Eating Out

Zen Dog doesn’t have any cooking facilities – just plastic plates, plastic glasses, a microwave, coffee machine and a kettle.

But who wants to cook on holiday particularly when Lymington Yacht Haven is close to lots of good places to eat and drink

The Haven Restaurant and Bar upstairs in the main marina building is usually good for food and drinks. It is one of the few places in Lymington with a sea view. There’s a choice of inside formal tables or the outside deck area shown below. They offer a 10% discount for berthholders if you show them and let them scan the key fob attached to the boat’s keys

Their breakfasts are excellent too.

It can get very busy so you need to book – even for breakfast and even for the terrace. Their website allows online booking. Tel: 01590 679971

Show them the black electronic key fob for a 10% berth holders’ discount

The Mayflower Pub is a few hundred yards to the right as you leave the marina entrance. Very nice inside and gets good TripAdvisor food reviews. We’d advise sticking to pub grub – the fancy stuff doesn’t always impress. There’s a nice garden at the back with a kids play area. Worth a try. Tel: 01590 672160

Lots of guests have tried and enjoyed the Fisherman’s Rest pub which is 10 minutes walk left as you leave the marina. Tel: 01590 670754.

We’ve eaten at The Ship Inn on the quay a few times – the food is OK – nothing special but a pleasant bustling atmosphere and outside space overlooking the boats.

The Kings Head at the top of the steps up from the Quay is very pleasant – bustling, traditional style, log fires, enormous portions of reasonable food.

There’s Prezzo in the High Street for a fairly consistent meal but you’ll get much better pasta and pizza at the excellent Eat Pizza in Gosport Street. Koh Thai is an excellent Thai and Thai Tapas restaurant in the High Street (but closed in August 2023 – not clear is closed for good). The best Indian restaurant is the very excellent Rivaaz in St Thomas Street

Fine Dining options include the famous and probably fully booked Elderflower. There are two new for 2022 restaurants at the top of the town – High Street Kitchen – great food but they haven’t quite got everything else sorted yet and The Magic Duck which promises great things

Probably best to look at Trip Advisor for other ideas – Click Here for their top Lymington restaurants

Further afield, there’s the wonderful Pig Hotel at Brockenhurst – a taxi ride away. Verveine Fish in Milford on Sea gets rave reviews.

We like The Gun Inn at Keyhaven – that’s about 4 miles along the sea wall to the West. Great food cooked on a huge grill. A mile further on is the excellent Lighthouse Restaurant and Bar on Milford sea front.