The Avenue

Now incorporated into the D&D London stable, The Avenue remains very much a product of the 1990s, from the high-ceilinged white interior to a menu that mixes Mediterranean & Asian flavours. The restaurant works best at lunch when it makes a bright & buzzy alternative to fustier St James’s dining rooms & an ungreedy set price operates (two/three courses for £19.95/£21.95); once the after-work crowds have drifted out of the bar, quiet dinnertimes can feel rather desultory. We must have been unlucky on our visit, when everything – including a leek & mushroom tart & grouse with game chips & bread sauce – tasted overwhelmingly of salt, as readers are fulsome in their praise of the likes of seared beef & egg noodle salad, navarin of lamb & sticky toffee pudding. The global wine list, helpfully divided by style, has good choice around £30 & offers 12 by the glass.