Harden's survey result
Summary
“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”).
Summary
“Seemingly booked up months in advance following a TV appearance but definitely worth the wait if you like high-end food” – Andrew & Marjolaine du Bourg’s “sophisticated little restaurant, set in the pretty town of Lymington” is firmly establishing itself on the foodie map (having also had a recent rave from the FT Magazine). “It serves up a delicious ‘surprise’ tasting experience, using local, seasonal ingredients. Full of little flavour bombs... this is impeccable cookery at its best. Service is highly professional, explaining each dish as it is served”. “Exceptional!”
Summary
“The tasting menu is pure theatre” at ex-Club Gascon chef Andrew Du Bourg and wife Marjolaine's “memorable” restaurant (British with a French touch), where the “beautifully conceived and served” cuisine is some of “the finest food in the New Forest National Park”. Four courses are on offer at lunch, and in the evening there’s a selection of four-, five- or seven-course menus. On all accounts it’s “outstanding in all elements and such a great experience”.
Summary
Former Club Gascon chef, Andrew Du Bourg and wife Marjolaine’s “friendly” six-year-old is “well-positioned near the quay” and bills itself as being ‘quintessentially British, with a sprinkling of French’. Ratings were very high this year, celebrating “remarkable food cooked with precision and flair”: in particular the “excellent taster menu which is modest cost, given the quality” – four-, five- or six-courses for £45, £55 or £65: “lots of different flavours, enticingly presented”.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Elderflower?
Quay St, Lymington, SO41 3AS
Restaurant details
Elderflower Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Great food. Great service"
"The Elderflower restaurant was an absolute delight. The food was outstanding, close to perfection. The service was equally impressive from the several staff who attended to us. We had the seven course tasting menu and the chef had made accommodations for my wife being a pescatarian that were far from afterthoughts. And the cheese “board” that we nearly left without trying as technically it was our eight course was quite simply brilliant and we recommend it highly. My wife and I live near Southampton and have travelled far and wide on our gastronomic adventures and so I do not say this lightly that it compared favourably with many Michelin star restaurants. I actually told the waiter on the day that it reminded me a little of our last visit to Raymond Blanc’s exceptional Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. In fact I would say the food on our visit to Elderflower was actually better in many regards. Please support this exceptional restaurant. To find something of this quality outside of London and the home counties is a rare find indeed. Highly recommended and don’t forget the cheese course. It is a masterpiece!"
"We had seen the Elderflower feature on Saturday Kitchen and the tasting menu looked incredible. It did not dissapoint, our first visit here and it won't be the last. The menu was innovative and the courses flowed really well into the next. There were many highlights of the 7 course tasting menu but the Pigeon dish was outstanding. At the end of the meal we saw the table next to have the additional cheese course which twisted our arm. I have never had a cheesboard like this and have eaten at a lot of fine dining restaurants. The welsh rarebit and the stilton cheescake were incredible. We look forward to coming back here very soon."
"Dined here on 14/2/2024 set lunch - no choice of menu. Disappointing. Beautifully presented but all style over substance and expensive too. Lack of choice not good. I don't like shellfish and my partner does not like game but both were presented to us. Partner's pigeon was tough anyway and was returned. No apology or offer of an alternative. Just it could be cooked some more - as if that would make it tender. 45 minutes between first course and second course. Why? Because some other customers had arranged beef Wellington that was cooked to order so we had to wait whilst those customers (they arrived after us) were served. At the end the bill could not be prepared due to IT problems. Were we offered anything whilst we waited? A coffee maybe. No - nothing. Eventually the bill arrived with 12.5% service added. It was removed at our request. I think that, as diners having the set menu, we were thought of as second class citizens whilst those other customers (probably regulars judging by the amount of time the manager spent chatting to them) received the best treatment. One minor point - after two and a quarter hours the chairs were definitely feeling uncomfortable. Overall this was a poor experience and we won't be going back."
"Simply perfect- an exquisite selection of dishes on the 7-course tasting menu, each one demonstrating that there are outstanding culinary and artistic skills in the kitchen. An absolute gastronomic feast from start to finish, with incredible depth of flavour in each mouthful. And I must mention the incredibly professional, knowledgeable and unobtrusively attentive staff, led by charming front of house manager Marjolaine. This was our second visit and we're already planning our third."
"This is the second time we have eaten here,this time we had the sharing menu which was 3 courses one including Venison Chateaubriande which was extremely filling with all the love accompaniments! The service was excellant again !"
"This is post-modern British dining at its worst. The tasting menu provided plates that were confused (far too many ingredients doing less than they would independently) and (in the case of one course) cold ,to which we received no response to our complaint. Steep prices (higher than the excellent Chewton Glen where we staying) contributed to a general feeling that we had been ripped off and wouldn't be visiting this restaurant again."
"We were visitors from Jersey and had a lovely dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The tasting menu was delicious."
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £45.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £4.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 12.50% |
Quay St, Lymington, SO41 3AS
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | CLOSED |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑2 pm |
