Coco Rio, Southampton

1:54pm Friday 11th April 2008

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I RAVED about Coco Rio, a wonderful Latin influenced restaurant with a friendly atmosphere and great food, when it first opened around 18 months ago.

Since then I have been a fairly regular diner. It's the place we often choose to take visiting friends who now insist on a meal there each time they're in town. It's the place we chose for my partner's 30th birthday banquet late last year and it's the place I often recommend if asked where to dine in Southampton.

Basically it's our favourite restaurant. But we hadn't visited in a while and thought it was time to given the place another go.

Despite being just a two-minute stroll from lively Bedford Place, Coco Rio is tucked away on Upper Bannister Street. But regulars have obviously been trumpeting about the restaurant as much as me as there's always a good buzz inside and it's rarely quiet.

Head chef and co-owner Ian Baker has done wonders with an imaginative menu with an Afro Latino twist.

His excellent choices are heavily influenced by the finest fresh cuisine on offer from the Cape to Rio.

It's a family affair with Ian's mum Debbie Kruit the smiling face running the front of house. You can find Debbie's husband Martin entertaining diners with his fantastic acoustic repertoire of Latin and Jazz music.

Thankfully my favourites remained on an ever-changing menu so I opted to share the Chargrilled Halloumi Cheese with pineapple salsa and the Malawi Spiced Chicken skewers with a macadamia nut satay with a friend.

Both were fantastic, and wonderfully fitting dips to accompany each dish are the perfect finishing touch.

My old favourite the Botswana Fillet Steak with a fresh peppercorn sauce, hand cut chips and roasted vegetables followed soon after.

I would go as far as saying these are the best steaks I have ever tasted, always cooked to perfection to my exact medium rare liking and again with the perfect accompaniments.

My companions were particularly enamoured with the Chermoulla Roasted Loin of Lamb and a fairly new addition to the menu a simple Spicy Beef Chilli.

If you're feeling a little more adventurous, the menu also features crocodile and kangaroo, or a giant mixed grill, if you're feeling really brave.

A meal for five, including wine, plus a memorable night of music and conversation, came to under £150.

■ Coco Rio Restaurant, 18a Upper Banister Street, Southampton, SO15 2EF. Tel: 023 8022 7700 Web: cocorio.co.uk