The Black Rat Restaurant,  is a local restaurant and bar serving high quality food with locally produced ingredients.

We are open 7 nights a week, from 7pm until 9.30pm when we serve our a la carte menu.

We are also open Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes from 12pm until 2.15pm, when we serve a set 2 or 3 course menu at £22.95 or £25.95.                                        

The Black Rat is a converted pub that still has its warmth and friendliness, but is also a Michelin starred restaurant. The food is all freshly prepared in our kitchen and could be described as ‘Modern British’. The wine list has some 80 wines with a balance between Old and New World. We have a bar upstairs where you can have a pre-dinner drink whilst perusing the menu. Non dining guests are also welcome to make use of our bar. To avoid disappointment we strongly advise that you book in advance, especially at the weekends!

see more photos of the restaurant

The Food

The food is all freshly prepared daily in our kitchen and could be described as ‘Modern British’. Where possible the food is sourced locally from small dedicated suppliers with the importance being on the best quality we can get our hands on. The restaurant also has an allotment where we grow as much as we can so we can use it at its peak. Fish is from Flying Fish in Cornwall, local game from Blackmore Game, Secretts Farm vegetables, meat is sourced from Huntsham farm, cheese from Premier Cheese and smoked produce from Brown and Forrest .

History of the restaurant

The Black Rat was run as a pub for as long as anyone can remember. It has now been completely renovated, whilst keeping all of its old world charm. The building itself dates back to The 1700’s although in the cellars there is evidence of 15^th or 16^th century stone work. The owner, David Nicholson, has been in Winchester since 1995 running The Black Boy Pub just across the road in Wharf Hill. Well worth a visit if you enjoy real ales. The new Black bottle has also been added to the group serving wines and charcuterie at the bottom of Chesil Street. Ideal for a pre or post dinner drink.