In expanding his maritime empire here, Rick Stein has bagged a beautiful spot: the formal first-floor dining room overlooks Sandbanks bay near Bournemouth, the view getting top billing thanks to bright but restrained furnishings. Quality is evident throughout, from a gleaming semi-open kitchen to the on-point staff, but the relaxed ground-floor dining room and bar means the venue is not just for special occasions – passers-by can drop in for coffee. This being Stein, the menu focuses on fish and seafood, dressed in international flavours: think Loch Duart salmon with ponzu and pink grapefruit; delicately fried plaice smothered in tangy Venetian-style tomato and caper sauce; or creamy, gently spiced Indonesian seafood curry with plump prawns, squid and sea bass. Meat dishes are similarly globetrotting, but the surf triumphs, best matched by English sparklers – from a thoughtfully annotated wine list. Prices equal London’s, but you won’t find such views in the capital.