Restaurant Aspire in New Forest

We had a really lovely three course lunch here today. The food was excellent and the waiting staff/students were all so polite and helpful. I really recommend it.

Have been to the restaurant on many occasions the meals and the service has been great tonight no exceptions the students and staff are all friendly and nothing is to much trouble would definitely recommend a visit

My first visit, definitely not my last. I had lunch with my wife on the 22nd March with a Groupon voucher. The food was excellent and hot. A few minor mistakes in the service but they are learning, most of the mistakes were down to nerves and that will soon be overcome.

Have had several meals at catering colleyes, this was blown the standard of others. Theme was Irish night night St Patrick's day. First course, smoked salmon, very tasty but very littleast skill involved. Second couresearch, Beef (not Irish) stew.Mine was lukewarm,was offered another bowl,this too hot! My partners stew had two small pieces of beef.Desert, pearl tartan, based undercooked, pears no caramelised. Service very haphazard. What has happened to Sir and Madam, septagenations do not appreciate being called guys. On each course I was saved first.More training and serror is ion required ,

Came here after buying a groupon Not expecting a lot with price at £16 for a 3 course meal for 2 Was very impressed by the service the attitude and helpfulness of the students and the quality of the food Had a rib eye steak can’t get one in most places for £16 let alone 3 courses for 2 people The downside there is free parking but unless you specifically ask as were unaware you need to reserve a space you are turned away to find parking that you pay for Other than that and the odd minor mistake to our orders but expected at a training college But all in all a great experience good to see the chefs walk round and talk to you Will definitely be back

Second visit on a groupon voucher deal with 2 friends, nice warm inviting restaurant, friendly young students waiting, selection of 2 starters, 4 mains and 2 deserts, very professional welcome and service, food fabulous, small portions but exquisite presentation and cooking, belly pork fabulous and trio of deserts amazing, very reasonably priced wine and drinks a really lovely experience, will definately come again well done to all

Lovely lunch served and prepared by the catering students. Our 2nd visit and will be returning asap.

The food was excellent, but the service was not so good. There were many faults including, offering bread before everyone was seated, leaving the menus on the table after the order had been taken, no soup spoon when soup had been served, a very nice Mousse served in a small glass with a large spoon, coffee with no sugar . All of these mistakes should have been noticed by the supervisor, but she did not notice anything. I have also been to MJ's restaurant at Brockenhurst College which is a similar set up, and the supervisor there appears to have eyes in the back of her head and is constantly pointing out mistakes to the students. I feel sorry for the students at Aspire that they are not getting better training, and also that the lovely food produced is not better delivered in the restaurant.

Excellent food really good service although some were a tad nervous but it’s a training college and really good to support . We have even booked the Xmas evening meal in December .Parma ham / figs to start .Mains pheasant and hubby had lamb .Desserts mango cream whilst I gad chocolate browny .All Delish .Thoroughly recommended

Our 1st visit to the aspire restaurant but won't be our last!!! Superb food and the waiting staff were excellent...polite, friendly and welcoming. Well done to all and many thanks.

My wife and I visited on a Wednesday evening. We had to pay £3.50 in the car park next to St Mary's Church. The restaurant is airy with large windows offering views over the college grounds and buildings. The menu offered some interesting dishes (two courses for £12.50, three for £15. My wife enjoyed her warm goat's cheese salad. My warm duck salad contained several varieties of tomato, various green leaves and four slices of duck. I was puzzled by the taste of the duck. Perhaps it was cured duck, or had been cooked in bacon fat. For the main course we both chose oven-cooked seabass fillet, with asparagus, small potatoes and a wine sauce. The asparagus was good but the fish was seemingly overcooked and rather soft. Anyway, we couldn't complain about two interesting dishes for only £12.50 and we enjoyed our visit. The wines by the glass are fine and very reasonably priced at £3.75 for 175ml.

Southampton Sight organised a charity Dine in the Dark event at the Aspire restaurant to raise awareness of what it is like to live with sight loss. The restaurant has a lovely intimate ambiance and the food was overall of very good standard. As its a college training restaurant the students work extra hard to provide a professional experience. We will definitely be returning to the Aspire to hold another event as it was a great success.

The Vegan/Veggie food was utterly delicious, and the service terrific. 10 out of 10 ! The Risotto was superb, well- seasoned and piping hot. Many Risottos can be bland but this was a tasty treat, as was the Mediterranan Vegetable starter!

Had a lovely day at the aspire. Very good meal and the staff were very attentive. Took some birthday cakes for my friend and they were very kind to bring them out with candles in. Would certainly return

We were recommended to come to you for our works Christmas meal here. The students worked really hard providing us with a lovely cooked dinner. It was good value for money & we would highly recommend it to everyone. This gives the students an opportunity to show off their skills & builds their self confidence

Tuvimos una comida de 3 platos allí el miércoles por la noche y tuvimos que escribir una crítica. Hermoso lugar con un ambiente encantador. Todos los estudiantes varían desde el nivel 1 hasta el nivel 3, todos supervisados ​​por el chef y el tutor. Los estudiantes fueron amables y educados, pero muy profesionales. La comida fue más que excelente. . . . probablemente el mejor que hemos probado en mi vida. La calidad de la comida y la presentación es de primera clase. 3 opciones de todos los cursos, por lo que se ofrece una buena variedad. También hay una barra con licencia para complementar su comida. Una ventana de vidrio le permite ver a los jóvenes chefs en el trabajo. Te alientan a interactuar con los estudiantes, para que puedan responder cualquier pregunta que tengas sobre el menú, etc., y también les ayuda a ganar experiencia y confianza desde el frente de la casa hasta los chefs. Por el momento, solo están abiertos al público las noches de miércoles y jueves y viernes a la hora del almuerzo, pero esperan expandir este servicio en el nuevo año. Aparcamiento gratuito disponible en el sitio. El precio es solo 13. 99 para los 3 cursos, por lo que también tiene un excelente valor. Muy recomendado

La comida es tan buena y quizás mejor que algunos restaurantes en los que cenamos. Teniendo en cuenta que los estudiantes están cocinando y sirviendo los cursos, debes ser paciente y positivo. Sin embargo, no vayas si esperas grandes porciones ya que esta experiencia es calidad sobre cantidad,

Reservamos aspirar según las críticas positivas de Tripadvisor y tengo que decir que, incluso entonces todavía conseguimos superan nuestras expectativas. El nivel de cocina es increíble. Y la experiencia realmente coincida con un elegante restaurante. Las mesas están bien cubiertas con sábanas blancas. Cortaron pan recién horneado para que al lado de la mesa y la profesionalidad de los camareros es algo para ser admirado.

Primera vez que voy a aspirar y toda la experiencia excelente. Este fue un almuerzo de cumpleaños y decidimos probar algo diferente, sin duda de haberlo hecho. ! El servicio y la comida excelente. Menú buena, 3 artículos para cada campo que era suficiente, especialmente cuando me gustó el sonido de los 3 principales!

A group of 20 OAPs, we have an annual meal at Aspire. The food is top class, and if you don't mind a few fumbles the student staff do a very creditable service. As usual, there was chaos when it came to paying the bills!

Me encantó estar servido por los estudiantes haciendo su mejor para aprender el comercio. Estaban tratando todo lo posible y dispuesto a aprender. La comida era muy buena y muy razonable.

Para empezar, la comida era fantástica. Llena de sabor. El restaurante tenía un ambiente encantador. Tan limpia que podías comer en el suelo. Música ambiental y relajante. El servicio de la camarera fue ejemplar Karleight. La comida era la pena dos veces lo que pagué por él. Teniendo en cuenta este restaurante está dirigido por los estudiantes fue el mejor que he estado por un tiempo muy largo.

La primera vez que hemos estado aquí y nos pareció una experiencia maravillosa. Pensamos que los estudiantes hicieron un trabajo realmente bueno. Sin duda volver

Acabo de regresar del colegio un excelente almuerzo con varios amigos. No hubo quejas de cualquiera de nosotros. No un menú grande (tres opciones para cada plato), pero suficiente para que todos nosotros felizmente elegir algo a nuestro gusto. Me pareció que el budín de verano bastante sublime y envió mis felicitaciones al chef.

This is a superb restaurant for the training of young professionals in a vibrant industry.The cookery skills displayed were of a very high standard and our table of four had a really great outlook.The four courses were designed and complemented each other well, In particular the vegetarian choice was amazing looked fabulous and showed of all the training and expertise of well tutored and inspired learning.The front of house and our waitress were eager and with some broad skills, however in all classes everyone cannot be the next Jamie Oliver. The rules about Water, Rolls then the Menu seems no longer to apply. Chefs love to show their plate design skills more and more, whereas even the silver service of the Rolls was not without incident, as it is clear that silver service is no longer a training possibility. The rest of the meal was all plated. No serving food from the left and drinks from the right, all being cleared as well as crumbing down is no longer part of the curriculum.Bring back City & Guilds were all students were encouraged to achieve there own potential, rather than NVQ guidelines "Did they meet the standard" this is all subjective and open to interpretation. Supervision seemed to be little to no visible signs.Trainee waiters working the bar/still room area, did not realise that leaning on stainless steel area's are clear to customers view and almost putting there bums onto the service area is not hygienic, or indeed drinking or toughing there noses is something that should be discussed.The asking of questions by customers would be greatly improved knowledge had they been given a taste of all the foods on offer, and shown which wines or drink went with what, why and above all, "did they enjoy it or not"Staff must have knowledge, must express their own desires and learn that its only a one shot industry. If customers are unhappy they will NOT return and as we all know profit is about returners, upselling and margins as much as portion control and kitchen GP.The experience there was much better than Chimes at Highbury college or TVU hospitality in Ealing. All in all it was a very good effort. Please add cheese board to dessert choices or better still a separate course between entrée and dessert.The cost was very reasonable, whilst we consumed drinks, 2 bottles of wine and brandy with coffee , the bill less than £90.00 for the four of us.A final point, I do not mind paying for coffee etc., but please no petit fours or truffles, what is happening to this industry these days???Stephan Barry Williams MIH. FBII.tp. MIFL. CMD. AICB. LCGI.

Friends had suggested that we try Aspire and joined us on Thursday for lunch. The service was quite friendly, though professional, and the food was fantastic. We had the three course choice and I am glad that I saved room for the pudding. The Chocolate tarte was divine. The pastry was easy to cut with a fork and the filling was rich and chocolaty! We will definitely return to Aspire

excellent service and food from a top rate establishment. a very nice atmosphere and good place to chill out away from the stresses of the day.

Every year, with my book group, we have a Xmas meal together > this year we went to the Aspire and had a delicious meal, beautifully served, attentive staff. Will definitely visit again

On a cool but unseasonally warm evening we arrived at the Aspire Restaurant and were greeted warmly and in a friendly nature. The restaurant is in one of the college buildings but despite that the students had created a festive atmosphere. The table was impeccably set out and we were treated royally as we were seated at the table. The menu was understandably not vast but still offered tempting choices for most people. One of our family is lactose intolerant and they had thoughtfully made provision for this problem, much appreciated. The service was attentive but not intrusive and we were never left waiting longer than necessary when a course was finished or, for instance, when we desired some more water.The food was pleasingly arranged on the dishes, well cooked and delivered hot, where appropriate, to the table. The portions were generous but it was difficult to leave anything, the dishes were tasty and well seasoned.They were very attentive throughout including our departure I could only wish that commercial enterprises could perform equally as well as did Aspire.Thank you to all concerned, a very pleasant meal and enjoyable experience.

30 ladies with different menus had a lovely meal on Thursday. Some of them had special requirements and all were served at the same time by charming waiters/waitresses. The room was festive, there was no loud music which was appreciated and everything we asked for was delivered. One member of the party even booked at the last minute and she had what she wanted.Will recommend the restaurant for a business meal.

30 of us from Southampton Quilters went for our xmas lunch yesterday and it was delightful. Room looked lovely and although staff were a bit swamped with a full restaurant, are so friendly and full of smiles. Food was excellent with lovely vegetables served separately per person what a super idea. I've been to the restaurant quite a few times and it never fails to impress.

I went to the restaurant with 29 other ladies and the whole experience was FABULOUS.Both the food and service was faultless.The restaurant was full but the students worked hard and we didn't have long to wait in between courses. In addition two ladies had birthdays and the chef wrote in fruit jus or something 'Happy Birthday' on their dessert plate, how good is that? We had a couple of ladies who had allergies and the students met that challenge by offering gluten free bread which had been specially made.We all thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas meal and hopefully we will return again

This is the first time I've been to the restaurant and it was a Christmas lunch with the ladies from my Quilting group. The staff are just lovely and this is part of their catering course. Food was fabulous and hot which is a true bonus. Being Coeliac I have to maintain a gluten free diet, but this was catered for with no problems at all. Freya and Jason serving on our table were especially helpful and we felt that there was no rush. A very pleasant afternoon - Thank you.

Lovely lunch. Food presented beautifully and served by the young staff with a smile. Nothing was too much trouble.

The meal was excellent, beautifully presented nice hot plates and food. The waiting staff were great very helpful and lovely smiles. Thank you so much. Look forward to next year.

A fantastic meal. Beautifully cooked, Wonderfully and artistically presented.We have been to the restaurant before and this meal surpassed even those we have had in the past.

Christmas lunch was very tasty and each dish was served piping hot. The service could not be faulted, and we will certainly be coming again.

What a lovely venue to hold our support group' Christmas lunch, albeit in November. Food - was delicious, beautifully presented and good size portions. The only disappointment was that the gluten and dairy free dessert was not available, despite advanced notice. Fruit was disappointing when Christmas pudding had been ordered. The kitchen thereafter provided a substitute dessert but sadly not Christmas pudding. They did however provide marzipan petite fours to go with coffee which was a lovely surprise.Service - the students were very attentive and worked hard to meet our needs.Atmosphere - the venue was tastefully decorated for Christmas, as was our table. There was a lovely "buzz" in the room.Thank you to the all the students in the kitchen and front of house.

I organised for a group of 22 to have the Christmas menu on a Thursday lunchtime. The whole experience was wonderful: good reasonably priced food, lovely atmosphere and excellent waiting staff. We'll be back (if they'll have us!)

As a vegetarian food can be rather boring when you eat out but at Aspire I had an amazing and very tasty tomato and basil soup with a swirl of sour cream. The main course was a delicious goat's cheese and red onion tart with rocket. The goats cheese was creamy and melt in the mouth. Serving was was excellent with a refreshing glass of house white wine. Altogether a very memorable meal.

We had heard that the Aspire Restaurant (within Southampton's City College) served great food .... and it sure does.My wife had the soup followed by a Duck main course, while I had the Goat's Cheese Tart and a main of Braised Beef. Really - very, very good - nay excellent - food cooked by the college students (overseen by an experienced chef of course). If they retain what they are learning then there are some very good chefs in the making.I have to be honest and say the service was patchy, BUT the students were in their first week of serving and were obviously very nervous. I am sure that given a few more weeks practice and they will be terrific, and my wife and I will definitely go back to see how they progress.

We had a lunch with three meals with my wife.Everything was excellent,high quality food,very well presented.All the students and their tutors with a very professional attitude!Its a small restaurant so we have to reserve a table before.Low prices compared to other restaurants was a pleasant surprise . Highly recommended

Visited with my husband yesterday for lunch and had an absolutely delicious meal.This is the second time I have given Restaurant Aspire five stars. I would give it ten stars if I could. Both the food and the service are perfect. Well done Aspire!!!

had a superb meal here on the 15th October.three courses and all of a very high standard.all the young students were very helpful and attentive too!also although the choices are limited,the menu changes daily!!

We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to dine here on a Thursday lunchtime. The food and service were absolutely brilliant. We had a three course meal for two for under £25, and it was really well cooked, well presented and the atmosphere in the restaurant was excellent. Thank you everyone, for the amazing meal and gourmet service.

Excellent meal - one of the best college meals we have had. Staff friendly, cannot fault the meal in any way. Will definitely return asap

We try and go to the Aspire two or three times a year. The food is brilliant and the college should be proud of their students and staff. It is great value for money and worth a visit.

This was our first visit to the City College Aspire Restaurant were the front and back of house staff are students performing their duties under the guidance of their professional tutors. The range of choices across the three course was very good and with the order placed we sat and enjoyed a drink from the bar. With out doubt we could not fault any of the three course's all cooked perfectly and tasty. The portions were of a good size and overaul excellent value for money. We will certainly go back again and this time make up a larger group so that others can enjoy the venue. Well done.

Made our booking yesteday, taken by a very helpful Adam. Menu choce was excellent and the sevice by Hayden and his supervisor James was first rate. We enjoyed our lunch and would not hesitate to recommed it to any one. Considering they were youngsters in training you could not fault it in any way.

Taking advantage of a Groupon voucher, we had a lovely evening with friends, enjoying fine dining at a very reasonable price. In the words of the Terminator "I'll be back"!

Lovely 4 course meal - very high quality. Service was polite, pleasant and attentive. For £15 a lovely evening in a smart restaurant

I have just had a perfect lunch with my husband at Aspire. The food was delicious and the students polite and professional, we were both very impressed. Excellent value for money. A very enjoyable experience.

This was our second trip to Aspire and we were equally impressed as on our first visit. The food was again well cooked and presented. The students found themselves running the restaurant unsupervised on the evening we visited and the service was little haphazard. But these are students after all and they pull the stops out to get it right - we have certainly had worse service in many other places.And at £20 a head for three courses and wine….they deserve their high ranking amongst other Southampton restaurants.

Aspiring chefs and front of house students produce excellent meals in modern surroundings, as part of their course work. The food is excellent and very good value.

This was our first visit for a couple of years and had forgotten how good the College restaurant is. Good choice of food on the three course dinner menu, something to tempt the tastes of each of our party of four. Food came in good time, was well presented and very tasty indeed - and where appropriate the serving plates were hot! Well done.Table service was good and efficient if a little nervous but then they are students. Had a chat with some of the students at the end of our meal and what a pleasant bunch they are. They did a good selling job on future events - certainly hope to be able to come back sooner next time.

Fantastic evening out at a very reasonable price whilst providing students the opportunity to hone their catering skills under the eyes of some very experienced staff. We visited on the same evening as a very large party but service was efficient and unaffected. The only reason we could think of for not giving the restaurant five stars was to prevent other people wanting to go making it more difficult to book :-) highly recommended.

This was my second visit to Restauarant Aspire. This time for the evening service. Yet again the students worked very hard and provided an excellent evening. The quality of the food was higher than you find in most restaurants. The table service was also of a high standard, it is easy to forget that you are eating in a learning environment.

Have just had a very enjoyable lunch at the Aspire. There was a party of 30 of us, plus another two parties, making a very full restaurant, but we were still served very efficiently by the team. The food was delicious and beautifully cooked and presented. Every request was dealt with very politely and efficiently by the young staff. We hope to return very soon. keep up the good work- the students are a credit to the college-well done.

I visited tonight for my first time with friends, the food was absolutely delicious, the students polite, courteous and very professional. Fantastic value for money, highly recommended, will definitely visit again

Visited last night for a three course with a good friend. The menu was impressive and the food was cooked perfectly and presented beautifully. I highly recommend this amazing restaurant!

I have just had the most fantastic lunch at Aspire restaurant with my husband.The food was gorgeous and well presented and great value for money. The service from the student couldn't have been better. Considering they are all still training they showed great care to detail and dealt with our every need promptly and efficiently.The atmosphere was very relaxing. We left very full and in need of an afternoon nap, all for the great price of £24 including three courses each, a glass of wine and coffee. We have already booked a table for 10 to celebrate a birthday in a few weeks.Well done to all the students in the kitchen and front of house. You should be very proud.

Had a fantastic lunch at the Aspire at Southampton City College. I had calamari for starter which was cooked perfectly, my main course of pan fried liver came with mustard mash potatoes with tasted amazing. The waiting staff although students gave a high level of service. The students are a credit to the college.

I have a problem eating out as I cannot eat gluten or dairy. I have now eaten twice at Aspire and both times not only has the meal and service been of the very best standard I have also been made to feel totally normal and my requests dealt with as a matter of course.. I let them know ahead of time of my needs and I was even given a choice as to what to have on the night. My fellow guests were truly impressed by the meal as well. Thank you Aspire for making me so welcome.

Took my partner here tonight for a 3 course meal and enjoyed the whole affair! From the novel experience of there being a front-of-house for a small restaurant, to the simple but stylishly appropriate décor, the place itself was a mini-pleasure. My other-half thought that the youth and energy of the staff complimented the prompt and attentive service. Essentially though, the food was of quality, tasty and well judged servings, served quickly, plated with panache. Well done City College and the students! I will be back!

This is a small restaurant attached to the City College in Southampton. Used mainly to train the students in hotel and restaurant work. The surroundings are modern and attractive in this newly re-built college. The main thing is it performs a very useful training function as well as providing a great place for lunch or dinner at a very reasonable cost.Our party of four enjoyed a three course lunch including coffee for a very remarkable £65 or so in total.OK, so the service was a little clumsy at times, but this could be overlooked as the students were trying so hard to please.We will certainly be returning for another delicious meal in the near future.

Our Local ladies business group chose The Aspire for our annual Christmas Meal, lovely clean modern surroundings, the service and food to an exceptionally high standard, I would definitely recommend and will be back!

It was an absolute pleasure having a meal here. The food choice was fantastic, better than a lot of restaurants I have been to. The service was great, very attentive and accommodating. Our food arrived together and everyone was happy with the food. I have just booked my birthday meal here with friends.

I recently attended the Aspire restaurant with my local Art Group for our Christmas lunch. This was our third year here and, as on our previous visits, the food was superb and beautifully presented. The staff were friendly, polite and nothing was too much trouble. This restaurant provides food one would expect to receive in a top-class restaurant and is excellent value for money. Safe to say, we will be returning next year!Thank you to all at Aspire for another wonderful Christmas lunch.

Had 2 meals here recently, including last week's Christmas meal. Staff, mostly students, couldn't be more helpful. Food excellent. Real value for money. Well worth a visit.PS During our November small family visit, the restaurant took great care to accommodate our grandchild both with a high chair and a smaller portion of the adult menu - very much appreciated.

Have just eaten at The Aspire for our staff Christmas lunch. I thought it would be okay, after all the students are still learning. How wrong I was! The food was beautifully prepared and presented, imaginative and delicious, the staff (who were all students) were friendly and helpful without being too intrusive, and the service was excellent. This was a great surprise - I have lived in Southampton for nearly 15 years but have never eaten here before ... I have now found a now "favourite" lunch venue. And so inexpensive too - Top Marks to the Aspire team, and thank you!

We were given such a warm welcome to our Christmas lunch. Plenty of help was offered to those with mobility issues. The staff were attentive and very professional.It was difficult to believe that such a high standard was provided by these young students. The food was delicious, plentiful and well presented in a timely manner. With such reasonable prices and stylish surroundings you can't go wrong.

I had my first turkey dinner of this festive season at the Aspire restaurant recently, and it will be hard to beat!The food was beautifully and originally presented, with good portion sizes. The excellent friendly service from the students made it a very nice evening.The restaurant was beautifully decorated with Christmas decorations and had a nice ambience.Best of all, it was terrific value for money.

Had a wonderful meal at this restaurant - service was friendly, helpful and quicknice relaxed atmosphere - would recommend a meal here

There was 60plus at Aspire Restaurant for a lunch time Christmas meal. The tables were beautifully presented with crackers and the students very professional. The food was wonderful, well displayed on the plate, with a lot of thought gone into the elements of each dish. All served hot and each table together, not an easy task! Desserts great and a lovely choice. Coffee and mints completed an excellent afternoon. Thank you.

The food last night was excellent. I had fish which was beautifully cooked and the vegetables still had some bite to them which I appreciate. There was a good choice of starters and mains - I did not have a dessert. Well done to the students- they did a professional job. Thank you for a very pleasant evening

I ate last night for a Christmas party with a group of friends. I don't normally rave about turkey but the food here was plentiful and hot! Beautifully presented and served, the students really made efforts to demonstrate their skills. Excellent portion sizes and good value for money.

I visited the establishment for the first time on 05/11/2014, I didn't really know what to expect where it was operated by the students of the college, however I was delightfully surprised with the professionalism of the evening. The hosting staff were extremely attentive and courteous, upon arrival we were welcomed promptly and our coats checked onto the available hanging rail before being shown to our table.The waiting / servingh team were all very polite, immaculately presented and definitely keen to deliver an A1 dining experience, checking several times if we had sufficient beverages and that the meal was acceptable. The menu options were something I would expect to find in a high class, more expensive restaurant with good variety on the available starter, main and dessert choices. I do not usually have starters when I dine out but I'm so glad I did, the cream of mushroom soup was delicious and my date ordered the fried calamari with which she was very complimentary of. For our main meals we both selected the fillet of plaice which were sublime and a culinary delight; the presentation was of an exceptionally high standard and unlike the much more expensive restaurants you might find elsewhere, the quality presentation and subsistence was not substituted in the quantity of food on the plate. The dessert rounded off a perfect meal, I had the banana fritter with toffee sauce and ice cream, my girlfriend chose the lemon cheesecake (which I ended up finishing as she was full), once again both dishes were delicious and decadently presented.The care and attention to detail in everything which came out of the kitchen was immense, this coupled with the brilliant serving team made for a highly enjoyable dining experience which I will be returning for and would whole heartedly recommend to others. Given this whole operation is staffed almost entirely by students of the college, they deliver an exceptionally high quality experience throughout. This is a perfect opportunity to help them progress into professionals of their chosen careers whilst consuming top quality food in a pleasant, ambient environment for exceedingly reasonable price.

I have been a few times now and each time it gets better and better! Its great to see the students learning and gaining such good experience whilst we receive such yummy food! The food is of a high standard and there are great choices on the menu. The restaurant has a lovely atmosphere and you can see through to the kitchen to see what the chefs are preparing. The students and staff are ever so friendly and I would thoroughly recommend it!

Having eaten regularly at the Aspire with my fellow Rotarian members and wives, I can say that the food is truly excellent. The presentation is of a very high standard always served with a smile.The restaurant is within the College, however so planned that it is entered off the main concourse, of a well designed modern building. Ample secured car-parking.If you are looking for excellent food served a professional and courteous manner, all for such an attractive cost the Aspire is the restaurant to visit.

I've been many times with friends to support the students in their learning and have almost always been pleasantly surprised by the professionalism and quality of both good and hospitality. I'd greatly recommend. It's also very good value!

On three occasions I rang in the morning and was told by a staff member they would get someone to call me back. There were no call backs. Later in the day on the three occasions I left a message on the answer machine. I received a call back about a week later on the last call, but by then I had booked my party of approximately 30 persons elsewhere, a pity because last year we enjoyed our visit but I will not bother in future.

Booked a table for 10 and received confirmation; however, a week before the night of our reservation, they sent us an email to say they could not give us our table. Must have been bumped by someone more important. Completely disgusted with the unprofessionalism of this joint.

The best food - of any nationality - I have had for many years. Imaginative menus, beautifully cooked, attentively served. You wouldn't believe you were in an educational establishment - a similar meal (and I doubt the standard would be as high) would cost you five times the price!!

Excellent food and great service. I've been to a couple of the theme nights and have been very impressed with the quality of food and the service we received from the staff and students. The prices are very reasonable and the theme nights make a change to the usual meals out on the high street. Can't wait for the next one!

4 of us went to the Burns night this January, which was excellent. The menu was well thought out and the food was high quality. All the traditional Burns night items were on the menu but in a way that didn't scare those who had never tasted haggis before. We were sat near the window into the kitchen and were able to see some of the action inside. We were intrigued by the different colour bandanas and buttons on the chefs' whites, apparently it denotes the year they are in and their specialisation. The atmosphere in the restaurant was lovely and we will definitely be back for some other evenings.

My husband and I always enjoy going to the themed evenings that take place in the Aspire Restaurant. The food is of a high quality served by young people who are learning the 'tricks of the trade' whilst studying at the college. It;s not always perfect but knowing that you are helping the students to learn their trade makes it a worthwhile experience. We have attended a Mad Hatters Tea Party, Burns Night and a Pirate Murder Mystery Party all of which were excellent and great fun!I wanted to take some friends on a Tuesday night but they weren't open which was disappointing. You need to book in advance but it's worth it!

Fantastic food, good value for money, lovely restaurant and well thought out menu.Eaten here a few times before and after it got very popular.Its great to go somewhere where the you are also helping students train.

Aspire is Southampton City College's 'fine dining' restaurant, training their staff to become waiters and chefs in the best establishments. We've been there during the daytime, when students serve you, and on a Friday evening when they have professional waiting staff. Staff really friendly and welcoming. The wines are not expensive and the three different reds we have had there have all been truly excellent. They cater well for groups as well.On the Friday night - the 'brasserie':The food is excellent - good portions and interesting twists on classics. I had smoked mackerel fish cakes with a mango salsa to start (delicious), and thai green curry for my main, which had the interesting addition of apricots (also delicious). My partner had goats' cheese and caramelised red onion tart to start (which he said was very good), and braised lamb shank with a rosemary sauce (also said was very good).The lunchtime - served by students:The meal is a lot cheaper - £10.50 for 3 courses - and is truly excellent value for money. You have to accept that not everything will be perfect, as they are still learning, and the price reflects that. The students are well supervised by the maître d', who buzzes around, checking the students are doing the right things and correcting anything they get slightly wrong (for example, putting the bottle top back on our wine after having opened it, rather than leaving it open on the table). Very tasty food and an enjoyable meal. Any small issues are more than made up for by the friendliness of the students, which is a far cry from stuffy Michelin-star restaurants where you feel you have to speak in hushed tones.

Went to Aprire (Southampton catering college) on Friday night, had excellent (if too filing) 3 course meal. Service was very good and friendly. I had King prawn linguine for main in ginger,chillie,lime and lemon grass dressing it was really tastie. We did this through Travelzoo voucher so was great value, the wine glass portion was huge. My partners main of Minute steak was probably over priced if you had paid full price but mine was great value even at full price. We thought it would be students in front of house but on a fri/sat its a commercial setup so staff very good - having said that we have been previously when students were working and although it may be a bit slower than you would prefer the staff were very keen and willing which makes a big difference to some what you get in many restaurants.