TUCKED away by the Nothe Fort is a hidden gem of a family restaurant.

The Nothe Tavern is situated near the historic Weymouth fort and offers an old fashioned family restaurant and pub experience.

The interior is lined with old pictures, mirrors and inked drawings, so if you are looking for modern and contemporary it might not be your thing.

Also best to avoid the place if you like tiny gourmet fiddly food, the portions here are hearty, and the menu is full of English favourites like fish and chips, pies and roasts.

All the food I have tried has been freshly prepared and healthy.

There are daily specials and the menu changes fairly regularly.

It is one of my regular favourite places to eat in the evening after a walk around the fort and the surrounding harbour.

The atmosphere is always friendly, as are the staff, but they allow you time and space to make and enjoy your food choices without fussing over you too much.

So on one of the many grey and overcast Sunday evenings recently, my friend and I ensconced ourselves in a corner with a pint.

If there is a downside to the Nothe Tavern it is that on a Sunday you should always book.

The place gets very busy – testament to just how good the food is.

So we ended up on a small table by the door leading through to the toilet.

Despite the packed restaurant the service was excellent. A waitress came to take our drinks and food order and we waited less than 15 minutes for food, which in my opinion was fantastic.

When your food arrives you will see why the place is normally packed. My friend went for the beef and stilton pie and I opted for the fisherman’s pie.

Sometimes with a fisherman’s pie you get a few prawns and a bit of cod swamped in sauce – but not at the Nothe.

My pie was filled with big prawns, salmon, cod and topped with creamy mash and cheese.

My friend’s pie had big chunks of beef in, with not a hint of any grisly pieces.

If pies don’t float your boat there are lots of other options including fish, pasta, steak and vegetarian options.

They also do some great fish cakes and butterfly prawns with sweet chilli dip for starters.

We washed down the pies with pints of Thatcher’s Gold cider and Guinness, although they do have a good selection of wines, beers and lager too, both on tap and bottled.

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