Hampshire, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“Our go-to local favourite” – “history is definitely on the menu here and one can feel it within the cosy sophistication of this 600-year-old dining room” – “a wonderful, intimate and historic” space that’s “great for grown-ups”. It’s been a restaurant since 1940 and owned by Mark Dodds since 2008, whose team provides “wonderful friendly and efficient service”. The “classic” cooking is not of the highest ambition but consistently well-realised and very reliable. Top Tips – “good value lunch and early evening menu which is wonderful for dinner before a play at the Chesil Theatre”; “lamb and game are favourite choices here”.

“An interesting pub with loads of character” – this well-known sprawling inn (run by Fuller’s) sits right between the Cathedral and the town’s famous public school, and its decor includes bric-a-brac and ancient desks from the latter. “A varied clientele, with some eccentrics – human and canine – are thrown in for added pleasure in a series of cosy and pleasantly cluttered rooms so that except at the busiest times, it‘s convivial rather than noisy; no music or TV; and staff who are amiable and helpful”. Now under a former Roux Scholarship semi-finalist, Luke Emmess, the food “has regained some (not all) of its former glory” and “is certainly a lot better than a mere ‘cut off the joint’”. Straightforward items gain most praise (“dinner doesn‘t always deliver on its ambitions”): “one of the best pies ever…”; “breakfasts and lunchtime sandwiches are superb”.

Another outpost of the all-conquering Ivy brand’s high street brasserie spin-off, whose “décor and furnishings stand out from the crowd” (down to the onyx bar, polished parquet floors and burnt-orange leather banquettes). It’s “lost a bit of gloss since it opened” and food was never really the main event (though there’s a “wide choice” on the menu, and it’s generally well-rated) “but it‘s the location and the buzz that you go for”.

This “great hotel” makes a “lovely setting” for “consistently very good meals” from well-travelled chef Phil Yeomans, who trained at the Dorchester and worked in the US and Bermuda before returning to his native Hampshire to run the kitchen here six years ago.

Victorian village pub, remodelled and extended in 2018 with new bedrooms and a dining room which provides a standard pub menu. The menu aims at the higher end for pub grub (for example with ‘Hampshire 36 Day Aged Côte de Boeuf’ or ‘King Scallop, Salt Pig Nduja & Saffron Risotto’) but more sceptical reporters see it as “good all-round but somewhat dialled in”.

Reopened by Lucy Townsend a decade back – a “lovely old pub” (with ten rooms) delivering “wonderful, delicious seasonal food” that makes the most of the Kent larder, and where the “superb staff and welcome make every meal special” (it’s hotly in demand for romantic getaways). Top Tip – the “particularly good-value set lunch” (three courses £26.95 per person).

The “idyllic New Forest location” is the big draw at the original Pig, where Robin & Judy Hutson set the template for their shabby-chic country-house hotel group that had grown to 11 branches by the time they stepped back into retirement at the end of 2024. The “food is perhaps not quite as adventurous as it used to be”, but its basic premise of “fresh local produce, cooked perfectly” still passes muster for most reporters. Black marks, though, for some “poorly trained staff” and “seriously overpriced wines”.

The building has a history dating back to the 1780s, and its current occupant has developed into a real local staple since launching in its current guise in 2003: an airy bistro with a conservatory and terrace. Adam Maker has headed up the kitchen for the past few years and, while he no longer seems to be doing small plates mentioned in last year’s edition, has settled on fixtures like fish ‘n’ chips, pizzas and a popular Sunday roast: cooking that’s “always reliable”. Oenophiles NB: Camber Wines sits above the restaurant, so top tipples are guaranteed.

“Interesting food with a great view of Emsworth Harbour” has underpinned the longevity of this well-known restaurant-with-rooms that sits right on the water. Gary & Martyna Pearce have run it for five years now and provide a variety of eating options, with a contemporary spin on the menus. As well as the obligatory tasting menus, there are set and à la carte options, of which the latter – alongside more ‘haute’ combinations – has a selection of top-quality steaks of which the headline is a 500g Australian Wagyu Tomahawk for £120.

Lawrence & Julia Murphy’s stalwart (est. 2000) is “a great find tucked a short walk up from the quay in Emsworth”; while the fisherman’s cottage it inhabits is to some a “little unprepossessing from the outside”, inside it’s “a bit of a gem”, offering a “varied menu including great fish dishes” and “friendly service” to go with it.

A former courthouse with exposed beams plays host to this rustic and tiny European restaurant run by chef Nathan Marshall and FOH wife Evi, a “lovely lady” whose Hungarian roots sometimes inspire the fine-dining on the menu. On limited feedback this year, there were reports of some “delicious” dishes and as we went to press, demand for a table was so high that they were already fully booked for 2024! Top Tip – to circumvent the need to book way ahead, keep an eye on their Instagram account (@n.marshall_chef), where they sometimes advertise last-minute cancellations.