THERE'S a certain dream-like quality to a warm, summery evening in Hamble.

In the part of the village where the High Street meets Rope Walk, where dozens of yachts float gently on the river and the cobbled streets are lined with teashops, pubs and restaurants, the area has a slightly other-worldly feel to it, as if it somehow belongs more to the continent than to the rest of Southampton.

R Bar and Restaurant - currently in the process of changeover from its previous incarnation as The Key - was a perfect fit for an evening like this.

My first impression was that, although a restaurant, it looked and felt more like a pub, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. What it lacks in frills it makes up for with a casual, almost rustic charm, and there is a friendly, laid-back atmosphere to the place.

If I had a quibble, it would be that non-smokers like me were lumped together in a small-ish corner, while the smoking area, although attracting fewer people, was far larger and looked a great deal smarter.

Anyway, resisting temptation to light up in order to upgrade, my partner and I soon became occupied with the daily specials menu.

We resisted starters (although they looked good - especially the scallops with Thai salad), and plunged into the main courses.

In the mood for seafood after tasting the salty air, I chose whole local plaice with chorizo sausage. It turned up with rice instead of with the potatoes mentioned on the menu, but apart from that all was as expected.

The fish was perfectly cooked and extremely tasty - although once picked free of the bones it left me wanting more - and the sausage was nicely presented in tiny strips.

Not surprisingly for a restaurant so near the river, seafood was something of a speciality - other tempting options were fillet of sea trout, trio of smoked fish and whole sea bass.

My partner opted for lamb, shallot and date Moroccan stew, served with cous cous. This was a generous portion, tender and rich in flavour, with an apricot tang to the cous cous, although it lacked the raisins normally associated with this dish.

Summer pudding was my partner's choice to follow, and was a big hit - a light sponge soaked in a redcurrant juice, served with berries, clotted cream and a strawberry.

Our total bill, which included two meals, two pints, a bottle of sparkling water and one dessert, came to £34.30.

Reservations: 023 8045 4314.