Brockenhurst Restaurant Guide

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”.

“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”.

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.

“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”.