In the heart of Christchurch it is hard to imagine a much more favoured site with access to road, sea, air and town all within easy reach. Should rations have failed on the yacht just moor up at one of the hotel's private moorings, by prior arrangement, and step inside. The rest, as they say, is gastronomic.

Bar and restaurant menus draw extensively on locally sourced ingredients. Let's take a look at the menu in the Tides Restaurant with a choice from amongst around ten starters, perhaps the trio of salmon, a fresh Dorset crab, or Wiltshire rosary goat's cheese curd, golden raisin and toasted hazelnut salad and West Country cider dressing.

No surprise to find that shellfish have their own section on the menu, with the Club platter stacked with premium South Coast crustaceans and the customary accompaniments as the star of the show. The land-locked equivalent of this handsome dish, the Club mixed grill offers serious competition, or there's Dorset lamb cutlets cooked 'a la Plancha'.

Starring amongst the desserts is the hot chocolate fondant pudding with yoghurt ice cream, or a classic treacle tart with vanilla bean ice cream. Coffee is served with petit fours in best traditional style, from which you will gather that for all its modernity this is a place where things are done properly and ship-shape.