The Pig in the New Forest is hands down my favourite restaurant ever.
It’s technically a restaurant with a very beautiful selection of rooms that you can stay in too. A stay here will give you ample opportunity to enjoy the restaurant, some well earned time out and the delights of the surrounding National Park.
If you’ve not been to The Pig, here’s a little insight into why you should go and why it’s my absolute number one place to eat.
I’m going to try and do my best to do The Pig justice, and try and not be too gushy because I’m such a big fan. I think that’s why I put off writing this post, I didn’t know how to express myself without sounding a bit ridiculous. I mean I am a bit ridiculous already but, that’s not the point!
I’ve spent countless birthdays, Christmas eves, social occasions and luxury afternoons at this beautiful restaurant in Hampshire.
Notably my 30th Birthday where I spent a cosy meal with my nearest and dearest celebrating the big life milestone.
Another time I booked the Green Room for a friend’s celebration which was an incredible treat to have a private space and went down very well with everyone in the party.
Inside The Pig
The Pig in the New Forest is a big country mansion, happily situated in Brockenhurst, one of the beautiful gateway villages to the National Park.
I haven’t got lots of photos inside, it’s not really the place you can just whip out your blogging camera. And, most of the times I’ve been there it’s been a time where my phone has gone away and I just enjoy the moment. It’s just that sort of place. As a result the photos in this post are from quite a big time frame and I’ve tried to pick the best.
But, I think you’ll get the idea from the photos I’ve got, and it still leaves you plenty to explore if you decide to visit.
Downstairs there’s a greenhouse restaurant, cosy drawing rooms and a garden terrace with a wood fired oven.
Upstairs are plenty of cosy bedrooms, and additional cabins and lodges in the grounds. Monsoon showers, freestanding bathtubs and large comfy beds are just a few of the treats that await you. Sounds heavenly, right?
The interior is of course stunning, a subtle blend of chic and country manor house. Think velvets, miss matched colours and big fire places.
It’s just how you’d want your own home to look, well it would be my preference anyway! Beautiful colourful tiles, rambling plants and curated furniture and decor give a firm nod to English heritage.
The vibe is relaxed luxury, not pretentious, snobby or that ‘on show’ feeling, it has just the right balance and feel.
Outside there’s a walled kitchen garden and a few Saddleback piggies that are very well looked after. There’s also plenty of forest walks to stretch your legs and a terrace to sit out and enjoy the sun on.
Food at The Pig
I don’t even know how to sum up how excellent the food and service is at The Pig. Once you’ve been here, it’s quite hard to find other places that live up to the same standard without heading into high end London.
All the food is grown and reared in the kitchen gardens and seasonal fruit and vegetables are prioritised and celebrated.
Everything else is sourced locally and The Pig takes pride in having a menu that supports the local 25 mile radius. I think the only exception is certain meats which a lot of care and research is taken into obtaining in the most sustainable manner.
Lunch & Dinner
The menu changes regularly, so there’s plenty of things to sample from firm favourites to new seasonal delights. I’ve tried a lot of the menu, I’m not sure I should really admit to it but, I’ve definitely had my fair share.
Part of the appeal is the constant menu innovation and returning regularly leads to exciting new food and drink to try.
The piggy, garden and fishy bits are exceptional little pre-dinner dishes. The Brock eggs, piggy bits especially the crackling with sweet apple sauce and mustard chipolatas are very tasty.
My favourite main dishes include the mussels, steak and bath chaps (when it’s on the menu). Utterly delicious and the best steak I’ve ever had! Mussels are by far my favourite thing to eat, and I’ll often have the Fowey mussels and thrice cooked chips. Food heaven.
Other notable highlights are the pork chop which is exceptional in size, and the scallops. If you see them on the menu, they are well worth ordering.
From the sides, get a Tobacco Onions to share, they are mouth waveringly good and I’m certain you’ll end up fighting over them. Our family always does, to the point that my Mum will now always order her own!
Pudding
Normally I don’t bother with pudding. But, this isn’t the case at The Pig because pud is just as good as the mains. Of all the places to skip ‘afters’, this is not one of them, say yes, yes, yes and enjoy the moment. Life is too short to worry about denying yourself something sweet from somewhere so good.
Again, the pudding menu changed regularly to reflect what’s in season. The Elderflower sorbet and strawberries, chocolate pots and tarts never fail to disappoint though. Oh, and the pear sticky toffee pudding is the perfect type of comfort food on a cold winter day.
And, if you like your cheese, The Pig caters very well for that too, check the menu to discover what is being served that day.
Drinks at The Pig
Cocktails, spirits, home blended infusions and a beautiful bar to sit in. This is ultimate date night territory, or the ultimate place to catch up with your pals.
The the other menus the cocktail menu will also change to reflect what time of year it is. Winter warmers and summer fizz accompany quirkier concoctions among plenty of locally produced spirits and grapes to pick from.
I love discovering something new from the spirit cupboard or creation from the talented mixologists. Delish! I actually can’t remember all the names of the drinks I’ve had. But, they do make a colourful collection, don’t you think?
If you’re not sure what to have, the bar team are excellent at helping you narrow it down to something you’d enjoy.
This is where I first discovered Hambledon fizzy wine, an absolutely incredible local wine, that we now often buy to have at home.
A Restaurant with Rooms
The hotel element of The Pig, as I said looks glorious, and ranges from luxury rooms to houses, lodges and fancy huts and cabins.
Big comfortable beds, monsoon showers and free standing bath tubs are the triple threat and await you if you book a stay. The rooms have lots of other lovely features too from log burners to forest views, plenty to discover when you’re looking into booking.
I’ve not yet stayed at The Pig but it’s definitely on my wish list. I promise to report back when I have stayed overnight.
The Potting Shed & Shephard’s Hut
Treatments are also an option at The Pig thanks to The Potting Shed and Shephard’s Hut. These are two single treatment rooms, that offer a wonderfully different location to indulge in some time to yourself and a massage or facial.
Again, this is not something I’ve tried yet, I’ve often been to the spa at its sister company Limewood, also in the New Forest which is excellent. Given the high standard at The Pig I’m sure it is delivered to equally as high standards and a perfect slice of escapism. And, as above, I promise to report back once I’ve tried it.
The Pig at Brockenhurst
So, there you have it, a virtual love letter to my favourite restaurant!
The Pig originally started in Brockenhurst, Hampshire but, has gone on to expand to Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Kent and Cornwall. No doubt more places are on the horizon soon. I’ve been to a couple of the other Pigs and am keen to visit them all.
Let me know if you’ve been, are going to book or are discovering The Pig for the first time in the comments below.
Visit The Pig in the New Forest’s website.
If you liked this, take a look at these other great places to visit in the New Forest…
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On my list of the places to visit again! The pictures give me such food envy.
Pauline, you’d love it! Definitely put it on your list. X