Restaurant of the month
One of the West Country's most eagerly awaited new eateries finally opens its doors this month - and it looks set to be a huge success. Situated on the picturesque waterfront in Dartmouth, the Seahorse is a joint project between award-winning restaurateur, food writer and chef, Mitch Tonks, and two of his best friends: musician Mark Eli and chef Mat Prowse, who's worked with Mitch on all 13 of his previous restaurant openings.
So what's on the menu? Well, given Mitch's success as the founder of the FishWorks chain, you probably won't be too surprised to learn that seafood is among the Seahorse's specialities - much of it sourced from nearby Brixham.
But it's not all about fish: Mitch and the team are also keen to make the most of other local produce, including fresh meats, cheeses, vegetables, olives and rapeseed oils. Some sample dishes to whet your appetite? Starters include Dartmouth crab, dressed to order - then you can feast on a plate of local fried seafood, a cutlet of English veal with anchovy and parsley, or chicken livers wrapped in sage and grilled over a wood-burning fire.
And as you'd expect, much care and attention has been put into drawing up the wine list. Wines were chosen by leading London sommelier Tim McLaughlin-Green - many of them sourced directly from celebrated vineyards such as the Braida Estate in Piedmont, Italy.
'Sourcing and cooking great food that makes people happy is so utterly satisfying,' says Mitch. 'The south-west coast is such a fantastic place to live. I love it here, and we're looking forward to running a real local restaurant that will also be a great place for visitors to eat good food.'
The Seahorse is open for lunch and dinner from Wednesday to Saturday, as well as for Sunday lunch. For more information, call 01803 835147 or go to www.seahorserestaurant.co.uk.
