‘Faster than fairies, faster than witches, bridges and houses, hedges and ditches,’ goes the Robert Louis Stevenson poem, From a Railway Carriage. Words that are forever burnt into my mind resurface every time I board a train—we had to memorise it at school while learning about the Victorians. But why start here? I’ll tell you why. Summer is here, and it’s once again in fashion to have a rejuvenating escape from London by boarding a train.
As a Hampshire boy, I jumped at the chance to return to my home county, heading down to Portsmouth (90 minutes from Waterloo on the fast train) to soak up the culture and fresh air that you’ll find at the coast. After a 5-minute ferry ride, I reached my final destination—Haslar Marina—one of boatfolk’s 12 marinas in the UK, where I’d be having dinner on The Lightship.
If you know me, you’ll know there’s nothing I love more than being on a cruise ship. As such, I’d decided to activate my full nautical mode and dress for the sea… think navy t-shirt, white jumper, and white chinos, paired with practically luminous white trainers.
As a special treat, boatfolk had organised a short boat ride around Portsmouth Harbour on a brand new Quarken 35 Cabin (11 metres of opulence including a double bed) – the sun was out, I was drinking Pimms, and having a few salmon canapés – Nautical Daniel was very happy, although I did feel a little bit like Hyacinth Bucket when she was on that yacht (it’s pronounced Bouquet!)
We moored up adjacent to The Lightship—a truly iconic landmark on the Solent, previously Portsmouth’s 1940s Trinity House lightvessel. She has been expertly converted into a destination venue with real 1940s gastronomic flair, wooden decks, festoon lights, and sunset views. Boarding her via the gangway gave me the same excitement I get when boarding a cruise ship, complete with a welcome aboard drink—a beautiful English sparkling wine from The Grange Vineyard and Winery near Winchester—paired with an oyster adorned with a ginger mignonette.
I was actually rather surprised to be served English sparkling wine, and even more shocked when told it was from Winchester. But this really was a sign of things to come because, you see, locally sourced fare, provenance, and seasonal high-quality ingredients would indeed be taking centre stage at the dining table for the whole evening.
Upon entering the Lightship Haslar restaurant, the clean décor really draws upon 1940s art deco, and the vibes were completed by a jazz vocalist who carried us back to the golden age of music with her beautiful tone and classic look.
Now make sure you sit on the port (not starboard) side of the restaurant and you’ll have stunning views across Portsmouth Harbour, with each window being a picture frame for the many and varied seacraft sailing by.
A five-course tasting menu was next while the ship VERY gently bobbed on the Solent. Back to that delicious oyster, well I had two… and followed them with a strawberry whisky sour (made with local strawberries of course) which I sipped on the top deck. The smoked peach bramble (made with Isle of Wight spiced rum, Angostura bitters, lemon, peach and thyme syrup) is something you must absolutely try – it’s such a holiday drink and something I’m going to have to attempt to make myself – or possibly take one of the bar staff back to London with me.
The South Coast halibut with clams, lardon, and saffron cream was exquisite, leaving me craving a jug of extra saffron cream. The fish itself was delicate and sweet, paired with the slight smokiness from the lardons and the sweet saltiness of the clams —such a great mix of well-balanced flavours and textures in this dish; it’s definitely the one you need to try when you visit! Our next stop was some locally sourced pork, and the meal was rounded off with a light chocolate ganache.
The wine pairings all worked really well, which is a testament to Chef Patron Jamie Fegan and the team. Of note, a fresh Terra de Lobos Sauvignon Blanc from Portugal bounced with the squid and chorizo first course and a Bianai Blanco Rioja from Spain added a dry fruitiness to the pork dish. I think those two bottles probably had the highest number of air miles for the whole meal as they weren’t locally sourced(!) – all the other wines served came from Ashling Park Estate in Chichester (apart from the delicious sparkling from Winchester that I mentioned earlier).
I was fortunate to be basking in the Marseille sunshine the week before, sipping wine overlooking the old marina of the Vieux Port. I can honestly tell you that with the right weather (and I had sunshine and nearly 20 degrees), my experience at Haslar Marina absolutely felt like I could have been on the continent without a care in the world! I would definitely rate this as a great ‘escape the city’ adventure where you get to feel nautical while consuming some pretty special food and drink, from a team who are clearly very passionate and good at what they do. I have to say—and I’m a real stickler for this—the service on the Lightship Haslar was impeccable and demonstrated knowledge, care, and a real interest in making sure I was having a great experience.
Unfortunately, I now have to disembark and go ashore. All aboard the train back to London. Faster than fairies, faster than witches…
To discover more, visit: thelightshiphaslar.co.uk
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All imagery courtesy of The Lightship at Haslar Marina.