THE WOODMANCOTE - Woodmancote Lane, Emsworth

This week I was joined by two friends who had yet to taste the power of pub reviews. We were to visit The Woodmancote. A pub which I had visited only once before, back in the mists of time. So today, the three of us would put on our helmets of righteous justice and review for all that we were worth.

It was immediately obvious that the pub was busy. Not all together surprising on a Friday night, but a good sign never the less. Fait was certainly on our side, as we nabbed what looked to be the last available table. We found ourselves in the snug, surrounded by some rather quirky art work. This included several pictures of cows with bananas for horns, something which tickled me nicely. The atmosphere was excellent, as you might expect in a warm and busy pub. Everyone was eating, drinking and having a good time.

Drinks orders were taken and menus delivered. As we waited for the former, we got stuck in to the latter. There was a good selection on offer, much of it at very reasonable prices. After much deliberation, and a firm decision to all order something different, we opted for the following. Michelle, chicken burger, Martin, chicken breast stuffed with gorgonzola and wrapped in bacon, Me, good old fish and chips. As a rough guide to the cost factor, these all came in around £12. If the food was to be impressive, this would prove good value in deed.

As we drank, chatted and waited for our food, we all agreed that there was a lovely feel to the pub. Somewhere you could happily while away your evening. When the food arrived, there was great excitement, at least in my empty stomach. It was immediately clear to me that I had a piece of fish to be reckoned with. It was comfortingly on the large side and the batter was a master peace. Thick, crispy and tasty, surrounding a beautiful and perfectly cooked fillet of haddock. Each of us were blessed with chips from the same family, descended from that old school, proper chip branch of the family tree, or potato plant. They were a delicious part of the meals, rather than a bland carby accompaniment. If I could suggest one thing about my meal, it would be the option of mushy peas. Although Michelle had chosen to have the burger without a bun, thus rendering it less than a burger and more of a chicken breast, I am told it was wonderful and flavoursome, also served with a salad. Martin thoroughly enjoyed his bacon wrapped, stuffed chicken. Even though he isn't the biggest fan of blue cheese, he said it was beautiful, and would happily eat it again. His chicken was also accompanied by a salad, which was well dressed, unlike me.

When I last visited The Woodmancote, all those years ago, I came away not really knowing how I felt about it. This time, the answer is clear and unequivocal. This was a busy, thriving pub, quirky in places, but full of atmosphere. And the massive cherry on the top, was the fantastic food. All three of us agreed that our meals were excellent, taken up a notch by some good homemade chips. Just a further note on said chips. Martins meal did originally come with skinny fries, so he asked if they could be swopped, this was indeed a possibility. It made me think. Why offer skinny fries when you make such wonderful chips of your own? That's enough about chips. The ultimate question, as always is...Would you return? For us, that was an easy answer. We would all come back in a heartbeat. If you get  the chance, try it out yourselves.

Atmosphere          9

Service                 7

Food                    9

Value                   8.5

Verdict                 5*

Visit our facebook page

THE SQUARE COW - The Square, Wickham

It's not very often that you get the chance to try out a new pub, as in a pub that hasn't been a pub long. That was the case today, when we visited The Square Cow in Wickham. We found out about it a few weeks back, and promptly slid it up to the top of our pubs to visit list.

At first glance, this doesn't seem like the biggest of pubs, but then you find out the truth, there is another floor. In fact there are three, but the second floor was roped off. Not sure if there are plans to extend the pub over three levels. This is a very old building in deed, dating back to the 16th century, and it's history is in evidence. From the oak beams to the medieval preserved art on the first floor, you can sense the time that has passed here.

The foodie element of the pub is focused on the first floor, so up we went. We were given our menu's, including a special one, and the time to ponder our short term foodie futures. We were first struck by the very reasonable pricing, mains ranging between £8 and £12 on average. There were plenty of options, including jackets, salads and a range of burgers. I was originally drawn to the goats cheese and red pepper quiche on the specials board, only to find out I was too late and it had sold out. I defaulted to a classic chicken burger with cheese. Dad went for the pie of the day, today that meant lamb. Pies are served with a choice of mash or chips, Dad obviously went for the mash. We also thought we would treat ourselves to some garlic bread to start, giving us some extra time to take everything in.

The pub was fairly busy, and therefore, so were the staff. This however did not detract from their quality of service, which was friendly and slick. There was a comfortable feel to the pub, with music playing at just the right level. This made it easy to relax and enjoy our time. The garlic bread came before too long, and was of a generous size. It was also a good quality of garlic bread, crisp and moist in all the right places. Then it was time for the main event. Dad's pie was a very good pie, full of tender pieces of lamb. The mash was smooth and well seasoned, and the vegetables well cooked. My burger was very tasty indeed, the juicy chicken held between a nice toasted bun. My salad was fresh and well dressed with some extra effort going in to the spiralised cucumber. I had the option of chips or sweet potato fries, I went for the latter. They were also good, but as is usually the case with sweet potato fries, they weren't home made.

We had a lovely time at The Square Cow. We had no issues with the food or the service. The pricing was very good, with a good selection of food on offer. We should give one more nod to the quality service we experienced, this is so often missing or overlooked at many pubs / restaurants. We would happily return here, and are delighted to welcome a good new pub in to the fold.

Atmosphere          8

Service                 9

Food                    8

Value                   8.5

Verdict                 4.5*

THE MONKEY HOUSE - 167 Southampton Rd, Lymington

I first came across this pub when in The New Forest with my dear wife and our small hairy friend, Wookie. I was looking for a good pub to have lunch in, which was friendly in the way of dogs. The Monkey House was one of the first which popped up, and it came highly recommended by several reviews I found. That sounded very much like a job for gastrohub.

The Monkey House stems from the wooden branch of the pub species. By that I mean there is plenty of wood. Floors, tables, bar etc. It felt instantly welcoming, which was only sharpened by the lovely greeting we received from the staff. It very quickly became clear that dogs are not just allowed here, they are loved and cherished, which makes the whole experience much more relaxing for dog owners.

Rachel had recently turned vegetarian, so it was good to see several interesting non meat options on the menu. She chose the sweet potato and coconut curry. I went all manly with a spicy chicken burger. The pub is a free house, run by a family, and throughout our visit, we met several of them. They were all extremely friendly, some even giving treats do Wookie, who quickly decided this was her favourite pub. The food didn't take too long to arrive, and when it did, we were soon glad we had come. Rachel's curry was delicious, and my burger was a proper burger. A good sized piece of real chicken, not a bought in breaded midget chicken breast. The chips were good, the rice was good, everything was good. By the time we had ploughed our way to the end of our meals, we were both satisfied and delighted to have found such a wonderful new pub for our trips to The New Forest.

Never have I experienced more friendly people working in a pub, and for that, The Monkey House must be congratulated and applauded. It's often not until you have experienced such warmth and enthusiasm that you realise how much difference it can make to your time in a pub, whether you are eating or drinking. There is a good menu on offer, and a good chef putting the food together. There is everything to like about this pub, and we will certainly be back for more.

Atmosphere          8

Service                 10

Food                    8.5

Value                   8

Verdict                 5*

THE DEAN INN - West Dean, Chichester

This week it was a refresh and revisit mission. We would be heading out to The Dean Inn to see how the land lay after a change of management. Being one of the pubs in the legendary slice of pub paradise, we were expecting big things, so we saddled up and set forth.

On our way in, we passed through the garden area. It looked a wonderful place to spend a Summer afternoon, and boasted some amazing chunky wood tables. The pub has a clean and airy feel to it and the cherry was placed upon the pub cake when we were met with a cheery welcome. We collected drinks and homed in on a table, where our menu's were to be brought to us, extra points there. The first items on said menu were of particular interest. There were a handful of snacks on offer between £3 and £4.50 including ox cheek croquette, bubble and squeak rissole and fishcake bonbons. Kind of a British tapas vibe there, something we have thought a worthy idea for a few years now. I was drawn to the salted cod in crispy batter with triple cooked chips at £13.50, while Dad went right off piste and ordered two starters as a main. This is a wonderful way to get a wider sample of what is on offer.

Shortly after ordering, we were given some homemade bread and butter, that's always extra points from me, I'm anyone's for a bit of fresh crusty bread. We really didn't have to wait too long before our food arrived, and we could tell, even before taking a bite that we were in five star town. Before getting in to the food, it is important to mention the service we received. It was exemplary. Our waitress was friendly, genuine, happy and professional, effortlessly making you feel looked after but never pestered. So, back to the food. It was an interesting twist on a classic fish and chips to use the salted cod, and it stood up to the crisp batter it lived in. The chunky, triple cooked chips were a thing of beauty, and the home made tartar sauce was delicious. Dad was almost left speechless by his double starter dinner. He couldn't pick a winner from his scotch egg or squid and crab cake, all of it being amazing. He did manage to give me a useful sound bite though. "Possibly the best cooking we have come across". High praise in deed. I would have to echo his sentiments, but there was still room for one more fruity surprise. Upon paying the bill, we were treated to an orange and passion fruit pastel from the chef. It was truly divine, and a perfect end to a perfect lunch.

In short, our lunch was a gastronomic triumph. Some of the meals here might cost you a few quid more than other pubs, but believe us, it will be worth it. You are talking high quality restaurant food here. The attention to detail and the effort given to create this food is obvious to see, and if you take our advice and try it yourself, you won't be disappointed. When you throw in some homemade bread and perfect service, it's a no brainer.

Atmosphere          8

Service                 10

Food                    10

Value                   8

Verdict                 5*

SAMUEL'S REST - Upper Church road, Shedfield

It's getting harder and harder to find pubs that we haven't already visited, so after a bit of tinternet trawling, I came across Samuel's Rest. Turns out, it's another pub that I've never been to, but Dad has, many years back. So our course was set, and a new adventure lay in wait.

I think it's fair to say we received an indifferent welcome at the bar as we enquired about food and drinks. This is a shame, as we know from experience how much difference a warm welcome can make to your time in a pub, especially one you haven't been to before. Bravely marching on, we took a table in the corner and got stuck in to the menu. I have to say, we both found it to be a slightly unusual one. The prices weren't bad, many meals on offer just over £10, but it was all a bit disjointed. There is a lot of emphasis on burgers, which in itself isn't a bad thing, but it all went a bit far. There was of course your classic beef burger, as well as chicken, lamb, venison, and about five different vegetarian burgers, which to be honest all got a bit confusing. Never the less, as the burgers seemed to be a big thing here, I opted for the chicken version. Dad picked out the steak and kidney pudding with mash.

We made several mental notes as we waited for our food, and I shall lay them out for you now. There were two fires in the pub, but neither were in action. I always feel a bit sad when a pub fire isn't roaring. It lends a wonderful cosy atmosphere, as well as the obvious warming qualities. The walls were festooned with paintings which are for sale, the one next to our table was up for £75. There was music playing in the pub, but it was only on one side, so our half was a bit quiet, which I suppose may suit some people. Last week, we discussed the acceptable time to wait for your food in a pub. We decided that around 15 minutes was about right, depending on how busy things are. There were four tables eating, including us, so we were a bit surprised when that time came and went. It was actually over 30 minutes before our meals appeared. It was even more of a surprise to see a specials board appear after us and two of the other tables had already ordered.

My chicken burger came with a choice of fries or gourmet chips, I of course chose the latter. I'm not sure they qualified as such. They were in fact big frozen chips, but were fine. The burger itself was fairly small, and closely related to the Birdseye family. The coleslaw was good, and the accompanying salad was very good and surprisingly substantial. Although we are pretty sure Dad's pudding wasn't made on site, he said it was excellent, and his mash was also very nice in deed. The portion sizes were certainly healthy, both of us struggling to finish, and in all, it wasn't a bad showing for the money.

The food we experienced here wasn't bad, neither was it out of this world, it was very much of this world. We think it's safe to say that much of the produce on offer isn't made in the pub kitchen, more prepared. Despite this, it wouldn't be fair to say we were disappointed. Dad particularly enjoyed his steak and kidney pudding. As with so many pubs, there are some basic fundamentals which could be addressed, but you could certainly do worse.

Atmosphere                     6.5

Service                              5

Food                                  6.5

Value                                 7.5

Verdict                              3.5*