Restaurant Sauterelle

This small sibling of the D&D stable – nee Conran – above the Royal Exchange’s central court is a comfortable, discreet choice for power lunching: noise levels are civilised, service & cooking assured & there’s no table turning. The style is classically French without being hidebound: subtle whisky-marinated Loch Duart salmon was teamed with creamy potato & chive salad & excellent soda bread, while plump scallops were matched with a rich Jerusalem artichoke & vanilla purée & a buttery cep velouté. Fish is a strong point: crisp-skinned sea bass or a slab of yellowfin tuna seared medium rare, seasoned with tapenade & served with sweet baby leeks & tomato. The wine list is short but interesting, including a seldom-seen Austrian red – a Blaufrankisch G Pittnauer from Burgenland – while desserts included a light but buttery raspberry millefeuille & a creme brulée in which the crunchy topping was over-dominant – the only sour note in an otherwise faultless meal.