Jolly Sailor

A sunny afternoon sat by the water chilling, a picturesque outlook. Staff here were very attentive, the food coming out looked devine. My partner and I was served a drink by Jade who was chatty and friendly and made sure we were okay throughout our stay.

Lovely food and attentive service all while enjoying beautiful views. Recommended

Had a lovely meal with friends on Monday evening - staff were very welcoming and attentive without being too intense. I struggled to choose from the menu as there was lots of tempting options. We all thoroughly enjoyed our food and all said we'd come back. Would recommend!

Tucked away along the River Hamble, The Jolly Sailor delivers a quintessentially British pub experience with a landscape that’s beautifully relaxing. The food is solid pub fare done well — hearty, satisfying, and full of flavor. The atmosphere is cozy, welcoming, and unmistakably British: wooden beams, friendly staff, and a buzz of locals and visitors alike. I loved it! Looking forward to my next visit.

This is a great pub but a bit hard to find. Parking is limited, on street, towards the end of narrow lanes. Or you can park at Bursledon Station car park (free). Or you can arrive by boat. From the street, head down a long, outdoor staircase, turn left, go down more stairs, and into the pub. All this sounds like a lot of effort but it really is worth it. The lintels are low going from one room to the next - I banged my head. There are several large rooms with views of the River Hamble plus outdoor seating. The menu is a bit up-market but not expensive by today's (31/05/2024) standards. There was a range of beer on offer as well as a long list of fancy cocktails. The servers were friendly, efficient, and attentive.

Absolute gem of a pub, we turned up on a bank holiday Monday - breakfast wasn’t on as it’s a weekend thing, but they kindly served us off menu anyway! Staff are lovely, super friendly. It’s actually the pub featured in 80s hit BBC yacht drama Howard’s Way - so anyone who vaguely remembers that will enjoy the nostalgia - will definitely go back when in the location

Local friends brought us here to discover British culture. We just loved it. The design and decoration is great, always something to look at. It was nice seeing people on canoes leaving and coming (sunny day). The menu had a lot of variety. I was surprised by the poke bowl just amazing! Would definitely come back. Staff professional too!

I came for valentine's day and the food was fantastic! We had the steak sharer which was good value and more than enough for two people. The camembert was perfect, nicely seasoned. They also had a fair selection of desserts. Service was really good and they adapted the menu to suit our requirements. Lovely pub, with a homely feel. Real fire and fantastic views. Highly recommended, will be back 🙂

Lovely relaxed atmosphere, the team were welcoming and friendly. They helped with recommendations for food and drink. The Steak and Tanglefoot pie was great as was the children’s plant burger. Great selection of puddings. It was so peaceful to be by the water and watch the world go by.

The jolly sailor 😍 wow what a lovely place for an evening out, a lively traditional pub great view of the boats and marina food was great highly recommend the chorizo blankets small plate it was really nice. Overall very nice place 👌

Nice location for a drink. Hall & Woodhouse pub. Dog friendly.

One of Hampshires gems, a beautiful riverside pub with a great atmosphere, an excellent menu and terrific good food. For those wishing to sit outside, there is a glazed covered seating area with warming blankets provided for those cooler days. Internally the pub is full of character.

First time I've been there for 10 years; excellent sums it up. Food really good, atmosphere friendly and staff helpful and attentive, Views not bad either!

Beautiful atmosphere, lovely outside area with electric heaters, great for sitting outdoors in winter. The inside is also so nice, the theme carries out through the whole place as well as the drinks options, providing an overall happy experience.

Great Riverside pub with good food and beers. Such a scenic riverside location . Pontoon spaces but can get busy , more pontoon room would be even better. Give it some thought guys ?

A very pleasant hidden away location. Lovely old building will low exposed beam ceilings and many great outdoor seating locations as well. Meals tasty with good portions and cheerful, willing staff. Great vegetarian and vegan options. Prices a little high compared to similar Australian venues but I would pay it again.

I went to the Jolly Sailor with a friend for lunch following a walk near the river. Everything was superb: the menu, the food and the service. There are plenty of nice places to sit outside, most with a view of the Hamble. Our seats were the best: at the end of the enclosure on the pier. I highly recommend this place. Note: there are a few steps to get down to the pub from the road (there's probably a better, more accessible way, too - best to check with the pub if that might e an issue).

Perfect location and delicious food & drink. 'Optional' service charge is added to total and not mentioned, so not really optional

Such a gorgeous pub right on the river! We just had a fantastic lunch there (highly recommend the pie). The quality of everything is so great, and service was fast and friendly. They are also dog friendly and have pupcups available to order, even better the money from their sale goes to charity. Will definitely be back in summer.

We had a delicious 3 course set menu for 40 people. The food service and atmosphere were all perfect. Great job dealing with such a big group. Everything was perfect!

We were lucky enough to have chosen the perfect venue for our daughters life celebration and Kristie to look after us from start to finish.

An excellent venue, lovely decor and great surroundings by the marina. The selection of food and drinks was great and the pork tomahawk was fabulous 👌🏻 with a pint of Tanglefoot 😊 Thank you especially to Kristie for looking after us, you gave us an excellent welcome and service, which made our evening meal even more enjoyable. My compliments also to the chefs for the gorgeous food 👏

Really lovely pub. The atmosphere was really nice, the decor beautiful - made all the nicer with the Christmas decorations. Good was delicious and plenty to choose from. Service was relaxed and friendly. Will definitely be returning, especially so we can appreciate that view.

Really enjoyed our visit this afternoon . We hadn’t booked but nothing was too much trouble to get us seated. Kristie was very attentive and catered for all our needs with chat which made it feel more homely and personable. Will definitely recommend and come back soon! Thank you to all the staff at the Jolly Sailor Bursledon !

First time visiting and very impressed. Had a warm friendly welcome, immediately shown to our table. Service was perfect, from ordering, being served, clearing and attending to any requests. Can’t fault. Our server was Abbie, 10/10, please pass on our thanks.

Lovely place, went for a Christmas Meal out. Booking was easy on the website, service was faultless. We took a dog and were seated in a suitable area with a lovely view out over the River Hamble. The open fires were on and it was decorated nicely. The food was good, I would say it is a bit overpriced for what it is though. The Beeramisu desert however was outstanding! Overall, a very nice experience.

Great job to everyone here! It might be part of a chain, but the quality of the food, attentiveness of the service and great location makes this place feel like an independent gem! We were served by Dillon - a perfect example of how to a great job, polite, professional, knew the food and ready to provide allergen information. For me, and for a pub, I am surprising myself to say this is one if the nicest meals I’ve had in a while. Sundried tomato tart which had a light crisp pastry, absolutely loads if flavour, roasted veg and a crumb, which was served with perfectly cooked tenderstem broccoli, roasted beetroots and carrots and I swapped new pistols for rosemary fries. Finished off with the raspberry gin cheesecake. Great job kitchen team!! The only complaint our table has was ‘too much fish in the fish pie’ 😂

Came for a Birthday family meal. Great food, great setting, great service. Only negative was the price difference between the children's menu burger and the regular menu burger. The children's menu was a single patti and a double patti on regular menu, yet a £10 difference in price! Children's menu came with cheese as standard, but £2 to add it the the adult burger!! £12 difference for 1 extra patti. If it wasn't a Birthday meal we would have challenged this.

This place was highly recommended by our friends, whom we hadn't seen in years. They live locally, so we made a reservation on the same day and had a lovely catch-up over delicious food and a few bottles of wine. This is a great pub but a bit difficult to find if you did know the area. Parking is limited to on-street spots towards the end of narrow lanes. Alternatively, you can park at Bursledon Station car park (free) or arrive by boat. From the street, head down a long outdoor staircase, turn left, go down more stairs, and enter the pub. All this effort is definitely worth it. There are several large rooms with views of the River Hamble, as well as outdoor seating unfortunately a bit cold and wet for that today. The menu is slightly upscale but not overly expensive. There was a variety of beer on offer, as well as a long list of fancy cocktails. The servers were friendly, efficient, and attentive. Can't wait for a return visit especially for Sunday lunch

This is a really quaint little pub with fab decor and lovely staff. I wasdisappointed with the gravy on my roast dinner and dessert would've benefited with a scoop of ice cream for the price you're paying for it. That is reflected in the one star drop. Would come back as it was a lovely place but probably not for a Sunday roast.

Visited this place before the New Year. Had the black and blue burger and was left a little underwhelmed. Burger was great but seemed to lack in flavour the evening we went. Shame as everything else was perfect. The service was excellent and the site is in an excellent location. Food was good, not bad but was lacking in taste for me. Probably would visit again.

What a lovely place! Really attractive location overlooking marina, with equally appealing, cosy interior. The food was delicious (except the stake, so it’s not the right place for stake lovers!) and the service was excellent. I will definitely come again when back in Southampton.

The location is fantastic, right on the river Hamble. The menu is not so big but it is a very good menu. The food was excellent. The service was very good except the waitress asked if we wanted to see the dessert menu and then never came back with it. I'm sure she was just very busy and it slipped her mind. I'm a person that likes to pay cash. I was only told it was card only when I was about to pay. Maybe this could be mentioned at the time of booking. Still 9/10 though

Lovely pub and setting. Staff really friendly. I ordered a burger- to be honest I thought the portion was very small- both the buns and the french fries were small portions. Ice cream to follow was again two small balls. That’s a shame as the prices aren’t small.

The roast dinners are amazing!! Deserts may be slightly overpriced but they're still really tasty! Service was great. Unfortunately there is a lack of parking.

We visited The Jolly Sailor on the 4th of October for our anniversary meal, having booked in advance. The pub has a lovely setting right by the harbour, which makes it a shame that we were seated in a corner with very little space and no view — it would’ve been nice to enjoy the beautiful surroundings while dining. We both ordered seafood dishes (fish and chips and the fish pie), which were tasty and well presented, though a little on the pricey side. My partner mentioned that his sticky toffee pudding was slightly burnt, which was a bit disappointing. An £8 service charge was automatically added to the bill, which could be removed if preferred, though it did feel a little high based on the overall experience. That said, the staff were friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. With a better table and a few small improvements, I would’ve given a higher rating.

The place is really cute and the view amazing. Staff is friendly but the food could be better. My beef was too cooked and the salmon wasn’t very juicy.. very disappointed with the food to be honest.

If you don't know, access is extremely difficult, we booked for Sunday lunch but we're completely unable to park and had to go elsewhere. Looked like access was also down some steep steps. Should be mentioned somewhere. Pub looks lovely but not suitable for everyone.

The place is located in a beautiful little cove like part of the Hamble river. Upon arrival we had a table for 6 and were served. The service is okay but not the food took over an hour to come out. If you have kids be prepared to bend activities for the to do. The atmosphere is amazing, a small little pub with a fireplace and kind friendly staff

This pub is in a prime location but the food let it down drastically for us. Vastly over priced for the quality and quantity. We went for a meal and few drinks. A bowl of soup to share, two mains (which we had to send back first time as cold, dry and over cooked) and two drinks each came to over £100!!!!!!!!!!!!! We had the beef cheeks (you get one not two so should say cheek) at nearly £30 it was nothing but a fatty grizzly ball of meat swimming in gravy, microwave mash and 2 sticks of over cooked soggy asparagus and slice of carrot. My first meal a pie I didn't even touch, looked so poor for price. microwaved over cooked basic food for hefty price! The second meal that came was lamb rump, took 25mins but was cooked fresh and was very tasty but it had burnt veg and a swipe of what I think was celeriac mash on plate. Sad to say we both left hungry and disappointed. Another chain charging crazy prices for below par mostly frozenfood. The one good thing other than the view was polite friendly staff. Thank you for trying to correct our meal. But management please address the catering issues.