New Forest Adventures - Dine, Explore, Relax!
Updated: Dec 7, 2021
Last weekend I booked a break to the New Forest. As a child my parents regularly took me and my brother down here, I have so many great memories from this part of the world therefore it is a very special place to me.
Not only is the area surrounded by beautiful landscapes and adorable native ponies but there is tons to see and do for all those visiting whether that be a family, a couple or a group of friends not to mention it is also a great place to take your horses and dogs.
On this occasion I decided to book The Angel & Blue Pig Hotel in Lymington for our stay. The hotel is located in the centre of Lymington town and is in the perfect location to attend the farmer's market that takes place on Saturdays. You walk out of the hotel and the market is literally on your door step. You are surrounded by tea shops, cafes and independent retailers, you are also only a short walk away from the harbour where you will find more restaurants and ice cream shops. You can even book to take a ferry over to the Isle of Wight for the day.
I was delighted with our stay but not just because of the hotels perfect location. The hotel itself is very rustic and quirky with a spacious seating space in the restaurant and bar area with a range of wooden and leather furniture and large brick fire places. There is free parking with your stay which is very sort after in Lymington! The venue has their own car park conveniently a short stroll from the back of the venue. There is also a hidden away terrace out the back to sit and enjoy food and drinks.
The hotel has 14 boutique rooms, our room was beautifully designed, full of character and boasted home comforts which included White Company toiletries.
When checking in we were given our keys in an envelope and told that during the times of the pandemic, breakfast was no longer being served in a buffet style therefore could we please fill out the breakfast form provided and pop it back to reception. Upon opening this in our room my first thought was, "tomorrow's breakfast is going to be large".
You had a range of choices from pastries, cereal, yogurt, full English breakfast, eggs benedict the list goes on. Basically if you wanted a bit of everything you were looking at a three course breakfast with your choice or tea/coffee and juice. Being that the choices were so appealing I did exactly that and ordered everything!
After a relaxing start to the day browsing the stalls at the farmer's market and shops we walked down to the marina where the Lymington Pop Up Restaurant was in full swing. The outdoor space was fantastic with tables made up from pallets and covered in large cushions, rows of fairy lights and even light up trees placed around the space. This venue is currently table service only, any food or drinks you order from the bar or the pop up food vendors is brought over to your table.
After a few drinks and a delicious honeycomb ice cream for me, we headed back to the hotel to get ready and go down to dinner.
To start I had the fried buttermilk chicken with spicy mayonnaise, jalapenos and micro coriander. The chicken was moist and the crispy coating was light and not greasy. The spicy mayonnaise and jalapenos added a little fire to the dish without being overpowering.
For main course my partner and I shared the 16oz Chateaubriand with skin-on chips, mushrooms topped with melted cheese, watercress and we chose a peppercorn sauce. The meat was succulent and tender, the chips crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, the cheesy mushrooms added a soft creamy texture and there was a nice tang with the cheese.
Lastly, for dessert I ordered the white chocolate sphere with a peanut butter parfait, chocolate ganache and hazelnut praline. The mixture of sugary sweet, salty and bitter rich flavours worked a dream on this plate and the size of this dish was perfect and ensured that it was not too sickly.
After a cosy nights sleep and a morning coffee in bed from the in-room coffee machine, we headed downstairs for our marathon of a breakfast! I went for a pot of tea, orange juice, a croissant with butter and jam, a bowl of Special K and a full English breakfast.
The Angel & Blue Pig live up to their ethos by going above and beyond in everything they do. From the home-from-home spaces they have created to the food and drinks they serve and the staffs attitude at the venue.
I would definitely come back to this hotel and stay again without hesitation, the only downfall of our stay was that we were not staying for longer!
After leaving our hotel we headed into Lyndhurst where we browsed the local shops, antiques store and bakery.The town is very picturesque with Tudor style buildings. We went into The Crown Manor House Hotel for a cocktail, what a lovely venue. The interior screams old luxurious manor house with a modern twist. We sat outside in the court yard with some peach belinis and enjoyed the warm September weather. I would definitely like to come back here and try their food and stay.
The last stop of our break was The White Buck in Burley for a roast dinner. I have visited The White Buck for many years, their standards never seem to slip. The venue is beautifully decorated and the food speaks for itself. I decided that eating here would be the perfect ending to our trip. I ordered the roast half Norfolk chicken two ways which was HUGE. My roast included apricot and chestnut stuff, roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables, cauliflower cheese and a BIG Yorkshire pudding. I was transported to roast dinner heaven and I did not want to leave. Every mouthful was divine.
I will be heading back to the New Forest again soon and I look forward to giving you all some more reviews.
If you are thinking of visiting the New Forest for a break I have attached links to the places that I have mentioned in my post and I have also included the New Forest Activities page below.