The Terrace - New Forest

This restaurant is always a dependable choice for Sunday lunch. It is consistently enjoyable.

I used to work here 10 years ago, and it was disheartening to witness the significant decline in food quality and service. The news of their lost Michelin star piqued my curiosity, prompting me to investigate the reasons behind this downfall. Unfortunately, the person in charge of the service exhibited open rudeness towards us, setting an unpleasant tone for the evening. Our disappointment continued as we were served burnt and inedible bread, which immediately dampened our expectations. Furthermore, the fish dish we ordered lacked freshness and was disappointingly tasteless. The remainder of the food was neither exceptional nor subpar; it was simply adequate. It appears that The Terrace Restaurant has failed to keep up with the changing times, merely going through the motions of serving food rather than passionately believing in their craft. It seems that poor management and a lack of accountability are responsible for the restaurant's current state, relying solely on past glories to stay afloat. One cannot help but wonder how long this can be sustained. The only positive in this experience was the presence of two exceptional individuals who served our food, distinct from the aforementioned host. They were truly charming and friendly, providing a glimmer of warmth amidst an otherwise lackluster evening. On our trip to the New Forest we dined at the The Pig and The Elderflower, and they truly stood out in comparison. These establishments exude a genuine passion for good food and possess a clear perspective on how it should be presented and enjoyed. I highly recommend considering these alternatives over The Terrace Restaurant. Food: 2 Service: 1 Atmosphere: 2

Excellent all around! Staff and food were really good. Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: £40–50 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

Despite the good reputation I heard about this restaurant, my visit was mostly underwhelming due to the food. Nothing wrong with the good service and atmosphere but the food really doesn 't live up to its price. From the tasting menu, quite a few of the courses were just rather salty if anything (next table also gave feedback about their dishes being too salty). The vegetarian menu had a course which was 'braised leek ', nothing special about it at all, just a few cuts of cooked regular leek, quite disappointing frankly. The kitchen really needs a good look in the mirror and listen to the feedback from customers before slapping a big price tag on the menu. Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: £90–100 Food: 2 Service: 4 Atmosphere: 3

We attended the Montagu arms hotel as part of my husband’s birthday celebrations, I organised and booked it six weeks before the actual event. I had planned to go there because they offered a Vegetarian roast. Eating a roast on a Sunday is one of our favourite things to do together and I thought it would be a lovely way to round off a nice weekend. Unfortunately when we arrived we were told it wasn’t available as they had changed their menu and we were informed there were staff shortages, weirdly this didn’t affect the meat Sunday roast options. The staff were very accommodating and I have to say caring in their approach and our drinks were made complimentary which was of course appreciated. But when you want a roast dinner, a risotto which is the same dish my husband had eaten the day before just won’t do. As a vegetarian you like to eat vegetables not carbs but unfortunately the menu only had one veggie option both heavy carbs. Welsh rabbit for starter and rice for main. Where are the vegetables? We were also told if we came back they would need one days notice for the veggie roast ‍ When the risotto came to say it was small was an understatement having watched the table next to us get a roast and all the trimmings it was disappointing. Again the staff did their best and knocked off some money of the main course and brought us some chocolates. My plan was to talk to the manager at the end of the meal rather than post a review but unfortunately he never returned to our table when we finished. Our plan that day was to eat a small breakfast and one large meal with the veggie roast being the highlight of the weekend. We are staying in a holiday cottage so had not planned any food for the evening we just thought we would have cheese for tea, but because we only had a small risotto for lunch we had to go to the shop which unfortunately was closed by the time we got there as it was Sunday. So all in all a well planned day ended disappointingly. I am grateful to the staff for their love and care but feel vegetarians should be catered for with more than one food heavy carb food option and not left out of Sunday roasts.