Restaurant review - Bistro, Stanwell House, Lymington

I’m hard pressed to think of many better starts to the weekend. We’re surrounded by like-minded people sipping chilled bubbly out of elegantly bulbous glasses. Colin has a non-alcoholic cocktail, a bitter lime rickey, and we chill out on deep, cushioned wicker armchairs. There are flagstone floors, a cute Regency-style sofa in white, old seafaring trunks and purple orchids – a dazzling mix.
Then we’re led through to the Bistro, a theatre of a restaurant in seductive black, lit by candles and fairy lights with oversized mirrors, ebonised floorboards and black runners on the solid dark wood tables. It is dramatic, cosy and grown-up fun, but it is also fine dining.
We’re brought very warm crusty rolls on a slate with a slice of unsalted butter, a line of sea salt and a dish of deeply delish olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. Then we’re served a well-judged appetiser of warm parsley mousse spiked with smoked shallot in a coffee cup.
Colin’s starter is outstandingly flavoursome: chilled tomato and goats’ cheese crumble (more textured cream than crumble) with saffron aioli that has a sensational mustiness and smokiness to it that arches through your palette bouncing off your tastebuds (over the top description, yes, but hey). I go for elegant well-presented confit chicken and foie gras terrine wrapped in Parma ham and cut through with honeyed port wine shallots, plus a dash of wholegrain mustard dressing and brioche toast. From a comprehensive wine list, Colin selects a surprisingly punchy pinot grigio and I can’t resist a New Zealand sauvignon blanc – this one’s excellent, aromatic and lychee-filled.
We choose whites as there’s a fish and seafood bias to the menu. Colin has pan-fried dense monkfish piled on top of an intense cassoulet of  broad bean, pea and chervil with trendy samphire and saute new potatoes, the lot topped with crisp pancetta. It’s heady stuff. I confess I’m envious although my pan-fried salmon (‘catch of the day’) comes with a nicely salted golden saffron rissotto, sauce vierge and is full of memories of how summer tastes.
Desserts – we fight over pistachio bavarois and I win. Few flavours remind me of France more than pistachio – this is perfect, a pale green creamy mound the texture of cloud with a wafer of nougatine. But Colin is delighted with warm banana and peanut crumble (another ‘crumble’, but so light it melts), caramelised discs of pineapple and homemade rich rum and raisin ice cream. All in all, it’s an evening to remember.

ESSENTIALS
Where Stanwell House Hotel, High Street, Lymington SO41 9AA, 01590 677123, www.stanwellhouse.co.uk
What AA Rosette contemporary European cuisine in dramatic surroundings
Service Attentive, pleasant and enthusiastic young team smartly dressed in Bistro black
What’s the damage? Starters from £7.50, mains from £13.50, desserts from £6.50

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