Verveine Fishmarket Restaurant sits on the High Street of Milford on Sea, a small village on the Hampshire coast, and has built a devoted following for its creative, seasonal seafood tasting menus. Chef-patron David Wykes sources the finest British fish — Brixham turbot, Hampshire crab, day-boat mackerel — and transforms them into sequences of courses that change with the seasons and the catch.
The restaurant's name comes from the herb vervain (verbena), a nod to the aromatic, herb-forward style of cooking that underpins the menus. Diners choose from four, six, or eight courses in the evening, or a shorter lunch format, with optional wine pairings matched to each dish.
Signature items
Mid-length tasting with optional wine pairing
6 courses + matched wines at lunch
All courses, no dessert supplement
Best-value way to experience wine pairings at Verveine
The full signature Verveine evening experience
For serious fish lovers — no dessert, maximum fish
Dishes chosen entirely by the kitchen — you discover each course as it arrives. Menu changes with the catch.
from £85All prices are per person. Wine pairing is optional at each level.
| Menu | Courses | Price (no wine) | Price (with wine) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch | 2 | £28 | — |
| Lunch | 3 | £32 | — |
| Lunch Tasting | 6 | £49 | £84 |
| Evening | 4 | £65 | £105 |
| Evening | 6 | £85 | £135 |
| Evening | 8 | £105 | £185 |
| Everything | All fish | £140 | £230 |
Like-for-like comparison of tasting menu prices at comparable UK seafood and fine-dining destinations.
| Menu level | Verveine | The Seafood Restaurant (Padstow) | Sketch (London) | Aqua Shard (London) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch (2–3 courses) | £28–£32 | ~£35–£45 | ~£45–£65 | ~£40–£55 |
| Tasting menu (6 courses) | £85 | ~£95 | ~£115 | ~£90 |
| Tasting menu (8 courses) | £105 | ~£125 | ~£145 | ~£120 |
| Wine pairing (6 courses) | +£50 | +£65 | +£75 | +£60 |
Verveine Fishmarket Restaurant opened on the High Street of Milford on Sea, a quiet coastal village on the edge of the New Forest in Hampshire, and quickly earned a reputation as one of the most ambitious seafood restaurants in the South of England. The name Verveine — French for the herb verbena — reflects chef-patron David Wykes's commitment to fresh, aromatic, herb-forward cooking that lets the quality of the seafood speak for itself.
The restaurant operates a tasting menu-only format, with guests choosing the number of courses they want and the kitchen building the menu around the season's best catch. Fish comes primarily from Brixham in Devon, one of the UK's most important fishing ports, as well as from local Hampshire waters. The approach is emphatically ingredient-led: a dish might be as simple as day-boat mackerel with ponzu and puffed rice, or as technically elaborate as turbot with smoked walnut, artichoke, and aged Parmesan — but in every case the fish is the centrepiece.
Verveine has attracted strong critical acclaim and a loyal following among serious food lovers. The restaurant's signed cookbook extends its story beyond the dining room, and the optional blind tasting menu — where every dish is a surprise — has become one of its most talked-about offerings. With just a handful of tables, advance booking is essential, especially for weekend evenings.
Tables fill quickly, especially at weekends. Confirm current menu pricing and availability on the official website before booking.
Book at Verveine Fishmarket RestaurantVerveine is a tasting menu-only restaurant. In the evening, diners choose between four, six, or eight courses, or the 'Everything' option which includes all fish courses the kitchen is running that night. At lunch, a shorter two- or three-course menu is available alongside a six-course lunch tasting menu.
Evening tasting menus are priced per person at £65 for four courses, £85 for six courses, £105 for eight courses, and £140 for the 'Everything' all-fish menu. Optional wine pairings cost an additional £40–£90 depending on the menu chosen. A supplementary cheese course costs £15 per person.
Lunch is more accessible: two courses cost £28 and three courses cost £32. A condensed six-course lunch tasting menu is available for £49, or £84 with five matching wines. This makes lunch the best-value way to experience Verveine's cooking.
Verveine is a seafood-focused restaurant and the menus are built primarily around fish and shellfish. If you have dietary requirements including vegetarianism, it is best to contact the restaurant directly when booking so the kitchen can prepare accordingly. Some dishes — such as desserts — are naturally vegetarian.
Yes. Verveine's policy is that all guests at the same table must select the same number of courses. This allows the kitchen to pace the meal consistently and ensures every course reaches the table simultaneously.
Verveine Fishmarket Restaurant is at 98 High Street, Milford on Sea, Hampshire SO41 0QE, on the south coast of England near Lymington and the New Forest. The village sits on the edge of the Solent, close to the Isle of Wight ferry at Lymington.
Yes — optional wine pairing is available at every menu level. The four-course menu comes with four matched wines for £105 total (pairing included); six courses with five wines is £135; eight courses with seven wines is £185; and the 'Everything' menu with seven wines is £230. The wine list is chosen to complement the seasonal seafood dishes.
Reservations can be made through the restaurant's official website at verveine.co.uk. As a small restaurant with limited covers, tables — particularly on Friday and Saturday evenings — book up well in advance. It is advisable to reserve several weeks or months ahead for popular dates.
Verveine sources primarily from Brixham in Devon, one of the UK's premier fishing ports, as well as from local Hampshire waters. The menus change frequently to reflect seasonal availability and the day's catch, so dishes shown on sample menus may not appear on the evening you visit. Turbot, hake, mackerel, halibut, crab, and squid all feature regularly.