The
Fleur-de-Lys
The
oldest pub in The New Forest has exceptional
cuisine
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Al
Fresco Lunch
June 2006
Six
of us breezed in for late lunch
refreshments and we ate out
in the garden where the furniture
was of a higher quality than
in most people's back gardens,
so we sat and ate in comfort.
The
sandwiches were substantial,
the crab particularly fresh
and flavoursome. We had a couple
of starters from the main menu,
both were well presented -
the scallops as good as you'd
get anywhere, and the pigeon
breasts were deliciously pink,
though a blob of accompanying
foie gras was so undercooked
even I baulked at it. The rib
eye steak was generous and
juicy.
But
the chipped potatoes, ah! -
worth driving all the way to
Pilley near Lymington for!
Probably the best you'll find
anywhere - crispy on the outside,
meltingly soft inside and tasting
of potato, not fat - excellent!
We'll be back later in the
summer to
review this place properly. |
Not
only is the Fleur-de-Lys the
oldest pub in the Forest, going
back to 1096 and with a list of
landlords beginning in 1498, it
is also one of the prettiest, smothered
under a hugely thick thatched roof.
The current proprietors have done
a radical but sensitive restoration,
and it is plainly but tastefully
furnished with the accent more
on dining, though bar drinkers
and lunchtime grazers are also
well catered for.
I
had high hopes for an excellent dinner
here after our lunch visit a couple
of months ago (see the box on the
right). This time, seven of us descended
on the restaurant and I can honestly
say that there was not a disappointing
dish. Perhaps the side order chips
weren't quite as good as they
were in June, but when I raised this
with the proprietor Steve Westall,
he explained that particular
kind of potato is no longer available.
What
was clearly apparent was the great
attention to detail. Each dish was
perfectly garnished with its own
specific vegetable creations. The
presentations were precise, creative
and not over elaborate. Above all,
it was clear that care had been taken
over the sourcing of the ingredients,
and equal care taken to ensure that
flavours were not overwhelmed by
too much tinkering. I wasn't surprised
to learn that Chef Lance Bartlett was
originally a pastry chef - apart
from his excellent desserts, touches
like the beautiful quenelles of pea
purée and of ceps that accompanied
my starter of red mullet had a superior
finish that often eludes the more
general chef.
A
starter salad of smoked duck with
seared foie gras was luxurious, and
its spiced apple garnish cut the
richness most ably. The twice baked
cheese soufflé had been gratinated
in a tasty sea of molten cheesy sauce
like a sort of savoury Ile Flottant. Fresh
crab meat had been packed into a
generous parcel of smoked salmon
with a crème fraiche dressing flavoured
with a hint of horseradish and a
little caviar to give texture. Starters
cost between five and six pounds
except for the soup (£4.95) the smoked
duck (£6.95) and the crab (£9.95).
The
main course dishes were also excellent,
with beautifully prepared vegetable
creations -portions are generous
without being over facing and every
dish has several brilliantly executed
garnishes. The roast pigeon breast
(£13.95) was a triumph, stuffed with
girolles that had a truffle like
intensity, with gnocchi that were
soft, comforting little pillows.
Also on the menu was a delicious
cut of local venison (£17.95), wrapped
in Parma ham and married up with
a square of Dauphinois potatoes and
poached pear. The monkfish (£15.95)
and its crispy potato cake was also
good, but perhaps the most dramatic
dish of all was the chargrilled fillet
of beef (£17.95), sitting up on the
plate like a proud top hat surrounded
by a broodingly dark reduced red
wine sauce. The plate was dressed
with the most perfect cylinders of
fondant potato, alternating with
little bundles of accurately sized
green beans wrapped in leek, looking
for all the world as though they
had strayed in from a top class sushi
bar!
Desserts
were fabulous, and well differentiated,
for instance the delicious selection
of home made ice creams was different
from the ices which were integrated
into other desserts - now that's
classy! So there was a graceful rose
water sorbet to accompany the Champagne
crème brûlée (I could have done without
the Champagne flavour), and an extraordinary
blue cheese parfait to go with honey
roasted figs, an exotic combination
that really worked. The wine list
is interesting and not too pricey
with a good selection of wines under £20
- we drank an excellent Chilean Sauvignon
Blanc which was a bargain at £14.50.
We came away wishing we had a neighbourhood
restaurant with such exciting menu
choices, and I am pleased to award
the Fleur-de-Lys a Dine
Online Accolade.
Dine
Online Highly Recommended Restaurant
Clifford
Mould, August 2006
The
Fleur-de-Lys Inn, Pilley near Lymington,
Hampshire
Tel:
01590 672158
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