as planned.

After confirming our pre-order twice via email—once immediately after a call on Friday to say it hadn’t been received—we didn’t hear anything further. On the day of our visit, all 17 guests were seated by 2 PM, but by 3 PM, no food had arrived. When we inquired, we were told it would be another 20 minutes. Shortly afterward, we were informed that our pre-order hadn’t been received at all. I explained that it had been sent twice, and the manager reiterated it was not on file.

I was surprised that no one had contacted me a second time if the order was still missing, especially since I had previously been called. Additionally, a sign at the bar stated all orders must be placed there, but since we had pre-ordered, we didn’t realize this was relevant. I was also told I hadn’t advised the staff when all 17 guests were present, but this policy was never communicated, and by 2 PM, all were clearly seated.

After showing staff the original email on my phone, the children's meals were brought out promptly, followed by the adults’ meals. Most dishes were enjoyable, with 14 out of 17 meals tasting great. However, one meal was missing, and the explanation about the delay was inconsistent.

We expressed our concerns about the service, and while a 20% discount was offered, we were then told we wouldn’t receive the Mother’s Day gifts being handed out. Later, the manager told staff to "dump" the gifts at the table, which felt dismissive.

This experience highlighted the importance of clear communication and proactive service. We understand busy periods can be challenging, but better handling of pre-orders, clearer policies, and more attentive service would have made for a much better experience.

I appreciate the effort of the staff to resolve the situation, but we left feeling disappointed on what should have been a special occasion. We hope this feedback is taken constructively to ensure smoother experiences for...

We booked in last minute for Sunday dinner – 8 adults plus a baby – and fair play, they managed to fit us in. The staff who served us were pleasant, food came out fine, and the kids were being… well, kids.

To be clear: they weren’t charging through the bar screaming like extras from Lord of the Flies. They were sat in the little unused foyer area by our table, moving between chairs, playing their games, not near any other customers. We’ve eaten out plenty of times and never had an issue anywhere else.

Then, out of nowhere, a lady swooped in like the self-appointed “Child Whisperer” of Waterlooville and announced: “You need to control those kids or the staff are going to tell you off.” The irony being… we’d already seen her behind the bar, so unless she moonlights as the local neighbourhood watch, she was the staff.

It killed the mood completely. Some of our group finished eating while the rest of us took the kids over to the park instead. And this was a Sunday afternoon, not late, not rowdy – just families having a meal. Even the other locals didn’t bat an eyelid.

As for the food, it’s what I’d describe as “going round someone’s house for dinner.” Perfectly edible, you won’t get food poisoning, but also not something you’d rush back for. More of a “thanks, but next time we’ll grab a takeaway” kind of vibe.

So: • Staff who served us – pleasant. • Food – homely. • Atmosphere – ruined by an unsolicited parenting masterclass.

If you’re looking for a family-friendly Sunday pub, I’d say make...

Me and my husband had decided to have a meal out to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary which is today 17th October but we had our meal on Saturday 15th October. I called the pub to book a table 2 days before no worries. I did receive a phonecall on Sat to ask if we were having food or just drinks, I confirmed that we were eating. We arrived just about on time, very busy pub, spoke to a lady at the bar and we were taken to another lady who was clearly so very busy (we didn't know that there was an Elvis tribute that evening) she organised a table for us she was very kind. Easy to order at the bar for drinks and food, hardly any wait time for food. We ordered steak and lasagne. There was a tiny mix up with chips sorted very quickly. Food was delicious. They checked up on us several times no worries we were enjoying ourselves. We ordered desert chocolate fudge cake with ice cream and sticky toffee pudding with custard absolutely yummy the best we have ever had unfortunately I couldn't finish mine as I was stuffed. Wish I bought the leftovers home. We would recommend this pub to anyone. We would defo...