Monty's Inn: busy brasserie offers a taste of smart casual dining

HALFWAY through dinner at Monty’s Inn in Beaulieu, I caught myself already plotting an excuse to return.

Having previously only dined next door at the high-end Terrace restaurant, I wasn’t sure what to expect of the little-brother brasserie that makes up the other, less wallet-busting end of the Montagu Arms Hotel.

My preconceptions of it as a typical gastro-pub – where promises tend not to survive stepping over the threshold – didn’t last long, seated by the window of the wood-panelled dining room watching a red sunset reflected on the Mill Dam of the Beaulieu River.

The soothing atmosphere didn’t dull the attentiveness of the staff, who cheerfully accommodated my dining partner’s butter intolerance by substituting oil to saute the mushrooms on her sourdough bruschetta starter (£7.25), and remembering unprompted to do the same for her sirloin steak (£22.95) with salad.

Remembering those little points can make a lot of difference, especially when eateries still tend to stumble over special dietary requirements.

Village venues in the heart of the New Forest aren’t known for their liveliness on a Tuesday night. But although the bar on the other side of the inn stayed quiet, the calm, candlelit restaurant was soon about three-quarters full with a chatty mix of younger and older couples.

The surroundings are towards the modern end of country-house-smart, but comfortable – sharing the four-star hotel pedigree from next door but in a more relaxed atmosphere.

For starters I went for the Scotch egg with spiced apple sauce and dressed rocket (£7.50), keen to sample the dish created by head chef Robbie Mclean which had been pipped to the post at this year’s Young’s Scotch Egg Challenge in London.

It won my vote with its pleasing mix of crunchy coating, sweet pork, and just-runny yolk, and, despite the apple sauce not cutting through as much as I’d like, was my dish of the night.

Long-roasted lamb of the day (£17.95) was a temptation for main course, but I chose Monty’s Shetland fish pie (£13.95) – plenty of fish in a slightly too-loose, creamy sauce topped with a tasty cheesy mash and accompanied by (for me, at least) happily buttery and salty veg.

Some of the vegetables and fruit are grown in the kitchen garden of the Montagu Arms. Others are sourced locally such as the pork from Pondhead Farm in Lyndhurst, beef from Alderstone Farm near Romsey, and eggs from the Pennington orchard of the inn’s owners, the Leach family.

The menu tells me the establishment dates back to a 16th century pub that was demolished and then rebuilt in 1888. Despite a series of guises, it has apparently been called Monty’s Inn by locals for years before the name was adopted for good in 1998.

Even the food can’t escape the moniker with a Monty’s beef burger (£15.95), Monty’s chicken Caesar salad (£14.95), and Monty’s bubble and squeak (£6.95).

On a late spring evening it’s always fun to have a Prosecco, which my dining partner went for (£6.75), but at Monty’s there is also the option of splashing out on a glass of Taittinger rose Champagne (£16).

And my light and fresh Chilean Sauvignon Blanc (£6.75) wasn’t far off the wine list’s promise of “cut grass and tropical fruit”.

We finished off with a cheese plate (£6.50) that did the job (no butter, obviously), and for me a satisfying chocolate brownie (£6.50) with brandy cream.

The only thing left to do after a coffee and green tea (£2.50 each) was to think up an excuse to return.