Dining out: Beachside Restaurant, The Boulevard Hotel, Blackpool

Most venues boast a restaurant and the chance to dine in them is not exclusive to staying guests.

Local residents are also welcome to book a table, which is why we found ourselves at the Beachside Restaurant at The Boulevard Hotel - the latest multi-million pound investment by the Pleasure Beach.

Our first challenge was finding the entrance, which is tucked away off the Promenade, with the steel tracks of the Big One overhead.

If first impressions count, this certainly provides the wow factor.

Money has been spent on creating an impact but comfort has not been sacrificed in the name of style.

If I was to mark this restaurant on its chairs it would easily get a 10. They were the most relaxing I have ever had the joy of settling into, enfolding you in comfort.

Another Pleasure Beach restaurant, The White Tower, also has comfy chairs - so it must be their thing!

While we perused the menu, our drinks order of a bottle of Pinot Grigio was taken and a jug of water brought to the table.

We also ordered a plate of olives to share.

The evening a-la-carte menu offers sharing platters or starters ranging from soup to scampi.

My husband Clive opted for the goats cheese which was presented on a bed of sliced tomatoes and garnish.

My choice of deep fried salt and pepper calamari was served with a jalapeno, lime and coriander mayonnaise.

The batter hit the right level of crispiness while the dip supplied enough flavour to complement the squid.

There is a good selection of mains to choose from, with steaks, lamb chops or spatchcock chicken from the grill.

While for vegetarians there are risotto, gnocchi and tangine options.

Clive chose pan fried fillets of seabass which came with Thai stir-fried vegetables and coriander basmati rice.

This was a more novel way to serve seabass and adding the Thai flavours to the dish added extra piquancy.

The Boulevard Fish Pie, stacked with smoked haddock, salmon, cod and king prawns also sounded tempting.

But in the end I was swayed by pan roasted chicken breast accompanied by duck fat potato and braised leeks.

This was well presented, and the chicken was moist while the potato beneath the crispy skin was delicious.

We both cleared our plates, but not feeling ready to leave our table (it must have been those chairs!), we decided there was room for dessert.

While Clive went for the ice-cream, the Eton mess with fresh fruit caught my eye.

The meringue, it has to be said, was too chewy which was disappointing, but the fruit and cream hit the spot.

Service throughout was efficient, friendly and informative.

It is good to see the Pleasure Beach investing in a quality dining experience, while for those wanting a less formal lunch there is a separate day-time menu.

This includes lighter bites and pizza, so will also appeal to families.

Our bill, including drinks, came to £81.