With its relaxed yacht club feel, Southampton's Ocean Village marina is the perfect setting for this popular and well-established restaurant.

Merchants Blue Moon prides itself on serving modern and traditional unfussy British food'. Smart but informal, the restaurant has a real nautical feel with its mix of timber and bare-brick walls, exposed roof beams, large airy windows and wooden floors.

We went on a Thursday evening, which was pretty quiet, but the venue has a great reputation for live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights.

Merchants boasts an extensive à la carte menu, mouth-watering specials, value-for-money table d'hôte, Sunday roasts and bar snacks.

Situated near the waterfront, it is perhaps inevitable that the restaurant specialises in seafood, but there is also a good selection to choose from for those who are not fond of fish.

As we perused the à la carte menu, the friendly staff were attentive but not intrusive as we chatted.

After agonising over whether to try the prawn and smoked salmon terrine or the roast parcels of aubergine and mozzarella, I finally opted for the baked breaded brie.

My friend went for the mushroom en croute, flavoured with brandy and cream in a pastry basket, which she said was very tasty.

The brie was served in a generous wedge with a fruity coulis sauce and was melt-in-the-mouth delicious.

Following more tough decisions, we both selected a fish dish for our main course.I had the marinated Thai salmon wrapped in filo pastry with sweet chilli and herb oil. My friend had the monkfish wrapped in bacon served with a cracked pepper butter.

Our mains were served with a generous helping of vegetables that were cooked to perfection. My salmon was beautiful, although the pastry wrapping was a bit too hard for my liking.

My friend was mightily impressed by the monkfish and could not praise it highly enough.

All the food came in ample portion sizes and was beautifully presented.

With no room left for dessert, the bill came to £40.20 which included a soft drink each. SJ Merchants Blue Moon, Ironside House, Ocean Village, Southampton. To book a table contact 023 8033 3221