Advantages: Always one close by, quick turn out, children are welcome and catered for. Disadvantages: Toilets can be quite disturbing, not all dishes taste as good they are described.
Harvester RestaurantsRestaurant Reviewed: Stag and Hounds
Winchester Road
Basingstoke
Hampshire
(next to Comet and Home Base)
The Harvester chain of Restaurants have over 2000 outlets across the United Kingdom and owned and operated by Mitchells and Butlers, who claim to be the UK's leading operator of managed pubs, bars and restaurants. Harvester claim to offer healthy eating, drinking and entertainment in one reasonably priced outlet.
**** Parking and Getting a Table *****
As with most of the Harvester's I have visited, there is usually ample free parking at the rear of the establishment. However on Saturday evenings and Sunday lunch times these places are heaving with customers, so avoid the crowds, go early and if possible ring and reserve a table. The Stag and Hounds is no exception but fortunately ...
Advantages: Bryson's dry, stinging wit Disadvantages: A little repetitive...I say, a little repetitive
I'm a fan of Bill Bryson. I like his dry, acerbic wit, and the way he bombards the reader with lots of dry facts yet manages to still keep it entertaining.
The latest book of his I read (although not the latest written), was Notes from a Big Country.
As I said, delivering trivial facts and figures in an amusing fashion is Bryson's forte and when those facts are about the land of his birth (USA), and are compared then related to his once adopted homeland (UK), I can visualize him virtually drooling at the prospect.
And so, following his return to live in New England after 20-odd years domiciled in Olde England, when the editor of the British newspaper, The Mail on Sunday, asked him to write a weekly magazine column documenting his return home, you would imagine he'd leap at the chance.
Actually, he kept complaining that he didn ...
about three months before we wanted to go and even then it was a bit hit and miss to if I would get a table or not. The first couple of dates I suggested I was given a table time of 10pm which was way to late but eventually I got a table on a Monday night out of season. The restaurant has its own dedicated telephone reservation line and details of this and all his businesses can be found at http://www.rickstein.com/Restaurants-and-Shops.html.
Even though the restaurant is right by the harbour it doesn't have spectacular views over the water which is quite disappointing. It actually overlooks the car park. It's a shame because there are a few tables around the side of the restaurant with nice glass floor to ceiling windows that you can have a drinka t before your dinner and it would be lovely if you ahd a nice view of the boats etc, but oh ...
