Gosport - Haslar

X

xcw

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 Jun 2002
Messages
590
Visit site
I visited the Lightship over the weekend - I'm afraid it does little to enhance the Gosport culinary desert - possible even taking it down a notch or two. Think transport cafe. I won't be returning.

Anyone tried the new place in Haslar (Hardy's I think - the old Landers)? The menu looks encouraging.
 
xcw said:
I visited the Lightship over the weekend - I'm afraid it does little to enhance the Gosport culinary desert - possible even taking it down a notch or two. Think transport cafe. I won't be returning.

Anyone tried the new place in Haslar (Hardy's I think - the old Landers)? The menu looks encouraging.
Click to expand...

The new Bistro in Royal Clarence Yard seems to be good acording to members of our club, which is right next door. Might be worth a look.
 
rotrax said:
The new Bistro in Royal Clarence Yard seems to be good acording to members of our club, which is right next door. Might be worth a look.
Click to expand...

I think that would be Red's. It has been getting good reports so we went there last weekend and found it very acceptable. Limited menu but certainly a cut above usual pub grub. Two mains with good bottle of Rioja and tip was £35.

They have a comfy area for just a drink, but unfortunately no real ale, about the only real criticism I had.
 
The lightship is indeed a real let down. We went for a Sunday roast and it was dire, the Yorkshire puddings were frozen ones which were then cremated. To be fair the owner was very apologetic and covered two coffees to say sorry but of two meals eaten there both were not good.

Hardys on the other hand was a very pleasant surprise. Landers never really hit the mark for me. A couple of the dishes were OK and one was massively under priced but I never sensed flair from the kitchen. The new owners (who renamed it Hardys), run the small pump house sandwich cafe in the car park at Royal Clarence. That was very good with home made cakes and generally excellent fare, but a full service restaurant is in a totally different league. Would they be able to step up to the plate?

The answer is a resounding yes. The chef has a good understanding of what food should taste like and resists the temptation of taking the normal Gosport route of Brakes or 3663 pre-prepared meal stuffs. Service is calm and efficient even on a busy Saturday with good humour thrown in. A party of of 5 we sampled a range across the menu and nothing fell short of excellent especially when taking into account the price. As someone for whom seeing (Michelin) stars is not unheard of you need to keep perspective when dining in the provinces as Gosport surely is. Hardys punches well above its weight and I look forward to returning. I hope the menu changes regularly to tantalise regular visitors.

Reds for me was a lunchtime disaster. Visiting Solo I sat for 15 minutes without being approached by either the owner (I presume) or her staff member. A totally dire and dismal performance. I sensed a front of house totally overwhelmed with the most basic tasks there was no warmth in the service I witnessed others receive. I actually walked up and asked for a menu. 10 minutes later nothing so I placed the menu back on the counter and left for G's.

We had previously endured a very poor evening meal at G's. A somewhat pompous menu which made claims it failed to deliver on. When you advertise triple cooked chips for instance you would have thought the fryer would have been turned on at least for one of he visits! On this occasion I thoroughly enjoyed my lunchtime burger and chips - cooked to the crispy side of perfection just how triple dipped should be. It gave me the will to try another evening meal there.

Gosport really saddens me in that it has the potential to really lift its self up. All the ingredients are there, boating money, available real estate, infrastructure, some stunning views and plenty of history but every time businesses start there they just fail to bring the necessary finance or foresight to reach critical mass. Royal Clarence missed the mark when they sold off the marina and cocked up on the parking which could have seen boat owners beating a path to buy apartments with moorings for their boats and parking for both their Bentley and their Range Rover. The eateries, core to any emerging waterside recreational area have so far failed to materialise in the face of competition from Gunwharf Quays.

Whilst we still need to see a landmark signing at Royal Clarence places like Hardys show the green shoots of local talent starting to mature and flex their culinary wings. Will they survive? I hope so. As both a boat owner and a property owner I like Gosport for all its reality checks. It just needs to find the momentum which broadens appeal and encourages ferry traffic into rather than out of the town.

Henry :)
 
An update on Reds in Royal Clarence marina.

Went there for dinner (and a subsequent lunch).

The service is still poor. Friendly enough and they even wear white gloves when bringing food, it's just that the servers lack confidence. I spoke with the lady who owns the place and she blamed the staff, whilst standing at the end of the bar all night doing nothing. No mingling, no saying hello, no training. Service starts at the top and the blame lies firmly at her feet. The nervousness of the staff drains away any atmosphere in the place and puts you on edge.

The cook however is pure genius. Some superb food and so for that reason we will be back. I would advise others do the same. Possibly the best food in Gosport.

Henry :)
 
A bit of an update as to how things are going here in the sticks.

Hardys is now well established and running properly. Service is still excellent. Food can be a little hit and miss. The scallops the other day whilst not expensive at a fiver were the size of those little iced gem biscuits you used to get at children's parties. The medium rare steak was well done and came in a watery gravy with bits of bacon and onion floating in it. The iced cream desert was possibly the finest I have ever tasted. So tasty but small, hospital food and a desert that could grace the table of any restaurant in the land.

Reds is still well presented inside, they still wear the white gloves to serve you but service just doesn't work. No one asked us how our meals were and the only time you see the owner is when she come over with the credit card machine. The food however is magnificent. I have yet to eat a bad dish in there and so it is our eatery of choice. We work round the service and just get on with the eating. A suggestive bottle of wine placed on the table with a little hand written tag around the neck is a lovely touch.

G's is still set in the most wonderful building but as you walk in it's like being judged on the X-factor by the row of grim faced drinkers facing you from across the bar. Ironically the owner, Mr G himself is one of them. Mine host wouldn't be a term that trips off the tongue. The open door to the kitchen caused a little angst as I saw one of the chefs constantly nibbling food and licking his fingers in between prepping. The menu didn't really inspire so we settled on Nachos and a burger. 10 minutes after ordering we were told they had run out of the meat element of the spicy nachos starter so we made do with a bit of melted cheese.

We shall see what the winter months throw up by way of gastronomic activity.

Oh, and Mr Poon is still delivering Chinese take away food with the regularity of a Swiss watch :)

Henry
 
Short on time last night popped into The Castle by the Gosport Ferry.

2 main courses for £12

Steak and Kidney pud, chips and peas and there was so much we couldn't finish it. Quick service, good pub grub, plenty of people in there eating.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top