The Terrace at The Montagu Arms Hotel

Modern European·
££££
·

SquareMeal Review of The Terrace at The Montagu Arms Hotel

At first glance it may look like just another smart local inn, but The Montagu Arms is one of Hampshire’s finest, with an ambitious restaurant to boot. Ex-Roux Scholar Matthew Tomkinson delivers a succession of simply executed and gently sauced dishes that certainly warrant attention: a lasagne of slow-cooked oxtail arrives with celeriac purée, baby spinach and horseradish cream, while roast local lamb is accompanied by slow-cooked breast, black-olive polenta. marinated peppers and salsa verde. Fish is also well represented (perhaps South Coast turbot with sautéed wild mushrooms, braised pearl barley, caramelised endive and cep sauce), while puds might feature a delectable ensemble of dark chocolate cremeux with walnut ice cream, coffee macaroon and milk chocolate mousse. None of this comes cheap, but with all the gorgeous little extras it’s worth every penny. For something more casual, try Monty’s Inn – the hotel’s pub/bar.

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - Over £80
Cuisines
Modern European
Ambience
Cosy, Quiet conversation, Romantic, Traditional
Food Occasions
Dinner, Lunch
Special Features
Gluten-free options, Vegan options, Vegetarian options
Perfect for
Dates, Romantic, Special occasions

About

The Montagu Arms is split between two restaurants, a more laid back pub called ‘Monty’s Inn’ that focuses on hearty food and English favourites, whilst The Terrace Restaurant offers something with a little more finesse. Largely using ingredients from the kitchen garden, it strives to make the very best of seasonal, regional produce, by executing with passion and care.The interior is simplistic with carpeted flooring and tall fabric chairs, plus a classic white table cloth look to give a sophisticated feel.

There’s a choice of a la carte and tasting menus available, and changing menus for lunch, dinner and Sundays. Whilst the menus are constantly evolving from what's available with the seasons, you can expect to find options like hand dived Dorset scallop with pork crumb, or ricotta and lemon tortellini for a la carte dinner. Then the tasting menu is 7 courses of the best of British - think Isle of Wight tomatoes with Laverstoke mozzarella, Cornish monkfish and New Forest strawberries with créme diplomat and shortbread.

On Sundays, guests can enjoy a set menu, with a choice of starters like chicken liver parfait and a selection of roast dinners like rump of beef with yorkshire pudding and all the trimmings. There are also some seafood and pasta options available for those who are after something a little different.

The wine list has been carefully curated, showcasing some of the finest wines from around the world. Expect Greek whites from Santorini, French reds from Bordeaux and a small selection of Provencal Rosés, plus plenty of bottles of sparkling for when you’re looking to celebrate. Along with a variety of options from the famous champagne house, you’ll also find some English sparkling wine from across Hampshire and West Sussex, so you can keep it local beyond just the food.


FAQs

Is there a dress code?

There is no specific dress code, but we would recommend smart casual

Helpful? 0

Does it serve brunch?

No, it is only open for lunch and dinner

Helpful? 0

The Terrace at The Montagu Arms Hotel is featured in

Location

Beaulieu, New Forest, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, SO42 7ZL

01590 612324 01590 612324

Website

Opening Times

Lunch
Mon Closed
Tue Closed
Wed Closed
Thu Closed
Fri Closed
Sat Closed
Sun 12:30-14:30
Dinner
Mon Closed
Tue Closed
Wed 18:30-20:30
Thu 18:30-20:30
Fri 18:30-20:30
Sat 18:30-20:30
Sun 18:30-20:30

Reviews

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2 Reviews 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

Paul A

18 January 2019  
Food & Drink 4
Service 4
Atmosphere 4
Value 5
Perfect family celebration
The success of this family evening was down to the doubts concerning the effect of the restaurant being between one chef leaving and his successor arriving being completely dispelled by the high level of fine-dining cuisine produced by the kitchen and the friendliness and expertise of the front of house staff, especially the sommelier, Sergio, who was not only a fund of information about the wines in the flight accompanying the tasting menu but also willing, amongst a number of other highlights, to demonstrate the difference between top New Zealand pinot noir and top Côte d’Or red Burgundy. The snack was a better gougère than most, and the amuse-bouche notable for the delicious creamy onion sauce. There was then something of a hiatus before the next course arrived, although thereafter the pace of service to our round table of nine was perfect. Lovely Scottish scallops accompanied by cauliflower purée, fresh apple and topped with a delightful coriander and cumin velouté were followed by an excellent rabbit terrine with its backing of black pudding, prunes and a clever crispy rabbit bon-bon. Then came tender duck breast, honey roasted but without the honey dominating, endive tarte fine, artichoke purée and a slightly peppery sauce giving an extra element. The very generous cheese course comprised local and French varieties, all in exemplary condition, taking us to the desserts which were a delightful deconstructed lemon meringue pie with a tangy basil sorbet and orange “salad”, and crème frâiche partnering a pleasantly mouthfilling salted caramel fondant sparked by a cider sorbet. Altogether a most praiseworthy evening much enjoyed by the whole family.

Paul A

07 May 2018  
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 4.5
Atmosphere 4
Value 5
New Forest treat
It helps, of course, if the sun is shining and you get a table overlooking the garden, but if you add to that a set menu at a very reasonable price cooked for you by a Roux Scholar and a decent wine list at less than London mark-ups, you can count yourself very lucky. While we previewed the menu we enjoyed one of our favourite Hampshire sparklers, made our choices at a leisurely pace and were shown to our properly laid table. We were impressed with the front of house staff who made every effort to ensure our comfort and made sure that my wife’s dislike of hake, which was the fish dish on the set menu, was not a problem by substituting the sea bass from the à la carte menu. A good half bottle of Chablis made a perfect match for both the lovely creamy home smoked salmon risotto which was beautifully balanced against an imaginative fennel and beetroot salad, and continued well with the excellent Cornish hake with its light braised pearl barley, generous sauté of wild mushrooms, contrasting sprouting broccoli and really tasty cep sauce. The sea bass clearly demonstrated its freshness and its accompaniment of yummy pressed potato and black pudding, perfectly done roasted pumpkin and, again, crunchy purple sprouting broccoli all served to point up the splendid fish. We finished with something of a traditional English dessert updated for today’s tastes, a warm pear and almond tart with brandy cream which was attractively light and showed off the main ingredients really well. Good coffee and petits fours rounded off this New Forest lunch treat.
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01590 612324 01590 612324

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