IT was a cold, wet night in November, and we were in need of some hearty, no-frills, family-friendly food.

Bailey Bridge, a Table Table restaurant in Christchurch, is a favourite with the family, so when we heard that The Globe at Highcliffe is now part of the same group, we decided to check it out.

We were given a warm welcome and the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly.

The menu looked promising with all the pub classics as well as a selection of specials chalked up on a small black board.

For starters we chose The Globe Sharing Platter, which included garlic and herb breaded mushrooms, spicy breaded chicken goujons, crispy salt and pepper prawns, onion rings and slices of garlic bread served with a choice of either barbecue, blue cheese, ranch, garlic mayonnaise and sweet chilli sauce.

As there were three of us, we also ordered the optional extra of five buffalo wings for £3.99. Everything was well cooked, crispy not greasy and well presented.

For main courses my partner and I ordered the beef and merlot pie from the specials menu, which sounded a good twist on the regular steak and ale combination.

Unfortunately the pie was rather dry, the short crust pastry was hard in places, which was a shame because it looked wholesome and home-made and the meat filling was sweet and tender.

The pie was served on a platter with a portion of potato and root mash, which was smooth and creamy plus a bowl of peas. All that was missing was a little jug of gravy.

My daughter ordered the flat iron steak salad, a new addition on the main menu. The steak had been grilled and tossed in with fresh, crunchy lettuce, red onion, tomato, celery and red pepper and served with a choice of blue cheese, ranch or lemon and herb dressing.

She thoroughly enjoyed her salad although a few more slivers of steak would have made it better value for money.

My husband ordered the apple and rhubarb crumble with custard from the specials board which was OK – the rhubarb a tad under-cooked, but my daughter’s Eton Mess was excellent.

The staff were all friendly, efficient and keen to please. This place has the potential to be a first-rate family pub restaurant.

 


Sharing platter:     £8.99 plus £3.99     for extra buffalo wings
2 x Beef & Merlot Pie     £17.98
Steak salad     £9.99
Eton Mess     £4.49
Crumble     £4.99

TOTAL:      £50.43 (excluding     drinks)