Closed Sept 2020. Will be converted into housing and a smaller pub
(possibly called Woodies Wine Bar).
The Netley Grange has reopened as The Dancing Goose after being bought by Questmap Ltd, a Southampton based property developer. It is being run by Mike Andrews and his family. The pub appears to have been purpose built around 1995 as The Mill House by Spirit Pub Company (owned by Punch Taverns), before being rebranded as Fayre & Square and renamed The Grange. Greene King acquired it in 2015, then closed it down in January before selling it to Questmap.
More restaurant than pub but decent quality and excellent value family food.
We enjoyed it, and were pleasantly surprised at the quality (and quantity) of the food, and of the friendliness and willingness to please of the staff. However, we were not a best fit as we insisted on selecting our own table, and fetching our own beer, which is not the way they wanted to do things! They did oblige us good naturedly, though it did feel as through we were swimming upstream at times.
It's the same place as it was as The Grange, though clearly aiming to be more upmarket. I'm not sure if the kids indoor play area is still open round the back - that used to be a big attraction for people. It all feels a little more sedate these days, and certainly less busy - though that may depend on visiting times. Some seating has been removed to allow a carvery area to be put in.
The surroundings are peaceful. There is an ample sized car park and a free outdoor play area for the kids. Inside it has the look and feel of a converted barn, with an attractive upstairs seating area with a view over the interior of the pub.
It's an OK place, though we doubt if we'll be back as we like our pubs to be pubs, and to have the freedom to sit where we want without having to ask. That is just a personal thing, and - funny enough - we're OK with being sat when visiting a restaurant - perhaps because that's a different experience. If you come here expecting it to be a carvery style restaurant then you will be prepared. And they are friendly and flexible. And the food really is good value!
My review on Trip Advisor from June 2016 when the place was The Grange, and had just been taken over by Greene King:
Family pub with good points and bad points
The Netley Grange is a sprawling modern barn type building in a fairly isolated spot on a fast road about half a mile from Netley Abbey. Acquired by Greene King when they purchased the Spirit Group, the brand owner of Fayre & Square, the pub serves Greene King IPA as its only cask beer. The target clientèle is working class families, and it succeeds in attracting them, both the good and the bad. It is a roomy and attractive building, with a pleasant seating area around the bar, and a smaller seating area in the attic of the steeply pitched roof. There is also seating outside, some in a landscaped garden, and some by the road and car park, and by a useful, though limited, play area. There is an additional room just off the main bar, which is cramped but popular. In addition there is a function room which can be hired, and a soft play area, Wacky Warehouse, at the back, which is free during the week if you spend £10 or more in the pub. As the soft play area is accessed separately from the pub it's not clear how this works unless people eat first, and then the children go play in the Warehouse.
There is a down to earth atmosphere, with relaxed and friendly staff, though it's not clear to those unfamiliar with the pub how everything operates. Those sitting outside do not have menus, so you have to find those yourself, and on asking the staff, this is done by taking one from an unoccupied inside table. Tables inside have knives and forks and condiments, tables outside do not, so, again, these have to be taken from an unoccupied table otherwise your food is brought to you and left in front of you with no means by which to eat it. It's not clear what happens on busy days when all inside tables are occupied.
The seating area near the playground is very popular, and families will turn up with their own picnics to occupy these tables. They are also popular with smokers. Some families do not supervise their children closely, so you have boys kicking footballs against the car park fence, with balls sometimes missing and landing on or near the tables. You have children hurting themselves and left to cry for long periods. Sitting near the playground is not advised, especially as the seating area appears to be rarely tidied or cleaned.
As with some other Greene King family pubs we have encountered, the staff can struggle and make mistakes. One family during our visit waited over an hour for their meal to be served, and were told at the last minute that some items would be missing. The family at this point were clearly at the end of their tether as they had a toddler who was very tired and hungry and making quite a racket.
We can see that on the right day, and sitting in the right place this can be quite an acceptable family pub, but we can also see that sitting in the wrong place or going at the wrong time the experience could be quite unpleasant.
We had the 2 for £10 deal, which was excellent value. We had the all day veggie breakfast, and it was very acceptable, with quorn sausages. Our daughter had a kids meal which she loved, especially the make your own (unhealthy!) pancake (lots of sweets!).
Grange Road
Netley
SO31 5FF
Open from 11am to 11pm
Food from Noon to 9pm.
Family and dog friendly
dancinggoose.co.uk
WhatPub
Trip Advisor (Dancing Goose)
Trip Advisor (Netley Grange)
