TO SAY that Weymouth’s newest high street eatery is all about the food, glorious food is perhaps tautology considering its name is The Dining Room, but let me explain.

The chances of success are heavily weighted against this fine dining restaurant. It’s relatively expensive by Weymouth standards, it’s located smack bang in the centre of town while its closest competitors boast harbour-side views, and it sits among closed-down stores which serve as a harsh reminder of these difficult economic times.

Yet when we visited on a Thursday evening, the restaurant was bustling. The inside is warm and welcoming and unlike some of the other high-end Weymouth eateries, entirely unpretentious.

The maitre d’ is never without a smile and the open kitchen where you can see the chef whisking up his creations is invaluable to the atmosphere.

We were taken to our table and promptly ordered a bottle of prosecco, which was surprisingly good value and a perfect bubbly birthday tipple. Complementary bread was offered alongside a delicious balsamic vinegar and olive oil dip.

The menu is punctuated with Mediterranean and Arabic influences, so it comes as no surprise to learn that the chef-owner is half-Moroccan and grew up in Spain.

To start I chose the grilled goats cheese on tomato toast with chili, coriander, parmesan oil, toasted pine nuts and black olive tapenade. The tangy dressing was a surprising yet perfect accompaniment to the creamy goats cheese, with the olives bringing depth to the dish.

My companion chose chicken and chorizo cassoulet with balsamic reduction and roast garlic potato, which gave me serious food envy. The chorizo was soft and flavoursome, and the potatoes perfectly crisp.

For the main course I went for scallop ravioli with lemon and garlic sautéed Chinese leaf and Thai green butter sauce. My only criticism would be that it left me wanting more. The pasta was perfectly al dente and the Thai green sauce was subtle enough not to overpower the taste of the scallops.

My companion’s main course, the pan roasted pork fillet, apricot and spice stuffing, coconut risotto and glazed bananas, again tantalised my taste buds from afar.

The glazed bananas added the perfect touch of sweetness to strips of succulent pork, with the spicy stuffing adding another dimension.

After such a tantalising glimpse of what the chef was capable of, it was nigh-on impossible to refuse a look at the dessert menu, which featured options such as hot valrhona chocolate fondant, vanilla and lemongrass pannacotta or clotted crème brulee.

However, the main temptress was the fig and Armagnac tart tatin served with local sheep yoghurt parfait and honey roasted almonds, which I can quite honestly say was the best dessert I have ever eaten.

The only downside to the whole experience was my window-facing seat, which gave me uninterrupted views of two closed-down shops and a charity shop. But believe me, food this beautiful is definitely worth following.

This is an independent review by a reporter without the co-operation of the establishment.