WE had been meaning to try A Pinch Of Salt restaurant for some time and eventually got around to it a couple of weeks ago. We were soon cursing ourselves for leaving it so long as it is a restaurant with both impeccable food and service.

Tucked away in a quaint passageway between The Circus and The Royal Crescent, A Pinch Of Salt is small and cosy and has modern artwork of 1960s music stars, like Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles, adorning the walls.

Although not at the cheap end of the scale price-wise, it is not horrendously expensive for Bath and you certainly get value for money.

The staff are very attentive, and keen to make sure you are enjoying your meal.

The menu at this French restaurant changes daily and it is guaranteed that the freshest ingredients are always used.

After we had ordered our food and selected a bottle of wine from the extensive list, a complimentary amuse buche arrived an appetiser teaser to whet our palate before the delights ahead.

To start Martin had the langoustine soup with star anis oil and I went for the tin of crab and scallops with bruschetta and sauce vierge.

The soup was superb a delightful taste of the sea full of the flavour of the langoustines.

The tin was just as good. Packed with crab and scallops, and served with a slice of warm bruschetta, they certainly didn't skimp on the portion size. Not that I minded as it was delicious!

For the main course the waiter had recommended the Devon lemon sole, which had been freshly caught, and Martin decided to go with this.

Served with almond butter and a confit of vine tomatoes and fennel, it was definitely worth recommending.

The fish was huge and cooked to perfection.

I also decided on fish, opting for the pan-fried wild sea bass, which was served with a salad and orange mayonnaise.

Fish is traditionally served with lemon and I had never thought of serving it with orange, but the sweet taste really compliments the flavour of the fish and so it is definitely well worth trying.

We also ordered side dishes of vegetables and potatoes as these are not included in the price of the main courses.

We were both pretty full after our mains and had to have a bit of a break before contemplating desserts.

Eventually we decided on a pear tart Normande with home-made bourbon vanilla ice cream and the classic chocolate coulant with exotic ice cream.

I was told the pear tart was very good, with slices of juicy pear on the top, but the chocolate coulant was something else.

As you cut into the chocolate sponge case chocolate sauce oozes out. It's very rich but a chocoholic's dream!

Although the restaurant is only small it has a wide variety of dishes and something to suit every taste, with meat, fish and vegetarian options.

A Pinch Of Salt is a fairly new addition to the Bath dining scene but it is definitely worth sampling.

A Pinch Of Salt

11 Margaret's Buildings, Bath

Tel: (01225) 421251

By Sarah Seamarks