Forest Park Hotel in Brockenhurst – food review and how you can win a two-course meal for two

INDIAN butter chicken, Chinese sweet and sour prawns, and Italian carbonara are all dishes I can cook competently at home. But there is one that completely defeats me – the great British Sunday roast.

Achieving the ultimate crispy potato, avoiding soggy veg, and ensuring the meat is not under or overdone are culinary skills I struggle to master.

So I was in total awe when I sampled the Forest Park Hotel’s roast dinner in Brockenhurst. Not only was it beautifully presented but every single component of it was cooked to perfection.

I’m sure I’m not alone in finding Sunday roasts out a bit hit-and-miss. They can be rather underwhelming and no one wants to leave a venue thinking: “Well, I could have done better at home.”

This was certainly not the case at Forest Park – in fact my friend and I had started discussing a return visit before our empty plates had been cleared.

As reported in the A&T last year, the hotel has undergone extensive renovation works to make it a favoured destination in the Forest.

It certainly seemed to have paid off judging by how packed the place was when we arrived.

Many guests were enjoying a drink in the bar area, which offers the hotel’s own Brock gin and Forest Park ale.

We headed straight for the dining room, which boasts floor-to-ceiling windows giving a lovely view out onto the hotel’s gardens. Both cocktail lovers, my friend and I were delighted by the long list of options in front of us.

I had an appletini – a drink I grew to love while living in America, and it proved to be just as good. My friend ordered the classic pina colada, which any lover of this particular tipple knows can be disappointing if not perfected; this one, however, was perfect.

Starters on the Sunday menu include the old favourite prawn cocktail (£8.90), tartiflette – potato, bacon and cheese bake (£11.90), and pear, gorgonzola and hazelnut salad (£8); along with a vegan option of roasted cauliflower with flaked almonds and curry oil (£7.80).

My friend had the salad, which was beautifully presented and tasted wonderful. I was being careful not to spoil my appetite for my main course which, as it turned out, was a wise decision.

The Sunday roast is £19.50 and boasts a selection of meat which is locally sourced. My friend plumped for the roast beef while I opted for the homemade nut roast, which is £18. Child-portion roasts are just £10.

Dishes from the a la carte menu are also available on a Sunday, including steak and chickpea curry, among others.

The beef, I was reliably informed, was cooked beautifully and the giant Yorkshire puddings were crisp and light.

My nut roast was a revelation. Too often a dry, heavy mess, this one was chock full of nuts, light and delicious.

Cauliflower cheese was served on the side at no extra cost.

We cleared our plates, and the portions were so generous I couldn’t manage a dessert. I instantly regretted my decision, however, when my friend’s pavlova arrived.

I had noted when scanning the sweet menu that the hotel’s head pastry chef Balint had trained at a patisserie in Budapest, and the desserts, including Cointreau panna cotta and cherry and chocolate trifle, certainly were tempting.

The winter berry pavlova looked pretty as a picture when it was placed on our table and, having sampled it at the invitation of my friend, I can vouch for the fact it tasted divine.

We will surely be returning to Forest Park – maybe next time for either a bar meal, a midweek special saver lunch which has two courses for £19.50, an afternoon tea in the garden or, of course, that true comfort food the British roast.

• For the chance to win a two-course Sunday lunch for two at Forest Park Hotel, pick up your latest A&T from the newsstand and turn page 13.