The Stag and Huntsman at Hambleden

Stopped for a light lunch. £18 for a stag and huntsman ploughman’s. It was billed as a light lunch ploughman’s with sausage rolls. ( is that more than one?) I doubted there would be more than one roll . However the meal was missing even one sausage roll or rolls…. And very little else on the plate. The staff were apologetic and provided a very small sausage roll (good quality) but the sort of size you would get from an M&S mini roll. The food was presented on the smallest of boards - literally a finger pinch of salad!. Great location - but really a rip off in terms of the food. Stopped at the village shop afterwards for a Mars bar …. Be prepared to be disappointed.

Best place I’ve ever stayed. Rooms and staff amazing. Garden is a lovely spot for a bit of lunch. Take a walk in the village there is a lovely river. The church is a very interesting place to visit. Josh is the best host I’ve had in a restaurant. He goes above and beyond.

Wonderful location and great staff who were extremely welcoming and helpful very pretty pub inside We stayed in one of their cottages opposite very cute but a little tired inside, there is one futon sofa to sit on so if more than 2 a little difficult. The bedding is of excellent quality The kitchen needs checking utensils and cups etc. It’s end of the season so hopefully after a refresh it will be back on track. That said it met our needs for one night. Would we return to stay - I’m not sure maybe when it’s had a refresh - can’t fault the pub - such a lovely place.

We booked out the whole accommodation at The Stag & Huntsman for the Friday and Saturday of our daughter’s wedding weekend as the marriage was at Hambledon Church and the Reception at a nearby venue. It was magical - just as she had she had always imagined. Having booked a year in advance we were a little nervous in these uncertain times for pubs and restaurants but we had no need to be. Our meeting in June with the manager Marius put any concerns to rest - this was ‘standard operating procedure’ for the Team and Marius himself had only recently got hitched so he “felt our pain!” On the weekend itself Marius had been sadly called home to South Africa for a family emergency, but his wingman Leonard was fully briefed and couldn’t have been more attentive. We had pre-assigned the rooms and cottages which made the check-in seamless and Marius had ‘sorted’ the shared public car-park for us (which is irritatingly now pay and display resulting in cars parking for free everywhere in the otherwise stunning Hambledon village.) There were a couple of minor room issues which were immediately and professionally corrected. The cottages for the ‘Gorgeous Gang of Girls’ were perfect although our apologies to the village neighbours if the fun was shared a little too widely - we won’t make it a habit… On the Friday evening we hosted a dinner for 30 members of the Bride’s family and friends (plus two dogs) in the private dining room -and we will never forget it. We had pre-ordered from the Pheasant event menu - the Sea Bass and Steaks being the most popular. It was served beautifully by the young waiting staff - on time and piping hot for all. The 10oz steaks in a particular were large and juicy although of course they were - this place is run by South Africans! The deserts were huge but all the plates were scraped clean! Crumble & Custard and and Crème Brûlée being the most in demand. The included breakfast on Saturday was important as we all had a very long day ahead. The typical buffet was fine and the choice of cooked breakfast brilliant - from Full English to Smashed Avocado via Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Egg - this is no traditional B&B ! It kept us going until canapés at 3 pm. We had a few complicated room changes on Saturday as some were leaving and others arriving but it all worked seamlessly and the cleaning staff couldn’t have been more cooperative. The smaller cottage was to be used as a Bridal Suite that evening so we added a few decorations. It was a late night but we had all been briefed on the out of hours return procedures and other than some alcohol-induced stumbling all got back to their rooms safely! Sunday breakfast, check-out and billing again worked perfectly with only minor issues immediately corrected. We all left Hambledon on a huge high and the Stag & Huntsman certainly contributed greatly to that - thank you to Marius, Leonard and the Team. Your hawk-like focus on “getting the basics right” certainly pays off!

A wonderful hotel with the charm of old England. Stunning countryside with a super sweet little village. The rooms are very comfortable with tons of charm. The hotel has food in house which is very good. Server Charley was really wonderful making our stay special. Easy travel to Henley on Thames or Marlow. We would stay here again and again.

Disappointed with service and meal, had a couple of meals in this pub recently, first night our meal was just about average, but at least the welcome and service was ok, but second meal was disappointing on all fronts , service was very poor, and to pay £30 for a six ounce Fillet steak was equally disappointing, with only two staff on that evening service was very hit and miss , mains were placed in-front of us before we finished our starter , then we had to go to the bar to pay as we were waiting an age to get the bill, all in all a poor experience for a pricey meal .