Portsmouth Historic Dockyard...and a romantic dinner...

HMS Victory

In order to avoid another slow and boring weekend, Matt and I decided to take a small road trip this past Saturday. In our usual fashion, we slept in for a bit, ate breakfast and then pondered where to go. We searched the internet for a few ideas and decided on Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Portsmouth is south of London and about a 2-hour drive from where we live. We arrived around 2:00pm and had time to tour two battleships and walk around for a while before things closed around 5:00pm. It is pretty cool to see inside the ships and try to imagine what life would have been like living and working on them for months at a time.

We stopped into the Visitor Centre to see if they could recommend a seafood restaurant in the area. They directed us to Lemon Sole, about a 15-minute walk from the dockyard into Old Portsmouth. What a great recommendation it was! We arrived at 5:30 just as it was opening and were the only customers there for at least an hour. It seemed a little weird at first, but then it was very nice to be on our own. It was a lovely romantic dinner! The owner greeted us and informed us how the restaurant operates. You go to the fish counter and pick out your fresh fish, as well as your starters, bread, etc. We chose the dinner for two "A Fish Love Affair" - a trio of fish (salmon, tuna, swordfish), accompanied by mussels, tiger prawns, and calamari, finished in a cream based mixed herb sauce, served with mixed salad and assorted bread. We were given a special offer at the visitor centre that awarded us with a free bottle of wine from the restaurant, which wasn't so hard to finish because it was so delicious. (They have an extensive selection of wines from all over the world.) What a treat! It was one of the best meals I've ever had, if not the best! I'd really have to think about what might have been better. Although we were quite full from dinner, I just couldn't resist a dessert. Matt and I shared an apple & blueberry crumble which topped the evening off well. The service was even great, so no complaints the whole evening. If we didn't live so far away, I'd probably eat there regularly. (Which would probably not be good for our bank account!) Maybe we'll make a special trip later this year.

More pictures here!

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/amber.biviano/PortsmouthHistoricDockyard