A POPULAR seafood restaurant is preparing to re-open following its winter closure.

Shell Bay in Studland will be opening its doors for the 2023 season on February 23.

The restaurant will be open Thursday to Sunday, before returning to seven days a week from Easter.

It is currently taking bookings and has directed people to its website to ‘avoid disappointment’.

The reopening of Shell Bay comes despite the Sandbanks Ferry still being out of action.

In an Instagram post, the restaurant wrote: “Ferry or no ferry, we are opening for the ‘23 season."

The ferry, which runs between Sandbanks and Studland, was taken away in mid-November for a major refit that was expected to take four weeks.

However, while the ferry was being towed to Falmouth, it sustained damage which pushed back the return date for the craft.

The craft is now back in Poole, but a number of tests will need to be taken before it can resume service.

Last week, operators said they were “still on target” to recommence service by the end of February.