AS A place to be and be seen, Bridport is enjoying something of an extended renaissance at the moment. Locals and out-of-towners are all being drawn to the West Dorset town for its boho chic, regular markets and easy access to the beautiful countryside on its doorstep.

The Beach and Barnicott is a curious, lanky town centre building with Georgian furnishings, a charming, higgledy-piggledy layout over three floors and friendly and efficient staff.

By day it functions as a coffee shop and lunchtime bolthole while in the evenings it hosts live music events and offers dining to exacting, yet reasonably priced, restaurant standards.

We decided to head there for a semi-working lunch and settled in one of the upstairs dining rooms where we could have a good gossip in peace.

Having eaten the best whitebait of all time in a beachfront tavern in Greece – fresh from the sea, lightly but deeply, crisply fried and still steaming (the fish, not me) – I have been on a ceaseless quest to find its match on these shores.

So when I saw it on the menu at the Beach and Barnicott it seemed like the perfect dish for a midweek lunch, simple, tasty and not likely to send me to sleep once back at my desk.

It was a good choice – if not quite reaching the bar sent on the Peloponnese. The fish were lightly battered, not fried, and were pleasingly substantial. They were accompanied by two slices of lemon, a goodly chunk of the freshest white bread and the cucumber and mint dip.

A dish of tangy tartare sauce would, I think, have been a sparkier, livelier addition than the pot of tzatsiki and a small salad would have gone well too, but those gripes aside, the fish hit the spot and made a damn fine lunch.

My companion, a regular at the ‘B&B’ opted for pear and chicory salad with blue cheese and walnuts.

The dish was beautifully presented and looked fresh and delectable, piled high with crisp leaves, dotted with the nuts and cheese and with a few jewel-like pomegranate seeds twinkling under the foliage.

She deemed it a success, although did feel that the type of blue cheese used was a trifle too strong and rode rough-shod over the other tastes.

But all told, we decided that yes, we would recommend both meals and toasted our choices with the crisp, cool wine before heading back to work with a spring in our step.

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

The Bill

Fried whitebait seasoned with lemon and smoked salt with cucumber and mint dip: £5

Pear and chicory salad with walnuts and blue cheese: £6

Portion of French fries: £2.50

2x small Pinot Grigio: £4.80

Total: £18.30

Ratings board

Location: 3/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

Value for money: 4/5

Quality of food: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Comfort: 4/5

Family friendly: 3/5

Menu choice: 3/5

Overall rating: 4/5

Recommend? Yes