The Exchange — Restaurant in Test Valley

Just went here this afternoon expecting a cosy, happy atmosphere. However upon arrival it was very crowded and noisy, the tables were all too far together and in themselves were not very comfortable (though i will note the booths looked good, though you'd need to book on a very quiet night or bring a big party to get one). I was served by 3 ladies, 2 of which were excellent with happy smiles and happy to cater to my requests whereas 1 lady who was older was very obviously not interested in us so whenever she came over to ask if we'd like anything else she'd very abruptly leave after our response, she seemed very unhappy with her job and didnt make us feel welcome. The drinks menu was decent, with lots on offer, but for those not looking for alcohol, maybe a bit short. The food menu was a bit lackluster with not many options and those options not being very complicated, i went for a double burger with fries and asked for it to essentially be just the bun, 2 patties and bacon, the server reiterated this fact to me which i said yes to and then when food arrived i had a massive pickle just stabbed into the top of my burger, considering i made this very clear i didn't want pickle, im honestly clueless how this wasnt picked up on either by the waitress or the chef. Anyhow the burger was good but i noticed the fries were completely unsalted and there was no salt or pepper on my table, only sugar and sweetener for coffee, im unsure how a restraunt thinks sugar is more important than salt for the table but when i asked for salt i was handed 3 little packets reminiscent of mcdonald salt packets? Disappointed it wasn't in shakers, but that dissatisfaction had become a trend in my time here by now. That being said, the burger itself was incredibly delicious (though dripping with grease) and was presented nicely on a wooden board with the bowl of fries. Overall, i would not come back here unless it's for the bar, which i did not get to try but looks very promising with lots of selection and excellent presentation.

And furthermore, It was a huge disappointment as i believed romsey finally had somewhere really good to eat in its town...

We attended this afternoon tea with my daughter (3), and we were left very disappointed and were made to feel we were a hinderance. Firstly we turn up to be told that we hadn’t booked on the event despite phoning up, confirming the space and paying the deposit (£30) over the phone. The staff then made us a makeshift table from a table and chairs which had been outside all day, so we’re freezing cold as this was in December! They positioned the table in the middle of where the princesses were, so although we were at the front, we were completely in the way of the stories? Singing and dancing, tattoos and bubble machine, meaning our food, drink and us were being covered with bubbles. It also meant we had both children and adults surrounding our table trying to take part in these activities. The food was poorly presented, for example the icing was half on the cake and half off, and we got given a different platter than everyone else, and when asked if we had the allergy platter nobody was sure. We then tried some of the cakes which weren’t very nice and were clearly an allergen cake. The staff weren’t very attentive at all, they could be seen just stood around chatting, and to top it off we had an £80 bill to pay on the day too! A total of £110 for 2 adults and a child to attend a frozen themed afternoon tea with such poor service and to be made to feel like we did! When complaining, we were told to contact them after Christmas, which we did, however the person we spoke to just shrugged it off and said there was nothing that could be done, they didn’t care about the service they provided and no offer of a reimbursement, a voucher or anything to make up for this awful experience. The princesses were great but I wouldn’t recommend this event at...

The perfect venue to host a private party - a sleek venue, a fun and enthusiastic team looking after you, and lovely food/cocktails.

I hosted a private surprise 30th birthday party for my partner at The Exchange, with around 45 guests - I chose the Exchange for the event as I'd loved the decor and cocktails on a previous visit, but they still managed to amaze me!

Max (a real star), Meg and Naomi in particular were fantastic in the lead up to the event, ensuring we had a plan together for the night and that the food / cocktails on offer were exactly what we wanted. They'd liaised directly with the sound technician who set up the DJ booth on the night to save me some time. Plenty of people were available on the day to help us with setting up.

On the day, the whole team were so enthusiastic about making the event special for my partner that it really helped to create a fantastic atmosphere. Max often came to check on me to see if everything was ok or whether I wanted a drink (as I was so busy with guests I often forgot!). All the 45ish guests had a fantastic time. Above all, the team in particular made my partner feel special.

Thank...