Lysses House Hotel
Above: dining
Above: The Richmond Restaurant
Lysses House Hotel is positioned in one of Fareham’s most historic streets, away from the hustle and bustle of the shopping centre, yet only a few minutes away on foot. It is the grandest building in a pretty row of bow-fronted windows and pastel facades.
Head Chef at Lysses House, Clive Wright, has full creative control of the menu, and his love of Hampshire produce is evident.
The menu is intentionally restrained to just a handful of dishes for each course so that the kitchen can be stocked with fresh produce with little wastage. Prices are in keeping with the setting – a reasonable average of £5.50 for starters and desserts, and around £15 for main courses, although they also offer a very affordable fixed price menu at £21 for three courses in the evening and just £13.95 at lunch time. After much deliberation, we settled on the walnut-crusted Tunworth and pan-fried local pigeon breast to start, followed by Blackmoor venison and chicken with honey and thyme.
The pigeon breast, atop a red onion confit, was a total triumph – pink and moist and perfectly complimented by the sweetness of the onions and some earthy baby spinach. The walnut crust on the Tunworth was a delicate addition to one of my favourite local ingredients: Hampshire’s own camembert-style cheese and Supreme Champion at the 2006 British Cheese Awards. Lysses’s homemade apple chutney was a piquant accompaniment, although the red-onion confit from the pigeon would have made an even more delicious addition.
A glass of wine later, I was delighted to discover that the venison was every bit as beautifully rare as the pigeon had been. The fillet is a very lean cut and can all too easily be turned to leather in the hands of an inexperienced chef, but this was easily the best I’d had. The burgundy medallions were nestled beside a pea and loveage puree – a welcome return of an almost extinct English herb, and a superb contrast in colour and texture.
Across the table, the free range chicken was impossibly moist and delicately scented with the restaurant’s home-grown lemon thyme. The turned fondant potatoes that accompanied both dishes virtually melted in the mouth and the corresponding sauces were rich and satisfying, made as they were from the cooking juices.
All four dishes were neatly presented without fuss and professionally executed; the staff friendly without being overwhelming; and the Rioja recommended by our waitress complimented both courses perfectly.
Dessert didn’t disappoint either. The Lysses Special is a miniature array of their dessert menu – perfect for two to share after a filling meal or an immensely indulgent treat for one. The vanilla panacotta with local Titchfield rhubarb was particularly memorable – the rhubarb silken and sharp in all it’s seasonal splendour. A close second was the crème brulee, although the white chocolate tart deserves a special mention for being so light yet luxuriously chocolaty at the same time.
The meal concluded with two expertly made espressos and a plate of dainty
petit fours – a fitting end to a most enjoyable meal.
The verdict
Service: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Decoration: 3 stars
Food: 4 stars
Value for money: 4 stars
Book your table
The Richmond Restaurant at Lysses House Hotel, 51 High Street
Fareham PO16 7BQ
Tel: 01329 822622
www.lysses.co.uk