The Urban Beach and Urban Reef are owned by Mark Cribb – an inspiring and driven local lad who, having spent a few years in London, decided to come back home and breathe life into his home town’s hospitality industry with a vision of great food, service and a commitment to local produce and quality ingredients.
The Urban Reef is a remarkable place to eat and drink. The main restaurant is located on the first floor of the old municipal seafront building, and has a two-storey glass front with an uninterrupted view over the sand beach and the sea beyond. The interior is inviting, relaxed and witty – with a double-height beach hut inside the restaurant (built around the stairwell), port holes in the doors and recycled 1950s filing cabinets with plants growing out of them.
The food is fantastic – Mark took the time to explain that it’s seasonal, ultra-fresh and sourced as locally as possible. In fact, much of the meat is from their own New Forest farm. It’s the little but significant details that stand out: Tanqueray Gin is served with Fever Tree tonic water (a Foody Traveller favourite), and the bread served with the meal is baked on site everyday by their artisan baker, Kay.
I ate meltingly tender New Forest venison with butternut squash and roasted vegetable ragu whilst my companion had Isle Of Purbeck lamb with cranberry and red wine jus and green beans. Foody heaven.
The Urban Reef is open all year – part of the design was make it a venue for the locals as much as seasonal visitors – and it feels like a real community hub, with loyal regulars, regular live music and happy staff. The Urban Beach is also obviously a popular spot for the local social crowd. Saturday night was in full swing when we got back to the hotel.
The Urban Beach is a boutique hotel in a converted house, with quirky and charming accommodation and the same commitment to quality as the restaurant.