With its sweeping staircase and Georgian features, Custom House is one of the most imposing buildings along Poole Quay.

Its impressive facade houses a bar and private function room, frequently used for weddings, while the middle floor features the Maison a la carte restaurant, which we visited for a mid-week meal.

The minimalist decor of the restaurant complements the grandeur of the historic building, which is also used to showcase stunning work by a local artist, while the view over Poole Quay makes for a very relaxed, calming environment.

The menu is a mix of English and French and specialises in fish and meat, priding itself on its locally sourced produce.

We enjoyed fresh bread served with homemade pesto and red pepper hummus (£2.50) while we perused the menu. The bread was deliciously soft and the accompaniments proved a wonderful warmer for a chilly spring evening.

I chose seasonal homemade soup (£4.95) to start, which was carrot and coriander and my husband chose potted shrimp (£5.95).

The soup was a perfect-sized portion with a lovely sweet flavour, and the coriander adding warmth.

My husband’s shrimps, served with rocket salad and brown toast, were tasty and juicy.

For our main meals, we chose the braised lamb shank (£18.95) and the 21-day aged Sirloin steak (£19.95).

The lamb was just how I like it – melt-in-the-mouth – and the mustard flavour added a pleasing twist to the mashed potato.

My husband’s steak was accompanied by grilled flat mushrooms, peppercorn cream and hand cut chips.

The meat was cooked to perfection, while the chips were crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside.

We were pleased to have room left for dessert. I was drawn to the Baileys crème brulee (£6.95) and my husband went for the homemade apple and berry crumble (£6.95).

I was concerned the crème brulee might be too rich, but it had just a light Baileys flavour. The crumble, served with vanilla bean ice cream, also had a crunchy topping, while the fruit was soft but still retained a lot of its sweet flavour.

Excellent food, in a relaxed atmosphere. Well worth a visit.

For more details visit customhouse.co.uk