Restaurant review - The Boulevard: Why waste a winter's Witterings walk without adding in some family-cooked food?

And with walking comes fresh places to venture and new places to eat. Obviously.

A particular DD favourite is to head to the Witterings, East rather than West as, at this time of year, you can park in the streets for free and be on to the beach in seconds. Whether at a crashing high tide or a low tide when the sands are exposed it is a beautiful place.

To the east the coast curves around to Selsey, straight ahead are the contrasting contours of the Isle of Wight and the sweeping view westwards takes you round to West Wittering with Portsmouth and the Spinnaker Tower capturing the skyline in the distance.

There are plenty of choices for a bite to eat but a particular favourite is The Boulevard. Originally set up in 1979, it is now run by the second generation of the same family. On the day of our visit the restaurant was actually closed for its annual refurb so instead we made a first foray to its sister establishment in Selsey.

And there we discovered an identical twin. Stylishly decorated, with strip-backed walls, an eclectic mix of furnishings and art and a selection of comfy booths. The service is also superb – friendly, relaxed but attentive. There is a wide-ranging menu of home-cooked meals, a bulging specials board and it is licensed. And any place that does all-day breakfasts (with a free cuppa if you arrive before 12, a rarity in the DD house...) will always gain our approval.

We went on a Sunday when the carvery was not just producing plates piled high for diners but doing a brisk trade in Sunday roast take-aways. W e swerved the healthy option and plumped for the breakfast. There’s a sizeable traditional full English (£7) but you can supercharge that to The Big Breakfast (£11) or the Boulevard Breakfast (£8). Alternatively there are vegetarian and children’s options. The plates come neatly packaged with succulent sausages, well-cooked bacon, eggs of your choice (ours were fried and runny), chunky hash browns, a little dish of beans and moreish mushrooms. Served with toast or fried bread (white or granary) they sure serve up a tasty treat.

The menu is wide-ranging – from light bites to family favourites: cod and chips (£14.50), chicken and ham pie (£13), lasagne (£13) and four diff erent burgers (£12/13). The specials included whole Selsey crab (£15) and creamy chicken, chorizo and spinach pasta (£13.90). And a comprehensive children’s menu contains 11 choices ranging from nuggets and chips (£5) to a roast dinner (£7)

We’ve tested the menu beyond the fry-ups on previous visits. The fear is that being so extensive and varied The Boulevard could be a jack of all tastes, master of none. But we’ve yet to be disappointed. It all makes walking so worthwhile...