WITH the weather warming up for summer there's a good chance you'll be spending a bit of time down at the beach.

And if you don't want to take a picnic, no doubt you'll be looking for somewhere to have a bite to eat.

There aren't an awful lot of restaurants along Bournemouth seafront, but Hot Rocks is an obvious choice because of its prime position just by the pier.

Having only ever passed by on my way to and from the beach, I'd always imagined it to be an American, chips-with-everything sort of place, but it actually bills itself as a "surf restaurant and cocktail bar".

Although the cocktails list is certainly extensive, I'm still not entirely sure what a "surf restaurant" is.

Perhaps it means you can go into Hot Rocks in your surf gear without having to change into something smarter or perhaps it's simply a reference to the restaurant's watersports themed dcor.

It's true to say that chips come with several of the dishes on the weighty (thanks to some of the thickest cardboard dividers I've ever seen) Hot Rocks menu.

But jacket potatoes are offered as an alternative to fries, while some dishes have other accompaniments such as rice or garlic bread.

The style of food seems to be mainly American, Caribbean and Mexican based around some of the surfing capitals of the world I guess although there are a few exceptions such as Thai red chicken curry and the daily pasta specials.

We were initially shown to a window table in the upstairs restaurant, looking out over the pier and the beach below.

However, we asked to be moved to a table further back when we realised people were smoking next to us (there's no segregation).

There's a very relaxed, informal feel to Hot Rocks, due in large part to the fold-away, slatted wooden chairs and the bare, garden-style tables with blue and yellow tops.

Starters referred to as "tasters" range from a bowl of chilli (meat or vegetarian) with corn chips and sour cream, to marinated chicken wings with a blue cheese dip, Makaha chicken (tender strips of coconut and biscuit-coated chicken breast with a honey and mustard dip), and potato skins deep-fried and served with various fillings.

Main courses are split into salads, steaks, char-grills including burgers and ribs, "on surfari" dishes such as fajitas or chilli in a large taco shell, "mighty meals" like extra large burgers or steaks, plus daily fish specials.

I went for the vegetarian version of the baja burritos to start with, followed by the guanna chicken even though the menu warned about the accompanying "fiery hot" Jamaican jerk sauce.

My friend decided on the Waikiki wontons tiger prawns and basil leaves wrapped in wontons and deep-fried and then the fajitas with Cajun spiced chicken.

Although the prawns inside the wontons were whole and juicy, their pastry cases were extremely greasy.

I was slightly worried the burritos might be a little too filling as a starter, but there was actually only one so it was fine.

The flour tortilla was rather hard at the folded ends, but it had a generous and tasty filling of mashed sweet potatoes, roasted peppers, asparagus, three bean and cheese mix, lime and fresh coriander, plus an addictive roast pepper mayonnaise on the side.

The warning about the guanna chicken is certainly there for a reason. The chicken breasts themselves had been marinated in a very hot spice rub, and as soon as I dipped a slice in the bowl of Jamaican jerk sauce, my eyes and nose were streaming and my throat was on fire.

Luckily the chicken was moist and had enough flavour not to need a sauce, so from then on I ate the meat simply with the accompanying rice and the fried plantain.

I would have been happier with more than just two slices of plantain, and even happier still if the rice had been combined with peas as stated on the menu, rather than kidney beans.

My friend had no complaints about her fajitas though, and they were certainly some of the best I've tried.

The chicken was tender and cut into appropriately sized strips, and there was no shortage of fried mixed peppers and onions for piling into the warm tortillas along with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Desserts on the blackboard included strawberry cheesecake, profiteroles, apple pie, chocolate fudge cake and a selection of ice creams, but we were already feeling more than comfortably full.

Our bill including two soft drinks came to £36.

To book call 01202 555559.