Haunch of Venison

Pub Details

Address
1 Minster Street
Salisbury
Wiltshire
SP1 1TB
Telephone
(01722) 411313
Opening Times
Weekdays
11 - 11 (midnight Sat)
Sundays
12 - 6
Closed
Sun evening

Location

Good Pub Guide Recommended

Ancient pub oozing history, with tiny beamed rooms, unique fittings and a famous mummified hand A friendly new landlord took over this ancient pub just as we went to press and it's the sort of place that customers return to on a regular basis. Both the tiny downstairs rooms have a great deal of character and atmosphere and date back to 1320 when the place was used by craftsmen working on the cathedral spire. There are massive beams in the white ceiling, stout oak benches built into the timbered walls, black and white floor tiles, and an open fire. A tiny snug (popular with locals, but historically said to be where the ladies drank) opens off the entrance lobby. Courage Best, Hop Back Summer Lightning, Ringwood Fortyniner and a changing guest beer on handpump from a unique pewter bar counter, and there's a rare set of antique taps for gravity-fed spirits and liqueurs. They've also up to 100 malt whiskies and several wines by the glass. Halfway up the stairs is a panelled room they call the House of Lords, which has a small-paned window looking down on to the main bar and a splendid fireplace that dates back to the building's early years; behind glass in a small wall slit is the smoke-preserved mummified hand of an 18th-c card sharp still clutching his cards.

Good Pub Guide Food

Under the new landlord, the food now includes sandwiches, brown crab cakes with lemon mayonnaise, creamy garlic wild mushrooms on toast, pork and leek sausages with red wine and onion gravy, ham and free-range eggs, chicken in lemon and thyme butter with dauphinoise potatoes, venison and smoky bacon casserole, daily specials like spicy ham hock terrine, beef curry and fish pie, and puddings such as sherry trifle and apple and cinnamon crumble; they also offer a two and three--course set lunch menu.

Bar food times: 12 - 2.30, 6 - 9.30; 12 - 4 Sun; not Sun evening

Good Pub Information

Children allowed in: Childrens Indoors Rest
Dogs allowed in: Dogs Anywhere

Rating

  • Currently 3/5 Stars.
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Rating: 3/5 (125 votes cast)

Reader Comments

prietol

Sunday 31 March 2013 6:58:21 pm

Don´t waste your time; we wasted ours today. We had a booking at 14.00 pm, and we arrived earlier, at 13.30. We order quickly, drinks and food for four. Drinks came right away but one hour later we were still waiting for the food. We asked whether there was any problem, and we were told that our food was getting plated. After ten more minutes we decided to pay the drinks and leave the pub.

paulhu

Wednesday 20 March 2013 3:25:18 pm

We had a post dinner drink in this pub which is amazing inside do explore when you go in - the old rooms are amazing with their panelled walls, beams and furniture. We were in the 'hand' room with a blazing fire to keep us warm. The round was quite cheap compared to other places and it would have been easy to stay there until we got thrown out! Food looked interesting and not over expensive.

Joelliswork

Sunday 21 October 2012 5:53:23 pm

Looked great outside, lower bar rooms great too. Made the mistake of choosing the 2 course Sunday lunch. Portions were unbelievably small. This pub is set up to appeal to tourists - unfortunately any tourists will get the wrong idea about traditional British Sunday roasts. Go for an interesting drink, don't go if you are hungry. Very disappointing.

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