The Temperance

Those familiar with the Perseverance in Bloomsbury or the Endurance in Soho will know what to expect from this new sibling: a funky retake of a trad Victorian boozer & dining room. The pillared main bar is banquette-lined, with utilitarian wooden dining suites, claret flock velvet wallpaper, embossed ceiling & gilded back bar lit by a rosy glow from original Victorian light fittings. Acoustics are a problem: ordering Greene King IPA, Adnams Broadside or one of a dozen wines by the glass above the clamour requires effort. An upstairs dining room lined in gold flock wallpaper offers a concise daily menu but, sadly, the limited choice doesn’t guarantee quality. Roast fennel & celery soup was over-seasoned to the point of inedibility, while a crab, chilli & spinach salad featured pieces of shell in virtually every mouthful. Until the kitchen finds its feet, we’d advise sticking to the simpler menu & drinks in the ground-floor bar.