Whiteley Restaurant Guide

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.

“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”.

“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”.

“Excellent food and service” again win high ratings for Miff Kayum’s relocated Japanese fixture, which recently moved after 11 years at 70 Parchment Street to this new 60-cover address (with 20-seat courtyard) within the town, on the former site of Bridge Street House. The headline feature on the menu remains the ‘Winchester Roll’ – the world’s first to be wrapped in wasabi leaf not seaweed – as does the freshly grated wasabi served with sushi: “chef grows his own and invited us to see the growing plants and take a leaf home!”

This “long-established Indian with a large and loyal following” has served an “interesting range of refined dishes with good use of spices” for almost 40 years. “As long as Ronnie [Chowdhury] is there, this will always be the best Indian restaurant in Winchester – he maintains the high standards in food and service”.

“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”.

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”.

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”.

“Lovely food, beautifully presented” makes it worth knowing about this local Thai favourite of two decades’ standing, whose large vegan selection makes it one of the better places in town for those wishing to eat meat-free.

“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.

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.

“Still amazing after all these years” – “Andrew & Marjolaine Du Bourg are excellent hosts” and continue to win high esteem at this quaint fine-dining venue, in a pretty street near the harbour. “A real foodie restaurant”: choose from four-, five-, or seven-course menus where “every course is a surprise and you don’t get the actual menu until the end”: “inventive, delicious food and wine throughout”.

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.

Near the seafront in Southampton’s Ocean Village Marina, this modern venue inspired positive feedback across the board in this year’s annual diners’ poll. In September 2024, though, it ‘temporarily closed’, with its Facebook promising: “after 4 wonderful years… the restaurant will temporarily close, this marks the start of something even better! When the restaurant reopens, a refreshed Blue Jasmine will make your experience even more memorable”. So we will watch this space.

This “special Chinese” in an “attractive” and “spacious building on the main shopping street” (an old outpost of HSBC) was launched in 2017 by a former chef of acclaimed international brand Hakkasan, and features ‘wow factor’ interiors including chandeliers and cherry blossom accents. By all accounts, the “excellent” cooking (classic Peking duck is a signature but the menu is notably extensive) is a “real treat” – and if you are in the mood to party, they also offer high-tech karaoke.