Restaurants

In many ways, Shimo is the perfect restaurant for a business lunch. Our Oriental waiter was a model of courtesy, attentiveness, charm and efficiency - which is exactly what you want during a smooth-running meeting in the heart of the legal district. And the food is pleasant enough, with no surprises. But dining within the safety zone makes for a very dull meal if you like Japanese food for its own sake.

Where were the more interesting sushi delicacies that enthusiasts crave, such as the chewy ark shell; or uni, the powerfully-flavoured ovaries of sea urchin? The sushi rice was okay and the grey mullet and yellowtail very fresh, but for a restaurant run by a self-proclaimed 'master sushi chef', the selection is disappointingly limited.

The hot dishes also suffer from the kitchen's self-censorship: chicken or salmon teriyaki, pork tonkatsu, the inevitable black cod with miso (at £17). The dish presentation was attractive, but the ingredients and flavours were the culinary equivalent of the missionary position. Dobin mushi was a far better choice, a consommé-like aromatic broth of mushrooms and Japanese vegetables which are fished out with chopsticks. Japan is abandoned altogether for the dessert course, where you have a choice of tiramisu, crème brûlée and the like.

A big effort has been made decorating both ground floor and basement. The full costume of replica samurai armour is particularly impressive; imposing, beautifully crafted and sinister. But as Tom Cruise fans will know, ineffectual against the gunshots of more sophisticated competitors. An ominous sign for this unchallenging place.

Time Out London Issue 1907: March 7-13 2007