Editor's note: De Jagers has now closed.

The Pantiles is on the bounce these days. The boutiques along the row seem to have new purpose and there is an increase in pedestrian traffic that has brought the place to life. So it was to the Pantiles that Mrs Smithers and I headed in search of a special lunch to mark the last true Saturday of summer. The weather was warm enough to fill all of the street tables, but de Jagers had a couple of free spots in the opened bay windows which looked inviting. An elderly couple were tucking into an appealing bowl of mussels, so we went in.

The interior décor is clean and attractive and as we sat down we ordered two glasses of house white – large, pleasant and refreshingly chilled. An indicative menu was available, though the majority of the dishes (the restaurant has a definite seafood bent) were chalked onto nearby boards. I chose the Crayfish and Mandarin salad, and she chose the Seafood platter. My salad was faultless – a very pleasant lunchtime dish – and her platter was substantial. Prawns, mussels and crayfish were the main events, supplemented by other fayre (even a portion of octopus – not to her taste, but that’s octopus for you). She could have done with a dedicated seafood implement to remove the prawns with greater dignity, but this was our only complaint. Our side dish of fries was perfect too. While we waited for our cheese platter, we chatted to the elderly couple, on holiday from St Austell. They had been turned away from another establishment on the Pantiles as they had refused to accommodate the gentleman’s electric wheelchair. “Weren’t they mean?”, she said. We agreed, and made a mental note to avoid the place in future. Our cheese platter arrived. We were provided with a very nicely presented variety of largely English cheeses, with a diversity of bread, crackers and biscuits as an accompaniment. We rounded it off with the perfect cup of coffee, and paid the bill for £35. “We’re glad now that we were turned away from the other place”, laughed our neighbours from St Austell, “this place is a real gem”. And we agreed. Approved. Smithers