Westover Hall Hotel - Dining

Westover Hall Hotel - Lunchtime & Evening Dining

What's the difference between going out to eat and going out to eat at Westover Hall? The answer is simple really, but we'll get to that in a minute.

In the meantime perhaps I can ask you to reflect on all the times you've been out over the last year, ponder how much that cost you and then try and think of what you remember about those occasions. Do you remember the ambience, the location, how happy you felt, the food itself, the service or the people you were with at the time? ...and if I were to say that you could have all the money you'd spent in cash right now if the memory of those occasions was wiped from your mind, would you jump at the chance. I believe with a few exceptions of course you'd say 'wow!, yes please.'

I went to lunch at Westover Hall recently and actually I didn't mention at the time to Stuart Mechem who runs the hotel, that it was in fact my wedding anniversary and you know what it wouldn't have made a blind bit of difference, because I'm absolutely certain that every visitor to Westover is treated as if they are there on a special occasion. Now I don't mean that this is done in a stiff, formal 'in your face' way at all, more that Stuart and the Staff are so naturally 'warm' and the environment is so charming and elegant that you instantly feel elevated and slightly elated. Perphaps it's just the magical nature of the building or maybe The Mechem's have created the perfect art of understanding people's varied expectations and delivering an appropriate experience to suit.

Jimmy Desriviere the Chef is so well suited to this environment as well, because his style of cooking is equally elegant and refined with that same balance of creating an occasion out of every mouthful, whilst not going so far with it that you feel like the restaurant is doing you a favour by allowing you to experience the food. I've eaten at some of the best well known restaurants in London and Europe and do you know what I'd rather be at Westover Hall any day. There are a couple of course which I should say are spectacular, but you still get the sense that you're the lucky one to be there, not that the restaurant feels that they're the lucky ones to have you and for me that is a gigantic benefit of Westover Hall. There are too many dishes to comment on particular ones, but like any great Chef, Jimmy knows where to find the very best produce, which where possible is from the New Forest and yes it will arrive looking like a work of art but in a very natural and organic way. The overwhelming sense is one of freshness and honesty and like Stuart's paintings every dish tells a story.

To say I like Westover Hall is an understatement in the extreme and because I feel so welcomed and comfortable there, I don't need to treat it as a place which is only for special occasions. The lunch menu is so well priced, if I weren't so busy it would be a weekly fixture in the diary and in the evening's I know that however my mood, I can slide into that magic and everything will be just peachy.

If I haven't already answered it sufficiently above then I'm sorry, but to me the difference between eating at Westover Hall and practically anwhere else, whether at lunchtime or in the evening is that it is an investment in your happiest memories. If a genie in a few years time offers to buy back my memories of my times at Westover Hall, the answer is most certainly no. I sincerely hope you feel the same way when you go there and that the magic captures you like it has me. JS

www.westoverhallhotel.com