Wellies Restaurant & Bar - Review

It occupies a prime location right next to the marina, so you can enjoy views of the luxury yachts at any time of the day and night. And of course, it's a perfect spot for people watching. There's a relaxed café at street level, with the main restaurant on the first floor and, despite all the surrounding glam, it is perfectly family friendly - we saw at least a couple of push-chairs whilst parents enjoyed the evening. A lively bar with a huge terrace is situated next to the restaurant.

As you come up the stairs to the restaurant, the first thing you notice is the bustling atmosphere. A circular bar hosts diners enjoying a pre-dinner aperitif, and a hip soundtrack plays in the background. The dining area has a light and airy, yet intimate feel, with a marquee style roof and panoramic windows overlooking the marina. The well spaced tables, wicker chairs and large ceiling fans give an almost colonial feel to the room. As we took our seats, The Frenchman and I were offered a welcoming glass of cava, delicious olives, bread and local olive oil. The menu contained an international array of starters, with salads and meat dishes for mains, and a separate daily specials menu was also available. The wine list consisted of a mainly Spanish selection, with prices starting from under €20, and a couple of choice French wines from around €35. The Frenchman chose the special recommendation of the month - a boozy red Rioja - to accompany our meal.

As we waited for our starters, one of our group who had been a sound engineer got very excited, animatedly explaining that the acoustics in the restaurant were excellent. It was true, we had no trouble talking to each other about riveting subjects such as this and (thankfully!) much more over dinner but we could not make out a word of other surrounding conversations, which merely created an atmospheric background hubbub.

The arrival of my chilled avocado, lime & coconut soup, and The Frenchman's pastry-wrapped Camembert parcel put paid to our conversation temporarily, as we devoured the decent portions. The soup was thick, creamy and spicy, and was beautifully presented with a prawn, cherry tomato, lime and avocado skewer, leaving me with a distinct taste of Thailand. The Camembert parcel had been warmed through and was served with slices of cured duck and a raspberry coulis.

This set us up nicely for our next course of marinated cod and tomato salad, and Irish fillet of beef.  The salad was presented on a bed of thinly sliced tomato, with a prawn and caper mix in mayonnaise all wrapped up in slices of marinated cod. It was well put together and just the right size for dinner. The thick fillet steak was served on a bed of mash, and had been cooked exactly to order (still moo-ing, what did you expect The Frenchman to order!), with rich gravy in which shaved truffle pieces were still clearly visible, served on the side (our request).

The large portions nearly put paid to dessert, but ultimately undeterred we couldn't resist the cheesecake and the tarte tatin. All the desserts are homemade, and we can't recommend them highly enough. The Frenchman said that the tarte tatin was the best he had ever tasted - which is quite a compliment.  The caramelised apples were wrapped in a  light puff pastry and covered in a glorious caramel syrup which suited a sweet tooth - lovely.  Fresh pouring cream came on the side in a pretty jug but was left untouched to save a few calories!  The cheescake was accompanied by a cranberry compote and a topping of berry sauce with whipped cream on the side and was fresh, light and creamy - in other words, utterly delicious.  Very good coffee and an excellent dessert wine (a Mallorcan offering) finished the meal off perfectly.

Once dinner is over, there are a number of places within Wellies where you can continue your evening. Stay in the restaurant for digestifs and relaxation, choose the pavement café for whiling away the hours and more people-watching, or head to the bar for a more upbeat party atmosphere and get chatting to the friendly regulars. Wellies is one of those places that every neighbourhood should have. A great location, a number of different areas to fit every mood, and professional and friendly service that completes the overall experience. Open until 3am, there really isn't any need to go elsewhere.