The Black Rat
The outdoor dining area of the Black Rat is complete and now open. You can see the new garden dining huts photo and in our new video restaurant tour.
The Black Rat Restaurant, Winchester (88 Chesil Street) is a restaurant and bar serving high quality food with locally produced ingredients. We are open for dinner Monday - Sunday evening and Saturday for lunch and Sunday lunch.
We are currently recruiting experienced staff in the kitchen and front of house due to expansion. Please either drop in a CV or give us a ring on 01962 844465.
The Black Rat is a converted pub that still has its warmth and friendliness, but is now a fine dining restaurant. The food is all freshly prepared in our kitchen and could be described as ‘Modern British’. If you are looking for a relaxed evening out with warm, friendly service then look no further. 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 and peruse the menu. We also welcome guests who aren’t dining with us but would like to try our wine menu to feel free to use the bar. To avoid disappointment, we strongly advise that you book in advance, especially at the weekends! We look forward to seeing you soon.
see more photos of the restaurant
The Food
Where possible the food is sourced locally and with the best ingredients we can get are hands on. Fish is from Brixham Fish Market and the Solent, local game from Blackmore Game, Secretts Farm vegetables and the meat is sourced from Huntsham farm or from within a fifty mile radius. The restaurant also has an allotment to provide us with fresh herbs and a certain amount of seasonal vegetables.
The Team
The kitchen team is lead by Chris Bailey who was trained in Michelin starred restaurants such as Chez Bruce in London and Zaranda in Madrid. He is closely supported by Tom who has worked in highly regarded establishments in England as well as internationally in India, Australia and the Caribbean. Both chefs are passionate about food and ingredients and try very hard to source local produce.The restaurant manager, Christien Hay, of The Rod Box, has come from the Peat Spade in longstock where he helped in the opening of this excellent country eatery. Christien, when not working, spends a lot of his time fishing, although as yet has not managed to supply the restaurant by catching any fish!
History of the restaurant
The Black Rat has been 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 15th or 16th century stone work. The new 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 are into real ales. See more photos, Contact us, Make a booking
