FRESH fish, a sea view and a cosy atmosphere were the requirements put to me for a restaurant suggestion and I’m pleased to say the Cove House Inn fulfilled them all.

My fussy visitors are from the Midlands, so seaside dining, along with ice creams and paddling in the sea are musts.

We were all surprised by how busy the place was on a Thursday night but a friendly waitress invited us to take a seat at the bar and have some drinks while we waited for a table, which gave us time to ponder over the tasty-sounding specials.

There’s a decent selection of the usual pub-food on the menu, but it’s the specials board where the inn really comes into its own.

Sea bass, scallops, prawns and a seafood tapas are added into the mix and it makes for a very difficult decision. My brother, in a fit of indecision, asked for a recommendation, and was given some helpful advice from our waitress.

As we took our table, a folk band struck up in the corner, adding to the atmosphere.

It could so easily have been loud enough to drown out conversation, but the lively musicians managed to hit the perfect volume, and our talk was given a lilting background of sea shanties.

With the pictures of shipwrecks on the walls, it was easy to imagine we had slipped back a couple of centuries, and our experience only got better when the food arrived. My sea bass was whole, and fell from the bone at the touch of a fork.

The vegetables were crispy and sweet, and my only complaint was that I had to eat the chips first to create enough room on the plate to put the skin and bones.

My brother went for the tapas, which he said was ‘delicious’ and came with fresh Portland crab, tempura prawns, smoked salmon and whitebait. He has a large appetite, and I wondered if he would be left peckish, but he seemed satisfied.

Our companion went for the fish pie from the main menu, which she said was better than her mum’s – true praise indeed.

The Cove House Inn serves ‘proper’ fish and seafood at fair prices, with a nice selection of meat and vegetable options and a few dishes to satisfy the fussy fish eaters, as in those who would rather their dinner wasn’t looking at them while they eat it.

It’s a versatile pub restaurant with friendly staff, a warm welcome and good food.

The Covehouse Inn, Chiswell, Portland.

Tel: 01305 820895

This is an independent review by a reporter without the cooperation of the establishment.