Ringwood Restaurant Guide

2022 Review: “Amazing food and friendly service” characterise this “impressive” restaurant on the edge of the New Forest, run for more than 20 years by chef Mike Womersley (ex-Lucknam Park) and his wife Jayne. “The ambience has been transformed by a refurbishment – a welcome surprise since our last visit”.

2024 Review: A good position in the town centre and on the River Avon only adds to the appeal of this substantial Georgian property – nowadays a luxurious four-star hotel. The restaurant is overseen by Alex Aitken of the nearby Jetty and provides some surprisingly affordable options, including “a daily changing £17.50 two-course market menu with ingredients sourced within 15 miles”. (Some change may be afoot, though, as in June 2023 the owners since 2005 put the property on the market.)

“Waterside dining with a great buzz” makes this nautically themed spa hotel (built 20 years ago on the site of a former Pontin’s) an “attractive” option (“we’re regular visitors, and have never been disappointed by the cooking”). The hotel, which resembles a cruise liner overlooking the River Stour and the harbour, is doubling its capacity under expansion plans approved in early 2025.

“Such a fun place that coped so well with a mixed-age group of ten people” – the ‘dressed down’ option at this famous country-house hotel occupies a contemporary, pitched-roof space overlooking the kitchen gardens and complete with outside terrace and cookery school. The brasserie menu includes burgers, pizza, steak and other grills, plus a good selection of other options; and reports say “it’s just really good food backed up by friendly, informal but efficient service in a convivial environment”. Not cheap perhaps, but “well worth the price”.

“A classic afternoon tea with exceptional service” is one reliable attraction at this famous, cossetting Relais & Châteaux property, set on the edge of the New Forest about half an hour’s drive from Bournemouth. Dinner in its light-filled dining room does afford the possibility of a six-course tasting option (for £98.50 per person) but the main thrust is an à la carte selection of individually priced dishes, with lots of relatively straightforward steaks and other grills (of fish, lobster, lamb and so on). Feedback suggests it’s all very pleasing if not in a particularly ‘foodie’ mould.

“So pleased to see Jan and Stacey’s excellence recognised!” – the Bretschneiders have operated out of this address a couple of minutes’ stroll from the promenade in Southbourne for over ten years now and it’s “a go-to when in the area” for those in our annual diners’ poll. Despite its looks, it’s “too expensive to be called a neighbourhood restaurant” which wouldn’t do justice to the ambition of its multi-course modern European menus, which are an attractive mix of classical and contemporary dishes (with ‘South Coast Sushi’ rubbing shoulders with ‘Creedy Carver Chicken’ and ‘Pear Belle Helene’). There’s a ‘Classic Menu’ (currently £99 per person) or ‘Discovery’ (at £139 per person).

“Fresh local fish” is the star turn at this beachside restaurant – in “an excellent location with wonderful coastal views on a good day”. Chef Andy Waters worked under the great French chef Paul Bocuse early in his career. Top Tip – “they also serve an exceptional breakfast”.

2022 Review: “Top-notch fish, chips and alternatives” plus a “lovely location” not far from the centre of town make this modern seaside café a good choice for breakfast or lunch, with stunning views from the terrace.

“Superb French cuisine in outstanding New Forest scenery” attracts a dedicated following for this characterful country bistro, whose “delightful ambience” and “friendly, very Gallic service” are directed by patron Claude Laage, originally from Alsace, who founded the establishment more than 30 years ago. This year’s biggest gripe? “A bit less emphasis on red meat in the mains and 20th-century British confectionery brands in the desserts would make it even better!”

For a dozen years now, Angela Hartnett’s “country restaurant with an Italian focus” has put in a “good but quite pricey” performance in the New Forest, as part of a “classy” 33 bedroom property, which fans say it’s a “sheer joy, from the venue, to the staff, to the best non-alcoholic drinks menu ever… and then the food!” No other reports demur, other than that it can seem “expensive”. Luke Holder is the chef in charge on a day-to-day basis here. Top Tip – for those counting the pennies there’s a ‘Pranzetto’ menu (which means a light, leisurely lunch) – two courses for £39.50.

2022 Review: A “beautifully situated restaurant” in an Art Deco solarium overlooking Poole Harbour, and where “drinks on the upper deck are an extra delight”. One or two off reports on the food front this year, but also plenty of plaudits for its “really good breakfasts and lunches”, and “service has improved” of late too.

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 view overlooking Poole Harbour makes this a romantic location” for an Italian meal – although it’s “very much a good-weather venue”. The hotel is at the heart of a long-running planning dispute, with vocal locals opposing a plan to convert it into an ‘aparthotel’ under a £300m redevelopment of Sandbanks.