Nick von B.'s Reviews

Having read a really good review of this place in one of the Sunday papers, I decided to book it for lunch with a client who I know quite well. The location is not too far away from the City for a business lunch and yet it has the modest edge of being in Shoreditch, which gave me a slight coolness factor for having chosen it (its all relative – I'm a lawyer and my client is an accountant).

I was a little late and met my lunch companion in the basement bar that you get to via a lift and was relieved to see that he had obviously enjoyed himself in the surroundings – the bar is compact, but thoughfully set out and furnished in a sharp, deco inspired style. Full marks for that. The large dining room is well lit, with exposed brick walls and comfortable benches and deco-ish chairs. All tables have an expansive view of the sleek kitchen. It wasn't that full. Perhaps something to do with it being newly opened, or the heavy snow the day before or the recession – maybe all three, but the atmosphere was nicely warm and convivial. This was largely down to the staff, who at every turn, were attentive, knowledgable and totally engaged.

I ordered my standard business lunch of a seafood starter, meat main and a glass of wine, which in this case was scallops followed by saddle of lamb (from Cornwall, we were told) with a glass of Chablis. My lunch partner ordered snails and followed my lead with the lamb and Chablis.

The scallops were first class – plump, lightly seared in a butter sauce and with wonderful flavour. I apologised for scoffing them so quickly. My lunch partner replied: “That's OK, there were only three.” He had a point. I come from a country where great seafood is plentiful and inexpensive so paying £13.50 for three scallops seems quite a lot. But I was expensing this one, so I didn't dwell on that. I can't bring myself to eat snails yet, so I took my lunch partner's word that they were excellent. The lamb was carved from an old silver trolley (a nice touch – maybe bought… More