Review on The Seahorse Restaurant
The Seahorse Restaurant Dartmouth opened in April 2008 and is idyllically situated on the banks of the River Dart, overlooking the mesmerizing marine scene of boats to-ing and fro-ing on the estuary. It is part of the burgeoning stable of restaurants owned by Mitch Tonks, famed for his reputation with seafood, who also supplies many of the country's leading hotels and private households from his top end wholesale fish business. The bright and airy restaurant has an elegant décor with its comfy mustard studded banquettes set against dark wood tables and chairs, overlooked by the open kitchen.
Given the location it isn't surprising that ultra-fresh seafood is the main ingredients on the daily-changing menus. Simplicity is the kitchen's hallmark and the fish is cooked over an aromatic charcoal fire. To start there might be scallops from Lyme Bay roasted in their shell with garlic and white port or cuttlefish in ink sauce with polenta, followed by mains of brill roasted on the bone with brown shrimps and sage or skate fried in breadcrumbs with tartare sauce. Carnivores are not forgotten, much of the meat that is supplied to the restaurant is reared on nearby Dartmoor and the South Hams, witness beef cheek braised in Chianti with polenta and parsley. While desserts offer satisfaction as in rice pudding with roasted plums or an Italian style cheesecake with Irish whiskey and cream, or you might prefer to choose a selection of seasonal cheeses from their La Fromagerie.
The extensive wine list of over 160 bottles put together with their friend and wine buyer, Tim McLaughlin-Green is a delight and offers a concise description for each reference. Each day four or five bottles are selected from the list and are available by the glass, in order that you may experience their selection. There is also the odd bottle of rarities that they have bought at auction with a very small markup, giving you the opportunity to try a wine not available elsewhere at a reasonable price.
Look out for regular celebrity chef guest nights, with many of Mitch's friends joining him in the kitchen, such as Nathan Outlaw, Mark Hix, Fergus Henderson, Gregg Wallace, Joyce Molyneaux, Matt Dawson and Rick Stein amongst them. There are music nights, friend and musician Mark Ely regularly plays a fantastic live acoustic set of some of his songs and a few covers in the dining room. Diners that need transporting across the river or get back to their boats can take advantage of the Seahorse's courtesy launch, Pearlfisher, which operates during the summer months.
The Seahorse Restaurant is also featured in: Michelin Guide, Good Food Guide, Hardens, AA Guide
Rate this RestaurantCuisine
Seafood / Modern British
Chef
Jake Bridgwood
Restaurant Opening Times
Lunch: 12.00 - 3.00pm Wed-Sat, 12.30 - 2.30pm Sun
Dinner: 6.00 - 10.00pm Tue-Sat
Accepted credit cards
Visa, Master Card
