As a belated birthday gift my granparents took me to a restaurant that I've always wanted to go to. Lakeside Park, located on the Isle of Wight, is known for its high class restaurant and spa facilities. Its located in Wootten Bridge, near a lovely and scenic lakeside. The restaurant is presented in a modern, clean and crispy white decor.
When entering the restaurant we were welcomed warmly and shown to our booked table. We were read the specials and explained that we could order from the fixed menu or the a la carte menu. I ordered a Kir Royale, cause it was my (belated) birthday and cause why not. Drinks came promptly after we ordered them. We were left alone to decide what we would like and after about 5 minutes we ordered.
For my starter I ordered the scallops with pork belly, cauliflower puree and mango puree. The presentation was incredible! Art on a plate or slate rather. I'm not fussy on slates for plates but the black against the cauliflower and scallops, it really popped. The saltiness pork against the fishy scallop then partnered with the fruity mango was balanced well with a number of different flavours and textures.
Main course was also beautifully presented, I did feel it need a little more colour however. It was a fillet of halibut served with Parisian potatoes, curly kale and braised red cabbage. The halibut was perfectly cooked but I did find 2 thin bones-it happens with fish- and perfectly seasoned too. The potatoes and curly kale were also perfectly cooked, however the red cabbage was bitter and I felt that it was a little out of place on the dish.
Now dessert took ages to order. With the restaurant filling up, our waitress was a little flustered and passed us a number of times before we had to ask for a dessert menu. The Lakeside 'Toffee Crisp' looked interesting, so I ordered that! Dessert was hand prepared, so it did take a little while, but it was worth the wait. The dessert itself was made up of a blood orange sorbet, chocolate popping candy 'soil', a dark chocolate cup filled with a caramel sauce and a chocolate mousse topped with crispy oranges. One of the best desserts I've ever had!
Overall, the whole experience was amazing. The menu is pricey, so its worth a visit for a special occasion. The staff were kind if a little over flustered and familiar, some of the staff were a little unprofessional by stating that my Nan was 'doing a runner' when she was just going to use the restroom. Which made us a little uncomfortable. But other then that, both the waiter and waitress were nice enough.
On a brilliant sunny Thursday afternoon, I went for lunch with my nan to a restaurant that she would like, so we ended up in Southsea at a restaurant that I've been to before and had nothing but good experiences, Truffles of Southsea.
We arrived at 1:15pm, so well within time for the lunch time set menu. We settled down into the somewhat empty restaurant, with a lack of people it seemed a little chilly. There was a woman who was serving who was extremely polite and offered to take our coats for us. She allowed us to sit wherever we wanted to and asked us if we wanted a drink, an americano and a diet coke later. We settled on reading the lunch special set menu, which was really good value for money (£9,95 for two courses and £11.95 for three courses). I was impressed with the quality of the menu and ordered a cured salmon as a starter and seabass fillet with parmesan polenta and a beurre blanc sauce for my main course, with a side of triple cooked chips.
The waitress asked if we needed the heating on and we said yes, sadly the air conditioning wasn't behaving correctly, so we had to sit a little chilly. The wait for the starters was perfect and presentation was lovely, with great attention to detail. The taste of the cured salmon was perfect, it reminded me of a sashimi texture, not raw however but not quite cooked. There was a beetroot and radish spread on the plate which added colour as well as flavour to the dish. Light and tasty as a starter.
The starters were left on the table for about 2 minutes before being taken away by the polite waitress. She asked if we enjoyed the starters and made she we had enough to drink. She didn't linger too long at the table to make it awkward, as she cleared away our plates.
We didn't need to wait too long for the main course, approx 10 minutes at the most. The seabass fillets were cut into angles, which made it look very contemporary. The parmesan polenta added colour to the dish and the beurre blanch added a richness that really brought the dish together. The issue I had was I found three bones my fish. I know that fish have bones and of course, there is never a guarantee that fish fillets will be completely boneless. Its a hazard that you have to take when you eat fish, however its still a little off putting. Even though the dish was nice, I felt a little more beurre blanc sauce would have been appreciated. The triple cooked chips were an absolute delight, a perfect mix of soft middle and crunchy outside. I also noted that there was a little flavour of truffle on the chips, which was a really nice touch.
We didn't opt for dessert or a drink as we felt that we wanted to leave because we were so full as well as being a little cold still. The waitress gave us the bill and we paid, but not without a little conversation. For £25.90 for a quality 2 course meal, drinks and a side dish, its a good price for a great lunch.
When spending a little down time with my family on the Isle of Wight we found our way over to Cowes. The location itself is very well known for its yachting enthusiasts and small cafes. Being still in the Winter season, I wasn't expecting much to be open. That's when we happened upon The Coast bar and restaurant, which was full, almost to bursting! It looked like a busy lunchtime. As we entered we were greeted with the restaurant manager, he politely greeted us and directed us to an available table for two.
The layout of the restaurant was cool, with sharp lines, comfortable chairs and with a view into the kitchen, which boasts a woodfire kitchen. What I really like in any restaurant is cleanliness, and Coast is spotless.
The waitress handed us a menu each and asked us for a drinks order. One americano and diet coke later! The menu was small but well thought out with options for veterinarians. As we browsed the menu, the drinks were placed down and we were asked if we would like water for the table. In any restaurant that I've ever been in, I don't think I've ever been asked I would like water for the table. Its a really nice touch. Also, I would like to point out, that we were given a good amount of time to browse before the waitress came to take our order.
I opted for a starter of 'Pan fried Scallops with a Cauliflour Puree' and for my main course, 'Venison with Rosemary carrots, Celeriac Puree and Cranberry Jus'. I took in the atmosphere and everyone was content, including the staff were amiable. It was really reassuring and comfortable, even though we were surrounded by lots of people.
My starter arrived within 10 minutes, I enjoyed every bite of it! I wish they had a main course version. The scallops were cooked perfectly, not chewy or rubbery. The addition of the pancetta really brought the dish together. The size was perfect as a starter, not to small or large. Presentation was lovely as well.
The wait for the main course was a bit much, I think we waited about 40 minutes- (ish?), however we were always attended. When we finished the water jug, it was replenished and replaced as quickly. The staff here were so on the ball. The wait for our main course didn't arise as an issue as the staff were so attentive.
When the main course did arrive, it was worth the wait. Beautifully presented and my venison was served pink (as it should be), it was juicy and well seasoned. The dish also had parsnip chips, which wasn't mentioned on the menu but it was a great texture against the soft texture of the meat and puree. The jus itself I felt could have been more tart, as it was a cranberry jus, but I still enjoyed it.
Honestly, it was hard to pick out any fault with the food or service for that matter. I was so impressed with the whole experience. It was a little pricey for a lunch (£44 approx), we got what we'd paid for. If this is the quality of service and food at lunch, I would love to come here during the evening!
Overall, I would highly recommend that you make the effort to visit this restaurant, even if its for a coffee. I will definitely be coming here again!
