Bar + Block Whiteley Restaurant Review

Reviewed by Freya Knudsen

My mum and I had planned to head to Whiteley for a spot of shopping and some food, although there is also a Cineworld Cinema at the complex should a movie take your fancy.

One thing to note on the website, the car park offers 4 hours free parking, but there is an ability to top-up to 6 hours for £2. Something to be aware of if you are thinking of eating as well as shopping or cinema – this is not very well signposted but is a reasonable enough charge for the time.

We arrived at Bar + Block a little early for a 6pm dinner booking and were warmly greeted at the door. We opted to eat outside due to the weather being so lovely, there was plenty of space outside and some much-needed shade. Although, I did pop inside to use the bathrooms, which were clean, and the restaurant felt very covid safe with a one way walking system and good spacing between tables. The décor is a contemporary industrial vibe with mix of wood and metal and felt very apt for a steakhouse.

A waitress came out shortly after being seated to take our drinks order and deliver some tap water and beef dripping popcorn. A nice snack whilst we took in the environment. My mum wanted some wine, and we were recommended a Malbec (which turned out to be great) and I opted for a non-alchoholic cocktail as I was driving. I was not disappointed, the Tiki Moki took me to a tropical paradise. There’s also a really good selection of alcoholic cocktails available at reasonable prices, between £4.20 and £7.99.

We studied the menu, found on large sheets of paper, and there was plenty to choose from. We selected the house sharing block (£13.95) to start consisting of a selection of meat including rosemary and buttermilk chicken goujons, honey and mustard mini sausages, Korean-style BBQ Pork Riblets, flatbread and potato wedges with dips. The portion size for the selection was ideal for 2 people and the Korean-style BBQ pork riblets were a particular highlight of the sharer as the meat came straight off the bone.

For a steakhouse, there was really only one option I could go for as a main, it would be sacrilege not to, although there was also some delicious sounding burgers and tasty grill options as well as a few salads for the angels among us and a couple of fish dishes. The steak option was also customisable, allowing you to select your steak cut, size and how you would prefer it to be cooked as well as sauce, and salad or beef dripping triple-cooked chunky chips or fries. I opted one of their classic 8oz sirloin cuts (£18.95), well done, I know, I know…. That’s not how steak should be eaten! However, it was tender and cooked exactly how I liked it. There is also a good number of sides available to purchase should you want to upgrade your meal. My mum chose the trio of fish (£15.95), described as a trio of baked wild salmon, hake and sea bass cooked over charcoal on a bed of roasted garlic potatoes, green beans, cherry tomatoes and rocket. The fish arrived beautifully presented and my mum reported each fish was cooked to perfection and the green beans importantly remained firm and not all floppy and wet like you can sometimes get when eating out.

Thankfully, whilst I was quite full, I could just about squeeze in a pudding, because let me just say there are some fantastic options on offer and not just one or two, there are 9, so there really is something for everyone.

I have a slight intolerance to dairy and whilst I know they have an alternative menu for dietary requirements, I really fancied the Chocolate Churros Sundae. I mentioned to the waitress if I could just have the dessert but without the vanilla ice cream and she came back soon after to offer me an alternative to cater for this need but still include the churros, triple chocolate brownie chunks and chocolate toffee sauce allowing me to moderate my intake of dairy whilst still enjoying the pudding, this also included a selection of fruits. I really must commend the effort to cater to my requirements and I was never made to feel like it was too much trouble. My mum ordered the same pudding, but without any changes. The churros are an absolute must, you really can’t go wrong with this as a pudding and the sauce accompaniment was a really nice addition, chocolate toffee… much better than a plain chocolate sauce.

I would highly recommend making a visit next time you have a trip to Whiteley, we went on a Saturday early evening and felt that whilst there were cocktails on offer there was a nice mix of couples, families and friends, so a good atmosphere regardless of who you are with. We would go back in a heartbeat to the restaurant. I notice there is also a good number of locations across the country, so chances are there’s a Bar + Block near you.

Rating: 5/5

For more information, please see the Bar + Block website here.

Whiteley Shopping Centre, F7a, Whiteley Wy., Fareham PO15 7PD