Old-school charm and new dishes

Visiting an old favourite, MARK TAYLOR drops in at seafront Italian II Michelangelo

- MARK TAYLOR

OK, the view of the brown and distant sea isn't quite up there with the cobalt blue waters of the Amalfi coast.

Still, with a cold glass of Aperol spritz in your hand and a menu that includes all the Italian classics, you soon forget you're looking out across to the beach at Weston-super-Mare.

And, yes, on a sunny day, it really does feel like being on holiday, even if there's a faint whiff of donkey dung and chips in the salty air.

Il Michelangelo has long enjoyed a reputation as one of Weston-super-Mare’s more upmarket restaurants, a place where people dress up a bit rather than simply turn up in swim shorts and sliders carrying an inflatable rubber ring.