Hartnett Holder & Co

The story

Hartnett Holder & Co: Italian Dining in Southampton's New Forest | Michelin Recommended

Set within the Lime Wood hotel in the heart of the New Forest, Hartnett Holder & Co is a restaurant that puts flavour, character and fun at the centre of the experience. The kitchen is led by celebrated chef Angela Hartnett and Lime Wood’s Luke Holder, who together create Italian-inspired dishes using the best local ingredients, with a respectful nod to the seasons.

The menu reflects both chefs’ signature styles — Italian-influenced, seasonal, and full of flavour. In Italian, Pranzetto means a light, leisurely lunch, and that spirit runs through the set lunch menu: simple, unhurried, and designed to celebrate ingredients from forest, farm and sea. Sundays are made for proper roasts and long lunches, with Glenarm Estate sirloin, slow-cooked short rib, and whole roasted lemon sole, all served with golden roasties, Yorkshire puddings, and plenty of gravy.

Luke Holder’s philosophy was shaped by a year in the kitchen of Enoteca Pinchiorri, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Florence, which cemented his focus on cooking locally and seasonally at the highest level. Angela Hartnett, one of the UK’s most respected chefs, trained under Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing before becoming Head Chef at Pétrus. Their partnership brings together deep experience and a shared love of generous, unpretentious cooking.

For those seeking a more intimate experience, the Backstage Chef’s Table offers a private supper in the HH&Co kitchen, where guests are seated along a long kitchen table while Luke Holder and his team cook a multi-course Italian feast right in front of them.

The restaurant’s relaxed yet refined approach has earned it a Michelin recommendation, a recognition that speaks to the quality and consistency of the cooking. Whether for a midweek lunch or a Sunday feast, Hartnett Holder & Co delivers Italian cooking that feels both special and genuinely welcoming.