Pubs in Winchester, Hampshire*

The place to go for a lazy afternoon, pub quiz or last call

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• Mix, the new cocktail bar in Winch serves amazing cocktails but very very pricey. Worth the expense at the start of the night when you're not too pissed to appreciate it!
• Sep 09 Roebuck on Stockbridge Rd was pretty good - decent beer and friendly enough
• I used to work in Greens, Muswells, Molokos, The st. James Tavern on Romsey Road, The Forester on the corner of North Walls and Parchment Street and i think thats it so i've been around a bit so to speak. It is typical of young "new" drinkers who are what we late Winch arrivers call "Winchester born and bred" or the "Winchester rich kids" to prefer such haunts as the Railway and the eclipse and the ship and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz yawn! I'll tell you, Winchester is like bloody Hollyoaks! n my experience anyone who is anyone knew everyone and well you've got something right the city is full of pretention. It pays to "know" your way around Winch. Once you become aquainted with the crew that circulate you tend to sail around town on a night out avoiding the queues and getting cheap drinks. Molokos was always a good night, yes full of certain types but still good. Always willing however to welcome "fresh faced" young ladies as eye candy for certain staff members, who shall remain nameless at the risk of defamation. Muswells, which became so grotty but oh so sentimental it was difficult to thrw away, is now stuck up Savvanah's and pretty much any locals who used to drink in there have been barred. And in hindsight, rightly so! The Forester as mentioned earlier has transformed itself into a gastro-pub extravaganza! Although small, the food is great, different and delicious. It is however, hidden away down Parchment Street. Its main man Martin is a delight to know and he has transformed the rooms upsstairs into funky, modern uber-cool bed and breakfast. If you can stay there, eat there, drink there. I just love it. The black bboy is always a boho option and worth the walk. Iguana's is no longer there.
• The running horse, posh pub/ restaurant, a bit special, lovely ppl
• the black boy, such a quirky pub, i love it! it shud do music!
• The Old Gaolhouse
• Mash,,,old market inn,,,eclipse,,,bishop on the bridge,,,Black boy if u wana c the drummer frm razorlight!
• New Queens Head Stanmore Lane Stanmore is just on the out skirts of Winchester. Live entertainment every Friday with disco every Saturday. Very friendly staff and management. All in all a great pub!
• Bakers Arms - but dischevelled and tatty but great atmosphere, can sit outside in the sunmmer, splendid chatacters!
• O'neils!!!!yeah boy!
• Black Boy is worth the long treck out of town (well, it's not that long actually). The Staff comprise of highly attractive ladyfolk and a landlord who likes croquet, you catch my drift?
• the Mash Tun used to be the best pub in Winchester, but unfortunatly it is being turned in to a family pub/resturant!!
• Oh, it has to be the Mash Tun - probably the only bohemian hippy pub in the world. But you can expect a friendly reception at the other pubs too. For a small town, publicans there are very tolerant as they are used to dealing with a whole range of people - tourists, students, sqauddies, families, and the large numbers of people who seem to be always passing through the town.
• The old vine every time. Students aplenty, gorgeous barmen who are nice too. Jukebox with all types of music on there. Great for a drink before heading to molokos. The royal oke also highly recommended, great old school tunes played and patio heaters outside for cooler nights. Great atmosphere for a night with your mates.
• The Railway has by no means closed down and is a great little pub - it has bands on every week and is open till 12 on a Friday and serves food till 8pm
• there are approximately 60 pubs in winchester......
• Loads and loads of these - much of them a mirror of the next - most appeal to beer festival types with unkempt facial hair, jeans slung low off their hairy arses and smelling of dank tobbacco.
• There are apparently 46/7 pubs! So, a task is to go visit them all. The County Arms on Romsey Road. Nice family pub, attractive blue lighting, good drink at...okay prices and nice food until 7.30pm. Good Sunday roasts. However if ordering the lasagne, be warned, it has enough cheese on it and grease to kill a small cow. Tuesday night is karaoke night. Go along for a drunken sing song after flopping up the hill from town, join in, or listen to the old classics being killed by drunken old men. The old men specifically like new fresh faced young ladies, and are always moaning 'Freshers' in September/October time. If your not a regular or 'local', or in fact not blood related, or in fact, not the owner of this pub however, you can feel a bit outcasted and stupid. In an unconscious "something doesn't feel right" here. A bit Royston Vasey/League of Gentlemen/Local Pub for Local People feel here. The Weatherspoons. Or 'Spoons' as it's called. Need I say more? Cheap drinks, like jugs of Monster Reef for about £4.99. Nice grub, especially on Sundays. Good on Saturday nights, but full of squaddies on their way to Greens or Muswells. Good drop off point before your next port of call when out on the town.
• Must just reiterate that the Mash Tun and the Railway are the best pubs in Winchester.
• The pubs in Winchester are dare I say it actually quite ok. The Royal Oak is good for a quiet drink with friends, the Gaolhouse is quite good though avoid on Friday nights as it can get pretty squashed and I don't think they play any music, Bar Iguana has also opened cool for students during the week, dance floor and live dj also nice for a coffee during the day as comfy sofas you have to pay after nine. The Porthouse is actaully quite cool though the arrangement of its dance floors means that you get a load of dodgy men ogling from the balcony a good laugh though and quite good music you have to pay after nine
• sure, NO pub EVER served a minor...hah! O'Neill's serves the best pint of Guinness in the city in my opinion (ask for it EXTRA cold). whykeham arms is quite a difficult pub to find but if you do find it it's got a really nice atmosphere and the beer is pretty good too, it's near-ish the cathedral grounds. railway inn near the train station is good (nice john smiths)
• I cannot believe the grief that Greens Wine Bar is getting. It is no longer filled with up-your-arse rugby players. Greens has always been a Sports Bar and people that don't turn their noses up try and have a bit of fun might actually enjoy themselves. If you can't do that then off to Muswells for you!!!
• good spots include the gaolhouse, bar iguana, and most of the other pubs along the top of town, aloso Molokos is a good vodka bar (down by the cathederal). For the more 'FRESH FACED' among us there has been a very noticeable clap down in Winchester on underage drinking, of coarse I agree with this, and as I am of legal drinking age (1 month!) I solely disagree with underage drinking as I have never stepped foot in a pub or other licensed venue in my life - hows that?!
• The best pub ever, with the best landlord ever, The Ship.
• The mash tun has a great beer garden...sun all afternoon..perfect for the summer afternoons
• The Cricketers in Easton, Geoff the best landlord in the world, great new beers every week, ace jazz band Wednesday nights (with sexy blond busty singer !!)
• Hey i know strictly speaking i shouldnt be adding to this, i've never been to winchester, but could anyone help me? i'm moving there from London this summer, and i dont know ANYTHING about it. Does the night life compare to london? yay skaterz @ peter symonds =o) i've applied to go there next year. Anyone else go there/going there? get in contact plz, i know no-one! Anywayz thanx a million. kim. (babs_uk_2000@hotmail.com)
• The Vine. Go there, it's wonderful, they wear furry shoes.
• Forget pubs get down the espinery shelter- YOU KNOW IT
• O'Neils has just opend, WOW, another chain pub, lucky us! Looks good though. Greens, the Royal Oak and Moloko are the faves @ the moment, packed with the young, the beautiful(or the not so!) and the pissed
• Theres a new Vodka Bar in the Square, just by the cathedral... great once you're inside, but get there early... queues can be long!
• Loads of pubs in Winchester,the worst has got to be the Wykeham Arms as it useed to be run by some stuck up git that had the road blocked with a bollard under the arch near his pub.One of the 1st pubs in Winchester to have a "no smoking bar",full of people that look at you like something the cat had dragged in.Definately a place to avoid.
• The black boy - a bit of a walk but well worth it if you want to get away from the crowds on fridays and saturdays.
• Muswells does cool cocktails if you like that sort of thing.
• The eclipse - round the back of Boots in the square is quieter than most places on a Friday or Saturday night, however The Royal Oak has the best atmosphere and prices in Winchester.
• The Mash tun of course
• Fuge and Firkin is most popular with sixth form students, old Gaolhouse good - cheap on student nights (tuesdays) and quite on Friday nights, Old Monk popular and good as it stays open til 12pm
• Mass influx of pubs around Jewry Street - The Jailhouse, Muswells- too posh and full of young boppers on Friday nights, Greens Wine Bar - full of cliques on Fridays, Fuge and Firkin - not cheap, but usually quiet - avoid on Fridays - hot and squashed.
• Winchester has offcially the most pubs per capita in the whole country only two night clubs though, but hey who wants to crawl to them anyway when you've got out of your skull on Winchester beer!

  Muswells

  Best place for hooking up on a Friday evening - you see quite a few skater-types and hip-hop kids around (not that Winchester has any sort of impressive scene but if it did, they'd go to Muswells). Beer is a bit pricey but all my mates go there, so... [But:] There are much nicer pubs than Muswells (full of trainee Yuppie types!)

  Louisiana's

  Bar downstairs, club (called Oo's or something) upstairs. They have happy hours early on Friday's (8:00-9:00) but pricey(ish) otherwise.
  Louisiana's has closed down now but there is now a good venue at the Blue Dolphin every week.

  The Baker's Arms

  Locals pub, can get a bit rowdy on a Friday night. Cheapish beer though.

  The Porthouse

  Over 21s sort of pub/club thing. Middle-aged couples frequent it - avoid.

  The Royal Oak

  Real ale type pub. Quite a few different beers, ales and bitters but doesn't have much of an atmosphere to it. Quite good prices.

  The Vine

  Popular student pub, gets packed on a Friday night. Quite nice but always too busy for my liking...

  The Guildhall Tavern

  Nasty looking bouncers so I haven't been in. Its supposed to be quite good though.

  The India Arms

  Rowdy local pub. Very loud music.

  Mash Tun

  Heavy metaller's pub - avoidavoidavoid. [But:] As for the comments concerning the Mash Tun, how dare you? The last time I saw a metaller down there was under the old old management. Since Pete and Gary took over, it has become the unofficial Art College union, has a great atmosphere and is full of lovely people who will be only too willing to point you in the direction of whatever you may need.

  Railway Inn

  Sometimes have the odd blues band - I've never been in it. [But:] this great pub full of biker types and live pub bands with a good atmosphere and stuff - has shut down. At least I think it has!

  Wykeham Arm

  Very nice sophisticated pub: no juke box, but some very Sloaney people. Beware of ordering food - you probably can't afford it!
  It has won several inn of the Year awards - about six I think. It has an exellent atmosphere.

• New bar: Barringtons where Louisianas used to be. Muswells is shit, full of pretentious types.
• the mash is great, just like sitting in your own living room, but with beer
• Greens Wine Bar-full of rugby playing, head up arse tossers these days. Used to be bloody nice mind!

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Last updated: 2009-09-11