Good-sized portions with a view - review of Marina Vista in Sunderland

Roker has seen a wave of welcome change recently, with new additions such as Tin of Sardines, Grandpa Dickies, Coast and Ruhe helping to boost the night time economy, with more to come in the form of These Things Happen, which is due to open soon, and a new beachfront bar planned for the shelter in Marine Walk.

And while it’s great to see the seafront finally reaching its potential hospitality wise, there is, of course, some SR6 stalwarts that have been flying the flag for years.

While sea view vistas get the lion’s share of the attention at the seafront, the Marina, tucked round the corner, is just as picturesque and Marina Vista makes the most of the location from its position atop the Marine Activities Centre. (Worth noting you can use the centre’s carpark by registering your car and get the lift up when using the restaurant.)

It’s some time since I last visited this spot, you’re probably talking The Flying Pizza era, but its lost none of its charm.

We’d booked ahead for a friend’s birthday and managed to get a window table where you can watch the boats bobbing in North Dock as you dine.

It had a great buzz on a Friday evening with plenty of full tables chattering away amidst the clink of wine glasses. It’s nicely decorated too, with feature wallpapers including a cool blue paper which depicts coastal scenes.

The family-owned restaurant is a regular for many, and it’s easy to see what keeps them coming back for more.

Service was efficient and friendly, there’s a broad menu and you get plenty on your plate for your pounds.

Spanning the Mediterranean, with a large portion dedicated to Italian food, the menu is vast, with starters ranging from lasagna bites to gamberoni, mains of many pastas, risottos, pizzas, no less than 12 chicken options, parmos, steaks and fish dishes.

I started with goats cheese crostini (£9.95). It’s a cheese that can sometimes be a bit hit or miss, but it was executed really well here: a thick round of mildly earthy cheese which worked wonderfully with the accompanying avocado, the zing of grapefruit and a moreishly tart raspberry coulis. Not a flavour combination I’ve had before, but it worked a treat – a great size too.

For mains, I had one of the pricier dishes – sea bass and king prawns on top of a chilli lime spaghetti with baby prawns (£19.95) – but, again, you get your money’s worth, especially considering it’s seafood.

The chilli lime added a great extra depth of flavour to the fresh spaghetti, which was the perfect side of soft, with just the right bite, for fork and spoon swirling.

I was only expecting one sea bass fillet, but you get two of this lean fish which tasted pan fried to keep its delicate natural flavour, its flakiness punctuated with plenty of plump prawns.

The drinks menu is equally vast, whether you’re after a beer (though there’s only Madri on draft), bottles, a huge range of spirits, liqueur, cocktails at £7, shots and a decent range of wine that extends beyond a basic house red or white.

Our bill for three of us with two courses each, sides and alcoholic drinks came to £123.60, which wasn’t bad at all for the views, portions and swift service.

If you’re wanting to shave some pounds off your bill you can visit during Happy Hour, which runs Monday to Thursday 12pm - 2.30pm / 5.30pm - 10pm | Friday and Saturday 12pm - 2.30pm / 5.30pm - 6.30pm and Sunday 5:30pm -9.30pm