Review: Hampshire country pub Rising Sun Colden Common new menu launch

And not just any food, the kind that makes you feel like you’re in a fancy city restaurant while siting in the comfort of your local.

The Rising Sun, in Colden Common, has been given a new lease of life since the new owner, who lives round the corner, took over.

I’ve lived in the village for just over a year and a half now and the transformation of the pub is working wonders. New green paint and furniture have given the restaurant area the face lift it needed, with the space previously feeling a bit more like a tearoom.

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The menu (Image: Adele Bouchard)

My partner and I particularly liked the light fixtures which looked like they were made from old pipes. Meanwhile, on the drinking side of the pub, there are social staples like a pool table and darts board. Every time I drive past the window by the pool table it always seems to be being used too which is great to see.

Visiting on a Wednesday night, we were expecting it to be relatively quiet but there was a constant flow of happy customers coming in to try the new menu. The staff were wonderfully attentive without constantly buzzing around while we were eating.

Ready to dig in (Image: Adele Bouchard)

I opted for the Morrocan vegetable tagine, made with sweet potato and cous cous, and it was a real winter warmer. There was a great selection of hearty veg with a subtle heat to it, which was the perfect feel-good meal after a long day at work.

My boyfriend chose the teriyaki hanging chicken kebab, which was spectacular just to look at let alone eat. It’s the kind of dish you’d expect at a Brazilian grill, not your village pub next door. It came with a generous portion of chips (enough for me to slyly steal some), salad and slaw.

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Pleased with his choice (Image: Adele Bouchard)

Looking around the room it seemed like some of the regulars had come in to give the menu a try for the first time and were dazzled by the hanging kebab too. I did fear for the waiters though who had the tricky task of carrying the swinging chicken from the kitchen to the tables.

If this all wasn’t enough, we also got the Thai spiced fish bites to start, which were just divine. They weren’t like your normal breaded appetisers, the texture of the crust, mixed with the spice and the mint yogurt was heaven and especially good to keep us going while we waited for our mains.

Thai spiced fish bites (Image: Adele Bouchard)

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We couldn’t resist trying the onion rings either, which I kid you not – were the biggest, crispiest onion rings I’ve ever had and in the best way.

We were absolutely stuffed from all the savoury goodness so had to turn down dessert. However, my strawberry lemonade – with a strawberry on the side which made it feel like a classy cocktail – and my boyfriend’s fruity fusion passion fruit and orange drink went down a treat.

It’s lovely to see how welcoming to feedback the staff are too, even signs in the bathroom encourage emails and messages for any suggestions. As a proper local pub, the new manager has gone about reviving it in exactly the right way, keeping customers in the loop at every stage and maintaining the community favourites like the meat draw and the quiz.

The bill came to just under £50 for everything. The main menu is available Wednesday to Saturday from midday to 8pm and the Sunday menu is available from midday until 5pm. For more information go to therisingsun.uk/.