Hordle, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

This “excellent beachside restaurant” from experienced chef Andy Waters – one of the few in Britain to have worked under the late, great Paul Bocuse in Lyons – has a fitting focus on “good fish”, alongside classic pasta dishes and steaks. The terrace has lovely views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight.

“Constantly innovative, super-fresh fish dishes” from chef-patron David Wykes have established this “small, warm space” with an in-house fishmonger as a true “destination restaurant”, invariably hailed as a “great discovery” by first-time visitors. The “outstanding tasting menus” are presented in an unusual format, with guests nominating the number of courses but not their content. They arrive with “imaginative accompaniments” and “charming, attentive service”.

“The new kid on the block”, this ambitious new restaurant opened in November 2022 in a “boutique hotel on Lymington’s High Street” that had been closed for a year-long renovation. It has quickly established a solid reputation for its “simply prepared and beautifully presented fish, straight from the local boats”.

“A set selection with superb balance of flavours and textures” (with options “you might not ordinarily choose”) makes for “very interestingly presented and great-tasting food” (“we even ate a tulip!”) according to fans of the “amazing tasting menus” at Andrew & Marjolaine du Bourg’s “professional” fine-dining venue in a pretty cobbled street, near the harbour. “Too many elements on a plate” can leave some diners feeling “confused”, though (“lovely people, who are trying very hard but we thought the food was unnecessarily complicated”).