Les Mirabelles

"Wow. Had never been before and went off a trusted friend's recommendation. We had the most lovely evening. They were so accommodating of the fact im in a wheelchair; the restaurant is accessible (however the bathrooms are a little trickier! Thankfully I can walk a little though so it was no issue) My first impression was how homely and welcoming the place was. Then I noticed the cleanliness! Everything was immaculate and looked brand new! We were greeted in and welcomed warmly. The ambience was perfect and the background music was beautiful. Each course came out and was absolutely superb. The starters were actually some of the best food I've ever eaten - we had scallops, duck mousse and the snails - all perfectly cooked and seasoned with the perfect accompaniments. As we sat, enjoying our meal, the restaurant busied and the staff gave the same amount of warmth and service to everyone - greeting many customers like old friends (we assume this means they get a lot of repeat customers!) My husband ordered the cheese board and we were delighted when an entire platter, with an array of cheese was brought out. The waiter asked my husband his taste in cheese and then proceeded to recommend cheeses he thought would be right. He went through the board with such knowledge of the various cheeses and was spot on with every single one he suggested: my husband loved them all! The bathrooms were the cleanest public bathrooms I've ever been in! And this is gonna sound absolutely crazy but it's the first toilet I've ever been to that has really decent toilet roll!! I've stayed in 5 star hotels around the world and never rate the toilet roll but for some of us, well, it's important OK!! There was no pretentiousness and people were dressed in an array of clothing - from smart casual, to a little dressier; so you only need dress up if you feel you want to (we did!) The bill, although a little eye watering, was worth the price completely. Everything was fresh and perfectly cooked. The portions sizes were more generous than we had expected and we left after 3 courses from their set menu feeling full and very happy! We will 100% be back and highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys fine dining, in comfortable surroundings with all the warmth and personality that you'd expect from an independent family run business."

"Food was excellent, very delicious and the pork and lamb was cooked well (not chewy at all). The portions were a good size and well presented. It is quite expensive but you can opt for 2 courses for £25.50 or 3 courses for £29.95. The only problem we experienced was bad service. Firstly we rang up to book, they said they open from 6pm so we decided to book for 6:30pm. However we arrived 20 mins early and thought it would be ok. But the old French man greeted us very coldly and said they are not ready so can we sit outside. His tone was very stern and was not welcoming at all. I had a look inside and all the tables were made up and looked ready so I was confused why he said our table wasn't ready. A few mins later an elderly couple came (who were also early for their booking) and got seated inside straight away and were greeted in a more friendly and polite manner. Anyway we had our drinks outside and then ordered, and eventually got seated inside. We were disappointed when we saw the menu as we came especially for the frogs legs and snails but they weren't on. When we asked the lady she said they hadn't had frogs legs on the menu for 6 months and they forgot to put snails on the menu. They should really update their menu online as this was misleading!! For the whole duration of our meal, I noticed the old French man had not asked us how our meal was but asked another couple as soon as they had been served. And when the bill came, he was cheeky enough to include the service charge, even though on the menu it specifically says the charge is only for parties of 6 and over, and we were a party of 4. As we were the only people of colour in the restaurant, I can only assume the old French man was being racist towards us from his differing nature towards us and the other 'white' customers and found this extremely rude and upsetting!! I hope the old French man reads this review and realises how bad his customer service was and changes his manner and attitude to be friendly and welcoming to all kinds of people!!"

"If you're looking for a gastronomic treat in the middle of the New Forest, then look no further than Les Mirabelles. Unassuming from the outside, the interior is very smart and the food really superb, as is the friendly service. The lunchtime deal of £24.50 for two courses and £27.50 for three courses is fabulous value and not to be missed. Definitely go for three courses at this price. Portion sizes are excellent, too. If you're not familiar with the area, then take extra time to find it as it is well tucked away. Well worth a visit."

"Outstanding. Absolute fantastic Al la carte menue. Tuesday and Thursday lunch and dinner 3 course set menu for £27.50. Excellent value"