Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant, Sandbanks

Our children very kindly gave us gift vouchers for Christmas to eat at the new Rick Stein's restaurant in Sandbanks.

This is a real seafood experience by the sea so we allowed time to enjoy a stroll before our lunch.

We requested a seaview table and were given a lovely table, where we both had a spectacular view of Poole harbour, on an equally impressive sunny but windy day.  Lots of happy people enjoying fabulous food and wonderful service - not at all pretentious.

OK it's Rick Stein's restaurant in one of the priciest bits of real estate in the country, so don't expect to pay peanuts but we thought the set lunch of three courses at £25 very good value indeed.  (Monday to Friday 12 - 3).  Although you do have to pay £3.50 extra for vegetables, which you need, and the price of a glass of wine may be a bit of a surprise for some.

The food was delicious and the staff attentive.

I chose for starters:-

Amritsari Fish with Kachumber salad and green chilli chutney

and Phil - Moules Mariniere with cream, garlic and parsley.

(Emmie also wanted Moules and rice pudding, chosen from the menu, for her tea after school - we were doing grandparenting duty that evening).

And for mains:-

Meen Kulambu
Fragrant cod curry from southern India served with basmati rice.

(Check out the curry spoon.  In all my travels I have never seen one before - it's to drain the sauce if you have too much).

and Phil - Megrim Sole Alla Carlina
a Venetian recipe of pan fried megrim sole fillets with a sauce of tomatoes and capers.

I must apologise - these photos were taken after we had eaten some.  So good we couldn't wait!!!!

and for dessert we both had

Marmalade Cheesecake
with blood orange granite.

Well done Rick, it was all wonderful.

Thank you so much for the very generous gift vouchers, we will return, especially as we have some money left on our cards.