Chino Latino

Hotel restaurants can be soulless, but there’s a welcome buzz here despite the drab exterior: inside, it’s all dark wood tables, padded leather chairs & banquettes, & back-lit glass panels & discreet spotlighting. The food ticks the right boxes too, which is why even midweek the restaurant is packed with a varied clientele. Tomato & mozzarella tempura sounded weird but tasted shockingly good thanks to a zesty dressing that combined basil & miso. Sushi of soft-shell crab, avocado, nori & tobiko provided a symphony of textures & tastes, while dull-tasting foie gras & duck dumplings were the only duff note, their pastry overly thick. The meal was redeemed by a sweetly savoury dish of black cod served three ways (with orange, miso & ginger soy) that betrayed the chef’s CV (he’s worked at Nobu & Tsunami). The wine list is steeply priced, but the small selection of sake is worth exploring.