Nice lunch in Southern England?

[Small Pilot]

Looking to take a couple of friends somewhere for lunch this sunday. Picking them up from Blackbushe, looking for about 45mins flight time in an AA5 - any ideas? Compton Abbas sprang to mind? Appreciate any thoughts/suggestions...

[Evo7]

Goodwood? Weather permitting I'll see you in the circuit at that time, so watch out... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" />. . . . <small>[ 12 March 2002, 14:35: Message edited by: Evo7 ]</small>

[Rusty Cessna]

Compton Abbas gets my vote, excellent place.. .. .Rusty

[SteveR]

Headcorn, there's always masses to see at Headcorn. It's where I take non aviation friends when I want to seduce them into the real world..... .. .Steve R

[VCR]

"The Aviator" at Gloucestershire Airport . New restaurant, run by pilots. First class airfield with excellent facilities for GA. Return via the Severn Estuary and M4 for a pleasant, scenic day out!! Cheap landing fee if you refuel

[Aussie Andy]

Sandown, Isle of Wight. .. .Don't go to greasy spoon near the tower, but walk around the path to the flying club on the other (north) side!. .. .Andy

[pistongone]

SANDOWN is my choice too,but ask in the tower for a map and a leisurely half hour walk will have you in the Steam Boat on the sea front.Great food LARGE portions and the staff were quite cute when i last whent!!

[DOC.400]

Fly to Bembridge, via the fleet in Portsmouth + Victory + Discovery over the inhabited fort. Leisurely 30-40 minute stroll along the cliff top to the Crab and Lobster for a SUPERB meal.. .. .Taxi or walk back.. .. .Then around the island to the Needles, low level across the New Forest and then up the Test Valley past Middle Wallop.. .. .DOC

[Fuji Abound]

Ah - Bembridge and the Crab gets my vote. If you are not keen on the walk its 5 minutes by taxi. The cliff walk collapsed last year and I don’t think its been re opened yet. A tenner for the landing at Bembridge so that’s not bad. If you want fuel check they have some body to supply you - it’s been an occasional problem recently. The Crabs excellent for sea food, but there is a variety of other dishes on offer.

[Polar_stereographic]

DOC.400,. .. .Never eaten at the crab, but I totaly agree with your routing. Very high on the list of routes when I take people flying. Never fails to impress.. .. .PS

[englishal]

there's a nice curry house on Alderney...though your passengers may not appreciate it...

[Genghis the Engineer]

If the critical factor is quality of lunch, I'd look at Bembridge, Old Sarum, or Booker.. .. .Compton does a mean ploughmans, but I'd suggest that's summer fare!. The rest do an excellent cooked lunch for less than the landing fee (well, less than Booker's landing fee anyway).. .. .G

[Aussie Andy]

Booker!?. .. .As much as I love my home airfield, I have to say in fairness that the food at "Happy Landings" (the pub) isn't one of the reasons!. .. .Andy <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="tongue.gif" />

[eyeinthesky]

Aussie Andy: Hear, hear! I must confess that I nearly choked on my tea when Booker came up in this context! . .. .Bembridge and Compton Abbas both good. A few years back I went to Dunkeswell and had a really good lunch in the pub in the village in the valley (10 mins walk). It might all have changed by now, however.. .. .Isn't there a good (but pricy) seafood restaurant somewhere close to Shoreham?

[Monocock]

Have been to most of the fields within th region you'll be in. Can't say any stick out in my mind in terms of food QUALITY. . .. .What you will get at the following places is a nice venue, pleasant staff and very edible food.. .. .1. Shoreham. .2. Goodwood. .3. Old Sarum. .4. Compton Abbas (might be a bit damp on the grass for Sunday). .. .One of my favourites (although it's a long way from where you'll be on Sunday) is Sywell although when that was last mentioned by someone they were shouted down for it for some reason.

[Wrong Stuff]

The Aviator hotel at Sywell is a lovely building and well worth a visit, but the last time I was there the food (& especially the service) was well below par. Maybe we were unlucky! I'd go back for another visit, but not if eating was a central part of the reason.. .. .Somebody ought to invest in really bringing the food up to scratch. I imagine they'd do a roaring trade in overnight stays if they could provide a top quality evening dinner.

[Small Pilot]

Many thanks for all the suggestions. Sadly it looks like the weather may beat us this weekend. Goodwood, Comton Abbas, Bembridge and Sandown were the favourites so we will certainly try some of these places over the coming months.

[Wycombe]

AA & EITS, Concur re. the food at Wycombe!!. .. .Compton gets my vote. Also heard Bembridge is v. good but not tried personally. . .. .Have also had some decent nosebag at Thruxton too.

[WGW]

Small Pilot,. .. .Did you get your flight in on Sunday 17th?. .. .Chose that very day to fly from E. Mids to Compton Abbas, Sandown was waterlogged so went to Bembridge, found they had no fuel so forced to feel my way along the coast to Shoreham for fuel before back to E. Mids. No time for eating, as wanted to be back in daylight for CPL qualifying x-country.. .. .Boy, did I pick a bad day to go flying. Cloud at 800 feet in places, fought my way down the valleys in Dorset to the sea as hills were IMC, went round the southern tip of IOW, not over the middle for the same reason, and IMC from Shoreham to Basingstoke under Gatwick's Radar Information Service as I was too low to raise Solent Radar. Ended up following the M1 home when Coventry's radar was down and it was down to 1500' to stay VMC.. .. .Glad to get down, but got my 300nm in. Ha.. .. . <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" /> . .. .WGW

[What_does_this_button_do?]

WGW: Do you mean Farnborough Radar on 125.25???

[DOC.400]

In the interest of research -flew to Bembridge today with Mrs DOC.400, Little DOC.400 and DOG.400.. .. .Yes Fuji, the cliff path has collapsed, but only within the last half mile from the Crab & Lobster -detour signposted.. .. .The walk took a gentle 45 minutes, but VERY muddy, wellies essential,. .. .Food excellent as usual, me, prawn curry, Mrs DOC halibut and Little DOC chicken curry, oh, and DOG.400 liked the toasted naan bread!. .. .Tide out so walked back along the beach, about same time.. .. .Sittting here with cheeks glowing from the sunshine, cool easterley blowing though.. .. .Rgds. .DOC. . <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" />

[paulo]

Booker!! Very funny that man. In Happy Landings, not only do they set a low standard, they usually fail to achieve it.. .. .Goodwood gets a vote from me.

[sickBocks]

Fran does some nice cake at Kemble.. .. .Mmmmmmmm cake

[A and C]

The best food in the south is at Le touquet only 10 min the other side of lydd and with full tanks the nice people at customs will give you about £ 50 in fuel drawback to help pay for the lobster !

[DOC.400]

Sandown -well, bar and bistro.....went in yesterday for a full English breakfast. They'd run out of eggs -the airfield is within sight of a huge Tesco's!!!!!! Very small plateful and the chips were extra. Being an expert on London caffs, at £4.50 this was very poor!!

DOC

[solent01]

Doc..... got three pionts to make.....

1) Its Safeways not Tescos

2) As the Airfield had only just opened again due to water logging, and up until then had not recieved many visitors, I think the Bar/Bistro in question, did not expect orders for all day breakfasts, (Although mine was great, and with 2 eggs) also, the young lady who looks after you is normally unable to run to the shops if she runs out of something as the pilots are often busy with students, and can not hold the fort for her until she returns, although during the summer months extra staff are hired to help.

3) If you want greasy spoon prices, go to a greasy spoon.

[Monocock]

Steady on Solent

I think DOC was speaking slightly tongue in cheek there.

You are obviously a local (from you name) and for what it's worth, I think Sandown has to be one of the nicest places to visit in the South. I was there last w/e and witnessed the sogginess of the runway (ie the shortened version)!!

As a farmer I too get somewhat annoyed by people being critical of any type of food. We should be thankful for what we can get.

DOC sounds like he enjoys high quality gastronomy and has kindly given me directions by email to the restaurant near Bembridge.

Hoping the wind drops later...........

Safe flying all

[tomcs]

Compton Abbas is most definitely the best!!! They do the BEST Sausage egg and chips in the whole of the British isles IMHO:D

You just have to try them

Tom

[Saab Dastard]

Have to agree with Doc.400 on this one - not impressed with the all-day breakfast, but the coffee and cakes were very good!

Have to watch the weight, if not the balance!;)

SD