I’m already a fan of Harbour Hotels – the beautiful Southampton Harbour Hotel is a favourite spot of ours and the Padstow one is an impressive modern venue – and earlier this year we ticked the Chichester Harbour Hotel off of our list. Located at the quieter end of the Chichester shopping area, this is a romantic, cosy spot that’s perfect for intimate dinners and family gatherings alike. This Harbour Hotel is a little different to the others, being set a few miles away from the coast – instead, you’ll find this hotel in an old building in the centre of Chichester with beautiful decor throughout.
We headed to Chichester Harbour Hotel for a birthday dinner and it was the perfect venue – beautifully decorated and fancy, but not pretentious. Enter through the grand front entrance and you’ll find a cosy bar area and the restaurant seating on the ground floor.
Compared to the very modern Southampton Harbour Hotel, the Chichester hotel has a much more stately feel to it – which I feel is completely in keeping with the style of Chichester. The restaurant feels luxurious and cosy, which is just perfect if you visit on a rainy, cold evening like we did.
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The menu has plenty of classics but does have a significant focus on seafood – the restaurant is called The Ship, after all! We opted for some starters to share, alongside cocktails (and a mocktail for me – very nice indeed!).
I chose the chicken popcorn to start – which technically was more of a bar snack, but I couldn’t resist the lure of fried chicken!
Tom opted for the scallops in garlic butter – an excellent decision on his part. Of course, we were sharing – which I often think is the best way to enjoy a meal!
For my main, I obviously chose fish – whenever there’s a predominantly seafood menu, I like to choose fish wherever I can! This was cod crusted with crab, served with edamame, peas and the creamiest potato puree. Absolutely decadent and so delicious – I’d definitely order this (or similar) again!
Tom chose the caramelised duck breast for his main, which looked delicious – beautifully presented with great flavours. He also had a portion of posh fries with parmesan & truffle, which was another excellent decision on his part – they were very tasty.
With just enough room for dessert, we decided to share again – opting for a dark chocolate tart. I loved the way that this was presented, and the sharp berry flavours paired well with the rich chocolate.
The Chichester Harbour Hotel is a great place to have a drink or meet for a special dinner if you’re in Chichester. We enjoyed all of our food, and it was such a beautiful setting – we did find that the food was a little slow to arrive, but it was worth the wait! The staff were all friendly & knowledgeable too.
Have a look at the Chichester Harbour Hotel website here, and a browse of the menu at The Ship here! If you’re planning a visit, I’d recommend booking.
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I remember it well, lovely venue, delicious food and delightful company….👍 excellent