Apologies to my South East followers, it's another from Bournemouth!!
This time, I'd like to mention a fab place on Boscombe beach called The Urban Beach.
Situated on the sea front to the left of the pier, this is a cafe/bar/restaurant with a real seaside, modern, funky and casual vibe. Colourful outdoor seating overlooking the beach, it's the ideal place to relax with a drink or coffee during the day and a great place to meet friends for a beer or two in the evening.
Unfortunately we didnt' get to eat here as it was fully booked (certainly seems that all the good places in and around Boscombe get booked early!!) but we had a good look around both the day time menu and evening menu. Also, we made sure to have a sneaky peak at all the food going out during the day and the bar snacks at night and it really looked great. Very popular, fresh and local wherever possible and a reasonable price.
Next time we're down, we'll definitely be booking dinner.
The Urban Reef, Boscombe
Monday, 9 September 2013
The Larderhouse, Southbourne, Dorset
I know, I know, it's not technically the South East but having just spent a weekend in and around Bournemouth I have a few reviews to make.
The first of these being The Larderhouse. This unique little gem is hidden behind a bus stop on the pretty non descript high street of Southbourne in Dorset.
During the day, this place is a coffee shop but in the evening it transforms into a really quirky eaterie with a relaxed, casual atmosphere.
Decor is understated and a bit rough round the edges, lighting low, buzzy feel to the place. We hadn't booked which we should have for a Saturday night, but managed to get squeezed in thankfully. The service was excellent - friendly yet not too much.
I ordered potted rabbit with sourdough to start, calzone for main. Hubby had a melon and freshly sliced serrano ham starter and the calzone. Both were absolutely delicious and came pretty quickly.
I really can't fault the place and would recommend a visit but BOOK your table in advance!
The Larderhouse
The first of these being The Larderhouse. This unique little gem is hidden behind a bus stop on the pretty non descript high street of Southbourne in Dorset.
During the day, this place is a coffee shop but in the evening it transforms into a really quirky eaterie with a relaxed, casual atmosphere.
Decor is understated and a bit rough round the edges, lighting low, buzzy feel to the place. We hadn't booked which we should have for a Saturday night, but managed to get squeezed in thankfully. The service was excellent - friendly yet not too much.
I ordered potted rabbit with sourdough to start, calzone for main. Hubby had a melon and freshly sliced serrano ham starter and the calzone. Both were absolutely delicious and came pretty quickly.
I really can't fault the place and would recommend a visit but BOOK your table in advance!
The Larderhouse
Thursday, 4 July 2013
Yesterdays World, Battle East Sussex
So Tuesday and Wednesday involved a visit to Bexhill on Sea to visit the old folks and what better activity to take part in - a nice gentle wander around Battle (not the Abbey unfortunately as it's nearly £8 each to get into and the olds thought that was too much to spend from the pension pot - fair point, come on English Heritage it's up to you to make it appeal to a wider audience).
Battle is a pretty little town in East Sussex steeped in history and character property. Unfortunately it's high street is split by a major road and the traffic is intense and never ending. Anyway, we decided that their budget could stretch to spending a couple of hours wandering around the Yesterdays World museum (at £6 pp to get into).
What a great place!! As long as you don't get offended by the occasional historical trinket being in the wrong time slot, it's a wonderful place to mooch around, reliving the memories of products and lifestyles gone by.
It's not somewhere that the hard of movement should be visiting as it's set on approx 3-4 floors with lots of steep stairs and dim lighting.
Hundreds of genuine original bits and bobs from shop packaging, to clothing to
medicinal bottles and soooo much more line the walls. There are a few buttons to press on the way around with commentary coming out of hidden speakers.
I have 2 critisisms - 1, the lighting in places is too dim. A few more bulbs would definitely be appreciated. 2, The Royal room is something they've obviously spent some money on recently and has been quite well done but was like a sauna in there and the music over the commentary video was too much.
Surprisingly for the centre of a busy town, the layered garden was beautiful. There's a good sized cafe overlooking the fields and hills behind and a garden that if it wasn't raining and i had kids, would be have fantastic to spend some more time in.
I could write an awful lot more but overall I'm going to let you make your own minds up. My recommendation is go. You'll enjoy it.
Yesterdays World, Battle, East Sussex
Battle is a pretty little town in East Sussex steeped in history and character property. Unfortunately it's high street is split by a major road and the traffic is intense and never ending. Anyway, we decided that their budget could stretch to spending a couple of hours wandering around the Yesterdays World museum (at £6 pp to get into).
What a great place!! As long as you don't get offended by the occasional historical trinket being in the wrong time slot, it's a wonderful place to mooch around, reliving the memories of products and lifestyles gone by.
It's not somewhere that the hard of movement should be visiting as it's set on approx 3-4 floors with lots of steep stairs and dim lighting.
Hundreds of genuine original bits and bobs from shop packaging, to clothing to
medicinal bottles and soooo much more line the walls. There are a few buttons to press on the way around with commentary coming out of hidden speakers.
I have 2 critisisms - 1, the lighting in places is too dim. A few more bulbs would definitely be appreciated. 2, The Royal room is something they've obviously spent some money on recently and has been quite well done but was like a sauna in there and the music over the commentary video was too much.
Surprisingly for the centre of a busy town, the layered garden was beautiful. There's a good sized cafe overlooking the fields and hills behind and a garden that if it wasn't raining and i had kids, would be have fantastic to spend some more time in.
I could write an awful lot more but overall I'm going to let you make your own minds up. My recommendation is go. You'll enjoy it.
Yesterdays World, Battle, East Sussex
Tuesday, 25 June 2013
Prezzo, Midhurst
I don't usually go to many chains if I can at all help it, but went to Prezzo in Midhurst with some friends on Friday night and felt obliged to write a review. It's a bit funtional I'm afraid due to time constraints but I think it covers the point.
This restaurant is tucked away round the back of Midhurst and you wouldn't know it was there unless you were familiar with the town. A lovely building on a corner that welcomes you in with excellent lighting and design.
The staff were friendly, fast and attentative but without being too much. The menu, as you'd expect, was large and the choice of foods was excellent.
I opted for a classic Fiorentina pizza (something about the combination of egg and spinach on a pizza sounds revolting but is actually delicious), the others had another pizza, spaghetti with meatballs and a risotto. Everyone was very happy with their meal and definitely no complaints.
The prices aren't too steep and the portion sizes were plenty big enough but nevertheless we even managed to scoff down a pudding and to use a discount voucher!!
I'd definitely go back if I wanted something quick and local. For a Friday night it wasn't packed but there was a great atmosphere and everyone seemed to be in a jolly 'end of the week' sort of mood.
Prezzo, Midhurst
This restaurant is tucked away round the back of Midhurst and you wouldn't know it was there unless you were familiar with the town. A lovely building on a corner that welcomes you in with excellent lighting and design.
The staff were friendly, fast and attentative but without being too much. The menu, as you'd expect, was large and the choice of foods was excellent.
I opted for a classic Fiorentina pizza (something about the combination of egg and spinach on a pizza sounds revolting but is actually delicious), the others had another pizza, spaghetti with meatballs and a risotto. Everyone was very happy with their meal and definitely no complaints.
The prices aren't too steep and the portion sizes were plenty big enough but nevertheless we even managed to scoff down a pudding and to use a discount voucher!!
I'd definitely go back if I wanted something quick and local. For a Friday night it wasn't packed but there was a great atmosphere and everyone seemed to be in a jolly 'end of the week' sort of mood.
Prezzo, Midhurst
Thursday, 20 June 2013
The Halfway Bridge, near Petworth
So it was the hottest day of the year so far yesterday which always makes me want to find a nice pub and sit in the garden with cold G & T. As it was lunchtime I stuck with just the T due to my intolerance of lunch time drinking if I want to be at all productive in the afternoon!!
So we chose to visit the Halfway Bridge near Petworth. Been there before for an evening meal and knew they had a nice little patio area round the back so off we went.
Its just off the main road from Midhurst to Petworth and has plenty of gravelled parking. It was just after 1pm when we arrived and didn't seem very busy. We had our pick of seats outside and chose one slightly in the shade. It's a lovely character building that sets the scene perfectly from the moment you pull up and park.
Service is as usual very good. Very friendly and professional. We ordered our drinks, mentioned that we were going to eat and handed lunchtime menus. No need to leave a card at the bar or pay for drinks yet.
We sat outside and perused the food offerings. I thought it was quite a nice choice for lunch, a variety of sandwiches from brie to steak. Some mains such as gammon egg and chips and a couple of nice looking salads.
The waitress came outside with some complimentary olives and we both decided to opt for the steak sandwich (rare to medium) with handcut chips. At £12.50 we wondered what we were going get and when it came out, we were initially disappointed - it was handed over on a massive thick wood board (both felt for the waitresses wrists) and was a simply a steak and a half in an oval ciabatta roll, with a portion of chips in a metal basket. After getting a bit of mayo for the chips (call me uncouth but chips just aren't right without mayo), we tucked in.
Well, it was delicous. The steak was really cooked well, very tasty and melt in the mouth. The chips, crispy and again very tasty. Our initial thoughts of being hard done by were soon gone and although still on the pricey side, we both felt very satisfied by the time we finished.
To summarise, it's a lovely place with plenty of character and excellent service. The food might be on the pricey side, but it's delicious. Worth a visit at lunchtime and definitely worth visiting in the evening for a more special meal out than your usual pub grub.
Halfway Bridge, near Petworth
So we chose to visit the Halfway Bridge near Petworth. Been there before for an evening meal and knew they had a nice little patio area round the back so off we went. Its just off the main road from Midhurst to Petworth and has plenty of gravelled parking. It was just after 1pm when we arrived and didn't seem very busy. We had our pick of seats outside and chose one slightly in the shade. It's a lovely character building that sets the scene perfectly from the moment you pull up and park.
Service is as usual very good. Very friendly and professional. We ordered our drinks, mentioned that we were going to eat and handed lunchtime menus. No need to leave a card at the bar or pay for drinks yet.
We sat outside and perused the food offerings. I thought it was quite a nice choice for lunch, a variety of sandwiches from brie to steak. Some mains such as gammon egg and chips and a couple of nice looking salads.
The waitress came outside with some complimentary olives and we both decided to opt for the steak sandwich (rare to medium) with handcut chips. At £12.50 we wondered what we were going get and when it came out, we were initially disappointed - it was handed over on a massive thick wood board (both felt for the waitresses wrists) and was a simply a steak and a half in an oval ciabatta roll, with a portion of chips in a metal basket. After getting a bit of mayo for the chips (call me uncouth but chips just aren't right without mayo), we tucked in.
Well, it was delicous. The steak was really cooked well, very tasty and melt in the mouth. The chips, crispy and again very tasty. Our initial thoughts of being hard done by were soon gone and although still on the pricey side, we both felt very satisfied by the time we finished.
To summarise, it's a lovely place with plenty of character and excellent service. The food might be on the pricey side, but it's delicious. Worth a visit at lunchtime and definitely worth visiting in the evening for a more special meal out than your usual pub grub.
Halfway Bridge, near Petworth
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