BOUILLABAISSE. It's a great word and a better dish.

Peasant fare that is simultaneously the king of soups, it's unicorn-rare round these parts, at least done well.

Rich fishy broth with chunks of every kind of scaly sea-dweller you can imagine, it's the sort of thing you really need to travel to the land of its birth (France for those of you sleeping at the back) to experience properly.

Or so I thought.

A restaurant selling Scottish-produced shellfish in genteel Winchester was not, I thought, a likely venue to find this Provencal classic.

But Loch Fyne proved me comprehensively, utterly, entirely wrong.

Behind its timbered Tudor frontage, retained from its previous incarnation as the Elizabethan Restaurant, Loch Fyne opens into a surprisingly modern style interior.

Light woods complement the aged beams and sensitive lighting makes for a relaxing environment, with the restaurant wrapped around a courtyard perfect for sunnier times.

If you don't like seafood then you had better like steak or venison because there isn't much else on the menu.

The chain - it has some 23 restaurants scattered across the UK - has a fanatical focus on fish and shellfish, much of it produced by sister company Loch Fyne Oysters on the sea-fed loch of the title.

A commitment to quality shines through in everything they do.

A chef prepares cold dishes in the middle of the restaurant, choosing choice chunks of gravadlax, shellfish and prawns off a bank of ice. It's a nice touch.

But I had my heart set on trying the mussels, which are renowned to be good. And they were, coming in a salty sea of chilli and coriander sauce. Spotting my reluctance to waste so much as a drop, staff kindly brought a bulging bread basket and filled it cheerfully without being asked - fantastic.

Other starters included a memorable velvety lobster bisque.

Fearing disappointment, I dithered over the bouillabaisse, contemplating the comprehensive specials board. Nothing is worse than being presented a limp bowl of fish bits in watery sauce, especially at around £15 a time. But fond memories of discovering the dish on childhood holidays in France made my choice.

When it arrived: a fat langoustine sitting on top offering a cheery salute with its claws, all concerns evaporated like the steam from the mussels had minutes before.

A rich, ruddy reddy brown colour, the soup was pooled beneath a pile of shellfish including cockles and more mussels.

Its smoky, almost Cajun flavour infused the shellfish and the flaky chunks of fish within; both intense and intensely enjoyable.

With a pile of shells on one side and a glass of fine Viognier on the other, I was in the middle, easily identifiable as the owner of an idiotically contented smile.

On the other side of the table, a delicious red snapper with a lively collision of textures from figs and walnuts had a similar effect.

It's less of a recommendation than an order: If you love fish go to Loch Fyne. It's that simple and as the bosses of Loch Fyne would tell you - simple is good.