IT IS no surprise that the Marlow Bar & Grill is a popular hotspot with foodies. The restaurant is situated on the town’s High Street, is surrounded by several shops and is only a few minutes away from the town’s ever-popular Higginson Park, making it the perfect location for a bite to eat.

So, when my colleague Kiera and I entered the restaurant, we were blown away at how the restaurant was laid out, as the Marlow Bar & Grill is split into three major sections.

The eatery has two tables near its entrance which are aimed for drinks and light food, then, in the middle of the restaurant, customers are spoiled with the presence of a clean and well-looked after bar, and hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the main eating section, is a beautifully lit, picturesque seating area, which is where Kiera and I had our meal.

Kiera opted for chargrilled asparagus with aged balsamic which came with tofu and butter (£8.50) for starter while I opted to start off with the roast red pepper soup which was accompanied with sweet pepper, lemon and herb salsa (£6).

Kiera’s plate was simplistic but pretty, with the balsamic artistically arranged upon the vegetable.

The asparagus was cooked to perfection as the balsamic was the perfect acidic contrast to this light starter.

The soup had marinated vegetables and you could really feel the kick the pepper gives. It was the perfect start to what would be a perfect meal.

Onto mains and Kiera chose the Malaysian red curry (£13.75) with a side of chargrilled broccoli with chilli and garlic (£5), with the main coming with rice and a cold pineapple salsa.

The curry itself was a vibrant shade of red, full of various seasonal vegetables such as squash and pak choi all adding more colour to the aesthetic dish.

The generous portion size kept me nicely full and although at first, I was slightly hesitant to try the pineapple salsa the unusual pallet of flavours accompanied the dish perfectly.

It was packed full of oriental flavours and overall, was a warming and cosy meal.

For my main, I decided to have a traditional fish and chips (£15.75), accompanied with mushy peas and tartare sauce.

The fish was so succulent that it just melted in my mouth, and with a perfect concoction of some very smooth mushy peas, there is no surprise that despite it being a grill house, fish and chips is one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes.

We were so full that we couldn’t even have dessert, but there were many classic options that would’ve made it a tough choice. Overall, Kiera and I thoroughly enjoyed our food and a massive shout out goes to Bart, the restaurant’s manager and to our waiter, Holly.