The Lighthouse Tea Room, St. Anne?s Road, Southampton.

It was at the suggestion of a friend that Hack ventured up to The Lighthouse Tea Room for Easter Sunday lunch a few weeks ago.

To be honest I harboured reservations, having experienced a very disappointing breakfast there on a previous visit. (One of our party?s only showed up as the rest of us were having our plates cleared.)

Still, it was a glorious day and, regardless of what the meal may be like, the views from the restaurant?s car park are superb. Let?s give it another shot.

Seated at a table with views overlooking the Great Sound, our party of four waited for menus to arrive before realising that menus weren?t necessary ? the kitchen was providing a set Sunday roast and the only decision diners had to make was whether to go for lamb, turkey or both.

Either way, it certainly made ordering a lot simpler, although Hack actually enjoys the process of wading through pages of choices.

Even our drinks were decided for us ? an herbal tea (hibiscus?) fusion with a dollop of lime sherbert.

The jury was split on the drink: some in Hack?s party liked it, some thought bathwater would have been a better alternative. This alone proved that personal tastes can vary considerably.

On to the food. There was a garlic potato soup to begin. OK, if somewhat bland was the verdict.

The main course, surprisingly, carried another mountain of starch: a good portion of the plate being devoted to creamy scalloped potatoes, stuffing and cassava pie.

Double batches of starch in one meal garnered some looks of discomfort from those in our party who are conscious that that levels of carbs will pack on the pounds. Of course, it was Easter Sunday but that actually made the guilt worse, having already gorged on chocolate eggs earlier in the morning.

Weight concerns aside, Hack did think the Lighthouse could have been a bit more versatile in mixing up its veg choices for this special meal. Even the vegetable with the main course ? carrots ? was a disappointment: While thankfully the kitchen was aware that overcooked carrots would have missed the mark, these were crunchy to the point of being raw.

While the carrots could have done with more cooking, the turkey could have done with less, but the lamb was quite palatable.

The Lighthouse?s stuffing ? apple, nuts and breadcrumbs ? was another item on the menu that the party just couldn?t agree on.

Some liked it, but Hack found it too sweet, a bit like having dessert with your main course. And as for the accompanying jug of gravy ? well I don?t know how they did it but the kitchen managed to mix oil and water perfectly ? resulting in something that was watery, greasy and perfectly awful.

The one thing we can say was that dessert was scrumptious (and here you got a choice) ? warm chocolate cake or apple pie, both of which went down a treat.

Previous trips to the Lighthouse have proved the same. It is an excellent spot for a cup of tea (loose tea as it should be) and a rich warm dessert, but the kitchen appears to struggle with anything more ambitious. What we were served was unsatisfying stodge. Disappointing.