The Atrium

Is the usual tableside small-talk irksome? If so, descend the sweeping staircase at Four Millbank and head for the back bar, where politicos adjourn for the obligatory lunchtime tipples that oil the wheels of Westminster. Diners will find more elbow room ‘outside’, which means planting yourself in a central courtyard bathed in light, producing an alfresco ambience. Despite possessing the benchmarks of restaurant status (an à la carte menu, a charge for bread and olives, tidy linen tablecloths), the Atrium retains a café vibe. Its menu contains simple staples that lack ambition: onion and artichoke tart; spaghetti with seafood, chilli and garlic; and roast chicken breast with mushroom and broad bean fricassee. Starters vary from heavy-handed tom yum chicken soup to the clean flavours of marinated salmon with crème fraîche, capers, olives and tempura mussels. Dishes aren’t necessarily balanced, so pan-fried crab cakes come with a double whammy of sweet pepper relish and mango salsa, but no proper veg. Sadly, evenings here are all but deserted, conveying the sensation you’ve outstayed your welcome. Go, but go for lunch – and the chance to earwig something salacious about a miscreant MP.

Services

Available for hire: Separate rooms for parties, seating 12 and 30
Disabled: lift; toilet

http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/144.html