Harveys Wharf

Harveys Wharf, Discovery Quay, Falmouth

You go in through a bar area with red leather banquettes, to a dining area that I should think is lovely during the day, as one wall is glass looking out over the harbour. The noise level was very high - popular place on a Saturday night - but it did mean you had to almost shout across the table to make yourself heard, and also the waiter had trouble hearing what we were ordering.

As a starter I had the potted shrimps - now I've had these elsewhere, and I'm fairly sure they're meant to taste of more than just the butter they were embedded in. It was a huge pot, relatively speaking, therefore very, very sickly. And why is it when a place offers something in this line that they never, ever provide enough bread to go with it? What am I supposed to do with the rest, smear it on my thighs? Don't answer that.

C. had ribbons of smoked salmon, which looked nice though.

For the main course, we both had rib eye steaks, and the waiter did his best to convince us we wanted a sauce with it - "but it really makes it" -"a red wine sauce? peppercorn?", "why don't you share one?" No, really, we don't want a sauce, we just want a nicely cooked steak, if it's all the same to you.

They were good though, when they came - I had mine medium rare, and it was lovely. If a bit fatty. I left a pattern of chewed fatty bits along the edge of my plate (yes, I know, lovely). Either C's steak was better, or he just ate the fat, but all his disappeared. The chips were nice, crisp and fluffy. It also came with a tangle of watercress, which I'm sure is a bonus if you like watercress.

C. had a chocolate caramel sundae for dessert, which seemed to go down well, and a hot chocolate, and I had a black coffee to finish off. All that, and a bottle of very nice wine for £60-something.

Oh, and when they brought the jug of water I asked for, the waiter said "would you like to keep hold of it?" and seemed faintly surprised when I said yes. I felt like saying, why, are we supposed to share? Apparently so, as he was doling it out a glass at a time to the couple on the next table, just wandering up and down with the jug. I'd like to pour my own when I need it, if it's all the same to you...

The loos were bright and clean, which is always a bonus. I set a lot of store on the state of a place's loos. Although the black and white chequered floor and walls were a little alarming - I thought I'd wandered into some deadly Dr Who booby trap, in danger of electrification if I trod on the wrong square...

So - pretty good. I'd go again, but I think I'd want to sit in the bar area, and I'd go straight for the main course.

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