101 Pimlico Road

Occupying the site of Vivezza, 101 has been courting SW1’s well-heeled diners since late 2009 with accessible Anglo-European cooking in unfussy, elegant surrounds. After a tentative start, the place has been freshened up with some modern artwork inside & furniture for alfresco dining. Initial stutters in service have also been smoothed out. The kitchen, meanwhile, is in fine fettle & making a good fist of its eager-to-please line-up. Classics are gilded with high-end touches, thus battered cod comes with a stack of thick-cut chips sprinkled with truffle oil & a jug of lemon beurre blanc, while a deftly handled rose veal burger is accompanied by a fine fried egg, sautéed foie gras & a wire basket of rosemary-dusted shoestring fries. More modest dishes such as earthy ‘farmer’s soup’ & rich confit salmon with truffled duck egg are equally successful. Prices may be punchy, but the two-course lunch (£14) is a bargain.