Pit Stop in New Forest

I was really disappointed. After first order we have been ignored by staff for lease 50 minutes so we had to go order on bar. Staff were really unprofessional. Food arrived after more then 1 hour and it was really bad. Restaurant was empty and outside were two tables with guests. I dont know what takes so long. Always when we wanted to go here we have been unlucky as restaurant was fully booked and today we finally could go there and I have to say I don't recommend this place.

Over priced , menu very limited . Ordered 4 drinks and all came over wrong. The roast potatoes were so hard almost unable to eat them . The childrens Mac and cheese came out with lots of herbs and crispy onions on top which my little one wouldn’t eat so a whole meal not eaten. The ice cream Sundea was just scoop of ice cream in a bowl. very disappointed

Literally a few minutes ago we have gone back to the Drift to try lunch. We reviewed a few years ago after a dreadful Christmas day dinner there. So scarred were we, we have never been back. Until now. Out for a forest walk and thought we would try for a lunch time snack. Few people in there but no staff. We waited to be seated, then went to the bar, then back to the door. No staff. Checked with a couple sat at a table who said 'you'll have a long wait. We still saw no staff. They said, they have a Management Issue. That is what we said a few years ago on our disastrous Christmas. No change then Drift! Get a grip. Best forest location & no customers! Shocking.

I'm not the sort of person to usually post a complaint - but feel compelled to write this to warn off others...Don't believe what you read on the website. Forget the carefully styled photos or the impression that the expensive prices and the way the menu is written might give.The food is low quality - definitely not made with 'the best seasonal ingredients from local farmers and producers' as their website suggests. It felt like basic stuff from the cash and carry that gets served in canteens. Definitely NOT worth the gastropub prices being charged. Even the cokes we ordered didn't actually taste like real coca-cola.The warm and cosy atmosphere the website boasts of was also severely lacking. There was no ambient mood lighting. The tables lacked any of the styling shown in the marketing photos. There were no roaring fires - and to be honest, the restaurant was a bit on the chilly side.The reality of The Drift - in its current form - is far far away from the expectations it tries to set.

Disorganised. Staff is trying their best but it’s just not working. What’s promised while ordering is not delivered and had to keep asking and reminding. Place was almost empty when we came but we were seated next to another already occupied table although we made a booking in advance. Some dishes are spot on while others just horrible ( don’t get the prawns- the worst!) if you staying in the hotel it’s the closest dining place but better drive 10 min to the nearest town for a meal.

We had booked a table for 8pm but were seated at 8.25pm the barman told us the restaurant was short staffed. We ordered drinks and then waited another 20 minutes to order food. At 9.30 our burgers arrived and were very nice. Unfortunately the waiter was rowing with the chef so it was a bit embarrassing. On the positive side the location is beautiful.

Nice pub in the middle of the Forrest. However there are some items that need working on. The service from our waiter was quite poor. We asked for what ales they had and he only offered one beer. At a later point when we spoke to the bar they had a lot more on offer. Pub is fairly behind the curve with an allergy menu. When speaking on the phone to ask what was egg free we were told we could have anything. This was less than helpful as when we did arrive we didn't get an allergy menu ( don't think they have them)and only one option was given in addition to Sunday roast minus the yorkshire. Also menu states that kids get vegetables on arrival to snack on until dinner arrives. We didn't get any. They finally turned up with the main.So that was the bad side .... However this pub does have a lot to offer. The location is fantastic and it's nice clean well decorated inside. All of the above was an annoyance to us however when we finally asked to speak to the manager she couldn't be more helpful. She really helped sort everything out, we got a good selection of egg free food in the end. And the roast dinners were fantastic.Overall summary: great pub and would visit again for food but they need to ensure all members of staff are at the same high quality level.

Seemed to be a wealth of staff around the garden area, but mostly wandering aimlessly wiping the occasional table rather than helping serve the painfully slow food orders.We decided to have two simple desserts, ice cream and Eton style mess. After about 25 minutes one ice cream arrived but no sign of the other. Between 10 and 15 minutes later, after requesting where it was with 3 different staff, we gave up and had to catch our train. Very poor experience due to slow service.

My partner and I had dinner at the drift inn recently and weren’t at all impressed. The restaurant wasn’t very busy with little atmosphere. Whilst the service was okay the food was very poor.We both had the ‘Chuck steak and short rib burger’ don’t be fooled by the fancy name, this was the blandest burger I have had and if it is chuck steak and short rib this is a waste of nice cuts of meat. The burger was tasteless and far too thick, there was no char to the burger making it tasteless, burger sauce couldn’t be tasted and worst of all it’s in a too large non toasted bun making every bite very doughy and not enjoyable to eat. The skinny fries were good however.The burger was so poor compared to the very high prices they charge. It’s always so disappointing when you could easily cook a far better burger at home for a fraction of the price. Will definitely not be returning unless a basic level of cooking is implemented in this restaurant. Don’t waste your money, go somewhere else or just cook at home.

Great location in a stunning part of England... The New Forest. Food was pretty good. Haddock fish and chips was a pretty small portion for the price bit maybe that's because I'm used to Cod portions at my local chippie! Drinks were cold. Chicken burger highly recommended. Reason for the 4 and not the 5... Service was a slight shambles. 3 staff doing the clearing, ordering, pouring, you name it. I know times are tough but I just feel the system could have been better organised even with the chronic staff shortage.