IT HAS only been open a matter of months, but the new Boatyard Cafe at Sandbanks is already making waves on the local food and drink scene for all the right reasons.

The light and airy, coastal-themed cafe, is part of the Sandbanks Yacht Company which also houses a state of the art gym and two treatment rooms for members.

But the cafe is open to all and during the week you can choose from a selection of small plates and light bites such as tapas, pastas, pizzas and salads – everything is local and fresh and the menu changes daily.

Fridays are themed evenings with live music from 5.30pm to 8.30pm although you have to be quick if you want to eat, because the kitchen closes at 7pm as they are keen to attract people who fancy a sundowner after work.

We went along last Friday and there was an acoustic guitarist called Tim Somerfield playing a wide selection of laid-back, rock influenced music which created a suitably chilled atmosphere.

On the menu were jumbo sticky beef ribs and stuffed jacket potatoes with a good portion of coleslaw and mushrooms pan fried with bacon and onions.

The ribs were excellent and must have been at least six inches square.

My friend preferred the vegetarian option, which was a huge goats’ cheese salad.

Although it is located on the exclusive Poole peninsula, there was no pretence about the place.

When the temperature started to drop we were provided with warm blankets and encouraged by the lovely hospitality manager Heather Kirk, to wander down to the jetty and watch the sunset over the harbour.

All in all it was a perfect start to the weekend.

Prices for themed Friday evenings range from £9.95 to £12.95.

For more information, visit sandbanksyachtcompany.com