IF you want a restaurant for all seasons use your loaf and visit The Old Granary on Wareham’s Quay.

On a bleak night in mid-winter it’s a great place to cosy-up in the warm. And it’s the perfect venue for a romantic Valentine’s meal if you haven’t booked yet.

The subtle lighting and attractive décor offer the perfect setting for a great night out, as I discovered when I took my wife and son there last week.

We began our meal with a varied platter of gorgeous focaccia and olive breads served with dipping oil or unsalted butter. It was the ideal starter for a ravenous trio.

For my main I picked a big favourite, monkfish. The moist, chunky roll of fish, wrapped in a snug salty blanket of Parma ham, was simply the best monkfish I’ve tasted.

I picked some super thin French fries to accompany it… delicious.

My wife went for a chilli prawn linguine, which wasn’t as spicy as the name suggests, but this was more than compensated for by a side order of bright, crisp pepper leaf salad.

My eight-year-old son rejected the more traditional children’s selections and went for the mezze board. This was served with beautifully fresh carrots, vegetables and pitta breads. He wolfed down the lot and then nabbed a few of my fries.

We washed down the meal with a fruity rosy Pinot Grigio, which was delicious, if a little warm.

Having feasted on bread and our superb mains we hadn’t much room for puddings.

But my son and I managed to tuck away a lovely chocolate brownie with Purbeck vanilla ice cream.

My only criticism would be the speed of service.

There were only two tables taken and yet we had to wait a long time to be served. But the food quality and the setting are well worth the wait.

The bill came to £46.25.