Lobster Pot and Boathouse Bar 6 Bermudiana Road, Hamilton

Want to eat gourmet in a homey atmosphere? Then Lobster Pot gets Hack's vote.

Lobster, escargot, sashimi, fish just in from the sea, Alaskan king crab legs, succulent shanks of lamb.it is all here. And to boot, you meal is served up by friendly wait staff in a decidedly comfortable atmosphere.

The Lobster Pot is a popular spot ? there is a fiercely loyal clientele dining alongside visitors who have been told this is the place to go for seafood ? on what is unofficially known as restaurant row.

Situated on Bermudiana Road, also home to upscale restaurants L'Orientale and Little Venice as well as the more casual but quintessentially Italian resto Portofino, Lobster Pot is an old Bermuda standby.

Because Lobster Pot has been around so long (25 years and counting), perhaps it often gets overlooked.

There was a time when it was the place to go, not just for a meal but as the in-vogue watering hole. That isn't the case today but overlooked it shouldn't be, even if its interior appears to have seen little updating in its quarter century history.

All that aside, the restaurant does seem to attract a steady crowd of loyal lunch and dinner diners who want to have a decent meal out, without the bother of dressing up or paying premium prices.

For a proper lunch, it may be one of the best spots in Hamilton. A diverse menu is sure to please with a wide range of options from sandwiches, soups, salads to full-course fish and meat entrees. But the lunchtime piece de resistance is undoubtedly the Lobster Pot's prix fixe menu for about $15 for a starter, main and dessert. It is a perfect choice for those after a bit of a splurge or for those who don't want to think through a multitude of options.

At dinner however, you can't get away from a dizzying array of appetisers (hot and cold) and main course choices.

To begin there are a range of soups (Hack has consumed more than his fair share of French Onion chez Lobster Pot and conch chowder is there too) and salads.

Hack thinks you could probably make a meal just from a few of the Lobster's appetisers ($6.95 up to $26): wings, oysters wrapped in bacon, cultivated mussels, coconut shrimp, a pot of escargot, to name a few.

To start, the calamari is recommended. Piping hot and not overly battered makes it a winner compared to some of the rubbery excuses for squid Hack's tried elsewhere on the Island.

Dining at the Lobster Pot between September through the end of March? Don't miss out on the Bermuda spiny lobster.

Hack's party certainly took that opportunity. Lobster Thermidor arrived in a lusciously creamy cheese sauce while Lobster Bermudez was served up in an equally creamy mushroom based sauce, said to be flavoured with the Island's signature Gosling's Black Seal rum. The shells were scraped clean.

Served up with a side of either saffron rice, baked potato or garlic mash and vegetables, the lobster platter makes a filling meal ($31.95 for a half).

As delicious as the lobster was, Hack won't confine his dining at the Pot to this side of March. He'll be back soon, this time trying out the fish of the day, which comes cooked various ways (broiled in a lemon butter sauce, served up in a garlic curry butter or seared with Creole spices), for $25.75.

Hack was also tempted by some of the Pot's combination platters ($26.75 up to $44.75), and for a hearty steak or rack of lamb, there are the 'landlubber' options.

Hack might wish for a more modern atmosphere at the Lobster Pot (the interior feels a bit like being on the set of the ancient TV show, Gilligan's Island), but otherwise, can't complain about anything.

Ambience: 2.5 out of 5

Food: 4 out of 5

Service: 5 out of 5, not silver service but friendly and attentive

Value: 5 out of 5. Plan on $100 and up for two. Some of the menu items are pricey but that is what you'd expect when ordering lobster, escargot and crabs all the way from Alaska. For what you get, the Lobster Pot is a real value for money.

Wheelchair accessible: No, several steps in

Kid friendly: Yes, you'll see whole families meeting there for a meal

Vegetarian friendly: Definitely if your diet extends to seafood. If not, you might be scraping by with salads and maybe the onion soup, if you'll eat meat stock. There is also a fruit platter on the menu.