The Riverside Bar and Restaurant is conveniently situated just outside Reading town centre in Lower Caversham. One of my favourite aspects of this restaurant is the view of the River Thames. I can’t think of many finer things to do on a summer’s day than sit outside on the terrace and watch the swans and boats glide by – something you can happily do for hours at the Riverside.

Olsi Meneri, restaurant manager and owner, recently bought The Riverside and has since made some considerable changes. My guest and I visited on a Tuesday night, expecting just to have dinner and were really pleased to find entertainment thrown in as well. We had stumbled across a Rod Stewart tribute night, which was obviously a big hit as the place was packed with couples and parties. The atmosphere was amazing with everyone enjoying both the food and music. The tribute nights are held twice a month on Tuesdays and in future Frank Sinatra, Elton John and Tom Jones will all be making an appearance in some form or another. On these nights the restaurant serves a two-course meal for £21 or three courses for £24.

The Riverside’s real strength is the food. To start, I sampled bruschetta of smoked salmon with beetroot relish, which was tasty and full of fresh flavours, whilst my guest chose a salad of asparagus, Parma ham, fresh rocket and Parmesan shavings – a pleasant combination of tastes and textures. For us, the main event featured fillet of sea bass with new potatoes, spinach, tomato confit and aubergine caviar which was thoroughly enjoyed by my guest; while I opted for a succulent fillet of beef, dauphinoise potatoes, shallots, green beans and Madeira pan gravy, which I carried on eating long after I was full – it was superb. We shared a trio of desserts to finish, which included profiteroles, chocolate brownie with rum and raisin ice cream and lemon tart with crème fraîche. All were delicate yet extremely satisfying.

The restaurant à la carte menu has even more creative and exciting dishes to tempt you back, including dishes such as the pan fillet of beef with roast potatoes, spinach, roasted onions, beans and chicken liver pâté, the amazing seafood platter with whole crab, lobster, oysters, scallops, langoustines and mussels (for two people) and the cornfed chicken breast with cream and mushroom tagliatelle. Or why not try crispy duck salad (£8.75) followed by slow roast belly of pork (£13.95) and finish with the legendary trio of desserts. There is also a bar menu which doesn’t disappoint and a comprehensive wine list. It is also worth noting that Olsi provides a speciality service for anyone suffering from food allergies or with special dietary needs – just call Olsi in advance.

Children are welcome at The Riverside and indeed Olsi and his friendly, attentive team make sure that all diners are made to feel welcome and quite at home. It was a breath of fresh air to find an independent concern doing so well and with such flair.