Reviews of River Rat

Visited for the Halloween quiz night. I had an absolute blast, well worth coming. The place was full of friendly patrons, atmosphere was great. I enjoyed the quiz great mix of rounds and questions all at a good pace. I enjoyed a couple of things from the a la carte menu. Ribs were tender and tasty, chips were fat crispy and hot. I had a baked apple for desert which was delicious, autumnal and reminded me of a modern version of the baked apples my mum would make us for pudding on a Sunday growing up in the 80s/90s just wonderful! Staff were friendly and attentive did a fantastic job serving all the tables as everyone was there at the same time for the quiz. Yes it wasn't a cheap place, but harvester this it is not! Given the picturesque setting, quaint cosy building good food & drink and welcoming service I feel this place deserves a top spot. I would look to visit again just a shame they are not open more lunch times as I normally have little ones in tow.

Had a lovely dinner here on father's Day, the service was great from start to finish and so was the food everything was fresh and looked and tasted amazing. The 8oz ribeye steak was very nice unfortunately my steak was cold but was quickly changed with no hassle and was nice and hot the next time. Will definitely recommend to family and friends and will be back again soon.

We participated in the River Rat's Friday night delivery and were delighted to have their Moroccan Tangine Djaj Bil Mishmash. It was beautifully made, deeply flavoursome, with generous chunks of chicken and veg. The cous cous was delicious and fluffy. Delivery was fast, friendly, and the food was piping hot. Nice one guys - looking forward to our next meal!

First time here as were camping up the road. On arrival for the Jazz and Fizz at lunchtime Daniel was warm and welcoming, nothing was too much trouble. The beautiful secluded garden is a delight with thatched pods. We decided to dine here in the evening and sat in the upstairs restaurant. Again Daniel was very welcoming. Our waitress was Grace who was lovely, a very knowledgeable young lady. Both lunchtime and evening you couldn't fault the food, first class. Good wine selection, one small criticism a shame they do not have beer and lager on tap, bottles only. Can't recommend The River Rat highly enough. Will certainly be returning.

We'd never been to Hamble before and literally booked a Sunday lunch at the River Rat on a whim as the reviews and menu looked encouraging. We were not disappointed. We had two dogs with us so we're situated in the 'bar' area. Well the bar area was really very comfortable and not really like a bar at all. The service was quick, efficient and friendly. The food was excellent. The dogs were given water bowls and treats The atmosphere was very relaxing We had a lovely time. Worth every penny. We will be back. In our view the experience was excellent.

I took my Nan to River Rat for a Sunday roast as a birthday treat and had a really lovely experience. The food was brilliant and the service was quick, with polite staff. When the staff served our desserts, they even brought out a lovely board with 'Happy Birthday' written on it in white chocolate with fresh raspberries and blueberries. What a bunch of legends! Can't wait to come back :)

We stopped by for a Sunday roast. We tried beef, lamb and the vegetarian option, which arrives without potatoes but was quickly rectified. We didn't try the cocktails as we thought they were a bit on the expensive side, and the selection of desserts of the day didn't push us enough, but the meat was juicy and tender, and we are sure that in summer the atmosphere will be much more enjoyable than winter, especially in their outside area/garden that was very nice. It would be lovely to go back in summer.

I booked in with the River Rat for my gender reveal meal with 10 of my family members for food and drinks. They accommodated all of us (especially my dad who is very fussy when it comes to his food), the menu had a great selection of veg meals and meat dishes and my god they delivered. The peppercorn sauce was the best I've ever had and the mushroom starter smelt and tasted incredible. The drinks menu had everything and anything and because I am pregnant they even made me mocktails all evening which tasted delicious. Staff was incredibly professional and accommodating. Shout out to all the kitchen staff for the beautiful food and Dan and Elliot our servers. Very clean and beautiful establishment and would recommend to anyone looking for a hearty, tasty meal. Thank you for making our day extra special.

Wow! The garden area is the most amazing place to eat - spectacular. There's only a small selection on the menu, but it's all fantastic - the steak was sublime. Slight negative with young staff still learning their trade, but not enough to lose a star. Great place for a romantic meal or treat for a special occasion.

I couldn't wait to try this restaurant which is 5 weeks into new management. It was a beautiful sunny evening in Hamble so headed to the garden to eat. WOW what a lovely surprise, it was beautiful, several different eating areas with twinkly lights and great planting. So on to the food. I had stuffed courgette, pine nuts, goats cheese, with roasted new potatoes and green leaf salad with passatta, my friend had sea bream fish cakes and we both cleared our plates. Rhubard crumb and brownies to follow which was really good. The hosts were really friendly and service was really good. I will definitely be back in this restaurant/bar in the next week or two.