Anthony's at Flannels

It’s a couple of years since Anthony Flinn first wowed the food world with his highly controlled yet brilliant cooking from a windowless Boar Lane basemen, & a year since he spread his wings with a second venue, a daytime brasserie above the stylish clothes store, Flannels. Here, daylight floods into a big, airy, white space, a perfect setting for beautifully composed dishes. For brunch try kippers with caper butter or a bacon bagel. A £15 three-course lunch could be sardines on bruchetta, roast salmon, & apple turnover. And, throughout the day, there are sandwiches (crab & prawn; ham & piccalilli), spicy sausage & onion mash, smoked haddock risotto, smoked chicken Caesar salad or even afternoon tea, served from 1-4.30pm. This could be as simple as a pot of tea with scones & cream for £5.95, or a lavish spread of finger sandwiches, scones, homemade jam & cream, banana cake, sacha torte & shortbread for £10.75. It’s highly seductive for an indulgent shopping break, but don’t buy the official line that it’s all relaxed & casual; severely correct service, heavy cutlery & starched napery all reflect Anthony’s perfectionism.