Tom and Olly Smith: Eating out 

One of Tom’s favourite New Forest destinations serves up a welcome tonic in troubled times   

It seems a long way off now, the end of summer, a time when grown-ups were allowed to meet other grown-ups in scrupulously clean restaurants and pubs that fastidiously adhered to all those anti-Covid-19 measures. Before the rule of six and the idiotic 10pm curfew, which not only robbed places of the all-important second (and even third) sitting, but also ensured merry hordes of over-refreshed revellers poured out on to city streets at the exact same moment. First stop, the supermarket, or offie, to buy more booze before cramming on to public transport to continue the party at home. Yup, that’ll stop the virus. Stop it dead in its tracks.

Our Government, of course, says it’s following the science. But which science? Even the scientists are confused. Anyway, back to this post-lockdown, pre-curfew dinner, and life seems pretty sweet. We’re deep in the New Forest, at Lime Wood, one of my favourite hotels on earth, eating at its restaurant, Hartnett Holder & Co.

The evening is soft, the lights softer still, and after the second sip of my second martini – bone dry and immaculately iced – I’m poised on the very edge of pre-prandial perfection. At this point, the world is filled with hope.

And happiness lies ahead, as you’d expect from Angela Hartnett and Luke Holder, a place as warm and unpretentious as the two eponymous chefs, the sort of restaurant where you could order a plate of chips and a bottle of Lafite 82, and no one would even blink. There are hot, salty arancini, scented with saffron, to gobble with the last few sips of martini. And fat slices of good, chewy salami.

Vitello tonnato, so often so fishily overwhelming, is more whisper than holler, the thin slices of veal warm, the sauce gently piscine. Chicken agnolotti, on the other hand, are surprisingly intense, the pasta straining to contain the rich, deeply savoury mix. By now, the light has taken on a gauzy, crepuscular warmth, helped, no doubt, by a bottle of handsome Riesling. A tranche of trout, just cooked, comes with braised baby gem, and a subtly curried yogurt sauce. Nothing is too much trouble here, and pudding melts slowly into Calvados. A full restaurant, open until the last punter skips out. It seems like a different world. Farewell for now. But good times will come again. They always do.

Hartnett Holder & Co, about £45 a head, Lime Wood, Lyndhurst, Hampshire; limewoodhotel.co.uk

Drinks: Olly’s best reds for roasts

With roast beef, pour the best red you can – Bordeaux is the bullseye. With roast pork or roast chicken, rich oaky whites work well but as the thermometer drops, lighter reds such as Pinot Noir are perfect. I’m a fan of warming nut roasts, and spicy red blends featuring Grenache and Shiraz amplify their feelgood glow. And while Rioja with roast lamb is a classic combination, Portugal has impeccable reds to explore