Wildwood, Whiteley | Restaurant review

We are signed up members of all the local gossip groups, cough, sorry, we mean serious certified residents’ Facebook pages.

When the jungle drums started bonging about Wildwood in Whiteley the other week, it brought the venue to the top of Dish Detective’s mind.

One diner had posted their experiences in our strange Covid world, in particular their view about an apparent large group dining together – and staff had posted their side of the story. It was all very entertaining. He said, she said, you get the picture.

It turns out the large group were sticking to the rules, as was the restaurant, despite it not first appearing that it was.

Anyway, we thought the best way to settle this would be to visit ourselves.

So one quiet Sunday, pre-lockdown #2, we duly followed the process required and booked a table online. We realise that gone are the days of simply turning up anywhere – and knowing that our dining companion was going to be a rather hotheaded three-year-old, there was no way Dish Detective was risking turning up anywhere and being told that there was no room at the inn.

It’s true what they say about three-year-olds and their tantrums, or should we say threenagers, and there’s no room for setbacks on day trips out.

The online booking process was easy, and as we were running to a threenager’s schedule post-clock change (pass me another coffee please) we booked in for the very second the place opened – midday.In a rare event, we turned up at Whiteley Shopping Centre early, got parked easily and that gave us enough time to nip into a few shops, picking up a few treats.

We were still a few minutes early as we got to the doors, passing the already large queue forming at first-come, first-served Nando’s and walking past the forlorn-looking empty units that until recently housed Pizza Express and Coast.

Wildwood was welcoming, we were the first customers, and we were shown to a booth. We weren’t alone for long, as a steady procession of other pre-booked customers came after, all shown to their tables which are sparsely socially distanced across the large venue. No sign of any social bubble breaches today Facebook.

Last time Dish Detective visited we were a bit critical of the play room and its cleanliness. In this Covid world we were pleased – but also a little saddened – to see this cordoned off. There’s no room for broken toys in today’s climate.

The inevitable several trips to the loo with our young guest meant we had ample opportunity to check out the venue’s cleanliness, and we are happy to say the place is spotless. There’s hand sanitiser outside the toilet entrance/exit too.

The trips to the loo meant we could also check out the chefs, in the open kitchen, who all looked spotless and were clearly working hard to maintain such a high level of cleanliness. The large pizza oven was also a spectacular sight, and we enjoyed watching a few pizzas enter the furnace.

Anyway, back to the food, we picked Wildwood as past experience has told us that it’s especially good for kids – and today was no different.

An excellent kids’ menu, clearly written by someone with experience of satisfying sprogs, at a reasonable price.

We ordered the sausage, chips and peas, served on a monster shaped plate, which came with a raspberry lemonade drink (duly knocked over, but then kindly replaced by the friendly waiter without quibble), and an ice lolly. Two courses and a drink for £6.75.

It’s basic kid food, but a winning combination tried and tested over many years of parenting, and it was eaten without question – phew. Wildwood, you winner.

With the most important person on the planet satisfied with his sausage, that left room for Dish Detective to enjoy some nosh. We opt for the vegan pizza, the Primavera, and it’s huge, delicious and brilliant.Vegan cheese can sometimes be a bit like rubber, but it’s cooked just right on this pizza, and the veg – aubergines, artichokes, peppers, olives and rocket – plus pesto provides a lovely taste (£11.95).

As we can’t go for one of Wildwood’s cocktails – we are off to the soft play next door at Rock Up after and that requires full levels of concentration – we go for a passionfruit lemonade instead (£2.75). It’s sweet, a mix of R White’s Lemonade and passion fruit puree, a nice treat.

After our lunch, while our guest tucks into his ice lolly, we order a coffee – sadly after such a wonderful vegan pizza, one of an array of vegan dishes on offer, there are no non-dairy milk alternatives so we are forced into a double espresso (£2.60). Well, I suppose we are going to softplay after clock change with a toddler…

All in all, Wildwood made us feel safe, the staff were friendly, and two dined in for under £25 so not bad on the pocket either.

We’d be happy to return there with our precious mini-me once they reopen.

Let’s hope that four weeks is just four weeks and we can sneak in a lunch/shopping trip/softplay before Christmas.

RATINGS (out of five)

Food: 4

Value: 4

Ambience: 5

Kid friendly: 4