Sway Restaurant Guide

This two-year-old restaurant in a “boutique hotel on the main street of Lymington” specialises in “simply prepared and beautifully presented fish, straight from the local boats”. Experienced chef Matthew Tomkinson, previously of The Hambrough on the Isle of Wight, took over the kitchen in early 2024.

“A really lovely restaurant that’s a real find in Lymington” – Andrew and Marjolaine Du Bourg have run this fine dining venue near the harbour since 2014 and all reports suggest that “if you want to celebrate a special occasion, or just have a self-indulgent dining experience, then Elderflower is the place to come”. It’s a consciously ‘haute’ experience, where there are four, five and seven-course modern British tasting menus for £85, £95 and £105 per person with “interesting and flavourful ingredient combinations, beautifully presented” – “Michelin star level food without the fuss and extra expense”. “The staff (a young team) are all pleasant and professional” 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”.

“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”.

“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.

“As weird and wacky as ever: a top-class restaurant tucked away where no one would ever look for one… in the back of a fishmonger’s” – chef David Wykes, who cooks every service, has established his “delightful and unique” venue as one of the country’s leading fish and seafood specialists in the last 15 years (“I’ve been to lots of restaurants in Cornwall this year but a return visit to Verveine has reinforced its place as my favourite for fish, combining wonderful freshness with imaginative accompaniments and seasoning – and excellent desserts too – all at very reasonable prices”). “Chef David is so creative, always unveiling new ingredients, with each dish so well balanced in terms of composition and flavour, while Sally’s wine pairings are also excellent”. The “decor doesn’t quite match the extremely high calibre of food” and the space can feel “quite cramped” – but nobody is complaining when there’s “a range of tasting menus including a very reasonable six courses at lunchtime for £43 (but I’m yet to try it as the £29 three-course lunch is so good!)”.

2024 Review: “An absolute gem of an Indian” that’s “always busy with a great atmosphere” and “well worth a visit” for its “fantastic food” and “superb staff who really know their menu” (no wonder it has snaffled the Asian Curry Awards’ ‘Best Asian Restaurant on the South Coast of England’ title for five years running).

2023 Review: “Amazing food, speedy and accurate service, with no frills”: this family-run Thai (with a second branch in Brockenhurst) is “exactly what you’d want from a mid-week outing” – “even our Thai friends think it’s exceptional”. Top Tip – “the fish dishes are fabulous”.