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RHODES SOUTH Christchurch Harbour Hotel Avonmouth, 95 Mudeford, Christchurch BH23 3NT 01202 483434 |
Vegetarian: Yes in both courses Parking: It has it’s own car park but this was full so we parked a few hundred yards away on the road! Wheelchairs: Good Loos: Very good, modern & clean |
Visited August 2009
Two of us decided to try this highly publicised new Gary Rhodes restaurant which is situated in a brand new wood-clad building in the grounds of the Christchurch Harbour Hotel (previously the Avonmouth). The restaurant looks out across Mudeford Harbour and it was pleasant to watch the tide going out and the feeding seabirds moving in. Unfortunately there are a number of trees just outside the windows which hamper the view, but these trees look to be quite mature so are likely to remain.
Having been shown to our table we were offered iced water and given menus and a wine list. Looking at the wine list we saw that Pinot Grigio was £34 a bottle, and a Muscadet was £30 so we decided to stick with beer and cider! Our Peroni beer and Thatcher’s Cider arrived without delay, along with some freshly baked warm rolls.
Shortly afterwards we were served an Amuse Bouche each. This consisted of a small vase of beetroot/blackcurrant drink with a wafer and a Chicken Parfait taster. A nice little touch to get us in the mood!
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For starters my friend chose the Fresh Mudeford Crab and new potato salad with sweet red peppers and a crispy poached egg (@ £10.50) while I had the Seared Scallops with Nicoise Salad (@ £11). Both were excellent and very nicely presented on the plate however I was disappointed that I only got two scallops for the price!
As a sucker for Slow Roast Belly of Pork I chose this from the menu for my main course (@ £18). It came with a Pea Puree and a Linguine Carbonara which was served in a separate small saucepan. Again, the food was superb but I was unhappy that I was served only one slice of pork belly. This being a main course, and the fact that pork is a relatively cheap meat I though this offering was particularly mean. I have had larger starter plates than this main item.
My friend had the Mixed Dorset Fish Roast with Buttered Samphire and Lobster Béarnaise Sauce (@ £19). There were three small pieces of nicely roasted fish and one scallop with the sauce being presented in a small side dish. Again, the meal was excellent, very tasty and nicely presented but still on the small side.
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Being still hungry we decided to try the sweet course. I had the “Strawberry” (@ £8) which consisted of Strawberry Parfait, Strawberry Mousse and Strawberry Eton Mess. My friend chose the “Lemon” (@ £7) which was a Warm Whole Lemon and Almond Pudding with Soft Blueberries and Lemon Yoghurt Ice Cream. We agreed that these were the best of three courses and rounded off what was a very nice meal – albeit rather small!
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The restaurant had a large number of staff on duty who were very attentive and ensured swift service. It seemed that every time one of us took a drink of water a waiter/waitress would then be at our table to refill the glass. As soon as a course was finished the plates were removed and the next delivered promptly. Having arrived at 7.15pm we finished our meals and were ready to leave just after 8.30pm and felt that we had been hurried along. In our conversation afterwards we agreed that the meal had certainly not been a relaxed affair and that, at times, the intervention of staff either filling glasses, or checking regarding the food, to be somewhat intrusive.
The bill of £84.25 was presented with two small warm Chocolate Muffins, again another nice touch. It was pleasing to see that they did not charge for the extra bread rolls we ordered – many other restaurants do!
Although the design of the restaurant and the food and its presentation were excellent we felt that the meal was poor value for money and could or should be improved.
Cost £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
| Quality of food 5/5 |
| Variety of menu 4/5 |
| Staff & Service 3/5 |
| Ambience, setting and decor 4/5 |
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Value for money 2/5 Total Yummy Factor 18/25 Guest Report HC
5/5 = Cannot be improved upon, 4/5 = Very good, 3/5 = Good, 2/5 = Satisfactory, 1/5 = Poor, 0/5 = Terrible |
| 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 ) |
| Site Entrance |
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