Tom Moore's Tavern, Bailey's Bay

A special occasion deserves a special celebration. With a big birthday looming, we decided to push the boat out, spare no expense and book a table at Tom Moore's Tavern, which is regarded by many as one of the finest, if not the finest, restaurant on the Island. The place is weighed down with stars, diamonds and awards.

I'd been once before several years ago and, while I can't remember exactly what we ate that night, I do recall leaving the place immensely satisfied and highly impressed. This was going to be a treat.

The big day arrived and, dressed in best collar and cuffs, we took a taxi ride into Hamilton for a few cocktails followed by a second journey heading east. Anticipation mounted as we cruised up the immaculate driveway to the restaurant.

Apologising for being several minutes late (not the first time we've not been prompt, and once again the fault of a taxi that failed to show up as promised), we were warmly greeted and seated by the maitre d' at a corner table in one of the restaurants many cosy, intimate dining rooms.

For some reason I was expecting a heavily French-based menu ladled with expensive ingredients and rich sauces. It was a surprise to find a small but eclectic mix of dishes on offer. Of the eight first courses, there was a carpaccio and a foie gras of the day rubbing shoulders with steamed mussels in Asian spices, a mitonnee of snails and mushrooms (that's snail and mushroom stew to you and me) and jumbo shrimp with lime, mango and avocado salsa. After much um-ing and ah-ing we plumped for the pan seared scallops on a bed of basil brandade and a chunk of foie gras served with foie gras ice cream.

Anticipation weakened slightly with a check through the main course menu which provided pretty run-of-the-mill fare such as grilled beef striploin in a mustard beer sauce, rack of lamb with a pistachio crust and veal loin with polenta and a Marsala sauce. For me the oven-roasted, stuffed quail with asparagus risotto was the one dish that stood out as a bit special while my companion chose a hoisin glazed duck breast with baby bok choy.

Starters were a disappointment. The scallops ? all two of them ? were, well, fine, and the accompanying brandade ? a savoury mash made from salt cod ? was a definite hit. But the sliver of foie gras was just about raw while the side of ice cream tasted of absolutely nothing in particular. Here's hoping the main courses fare better.

Thankfully they did. The quail had, with the exception of a diminutive drumstick, been completely and expertly deboned, I was presented with a fat, meaty little parcel on a bed of creamy risotto. There was nothing fiddly about this dish, it could have been tackled with a spoon alone. Delicious.

The hoisin duck was equally well prepared and received high marks.

There really is nothing wrong with the food at Tom Moore's. It's all good, solid stuff that's well cooked and smartly presented.

The atmosphere is relaxed ? not at all stuffy as you might expect ? and the staff certainly worked their socks off to ensure that our evening went by without a hitch while appearing to do so effortlessly.

And yet ? somehow we felt a little let down. What was meant to be a special occasion in a classy, exclusive and extremely expensive restaurant felt more like an everyday night out. And at these prices, it shouldn't be.

A few examples. The scallops were faultless, but certainly not superior to the plate I enjoyed at Chameleon last week and certainly not as generously portioned. The duck was good, but not as good the version you can pick up at L'Oriental, which, as a bonus, provides you with twice as much meat for a fraction of the cost.

Our bill came in at nearly $250. Granted, this included a $60 Merlot (we had originally selected a more reasonably-priced bottle from the extensive, expensive wine list but were told it was unavailable) chocolatey puds and coffees, but that's still a hefty chunk of change for dinner for two.

The following day a colleague quizzed me on how the evening had gone.

"Did you feel you had eaten in the best restaurant on the Island," she asked.

To be honest, no. The food may have been good, the service and surroundings excellent, but it still didn't feel special enough to justify the prices. Perhaps Tom Moore's is enjoying an exclusive reputation that it doesn't really deserve at the moment.

The next time I feel like forking out for a special occasion, I'll throw in an extra $50 for some really exceptional dining at the Southampton Princess's Newport Room.