LAST month saw the re-opening of the Pavilion Theatre café on Weymouth seafront.

The Echo ran a competition to name the new establishment and Colin Simon, 37, of Westham, was inspired to come up with the new name Ritz in honour of the previous theatre that stood on the site.

I was interested to see what the new café would be like and with its prime location over-looking Weymouth Esplanade, a sunny afternoon excursion seemed in order.

The décor was clean and bright, with the interior over-looking the beach and tucked away in a quiet corner of the Pavilion. There is also a sectioned off outside area where visitors can enjoy their meal in the summer sunshine.

Being on the ground floor the access is perfect for disabled or elderly visitors who may have difficulty with stairs and being a family destination, it is buggie-friendly too.

The menu was smart and comprehensive and is good for people who are just stopping for a quick bite to eat before exploring Weymouth or grabbing a drink before a performance.

There is a good choice of hot and cold beverages, snacks and cakes.

I was delighted to see that all the tea was Fairtrade and the coffee was freshly ground.

The café also has a good choice of sandwiches with generous fresh fillings, including a choice of seafood.

I am a vegetarian and found the choice to be a bit limited, with cheese or beans being the only alternative to meat, but that is normal for a café.

So I opted for the cheese salad, while my friend had the home-made quiche lorraine with a side salad and crisps.

This was followed by a fresh fruit cake slice, and no trip to Weymouth seaside would be complete without trying a cream tea.

The salad leaves were very fresh in my dish, and it was packed with tomato, pepper and cucumber. The portion of cheese with the salad was a bit too generous for me, but it was tasty and filling.

My friend enjoyed the home-made quiche and was impressed by the quality and presentation, and at £2.50 it was a very good lunchtime option.

Although the cream filling of the cake slice was very sweet, the fruit on top tempered it and the cream tea was an English classic.

At £2.95 it is certainly one of the best-priced cream teas I have tried in Dorset and with the view across Weymouth Bay it is hard to imagine a better way to spend a sunny afternoon.

The staff were friendly and the service was fast – we waited less than 10 minutes for our meal.

The Ritz is open seven days a week from 9.30am to 5pm. Tel: 01305 785747.

My Ritz Café bill:

Drinks: £3.20

Quiche lorraine: £2.50

Cheese salad: £4.95

Fresh cake slice: £1.75

Cream tea: £2.95

TOTAL: £15.35