AS those with a carnivorous appetite will know, there are times when only a good, juicy, steak will do.

We’d heard positive reviews about Miller & Carter, which used to be the Mountbatten Arms at Wallisdown in Poole, so we were looking forward to a hearty, meaty meal.

The place was buzzing even on a mid-week evening and the dark leather booths and subtle lighting added to the atmosphere.

There is a wide selection of different cuts of cow as well as lamb, fish, chicken and duck, and a choice of sides and sauces.

For starters we opted for a sharing platter, which was nicely presented and included pork belly bites glazed in Bourbon, nachos, barbecued chicken wings, dusted calamari, crispy onion loaf and toasted bread.

Everything was nice and crispy, not at all greasy. I wasn’t a huge fan of the spinach and mozzarella dip though, as it lacked flavour – a garlic mayonnaise or a spicy sauce would have been ideal.

For my main course I chose the Fillet Wellington, which was a prime fillet steak topped with a rich liver pate and mushrooms and wrapped in puff pastry.

This can be a difficult dish to get right, but it was perfectly cooked and came with a choice of seasoned fries or jacket potatoes, and a small pot of five-mushroom sauce.

Meanwhile, my other half was working his way through his burger, which was topped with tangy, monterey jack cheese and crispy bacon in a seeded bun with salad and served with seasoned fries and creamy coleslaw.

He declared it was the best burger he’d had in a long time.

Both dishes came with the restaurant’s signature side, a wedge of iceberg lettuce topped with your choice of dressing (I went for blue cheese) and a slice of onion loaf.

Not surprisingly, we didn’t have room for the dessert, but if you have a sweet tooth you won’t be disappointed with the selection, which included classics such as banoffee pie, baked cheesecake and a version of Eton mess.

This is a big menu with generous portions of good quality, no-frills food. It’s also worth mentioning the service.

Sometimes service in restaurant chains can be poor, but we couldn’t fault the service that night. So if you like all things cow, just make sure you go with a good appetite.

The Bill:

Sharing platter £12.50

Fillet Wellington £18.95

Bacon & cheese burger £10.95

2x250ml glass of Sauvignon blanc £11.50

TOTAL: £53.90