You’ve enjoyed a morning stroll round the marina, you’ve explored Hurst Castle, perhaps you’ve even taken a dip in the famous Salt Water Baths? With so many sites to see and experiences to enjoy in Lymington, you’re sure to be building up an appetite, and so when thoughts turn to lunch, you’re in luck.
This vibrant and historic market town, which nestles right up to the edge of the spectacular New Forest, is also perfectly placed to make the most of the very best places for lunch in Hampshire.
Let’s see what’s on the menu…
From light bites, sharing plates, all the way to a traditional Sunday lunch with all the trimmings, whichever one of the New Forest Collection restaurants you choose after a morning of adventuring near Lymington is sure to be a treat.
Each restaurant boasts its own unique style, so you can enjoy your meal in a grand country house or a laid-back country pub, but what they all have in common is the importance placed on showcasing locally sourced, seasonal produce to its best wherever possible.
The talented chefs take pride in producing inspiring and creative menus, with options to suit every taste and requirement, and going the extra mile to make sure that everyone in your lunch party is delighted with their choice.
And did we mention that ‘delicious’ is a given? It really is.
Top of the list if you’re looking for the best pub lunch near Lymington has to be The Drift, near The Beaulieu Inn. The Drift is a relaxed, stylish country pub that warmly welcomes families and their four-legged companions, and offers a varied and award-winning menu. Fresh, local ingredients – and here we have to mention the South Coast day boat fish – are celebrated on a menu that always reflects the changing seasons.
Opt for a light bite, something fresh from their Salad Patch menu, or jump right in with any one of the aptly-named Drift Pub Classics. As well as local steak, the signature Drift Burger and Drift Dog, there are thoughtful and delicious veggie and vegan options too; the squash, spinach and feta Mud Pie with roasted cherry tomatoes and chunky chips has to be a winner in anyone’s book.
How you’ll ever choose between the mouth-watering selection of desserts on offer at The Drift we’ll honestly never know, but special mention goes out to the Purbeck ice cream and the cheese board which highlights chef’s selection of the finest local fromage.
For those who enjoy traditional brasserie fare, Forest Lodge in nearby Lyndhurst is a townhouse hotel, home to 1820, a fabulous award-winning restaurant and grill. Lunch can be enjoyed outside on the terrace, or if you’re looking for a more intimate dining experience, within one of their elegant indoor spaces.
Choose from a range of sophisticated small plates, or go straight for their Grill Menu with its fresh market fish of the day, incredible bouillabaisse and the hand-cut, locally sourced prime steak. Vegetarian and vegan options are equally tasty, with a fabulous gnocchi dish and the Mediterranean tatin prepared with seasonal vegetables.
And afterwards? Think souffles, sorbets and tiramisu – though if your thoughts also wander toward the apple tart tatin with stick toffee sauce, we really wouldn’t blame you.
Burley Manor is a gorgeous baronial-style manor-house hotel set in exquisite grounds, with its traditional charms enhanced by boutique, contemporary touches.
Their restaurant is known for its imaginative menus and inspired dining experiences, and their lunch menu shows us why. Championing local all the way, their Sunday lunch menu is an absolute joy, traditional in all the right places – think roast beef, pork or freshly caught fish – whilst also offering some delightful surprises, not least in the options available for those preferring something different, like the burnt lemon tagliatelle.
And do take a moment to savour their dessert menu – it reads like a poem to puddings. Their Tapas lunch menu is alive with fresh, Mediterranean flavours and influences. Smoked haddock or wild mushroom arancini, anyone? And dishes from their Pantry Plates include the confidently named ‘Flatbread’, with the chef’s favourite ingredients served with flatbreads fresh from the wood-fired oven. It has to be done.
Another gorgeous country house hotel that welcomes you for lunch near Lymington is Bartley Lodge. Understated elegance is the order of the day here, and their lunch menus reflect this too.
Enjoy a traditional Sunday roast and proper pudding in the dining room, or light lunch with friends on the sun terrace. Highlights to start include crispy spicy chicken with cauliflower puree, smoked duck with sour cherry gel and chicory, and the roasted vegetable tian with smoked sweet potato puree. Large plates include locally produced steak, freshly caught and pan-fried sea bass with crab and saffron risotto, chicken ballotine with tarragon mousse, and some incredible Asian-inspired vegetarian and vegan dishes. And if you’ve room for dessert? Think sticky toffee, chocolate tart with blood orange sorbet, lemon posset with shortbread, and Eton Mess with New Forest strawberries.
Bartley Lodge is set in eight acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, so it’s the perfect place for a stroll after what some diners have surely described as the best lunch in Hampshire.
With so many superb places for lunch near Lymington, your only problem will be choosing which one of them to sample first. Each one enjoys an outstanding location within the beautiful New Forest, and is only a short distance from the coast. Lymington itself is wonderfully accessible, close to London, and with fantastic transport links by both road and rail. You can fly into Southampton International Airport, or arrive by sea at both Southampton and Portsmouth.
If you’re looking to lunch near Lymington, Forest Lodge near Lyndhurst is only a 20-minute drive along the A337, and five minutes further along, approached along its impressive woodland drive, you’ll find Bartley Lodge. The Drift, next door to The Beaulieu Inn, is just a 20-minute drive away from Lymington starting out on the B3056. Burley Manor in Burley village is also close by, at only 30 minutes away, along the A337.
After a morning’s adventures in Lymington, it’s great to know that your journey through the magnificent New Forest countryside will be rewarded with a warm welcome and an excellent lunch, whichever one of these stunning New Forest Collection restaurants is most to your taste.
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