The Knowhere Guide

Eating and Drinking in Basingstoke, Hampshire*

Basingstoke, Hampshire Pubs, Cafes, Coffee Shops and Restaurants

Food

• Husseys Bakery does THE BEST SANDWICH IN THE WORLD for just 1.99 - Roast Pork (hot), apple sauce and stuffing!!!! It's like a three course meal all in one!!
• Not very good, need a car to go to places in the country, or somewhere like Alton or Winchester. We always seem to end up at the Italian opposite the Red Lion which is alright, but pretty basic. There is another Italian in town, expensive and overrated. Best takeaway indian is Tuli Tandorri, best sit down place is on Church St, forget the name. Chip shop, Olivers at Old basing. Palmers is good but expensive. Generally lacking in variety. I like the Italian in the centre of Alton, and the Thai is really good too.
• Yeah, these are increasing. Loads of Indian, Chinese and Chippies. Also some kebab shops and vans. As far as eating in goes, the choice is not as wide. A few Indian places, only a couple of Chinese, 2 Italians, 1 French and pubs that serve food and places like Harvester and Beefeater. Not enough classy joints to take your girlie to and impress her. I mean you wouldn;t want to propose to your girl at the Chicken Ranch really, would you?!!!
• Eat in restaurants, there is only the Curry Garden at Mount Pleasant. Take aways include New Dynasty Chinese, New Standard Tandoori (EXCELLENT), Dominoes Pizza (SLOW). You need to go out of Tadley for a decent sit-down meal. Sassos at Kingsclere is the dogs wotsits.
• Boring and totally non-exciting.
• There is a good Indian Restaurant by name of "Kashmir" in the town center very near to Mcdonalds. Enjoy
• Sainsburys etc. ( quite alot of food in there I've heard.)
• Joes Kebabs. Mmmmmm, lush. Also the burger van outside the station late at night. If you don't mind being harassed by drunken fuckwits.
• the skewers now does a very cheep but filling menu £2.99 all day breakie
• Blades bar at Basingstoke ice rink do some quality grub!
• Sainsburys and Tesco's, oh and there is a Safeways as well. Shame Robert Greigs closed down. Restaurants? Don't be stupid.
• Good places to eat with good service - Palmers stay open late, Blue Juice is ok, several Indians very good and cheap, Yates wine bar, London Street, very lively in the evenings, good choice of music, good food during the day and cheap. Chicago's, brilliant, loud music 60's & 70's Thursdays, food not too good but very friendly. Red Lion, bad service and crap food, cheap place to stay.
• Cafe Rouge. Too nice to succeed in Baz. Wayne and Waynetta won't be able to read the menu.
• The Food Hall closed on 15/08/98!! Not that good, but with it gone the choise is even smaller, unless you find one of the numerous pubs!!
• Get a really decent breakfast at the Haymarket Theatre from 9.00 am. They are also opening a lunchtime wine bar which might be worth a taste.
• Not much in the town centre. A surpluss of pizza places, can't someone come up with something new? Also all the places seem to shut early, particularly on Friday and Saturday so if you go to the Haymarket or Anvil about all there is open when you come out, is McDonalds!!!!
• Usual fast food joints, steakhouses and department store cafes.
• Hee's Chinese Restaurant next to the Town Centre Library is worth a visit.
• Dominos Pizza, free delivery, best around.
• Marks and Spencer, also Oliver's chip butties rule and they now have a restaurant extension.
• Chicago Rock Cafe, a loud pub on a Wednesday/Friday/Saturday night. Good food at a very reasonable price.

Pubs

• Quite a few opened up in the top part of Basingstoke in recent years. The Litten Tree, Chicagos, Hogs Head, Feathers, George, Red Lion, Drakes, White Hart, Hop Leaf, Winton, New Inn, Bounty, Bass House, all within the immediate town. Depends on what you like really.
• Plenty of 'em, and I wouldn't be seen dead in any of them. Rough as hell, and so are the clientele. Nice little country pubs further out, like the Calleva Arms at Silchester, the Pineapple at Brimpton and the Plough at Little London.
• The pubs are seriously sad compared to London or Brighton.
• The Kestral - superb atmosphere, fine food and interesting clientele. what happened to the fish tank?
• I can't believe you have to queue to get into a pub in Basingstoke. Who the hell would want to drink in Basingstoke?
• Queens Head - avoid on Friday lunchtimes - full of IBMers
• The Tart, where have all the CURRENT QMC students gone to. When I go back there all I see is ex students who used to drink there when I was a student.
• skewers good beer good atmosphere
• Hang on there, you have neglected to include that fine, rustic watering hole conveniently located toward the western end of Basingstoke....That's it; THE HAMMER and TONGS...without question THE best chicken and chips on a hot skillet ever and all for just 2.99. Cooked to perfection by either Maureen or John and once you have eaten your fill of chicken and chips you can push the little piece of obligatory garnish (half a tomato) around or maybe even eat it...Local celebrities include lookalikes of Saddam Hussein (who always used to win the Sunday lunch meat raffle), Toulouse Lautrec who has worn the same suit since the coronation, Henry the walking chimney who smokes three fags at the same time and other numerous waifs, strays and vagabonds....Oh how I miss it....LC now in NJ/USA
• New pub in the town, the Litten Tree. If you like under-drinking age would-be townies then this is for you on the saturday night. During the week, you can be 'ejected' for having 'inappropiate footwear' (aka Trainers) come 8pm. class bouncers. class place. totally townie.
• White Hart opposite the police station is basically a circus, with a regular freak show every friday night. Basingstoke weirdo's convention. Instead try the Hogs Head, very nice decor (which makes a change), and zero on the freak- o- meter.
• Oh yes, The White Hart. The ultimate student pub. Not any more. It used to be packed with millions of QMC students (myself included) but now is inhabited only by losers in their 20s who will never escape 'Stokie. Come on QMC people, stop this mindless transformation into BCOT clones, get yourself out of the George and down the Tart. Future generations are relying on you!
• Hogs Head - new pub and full of young people having fun, Yates wine bar bit busy Fridays but good atmosphere. Cafe Rouge nice happy place, Shamus' Irish bar - needs a bit of something (to say the least). Feathers - been around for years, loud Karoke night on Thursday's good place just to get pissed.
• Try the Fox and Goose, Greywell, near Hook. Take the opportunity of seeing the Greywell Tunnel (Basingstoke Canal) a couple of hundred yards away - I saw a bat, a rat, a carp, a deer and two cootes on nests with chicks peeping out, all in twenty minutes and three hundred yards - and that was before I'd drunk anything. Brilliant.
• White Hart or Feathers if you like that cramped young clintele feeling. George if you like loud music and standing in alleys. Chicago's for those trendy 20 and 30 somethings. Seamus's Irish theme for a decent drop of bear in town or the Swan, Sherborne St John for a quiet country pub.
• The New Inn - on Sarum Hill. Live (unplugged) music on Wednesday evenings. Live music and very lively atmosphere Saturday Nights. Decent juke box, (60s, classical, 80s, modern - some lent to the landlord by regulars). Regular "special" do's such as Xmas beach party, indian nights etc Near BCOT, lunchtime menu reflects this with lasagne and chips etc student specials for just over a pound. Home of the NIDs (New Inn Druids - summer solstice to Basing-henge musical walk etc).
• BUDS bar next to Ziggys, has a large snooker hall, and about six pool tables. Friday/Saturday night one pound for any drink in the house between 8-10. The DJ is not bad but he should concentrate more on playing the music instead of cracking stupid jokes.
• The White Hart is packed full of wannabies, and is really not worth a visit unless you are a college student looking for a lousy pint in a plastic glass, this is every Friday and Saturday night. The George on the other hand has to be one of the better pubs around. A loud busy pub that serves a good pub with a resident DJ on Friday and Saturday night. Licenced until 12 so you can have two extra pints before being kicked out. A word of advice, if you want to stand inside you either have to be there early or get there after 11:30, because between opening and 11:30 there is no room inside. Everyone floods into the alley. A good pub for socialising. The Bass House, servers good food on a Saturday lunch time. The Skewers, (London Road) A really good local pub that has a great pub and a good crowd behind the bar. Well worth a visit on a Sunday night!
• I feel that you missed out probably the busiest and best pub in the town when you go through the pub guide in Basingstoke. The George situated in the town centre has a DJ every Friday and Saturday Night as well as a 12 o'clock bar extension. If you go to town at the weekend, this is the place to be as it is packed with people and the beer flows!
• The White hart is full of people who look like they're 15 year olds, it's better to go to The Hungry Horse in South Ham.
• The White Hart pub, ultimate student hang-out pub, opposite cop shop.
• Mill-House in Old Basing, very good real ale Pub next to a good restaurant, Bartons Mill.

Cafes and Coffee Shops

• There are one or two - hopefully there will be some more in the new development. Fingers crossed a Starbucks. Please God (love their coffee).
• Coffee shops in town are much too expensive. Others must think so too as they don't go there.
• Finally, Goodbye Market Coffee house and Mr. Munch
• Plastic

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Last updated: 2007-06-14