After a long week at work, busy days and cosy evenings in at home, it’s nice to freshen up and head out for a date night with your partner. Hampshire is home to plenty of excellent restaurants – and I’ve curated my favourite places to visit for date night. They’re not all fancy, and there’s something to suit every mood in this Hampshire Food Guide!
I’ll be updating this guide to the best restaurants for date night in Hampshire as I discover new ones – and if you have a recommendation for an excellent dinner spot, leave me a comment so that I can check it out!
Illustration by Amy Harwood Illustration
THE BEST RESTAURANTS FOR DATE NIGHT IN HAMPSHIRE
- HarBAR on 6th, Southampton
- Bonita’s Southsea, Portsmouth
- The Huntsman of Brockenhurst, New Forest
- Hubbox, Portsmouth
- Mango Thai Tapas, Southampton
- Nice Slice, Portsmouth
- Inn on the Beach, Hayling Island
- The Boat House Cafe, Chichester
HARBAR ON 6TH, SOUTHAMPTON
I’ve placed HarBAR on 6th right at the top of these guide, as I feel pretty confident in this being one of the best places for a date night in Hampshire. Fancy without being pretentious, beautiful food without a ridiculous price tag – and the perfect place to visit if you’re celebrating a special occasion. HarBAR excels with their customer service, presentation and quality of food – and it’s one of the best meals we’ve had this year.
*This meal was previously gifted, but views are my own*
My top picks: Smoked salmon tartare, Monkfish risotto, Duck salad
Price: £££
Website: Visit Here
You might also like to read this: Dinner at HarBAR on 6th, Southampton
BONITA’S SOUTHSEA, PORTSMOUTH
One of our more recent new favourites, but a favourite nonetheless – Bonita’s Southsea brings something refreshingly different to Portsmouth with their taqueria. Excellent cocktails, delicious tacos and a cosy, exciting atmosphere – it’s the perfect spot for a date night that’s a little different! If you’re feeling hungry, book your date night for Taco Tuesday – bottomless tacos, quesadillas and curly fries will make for a very good evening.
We absolutely loved our visit (and we demolished a fair amount of tacos while we were there), and I’ve been raving about it to everyone I’ve seen since!
My top picks: Buttermilk chicken taco, Crispy duck taco, Carnitas taco
Price: £
Website: Visit Here
You might also like to read this: Tacos at Bonita’s Southsea, Portsmouth
THE HUNTSMAN OF BROCKENHURST, NEW FOREST
Beautiful decor and excellent food in the heart of the New Forest – if you live locally or are out for the day in the forest, consider visiting The Huntsman of Brockenhurst for your next date night in Hampshire! Extremely popular with the locals, and for good reason – The Huntsman serves beautifully presented food that tastes delicious, in a beautiful setting and with excellent service. There’s plenty on the menu to choose from, with seafood, pizza and steaks to name a few – and each dish is executed perfectly.
The Huntsman has a lovely garden and terrace, so would make a great spot for a dinner date during the summer. If you visit, do book – it gets very busy!
My top picks: The seafood is excellent!
Price: ££
Website: Visit Here
You might also like to read this: Dinner at The Huntsman of Brockenhurst or Summer Lunch at The Huntsman of Brockenhurst
HUBBOX, PORTSMOUTH
Another new favourite of ours is the recently opened Hubbox in the ever popular Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth. Originally from Cornwall, Hubbox dishes up some of the best burgers I’ve had – and possibly the best on the South Coast. Their restaurant is beautifully decorated, with nautical highlights, wooden panels, neon lights and plenty of foliage. It’s an American-style burger restaurant that’s a little more upmarket – and I love it there.
If you’re a big burger fan and fancy a really good, generously sized meal – head to Hubbox for your next date night in Hampshire. Booking isn’t always necessary – but I’d suggest doing so just in case!
*This meal was previously gifted, but views are my own*
My top picks: Buttermilk fried chicken burger, Cheesy fries, Buttermilk Chicken tenders, Chilli cheese burger, Katsu chicken burger
Price: £-££
Website: Visit Here
You might also like to read this: Burgers at Hubbox, Gunwharf Quays
MANGO THAI TAPAS, SOUTHAMPTON
If you like to order lots of small plates and share your food, Mango Thai Tapas is the perfect spot for your next date night. I personally love sharing food as it allows us to try more dishes – and you can try things you might not normally order! Mango Thai have excellent cocktails, attentive waiters and fresh, perfectly cooked thai food. Opt for lots of tapas to share, or just a few as starters alongside some larger mains – the choice is yours!
Mango Thai Tapas have three locations for you to choose from in Southampton, and you’re guaranteed some excellent food when you visit.
*This meal was previously gifted, but views are my own*
My top picks: Chicken satay, Pad thai, Tempura prawns, Sweetcorn fritters
Price: £-££
Website: Visit Here
You might also like to read this: Foodie Fortnight at Mango Thai Tapas, Southampton
NICE SLICE, PORTSMOUTH
Does a GIANT slice of pizza with a side of fried chicken sound like the perfect dinner to you? Me too!
Nice Slice opened over the summer in Portsmouth in the newly refurbished The Greenwich Pub – and ever since their opening they have been a huge success. Serving up giant 20″ pizzas, burgers, loaded fries and fried chicken, Nice Slice offers something for everyone and some truly delicious comfort food. If you’re less hungry, you can also order pizza by the (giant) slice. We really enjoyed our visit and it’s the perfect spot for a more casual date night in Hampshire.
Nice Slice do take bookings, but you can also turn up and grab a seat in the pub! The pizzas arrive very promptly, and make sure you go hungry – there’s a lot of food!
My top picks: The Ramone, Fried chicken wings
Price: £
Website: Visit Here
You might also like to read this: Giant Pizza at Nice Slice, Portsmouth
INN ON THE BEACH, HAYLING ISLAND
One of our more recent discoveries is located on Hayling Island – and it’s a good’un! Inn on the Beach is a seaside lovers dream – with nautical decor, stunning views across the Solent and a seafood orientated menu, this is a great romantic spot for dinner. We actually visited on our anniversary and had an excellent meal – everything was delicious, the staff were friendly and we loved the atmosphere. This would be a fantastic place for dinner during the summer, enjoying good food with the beautiful sea views as your backdrop.
*This meal was previously gifted, but views are my own*
My top picks: Anything seafood on the menu! The scallops were delicious, and the squid was excellent.
Price: ££
Website: Visit Here
You might also like to read this: Dinner at Inn on the Beach, Hayling Island
THE BOAT HOUSE CAFE, CHICHESTER
Now this one isn’t actually in Hampshire – but bear with me! The Boat House Cafe at Chichester Marina is one of our favourite places to visit, and the cosy atmosphere makes it a great date night location. There is another branch at Swanwick Marina near Southampton – so, if you want to stay in Hampshire you can head there! The menu is typical of any bistro – steaks, seafood, burgers and plenty of specials – and we’ve really enjoyed our meal each time we’ve visited.
The coastal location makes The Boat House Cafe at Chichester Marina a romantic spot, perfect for a leisurely stroll along the waters edge after dinner. If you visit in the summer, there’s also a terrace which is perfect for watching the boats sail into the marina!
My top picks: Any seafood on the menu!
Price: ££
Website: Visit Here
I hope you’ve enjoyed this Hampshire Food Guide! Now tell me – where’s your favourite restaurant for a date night in Hampshire?
You might also like to read my other Hampshire Food Guides – click here to see them all!
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