Matt and Cat\'s Isle of Wight Eating Out Guide
ARCHIVE: Robert Thompson, The Hambrough, Ventnor ARCHIVE: Robert Thompson, The Hambrough, Ventnor
This is an archive review. The Hambrough is now run by a different team and Robert Thompson now has his own restaurant.   Bring to... ARCHIVE: Robert Thompson, The Hambrough, Ventnor

This is an archive review. The Hambrough is now run by a different team and Robert Thompson now has his own restaurant.  

Bring to mind, if you will, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Special Envoy Terry Waite; Our Very Own Frankie Howerd; and Robert Thompson The Hambrough. Institutions that have all acquired titles with words inextricably linked together.

Roasted cod with Romanesco cauliflower, Iberian ham and saffron sauce

Sometimes food writers seem overly obsessed with who cooks their food. Matt and Cat usually don’t feel the need to find out, but sometimes you just can’t avoid it. The Hambrough in Ventnor has placed the famous chef’s name above the title to create Robert Thompson The Hambrough. This has set the Isle of Wight a-twitter; with breathless tributes to this talented young man coming thick and fast. And it’s far from empty hype: the Michelin judges awarded Thompson’s restaurant a coveted star.

Matt and Cat could hardly miss out on this opportunity. Neither had eaten Michelin-starred food before, and they decided it was time to do so. So Matt had a shave, Cat put on a skirt and, having scraped a dead fly from the windscreen of the BMW, they made their way to Ventnor’s Robert Thompson The Hambrough restaurant.

Cat once went for an interview for a job at Liz Earle, a Ryde-based soap factory. The headquarters were very smart; all stripped wood floors and muted pastels. The Hambrough is similarly decorated in a corporate, clean and minimalist style. Like Liz Earle’s, the hotel is situated in a smart Victorian seaside building, subtly and sympathetically restored – and maybe smelling slightly of heritage paint.

Entering the Hambrough felt like entering a church – a church dedicated to food. Like unaccustomed worshippers arriving on Christmas morning, Matt and Cat stood helplessly in the lobby until an immaculately-uniformed acolyte came forward to murmur a few words of welcome and take their coats. Matt and Cat gingerly took their seats in the restaurant. The sun had yet to set over the English Channel so your reviewers had a nice view of the tail end of the day, as they sat and waited for something to happen. Their table was bedecked with an impressive range of equipment; but there was a conspicuous absence of menus, drinks being offered and other regular restaurant activity. Perhaps this was a pause for awe? Looking for something to keep her occupied, Cat flipped her empty handmade glass plate. The reverse revealed the words ‘Robert Thompson The Hambrough’ and individual numbering (Cat’s plate was number 50). Cat wondered if there was to be a raffle later – this plate could be her ticket to a fruit basket or flowery sponge bag.

Cat wondered if there was to be a raffle later – this plate could be her ticket to a fruit basket or flowery sponge bag

When the appropriate amount of time had been spent admiring the table setting, Matt and Cat were offered the menu by another of the smooth but almost silent staff. Two courses for £38, three for £45 and a tasting menu for two for £80. Matt and Cat had done their homework; plenty of the dishes appeared on the the Hambrough’s website sample menu.

Matt’s choice was fillets of red mullet with seared scallops, Kalamata olive and smoked garlic sauce. Knowing enough to realise that he didn’t know enough about wine, Matt was determined to get the full experience. So he asked for guidance from the somellier. To draw on such knowledge is a rare treat, and Matt was anticipating a bit of dialogue about this important decision. However, a single recommendation was given without any embellishment: Cooper’s Creek Pinot noir. This proved to be excellent advice, and differed from what cautious Matt would have chosen. Still, your reviewers were beginning to understand that in the temple of Thompson, nothing was to disturb the atmosphere of reverent anticipation: and evening service was about to commence.

The waiting staff fetched the craziest-looking bread sticks ever. A towering brace of squid-ink-black brittle sticks were delivered in a glass, held in place by a handful of seeds. The salted sticks were at least a foot long and flat and wavy like starched ribbons; lumps of sea salt glistening up the shafts of the bread. They were like elongated pretzels; nice and licky. Matt and Cat daringly snapped their bread into their individually-numbered handmade glass plates and dabbed butter on the ends, sucking the sea salt lumps like cattle at a saltlick.

After the bread sticks came more bread. This time a basket of the kitchen’s finest, warmed to perfection. Cat chose a white roll with elongated ends, like a mermaids purse but with only two tails. Eaten with the remains of the butter, it was delicious and had a great dual texture; the extremities were crunchy and the body nice and soft.

Chicken and asparagus

The glass plates were taken away after the second bread course and were soon replaced with tiny cups and saucers containing wild garlic soup, compliments of the chef. Little white flowers bobbed in the vivid green – a divine visual treat that also tasted rich, fresh, and subtly garlicky. Was this Isle of Wight ramsoms? It was not made clear, but it was certainly a delicious appetiser and boded well for the rest of the meal.

Usually at this point in a review, Matt and Cat will digress with tales of other diners’ conversations or amusing observations about the decoration. However, at the Hambrough, there was little of either to remark upon. Although other supplicants were sitting at the nearby tables their conversation was in suitably muted tones, making Cat’s covert photography probably a little obvious. The décor, although pleasant, was also a bit soulless. There was one picture on the wall – so far so minimalist – and a vast spray of synthetic orchids on the mantelpiece of the stone fireplace. The dining room, like every other aspect of the Hambrough, was merely the conduit for the revelation to come: the food. This was, after all, the reason people were there, wasn’t it? The one concession to the populist eating experience was the oddly muffled warblings of Dido, whose aural wallpaper is as ubiquitous as Phil Collins for those wanting music to talk over.

Starters were next. Velouté of Jerusalem artichoke with truffle and Parmesan for Matt. The heirophant approached the table bearing a steaming jug of velouté. A dish appeared before Matt’s nose with a handful of ingredients in the bottom, and the ritual pouring began. The staff withdrew and left Matt to contemplate what was before him. He dipped in his spoon, put it to his lips…

In one mouthful Matt was a convert to Thompsonism

…had the Hambrough really been a church this would have been the moment the full peal of eight bells sounded forth. In one mouthful Matt was a convert to Thompsonism. The garlic soup had been impressive, but this was something else. Complex, earthy flavours of artichoke and truffle jostled to enrich the classically velvety sauce; and the nuggets and slices of crisper vegetable hidden within gave a combination of contrasting textures. Matt dug deep into the pale swirls, delighted. To crown it all, as the heat of the velouté began to sink into the Parmesan, the strong, acid taste of cheese gave an extraordinary finish to the little bowlful. Matt sat back, rapturous.

Starter was roasted cod with Romanesco cauliflower, Iberian ham and saffron sauce for The Cat. She was excited about the impending cauliflower. These fractal foods are fascinating structures to look at – and tasty too. Surprisingly, when her plate arrived, although the dish was well-presented, the Romanesco was not on show – perhaps it was mashed up to the point of invisibility. A shame, as it’s such a visual treat. Nonetheless, the Iberian ham was delicious, nice and sweet. The vivid yellow saffron sauce almost made up for the lack of cauliflower but Cat felt that its unusual citrus flavour, for her, didn’t quite match with that of the delicate cod.

Next up was the main course. Matthew’s red mullet was perfectly complemented by his Pinot noir, and two generous fillets were decorated with a good handful of scallops. The smoked garlic sauce was subtle to the point of bashfulness, but with the seafood taking centre stage this was probably as it should have been.

Cat had black leg chicken with cannelloni beans, asparagus and stuffed morels. Unlike Matt’s starter, which had been crafted with some kind of cheese and truffle alchemy, Cat’s dish had no mystery – all the ingredients were immaculately laid out for inspection. A well-balanced pile of meat was delivered, woven together with sticks of white and green asparagus which were curiously sharpened at one end. Is there a culinary device for shaving the ends off asparagus? Maybe M & C should do some research in Hursts. The sublime morel, stuffed and halved, showed off its interesting texture. It was a really evocative ingredient, soft and subtle, its taste unmistakable yet indescribable.

Cylinder of white chocolate and passion fruit with tropical fruits

In an effort to engage the efficient but at times inaudible staff, Cat asked about the origins of the morel. The waiter seemed stunned by this approach – so far the staff had all demonstrated a robot-like delivery of the food as follows: deliver plate; softly mutter a description; waft away. However, Cat was not to be put off by his coyness. Matt’s attempts to banter with the wine waiter had fallen at the first fence; Cat would surely succeed where Matthew had failed. But no luck – on returning from a foray into the kitchen to enquire, the waiter’s definitive but succinct answer was one word, “France”. Although Matt and Cat like to feel that they are involved in the dining process, doubtless this abstract yet unflappable manner of service is just another carefully considered aspect of the Hambrough experience.

The smoked garlic sauce was subtle to the point of bashfulness

Still, it was notable that the waiter had to ask in the kitchen about the mushrooms – in a restaurant as obsessed with the quality and origins of food as the Hambrough, one might have expected the staff to have at hand every fact about these extraordinary creations. Another anomaly concerned the provenance of the food. The only local produce identified on the menu was Dunsbury lamb ‘nicoise’ and Ventnor stout ice cream. Maybe the other local items were just not labelled, as the website states, “the restaurant’s gourmet menus focus on using only the finest and freshest ingredients available daily from the market – where possible produced locally on the Isle of Wight.” Local provenance is big business everywhere these days and M and C do like it to be made clear if their meal contains locally-sourced food or not.

One complaint that cannot be made of the Hambrough is about the size of the portions. Both picky Cat and greedy Matt were comfortably well fed, leaving just enough room to squeeze in one of the delicious-sounding puddings. In the interregnum between giving their order and the sweets being delivered, a further complimentary dish arrived. Unfortunately its name was lost in the mutterings of the waitress but it appeared to be a wonderfully sharp, fresh apple posset with a foamy, impossibly sweet sugar hat. Fantastic!

By this time, Cat really was full. So when her blackberry soufflé arrived she knew it would be a challenge to eat it all – a challenge she simply would not refuse. The eggy mound was being held up mostly with air and skill. A single blackberry had been artfully positioned at the apex of this inflated structure. Cat took great delight in watching the soufflé slowly sink as she poked in its innards to find the other blackberry. It was subtly flavoured; like the finest soufflé the experience was as much about the texture as the taste. The Ventnor stout ice cream was an excellent accompaniment.

In the Hambrough, apart from the celebrated chef himself, nothing is more important than the food
Blackberry soufflé with Ventnor stout ice cream

Matt had a cylinder of white chocolate and passion fruit with tropical fruits, another architectural wonder. The sweet chocolate had been formed into a ‘cooling tower‘ of fondant and passionflower jelly; tiny cubes of fruit were scattered about its base and a beautifully constructed spiral of chocolate completed the ensemble. M and C wondered how many chocolate strips ended up in the reject bin before a perfect one was coiled out.

Matt and Cat were stuffed. But there was no way they were going to fall at the final fence, so coffee and petits fours was ordered. The petits fours were tiny cornets of biscuit with fruit mousse, and a hazelnut truffle, all presented in curious steel holders like miniature candelabra. They were quite delicious, of course. M & C nibbled at the sweetmeats and supped their coffee – not certain whether they were sad to reach the end of this seemingly infallible series of delights or just relieved that they wouldn’t have to squeeze in another morsel. As it was, they certainly found themselves more than satisfied with their first experience of Michelin-approved dining. They were looking forward to a refreshing stroll back to the car, gazing down across the twinkling lights of Ventnor Bay… but at this point the Teflon staff just seemed to be too smooth to offer the bill or make any further enquiry, and it was only when a lady came in and started laying the tables for breakfast that M & C managed to request the bill and make a dignified exit. Perhaps, as on arrival, it was expected that diners should pause after the experience to reflect and ponder.

Matt and Cat’s bill
2 x three course dinner £90
2 x coffee + petits fours £9
Drinks £9.25
Total £108.25

So at last, making that slightly-delayed promenade back through the cool evening; M & C were able to consider what was one of the most memorable meals they had ever eaten. The Hambrough is an extraordinary place, and to dine there is an extraordinary experience. It isn’t too hard to work out that in the Hambrough, apart from the celebrated chef himself, nothing is more important than the food. Everything else is designed to allow these remarkable creations to be appreciated.

The star of the show for this meal was Matt’s velouté. Even Cat, who only got a mouthful, could only explain the splendour of this creation as ‘alchemical’. The generous amuse-bouche courses were also both outstanding and clever – the wild garlic soup being a particularly apposite seasonal touch. M & C found the remote service style to be a little wearing, and ultimately, would have preferred a little more personal attention: but perhaps if they’d had it, they wouldn’t have appreciated the food so.

And finally, the question that many of your reviewers’ acquaintances have asked of the experience: was it worth £100? With the Hambrough undoubtedly close to the top of the Island eating out cost table, M & C knew what they were expecting to pay and saved up accordingly. But what else can this buy you? Tickets to a premiership football match? A night at a musical? A period return on Wightlink? Measured against those experiences, The Hambrough seems like outstanding value for money. Matt and Cat don’t begrudge a penny of it, and nor should you. So start saving.

For Marjorie and Clement.
Robert Thompson, The Hambrough, Ventnor

  • sean.wilson says:

    Thankyou Peter…love breakfast curds

  • Peter Kirchem says:

    sean.wilson’s typo was amusing …. but look again, he came close to a second which would have made it even more amusing!

  • IOW and proud says:

    Mat and Cat’s site is a fantastic resource for gaining an insite into our Islands fantastic eateries and people can gain much from this site – but remember you may encounter people like a ‘certain visitor’ to our fair island whereever you go in life, from a pub with dogs to a michelin star restaurant, we are safe no where from these types.

    Id prefer lunch with the dogs please.

  • Colin says:

    IW Regular,

    I must say that reading your reviews has been an education. No dogs in pubs, no frivolity allowed in ‘fine dining’ establishments and certainly no ‘splashing the cash’, unless I do so in the correct and proper manner. God forbid I behave in a way not becoming of a Michelin starred restaurant, or for that matter a ‘2 meals for £9.95’ pub.

    I feel that the time has come to impose a ban on myself and my family, and dare I say it, the dog from eating out on this Island again for fear of upsetting other diners obviously more experienced in how to behave in public eateries.

    I hope you enjoy(ed) the trip back to the mainland, I hope the clientele on the ferry were up to scratch.

  • IW Regular says:

    Last night marked our long awaited return to The Hambrough, our favourite restaurant on the IOW by a country mile.

    After some difficulty parking (the only downside to The Hambrough), whilst walking to the hotel I noticed Robert Thompson running up the road with a camera! Thinking this was possibly to capture a sunset, I later learnt that he is monitoring parking issues in Ventnor. Apparently, this is connected with his bid to buy The Winter Gardens and convert it to two restaurants and a theatre. Knowing as I do how challenging it can be to bring about change on the Island, I suspect that this process will be like walking through treacle. The authorities should bite his hand off. This entrepreneurial young man has put the Island on the map by bring it it’s first Michelin star. Rather than grab it and flee to London and make millions, he has chosen to stay here and bring tourism and employment to the Island. He could do for Ventnor what Rick Stein has done for Padsfow.

    We opted for the 7 course ‘surprise’ tasting menu. I was driving, Mrs IW Regular can’t drink to excess and Miss IW Regular is too young, so we went for the £85 a head version rather than the £140 a head with a ‘flight of wines’.

    Things started well. After a fabulous appetiser and pre dinner drink, we were ushered to our table. After two courses, Miss IW Regular (who is wise beyond her young years) announced that she had spotted a flaw in the ‘mystery’ element. A nearby table was enjoying the same menu and were around 5 minutes ahead of us. As each dish arrived, the waiting staff boldly announced each course, meaning that we actually had a ‘surprise, but with 5 minutes notice’ menu!

    Mrs IW Regular stated that she would like me to bring her to The Hambrough for a weekend (so that we could enjoy the wines) next year to celebrate a ‘landmark’ birthday of hers (I will spare her blushes).

    Unfortunately, from this point on, things took a turn for the worse. A party of four arrived at the other end of the retaurant and it became apparent very quickly that these people were loud. Very loud. Even though the restauarant was almost full and they were the furthest table from us, we could hear all of their conversations above all the other diners and the piped music. They seemed oblivious to the fact that every other diner understood the unwritten rule of fine dining (i.e. that conversations should be heard within your table, but not beyond it), even when, at one particularly loud moment, everyone else in the restaurant looked at them and glared in unison.

    I won’t describe the menu, as it would spoil the ‘surprise’ for future diners, suffice to say that with any seven course tasting menu, you will have some dishes that you like more than others. That’s not to say that anything is bad, but merely an indicator of personal taste. Everything was cooked or prepared to perfection and there was even a moment of Heston Blumenthal style ‘magic’.

    Having asked one of the staff to have a polite word with the overly noisy table, things quitened down for a while, but as their ‘wine flight’ progressed, the volume levels once again got louder and louder. The staff were in a very difficult position as, whilst they were aware that these people were spoiling it for other diners, their bill was probably going to come to over £600. This group were probably the best example of people who can afford to dine in upmarket locations, but have no idea how to behave in them. In other words, they had “all of the brass, but none of the class”! On the other hand, it made me very proud of my teenage daughter, who does know how to behave and thoroughly enjoyed her first Michelin star experience.

    By the sixth course, Mrs IW Regular had decided that it perhaps wasn’t such a good idea to come here for her big birthday as ‘knowing our luck, we’ll have another group like that one and it will be ruined’.

    Had I been a Michelin inspector assessing their star staus, I might have picked up on a few very minor things, like no offer to take my coat when I arrived after parking, a delay for the menus to be presented and some rather haphazard placement of cutlery prior to each course, but as I am not, I would say the service was as first class.

    The final bill for the three of us, for the 7 course menu (without wines), three non alcoholic drinks, two bottles of water and two teas with petit fours plus gratuity came to just over £300. Was it worth it? On the basis that the big disappointment wasn’t caused by the restaurant, yes. I will also continue to recommend The Hambrough as the best dining establishment on the Island.

    During the drive home, I pondered over the difficult situation that the staff were faced with and wondered how I might have dealt with it had I been in their shoes. Firstly, I would have got the restaurant manager to have a discreet word with the noisy party, rather than the wine waiter (who had done so in broken English). Secondly, I would have made a token deduction off the bill for diners (like us) who had mentioned that it was spoiling their experience.

    Robert Thompson is a local hero and the Isle of Wight would be a worse place without him. I wish him well with his new ventures. I will work on Mrs IW Regular as I fancy the ‘wine flight’ next time. I might just have to enquire whether they have a private dining room!

  • IW Regular says:

    Having posted a number of reviews today on restaurants that we have dined in so far this week during our yearly pilgrimage to the Isle of Wight, I thought I’d take a look at how The Hambrough is reviewing amongst Matt and Cat members, as we are going again later this week.

    Having dined at The Hambrough around six times previously (and stayed there twice) I have lost count of how many people I have recommended it to over the past few years, but I wish I was on commission!

    We lived on the Island for several years in the 90’s and, although we loved the island, it had no quality restaurants at the time. Now it has one of the best in the country.

    I have been fortunate enough to have dined in numerous Michelin star restaurants (including many owned by celebrity chefs) and the only one that betters the Hambrough is Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck in Bray. That’s something I never thought I would be able to say about the Isle of Wight.

    I would like to defend the ‘quiet’ atmosphere that some have described as soulless. Nothing ruins a quality restaurant experience more for me than ‘loud’ diners elsewhere, howling with laughter or talking in loud voices that can be heard by other diners. Such people who feel that their conversations or bad jokes should be overheard by other diners are missing the point of fine dining completely. There are countless other venues better suited to that behaviour.

    We are really looking forward to our visit later this week and, for the first time, we are taking our teenage daughter who is fascinated with quality cooking. I expect to part with £200-300 for dinner and am convinced that I will be telling another load of people how great it is!

    Matt & Cat respond: Thanks very much for your many constructive and comprehensive comments, IWR, we very much look forward to hearing your views on the Hambrough and any other venues you try during your stay.

  • Lucinda and Rich says:

    The “treat” for our holiday in the Isle of Wight was booking “The Hambrough” for the Saturday night.

    The Staff were absolutely charming, very helpful with nothing being too much effort, they happily suggested and substituted dishes for one fussy eater.

    Mr Robert Thompson was an absolute gentleman

    The restaurant was buzzing, which helped with the friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

    The food … well, the food was sublime, we went for the tasting menu, with one of the dishes being smoked carpaccio of lamb, with its own glass dome of smoke, pure theatre!! Plus, the most amazing apple tart tatin to share … mmm

    The chef … Mr Robert Thompson was an absolute gentleman, taking the time to talk to us, show us the kitchen and being completely charming, all this considering “The Hambrough” was closing the next day for a two week sabbatical.

    All in all we had the most amazing experience, well worth the expense for a special event. If anyone has been put of from trying by reading other peoples opinions, you might just find you will have a great time too, after all everyone has there own opinion.

    Well … All I can say is try “The Hambrough” and make up your own minds!! 🙂

    I wish Robert and all his team the very best of luck at “The Hambrough” and in future adventures.

  • Wellowlawman says:

    Again I find myself hugely impressed by this young immensely talented chef. The well known expression “the devil is in the detail” is turned around here…the delight is in the detail. This is a guy who cares passionately about his ingredients, who will source locally wherever possible, but if it isn’t right then he’ll find exactly what is required elsewhere. A fabulous lunch today: three courses, but with a couple of the witty appetisers thrown in…beetroot soup with an horseradish froth for example! Really, really good. I rate this place the best the Island has seen.

  • PDB says:

    This is a very interesting set of reviews, and they show the strengths and “areas for development” at the Hambrough. Firstly, thanks to Mr Thompson for coming to the Island. I had the opportunity to eat his food at Winteringham Fields and spectacular it was. It is really good for the Island’s many food producers to have expert chefs to use and promote the range of produce from the Island.

    Purpose of leaving a comment: a couple of things which need to change. First – the food is excellent (ideas, cooking, presentation, use of local ingredients) but a small thing : please make sure that the game served is cooked. I ordered the grouse (as I had ordered in Lincolnshire years previously)and it was served seared on one side only. I know enough to know game is served pink. Pink good, dark and making the plate bloody – ie raw, bad. I asked for this to be taken back to the kitchen and it was … and the same piece of meat was then served to me on a newly-dressed plate. It was delicious, but took time and disrupted the flow of the meal. I will come onto the service later. In the same comment as lamenting the game, I have to praise the hazelnut and (I think) fig tart with, from memory, fennel ice cream. It was the best dessert I have eaten anywhere, ever. As I say – food is excellent, but a minor slip up has contributed to me not coming back.

    The real reason that I haven’t returned, however, is the utter lack of an atmosphere. I take M&C’s point about reverence, but that is an unhealthy pressure to put on what ought to be a pleasurable eating experience. When I visited, for a family celebration, the welcome was at best aseptic, the “welcome” to the upstairs bar area was pretty cursory and the bar area was utterly unfriendly as a space. I don’t crave chintz, but the lack of any decoration or similar relief from bland neutral tones becomes oppressive during the time you are in the space. The dining room is little better. There was no atmosphere on a night when the restaurant was not full – and it does happen. I recognise the hushed tones and “succinct” service references.

    The food is excellent. The decore is bland without being stylish or engaging, and the service was, on my visit, average in the extreme. The waiting staff needed to be warmer, more customer-friendly and to bring a little more personality to the place. There has to be more than the excellent food to an enjoyable eating experience for which one has to save – and which one would wish to repeat. I hope, in the year since I visited, that things have been done to improve the warmth of the welcome and service. I wish Mr Thompson every success with his plans for the Winter Garden, but as this has been a much-loved institution on the Island for years, he needs to get the “people bit” right this time.

    Good luck to you Mr Thompson and I hope these comments are useful to your future success.

  • Rainbow says:

    I went to the Hambrough a few weeks ago and had a very interesting experience. The staff were lovely and welcoming and were happy to explain anything on the menu that wasn’t obvious. We all chose the 3 course menu. We started off with gorgeous cheesy balls- bit like profiteroles which were light and magical. This was followed by the most amazing part of the meal- white onion and truffle oil veloute, a heavenly blend of flavours that we all loved. Warm, fresh bread rolls were served at this point and tasted good. The starter was also a thing of wonder- a kind of terrine of belly pork, foie gras and smoked eel. Sublime.
    Sadly the mains weren’t quite up the standard of the previous parts. I had to send my veal back as it was too tough to cut. The flavours were nice though and they took it off the bill as a gesture of goodwill. The standard went back up when we got to dessert- beautiful souffle with pecan ice-cream with lemon posset as a delightful prelude.
    I note the previous comments about the ambience and agree that it is a rather sombre sort of place with tasteful grey paint and glass ‘show bowls’ on the table that I wasn’t sure what to do with and was worried about knocking over! The service was generally good and the 2 waitresses were particularly knowledgable and helpful. The waiting staff were less experienced and sometimes hard to attract the attention of when more drinks were needed.

    Overall a good experience but hasn’t quite beaten the Taveners in Godshill, my current favourite. But certainly the Hambrough has done enough that I may give it a second chance to compete!

  • OC says:

    Another excellent meal at the Hambrough on Valentines day – the place, the food the service – everythings just getting better and better- Thank you Robert well done – we will be back

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