Three people, two with Lobster mains and the bill incluing wine was £109, that is great value. The two course set menu was £15 which would have been great value.. if we hadn't coveted the lobster.

Trip Advisor Sep 1, 2009 - “Special night out at The Seahorse in Dartmouth” - feenstra - London

We were invited to diner by friends at The Seahorse on Dartmouth Regatta Saturday. We enjoyed the starters and then the Champagne outside while watching the fireworks. The main courses (Menorcian lobster and grilled seafood/shellfish) were absolutely among the best we have eaten. Thank you Chef Mitch and brigade. After dinner Mark Ely entertained us with some lovely songs. We stayed after midnight and left some other guests still enjoying themselves. This turned out to be a very good night out indeed. We will visit hopefully soon.

Trip Advisor Aug 10, 2009 - “Fabulous seafood served in a stylish setting” - Traveller66

As regulars at Mitch Tonk's previous 'Fishworks' restaurants, we were pleased to enjoy his winning formula at The Seahorse in Dartmouth.

The service was exemplary and the food delicious. Definitely the place to eat in Dartmouth. Thoroughly recommended.

Trip Advisor Jun 24, 2009 - “Excellent!” - htravel1234 - Devon

This is an excellent restaurant in a fantastic location. I usually find seafood restaurants in the UK very disappointing and overpriced but this is definitely the best restaurant I have eaten in in the UK.

The food is very simple and well prepared offering a good choice of fresh fish and a couple of meat dishes. They have a very extensive wine list with some fantastic wines and the service is excellent also.

The restaurant itself has a good atmosphere slightly buzzy. bistro style. The tables are situated quite close together which would be the only problem if you like a quiet intimate atmosphere.

It is a great restaurant I just hope it doesn't get too popular that you can't get a table.

Commodore of the clams is seafood entrepreneur Mitch Tonks, formerly to be found at the helm of fish shop/restaurant chain Fish Works. Tonks has taken a back-to-basics approach with his new Seahorse restaurant, with char-grilled fish as the house speciality. We arrived to find the restaurant completely fully booked on a Wednesday, so he’s clearly doing something right. Fortunately we had a table reserved, and enjoyed a glass of champagne with smoked cod roe and butter – slightly taramasalata-ish with some nice bread while we perused the menu.

Bright young maitre-d Ed showed us the days selection of fish, including some nice-looking queen scallops which would be grilled on the shell with breadcrumbs. Six of those to share then, with shrimps on toast for me and linguini with lobster, chilli and parsley for Jen. The scallops were excellent, very hot from the grill and just perfectly done. My shrimps on toast were also lovely, the delicate flavour complemented by plenty of butter. The linguini was perhaps a touch short on chilli according to my companion, but as she like chilli sauce with everything this may or may not be am observation of general relevance. We washed it all down with a bottle of slightly upmarket Nocolas Choblet Signature Muscadet, which was very dry (of course) and also had enough flavour to go well with everything (a nice surprise).

Mains – well, it has to be fish. I picked the arosto misto selection of char-grilled fish, the signature dish, while Jen had fritto misto (fried fish). My arosto was top-notch, the selection of fish including monkfish, squid and sea bass, cooked beautifully with herbs and olive oil. The fish was a great combination of different textures, and was very tasty indeed. The fritto misto featured gurnard alongside the other fish, and was similarly good. Sides of chips and salad went down well. Keeping on, we shared a cheese plate (including some wonderfully well-chosen tasty Gruyere, a very pleasant surprise) and a couple of glasses of port.

The Seahorse is clearly competing with John Burton Race’s New Angel which is just a couple of doors down. Tonks has priced his establishment very well indeed – quite a bargain, not much more that one might pay in an average restaurant for what is really top-quality fare. No wonder it was full. Book early – and, if you’ve any sense, book often.

While at the Dartington Summer School, we took the opportunity to wander down and try the Seahorse. Mitch himself was cooking.

Everything was outstanding. Perfect queen scallops, John Dory caught that morning, one of the best panna cottas we've had. Wine was an extremely good, extremely pale, delicate Pinot Grigio rosé -- light tawny, rather than a pink. Quite lovely.

The room is simply, tastefully decorated. Tables are a bit too close together, but this is a recession. It was amusing to read the menu of the New Carved Angel (one door east) and compare it to what Tonks is doing. I'll simply say in The Seahorse, the fish speaks for itself and not through other complicated ingredients.

Tonks has had a checkered career, leaving accountancy to open the Seafood Café in Bath in 1995 despite having no formal chef training. Next, it was Fishworks in Bristol, which became a nationwide chain. He then opened Seahorse in Dartmouth last year, but took a blow in December when the Fishworks chain, in which he was a 40 per cent shareholder, went bust. Never one to stay down for long, Tonks bought back the Bristol site and in just six weeks opened it as RockFish.

Today, in his Brixham home, Tonks prepares a seafood barbecue with fresh fish from his local fish market. "The beauty of this," shrugs Tonks, flinging an olive oil-glistening sea bass on to a grill pan, "is that it's great cooked inside too."

The Brixham fish market, which is being redeveloped, is Tonks's next venture. He will have a major stake in the new complex, including a restaurant, cookery school, and "the best fish and chippy in the world".

What has been your biggest achievement to date?: I won silver medal in the UK National Seafood Championships 2008 and during a work placement this year I was offered a job working with Mitch Tonks after working with him for just two weeks.

Where would you most like to work when you graduate?: Mitch Tonks’ Seahorse Restaurant, Dartmouth. I first met chef Tonks when he was judging the National Seafood Championship finals and he struck me as an inspiring person. I loved his ideas of keeping food fresh and simple and he gave us fantastic feedback on the dishes we produced. I was then fortunate enough to secure a placement at his Seahorse Restaurant, before being offered a full time position there.

Who do you most admire in the hospitality industry and why?: Mitch Tonks. He runs his kitchen in such a calm and organised manner. It really made an impression on me, because I realised that professional kitchens do not really need to be full of shouting and swearing.
Mise-en-Place is a key area in his kitchen, if you get the preparation right then the service should be organised and straightforward.

What do you think will be the biggest challenges you will face in your career?: I think I will really have to be on the ball to progress from a student/part-time chef, to a full-time one. I see taking on the responsibilities involved in that as a challenge, although it's one I am looking forward to rising to.

The gurnard is a strange, prehistoric looking fish with a big spiny fin on the top of its head and running down its back. "Gurnard is an amazing fish and we don’t use it enough," Mitch continues. "This used to only be used for crab bait. But it is brilliant cooked in any number of ways - poached, on the barbecue or cooked in butter."

The chef and restaurateur, well known for his books, TV series and his new restaurant in Dartmouth, is lining up a small group of mostly amateur cooks for a fish cookery workshop. Also here to coax, cook and inform us is Mat Prowse, Mitch’s business partner and co-chef-proprietor of The Seahorse. Outside the rain is pouring down but inside the kitchen table is already groaning with the freshest of fish and shellfish, all of which has come straight from Brixham fish market that morning.

Other clues to look for? "The gills are a giveaway with round fish, they should be more red than brown," Mitch explains, adding that fresh fish should smell of nothing but the sea, scales should be intact and it should feel firm to the touch.

The demonstration turns into a fishy tasting menu. We start with ceviche of scallops: thinly sliced scallops that are briefly marinaded in lime juice, before adding chopped mint, chilli and coriander. Quite divine, although we have to do some work first - opening and cleaning the scallops. Mine was a total disaster, providing two tiny bits of scallop instead of a whole one complete with its gloriously coloured coral. Next time I’ll leave it to the fishmonger - a piece of advice repeated frequently during the day.

Next up was fresh crab, served very plain with mayonnaise and crusty bread. Mitch encourages us to taste the brown meat while it is still warm before we settle down to the task of picking it out of the shells and claws. It is sensational. "Always better to buy them live," he says, having shown us how to quickly dispatch them before cooking. We note that if you don’t, the claws are likely to come off when cooking. Then he shows us how to stand the cooked crab on its nose so that any excess water drains away.

This was followed by a cuttlefish stew, complete with the black cuttlefish ink, which has been quietly simmering on top of the stove while we cook and prepare the other dishes. The long, slow simmering has translated this underrated cephalopod into a soft textured, slightly chewy fish, and the finely diced vegetables have melted into the tomatoey, inky sauce. The longer and slower you can cook this, the better. "It has a rich shellfishy flavour that squid doesn’t get," he says of this local catch that is almost all exported to Spain. "When we first opened the restaurant we hardly sold any but now we sell loads of it."

The empty crab shells are roasted in the oven then transferred to a large pan to make fish stock. Into another pan with the basic trinity of carrots, onion and celery, go saffron, tomato puree, garlic and thyme, then gradually various fish are added - gurnard tails, whole red mullet, and later scallops, mussels and cockles. The stock is added and the whole results in a glorious fish stew, with added flavours from Pernod and some white wine.

A brief respite, then it is on to the next dishes. Whole black bream cooked in salt, which has been in the oven 10 minutes longer than its allotted 35, neatly illustrating Mat’s point that the timing is not as critical as we may think. "Don’t get scared about cooking times for fish. It’s difficult to burn or overcook it when the fish is so fresh."

Whiting à la meunière follows. The secret of cooking any flat, white fish this way is not to pour all the oil on to the plate when serving, explains Mitch. He bastes the fish as it poaches in the foaming butter and oil. A quick squeeze of lemon to finish is all it needs. Again this is a transformation of an often underrated, unloved fish. "It is easy to forget how lucky we are with fish. Warm water fish in other parts of the world are not a patch on the cold water fish we get here," Mitch adds. I shall never think of whiting and coley in quite the same way again.

We pause before learning how to butterfly monkfish tails, which are then marinaded in garlic, lemon juice and parsley and some breadcrumbs, which help to mop up the marinade. Mitch briefly grills them - "The smaller ones have better flavour and are cheaper". Equally good on the barbecue he assures us, and we take his word for it as it is still pouring outside.

Mat meanwhile has been playing with the squid, cleaning and finely slicing it. We are offered a plate with the simply fried squid which has been briefly marinaded in garlic, lemon and parsley.

Finally, just as we feel we can’t possibly eat any more, Mitch produces spaghetti with seafood, a classic Italian dish marrying pasta with top quality fish - cockles, mussels and scallops in a tomato sauce. All through this convivial day Mitch and Mat hand out tips and advice - scallops are often soaked with water to make them bigger, but this stops them caramelising; freezing cuttlefish helps to tenderise it; the only fish that don’t work well in stews are salmon, herring and mackerel.

Nine fish dishes in under six hours - not bad for a bunch of amateurs, although at the end of the day we’re still part-timers. Mitch and Mat made it look easy.

It contains just about every bit of information you will ever need about this much misunderstood subject, including advice on seasonality and sustainability, tips on how to prepare your catch and of course fantastic recipes. Dishes such as Roasted mackerel with North African spices and Fried snapper with sweet chilli had me dying to catch the first train to Brixham and stow away on a fishing boat. Or failing that, simply to buy the entire contents of my local fishmongers and start cooking.

Fish is clearly a lifelong passion for Mitch, as well as being an environmental issue that he feels incredibly strongly about. The first half of the book is devoted to the explanation of the industry, interviews with some of the fishing’s leading spokesmen and labelled diagrams on what to eat and how to buy. In part two, he lists his fuss free recipes by species with categories for white fish, oily fish and shellfish. Perfect for the eager novice and fish expert alike.

Now to the kitchen - I decided to try the scallops seahorse-style (named after the Seahorse restaurant, which Mitch has recently opened in Dartmouth). They were very easy to prepare and the result was delicious – rich and luxurious, with a heady kick from the anchovy and Tabasco. When I make this again I will probably reduce the butter and olive oil, as there is rather a lot of it. The scallops make a perfect weekend treat for two, or an indulgent dinner party starter for friends.

One for the shelf? A wholehearted yes - anybody with an interest in fish will find this book invaluable. And with its beautiful food photographs and scenic shots, it may be one for the coffee table too.

The founder of a chain of sea food restaurants will be demonstrating his skills at the Family Open Day in Milford Docks on Saturday, June 27. The following day, he will be hosting a Tutored Tasting at St. Bride’s Hotel in Saundersfoot. Mitch will be accompanied by top chef and ‘honorary Welshman’ Matt Tebbutt.

A passionate advocate of modern British cooking, Matt runs the award-winning Foxhunter pub at Nantyderry as well as presenting Market Kitchen. "I am absolutely delighted to be returning to Pembrokeshire Fish Week for the second year," said Mitch Tonks.

"I’m looking forward to cooking up a bit of a storm and creating a bit of theatre with my good friend Matt. This is a fantastic week of events that gets everyone involved - everyone should follow Pembrokeshire’s lead and really get behind and celebrate the fantastic seafood that we have in the UK." Matt Tebbutt said he was really excited about being involved with Fish Week and working with Mitch Tonks. "We’ll be cooking some great dishes with the superb local fish - and having some fun! It’s a great event in the Welsh foodie calendar," he said.

Meanwhile, top chef Simon Rimmer, who presents BBC2’s Something for the Weekend, will be hosting Fish Week’s master class this year. Famed for his down-to-earth personality and fun approach to cooking, the keen fish chef will be demonstrating his skills on Wednesday, July 1, at the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven.

Festival organiser Kate Morgan, Pembrokeshire County Council food officer, said she was thrilled that so many top chefs would be appearing at this year’s event. "The festival is now a nationally recognized event and gaining more recognition year on year," she said. "We’re really looking forward to celebrating its tenth anniversary and making an even bigger splash than usual this year." Pembrokeshire Fish Week celebrates not just the county’s abundance of sea food, but also its beautiful coast and beaches, clean seas, great angling and fishing heritage.

Jam packed with over 200 events for people of all ages - including more than 50 events for food lovers - the festival attracted around 20,000 visitors last year. Events planned for food lovers this year include fish and shellfish masterclasses, cookery demonstrations, fish tapas evenings, sea food extravaganzas and fresh mackerel barbecues set against a backdrop of the county’s picturesque harbours. Lobster and crab lovers will find plenty of evening and lunchtime choices to satisfy their palates with a crab lovers weekend at the Sloop Inn in Porthgain and lobster sales in Little Haven and Newport.

Visitors will also be able to take a boat trip to Lawrenny and take a lobster lunch at a shoreside café, while entering a fishy limerick competition or take a boat trip from Dale or St. Dogmaels and cook the catch! Outdoor enthusiasts can take part in waterway, coastal and beach activities from guided kayak trips and sedate riverboat cruises, to beach activity days as well as rambles on the bird lovers paradise of Skomer Island. The more physically adventurous could even try their hand at long boat rowing at Tenby Harbour, while would be sea anglers can try - or improve - their skills at Fishguard.

Families can enjoy lots of different events from crab-catching, snorkel safaris, river walks and beach sports to fun days at Milford Haven Tenby and Fishguard. Meanwhile, those more interested in culture and tradition can watch coracle making at St. Dogmaels, join an environmental beach day and learn about rock pools, geology and fossils, listen to live jazz at Tenby Harbour or visit one of Fish Week’s many sea inspired art or craft exhibitions. Pembrokeshire Fish Week is organised by Pembrokeshire County Council and was a finalist in the Best Event Major in Wales category at the prestigious Welsh National Tourism Awards in 2007.

It is part funded through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013, which is financed by the European Union and the Welsh Assembly Government. Other funders include Pembrokeshire County Council, South West Wales Tourism and Milford Haven Port Authority. Pembrokeshire Fish Week will be launched on Saturday, June 27, with a fun-filled open day at Milford Haven. It ends on July 5.

For more information, view www.pembrokeshirefishweek.co.uk or contact Fish Week organiser Kate Morgan, food officer for Pembrokeshire County Council on 01437 776168 or at kate.morgan@pembrokeshire.gov.uk.

A former trustee of the foundation Nigel Wollen, senior partner at Hooper and Wollen solicitors which sponsored the evening, said the Challenge would create an endowment fund of money which would be used purely in Torbay to support volunteers and voluntary groups who help deprived communities in the resort.

"Torbay is a beautiful town, we live in a fantastic place, but we are also living in an area which has four of the most deprived areas in the country which I think is a disgrace. This is an opportunity to spread the word about the Challenge because we must not miss this opportunity of government funding, especially as there is a time limit to the match funding."

Sarah Gunn, fund development manager, said that 90p of every pound given will go direct to local causes. Within the Challenge 'pot', donations can be put into separate Grassroot Funds in a company or family name to give to local groups.

The first target is to raise £15,000 by March 31, and another £15,000 by September 30. If the targets are not met, Torbay loses the match funding.

"This is a fantastic way to make a big difference to local people in need and support Torbay's volunteers, both now and for the future," she said.

Celebrity chef Mitch Tonks, who runs the Seahorse restaurant in Dartmouth and is to create the new restaurant in the rebuilt Fish Quay complex in Brixham where he lives, said: "It is a wonderful way to give back to the local community and get involved in the regeneration of Torbay in a way which will make an immediate and real difference to local people. The regeneration of Torbay is about much more than bricks and mortar — it's about it's local people and its local communities."

The evening included a Torbay Taste Challenge event, with guests being invited to identify different produce. Prizes included meals for two at Mitch Tonks' Seahorse Restaurant and the Abode Restaurant in Exeter. Tickets for an evening with Matt Dawson at the Seahorse Restaurant and for the Cheltenham Gold Cup were auctioned. A total of £1,650 was raised by the event which will now be doubled by the Challenge to create £3,300 for local causes.

For more information on the Challenge or applying for a Grassroots Grant should call Kathy Beechen on 01884 235887 or see www.devoncf.com

I bet that's put a dampener on the flames of passion. Since we became aware of the damage we are wreaking on our oceans - there has been a fivefold increase in the amount of fish we take from the seas in the past 50 years - the business of buying fish with a clear conscience has become one big headache. Yes, we've all heard the headlines - eat pollock instead of cod, coley instead of haddock, avoid wild salmon at all costs - but it's not that straightforward. Atlantic cod is endangered, but Pacific cod is in a much better state; Scottish haddock is a no-no, but Arctic is OK; and wild Alaskan salmon gets the cleanest bill of health the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) gives. No wonder so many of us are confused. In a way, bodies such as the MCS have done too good a job of broadcasting their central message, that a quarter of the world's fisheries are depleted, that only eight of the 47 fish stocks found around Britain remain in a healthy state, that action is needed now, without being able to compress a complicated subject into a few soundbites for the consumer to follow.

Mitch Tonks, the founder of the pioneering fishmonger and restaurant chain FishWorks, and owner of The Seahorse in Dartmouth, believes that we are in danger of lapsing into “sustainability fatigue”. “Like ‘organic', sustainability has become an overmarketed and often hijacked word,” he says. “It's very easy for everyone just to say, ‘Yes, we buy sustainably'. A chef in a city restaurant asks his supplier, ‘Is this sustainable?' The supplier says ‘Yes', and the chef puts it on the menu. Cracked it. The customer then reads something charming about small boats and local fishing communities and everyone can bask in the glow of having ticked all the boxes."

He believes that we need to clear our heads of some of the prejudices perpetuated in the media and the restaurant business towards big fish companies. “We have this idea that only fish landed by local artisan fishermen on small day boats is sustainable, while big companies and large boats are the enemy, but that is romance, not reality,” he says. “I am a huge supporter of the day boats, and there is nothing better than fresh fish landed the day it is caught. That is what I sell in my restaurant, but I live in the port of Brixham in Devon. To say that is the only fish you should buy or sell in restaurants, regardless of whether you live on the coast or in a city, makes no sense."

Small local fisheries cannot cope, he insists, which is why you should be wary when the words “line-caught” appear on menus from Wolverhampton to Wapping, since the demand and supply for fish caught with a rod and line simply don't equate. “We need to buy from the big people because they have the buying power to influence the world's fisheries and make change happen", he says.

Tonks believes that we are also going to have to put aside our prejudices and embrace more frozen fish. “A local, fresh fish will always be the best,” he says, “but fish that is caught in well-managed fisheries in other parts of the world and frozen immediately, using the latest technology, is going to have to be a big part of the future.

We are already seeing the result, with hitherto unfamiliar species such as tilapia and pangasius (less romantically known as Vietnamese catfish), both farmed in Asia, making it on to our fish counters. Fish farms will continue, of course, to play a key role - by next year they are expected to supply 50 per cent of all fish eaten - but they are not without controversy. Salmon, in particular, has been subjected to the worst of press over the years. Environmentalists worry about the overuse of antibiotics and chemicals, the spread of disease, the problem of escapers interbreeding with wild fish to create strange hybrids, and the vast quantities of small wild fish required to provide the feed for their farmed relations. While the Soil Association has certified certain farms as organic, there is unease about regulating the oceans in the way that you can with farming on land.

Tonks is broadly supportive of aquaculture, believing that the problems that have beset the industry are related not to the fundamental principle but to bad farming practices. “It's no different from people farming beef badly. I have eaten farmed bass and bream and it has been delicious, and I have seen halibut and salmon farms in Scotland that blew me away because the guys running them had the same passion for their fish as you might expect from a rare-breed pig or organic chicken farmer.”

So how can we, as consumers, play our part? By leaving it to the experts, is the advice of James Simpson, of the Marine Stewardship Council, which awards its blue-tick mark of certification to fisheries that meet stringent standards of sustainability and management, from Alaskan pollock and cod to the mackerel hand-liners of Cornwall. “Fishery science is one of the most complicated subjects in the world," he says. "Headlines saying don't eat this or that species help to raise awareness, but there is much more to it than that. Which fish you can eat with a clear conscience varies from fishery to fishery, even boat to boat, around the world, and according to the particular fishing methods. Of course, there are responsible fisheries who have not signed up to the MSC scheme, just as there are wonderful, ethically run agricultural farms that see no need to be certified as organic. However, in little over a year the quantity of UK fish that is MSC-certified has risen from 6,700 tonnes to more than 150,000 tonnes, surely a sign that the fishing industry sees such independent assessment as the way forward.

Perhaps we should end on an optimistic note, from who better than Rick Stein. “A few months ago I was worried that virtually every fish on my menu was being earmarked as endangered, or to be eaten only occasionally. I won't buy any species I know to be in danger. For example, we don't use local cod in the fish and chip shop, only Icelandic cod, and I don't buy anything other than local line-caught bass, but you can't have a really attractive menu if you can't put much else on it other than pollock, mackerel and herring.

"I was feeling anguished, and stumped about what to do, frankly, so I met up with Nathan de Rozarieux, who is the project director of Seafood Cornwall, and what I learnt from him was that thanks to a cohesive policy and the closing down of fishing grounds for certain periods of the year when the fish are spawning, stocks of species such as Dover sole and monkfish are pretty good." We may not be off the hook yet, but we may just be headed in the right direction.

The White Horse Inn in Moretonhampstead and the Oyster Shack in Salcombe also make the guide.

Torquay husband and wife restaurateurs Bernd and Sharon Wolf, from the Orange Tree, are delighted their eatery has been listed in the guide, just weeks after picking up a top national award.

The restaurant, owned by the pair since November 2007, was named Restaurant of the Year by food guide Les Routiers Great Britain.Mr Wolf said; "Hearing the news has made my day. "We did not know the inspector was coming. He introduced himself after the meal and asked us a few questions but we had no indication of whether we would be included or not. "I do not think we would have done anything different if we had known. "We have great feedback from our customers and I hope the inclusion will attract more people."

Bernd, who is originally from Germany, said: "It is a great award for the Orange Tree to win and shows we are producing food and service to a high standard."

Celebrity chef Mitch Tonks, from the Seahorse, said: "It is great to be included after just six months of opening. "We do not cook for awards we just do what we do but it is great to be recognised in such a prestigious guide."

Guide editor Derek Bulmer said: "We can now boast of having a truly mature, rich and exciting restaurant scene. "New stars have been awarded to a host of establishments from gastro pubs and family run locals, to country hotels and fashionable London restaurants.

"We have also seen an increase in the number of refreshingly informal restaurants where the cooking is very good." But he warned the economic downturn would have an effect on the eating-out scene. "I am hopeful the hospitality industry will prove to be resilient; that customers continue to support their local pub or restaurant and dining out will remain part of our lives.

"Our inspectors will continue to search out those establishments which not only maintain their standards but also offer value for money to their customers."

This year's Michelin Guide has 4,207 entries, and of those, 2,516 are hotels and guesthouses and 1,691 are restaurants and pubs. All are regularly and anonymously inspected by Michelin's own team of professional inspectors.

The Seahorse is Mitch’s new restaurant - a cosy inviting place on the harbour in the chocolate-box town of Dartmouth, in south Devon. It’s a short distance from the fishing port of Brixham, where Mitch lives and buys his fish (he commutes by boat) and there can be few chefs who use their proximity to the local fish market so effectively. By buying in person, at source, he secures the best fish for his kitchen and cooks it in a very simple style, with a few subtle Mediterranean influences.

On the menu, alongside the magnificent local Dover sole, in its foamy halo of golden-brown butter, are cuttlefish cooked in their own ink - a beautiful shiny-black pile of strands brought steaming gently to the table by the friendly, informative staff.

I scored about two out of five on the fish-identification test that is the plate of fried local seafood, but it was an experience too delicious to be embarrassing. Other main course delights range from red gurnard ‘n’ chips to the spectacular salt-baked sea bass, a big chunky fish that needs two people to eat it. The waiters display it with justifiable pride before taking it off the bone. Although the menu’s focus is on fish, there is also an excellent selection of local meats such as Cornish lamb and Devon beef.

While Mitch’s food is dazzlingly accomplished, the man himself is more genial host than blustering chef. He’s a friendly guy who wanders out to ask diners how they enjoyed their meal, and often drives them home at the end of the night in the restaurant’s boat, the Pearlfisher. Which is not something you’d get at Claridge’s – no matter how much you pay.

'Six knots, no wash.' The harbour-front sign may be directed at the river traffic, but it goes for everyone around here. Dartmouth is pure tootling territory. Or should that be pootling - I never can remember which is slower. Let's just say it's a place to mess about in boats, cast a line, sink a pint, tuck into a Devonshire tea, or just take a little nap under the oak trees.

Recently, it has also become something of a retreat for frazzled restaurateurs; most notably John Burton Race, a former Michelin star-chasing, high-octane chef drawn there, he says, because he fell in love with the hedgerows, quiet lanes and deserted sandy beaches.

Now, just two doors away from Burton Race's New Angel, FishWorks founder Mitch Tonks (right in picture) has opened The Seahorse. Tonks' life has been more of a hurtle than a tootle since his first little seafood café in Bath grew into a fully fledged chain of fish shops/bistros with a rapid expansion programme. Too rapid. Shares dropped, new management stepped in, and Tonks put up a "Gone fishing" sign. Hurtling too fast isn't good for anyone.

So he tootled off to Dartmouth and set up The Seahorse with chef Mat Prowse (left in picture) and musician mate Mark Ely instead. It is not at all what I thought it would be. Instead of a happy-go-lucky seaside caff, it feels more like The Ivy by the Sea. The 40-seat interior borders on the sumptuous with its studded mustard leather banquettes, pressed white tablecloths, monogrammed plates and library-shelf wall of wine. Through a large window, Prowse is doing a fine impression of a whirling dervish over his pots and pans and the kitchen's pride and joy, the smart new Spanish Josper charcoal grill/oven. The menu is a slow tootle around the Med, stretching from clams with ham, Manzanilla sherry and jamon, to a fritto misto of local fish, with local lamb and south Devon beef also getting a look in.

It is very quickly obvious that The Seahorse is all about the produce. Local Dartmouth crab (£11) is racistly grouped in clumps of sea-bright white and creamy brown meat, with a goodly dollop of mayo and a few salad leaves; perfect stuff. The sage-infused char-grilled chicken livers (£7.90) are bloody and marvellous – crisp on the outside with a smoky, scorchy richness. These alone would be enough to justify the purchase of the Josper.

With the three partners and their wives all hands-on, the service has a quirky charm. So does the music: in among the Beth Orton and Damien Rice, Ely slips in a track or two of his own work. So, too, does the wine list, an inviting selection full of little-known but highly regarded Italians. Barbera d'Asti can be an annoying wine, often vacuous and one-dimensional, but my Braida Montebruna 2005 (£38) is all silk and smoky plums.

The world slows to a stop when my earthy, stewy Menorcan lobster caldereta (£29) arrives in its glazed terracotta bowl. I would not normally order lobster but a) this is local, b) this is lobster season and c) are you kidding me? Lobster can cost up to £40, I can't not order it. It's an absolute treat, the big chunks of lobster meat so lightly cooked the flesh remains supple and succulent; the stew rich, oily and unctuous.

Other dishes don't ride the same wave. Char-grilled squid with a rich squish of sweet red-pepper peperonata (£16) is too much of a single thing. Potato chips are softish, and a finale of goat's cheese with rosemary honey and a glass of Sancerre (£10) isn't quite the match it should be.

The Seahorse is extremely likeable, for its sense of place and for showcasing the produce of land and sea with such single-minded style. I'll certainly be tootling back as soon as I can. Tonks himself is, of course, away filming for television and planning a new restaurant in Brixham. Some people just can't tootle to save their lives.

15/20

Scores: 1-9 stay home and cook, 10-11 needs help, 12 ok, 13 pleasant enough, 14 good, 15 very good, 16 capable of greatness, 17 special, can't wait to go back, 18 highly honourable, 19 unique and memorable, 20 as good as it gets

This has not been the happiest of experiences from either side. FishWorks were less than thrilled when I explained that, as the Rayners owned a scintilla of their arse, I could not review them. The shares have also performed rather poorly. Although the chain has continued to expand, they are worth nowhere near what was paid for them. More investments like that and the legacy will be frittered away. How the hell will I be able to keep myself in snuff and absinthe if that happens?

Chef and restaurateur Mitch Tonks, who founded the company, stepped away from day-to-day management last year to concentrate on TV work, and a new one-of-a-kind fish restaurant in Dartmouth called The Seahorse. So should I advise my dad to grab shares in this one, too? It's complicated. Where FishWorks was an attempt to inject a little democracy into the expensive fishy end of the restaurant trade - a bish-bash-bosh one-size-fits-all approach - The Seahorse is one for the oligarchs. It's not just the thick linen tablecloths and shimmering glassware and the self-consciously rustic-but-perfect olive green tiling in the open kitchen. It is, as ever, the prices: many starters at £10, most of the mains from high teens up to £29 for a lobster stew. I've said before that, given the state of world fish stocks, if we want to eat the good stuff we should pay through the gills for it. And there is no doubt that down in lovely, manicured Dartmouth, where weekend boats bob gently on the water, there is the cash to pay for it.

I swallowed when I saw the menu. Then I studied the one at John Burton Race's The New Angel, two doors down, and realised they were actually undercutting him by about 20 per cent. Then again, Burton Race, who I could never tire of poking in the eye with a chilli-dipped cocktail stick, has always pushed everything to the limit. Still, it must suggest there are deep pockets around these parts. The problem is that high prices bring with them expectations, and during a meal at The Seahorse where six of us got to roam far and wide, I don't feel those expectations were met.

First the good things. Ingredients are top notch. I doubt they can be bettered, which is as it should be down here by the water's edge: generously sized scallops grilled with sticky, herb-rich garlic butter were lick-the-shell good. A whole sea bream cooked en papillotte had pert flesh and came with the sort of soft, buttery roast garlic you could spread on toast. We liked the chargrilled red mullet with punchy gremolata, and a slab of grilled wing rib of beef. The youngest member of our party requested it be served well done; the kitchen couldn't bring themselves to push it beyond medium. Good on them. The desserts - a tiramisu, fresh berries with elderflower ice cream, a crème brûlée - did the job. Surprisingly, given the food prices, the wine list is affordable and has lots of crisp Italian whites that go well with this sort of stuff.

But too many other things were off the mark: a small portion of seafood risotto for nearly a tenner lacked punch and power; ditto linguine with local lobster and chilli and a main course seafood stew. The fish in the stew was impeccable, but the liquor just lacked the edge that makes you want to drink it straight from the bowl. It was all underseasoned. Unforgivably, chips looked right but didn't deliver, they were soft and flaccid - which is also the way I'd describe the service. It didn't feel trustworthy.

None of this is to suggest that The Seahorse is actively bad. It really isn't. It's a smart bourgeois fish restaurant, which charges big bucks for unfussy food to a ready audience of mature, comfortably upholstered Devon locals who are delighted to have it on their doorstep. Right now, though, it's underperforming. All of which is to say: Dad! Don't buy quite yet.

We were unsure of what wine to choose from their extensive wine list and because my father had always encouraged me to look for unusual wines on a list I picked a wine Galician which unfortunately they had sold out. We were steered to an Italian Soave which was just perfect and only £20 a bottle.

My eldest daughter love mussels and they were not on the menu, I passed comment that she had hoped they would be on the menu to be told that it would be no problem as they always kept some for fish stews and they would manage to prepare some for her.

My youngest who is not so brave would like some pasta and as my husband was ordering tagliatelle with Lobster they would throw a bit extra into the pan and serve it with some parmesan and olive oil (no extra charge!)

I wished I had ordered the clams as they did look fabulous. Instead I had the broad bean risotto which was so seasonal and light. For main I had Monkfish tails still on the bone - delicious.

For pudding we ordered one chocolate pudding with lots of spoons and again this was no trouble at all. The restaurant by now was full with families and couples all enjoying a mid-week meal.

I can not praise this restaurant enough - it is truly worth the trip to Dartmouth and will be in my thoughts for sometime to come.

Claire, Monmouth

Tonks’s great contribution to British fish lovers has been the creation of Fish Works: bright, clean fish shops with restaurants attached. These initially spread very successfully across southern England but the past couple of years has not been kind to Fish Works, its investors or Tonks; indeed, what happened could be seen as a classic case of how not to expand a distinctive business. Tonks says: 'I took a battering that left me pretty weary.'

Yet despite this setback, Tonks has bounced back with customary vigour and created a gem of a restaurant. Its location is a great asset, tucked away on the front of this still elegant town facing the River Dart so that every time the front door opens there is a strong blast of sea air. Crucially for a fish chef, the restaurant is only a few miles from Brixham, Britain’s biggest commercial fishing port. Brixham is also Tonks’s home and he commutes every morning by sail boat, sleeping on board whenever the dinner service in Dartmouth finishes too late.

Tonks has created a room that will make everyone feel comfortable. In the open kitchen, Tonks shows off his new toy, a large grill/oven made by Josper in Barcelona. 'I initially wanted a wood-burning oven', Tonks explains, 'but there were too many difficulties with the planners and in the end this has proved far superior. The bars glow white hot and then when you close the door it roasts the fish at the same time. It’s a wonderful way to cook the Brixham red mullet, a fish that’s just coming into season.'

The Seahorse is a family affair with Tonks, his wife, his two partners and their wives, all working there, which seems to add to the charm of the place. Dartmouth itself provides the crab meat served with mayonnaise as well as the lobsters that were delivered as I was eating there. The local squid, served in its own black ink, has a rich, creamy flavour as do the clams, mussels and prawns served with spaghetti, one of Tonks’s personal favourites. Then there are Brixham soles; scallops from Lyme Bay; and whiting, fried and served with chips and tartare sauce, from nearby Torbay. Such local emphasis has obviously worked with Dartmouth’s residents who have constituted most of The Seahorse’s customers since it opened on April 11. Tonks says: 'We need to take £6,400 a week to break even and we’ve been beating that comfortably, I’m pleased to say.'

Tonks remains a director of Fish Works, a company that originated in his first shop in Bath at a cost of £7,500 and grew at one stage to have a market capitalisation of more than £12m on AIM (the London Stock Exchange’s junior market) before its share price fell from a high of 38p to 6p. With hindsight, he saw the cause of its downfall. 'We raised a lot of money but based our future earnings on the opening of new sites. However, once these failed to open on time, something that’s actually quite common with restaurants, we simply could not meet our profit forecasts and we had to issue a first and then a second profits warning. We paid the price.'

New investors and new management stepped in and the first of the new Fish Works has opened in London’s Swallow Street off Piccadilly.

This whole experience seems to have taken its toll and has left Tonks somewhat more subdued than I remembered him. But, happily, he is no less excited about cooking fish. Before I set off he tells me about his next fish restaurant, which will rise out of the redevelopment of Brixham harbour in 2010. 'It’s going to be fantastic', he says, 'because it will be based on what I’ve seen in Australia where the fishermen share in the profitability of what the restaurant actually sells. After all, they’re really the ones who do all the hard work.'

What's on the Menu? Fish and seafood landed at nearby Brixham, along with locally reared meats, cooked over a wood-burning grill. Specialities include seafood risotto and spaghetti with clams.

Can you see the sea? Three alfresco tables on the quayside have views across the River Dart.

How's the mood? Smart waiters and modern decor create a sense of occasion, but the vibe is informal.

What's the damage? Starters from £7, mains £12

I was thinking about this last week as I settled down for lunch at my old friend Mitch Tonks’ new restaurant in Dartmouth, Devon.

Born and raised in Weston-super-Mare, Mitch made his name as the founder of the FishWorks chain of restaurants and fishmongers, as well as through his books and TV appearances.

Although Mitch is still a director of FishWorks, he has recently stepped back from the day-to-day running of the business to concentrate on a new restaurant of his own with old school friend (and fellow Weston boy) Mark Ely and chef Matt Prowse.

Overlooking the river Dart, The Seahorse is an exciting new project for Mitch, mainly because it’s family-run and entirely separate from FishWorks.

The other main difference is that he is back in the kitchen for the first time in six years and he’s clearly loving every minute of it.

Knowing Mitch as I do, I half expected to turn up for lunch to find him sitting in the restaurant with a glass of grappa in one hand and his mobile in the other.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. When I arrived, he was head-down in the kitchen, preparing the fish that had just arrived straight from Brixham fish market.

OK, there was a glass of chilled Prosecco close at hand (well, it gets hot in the kitchen), but this was the Mitch of old - before his days were spent in dull meetings discussing targets and business strategies.

The Seahorse is a charming restaurant with a timeless quality. It feels like it’s been there for decades. It’s only 40 covers and Mitch and Matt are cooking every day in the open kitchen.

The food is inspired by Mitch’s travels, particularly in Italy and Spain, and it’s matched with a brilliant wine list.

Even though he’s a friend, I can still honestly say that my lunch was as good as any I’ve had this year.

Highlights included chicken livers wrapped in wild garlic and sage and roasted in the wood-burning oven; homemade gnocchi with braised veal shin, beef and porcini, and a faultless Dover sole meuniere.

I visited The Seahorse on only its fifth day of business, but the word had clearly got out that Mitch was back in the kitchen as there were already people from Bristol and Clevedon in the restaurant.

A celebrity chef back in the kitchen and cooking for paying customers? Whatever next?

With backing from partners Mat Prowse, another well-known chef, and old friend and professional South Hams musician Mark Eli, the Seahorse opens its doors for the first time on Friday.

Mitch said: "We're booked solid already with just a few places in the middle of next week.

"I'm delighted with the boat, which has been built in Turkey.

"It's a five-metre Classy 17, and will allow our guests to really linger over their courses without having to sprint off to get the public ferry to Kingswear.

"Our speciality is going to be the freshest local fish and that's what our diners are already asking about and of course local suppliers of top quality meat and vegetables."

The award-winning restaurateur will be operating just two doors away from the New New Angel but says there's no rivalry with its manager, TV personality John Burton Race.

Mitch, Mat and Mark have already installed a Continental wood-burning grill and all the cooking action can be watched through a large window at the rear of the 45-seater dining area.

Dishes will include a starter of Dartmouth crab, dressed to order, a plate of local fried seafood, a cutlet of English veal with anchovy and parsley or chicken livers wrapped in sage and grilled over wood-burning fires.

Brixham-based Mitch, best known for his links with the national Fishworks empire of shops and eateries, says the Seahorse will also celebrate seasonality from regional markets: olive and rape seed oils, South West cheeses, fruits and vegetables and local cured meats.

The Fishworks chain of eaterie-fishmonger-chef school started 10 years ago in Bath. It has expanded to Bristol, Christchurch and London, where the Chiswick and Marylebone centres have already won ITV's top UK fish restaurant titles.

All the centres feature in the Which? Good Food Guide.

Mitch said: "The Seahorse is inspired by travels around Italy and Spain where dining out is an everyday, simple experience with great food served in a relaxed but informative manner.

"Going back to running a local restaurant is something I can't wait to do.

"Being fully involved from knocking down walls to creating the menu and sourcing local produce is all part of creating what we believe will really inspire people to come and visit us," he said.