Revisited January 2012 On a very cold Tuesday evening this week four ladies, out celebrating a couple of birthdays, ventured into this lovely warm and welcoming venue. Although reviewed back in 2009 we have not had an opportunity to call back until now and I’m very pleased that we did.
Situated at the top of the one way system down to Hamble shore, parking is not a problem as the Square offers ample places. Business was good and we were therefore shown upstairs, passing the door to a lovely back garden with a very interesting outside dining table with thatched roof and a heater, something to try when a little warmer.
We went for the Prix-fixe Menu - £35 for two people, two courses and a bottle of wine. For our starters we chose, spicy courgette soup, mushrooms in garlic and stuffed chicken thighs with sun-dried tomatoes and olives with creamy mash and mustard sauce. For our Main courses 2 chose rump steak with salad, home made fish cakes and chicken breast in sauce with vegetables. As one friend commented "that was the nicest meal I've had in a long time" we all agreed with her. Good portion sizes, flavoursome and good value. We were served by Mike, mien host, a chef in his previous life who obviously loves his food.
For research purposes we had one pudding and 4 spoons; the choice was apple and blackberry tart tatin with cream, £6.50, delicious. Followed by coffee at £1.90 and tea £1.80. The included French Merlot went down a treat!
There is a prix-fixe lunch menu, with a complimentary glass of wine or alternatively a La Carte Menu. Do check out their web site for more menu details particularly as they change it regularly and their opening times.
I have upgraded the marking to 20/25 Cost ££££ Please help to spread the word by telling any restaurants you visit that you tried them because you were recommended by LWL in Hampshire... Thank you! Visited December 2009 You may well know that River Rat Cellar & Kitchen used to be a tea rooms but local women Frances Carroll and Karin Wood have transformed it into a stylish bar and restaurant. The kitchen team is led by Hampshire local Adam Coppins, a young chef who has trained under the Roux brothers and Raymond Blanc. He has created a "modern European" menu using, wherever possible, locally sourced food. They are open Tues - Sat evenings and Thurs- Sun lunchtime, we suggest booking. They have a lovely and surprisingly large terrace area, gorgeous for al fresco eating in the warmer months but at the moment the interior is cosy! There is a lot of extra seating up the fairly steep stairs, if stairs could be a problem request a downstairs table. They have a great value lunch menu, 2 courses for £12.95 which includes a 125ml glass of house wine! Only 3 choices at each course but a sure sign that everything is fresh. As there were 3 of us we were able to sample all the starters and mains! |
Starters: Goat’s Cheese en Croute with Tomato Chutney, White Onion Soup and Ham Hock Terrine with Sauce Gribiche on a bed of Winter Leaves. They were all delicious. Mains: Beef Lyonnaise with Horseradish Mash, Sea Bass on Ratatouille with a Rich Tomato Sauce and Risotto of Wild Mushrooms. We enjoyed them all but did feel that the beef needed a green vegetable of some sort and the fish some potato. We finished by sharing one Apple, Blackberry & Almond Crumble @ £5.75, very yummy and then coffees. The River Rat is a great find and if you arrive in Hamble by boat it's well worth the walk up the hill. If you arrive by car there is a very handy public car park just before you start to go into the one way system and down the hill! Cost ££££ |
5/5 = Cannot be improved upon, 4/5 = Very good, 3/5 = Good,
2/5 = Satisfactory, 1/5 = Poor, 0/5 = TerribleThe higher the "Yummy" factor, the better the food & service. The higher the number of £ signs the more expensive. (Roughly one £ sign = £5 per head) |
LWL Silver Award - Awarded January 2012 - Cost ££££ 
