Malmaison Brasserie

The London branch of the UK hotel chain Malmaison sits in a quiet courtyard called Charterhouse Square and if taken there blindfolded you might never have known you were in the city centre.

It is a peaceful, cobbled, old part of London, just a stones throw away from the Barbican and Smithfield Market.

After reading the in-house newspaper and viewing the gym, it was time for a stroll down to the basement restaurant.

There was a fantastic, buzzy mood about the place and you could tell that people who were not even staying at the hotel liked to come and eat here.

With a bar to sit at before being called to your table, it is not too difficult to relax and let the evening take care of itself.

I started with the Crispy Pork Belly which sat with minestrone vegetables and a poached egg hat, £6.95.

Each of these ingredients was just a mouthful. Perfect for tasting all the flavours but not so much that you would be bloated before the main course.

The menu states that the chef is keen on “daring to keep it local”, using ingredients and meats from this country only.

My main course was a guilty pleasure of my own, the epic Mal Burger.

This was 250grams of naturally reared beef with gruyere cheese and bacon. It was served on a giant chopping board with a token basket of homemade fries, £13.95.

It was sumptuous. Possibly the best burger I have ever had, but it wasn’t in proportion with the starter and I unfortunately had to leave some.

To finish off I went for a slither of Baked White Chocolate Cheese Cake, £5.95.

The food was excellent, the service was excellent. And for what could easily compete as a top central London restaurant, the prices were not extortionate.

The hotel describes itself as a hotel that dares to be different. And it is exactly that.

A modern feel is accompanied by the obvious experience and expertise of creating little differences that you would find nowhere else.

The style would fit perfectly to the romantic modern couple, but it is also excellently situated for a night on the town. Everything about the place spells fun.