The Best Restaurants in Lyndhurst, Hampshire, United Kingdom (2025)

Lovely local pub. I can't recommend this pub enough. The atmosphere is great, the service impeccable and the quality of the produce excellent.

I took my elderly mother here for lunch (she's 88yrs). Why? Because they do smaller portions for half price. Which for her was more than enough, and to be honest the smaller meal was plenty as well. We both had the steak and ale pie which was really tasty. Would I have it again? Definitely. Would I go back? Definitely. Do we recommend Waterloo Arms? Most definitely.

We had a fabulous meal here , found through Google reviews and so glad we did. The service was great , food delicious with good sized portions, good atmosphere and the fact we could bring our dog was a huge bonus ! Will definitely visit again if In the area and highly recommend ⭐️

Very cosy place, service was prompt, for starters we had cheesy garlic bread and halloumi sticks which were DELICIOUS - the best garlic bread I've ever eaten. For mains we had mac 'n' cheese with bacon on top and chicken burger, again very yummy, the bacon on top of my mac 'n' cheese was the nicest bacon I've had 🥓 For pudding we shared sticky toffee pudding which was lovely aswell 😋 Highly recommend! 👌🏼

Seriously yummy food, welcoming staff and brilliant atmosphere, we love visiting here. I could eat here every day!!

Seriously, look no further. If you’re around here, this is the must-go places to eat! An unassuming little restaurant, with the most hospitable staff. I love how all age kids friendly they are (look at the presentation of the kids menu and hearty portion!). For adults, the menu is an absolute delight! Not your usual standard Thai options, but be adventurous. Take your pick. You won’t be disappointed!

This restaurant came highly recommended by a friend who lives in the area. I booked a table for one as I was visiting the seaside on the day. Booking system is via texts/WhatsApp outside of opening hours (5pm it open on a weekday). The restaurant is right on the small high street so no parking available, however this spot is still a short walk from parking at the New Forest bit. First, I was asked leave as I walked in with my dog and was opting for the take away menu. As we were standing outside the owner popped out from the kitchen and greeted us and welcomed us in whilst choosing from the menu. Following this the waitress came back and offered us to stay in for a meal as that night (Wednesday) wasn't too busy. I sat with my dog by the window far from everyone else closed him in the corner with his treats and little rug. I was happy that I could stay with my dog in the end have a meal. I ended up having 2 starters and a soup as the duck dish I was after they didn't have. The crispy octopus was perfect, and the pork jerky wasn't too bad either. Tom kha was a bit too sweet to my liking, however the prawns were cooked well and had specialty mushrooms in it which was a great twist to the usual. All in all we had a great time after a long day at the beaches with the pup and just delighted that I didn't have to have a take away in plastic tubs in my car in the dark before driving back home.

An absolute delight! Chef Sutti is welcoming and knows what he's up to. We were there for a special event - a chef's table (5 course) specializing jn Northern thai cuisine and we came away happy, full and ready to go back. The portion sizes were perfect, with each dish carefully selected for taste, spice and different types of ingredients. They were paired beautifully one-after-another! I will be back !

We visited here on Friday for date night and were taken back by the incredible service in Dolce Vita. From start to finish all staff were extremely attentive and made us feel welcome from the get go. We really appreciated it! When inquiring about the wine menu, a gentleman explained and recommended each option to us. Food service was very quick and all 4 of our dishes arrived hot at the same time. The atmosphere here is perfect as even on a busier night the seating doesn’t feel packed. If you do come here please order the garlic bread! Pricing for the pizza and pasta is reasonable and all in all it felt like an authentic Italian restaurant that was a lovely surprise for our trip!

Lovely Italian restaurant in the heart of Lyndhurst. The service is excellent and the staff are very attentive and friendly. The food was very nice and very tasty and would definitely go back the next time we visit the New forest. Highly recommend

We ate here tonight totally unplanned and it turned out to be the best meal we’ve had since being in the New Forest! The food is fresh, tasty and seasoned to perfection and the service is friendly and attentive. A lovely atmosphere. Would recommend the Tagliatelle Gamberetti & the Spaghetti Carbonara, with a creamy lemon sorbet to finish! Thank you.

Lovely little family rum restaurant in Lynhurst. Reasonable prices for food and the quality was super. Loved that any pizza could be made as calzone. I had this and it was as good as I've had anywhere. I thought the alcoholic drinks were up at the more expensive side which was a wee bit disappointing. Overall we would thoroughly recommend this for a meal out.

Great location on the way to Bolderwood deer viewpoint. The food here is always 10/10. We had the homemade pie on this visit and in my husbands words ‘it was the best pie he has ever eaten’! All staff extremely friendly, a special mention to Kayleigh and the chefs very considerate of my food allergy. We are looking forward to our next visit and would highly recommend if you are looking for a friendly place to eat that serves great wholesome food.

Me and some family were in the New Forest and thought we'd go for a drive and stop somewhere for a drink. Very happy to have stopped here. Walking in to this traditional style pub, you're met with county aesthetics & decor, and the comforting smell of woody smoke from the fireplace. Along with a comparatively modern conservatory like dining area at the back. Sadly, we didn't dine here, accept for a few bowls of golden, crispy, fluffy chips. There is a great selection of drinks available. I went for a pint of Exmoor Gold. The beer was definitely well kept and conditioned, served at the right temperature. Amelia was a delightful, attentive and knowledgeable host. I enjoyed talking with her about the pub and the beers. She promoted the other ales available, graciously letting us sample them. I have to mention the garden. Probably one of, if not, the nicest pub gardens i have been in. I'm sure I will be back again in the future. Would love to stay and experience their accommodation. To me, this gorgeous country pub, perfectly encapsulates the New Forest.

We have just returned from a fabulous weekend in the new forest! Managed to secure a room here 5 days prior to our arrival with breakfast included. We brought our dog along and let the hotel know. On arrival they had left biscuits and poo bags in the room which I thought was such a lovely gesture. Rooms were SO clean and warm which was lovely to come back to after our 9 mile walk! Special thank you to the lovely cleaner who left the biscuits and the lovely lady who was serving our breakfast this morning - the service was brilliant and food was delicious! We will be back in the summer ☀️

Wow, what a treat! We'd booked in advance & were taken straight to our seat. It was my first time at Renoufs and the service was excellent, all the options were explained in detail including the delicious wine menu. Thank you so much to the brilliant staff. We look forward to visiting other Renouf locations in the near future.

Very nice place, the sharing board looked amazing and everything was very tasty. Would definitely go back!

In my 38.5 odd years on this earth that might be one of the top 3 culinary experiences I have enjoyed. Wonderful serving staff who feel like they go the extra mile for you. Also knowledgeable but happy to listen and then advise. The perfect balance. We had 4 wonderful cheeses (paid for one more) of a delicious board that included splendid charcuterie. We enjoyed the platinum white wine flight and the port flight....

Visited for a celebration. Staff were very attentive and knowledgeable, the wine choices were perfect. Our server took her time to walk us through the ordering process and checked in on us several times. We ordered the ultimate board and added a baked Camembert and partnered it with a ‘ballsy’ Rioja and smooth Riesling and it was all amazing. Wine flights were available to upgrade the experience. Would be great to see the brand expand to more towns as a great alternative for a night out. I highly recommend a visit here for good food good drink and an amazing atmosphere. Thank you for making our evening special

Very friendly and helpful staff, lovely atmosphere and perfect location for a spot of lunch. The food is outrageously amazing (try the cheese/tomato/pesto panini and the chicken ciabatta!). Love the dogs being around, all were completely relaxed and welcomed. Set up our afternoon walk perfectly!

Lovely, friendly family run cafe that caters for all sorts of dietary requirements. We stopped for breakfast and everything was cooked to perfection. Recommend the sweetcorn fritters, they were amazing.

I want to say a big thank you for our wonderful vegan cream tea we enjoyed today at The Greenwood Tree. We are staying in the New Forest for the weekend and we found this absolute gem of a cafe by chance. They serve a huge array of beautiful dishes and all the cakes look delicious. My husband and I are vegan so we were excited to see the vegan cream tea available. It did not disappoint. It was the best cream tea we've ever had. We spoke to the friendly owner and she told us she makes the vegan clotted cream herself. You can even buy it to take away. We highly recommend it to all vegans and non-vegans. It was absolutely delicious. There were lots of options available of vegan and gluten free foods and drinks. Even if you are not vegan, the cafe has lots of options and the environment is very warm and welcoming. The staff were all very friendly too. Thank you for making my husband's birthday lunch treat even more special.

This cafe is very popular - during the August bank holiday, staff were having to turn customers away as they were full. Thankfully, I arrived early enough to get a table without a reservation. The decor has a woodland theme and is tastefully done. This cafe has an excellent menu - large sections for vegan and gluten free items. In addition to the extensive menu, there's a large board of daily specials for hot and cold food. There's also a display case with freshly baked items. I had a vegan croissant with scrambled 'eggs' (chickpea flour) and avocado. The croissant was flaky and delicious, exactly like an all butter version! The filling was generous and tasty too. This was followed by a rhubarb bakewell slice. I love bakewell tarts but it's difficult to find vegan versions. This 1 hit the spot. Lastly, I was smitten with the possibility of flotted cream - a vegan alternative to clotted cream. I ordered a vegan cream tea to take away which had a large scone (choice of fruit or plain) a little pot of flotted cream and a small jar of strawberry jam. It was outstanding. If it hadn't been such a warm day (and with no access to a fridge) I would have bought a large pot of cream which they sell saparately. I had a strawberry milkshake with vegan ice cream and oat milk. I could have had 10 of these, it tasted so good. It was a little difficult to get the attention of staff towards the end of the meal because they were so busy, so patience is needed during the busy lunch time.

We liked this pub so much that we visited twice on a weekend, for food and drinks. Great pub food choices and a really cool design. The sandwiches we tried were delicious, and they had two different gluten free options. I tried the salt beef with emmental in the gluten free bun and it was very tasty. Highly recommended

We popped into this Pub for lunch this afternoon as a half way meeting place with family from the Forest. We all agree that the food was delicious and very good value for money. The service we received was exceptional and such a lovely warm traditional pub. We are so pleased to have found this place and will be back in the summer. For info, we had their large sandwiches, a child fish & chips, burgers. All delicious and very filling.

The pub itself is quite cosy with a nice atmosphere, the food was really good (the camembert in particular was very tasty). The service was okay, everyone was really nice but there were a couple of mistakes made. Would recommend overall 😊

Lovely pub in the middle of Lyndhurst and a great place to stop for a refreshing drink after spending the day exploring the New Forsest. Nice large outside seating area and nice and cosy inside if it gets a bit chilly. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Highly recommend a visit if your in the area.

Superb service from waitress Muriel. Despite the place being really busy she managed to retain composure and a smile. Food was really good and we're keen to return and recommend to friends and visitors. Plush surroundings, good value.

First time we have ever visited and dined at the White Rabbit which is pretty poor show since we have lived local for years..! Three of us for a Sunday lunch time we chose from the extensive menu our choice was of roast which was an amazing experience of freshly cooked food brought in good time during a full house, our table host was Bunny who could not do enough to make the experience so welcoming, Just perfect,

I recently dined at White Rabbit and had a fantastic experience. Our waitress, Nicole, was incredibly friendly and efficient, making us feel welcome right away. The food was excellent — fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. On top of that, the waiting times were impressively short, which made the whole experience even better. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone and look forward to returning in the future! 5*

We had a really enjoyable visit here! From the moment we walked in, the staff were so welcoming and friendly, making us feel right at home. It’s always lovely to be greeted with such genuine warmth, and their attentive service really stood out. The food was what you’d expect from a chain pub—nothing fancy, but well-cooked and satisfying. It was just what we needed for a relaxed and easy meal out. The atmosphere was comfortable, and we never felt rushed, which made the experience even better. Overall, it was the wonderful staff that really made our visit special. If you're looking for a friendly place with decent pub grub and great service, this is a brilliant choice!

My partner & I stay here mid week and very warm welcome, we had our first meal which was nice and breakfast was also nice. The room was so lovely and hot water which was lovely and staff were also lovely and helpful. Will be staying there again. Do recommend it to anyone.

Went on a holiday retreat for a week with my partner and I have to say it was a magical experience. Amazing staff, that always had an open friendly service that felt welcoming. As well as their breakfast inclusive with the stay. I always had the english breakfast that was very fulfilling to start off the day. Location was also great as right next to the Inn was a bike rental which we had for the day to explore the forest. As well as a bus stop close by about a minute walk to get us anywhere in New Forest. We will be definitely be returning again!

Just had Sunday roast at The Stag Hotel with the family. They have a great menu. We all had a roast on this occasion. The food produce, selection and presentation were all first class. Their roast will definitely satisfy your tastebuds. The portion size was perfect. All the staff are attentive and really friendly and the surroundings are relaxing and spotlessly clean. Highly recommended and we will be back soon. Thank you to the Stag Hotel Team.

Just back from a lovely stay at the stag hotel. Was a great location, the price was amazing and staff brilliant and helpful. The meal we had was amazing and the breakfast delicious. The rooms are very good too and comfy beds.Will definitely stay there again..highly recommend it!