The Lock Keeper has an enviable waterside location on the marina at Portishead once having been the original lock keeper’s cottage it was converted to a restaurant during the marina’s redevelopment in 2008. Inside the décor is most charming, the muted and rather nautical colour scheme of grey blues and warm terracotta leather seating contrasts well with the floor to ceiling windows affording maximum opportunity to admire the panoply of twinkling lights across the water.

That rare thing good service is alive and well here, we were greeted with happy smiles, our coats taken at once and shown to a nice intimate table for two. The menu also leans towards the nautical, featuring oysters, mussels and Brixham sea bass but with plenty of other choices for non-pescatarians. A basket of bouncy fresh bread plus butter was brought to the table while we perused the menu which was a nice touch and then we began our difficult choice. To start we chose baked camembert and rosemary, with toasted bread and pickles and pan fried black pudding with caramelised apples, crispy bacon and calvados jus with dressed leaves. Much to my surprise him indoors went off piste away from the steak and as a main course took breast of chicken with woodland mushrooms, thyme cream sauce, savoy cabbage and carrot and garlic butter. This was my first choice too but then I decided on fillet of Brixham sea bass with celeriac purèe, griddled fennel and lemon and caper cream sauce.

The starters arrived looking magnificent, particularly the black pudding was which arranged in a tower, layered with the apples and topped with the slices of bacon. Both were absolutely delicious and portions were generous to say the least. The wine list is a tad pricey but plenty are offered by the glass and we had a carafe of white with the starter, and red with the main at £6.20 each which was good and very reasonable.

The main courses were delivered after a reassuring break, the only small problem being that the sea bass had come in fancy dress as salmon. Apparently a lapse in communication led the kitchen to keep this substitution to themselves but I forgave them as the dish looked really lovely, and I was right: it proved excellent, the salmon cooked to perfection and the lemon and caper sauce had just enough bite to stop it from being too rich. From the other side of the table, the chicken was voted first class, although he did pinch my chips!

We had a lovely evening and enjoyed our meal very much; the restaurant certainly deserves to do well and seems already to have conquered the local market.

Jacquie Vowles