STEPPING into Southampton's Oxford Street is an instant transportation elsewhere, to a world infinitely cooler than our south coast city usually offers.

From an inviting choice of curry, Chinese, French and classic English, two friends and I opted for the stylishly 'young professional' White Star pub for lunch.

Carefully furnished with expansive suede sofas, chunky wooden tables and a swish bar, the jazz music-filled pub is a genuinely nice place to be.

Diners can head for the ultra-cool sofas to eat, or the smartly laid-out restaurant area, with gleaming wine glasses and immaculate table settings.

At lunchtime, the restaurant is relatively quiet - but come evening it would be wise to book a table.

The former Seafarer's Hotel has been transformed into a sumptuous venue, which was Les Routiers restaurant of the year in 2003, and stars in Time Out guides and the Which? guide to eating spots.

It specialises in simple, good quality, modern British cuisine, with the delectable lunch menu offering everything from bangers and mash to a mouth-watering selection of fish dishes.

Aside from main meals, there are also well-priced sandwiches and other snacks.

We opted for salads - the Nicoise variety as well as a bacon and parmesan salad.

One friend, who's restricted by several food allergies, was tremendously impressed with the attentive barman who even checked back with her on salad dressings and ingredients before brining out the order.

We also ordered the White Star's legendary home made fries on the side.

The meal was excellent - filling, tasty, beautifully presented and surprisingly good value.

Generous portions came overflowing with toppings and dressing, and were a perfect lunch option.

The thin and crispy fries outstrip any competition from chunky chips in many other pubs, and come very highly recommended.

We followed this up with coffee and the whole meal for three, including wine, came to an incredibly reasonable £35.

Girls, don't forget to check out the pictures in the ladies' toilets. Three amusing prints line up together showing the interior of a cruise liner - and bar staff have been so inundated with orders for copies they've even put up a price list in the toilets.

The White Star Tavern is at 28 Oxford Street, Southampton. Reservations: 023 8082 1990