ALTHOUGH I don’t like to stick my neck out too far when it comes to recommending places to eat, I do think Giraffe is well ahead of many other family-friendly restaurant chains in the area.

And don’t let the fact it is a supermarket concession put you off. I went along to the Bournemouth Giraffe just a few weeks after it opened at Tesco in Castle Lane East.

To be honest, I was expecting bland, supermarket canteen-style food, but nothing could be further from the truth.

We were given a warm welcome by the hospitable manager Hayley who showed us to our table, which had been set out with crayons and activity sheets.

She explained they had been expecting younger children, but it didn’t matter as even though my two are now in their early teens they loved it, as did I!

The restaurant itself was clean, colourful with a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, and the menu was particularly impressive – including imaginative twists on pastas, salads, sandwiches, burgers and grills.

For example, you can go for a no bun burger – Irish-reared beef with a colourful salad and lots of good things like quinoa, edamame, fresh herbs and elderflower, a Goats’ Cheese, Pesto & Grilled Veggie Focaccia Sandwich or Jamalaya Risotto.

For starters we thought we would try one of their smoothies. Unfortunately they had run out of kale so I couldn’t have the Green Canyon.

I ordered a Ginger Blast (£3.85) with fresh ginger, pineapple, red apple, elderflower cordial, banana and my daughter ordered the Mango Mama, with mango, strawberry, banana, orange and apple juice.

We had to wait a while because they make them from scratch but it was worth it as they tasted fresh and home-made.

Even the nachos, (£7.65), which we ordered as a shared starter, are made in-house and are gluten-free. They were served with sour cream, guacamole, melted cheese, sweetcorn and black beans and sprinkled with paprika.

For mains my daughter, who always orders chicken Caesar salad if it’s on the menu, reckoned it was one of the best she’s had! Full of flavour with lightly spiced chicken, avocado, croutons, creamy dressing and even a few slices of hard-boiled egg.

I was recommended to try the Mexican Chicken Burger (£11.50), grilled chicken breast that has been marinated in chipotle served with chorizo, melting manchego cheese, guacamole, mixed leaves, with roasted corn and tomato relish in a home-made glazed sesame and poppy seed bun.

I also upgraded my chips to sweet potato chips, which were tender and delicious.

My son made short work of his steak and chips, which were perfectly cooked.

For dessert I had Jude’s Vanilla Frozen Yoghurt (£4.65), two scoops served with crushed nuts and honey, which was suitably light after such a big meal.

My son tucked into the diary ice cream (£4.75) and my daughter had the fruit sorbet (£3.95), which was served with a generous fresh fruit salad and strawberry coulis.

Each dish was full of flavour, good quality and well presented and the portions are generous.

The location is certainly convenient too. After we finished our meal, we were able to nip into the store and pick up some shopping.

All in all, a very satisfying experience from start to finish!