The Terrace

What a lovely place! I went there for lunch today and all the food, without exception, was deliciously exquisite. The Maître de maison and waiters were excellent and all the courses were explained as they were served. They even made some special Bön bons for my Gran’s birthday which were brought out with a candle. The chef also made small portions for my 93 year old grandmother who was celebrating her birthday and rustled up a single scoop of plain ice cream for her desert at no charge.
If I have one complaint it is that they got the bill wrong. However, when I asked them to explain it, it was quickly whisked away and a new one presented with apologies.
This was my first visit to a starred restaurant and I will definitely be going back!

The Michelin starred Terrace restaurant was the main reason for booking a nights stay at the Montague Arms Hotel. What better way to celebrate your birthday than a Michelin star tasting menu!
There was a little confusion over the time of our booking. I’m convinced I made it for 8pm but reception rang our room at quarter to telling me it was actually for 7pm. I’m not sure what went wrong here but we needn’t have worried as we were not rushed at all.
On arrival at the restaurant we were offered a pre dinner drink in the lounge. We partook in a glass of bubbly next to the open fire, with nibbles of nuts and olives, and a canapé of cheesy bread. The sommelier came with the wine list and recommended a white or light red to go with the tasting menu as we didn’t want to go for the wine pairings. We plumped for a bottle of Tasmanian Pinot Noir.
We were seated in the restaurant by Pierre, the lovely maitre de. The table faced out to the garden which looked beautiful with all the reflected candle light. My handbag was even given it’s own little stool to sit on — what service!
Food wise, chef Matthew Tomkinson takes his inspiration from the surrounding New Forrest, most of his ingredients being sourced from the restaurant’s own kitchen garden or from local suppliers.
The amuse bouche was a delicious artichoke cream garnished with artichoke crisps and the tiniest mushrooms I have ever seen! First course proper was a delightful dish of scallops with a lightly curried crust, served on a bed of puréed cauliflower with slithers of fennel and apple. All of the tastes complimented each other perfectly. Next up was a perfectly cooked piece of sea bass, with deliciously crispy skin. I can’t recall everything this dish was served with but it included small potatoes and sweet onions.
The next course was our favourite — roe dear cooked very pink, and I’m guessing sous vide as it was so tender and delicate, yet retaining its full flavour. This was accompanied by venison croquette, also divine, braised lettuce and a red wine jus. I couldn’t fault this dish at all.
Next up was a cheese course. A creamy English cheese served with quince jelly and water crackers. Although the cheese was delicious, I couldn’t help thinking that this was cheating a little to serve this a course on a tasting menu. If you are going to do cheese, I at least think there should be a selection. But given this is my only complaint, it didn’t effect the overall experience.
Next up we’re the puddings. The first was a creamy orange tart with impossibly thin pastry, served with a blood orange sorbet. My boyfriend loved this dessert. I did too but the next one made me really happy! Salted caramel fondant with crème fraîche and cider lolly sorbet — absolutely divine!
This was followed with a selection of petit fours with happy birthday Gemma written on the plate — what a lovely and thoughtful finishing touch. My boyfriend commented on the deliciousness of the black current jellies, and they brought him a couple of extras to take back to the room!
We moved into the lounge for a final glass of port and to let the food go down! Not only was the food amazing, the level of service was outstanding as well. Both Pierre and David the sommelier were so friendly and helpful, the complete opposite of the stuffy and snooty French service you so often experience! Both are relatively new to the Montagu Arms, but having come from the Waterside Inn and the Fat Duck, you can see where these two have learnt their skills and this can only benefit their new adventure. Overall, an amazing foodie experience, I’ll remember this birthday for a long time to come!