IT’S the riverside cafe with incredible views and top quality locally sourced food and drinks.

Hidden gem The Boat House Cafe is situated in Swanwick Marina and locals and visiting yachtsmen and women flock there for the calming waterfront surroundings and delicious menu.

Genevieve Parker from The Ideal Collection, which owns the cafe as part of an exciting group of unique and informal hospitality venues across Hampshire and West Sussex, explained the setting is sublime.

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She told the Daily Echo: “It’s undoubtedly our location which makes us really stand out. Nestled by the edge of the River Hamble, our south facing decked terrace is ideal for chilling out in the sunshine or enjoying beautiful sunsets.”

At the end of the popular Warsash to Swanwick two mile waterside trail which passes Bunny Meadows and Wendleholme Nature Reserve as it makes its way along the River Hamble, The Boat House Cafe is the perfect pit stop for breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, sundowners or an evening meal or drink.

Opened in April 2012, The Boat House Cafe was previously known as The Dog House in what was Moody’s Boatyard but was then purchased by Premier Marinas in 2005.

Daily Echo:

Customers keep coming back for the superb surroundings and fantastic food which ranges from all day brunch to a great line up of pizzas via the likes of tiger prawn linguine, seabass florentine, Ponzu duck, chicken schnitzel and lentil dahl, as well as the popular Boat House beef burger.

Covid and the ongoing implications for venues have been a real challenge for the team behind The Boat House to manage.

Genevieve added: “We’ve been up against so many things such as the overall decrease of 35 per cent of workers in our sector in the UK, the ‘pingdemic’ which took out teams of people in minutes during busy services, and the ongoing supply issues which resulted in missing menu items, sometimes for not just days but weeks.

Daily Echo:

“Thankfully we have such a family atmosphere across the group that everyone has pulled together where they can to help mitigate these challenges.”

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