FOOD & DRINK
life
Art of eating at
The Farringford
The Farringford Hotel has
introduced café society to West
Wight. May 23rd saw the great
and the good in the art world
turn out to celebrate a facility
new to that part of the Island.
Set in the beautiful grounds
of the main hotel, the Garden
Restaurant’s plain furnishings
and permanent rolling art
exhibition complement its
simple but stylish menu. A
group of four artists known
as Rostrum 4 have set the bar
extremely high for subsequent
exhibitors. There is seemingly
a style of art to go with
when you choose to eat:
the restaurant is open from
11am-11pm.
At the entrance is art for
daytime: you have on one side
Judes Crow’s mix of witty and
thought-provoking images
in muted garden shades, and
Gerry Prices’s
breezy images
of charming
seaside
innocence.
Further
in, Annik
Culinane’s
moody
landscapes
in felt and
pastels resonate with the
early evening, and finally
Mary Flynn’s dramatic fabric
hangings add to the coffee and
brandy atmosphere suggested
by the sofas and brousable
books at the back. All the
work is for sale.
Thursday nights at the
Garden Restaurant will be
barbeque night, to the sound
of La Banda Martinez, and
Tuesdays will be curry night.
Andre, the manager, is
confident of success. “Once
people hear about our amazing
value light lunches with us
they’ll keep coming back: filled
paninis or jacket potatoes
come with a glass of beer or
wine or a soft drink, for just
£5.” He adds: “I don’t mind if
they use the pool, as long as
they’ve had something to eat.”
www.wightfrog.com/islandlife
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