THE Terrace Tapas Bar on Fore Street is Ilfracombe's most tried and tested restaurant.

The owners, Mark and Kelly Richardson, have got their operation down to a fine art over the years and clearly stand by the theory that if something isn't broken, there's no need to fix it.

The restaurant is one of the town's most established eateries and, as my girlfriend and I learned, it can still pull a crowd.

Even on a wet Wednesday, we are by no means the only diners in the place, something which added to a weirdly seasonal sense of atmosphere.

With a mind-boggling choice of dishes available, we opt for the set Banquet menu for two which proved more than enough for even the most rumbling of bellies.

To start, a large bowl of nachos arrived coated in spicy chillies, guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

It was hard to believe that this monstrous dish was just the first of four courses to grace our rustic table.

Next up were deep fried mozzarella sticks and jalapeno peppers followed closely by chorizo cooked in red wine, beef skewers, sticky chicken wings, gambas prawns and Spanish chipped potatoes.

To finish off this remarkably rich feast was a Toblerone chocolate fondue with strawberries, melon, pineapple and marshmallows.

Time flew as we lazily consumed the vast quantities of delicious tit-bits put in front of us which is testament to the relaxed tapas eating ethic.

One thing's for sure, we were not left feeling hungry.

● The Banquet menu, which was sampled above costs £15.95 per person for a minimum of two people.

For more information call 01271 863482.

Visit the website at www. terracetapasbar.co.uk.

● Terrace Tapas Bar has a great value Tapas for a Tenner offer running at the moment. Eat as much as you like for £10 and choose from more than 12 dishes. You can re-order as often as you want and if your favourite isn't on the list you can add it for £4. The cost for children under 10 is £5.