SAPORI, LEE-ON-THE-SOLENT, HAMPSHIRE: RESTAURANT REVIEW

Restaurants in seaside towns can be a bit tricky. They cater to captive audiences, often providing limited choices. The norm is to serve basic fare at slightly inflated prices, take the money, and count on turnover rather than repeat customers to keep the till full. When our friend Sharon took us to the seaside town of Lee-On-The-Solent not far from her home in Fareham and suggested an Italian restaurant, we were not certain what to expect. We needn't have worried.

Sapori has created a nice space, brick and wood and not too crowded. Service was pleasant and timely. I chose a plate of fried cheese with pesto for a start with a calzone to follow - cheesy with spicy salami and fresh chilis. Enough to share. (I didn't.) Cathey and Sharon chose from the lunch menu of the day, two courses for about 10€. Cathey started with a plate of deep-fried whitebait with a side salad and went on to the fish cakes. Sharon had a plate full of prosciutto and mozzarella followed by pasta with mushrooms. All as advertised. All well prepared. All proper portions. All with a bit of flair but not too fussy. Solid. And with a bottle of wine and coffee at the finish, under 50€ total. Worth a return.

You can check out Sapori's website HERE. For an index of my restaurant reviews, click HERE.

Isle of Wight in the distance...

We're told that this train station was built because Victoria thought that the folks in Portsmouth didn't cheer sufficiently for her when she came to the seaside.

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