Perennial favourite chill-out spot Stanley often springs to mind on a sunny day. And why not? There is the sea, the shopping and a social scene equal to waterside promenades the world over. There is also a top choice of restaurants.
A new seaside venue has joined the scene and increased the competition. The Bayside Brasserie brings a touch of California or Sydney to the island, with its superb modern take on 1960s decor, huge windows, funky tunes and prime position. The former HSBC branch - just about as close to the water as you can get - has been converted into this vibrant, chatty cafe.
It also offers the sort of eclectic menu you might expect of such an eatery: straightforward and minus the fusion factor, Peak Lookout-style. On offer are tandoori, seafood and meat mains, soups, salads, pizza, pasta, Thai and Indian curries and other Western dishes. But I'm always dubious about huge repertoires and this time there were some reasons to be. We delved into the oyster bar, trying Irish Rock ($25 each), Island Pacific ($24 each) and Franklin Harbour ($21 each). One wasn't quite right but we managed to detect it early enough to avoid disaster. We were offered another but had lost our taste for the mollusc.
Our main courses, fish and chips ($108) and laksa lemak ($98), were acceptable but nothing to rave about. The otherwise enjoyable fish and chips had been over-salted in the kitchen before delivery - a real shame.
But we are not deterred. It's still a top spot to while away the hours and drink some crisp sauvignon blanc. We're hoping that with a bit more 'break-in' time, our faith in the food will be restored.
The cost: A meal for two came to $380 without drinks. A bottle of house wine (Hardy's) is $210. A pint of draught Carlsberg is $42.
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