Cocoon

Blurring the lines between restaurant, bar & nightclub, Cocoon works best at night, when seductive lighting forms the backdrop to DJ beats, & groups of friends loll on low chairs around large round tables. The party atmosphere (fuelled by great cocktails) is a crucial part of the all-round experience here, so complaining about the food might seem to be missing the point – but at these prices, standards ought to be more consistent. Soft-shell crab, langoustine tempura, & duck salad were all good, but the flavours of wasabi lamb seemed very tame, & some of the dishes were downright vulgar (beef & foie gras dumplings & blow-torched fatty tuna sushi barely tasted of their prime luxury ingredients). Lunchtime brings good-value bento boxes, though daylight shows up scuffs in the decor. Yet for somewhere so self-consciously trendy, service is surprisingly amicable.