Stag Hotel

The Stag Hotel might look like your traditional New Forest pub, but keep walking right on through the bar and you'll find yourself in a contemporary and welcoming Italian restaurant. Owners Louise Hodgkins and Steve Burridge made The Stag into an Italian eatery seven years ago, concentrating on serving quality, authentic cuisine.

And cuisine this certainly is. Starters range from £1.80 to £8.95 and include mixed olives, a selection of breads, cured meats, mussels, and vegetarian options such as field mushrooms topped with herbs, garlic and cheese.

For our main course my husband and I dined on pork saltimbocca with bacon and a white wine sauce, and pollo Mediterraneo (chicken stuffed with mozzarella and pesto and wrapped in Parma ham) - both dishes looked as good as they tasted. There are also fish specials, steaks, lamb and duck dishes from £12.95 to £17.95, plus a large selection of pasta dishes and pizzas from £5 to £9.95.

The wine list is designed for the food on offer, with a good choice of Italian and New World grapes. And if you have a sweet tooth, the gooseberry and apple treacle crunch is not to be missed. Apart from culinary magic, what is most striking about The Stag is its decor. The design is contemporary and sophisticated, the lighting atmospheric. And the back doors open onto a marquee, where there are tables for summer dining when The Stag gets really busy.

The hotel offers comfortable accommodation in this thriving tourist destination, and the bar serves great lunchtime snacks.

With both à la carte and pizza and pasta menus, this is a wonderful place to visit for a dependably good bite to eat or a very special occasion.