Lansdowne

One of the capital’s first gastropubs & a firm favourite with the Primrose Hill set (celebrity sightings aren’t uncommon), The Lansdowne is packed with a lively crowd of sophisticates pretty much all the time. The downstairs pub is a noisy spot with big windows, lots of wood & a couple of sofas. The dining room upstairs is smarter & quieter & serves a similar menu to the bar below. Mediterranean flavours dominate: there’s frito misto of squid, bass & grouper with pea puree to start, followed by roast sea bream with fried courgettes & parsley salad or grilled lamb steak with tapenade & rosemary mash, all executed to a good standard. Sunday roasts come in hearty portions & if you’re watching your wallet (most mains clock in around £15), go for one of the crisp-bottomed pizzas for under a tenner.