Waterfront Restaurant - Oban

'From the pier to the pan….as fast as we can!' was the original motto of this fish restaurant on the first floor of a former seaman's mission overlooking Oban Bay. New owners have taken the clarion call on board, with the help of long-serving chef Alex Needham (who also manages the place).

Lunch and early-evening menus (5.30 – 6.45pm) offers a no-nonsense assortment of dishes including mussels with fries, fish pie and local sole in crispy batter. Things move up a gear in the evening, when the kitchen gets to work on pan-fried scallops with beetroot risotto, fillet of sea bass with shellfish minestrone or breadcrumbed cod fillet on Mediterranean vegetables; added to this is a chalkboard of daily specials reflecting what the owners' boats have landed. There are steaks for carnivores and a handful of desserts such as steamed chocolate pudding or crème brûlée to close the show.

A new seafood bar below stairs provides food throughout the day – everything from soup and salads to grills, pasta and homemade pies. Reasonably priced, fish-friendly wines round off the package.