We were invited to the Horatio’s Restaurant to enjoy dinner [GIFTED].
This restaurant is located in the Royal Maritime Hotel in Queen Street, which was originally founded in 1851 as a rest home for sailors. Bombed during the Second World War, it was rebuilt and reopened in 1952.
Today it’s open to the public as somewhere to stay, eat and drink; but remains a popular place for Royal Navy men and women who still make it their home from home.
For starters, we chose garlic mushrooms with spinach on sourdough (£6.95) and prawns with chorizo (£6.25). Both were nicely presented, extremely tasty and we thought, great value for money.
For mains, we opted for meat dishes; sourced locally from Bransbury Park butchers. The braised feather blade of beef (£22.75) was soft and juicy, served on celeriac mash with a great selection of perfectly-cooked veg. The ribeye steak came with crispy fries, peppercorn sauce and flavourful vine tomatoes (£26.95).
There are also plenty of other options, from burgers to fish, with many around the £15–16 mark.
Puddings didn’t disappoint either; a three-chocolate calypso mousse and fruit cheesecake were a great end to the meal.
The menu is appropriately traditional (in keeping with the vibe) while the cooking is contemporary, with flair and careful attention to detail.
Service was attentive and enthusiastic from a young smartly-dressed team, adding a suitably formal touch to the experience.
There’s also a new wine list, plus locally-brewed beers are on the way.
The restaurant itself keeps a somewhat plain and institutional feel, but the quality and value are impressive.
What we love most is that the hotel is run by a charity, so every penny spent supports serving and retired seafarers, emergency service personnel and RNLI volunteers.
If you’re after a good-quality, well-priced meal that supports the local community, you won’t go wrong here.
Thanks to my cousin Darragh Gray for contributing to this review and being a great plus one!
