IT'S cost millions to launch and is one of the most talked-about restaurants to open in Swansea for years. But what is the new Penthouse restaurant really like?

PETER SLEE has been finding out . . .

WHILE most of you out there will be patting your post-Christmas stomachs and embarking on detoxes, diets and colonic irrigation, some of us still have to eat for a living.

There's no such thing as dieting when you have to rely on eating out in order to put food on the table.

I hate reviewing restaurants in December and January for two good reasons.

Visit restaurants in December and it means ploughing through a turkey and cranberry-stuffed menu surrounded by grown men with paper hats.

Leave it to January and you find yourself eating in empty restaurants because people prefer to spend their evenings at home watching the Hannah Waterman Super Body Workout DVD and drinking carrot and ginger smoothies as they sweat over the next credit card bill.

But when the boss of Swansea's most high-profile new restaurant issued a "try it and see" challenge following a series of setbacks in the wake of its opening in November, I slipped into the place with a degree of trepidation.

It was a gamble as I hadn't booked, but a cold night meant a deserted dining room when we arrived at The Penthouse atop of the 300ft high tower on Swansea's foreshore.

"I'll see if we have a table available,'' we were told as we walked through.

Err, about 60 of them, by my reckoning!

At 90 metres, the tower, the tallest in Wales, has became a landmark on the city's skyline. It forms part of the city's £1bn SA1 waterfront redevelopment. It has also become one of the most talked-about enterprises in years, dogged by rumours about service levels and food.

So, what is the reality really like?

Well, the 360 degree views from it are truly breathtaking even on a cold and dark January night. You can see for miles around.

The interior design — which you might imagine would be every bit as spectacular — doesn't quite cut the mustard, with some of the most uncomfortable Z-shaped seats I have ever used in a restaurant.

They probably cost a fortune, but look cheap. And the gold and black colour scheme of the banquettes which border the place is also more Dynasty circa 1980 than cutting-edge dining out in 2010. "A little bit like a nightclub with its lights on,'' another friend who visited last week said. I'd agree.

The tables are dark and unclothed. But good lighting and flickering candles help set the tone, helped by a decent ambient temperature despite the winter gales raging around its windows outside.

As we took our early evening seats another couple of tables who had braved the weather arrived to sit nearby.

A couple of business executives discussing re-organisation and profits, none of which was worth eavesdropping.

More interestingly, a group of four grabbed another table nearby and ordered two bottles of wine.

"That'll do for a start," smiled the woman who ordered them. Suddenly, I felt like I should move my table over to join the party.

Staff were friendly despite being overworked, as some had failed to turn up because of the weather.

Things didn't start brilliantly, with the bread served on slate being cold and chewy rather than warm and straight from the oven.

But from thereon in, there was little to moan about. We skipped starters from its ''Soft Opening Menu'' and headed straight for mains of maize-fed chicken and mushroom pie with triple-cooked chips and rump of lamb — both big on flavour and richness.

The lamb came in a decent- sized portion sitting on hotpot potato and red cabbage and topped with a mountain of rocket.

Even better was the pie: a dish with an extraordinary amount of flavour. Served in an ovenproof bowl straight from the oven and with accompanying buttered cabbage, it was a simple idea but well executed: a stampede of textures and flavours.

The only thing that let it down was that at £12 it came without any potato dishes which meant adding the chips to it at a hefty £3.50 a portion.

To finish, a note-perfect apple crumble, the tartness of which was countered by the clotted cream it was served with — a perfect combination — and my dark chocolate fondant oozing with a delicious gooey, warm, runny mix inside.

We didn't push the boat out with wines in order to try to save some pennies, going instead for just a single glass each.

They were fine and came in a generous sized amount.

The verdict? Well, for me at least, the food lacks a genuine wow factor for the kind of prices being charged. Even so, it was very good, served up by obviously young and inexperienced staff who did a sterling job. The amiable concierge who greets you on the ground floor of the tower is also a good advertisement for the place.

On the downside, the restaurant-dedicated lift was out of action when we visited, meaning a trip in one of the ones intended for residents only. They already look a bit battered and bruised, and on our downwards trip the doors didn't work properly, meaning we decanted onto a ground floor building site rather than the gleaming marble floors we should have stepped out on to.

And an assortment of different pipes hanging over the building's outside exterior were gushing with rain water, forcing us to dodge them in order not to avoid a serious drenching.

But having tried it — just as owner and boss Peter Way publicly requested last week — I would return, albeit on a sunnier day where its biggest asset — its views — could be better appreciated.

I want this place to work. Swansea needs something unique and this could be it.

And you can't help but feel a twinge of sadness that it hasn't got off the ground running.

I also hope it bounces back with renewed vigour from its somewhat bumpy start. It could be a benchmark place and one the city will one day cherish.

The bill:

Rump of lamb, £19; Chicken and mushroom pie, £12; Triple cooked chips, £3.50; Apple crumble, £6; Chocolate molleaux, £6; Pinot Noir (glass) £6.20; Columbard (glass) £4.80; Optional service charge: £7.19. Total: £64.69.