In July this year the Pea Green Boat on Sidmouth seafront was singled out as one of Britain's best places for summer dining.

The Times asked chefs and restaurateurs all over the country to nominate their favourite venues.

The Pea Green Boat was nominated by Hugo and Olive Guest from the Glebe House restaurant and guest house in Colyton, who raved about its wonderful fish dishes and impressive wine list.

So I went to check it out for myself.

The Pea Green Boat has been owned by Chris Pike for 11 years, which he describes as a ‘journey’ towards ‘the restaurant we are today’. He and his team pride themselves on offering fresh local produce, simply cooked, and served in a fantastic location.

I had lunch there during the Sidmouth Folk Festival. It was a lovely day and I sat at an outside table, watching people browsing around the stalls on the seafront. As an added bonus, a musician was playing folk guitar outside the Kingswood Hotel next door.

The lunch menu of the day offered a range of tempting starters: wild mushrooms with garlic, spring onion, tarragon and toasted sourdough bread; Lyme Bay scallops (with caviar as an optional extra); fresh calamari; River Fowey mussels with garlic, white wine and cream; and a salad of Jerusalem artichokes with pressed Somerset goat’s cheese curd and walnuts. I went for the salad, as I love goat’s cheese and had never had it with Jerusalem artichokes before. This turned out to be a delicious combination – it was a light, fresh-tasting salad with a dressing just sharp enough to complement the creamy cheese and the nutty taste of the artichokes.

For the second course I chose braised fillet of cod with brown butter, samphire and French fries. Again, it was a difficult choice – the other offerings were Lyme Bay crab risotto, battered hake with chips and pea puree, Lyme Bay half lobster with garlic butter and burnt lemon, or Dartmoor ribeye steak.

My chosen dish was another fine combination of flavours; the delicate taste of the fish was set off by the melted butter and the salty tang of the samphire. The fish was also sprinkled with tiny, bright green ‘pearls’ that I had never seen before; this turned out to be wasabi caviar, a Japanese delicacy traditionally served with sushi. It’s a lovely way to add the kick of wasabi without overpowering the flavour of the fish.

When it comes to drinks, customers are spoilt for choice - the Pea Green Boat has the longest wine list I’ve ever seen, with wines sourced from all over the world. I went for the simplest option with a glass of the house white, which was delicious.

The Pea Green Boat isn’t a cheap restaurant, and it’s clearly targeting customers who’re happy to splash out for something special. And with its fine food, stylish décor and beautiful views across the sea, they certainly get their money’s worth.