Verveine Fishmarket Restaurant in New Forest

Superb little find. Perfect pairing of wines, blind menu so chef decides (subject to taking what cannot eat) on meals. Fabulous waitress, Sally and a supporting team. They say try everything once. This is an exception, ready to rebook!!!

Just had a near perfect birthday lunch, here. Four course tasting menu with wine. Not cheap but truly memorable. Will return without doubt. Revisited the restaurant for our anniversary, this time for an evening meal. The food and service were once again excellent. A wonderful experience.

A fantastic experience. David, the owner and Sally the restaurant manager have a passion for food and service that comes across in everything they do. Can't wait to come back. Fantastic meal

This restaurant is absolutely fantastic & the most amazing food. In fact it’s the best food we have had out. Highly recommend

Had the six course lunc tasting menu and it was fabulous. Fresh produce beautifully cooked and served by friendly, competent people. Great lunch in a lovely atmosphere.

Tuesday night dinner - a delight! We went for the four course option (but were actually presented with six delicious and innovative dishes plus petits fours with our coffee). Perfectly cooked, fresh local fish, served with flair, flavour and innovation. The young waiter who joyfully introduced each plate was a star - wish more young people could be so enthusiastic about this important service and communications role!

Managed to grab a table for lunch at short notice. Innovative menu, fresh fish excellently cooked. Best meal in the area. Lunch menu is great value.

We enjoyed every minute of our lunch at Verveine today. We opted for the 3 course lunch and thoroughly enjoyed every mouthful of each course. The canapé & pre starter were an added extra to our expectations all delicious,as we're the petit fours with coffee. We are visiting the area but will be sure to make another reservation next time we are here. Thanks to all

Our yearly visit and we actually went for the 8 courses instead of 6:,. Just amazing totally mind blowing what they can do with different food. Staff & chefs are just outstanding we love it there just wish we wasn’t a million miles away. Thank you all for a lovely evening.

Looking for somewhere special for my Sister who was celebrating her 70th birthday. We choose Verveine Fish Restaurant at Milford-on-Sea. Well, Wow, wow and more wows. What a wonderful, exceptional and out of this World Dining experience. We had the six course menu. Every dish was beautifully presented and explained. Thank you for the “extra’s thrown in. They all tasted absolutely delicious. It was well worth the trip from Gloucester and my Sister and husband making the trip from London. “Never had anything like this in my life” was the comment made by my Sister. What a memorable birthday. Thank you.

Wonderful 6 course tasting menu this evening. Food was exceptional and the staff friendly and attentive. Would definitely come back.

Fantastic place. Awesome tasting menu with outstanding service and ambience. You simply must visit!

We chose the 4 course tasting menu and couldn't have eaten another bite! The team are fabulous, knowledgable, professional and polite. The amuse bouche was indeed amusing and delicious. Loved most courses although the Indian themed one, I could have skipped. Not impressed with the complimentary waffle but one doesn't have to eat. The temperature is cool so take a wrap and the ambience a bit cold too in regard to the decor however the staff warm and wonderful and it was a lovely surprise to discover such professionalism beautifully mixed with south coast cosy hospitality. If you're in the new forest area and want something special ... you won't find better than this!

A great place for a special treat. Always beautifully presented dishes.

Stunning delicious, fresh locally sourced seafood lunch at Verveine, Milford On Sea! Incredibly tasty and very reasonable. Huge thanks to chef David Sykes & team!

Booked here for my birthday meal and I was not disappointed. Chose the 6 course tasting menu - which had a few extra courses 'popped' in! We were treated to an array of carefully prepared fish and shellfish dishes, all if which were lovely - clean plates all round. Highly recommend this restaurant for a special occasion. As long as you like fish!

Wow what a dinner! The food is outstanding as is the service, friendliness and ambience. Such unusual flavours and also despite many dishes you don’t feel too full after it all as clearly a fish restaurant. I have never seen such beautiful halibut or tasted such a fantastic different array of flavours

As you walk in the atmosphere is extremely welcoming, Very small and cosy featuring the owner’s take on fish pictures, wave inspired tabletops. Going to the back, you go past a very small, spotlessly clean open kitchen where the magic takes place and down into the seated area. On a warm day the back bifold doors are open letting in lots of sunshine. The outside area is small (no tables’, a little scruffy and full of pots of herbs, but funnily this only adds to its charming atmosphere. Staff are friendly and greet you as if you have always been going there. Assorted menus and lists are given to you, but basically you can choose a number of tasting menu courses (all fish based) according to how hungry you are you are or what you fancy spending. The six and eight course tasting menu also offer wine flight options. There is also a menu where you can build your own from specific dishes, but don’t know what…go for the blind tasting menu , I am sure you won’t be disappointed. Like a journey through the sea we had course after course of innovative and tasty dishes, beautifully presented and described by those serving There is no time pressure at all and we whiled away almost four hours chatting, sipping the wine and enjoying our adventure in a menu created just for us. I had three favourites, one was a most delightful local lobster and melon jelly salad, a fabulous scallop creation and some perfectly cooked monk fish. You must pay a visit here, leave yourself plenty of time and relax and enjoy.

The decor is delicately surreal and the tables well spaced. Service is friendly and efficient and in no way pretentious. Each dish was explained and not a duff mouthful was had. Really good value considering what you are getting is top notch. Would absolutely recommend.

Really different and most enjoyable dinner an assorted collection of dishes varying from table to table. Even the wine varied! My wine flight enhanced the meal.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch 6 (8) course tasting menu. The service were so friendly and accommodating. Thank you!

I didn't expect to find such a nice restaurant in such a small town. The ambience is relaxed and doesn't have the pompous vibes of other fine dining places. We got the 4 course menu: The starter was vibrant and refreshing, the 2 mains hake and then John Dory which was cooked to perfection! We finished with a wonderful desert that had many flavours that came together very nice. Would definitely recommend

Worth the driving from london 💙

Great tasting menu. But limited availability seating. But worth a special night's dinner

Amazing ,delicious, high quality food with great service ..what a gifted chef ! The decor and tables do not reflect the quality of the food being served . Overall it's a hidden gem !

Fabulous meal of 6 courses. Truly memorable.

Going back end of June for hubby’s birthday and Father’s Day with my parents. 3rd vist cannot wait.

Amazing food - amazing decor - amazing service! A little gem in the heart of Milford 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Top drawer, and sneaked a couple of extra courses into our 6-course tasting lunch too! Lots of interesting ingredients, all delicious, and they impressively catered for someone's dietary restrictions without any fuss. Now looking for an excuse to come back as soon as possible.

Amazing food and such friendly staff we had the 8 courses more like 11 such good value can’t wait to return

Fabulous six course lunch. All tastefully presented and quality food. Very inventive and nice potions. Thank you

I have only given them a 5 star review simply because there wasn't any more stars available. We enjoyed everything from the moment we walked in. The service was friendly and welcoming, and the chefs coming round to serve was a nice touch. The food was exceptional. We went for the 6 course lunch. Though busy, we didn't feel rushed, and each table got the same level of high service. It's quite telling when all the overhead conversations are about the food. This is definitely a must visit/experience.

Always a friendly welcome. Always a mind blowing experience. Last visited pre lock down, restaurant has undergone on few changes. Gone is the front of house fishmongers, replaced by a large group dining table, and a talking point ceiling, new art, and wall colours. But the dishes served up by David and his team is the reason we visit, and never fails to disappoint, or blow your mind. Our special occasion restaurant of choice.

Booked a lunchtime taster meal. We were with a two and a half year old, and they were very flexible with food for him. The meal was delicious and the service very good.

Exquisite! We had the 6-course lunchtime tasting menu. With an amuse bouche, a pre-dessert, and coffee with petit fours it turned out to be nine courses. The food was beautifully presented, it tasted sublime, and was innovative and surprisingly fun too. For example, the “it’s not an egg” amuse bouche was delicious and fun and the pre-dessert a delightful rave from the grave - if you’re old enough to remember Barrett’s sherbet fountain! I recommend Verveine without equivocation - go and enjoy everything about the experience.

Another wonderful meal at the Verveine, Sally and David and the team are the perfect hosts and David's Cooking skills are amazing! Can't wait to be back next year! Looking forward to the new table ceiling! and all the new additions to the menu. Thanks Susan and Nigel 🙌

From from the amuse bouche to the bite- sized confectionery served with the excellent coffee this restaurant provided delight after delight. Clever, witty, unusual food combinations designed chef patron David Wykes surprised and intrigued us. Every course was delicious. The value for money cannot be beaten. We intend to come again even though it is a five hour drive from where we live.

Excellent food love this place.

Excellent fish cookery and other skilled flavoursome dishes. Unusual tasty canapés. Dessert just a little too sweet but surprising combination of flavours. Suggest website is updated eg wine list totally different.

First visit for lunch as recommended by a friend to try. Set in Milford on Sea, the restaurant chef is ever so talented, the food is not what it seems and is absolutely amazing! You will certainly not be disappointed. Love the concept, will definitely revisit. 5 stars from me! Thank you for the pleasurable experience on my birthday! 🎂

We had an amazing experience at Verveine with the 8 course tasting menu. On finishing every course I was excited about what the next would bring. Every course was delicious and interesting, created with clearly a lot of thought and care and wishing to delight the diner. As a cheese lover the Comte waffle thrilled me. We started with a cocktail, mine was an old fashioned with bacon flavour, it was OMG amazing, I keep thinking about it days later and my mouth is watering. Thank you so much to David and the team for the amazing food experience and the warm welcome. Can't wait to visit again when we are next close to the New Forest.

The food is outstanding and the service is just as good. Shout out to the Sommelier who chose excellent wines to accompany the fresh vibrant and inventive dishes.

Fantastic place. Superb cooking with amazing mixture of flavours very expertly achieved. Every single dish was a delight and at a reasonable cost for such fine cooking. This chef is brilliant at combinations and I cannot wait to visit again

Glorious food tailored to our strange 'almost vegetarian but eat fish' tastes. 6 course tasting menu was just right for us . The waffle was wonderful.

Just wanted to add our voices to all the previous excellent reviews extolling the virtues of this wonderful place! Setting, design, decor, comfort, crockery and cutlery all assisted the wonderful staff and chef to provide a magical experience at incredible value. Highly recommend to everyone from wherever - we drove nearly 3 hours specifically to eat here so come on down!!

The food is incredible and the service is excellent too

10 out 10 So welcoming and accommodating It was a last minute jump in for lunch, so glad we got a table!! Food was out of this world! Lunch 6 taster was not only good value but absolute quality ingredients, tastes that will throw you back a few years! The take on the sherbert fountain got me! 100% return restaurant! Just go here!

Beautiful new decor and, as always, delicious and imaginative food. Very cheery service.

Loved the food, service and drinks. Would certainly recommend.

Top tier seafood with the best ingredients

Fabulous dinner. Lived up to all expectations. The manager and sommelier looked after us incredibly and we were made to feel most welcome. We chose the 4 course which was perfect. Presentation of food innovative and stunning. Perfect amount. Can’t wait to come again!

This was our second visit to Verveine and we weren't disappointed! The food was lovely, and the service was very friendly and efficient.

Really lovely little place. Friendly staff and really delicious food. Sally was very knowledgeable with the food and drinks, drinks were also very unique and delicious!

Lunchtime visit. This is our favourite restaurant, so no surprise - another five stars. It’s all been said before on Tripadvisor and I’ve run out of superlatives so please get a table booked and be prepared to be wowed. Can’t fault.

WOW..Absolutely amazing experience. The food was excellent and the whole team. I say experience as it truly was. The eyes see one thing then when tasting its another level up. Popping grapes were a 1st and very tasty. We were taken back to our past with one dish, I will say no more so not to spoil it for others. Every dish was fresh , a holiday for they eyes and delicious. Highly recommend. Thank you Verveine

From the responsive booking (I was out of the country and trying to get organised for a week in the New Forest) to the warm welcome on arrival, along with the excellent service on the night, I knew we were in a great place, but the food? Wow, amazing I only wish we had a restaurant like this near us at home. Go along you won’t be disappointed 🥂

We booked at short notice, and were helpfully accommodated. We had the 6 course tasting menu; it was fantastic. Highly recommended. The staff were friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. The food courses came at the right pace and were very well prepared. Indeed, we could see...

Always a pleasure dining here, beautiful food in quirky surroundings with a small but very competent team, well worth a visit, the lunch time 3 course meal is a steal, super fresh fish, perfectly cooked. Would be in fortnightly if it wasn't so far away. Many thanks David, Helen and the FOH manager, sorry didn't catch your name.....

We ate at Verveine last night and couldn’t recommend it highly enough. Don’t be fooled by the slightly eccentric decor, the food and service are excellent. We went for the eight course tasting menu with wine pairings and it was an absolute delight. The food was incredibly memorable and the wine pairings fitted the food perfectly. Sally was particularly attentive throughout. The reviews on google and Tripadvisor really are a reflection of the restaurant and would highly recommend

We had such a lovely six course lunch at Verveine today, the food was incredible and such good value for money due to the superb ingredients and the inventive dishes! We can’t decide what our favourite dish was! Lovely service too and amazing cocktails. Can’t...

Supper Club - meet new people - try new foods. Lovely evening our first Supper Club visit. Fresh innovative dishes to try - enjoy the company of different people who live in the area.

Absolutely brilliant! The best fish restaurant I've ever eaten in.

This is speciality fish restaurant offering fine dining in cosy ambience. The place is small but the fare on offer is huge. They usually serve what is called a tasting menu with four or more courses, each paired with matching wines. Being the Advent season,...

Superb food and very intimate. Will be back

I can absolutely see why this place has 5/5 - the food, the innovation, the ambience, honestly don’t know why we haven’t been here before but wow. It isn’t often you can go somewhere and be totally blown away by the meal and service and...

We have been to Verveine several times over the past few years and in our opinion it just gets better and better. Fabulous food and lovely staff.

Another outstanding 6 course menu with wines. Chef Patron David and his team provided my wife and I a memorable evening. The food was superb and it was hard to say which course was the best - they all were. The pairing wines complimented each...

Food is really average and pretty disappointing versus the reviews. Service was excellent.

We were given a £100 Gift Voucher as a Wedding present last t year in September, valid for one year. Being aware of the fact that it has expired I sent the restaurant an email asking for the possibility to extend it, we would have...

This is an absolute stunner of a restaurant with a great choice of sea food. The tasting menu is the most sensible option and the chef will produce course after course of fantastic food. My favourite place to eat in the new forest

Absolutely wonderful fish restaurant. Had lunch to celebrate my birthday so happily opted for the five course taster menu with wine. Every course was a triumph from the amuse-bouches through to the petits-fours. As well as tasting delicious, the presentation of the food was spectacular....

Absolutely one of a kind experience on every level!Food was imaginative and innovative, the vibe was smart but unpretentious and the staff were fun and informative . We had 8 courses and wine flight and it was amazing! And great value! Can’t wait to go...

This was our second visit to Verveine, this time bringing my parents. We decided on the six course taster menu and was not disappointed. The food was fantastic, service was attentive and the whole experience a delight. One of our group had the meat taister...

Im a little late with my review from 09/09/23. My friends and myself have lunched at Verveine three times now and each time has been a wonderful culinary experience. I cant add much more than the review from our first visit below but wanted to thank Chef/Proprietor David. Before our last visit I emailed him with a personal request and after a telephone conversation, it was clear to me that this wonderful man is all about the food. Never once did I feel that his motivation is money which is so rare. You do get what you pay for here and never once have I or members of my party felt overcharged for the experience you get. David also kindly obliged with my request of which my family and friends were thrilled. Thank you so much. ------------------------------------------------------------------- A friend and I visited Verveine for the first time last week for lunch. Theres no dress code, the venue is clean and functional. Believe the reviews, people literally go for the food which is gorgeous. You have to book and it was full on the day we went. We opted for the 6 course taster menu with a cappuccino after and table water. We were given 2 free appetisers, six little handmade sweets. There were 2 other patrons that also had birthdays and we were each given a tiny little cake which had a candle on top. Thankfully no happy birthdays were sung, but everyone wished eachother a happy birthday which was a lovely moment. The meal with 10% service for both of us was £105. It was surprisingly enough food and although the speed between courses was perfect for me, I wish the staff could have said what they were serving a little slower as some times I didnt catch what theyd said. Im not overly well travelled but as is evident by my waistline, I love good food. Taking everything into account, I think this is the best meal ive ever had, so much so we will be booking lunch in September for my friend's birthday. As we both love scallops and lobster we will opt for the 8 course taster menu which is £95. That is a tad steeper than id normally fork out for a lunch but based on our first experience, its a worthy treat that im very much looking forward to.

The two or three course lunches are delicious and fantastic value for money. The 4 course tasting menu is even better with more expensive produce however both are cooked with great skill and flair. The food is beautifully presented and the service is both friendly...

We loved this restaurant! The food was fantastic - very original without being pretentious and very, very flavoursome. The staff were great: very friendly and welcoming and really knew the menu well. We would highly recommend Verveine and hope to go there again before too...

Wow once again a fantastic experience, visited twice in a week - its so refreshing to be served dishes that are fresh with fabulous flavours ! It’s art on a plate all the seafood and fish is cooked to perfection, the desserts equally exciting It’s...

Lovely food, excellent service.

Best meal we have ever had. Beautiful presentation, delicious flavours. Not normally huge fish eaters but this was amazing. What a find.

Went along for the 7 course Valentine's Taster menu for dinner. Simply stunning. Nothing else to add!

First time I have ever been and I would highly recommend to any sea food lover. The food is fresh, you don't know what your going to get till it is served and the waitress or waiter tells you. They leave you to enjoy your food and don't keep asking if you need more drinks. They only have a few tables which allows the chef to be able to cook to a much higher standard, which you taste in the outstanding dishes he prepare for you. We are already planing our next visit.

Sometimes you book somewhere not knowing what to expect. This beautiful restaurant was recommended to us by the owner of an Air B&B in Milford on Sea where we stayed for a bank holiday weekend. Well, it was an absolutely breathtaking experience. You can choose from a 4, 6 or 8 tasting menu. We chose the 6 option and we were not disappointed. Each course was absolutely delicious. It was exciting not knowing what was going to be served but as each course arrived, our waitress described the dish in detail. We had roasted peach in juice (looked like a mini raw egg!) lobster with crab, John Dory with popping grapes, liquorice flavoured ice cream with sherbet and the most amazing petit fours. It was simply a gastronomic delight and we will be returning again and again.

An amazing experience, fantastic food, inspirational, wonderful team, food different in a special way from other restaurants, decor and view inside and out back was also great. One of us tried the taster menu and one the normal lunchtime menu and both enjoyed their selections. Looking forward to returning in near future, worth the trip over from Isle of Wight.

Culinary Perfection - amongst the top 5 restaurants we've ever eaten in - and, as a pair of oldies, we've travelled 1000's of miles and eaten in over 1,000 restaurants. David, the owner/chef is seriously talented - we were absolutely blown away by the 8 course offer. No point in saying anything more than just go - put it on your bucket list - you won't regret it. Atmosphere is welcoming and relaxed, staff are highly attentive and knowledgeable, and service is slick and unobtrusive. A fabulous experience!

We visited for lunch today, we had the 6 course tasting menu which was fabulous!! The staff explained each course and none disappointed. We kept saying 'this is the best course' that was, until the next one arrived! Dietary requirements were handled without any issues. The staff were amazing too. If you want to know if I would recommend it, the answer is YES!!!

I was recommended this restaurant by a work colleague and my wife and I were not disappointed.Prices were clear and we picked the 6 course taster menu and a lovely bottle of wine, every course was presented beautifully and so very tasty .The service was quick and friendly and very informative of what we were about to enjoy.We will return when next on holiday in the new forest.

Absolutely outstanding 6 course tasting lunch, unbelievable value for money, perfect service. A lunch that will live long in our memory...highly recommended!

Stunning fish beautifully presented. We all went for the tasting menu which seemed to have endless courses but all the best quality ingredients with an inventive twist. I love fish and seafood but the good thing about a tasting menu is it pushes you out of your comfort zone. The roll mops were delicious and tangy, brixham cod juicy and licorice ice cream a total surprise.

Wow. Second time we have been here and each time was simply fantastic. We loved everything about this restaurant. The taster menu (5 to 12 courses, with or without wine) is the perfect way to buy food in my opinion and it was really interesting to see how the food changed the way the wine tasted, mostly a perfect marriage. The service was friendly, unrushed and relaxed, so much better than other similar quality restaurants I have eaten in. The setting is equally relaxed. And you played the Stone Roses, which gets you 5 stars immediately :) If you live nearby you are very lucky, but if not this place is worth a long trip. UPDATE 2023 - just as spectacular, the octopus with Campari rocks and blood orange was absolutely delicious and scallops with yuzu, shiitake and five spice was a revelation. Genius cooking, friendly service and a relaxed setting. With Stone Roses in the background once more, it was perfection 😎

Nice - ish food. Interesting flavours. My main concern is for this price point of £241 for 4 persons with just 1 bottle of wine and 3 beers it does not represent VFM. We left a £9 tip I think? Can`t actually remember if it was £241 or £231 but either way we rounded it up to £250. Personal thing but a tablecloth would have been nice. When reviewing VFM is a large part of the review process. If it was 25% less then 8/10 would be posted.

Our son was visiting from California, so where else would we take him to celebrate our joint birthdays. He is quite an avid foodie and loves his wines and we had bought him David's book last year, so he was very much looking forward to...

If you love beautifully presented, top quality food with a fun twist, then look no further. I have to say that Verveine is my favourite restaurant. The welcoming staff are friendly, even David takes a moment from the cooker to say ‘hi’. The atmosphere is relaxed, with very good background music! Each plate is beautifully and very carefully presented and explained. Even the actual plates are stunning! The tastes within each dish are perfectly paired. Each time I go I think one dish is my favourite and the next time I swap. That is how good the food is, and I never leave a thing! It is great that the ingredients are locally sourced, caught and picked. David also has a vast range of tools to enable some foods to be presented in innovative ways, a super surprise element. This visit this time was with my elderly father, he loves it there too, and we managed the 6 course option this time. The wine choices are always superb, sometimes selected off the beaten track, so new wines are used well. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough, go, eat and enjoy. I think it is very good value for money.

Wow! David is a culinary genius - unbelievable creativity, wonderful textures tastes and theatre with every course. And most importantly a superb meal that I couldn't fault. The friendly and informative service by the entire team was impeccable. A meal and altogether fantastic dining experience...

This restaurant is fantastic, beautiful food cooked to perfection. Inventive and exciting. Great service too.

Excellent food and ultimate exemplar maitre d and seamless service from the front of house Team. Thank you

This place never fails to impress. You never know what you are going to eat and when it arrives it is incredible, visually and taste! Always served by friendly staff who explain what you are about to eat, the attention to detail is second to none

We went to this restaurant for my birthday and decided to try 6 courses tasting menu. Each dish was a piece of art, beautifully presented and absolutely delicious taste. We had a fantastic time! Would definitely recommend

Amazing experience. We had the tasting menu. 6 great courses, each one very different and lovely. A real all sense experience. We’ll be back and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. An easy taxi from Lymington too.

I have been put off going to Vervaine as I imagined it to be a bit stuffy, but how wrong could I be! We were immediately made to feel at home when we arrived, and felt very comfortable during our stay. The staff were wonderful,...

Incredible restaurant… totally unassuming from the road hidden behind the fishmongers front. The food was outstanding as was the service and how the food was served. Clearly all the team love what they do and get great pleasure from the happy reactions from their customers....