Eating Inn, Blackpool, restaurant review - Steakhouse on the Prom is not just for tourists

The movie stars Ralph Fiennes as a chef who is disenchanted (to say the least!) with serving food to customers who do not fully appreciate his talent.

This column, I have to say, is more about providing a guide to the whole experience of eating out, rather than concentrating soley on the detailed scrutiny of the food.

But it made me think, chefs at every level of cuisine are under constant pressure to produce their best efforts.

Anyway, The Eating Inn is not trying to compete with the tasting menus of top end restaurants.

And if you are not in the market for 12 courses of miniscule servings comprising ingredients you have never heard of, it will certainly hit the mark!

After a busy day when we had not eaten much, we were both ready to enjoy a filling meal - and we certainly did.

Despite Blackpool being out of season, when we arrived on a Saturday evening the restaurant was busy with diners.

There is also a conservatory area, and when you book, you can choose where you would like a table.

We had been concerned the conservatory may be chillier, but walking through it was very warm.

We were quickly seated in the inner restaurant area and our drinks order for a bottle of Malbec (£20) and tap water soon arrived.

My husband Clive chose chicken liver pate as his starter, while I went for Tempura prawns which were juicy and full of flavour, cooked in a very light batter.

Both were accompanied with a fresh, crunchy salad and were not too filling that we weren't still eagerly anticipating our mains.

As the Eating Inn is renowned for its steaks (although it does offer some other options on its menu), we both chose this speciality.

In line with all steak houses, there is a choice of portion size and we plumped for the eight ounce offering.

Clive opted for fillet steak with mashed potatoes, while I went for the sirloin steak with chips, and we shared a Diane sauce (which we found plentiful between us).

We had both asked for our steaks to be cooked medium, and this was done to a tee.

My meat was tender with the juices released as soon as I bit into the steak, while the sauce was rich without being overwhelming.

It was served with lightly grilled tomato, rocket lettuce and mushrooms, and a stack of hot chunky chips which were divine.

Clive’s request to switch mushrooms for an alternative meant his dish was served with a ramekin of beans, and a swathe of mash complete with crunchy topping.

Service throughout our meal was excellent with enough attention to ensure we felt well looked after, but without being overly fussed over.

The restaurant decor has also been refreshed in recent times, and we appreciated the contemporary ambience of the surroundings.

Altogether we had a most enjoyable evening at what is an excellent restaurant opening out onto Blackpool’s busy Promenade.

Our total bill (including drinks) came to £76.50.