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www.nvsouthampton.com (at the moment this leads you to Merchants web site but NV will be active soon) |
Visited January 2005
As NV ( Envy) has only been officially open for just over a week this must be Southampton's newest restaurant & one of the most beautiful! It used to be a Nat West bank so the interior is very impressive & must have cost a fortune to convert. It is a new venture for the owners of Merchants but it has a very different style, NV is elegance & sophistication personified! When their website is up & running I hope it has some interior photos. The entrance in Castle Way leads into the upper bar which is at the top of a sweeping staircase that leads down to the restaurant. When you first walk in it quite takes your breath away as you look down at all the pristine white clothed tables, as you realise how high the ceiling is, how luxurious the curtains are, how wonderful it must look at night, especially if it was full of diners in evening dress. I could go on & on, go & see for yourself!
There is wheelchair access through the Castle Way entrance (the entrance on High St is not going to be used so as not to disturb diners) with a lift down to the restaurant. The loos are fab & also accessible. Smoking is allowed in both the upstairs & downstairs bars, where they have extractor fans, but not in the restaurant. They have cabaret on Friday & Saturday nights but best to phone & check out the details. There is a private dining room available for small functions.
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We had drinks in the bar whilst we studied the menus. There is a full A la Carte & an interesting Light Lunch menu available. A few vegetarian dishes are included. The service throughout was excellent. Our host chose Crayfish & Prawn Salad from the lighter options. This was my starter, Salad of Smoked Chicken, Chorizo & Roasted Peach, with seasonal leaves & balsamic syrup dressing. SM chose Baked Portobello Mushrooms filled with cured bacon & red Leicester both very yummy & enjoyed the unusual combinations. Almost forgot to mention the obligatory bottle of Pinot Grigio we ordered! |
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Again my choice, Grilled Red Mullet Fillets with spinach mash, Ratatouille garnish & basil oil. The other choices Pan fried Fillet of Sea Bass with crayfish, lemon & thyme risotto, chorizo croutons & gazpacho dressing & Honey & Soy Glazed Filet of Pork with toasted sesame & spring onion noodles. We thought the Sea Bass the favourite as the risotto was so good. The pork was a tad dry but all enjoyable & lovely presentation. We feel that at this early stage they would benefit from a special price 2 or 3 course inclusive lunch menu to encourage customers who want more than a light bite & that perhaps basic vegetables should be included in the price. Sadly NV was very quiet & so not a lot of atmosphere but hopefully we will get time to visit again soon when we hope to see the place buzzing, go & support them! I am assured they are a lot busier at night. Finished with coffees, too full for puds. |
Cost £ £ £ £ £
Yummy factor 8/10
Report CJ
| The higher the "Yummy" factor, the better the food & service. The higher the number of £ signs the more expensive. ( Roughly one £ sign = £5 per head ) |
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