POOLE'S popular Loch Fyne Restaurant & Bar is an impressive New England colonial-style clapper board building in Canford Cliffs village.

But Loch Fyne isn't just any restaurant, however. It's part of an upscale chain that actively promotes the use of sustainable fresh food, using responsibly farmed fish and is famous for its oysters and organic smoked salmon.

With many popular species under pressure from overfishing, it has introduced some less well-known varieties over the years such as pollack and hake, all sustainable and abundant in British waters.

Earlier this year it closed for a makeover, so we were curious to see the results of its renovation. When we called in on a mid-week evening in early September, it was already buzzing. We noticed that the bar area has been extended and the interior has been updated and feels cosier. There is also a new range of nibbles, bar snacks and cocktails.

Unlike some restaurants that specialise in seafood, Loch Fyne isn't eye-wateringly expensive and the portions are generous.

There are various special offers throughout the week including a Friday date night deal from 5pm where two people can dine on steak or lobster thermidor with wine for £49.

If you prefer to eat meat, the company has a number of dishes featuring rib-eye steaks and slow-cooked pork belly for example as well as vegan and vegetarian dishes such as Roasted Spicy Cauliflower & Butternut Squash Goan Curry with wilted spinach, toasted coconut with basmati rice.

Most of the global wine list is available by the glass, with a good selection of fish-friendly pours.

While we were mulling over the menu, we shared some halloumi fries (£4.25) from the Nibbles section, lightly grilled slices served with a pot of fragrant chimchurri in red wine vinegar and ordered a bottle of Chapelle Des Penitents Picpoul de Pinet.

The Fishmongers section included delicacies such as pollack fillet, Yellowfin tuna steak, whole seabass, plaice, turbot and mackerel which can be pan fried, grilled or steamed and served with a butter or sauce and two sides of your choice.

For mains there was a choice of exquisite sounding fish feasts such as the Seafood Mixed Grill (£29.95), Scottish salmon, Scottish king scallops, Manila clams, squid, seabass fillet, samphire, wilted spinach, lobster butter and sautéed new potatoes.

For starters I ordered Scottish King Scallops (£10.95) which were served with a cauliflower puree and crispy chorizo which was a perfect balance of texture and flavours, the smokiness of the chorizo enhanced rather than over-powered the delicate flavour of the scallops.

My daughter had the Loch Fyne Smoked Haddock Fishcakes (£6.50) made with creamed mustard, leeks and lemon oil.

When it came to the mains, I was tempted to try the Goan Seafood Curry (£15.95) a combination of pollack, hake, king prawns, wilted spinach, toasted coconut and basmati rice, until we were shown the specials board which featured pan-fried Scottish salmon supreme (£23.50).

This was a light, elegant dish, the salmon was tender and fresh and served with an avocado puree and a crab salad with a chilli and coriander dressing. I also ordered a side of dish of buttered new potatoes (£3.50) to share. My husband opted for one of the more traditional dishes, Fish & Chips, battered loin of cod and twice cooked chips (£15.25) served with tartare sauce and mushy peas.

To round off the meal I ordered a Popcorn Sundae (£5.50), ice cream topped with a good smattering of popcorn and salted caramel sauce which was a bit of a novelty. My husband polished off Warm Apple Tart (£5.75) with Amore Di Gelato vanilla ice cream and my daughter had a couple of scoops of chocolate and walnut ice cream (£1.95).

This is a restaurant that has stood the test of time, known for offering consistently good quality food and service, and always worth a visit for a special occasion.

Loch Fyne

Haven Rd, Poole

01202 609000

lochfyneseafoodandgrill.co.uk