Restaurant Reviews
Where's good to go for a meal?
Whether it's a quick bite to eat at lunch, or a romantic meal in the evening. Well, pick up some tips from the Daily Echo and its readers. We've included here reviews published in the Daily Echo. Read the reviews and give us your rating or feel free to leave your comments at the bottom of each story or click here and leave your comment for restaurants we haven't featured yet.
The Bistro, Sandy Balls Holiday Centre
THE name Sandy Balls Holiday Centre has produced more than a few sniggers in its time, but its restaurant is a seriously charming place to eat.
Everyone knows that fine food, served in pleasant surroundings by friendly and attentive staff, is an essential ingredient of a happy holiday.
The Bistro, a new addition to the popular camping and chalet centre at Godshill, near Fordingbridge, more than lives up to expectations.
Built near the entrance to the 120-acre complex, the glass-walled restaurant enables diners to take in the beauty of the New Forest.
Sandy Balls itself takes its name from the word Sandyballas - the description given to the dome-shaped sand and gravel outcrops on the site's western boundary
The Bistro is open to everyone, not just people staying on the site. It's a family-friendly restaurant where children are as welcome as their parents and is definitely not the place to go if you are looking for a quiet, intimate meal. However, the mouth-watering food is ample compensation for the occasional strain on the ears.
When choosing my starter I was tempted by the warm chicken liver salad but went instead for bruschetta - toasted garlic ciabatta with buffalo mozzarella, beef steak tomato and finished with pesto. My partner enjoyed the pan-fried whole tiger prawns, which were finished with sweet chilli sauce and lime, served on mixed leaves.
Main courses include pan-fried New Forest barramundi fillets, one of several dishes that boast locally produced ingredients. However, I chose the roast duck - succulent slices of meat, accompanied by pear poached in red wine, gratin dauphinoise potatoes with sauteed green beans and toasted almonds (divine).
My partner tried the New Forest cassoulet, a variation of the classic French white bean stew using free-range chicken, pork sausage and smoked bacon.
For dessert I chose the lemon panacotta, although one spoonful of my partner's lemon and mango posset was enough to convince me that she had made an even better choice.
chris yandell
The Bistro, Sandy Balls Holiday Centre at Godshill, near Fordingbridge. Telephone 01425 651213.
12:10pm Friday 14th December 2007
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