AFTER nearly a decade, Neo, a glistening, glass-fronted rotunda restaurant in the heart of Bournemouth, finally opened its doors last month.

The eye-catching extension to the Hermitage Hotel in Exeter Road, was built around 10 years ago but it was the subject of a boundary dispute with Bournemouth Borough Council.

So after much speculation, we were looking forward to checking it out.

On first impressions it’s light, airy and uber chic, art deco in style with a classic Grand Café brasserie. It is surprisingly spacious – it seats 200 people and although I feared it might lack ambience on a mid-week evening, there were plenty of people to create a friendly, relaxed vibe.

To start the evening we were invited to have pre-dinner drinks at the ground floor terrace bar (there is also an outdoor terrace) where I ordered a gin and tonic - made with Dorset's Conker gin and the ever-popular Fever Tree tonic.

The bar tender also offered as a taste of some of Neo’s signature cocktails. The Bakewell Martini (£9.50) was too sweet for me but the Pear, Cinnamon & Elderflower (£9.50) was perky and refreshing.

While we were sipping our assortment of drinks, we were handed a couple of menus featuring brasserie style plates with a strong focus on meat and fresh fish as well as casual dining dishes such as sharing platters and cured meats.

We were then shown to the upstairs restaurant which has a good view of Bournemouth sea front.

For starters I opted for a twice-baked cheese soufflé, a fluffy, buttery dome (£7.50) in a pool of molten mature cheddar and parmesan, with a slivers of spring onion which was just enough to whet the appetite.

My husband had roasted scallops (£11.50) which were succulent and tender, served with crisp pork belly and apple.

For mains I chose half a lobster for £25 (whole is £39.50), which came with a little dipping pot of Thai ginger, coriander dressing which accentuated the sweet, delicate flavour of the lobster, served with hand cut chips, caramelised onions, roasted tomatoes on the vine and a watercress garnish.

Meanwhile my husband was making short work of his 10z lamp rump steak (£21) which also came with chips, salad garnish and a pot of creamy Béarnaise sauce.

Both our mains had been cooked in a Josper charcoal grill which apparently is the hottest indoor barbecue available (temperatures reach an average of 300C) which ensures the meat or fish is cooked swiftly to retain moisture and flavour.

Both meals were elegantly presented, contemporary in style with simple yet distinct flavours. The staff were lovely and attentive.

There are so many new restaurants opening in Bournemouth at the moment which makes you wonder which ones will survive, but I think Neo has all the right ingredients to become a new focal point of the town’s food and drink scene.