The first thing that struck us when we walked into the brasserie at 1 Lombard Street was the amazing domed ceiling ¬- we couldn’t help but be impressed by its grace and scale. It highlights a spectacular circular bar in the centre of the room where we enjoyed a couple of cocktails before sitting down for our meal. We instantly felt like we were part of something special and the feeling continued as we were guided to our table. There's a nice buzz about the place with couples chattering away and small groups of men obviously talking business. We really liked the fact the tables are well spaced so we could hear ourselves talk without having to listen to other conversations.
I start judging a restaurant by the quality of the bread it serves and here, it's freshly-baked and absolutely delicious. Next, the menu. My starter was easy: tartare of yellow fin tuna and Provencal aubergine caviar. It was the most expensive dish in this section but well worth it. My partner was equally impressed with his crab, prawn and avocado salad with bloody mary sorbet (I got a little menu envy here – it’s absolutely delicious.) For my main course I chose the calves liver and bacon and my partner went for the bangers and mash. Both of our dishes are faultless. We tried not to have a dessert but we couldn’t resist. In the end, we shared a fabulous lemon meringue tart with a tangy raspberry sorbet.
Our food was superb, the wine was well chosen by the sommelier and the service was attentive without being overbearing. We’d recommend 1 Lombard Street to anyone.