Port O'Call Front Street, Hamilton.

Located in the centre of town, Port O'Call always seems to be doing a pretty brisk trade, whether it's with the lunchtime work crowd, visitors straight off a cruise ship, or evening diners looking for a late night supper.

But location surely isn't the only key to this restaurant's success. It's one of those relaxed mid-price sort of places where you can feel comfortable in denim or a dinner jacket. And the food's not bad either.

A nautical theme runs through the decor, (as it seems to in just about every new restaurant nowadays) resulting in a polished yet informal environment. Everything ship-shape then.

Did we say relaxed and informal? Well the ambience may be but the menu certainly isn't. Chaos rules.

Some examples? How about lime poached prawns with green wasabi puree, carpaccio of salmon with hot chilli oil, curried Bermuda fishcakes or fire roasted vegetables with smoked mozzarella ? and that's just for starters.

The menu wanders around all over the globe, with a nod to Mediterranean cuisine here, a firm handshake to the Caribbean there, and a 'how do you do' to Asia on the way.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, and if you're not in the mood for something a bit different, there are one or two safe standards on the menu for the conservative palate.

After picking our way through the list of choices we were faced with a perpetual dilemma ? the specials. Did the chef really spot some prime choice cut so wonderful while out shopping earlier in the day that he had to buy it on the spot and prepare it without having time to put it on his menu?Or is he just fobbing us off by serving up something that, if he doesn't get rid of soon, will walk out of the restaurant of its own accord?

To kick off, we opted for panko encrusted scallops with grilled smoked duck breast and a mango chili salsa, and a trio of steamed wontons with warm sesame salad. While the wontons slipped down seamlessly, the scallops were, well, a bit of a mouthful. Scallops are such a simple yet sublime ingredient, that you really don't need to dress them up in anything fancy.

The panko crust and duck breast were unnecessary accompaniments.

On to the mains where the special ? a veal chop ? made its appearance. Now this was a serious piece of meat and it was given a deservedly serious treatment. Crisp, almost charred, on the outside, beautifully pink in the middle, this was expertly cooked. Unfortunately, while the side orders of mash and veggies were adequate, the accompanying peppercorn sauce was anything but. It's not that it tasted particularly bad, it just didn't taste of anything at all. How did I know it was a peppercorn sauce? I had to ask. Still, at least its blandness didn't distract from the superb quality of the meat.

Making their second appearance of the night, scallops were this time served with Gulf shrimps in a Thai curry sauce. Pretty good was the verdict.

Service is efficient and professional without being stiff, and neither was the bill. At just over $100 for dinner for two with a few glasses of wine thrown in, Port O'Call is the sort of place to go for a mid-week treat without blowing the bank.