Hartlepool has come a long way in the last decade, especially the makeover of the marina. Home to the award-winning historic quay, it is always alive with tourists, and is only likely to get busier with the city's future beautification plans.

Farrar's Bistro Restaurant in Hartlepool, boasts of a magnificent view of the marina with its anchored boats and yachts. It serves modern British and Mediterranean food, and as English cuisine today is influenced tangibly by Asian cooking, don't be surprised if you see onion bhajee served with mint and cucumber yoghurt rubbing shoulders with pasta or pork and apple terrine.

Some of the other popular dishes here are haddock goujons and medallions of pork loin. Apart from these, ham, roast chicken, pork form the base for the main meal at Farrar's.

They also have a sandwiches and light bite menu, and their interesting selection of side orders has garlic dough balls, onion mash potato and slow roasted tomatoes with balsamic vinegar.

For desserts you could pick the dark chocolate fondant with griottine cherries and vanilla ice-cream, poached pear in red wine sauce or banoffi pie. Their dessert menu changes daily while the food menu varies each season.

The food is bought locally and prepared to the highest standards, ensuring there is a wide variety of seafood, meat and vegetarian dishes as well as an excellent selection of wines to complement your meal.

The service is informal and relaxed allowing you to relish your meal in an unhurried manner. Opened in June 2002 by owner and head chef Mark and Charlotte Farrar, this bistro has carved a niche for itself in the local restaurant scene.