The Flying Boat Cafe

The Roll Call

➤ Woolston Road, Eastleigh, United Kingdom

Carta • Pub • Vegan • British • Vegetarian

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"was twice in the last weeks. for the first time on Sunday to fry and again on Saturday to the birthday of my daughter. beautiful pub and delightful that there were no last people who have beaten close together. there are also outdoor seating options both front and rear. Eating was really delicious, cooked at home and massive portions. the staff was very friendly and helpful and very sensitive to the needs of our young children. it was nice that there was background music, but nothing too loud. good value for her money. beautiful atmosphere and family friendly. will definitely go back!"

The King Queen Pub

➤ High Street, SO31 4HA, Eastleigh, United Kingdom

Carta • Pub • Steak • Pizza • British

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"I did not want to write a Tripadvisor review before firstly emailing the establishment to tell them of my experience at the King and Queen in Hamble, as I wanted to give them the chance to reply etc with what may have gone wrong for us. They did not reply. We had booked for the Sunday roast and pre-ordered beforehand. My husband and I picked the tomahawk steak roast For 2 people to share. The girl placed it down on the table, after us waiting a while for it to be cooked , which was fine. There was 1 roast potato and 4 balls of stuffing (paxo type) . The girl then bought over 2 small cold side plates and I asked her to bring larger plates , she did and they were cold so I asked for them to be warm and she then came back again with warmer larger plates, which was fine. We also had to ask for roast potatoes and they came later in a bowl, not the best. We had also ordered a side of chips , they came around 20 mins later and we refused them as was by then too late. We also had to ask for our gravy to be warmed up as this was tepid. No one came to ask if the meal was ok, but it was not acceptable, far from . There was only around 20% of the meat which was edible if that. We had to spit out most into a napkin as there as too much gristle and too chewy. We were so disappointed as had been told this was a nice place for roasts and namely pre-ordering a 'special meal ' to share between two. Whoever cut the steak must have seen it was poor before it came out. My daughter also remarked later her chicken was cold but did not like to say anything as was so hungry. When the girl came to take the plates (with most of the food left) she did not ask if everything was ok which we were surprised about. We were meeting new family members for the first time and did not feel we wanted to complain but were also shocked at the lack of compassion by the staff for all the 'wrongs ' but namely the tomahawk quality, which we paid I think £68 for! Also noted there was a substantial service charge added to the bill, which we reluctantly paid but did not feel was warranted. Its hard to make a complaint, as we did not want to ruin the day with bad feeling surrounding the meal. No one asked us though how anything was, which you 'd expect when paying a lot of money. I’d have expected to hear back from the pub with an explanation and for them to offer some good will from this but have heard nothing."

Miller And Carter

➤ Providence Hill, SO31 8DW, Eastleigh, United Kingdom

Carta • Steak • Grill • British • Vegetarian

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"We only visit 3 4 times a year for Birthdays , anniversaries etc and have always had a brilliant time great food and service unfortunately on our most recent visit it just wasn’t the same. 5 This visit was for our anniversary we ordered a nacho sharer starter followed the signature cote du boeuf with wine, lobster tail and Mac and cheese at £100 unfortunately we found the quality and size of the nachos very poor compared to all our other visits. The nachos use to be fantastic and obviously hand cut and tasty where as no they are so obviously lower quality. No complaints about the steak apart from the wrong one being brought to us first bit mistakes happen. However the quality of service has also dropped considerable. Having ordered our food and drinks when our wine was brought to the table it was already opened, the server didn’t show the wine, name the wine or offer to pour it was just put on the table in front of us with a Simple here’s your wine. When paying between £60 and £90 per person I don’t think it unreasonable to expect a certain level of service and this certainly was not up to scratch."

The Nook Eating House

➤ Hook Lane, Hook I-SO31 9HH, United Kingdom

Carta • Vegan • Cakes • British • Vegetarian

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"from beginning to end, it is a taste experience. we had luck getting a table in this little restaurant on a busy Friday night. we were offered drinks as we looked through the menu. there was approx. 5 6 starters and as many main courses to choose from. on a Friday and Saturday night, I think they only offer the a la carte menu. the midweek also offer a set menu. my man decided to have a swirling pleasure with a gruyere cheese epuff, which was divine and served from a glass tea pot. I had the cured salmon and scallops. both appetizers were divine, beautifully presented and memorable. we would certainly order again. for our main course decided two of our party, the Southdown lamb (educated and I have the dover soles with inherited and minze pure and large chips. (not sure why I didn't make a picture of my eating, but I think I was actually distracted and started eating before I remembered the picture! the dover sole was a fabulous twist on fish and chips. total divine and the most memorable part was the draught pure and the juicy fish share! the southdown lamb was a great hit. not only was it beautifully presented, it was also a very large part. 2 lammsteaks were placed on the dauphinoise kartoffels, together with a partly slowly boiled lamb. we could not resist the baked honeycomb and went alaska and decided to share this court. every bite was amazing. the service was friendly and efficient without being overlaid. eating is brilliant. certainly worth a visit!"

La Dolce Vita

➤ 16 The Square, Hamble-le-Rice, United Kingdom

Carta • Fish • Meat • Pasta • Coffee

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"On arrival we were warmly welcomed with a huge smile. A lovely lady who single handedly commandeered the restaurants busy front of house. Her effortless charismatic control over the entire establishment oozed experience and was impressive to say the least. Her ability to acknowledge and strengthen relationships with regulars as well as build rapport with newcomers created a relaxed atmosphere that immediately put us at ease. I knew from being surrounded by people having a good time that we were in good hands. We ordered the Calamari Fritti (to share A true test! As all Calamari lovers know, this is a dish that annoyingly varies significantly from restaurant to restaurant and can often result in a small portion of expensive greasy let down. The Calamari Fritti at La Dolce Vita did not disappoint! It was generous in portion size, had great taste and texture (not rubbery The batter was wonderfully light and not greasy, and quite frankly it was delicious! The only thing that could’ve made it better is to have eaten it by the sea on a hot summers day, but that’s not their fault, I definitely booked a table at 8pm in October! I personally would’ve preferred an aioli or tartare sauce rather than the sweet chilli sauce it came with but that’s my preferential taste and I’m sure if I would’ve asked, they would’ve accommodated my request as they serve tartare sauce with their Whitebait. Ok, so despite being advised on multiple occasions to try their steak we thought we’d do pizza’s this time and conquer pastas next time (Nothing to do with a current promotion or anything lol! I had the Diavlo, an Italian equivalent to perhaps the more commonly known ‘American Hot’ that you may find at a takeaway dedicated franchise. The pizza was a good size and more than enough for 1 person (I’d say the size of a dinner plate it had a thin, crispy base and a wonderfully raised crunchy crust. Although this particular choice of pizza only has a few toppings, they were generously spread and of a very high quality. The meat was similar to a rich spicy smoked Calabrian pork sausage or Chorizo/Nduja and the onions and chillis were crunchy and fresh. The additional chilli oil placed on the table was a nice touch and I’d welcome the option of a garlic oil or garlic dip for the crusts. I also tried my wifes vegetarian Calzone which was like a big hug on a plate, a generously filled Italian pastry pillow. Definitely a cosy winter warmer and a great veggie option. We opted for the New Zealand Marlborough, a Sauvignon blanc which was clean, crisp and fresh, with hints of passionfruit, lychee, and gooseberry. The high acidity was perfect for cutting through the richness of the pizza cheese and the Calamari batter. The wine glasses were clean and the wine was served nice and cold. We were too full for dessert however the options looked enticing (almost as enticing as the Limoncello the table opposite were having! We also appreciated the classics such as ‘Tiramisu’ being on the dessert menu. Why on earth did we wait 2 years to try La Dolce Vita?! From it’s buzzing atmosphere overshadowing it’s humble decor to it’s wonderful food and friendly staff. La Dolce Vita is a restaurant run with passion and skill, celebrating the beauty of classic Italian simplicity delivered through high quality ingredients, traditional methods and efficient service. it’s safe to say we’ll be coming back. We’ve heard the steaks are amazing and we’re also tempted by the Linguine Marinara. The fact they’re always busy would imply that they are uncompromising in their standards which has resulted in a consistency that their customers have not only come to rely on but keep coming back for. Good food, good wine, good company, you can’t get any more Italian than that! Well-done guys, or should I say ‘Bravo!’ PS: I booked a table (as advised by leaving a voicemail on their landline. Their recorded message is clear and concise and there were no issues with my reservation. I do however feel a booking confirmation text would've been reassuring."