Quaglino's

When it launched in 1993, Quaglino’s was the hottest ticket in town, cementing Sir Terence Conran’s name as a man with a golden touch – and a nice line in ashtrays. Now, like the sexy cigarette girls who once patrolled its tables, there’s a sense that Quag’s has had its day. A touch of the old glamour endures nonetheless; the piano tinkles in the bar, and there’s still a frisson to be found in descending the grand sweeping staircase. The cavernous dining room is buzzing, even if the hip crowd has moved on. Frequent special offers attract groups with an eye for a deal. The carte offers an unchallenging but wide-ranging array of brasserie food, from caesar salad and fish cakes to fillet steak with foie gras, or crustacea from the gleaming oyster counter. Whole roast sea bream with fennel was perfectly cooked, yet the accompanying chunky tomato sauce tasted woefully insipid. Rump of salt marsh lamb was flavoursome but slightly chewy; we wished the waiter had told us it came with spinach, which we’d ordered as a side dish. Puddings, by contrast, were faultless: molten chocolate fondant with nutty pistachio ice-cream, and a luscious crème brûlée, big enough for two.

Services

Available for hire: Separate room for parties, seats 44
Child facilities: Babies and children welcome: children's menu; high chairs
Disabled: toilet
Entertainment: musicians 7pm daily

http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/15.html