The Brasserie at Charing Cross Hotel

Slap-bang next to Charing Cross station, this smart first-floor eatery is handily located for meet-ups, post-shopping lunches or pre-show suppers. With large windows overlooking the ornate Eleanor Cross & Trafalgar Square, it’s also handy for some people watching while you consider a straightforward menu of populist brasserie dishes ranging from white onion soup to chocolate brownies via risottos, fish & chips, burgers & grills. Starters of goats’ cheese tart or potted shrimps might prepare the way for a generous toad-in-the-hole with meaty sausages & creamy mash or crisp-skinned sea trout fillet perched on a nicely seasoned mushroom & pea sauce. To finish, treacle tart comes tinged with orange. Brusque service is a let-down, though pre-theatre offers (£17.50/21.95 for two/three courses) are noteworthy, & it’s worth checking out the stylish, dimly lit Eleanor’s Bar.