SEAVIEW, in winter, is supposedly a ghost town, but not if you visit The Old Fort.

The pub was a delightful haven; cosy and welcoming in the refurbished restaurant.

The menu was a roster of gastropub classics with a slight seafood bias. On the specials board were a handful of more adventurous items, and from there we chose all our dishes.

A baked camembert starter came with a good supply of heated bread chunks, plus a teeny pot of cranberry sauce.

Isle of Wight County Press: The baked camembert starter.The baked camembert starter.

Simple to the point of austerity, it didn't even have the customary sprig of rosemary or drizzle of honey but was nonetheless a warming and satisfying dish to start with - and enough to share.

Next, a confit duck leg, served on a fresh patty of spring onion mash with red cabbage and a slathering of rich, sweet plum sauce.

This was excellent: a really soft, moist leg of duck, with crispy skin that fell apart as it was doused in the fruit condiment.

Isle of Wight County Press: The confit duck was very tasty.The confit duck was very tasty.

Moules mariniere (main image, top), served with fries, wafted a delicious aroma as it arrived, steaming, on the table. The rich white wine sauce was perfect when scooped up with the shells of the tasty molluscs. Inside each shell, a sweet, moist morsel awaited - no rubbery remnants here.

Chocolate fondant with Baileys caramel and raspberry sorbet was a cleverly constructed item that was not only a delight to the eye but also to the tongue.

A cheeky little assemblage of fresh fruit included blackberry, raspberry, physalis and more. The solid fondant cracked open beneath our eager forks and drooled forth its hot, chocolatey cargo.

The sorbet was intensely fruity and not at all sweet, the
extraordinary amount of fresh raspberry packed into it made it a magnificent accompaniment to the fondant.

Isle of Wight County Press: Expect delightful desserts too!Expect delightful desserts too!

People in Seaview know what they like. And what they like is a good quality, straightforward meal, with nothing too exotic or adventurous to worry about.

If it can be served in a comfortable place where a few kids and dogs can wander about, so much the better.

They don't mind paying a sensible price for this, so long as there's some decent service to go with it.

The Old Fort delivers this ideal to perfection, and we had a thoroughly enjoyable meal there.

MATT & CAT'S BILL
Baked camembert £10
Moules and fries £16
Side salad £3
Confit duck £17
Fondant £7

TOTAL: £53

RATING: Three stars. A decent place that we’d recommend.

CONTACT DETAILS:

The Old Fort, Esplanade, Seaview, Isle of Wight, PO34 5HB.

T: 01983 612363

W: theoldfortseaview.co.uk

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