I love living in a small town - it’s quiet, cosy, we all know the arrangement that shops close at 5:30PM latest, friends and family are a mere 5 minute drive away, and you know all the corners of the neighbourhood to the likelihood of getting lost is near impossible. Yes, I love living in a sleepy town - however there is a time when this poses a problem - and that’s choosing a place for a date night or a special occasion dinner which is different from the local Chinese restaurant you have eaten at for 12 years and the owners know your order (and throw in freebies like prawn crackers and fortune cookies - thank you, love you!) And don’t get me wrong - I love our local Chinese restaurant - it has a great atmosphere, delicious food, and a friendly team.
But when you want something a little different and more sophisticated, a small town like ours struggles for options. Which is why it’s exciting when a new restaurant opens nearby which offers a different atmosphere and good food - which is what we expected from Miller & Carter, who have invited us to sample their menu at the relatively new restaurant in Basingstoke.
Miller & Carter Steakhouse lives just outside of Basingstoke town centre - the building sits on a historical site with ample parking and a quiet atmosphere. The building has been refurbished and redecorated since their sister company vacated the premises - it also boasts years of life: starting off built on a dairy farm, being used as a school, to now housing a steakhouse.
We were greeted with a friendly team upon entrance and escorted to our table - we had a friendly waiter and host who told us all about Miller & Carter, advised on best food options and drinks which complimented our meal. Through him, I found out that the building is allegedly haunted (sorry guys, you know I love a good ghost story) by The Pink Lady who is known to open and shut doors past open hours, scaring the team and contractors alike.
We started our meal with a bread & olives platter, Cluck ’n Duck wings with Scotch Bonner BBQ glaze and blue cheese dressing, and Wild Atlantic Scallops served with lobster prosecco sauce, peas, crispy pancetta and straw fries. The wings and scallops were delicious - I love scallops but only ever have them when we go out as they’re so easy to overcook at home, so this was a nice treat. And who knew that duck wings with chilli sauce and blue cheese dressing would match the good old chicken wing!
There are also sharing platters available which we were advised are pretty huge - so if you have a group of people, grab one of the platters to tuck into whilst you wait for your steak.
Now choosing the steaks was probably the hardest part - I am a ‘blue’, when it comes to quality steak I literally have it blue or rare. Which means that my usual cut is a fillet steak. But I decided to try something different this time and went for a T-bone which needed to be medium rare to ensure the fat cooks and melts into the meat (yum!). With every steak, you get parsley butter, seasoned fries, beef tomato, your choice of steak sauce, a wedge of lettuce with your choice of dressing, and the famous Miller & Carter onion loaf - so there’s plenty on your plate. You can also choose other sides - we indulged and shared half a grilled lobster turning our steak into surf & turf. I chose blue cheese and bernaise sauces for my steak; and Liam who opted for ribeye had beef dripping sauce which was delicious.
The steaks were cooked wonderfully - although I missed my blue steak, I really enjoyed my medium rare T-bone and the delicious sauces which came with it. The lobster was a wonderful addition!
We finished the meal with strawberry & prosecco sorbet which was absolutely delicious - sharing a dessert was a good idea too as towards the end I was happily full and ready for a little nap…
What I was pleasantly surprised about at Miller & Carter is the fact that although the steaks are priced as quality steaks would at around £25/£27, they have excellent offers throughout the week which make their meals very affordable for any occasion and perfect for big groups as well as couples looking to get out for a date night.
Miller & Carter also have vegetarian and pescatarian options on the menu so everyone feels included - there is also a gluten free menu available. You also have a wide choice of drinks - from wine and beer, to their signature and classic cocktails!
I really enjoyed the experience at Miller & Carter in Basingstoke and will definitely be back to indulge for lunch or a special dinner (you have the excuse to dress up as the dress code is laidback smart casual/dress to impress!)
Find out more about Miller & Carter - visit their website: Miller & Carter
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