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A la Carte Menu
 

Dining

A la Carte Menu

The Armada Restaurant

 

The Armada restaurant is a sight to behold. Attention to detail, as in the rest of the house, is obvious with the magnificent carving of the Armada set in the fireplace. Having taken nine years to complete and carved from one solid block of oak some four feet thick, whilst you are sitting comfortably in your deep leather bound seat, feasting on the delights chef Matthew Budden has prepared, take a minute to appreciate the amazing amount of work that has gone into creating such an ornate piece of work. Or maybe you prefer to concentrate on your dinner. If you are an admirer of fine workmanship, you will be more than happy with both your surroundings and your meal.

 
The Alhambra Smoking Room

 

The Alhambra Room, of breathtaking beauty, is an exact copy of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, recreated here by Mabel Walker-Munro as a Christmas present for her husband. During their honeymoon he had so admired the then ruined Alhambra that she was determined to recreate this room for his own private use as a smoking room. She therefore instructed her architects to set out and gather materials, including onyx from Persia and coppersmiths of Moorish origin, who were capable of recreating, in England, this unique room. High in the dome one sees beautiful stars in the Venetian glass forming the Star of David. One could liken the vast dome itself to the breast feathers of a peacock. Below is a bronze grille. This was once part of the first air-conditioning of the house, which could either blow hot or cold air, pumped by the great gas engines. The walls of beaten copper with a gesso finish bear the inscriptions "There is no God but God and Mohammed is his prophet", "God loves all men and loves a true believer" and "The heavens and the earth testify to the magnificence of God". The beautiful mosaic floors with onyx pillars tell the story of how the great and good Caliph Harmoum Al Rashid of Baghdad, by making magic from the pentacle (which is seen in the centre of the floor), rescued his twin daughters from the clutches of Ahnzar the Devil who had turned them into flamingos. The magnificent copper and bronze lantern is the full Ruaiyat of Omar Khayyam, both in cameo and intaglio, and on the base a comet whirling through space shows how God created the world, for if one looks, there are six appendages. In six days God created the world and on the seventh he rested. Opposite the doors, the tapestry work of the fine Kalim prayer carpets every stitch a prayer. The doors to the room are inlaid with brass telling the same story as is told in the floor. The tiles on the walls are hand cut and burnt and each show flowers and other symbols of religious significance.

Fine Dining Menu:

 

 

 

                                                                                                                       

 

 

To Begin

 

Asparagus, Egg and Pea (v)

A Palette of local seasonal New Forest Delicacies

Quail Egg, Asparagus, Broad Bean, Beetroot, Wild Mushroom

 

Scallop

Hand Dived Portland Scallops, Crispy Cod Cheeks

Crab and Ginger Velouté (supplement £4.95)

 

Sea Trout

Confit Sea Trout, Tempura Pea Shoot, Apple and Vanilla Purée

 Apple Salad

 

Ploughman’s

Montgomery Cheddar, Confit Chicken and Walnut Terrine

Pickled Shallot and Beetroot

 

Gressingham Duck

 Rillette of Local Duckling with Pistachios 

Soya Bean and Wild Cress Salad, Jasmine Tea Raisins

 

Main Course

 

From the Farm

 

Hampshire Beef

 Roast Sirloin of Hampshire Beef, Foie Gras Pannacotta

Wild Mushroom Brioche, Potato Croquette, Truffle Espuma

(supplement £5.95)

 

New Forest Lamb

Fillet of New Forest Lamb ‘Provençal‘

Pressed Vegetable Tian, Fresh Basil, Tapenade Jus

 

English Rose Veal

Roasted Loin, Cep Tart, Curried Sweetbread, Crushed Peas

Spicy Xeres Sauce

 

From the Sea

 

Sea Bass

Fillet of Wild Sea Bass, Crisp Pork Belly and Lobster Salad

Langoustine Bisque

 

 Halibut

Roast Halibut on the Bone, Roasted Onions Purée, New Potatoes

 Asparagus, Truffle and Almond

 

From the Woodland (v)

 

Squash Crumble (v)

Spiced and Roasted Butternut Squash, Granola and Hazelnut Crumble

 

Assiette of Seasonal Vegetables (v)

A tasting of all our vegetable garnishes

 

 

 

                                                                                                                    

  

To Finish

 

Strawberry

Strawberry Savarin, Fresh Peppered Strawberries

Balsamic Ice Cream

 

Peach

Vanilla Pannacotta, Whole Poached Peach

Raspberry Salad, Fried Cream

 

Valhrona Dark Chocolate

Dark Chocolate Pavé, Sour Cherry Sorbet, Vanilla Mascarpone

Chocolate Soil, Sour Cherry Compote

 

Rhubarb and Pink Praline

Rhubarb, Ginger Snap and Pink Praline Cheesecake

Rhubarb Sorbet

 

 The Armada Gourmet Tasting Plate

A selection of the above desserts

(Minimum of 2 people sharing)

 

Cheese, Celery and Fig

A Hand Picked Selection of Artisan Cheese

 Celery and Apple Sorbet, Spiced Walnuts, Quince Jelly

 

Available as a dessert course or an extra course for a supplement of £7.95

 

 

Cheese Description

 

Lyburn Cheese – Stoney Cross

 Mould ripened, not dissimilar to a French Tomme De Savoie. Creamy in texture, sweet flavours with a distinctly earthy finish

 

Cranborne Chase

 Manor Farm in Cranborne, North Dorset provides green pastures and excellent climatic conditions to make our washed rind artisan cheese

 

Dorest Blue Vinney

An old Dorset recipe which had almost died out until Michael Davies revived it!  This delightful, slightly crumbly blue cheese has a pleasantly soft taste.  Made from semi-skimmed milk

 

Rosary Goats Cheese

Rosary are a small, family business currently making a selection of fresh goats' cheeses. Emphasis is on the quality of their cheeses, four times winner of the Best Fresh Cheese at the British Cheese Awards

 

Montgomery Cheddar

The Montgomery’s have made cheese on their farm near Yeovil in south Somerset for three generations. Perhaps the epitome of traditional cheddar and made in a truly traditional way – matured for over a year wrapped in muslin cloth on wooden shelves  

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

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