AFTER months of speculation, the eagerly-awaited Rick Stein restaurant at Sandbanks in Poole will open its doors for the first time next week.

There will be a glittering champagne and canapés reception for invited guests on Friday November 27 to celebrate the opening of the 200-seater restaurant, before the official opening 24 hours later.

The popular TV chef bought Cafe Shore, a fashionable restaurant on the Poole peninsular, after it went into liquidation in early February. Refurbishment work started on the site at the beginning of July.

Rick told the Echo at the time: “Sandbanks is the perfect place for a good fish restaurant. I've had my eye on it ever since I passed through about 15 years ago when I travelled the coast of Britain to make the Seafood Lovers’ Guide. Somewhere to drop in for local lemon sole, oysters or crab I thought, and now my dream has come true.

“It'll be a place for some informal, inexpensive seafood maybe coming off Sandbanks beach or for spending some time on the Poole harbour side of the restaurant eating lobster or Dover sole, drinking lovely chilled white Burgundy and thinking how relaxing a view over the water can be. I'm very excited.”

Jill Stein with her son, Ed, and daughter-in-law, Kate have been in charge of the interior design. Jill added: “I have fond memories of visiting Sandbanks with my aunt and uncle as a child and playing on the beach. It’s a beautiful place to be so I’m thrilled we’re opening a restaurant here. We’re taking inspiration from the local surroundings and coast for the interiors. Ed is making a trip to Carrara to pick the marble for the bar where you will be able to eat shellfish and drink cocktails.”

The self-titled ‘Rick Stein’ restaurant will offer classic seafood dishes such as Dover sole meunière, turbot hollandaise and fruits de mer, alongside a more casual lunch time menu with dishes such as a crab salad and moules frites.