Hartnett Holder and Co at the Lime Wood Hotel

On our way home from a stay in Bournemouth,we decided to make a pitt stop. It took just over 40mins to get here, navigating through the village of Lyndhurst and numerous wild ponies. The hotel and surroundings are magnificent with views of the New Forest as far as the eye can see. But as impressive it all is,we are not here for that. We are here for the food of Hartnett Holder & Co. Angela Hartnett & Luke Holder are in charge of the kitchen here,serving Italian influenced dishes. As we were early we managed to get seated on the terrace in the glorious sunshine with our doggies. While admiring the surroundings a member of staff brought out a bowl of olives and nuts. We ordered a couple of zero alcohol Erdinger beers £11.(driving). Menu wise,there was a choice between the bar, a set lunch and an A la Carte. We chose from the bar menu. Risotto Milanese £16 Saffron infused, aged parmesan & butter. Spaghetti Bolognese £15 Somerset Saxon Chicken Milanese £20 Lemon,parmesan & rocket. Cornish Fish £30 Tenderstem broccoli, lemon & green leaves. Chips Skinnies £7 Although we were full,we could not leave until we tried the Tiramisu £15. Everything we had was just as expected. Simple dishes, beautifully executed and full of flavour. With lots of parmesan to add. We didn't get to see much of the inside of the house as doggies are not allowed in. Hence that's the reason we dined outside. But we did get first class service and enjoyed every minute of our visit. Thank goodness the weather was on our side.