Hampshire Restaurants

Whether exploring the beautiful county of Hampshire at leisure or indeed passing through its various cities on business, visitors to its restaurants can be sure of superb hospitality with delicious and exquisite food guaranteed to tempt the most discerning of palates thereby making it a truly memorable dining out experience.

Bentleys Restaurant is situated within The Woodlands Lodge Hotel, a fine restored hunting lodge set in the peace and tranquillity of the New Forest. Open to non-residents it provides the ideal location for a pleasant meal in the one-time Victorian music room that is now an elegant restaurant. The menu takes advantage of fresh local produce, much of which is bought from suppliers who have gained the New Forest Marque, a brand indicating a quality product produced or reared in the New Forest. To qualify, producers must see that their goods meet stringent quality standards, including very high standards of animal welfare and husbandry. The restaurant boasts good food, discreet attentive service and a gentle quiet ambiance. Although set in a beautiful and quiet location it is within easy reach of the M27. Southampton City Centre is just15 minutes away and Heathrow and Gatwick airports one and half hours away.

The three AA rosette Avenue Restaurant is located in the Lainston House Hotel, a beautiful red-brick 17th-century building lying in 63 acres of splendid Hampshire parkland. Originally commissioned as a palace by Charles II it was built by the Victorian architect Sir Christopher Wren. The Avenue is so named as the view from the restaurant and bar shows a direct line of lime trees planted in 1716.The Terrace, an al fresco area surrounding the dining room and bar is all-weather protected allowing diners to enjoy the grounds at all times. There are also options available for private dining which includes the grand oak-framed Dawley Barn, perfect for larger dining events, celebrations and weddings. The kitchen team is headed by chef Andy MacKenzie who has been instrumental in the evolution of the kitchen and its gardens, and whose goal it is to have as much as possible of the menu's ingredients sourced directly from the hotel's grounds. The Avenue restaurant is fast becoming a place of pilgrimage for high-end food and drink lovers with Andy having taken the Hampshire Chef of the Year award for 2007.

The Marryat Restaurant at the Chewton Glen Hotel offers fine dining in beautiful surroundings. Using only the finest local produce, executive Head Chef Luke Matthews and his team offer a variety of dishes from a selection of menu options. With a selective style of cookery, extensive use is made of fresh Hampshire produce such as wild mushrooms, vegetables and game from the New Forest, and seafood from local Christchurch, Bournemouth and Lymington. The Marryat Room and Garden Restaurant offers two menu options in the evening. A five course gourmand and the three course table d'hote. The Menu Gourmand is a selection of the Chef's signature dishes and starts with an appetiser before going on to seared escalope of duck foie gras, followed by roast Scottish scallops. A fillet of Scottish beef is neatly complimented by a citrus fruit trifle with lime syrup, leading to a hot Valrhona chocolate fondant with pistachio ice cream. Each course carries a carefully chosen wine from the cellar selected by Sommelier, Alan Holmes. The table d'hote menu offers local delicacies such as lobster fresh from Christchuch Bay, a terrine of local game, or Oscietra caviar, continuing with a canon of Hampshire lamb, Quantock duck, or loin of veal with roast sweetbreads. A banana and coconut tart with rum and raisin ice cream is a special delight on the menu along with a good range of sorbets and farmhouse cheeses. Head Chef Luke Matthews is of local origin, with training that includes international experience and ten years as Senior Sous Chef with former Chewton Glen Head Chef, Pierre Chevillard.

Careys Manor Hotel is a luxury four-star & spa hotel located deep in the heart of the beautiful New Forest National Park. Within are three restaurants to choose from. Whilst the two AA rosette Manor Restaurant offers fine dining with a reasonably priced three-course menu and extensive wine list, the Blaireaus French Bistro with its detailed menu and excellent food offers a more relaxed atmosphere. For those who wish to sample authentic Thai cuisine there is the Zen Garden Restaurant whose green curry is considered a true triumph for the hotel. The restaurants use only the finest ingredients with many of the suppliers carrying the New Forest Marque. These are sourced in line with an ethical food policy of using local, free-range and organic produce as far as possible.