Copythorne Restaurant Guide

“Consistently exceptional French bistro cuisine” – “in the middle of the New Forest!” – ensures that this unlikely but long-serving Gallic outpost in the most English of environments remains an “all-time favourite” for many. It’s “an absolute delight”, with a “fabulous wine list, attentive service and the best setting overlooking a village cricket pitch with wild ponies and donkeys wandering past”. “We’re always warmly welcomed with a glass of Champagne by the characterful maître d’/owner”, Claude Laage.

“Hard to fault the food” according to the numerous fans of Angela Hartnett and Lime Wood’s Luke Holder’s retreat – a 33 bedroom property tastefully updated and with a “beautiful New Forest location”, where the menu puts an Italian spin on quite a conservative country-house menu (with main courses such as guinea fowl or Dover sole for £45-£55). At these prices, though, the odd reporter feels “it has good food, but the à la carte is overpriced: opt for the good-value set lunch”.