The Chesil Rectory

We came here to celebrate my husband’s birthday and had an excellent experience. Booking was very easy and confirmed straight away. The location is very convenient, right next to a multi-storey car park. Drinks were great and even the easy bites were full of flavour. I had the lamb dish – the meat was beautifully tender with no strong lamb smell, and the potato-mash with tomatoes pieces and garlic chips gave it a lovely sweet, sour and savoury balance. The cheese plate was more standard, but the Port Wine was excellent. A wonderful surprise was the birthday message on the plate, which came with complimentary sweets – such a thoughtful touch! The restaurant is set in a beautifully decorated old house, which gives a real sense of dining in a historic place. Everything is well organised and the tables are spaced comfortably. We truly enjoyed the dinner and would highly recommend this restaurant for a special occasion.

The food was fantastic and the staff were very friendly, especially Craig who made us laugh with small spoons!! At the end a lovely tour to see the very old building quirks, with a nice splash of history! Thank you, looking forward to returning again next year!

A superb restaurant serving high quality dishes with an extensive selection of wines. The autumnal tasting menu was delicious, especially the Velouté and Partridge courses. Knowledgeable and friendly front of house team and the classy cosy atmosphere was expectional. Highly recommend and be sure to reserve in advance.

Absolutely gorgeous building. Food was delicious. Service was outstanding. It was the perfect place to spoil a friend for her birthday. I would highly recommend this restaurant ❤️

I love this place. Delicious food, non pretentious and with a great atmosphere. Price is also not bad for the he style of cooking.

We went as a celebration of our Wedding Anniversary. This is superb restaurant. I hope to go again and thoroughly recommend it. Very good service, just the right amount of interaction and care. Very nice food . Good wines and a lovely historical building.

I booked and went solo, since I'm travelling on my own. I was ragingly curious about the building, and wanted a meal that definitely didn't come with "fries", or bacon. Was not immediately put next to the loos, so plus marks for that. The building is from the 1450s or so, low ceilings, small doors, creaky and undulating boards taken from old ships (often used at the time: making planks with ye olde tools would have been a pain, even if you had plenty of wood). Charm, charm, charm. Tall men stooped until seated. You step down into the building from outside, so when seated in the front ground floor rooms you look through the window with your head at about the knee-level of passing pedestrians: novel! I saw a bit of upstairs, equally gorgeous. This would be a great option for a special occasion out, or just a wonderful indulgence. I was treated well, and given *excellent* advice about wine pairings. I had trout for entree, which was tasty and delicate; then the lamb, a stronger flavour, both lamb and alliums, but well-balanced, cooked well (neither raw nor overdone) and delicious. Then the brandy snaps with the recommended dessert wine, which together - and individually - were amazing. It was not cheap, but really worth it. It was too classy a place to take photos, but I could've driven my foodie friends nuts with envy, I think. Other guests were primarily couples. I wasn't made uncomfortable.

An amazing place! Food was awesome and the staff were friendly and welcoming! Chesil did not dissapoint!

In Winchester to see the Christmas Markets. Stumbled upon this place by accident by in my goodness what a delightful treat. We had no booking and on asking about free tables were told that they'd had no spaces for about a month! Phew! Thankfully there was a no show just a couple of minutes later so we we're offered their table. The staff were very friendly and the deco with it being Christmas was very festive! Recommendations were given for food ND wine but it all sounded amazing. Service was prompt but we were left to enjoy or courses without the constant fuss of some places. Food was very very good! Particularly beef carpaccio with a hint of horseradish. Mains were large and extremely filling, chicken was succulent and hake just fell away and melted in your mouth. Got busier as the night weren't in but the tables were not sitting on top of each other so you didn't have to listen to others conversation. A delightful find that hit the spot.

Chesil Rectory is my very particular father's favourite, itself a rite of passage. From the historic story behind the ownership of the restaurant to a phenomenal quality of inventive and exciting dishes Chesil Rectory has never failed to amaze and delight. Genuinely. Sounds slightly over the top but true.

We went for a day out in Winchester and found ourselves let down by so many things being closed, unavailable, etc. Finding Chesil Rectory was a treat. We were walking by and saw it and the look of the building stood out for its age and style. A sign outside proclaimed it had been rated one of the most romantic restaurants in Britain and after having dinner there I have to agree! We worried that due to nearby graduation festivities we might need a reservation, so arrived just after they opened at 6pm and were delighted that they had space available. From 6-7pm they offer a set menu option in addition to the regular menu, and we both went for this. I had a fish starter, potato dumping main and the berry fool. All were delicious - especially the dumplings which were a bit like big gnocchi, but absolutely melty and dreamy. In addition to the delicious food, the service was wonderful. I'd mentioned it was our anniversary when we were being seated and my dessert came with "Happy Anniversary" written in chocolate sauce on the plate! A really lovely touch. The building itself is charming and full of history from medieval to modern times. Downstairs there are 2 rooms for dining, and upstairs there are 2 more (plus a door that indicated a private dining room). Upstairs is a bit brighter than downstairs, but both are cosy and sweet. Ceiling and door heights are low, as to be expected in a building of such age, & there are lovely wooden beams throughout. It is truly a dreamy space. I highly recommend having a meal here if you're in Winchester!

Everything about this experience is great. The ambiance is really unique and enjoyable; simultaneously cozy and elegant at the same time, and very subtle, like the artwork. The food is great. The prawns were excellent, the beef was amazing, and the lamb dish was the best lamb dish in all of my travels through the UK.

In Winchester for a business trip and had dinner here as a guest. The ambiance is charming and historic, full of a real old world feel. Service and attention is fantastic; staff is pleasant, knowledgeable and accommodating. Pork terrine and quail egg appetizer was delicious and plenty. The main dish of venison with beet was out of this world! The meat was cooked to medium rare and tasted like none other! The rest of the dish was equally pleasing. If in town this is a must eat place!

Fantastic food, great wine and very reasonable price. Highly recommended.

Cosy and great food, the building itself is worth a visit but the service is good and the prices not unreasonable (for Winchester). All round an excellent eatery.

Oldest gaff in town, 1500's me thinks. You walk in through a subterranean hobbit entrance way, past a stuffed fish into a quaint well preserved set of two dining rooms with wooden timber beams & green leather upholstery. Main downside is traffic just outside on eye level as restaurant sits below street level. I suggest you ask to be seated away from the street, preferably in the adjoining room. The waiter was down to earth, but a little to informal, addressing my wife & I as 'guys...' Steak was excellent, but I think food all comes down to personal choice & luck of the draw, i.e. don't assume each dish is of a similar standard. Well worth a gander.

Had a Christmas lunch with friends yesterday food as usual was lovely. The only criticism was that my starter could have been a little larger and a couple of our party were a little cold maybe good to ask to be put in the area with the fire. Service was excellent and my duck absolutely delicious. In all a very enjoyable lunch.

Wonderful location. Amazingly friendly staff. Ala carte and 2/3 course menus available. Very romantic location (apparently 3rd in the UK) situated in a nearly 600 year old house. Fantastic fish pie and pumpkin casserole. We don't travel to Winchester often (out of country visitors) but will definitely be back next time we return.

This place is overrated and overpriced for the food it serves,service is too casual,spend your money elsewhere,that's my advice.

Lovely restaurant. Great food, warm environment and a really great team of staff. It's our favourite place to go and can't recommend it highly enough.

Avoid at all costs. Used to be fantastic. Now run by rude staff with owners who really don't care. VERY expensive restaurant that serves average brasserie food. Total rip off

Have been here several times now and love the story for this place - and that the owners are so eager to share the building's history. Menu offers great selection for both food and wine, with some particularly yummy options to choose from. Waiting staff can be informal, but very friendly and helpful - with the Owner close at hand to make sure everyone happy.