The beautiful rooftop destination bar, kitchen and club features floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Solent complete with a terrace with outdoor fire pits making it the perfect location for drinks with friends or lunch with family which is exactly how we found ourselves there one Friday afternoon.
The first thing you spot as you walk in is the oh so beautiful installation that adorns the ceiling within the lounge area of HarBar on 6th. Created by botanical masterminds, Twilight Trees, the beautiful pop-up was designed to resemble an enchanting woodland setting evoking the beauty of the nearby New Forest.
To accompany the stunning Autumnal pop-up is a limited-edition cocktail menu crafted by HarBar on 6th's expert mixologists in collaboration with The Isle of Wight Distillery. It features Mermaid Gin, a smooth, elegant and complex gin made with locally foraged rock samphire and Boadicea hops; Mermaid Vodka with a salty edge; and HMS Victory-branded Navy Strength Barrel-aged Gin and Rum, incorporating real oak from the famous warship in a unique and exclusive partnership with the National Museum of the Royal Navy.
My cocktail of choice was the Mermaid Pink Gin - a delicious blend of Mermaid Pink Gin, Fever-Tree Light Tonic Water, blackberry, orange peel and nutmeg. It was such a great blend of flavours that I'm going to try and re-create it at home.
The main reason we were there was for the food and with HarBar on 6th's new menu being crammed full of harvest flavours, it perfectly encapsulates the best of British Autumn. It features succulent dishes such as Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce & Pecans, Chicken Gnocchi with Mushroom, Spinach & Sage Pesto and Duck Confit with Maple Mustard Waffle as well as an equally tantalising dessert menu that includes a Dark Chocolate & Nutella Torte, a Lemon Meringue Pie, and Rum Roasted Pineapple with Vegan Coconut Ice Cream.
With the sun streaming through the windows and catching the leaves with the most perfect light we selected starters of Smoked Salmon and Horseradish Cream and Burratta with sundried tomatoes, pine nuts and pesto. The mix of flavours was great and the portions were generous especially for a starter.
Our main meals are what stole the show, so much so that we're still talking about the Chicken Gnocchi with Mushroom, Spinach & Sage Pesto! The gnocchi dish was oh so succulent, bursting full of flavour and was probably the best gnocchi I've eaten in some time - my husband had food envy and as the portion was so large I did end up sharing some with him.
His dish of choice was the Duck Confit with Maple Mustard Waffle which looked and smelt delicious. The duck was perfectly cooked and the mix of sweet and savoury pairings complemented each other really well. It seemed unusual but it is something I would try in future.
We snuck in some truffle fries on the side too - we always order them when we eat at HarBar on 6th!
Somehow we fitted in dessert - more so because we had spotted what was on the menu and couldn't resist trying the sweet dishes for ourselves. We ordered Dark Chocolate & Nutella Torte and Lemon Meringue Pie, both as succulent as they sound. The lemon meringue had just the right amount of zing while the chocolate torta was so deliciously rich and full of flavour.
They were worth every bite!
We had such an enjoyable afternoon, I didn't want it to end and I can't wait to go back again, seemingly my husband feels the same as he keeps mentioning that gnocchi! It's becoming one of my favourite places to visit at the moment and any menu that comes with a side of Mermaid Gin gets my vote.
The HarBar on 6th Autumn menu is available to book online or by calling 0238 110 3888.
