The Old Gaolhouse - JD Wetherspoon — Restaurant in Winchester

Don’t go there if you aren’t British, THEY ARE RACIST. Last Saturday some friends and I decided to have a nice day trip to Winchester and stopped for lunch at this local. We ordered some dishes with a beer included in the price. They brought the plates with the beers and they thought we looked young enough for showing our Spanish IDs.

We politely showed them and they started to scratch the birth date, bend them and use a ultra violet light. The waitress called her colleague and they continued manipulating them more and more aggressively. The rest of the diners started to look at us and we felt really embarrassed.

Suddenly, one of the waitress TOOK MY FRIEND´S ID WITHOUT ANY CONSENT AND DISAPPEARED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES while the other one kept scratching our IDs carelessly. After that, they said our IDs weren’t valid to proof our ages since they looked fake and they weren’t in their list of valid IDs (they refused to show that list). We tried to convince them to accept other things like our visas but they refused.

I am 26 and definitely look older than 18, but she said that she could’t check if I was over 25. After that and with our permission, they took our driving licenses and accepted to serve the beers. One of my friends doesn’t have a driving license and the manager offered a soft drink instead of the (more expensive and already paid) beer. My friend refused and asked for a refund but the manager said it was up to her manager and the refund was NOT guaranteed.

When they came back with the beers, the waitress put them on the table very aggressively and spilled some of it on my friend’s trousers. Far from saying sorry, she ran away.

Two British girls sat next to us and ordered wine, but no one requested their IDs despite looking much younger than me.

Since they refused to offer us a good service for not having an UK ID, I can say this was a racist offence made by the staff, specially Elisa, Sam and Laura.

Our Spanish IDs are approved by the UK Home Office as a valid proof of age, so companies located in this country MUST accept them and offer the same service to foreign people than locals and avoid this humiliation in front of...

GREAT NIGHT LET DOWN BY MANAGERESS

Despite queuing two hours to get in prior to Lockdown, we were sat at a small ‘dinner plate’ sized table by the front door in this particular Wetherspoons. Needless to say we sat with our coats on. Understanding the need for pre-lockdown two drinks and the 99p pints we were ok and found the funny side of the whole affair. The door staff accommodated us by trying to keep the door shut at much as possible and even the male managers apologised to us.

However, the manageress working on the Wednesday night before Lockdown 2 was by far one of the rudest, hard faced, difficult pieces of work I’ve ever come across in all my years. After receiving our food, a member of our party wanted some ketchup and other table condiments. As she was walking past, we politely asked if we could get some. Her reaction was to hold a finger pointed in the air and abruptly mouth the words “Can’t you see I’m busy? Wait there!” My jaw nearly hit the floor, the service we had received from ALL other members of staff was great. What was her problem? I tried not to judge on first impression. But she struck again! Using the app to order desert I had requested for my desert to ‘arrive later’. A couple of moments later and she’s here with my desert. Can’t knock the speed of processed food they turn out, but hey! You get what you pay for! I explained to her I had ordered it to arrive later, we still had a food sat on our laps due to the table size being inadequate. She told me that you can’t order food to arrive later on the app, I had to show her you can, poor knowledge for a manager I’d say. She then told me I had to have it now or never!! I was furious!! Couldn’t believe her attitude towards me and my friends. Not sure what to say I simply told her I would have it later as ordered. She took it away but not before mumbling the words, don’t think you will and stormed off!!

Great night, Good Staff, Great Doorstaff! Horrible...

It's a mixed bag here. Relatively reasonably priced drinks compared to other nearby establishments but a lacklustre service.

Last week was my first visit in about 4/5 years and I can see the decline since Pre-Covid.

I wouldn't eat the food here, the place looks as ropey as some of it's customers.

If it wasn't for the slightly sombre atmosphere I could have imagined a Nancy-esque figure to burst in and sing Oom-Pah-Pah whilst clanking around tankards of hooch. The wall light fittings look like they were made from torture devices, which I guess is fitting given the pubs name.

Good place to grab a cheeky one or two on your way in or out of the city to the train station, a pit stop if you will as you walk uphill to get there.

10/15 years ago this place was actually relatively nice for a Wetherspoons and busy, a nice mix of people choosing to eat in a place that was very good value for money but it just looks dated now, and lacks the atmosphere it used to have. The people in there looked as dejected as the decor.

It could be great again but it needs some TLC.

Hopefully once the cyclical economic wheel turns once more, and we the customers (and in turn the businesses that rely on our increasingly squeezed disposable income) are out of the depths of financial despair the place will get much needed investment. In the meantime whilst we wait to get out of the current economic hell we are living in, the staff could help make the place seem more attractive by being more proactive with customer service, knowing their products, and even extend to showing a little enthusiasm/willing when serving. Tired grubby places can get away with a lot and be seen as retro/full of character if the atmosphere makes up for other shortcomings.

Many an old pub/bar has managed this. Wetherspoons your greatest assets are your staff when they have the right training,...