Wykeham Arms

We trusted the reviews on this site and they were absolutely spot on! I brought my husband here as a surprise for his birthday this week and we were not disappointed. We had a warm welcome on the phone beforehand, an offer of parking at the pub (which is not easy at the best of times in a city like Winchester) and even an offer of a provisional booking for supper, as the place is so well patronised that it is often hard to get a table.

In the event, we were already committed to the renowned Hotel Du Vin for dinner, but we can recommend the breakfast and lunch, which were both good.

The room was comfortable and charming and not at all noisy despite the pub below and the road below the window.

Definitely a safe bet and although not the cheapest accommodation, well worth the money. Highly recommended.

Now I'm not an easy woman to please. I notice things. Sloppy decor, disinterested staff, traffic noise, undelivered promises. They are all on my radar. Fortunately, the Wykeham Arms suffers from none of them. From the moment I phoned up to make a reservation to the minute we carried out bags out of the pub's front door I liked everything about this place.

Firstly, lets start with the staff. Genuine, fun, happy people, apparently doing something they enjoy and doing it well. A surprise birthday breakfast in bed was no problem - even though it had to be carried across the street and up two flights of steep stairs, it was still delivered with a smile and a "many happy returns". Every request and conversation is met with a kind of cheery helpfulness that just can't be faked.

The accomodation itself is charming. We were in the 'annex' - the old post office across the road from the pub. Our attic story room was clean, spacious, pleasantly decorated and overlooked the delightful courtyard garden and over the yards and gardens to the College Chapel behind. Housekeeping was thorough and discrete.

The pub itself is the picture of a perfect English town pub. Packed with paraphernalia of English public school life and a bevvy of loyal regulars it's the sort of place most of us would like to have at the bottom of our own street. The food was leagues ahead of traditional pub fare and left most London gastropubs in the shade too. The lamb was simply the best I've ever tasted. The wine list is comprehensive and unstuffy, with helpful tasting notes to guide you to the perfect bottle. The cheese board was generous and well selected and my request for chutney was greeted with a typical mixture of enthusiasm and humour.

My only regret - one of us was taken ill on Sunday so we had to go home earlier than planned - so I never got to try the Sunday roast...

Stayed at the Wykeham when in town for my sisters wedding. It is her favorite haunt & she knows the landlord well, which might explain the wonderful room i had above the pub. Food is just fantastic as is the atmosphere in the pub. It is as all English pubs should be like, but few nowadays are. Ideal for foreign visitors who hanker after that authentic experience. Staff were helpful beyond belief. Thank you.

This is the second time we have stayed at the Wykeham Arms and the food was just as good the second time around. However our only complaint related to our room "Redman". Only book this room if you are extremely short as the ensuite facilities are very cramped. It is impossible to stand up in the bath and try to use the shower attachment - so if you prefer a shower - choose another room!

Winchester was our favorite destination during our recent honeymoon, and we couldn't have found better accomodations and food than the Wykeham Arms. Located just around the corner from the historic and stunning Winchester Cathedral, and within walking distance of shops and pubs, more than any other place, Winchester and the Wykeham Arms made us feel like we were in England.

Our room was in the main building, and despite being above a busy pub, things were quiet enough for a good night sleep. The room contained a large ensuite bathroom, and a TV (which we never turned on.) We ate both dinner and breakfast at the Wykeham Arms, and both were excellent (we're now addicted to sticky toffee pudding). The owner, staff, and pub patrons were all very helpful, and the atmosphere was friendly.

The only regret we have about our visit to Winchester was that we didn't budget enough time to truly exprience this great city. When we go back, we'll be staying at Wykeham Arms.

We had a lovely dinner here (Feb 05), in this wonderfully decorated and charming old pub. Very friendly staff, good food and good prices (mains £11-14). Would definitely recommend it for tourists (although it was full of locals) given its traditional olde-England pub style - many of the tables are old school desks, it has hundreds of pictures and momentos on the walls, open fires etc. You really need to book though to get a table. The perfect place for dinner or a drink (extensive wine list as well as beers) in winter.

We stayed at the Wykeham Arms for one night midweek...to have a break. Winchester is a lovely place to wander around. Lovely cathedral and small charming roads.

The pub was busy midweek and had a great atmosphere.

The food is very good, a gormet pub. The breakfast is good too.

The rooms are clean, alittle old fashioned, but have sizable onsuite.

We had a great stay would recommend.

Every time I have stayed at the Wykeham Arms I have found the staff to be extremely helpful, the quality of the food on offer is always varied and of an excellent standard, it is always a pleasure to dine there, and being a chef myself I am usally quite critical of other establishments, but there is never any cause to complain about anything here as the service and food is always of an extremley high standard.