PENARTH
Mediterraneo
a taste of the Med in the Vale

Mediterraneo's location on Penarth seafront, overlooking the beach, with views across the water to Somerset, is one that many restaurateurs would covet. I've had lunch there several times over the last year but had never ventured in for dinner.

My visit this time was prompted by a recommendation from a friend who'd eaten there recently and enjoyed it greatly, so a table was duly booked.

I have to say, I like the building. It's a little quirky inside, but it works. On arrival, we were welcomed by friendly staff (as always) and shown to our table upstairs. At this point I should mention that they have a rather clever wireless waiter call system. If you need service you simply press the button on the table. After a busy week, neither my wife nor I were in the mood to rid the planet of its wine stock so we wimped out with a couple of glasses of Prosecco and soaked up the view.

Initially I wasn't going to order a starter, but was easily persuaded and my decision was rewarded with a beautiful cured beef starter that, I have to say, was superb and would have made an excellent light lunch with some lovely fresh bread all on its own.

Talking about bread, we weren't offered any straight away as is the norm elsewhere but when it did arrive it was beautifully fresh. My wife tucked in to five big juicy prawns in a spicy chilli sauce which was very good indeed (I did have to try one after all!). Our young son doesn't eat a huge amount so he chose a small bowl of mussels and dipped his bread into the liquor which he really enjoyed.

As we waited for our mains we were chatting about the ambience. It's very pleasant upstairs as they've resisted the temptation to cram as many tables in as possible and, as it became busier, the room developed a nice atmosphere. We sat sipping our Prosecco watching the boats and ships gliding up and down the Bristol channel. Bliss.



Our mains arrived and we tucked in. I had chosen hake with a cream and baby prawn and crayfish sauce and my wife had chosen sea bass with white wine, lemon, green peppercorn and rosemary. Both pieces of fish were perfectly cooked and they were both good size portions. Both dishes tasted wonderful but (and I did mention this to the waiter), there was too much sauce. These were two beautifully cooked pieces of fish and just didn't warrant the quantity of sauce.

Personally, I'd have preferred a smaller amount over the fish and a serving jug to the side if I'd wanted more. It wasn't a major issue - just an observation. The mains were accompanied by some oven baked small potatoes and some nicely al dente green beans.

We rounded off our meals with some desserts. For me, a classic tiramisu which was excellent and for my wife, after deliberating for several minutes, she chose the crème brûlée which was exceptionally creamy - bang goes the diet yet again!

If you like seafront dining, then you'll love Mediterraneo. If you like Mediterranean style food, you'll love it too. It's a great place for dinner and, equally good for lunch. Just remember to book - it always seems busy and deservedly so.

Mediterraneo at The Boat House The Esplanade, Penarth CF64 3AU 029 2070 3428 Open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner www.mediterraneopenarth.com