A new Dorchester restaurant opened its doors to the sound of rapturous applause this week.

Al Molo Dorchester, Ristorante Di Pesce, located in the historic Judge Jeffreys Lodging House on Dorchester's High West Street, welcomed its first diners into the building on Wednesday.

Co-owners Giuseppe Vannucci and Tim Newton were delighted with the response from customers.  This is their second restaurant, building on the success of the award winning Al Molo Weymouth situated on the Pier Bandstand.

The successful restaurateurs have dedicated seven months to the refurbishment of the listed 17th century building. They have been working sympathetically to restore the original features and invested heavily in re-establishing the stunning architecture of the building.

Tim said: "It is humbling to work with a building with such a rich heritage and importance in the town. However, with the amount of work that needed to be done and Giuseppe's treatment for cancer, we had to put back the opening date.

"With Giuseppe on the mend, we were able to take the time to respect the integrity of this historic building. Stripping back the years of neglect has taken months, but it has been worth the hard work to restore stunning features, sympathetically design the interiors and refurbish outdated infrastructure to reveal a new, functional and rather beautiful setting to enjoy good food."

Tim added: "The fireplace was coated in layers of thick paint with areas of damaged stone and years of grime. It is gratifying to see it restored to its original glory and it looks stunning."

Head chef Giuseppe has created a new menu with a strong focus on the bounty from the local seas, combined with traditional cuisine.

He said: "The fish from our local waters is second to none and I have been developing these menus over a number of years in readiness for the perfect setting to serve them. They combine the fresh taste of our seas with traditional Italian cuisine. 

"It is a pleasure to bring these new dishes, together with my new vegetarian and meat options, to the table in a setting which complements the quality of the produce."

And there is no doubt diners agreed.

Dorchester mayor, councillor Janet Hewitt, said: "This new restaurant is a most welcome addition to the High West Street, not only because it has saved a historic asset in our town from further neglect and is creating more employment opportunities, but also for bringing a quality dining experience celebrating local produce to our doorstep."

Sandra Jordan, of Jordan Jewellers Dorchester, said: "The menu is an absolute delight, my favourite was the seared scallops and the sea bass fillets, sauteed garlic spinach and raspberry radish. Perfectly balanced and an explosion of flavour."

Al Molo also has hospitality roles available and is urging those who are returning to the workplace, have just left school or who are looking for a move to showcase their skills, to get in touch.

Tim said: "As we ramp up business, we will be creating further employment opportunities and urge those looking for work in this fast paced and rewarding industry to get in touch no. We offer flexible hours, a friendly environment and fantastic training for those looking to work in our prestigious restaurants."

Al Molo Dorchester Ristorante Di Pesce is open for dinner, Tuesday to Saturday from 5pm with last orders at 9pm. It is open for lunch, Wednesday to Saturday 12noon to 2.30pm and Sunday 11am to 3.30pm. More details and bookings at almolodorchester.co.uk 

Giuseppe added: "We look forward to welcoming new and old guests to Al Molo Dorchester, Ristorante Di Pesce."