Restaurants

A stone’s throw from Euston Station, in the Ambassadors Hotel, Number Twelve has attracted affectionate reviews since it opened in 2007. Staff are friendly and attentive, and it feels somehow more personal than your average hotel restaurant. The dining room, with its cool lines and warm colours, is a good place to talk. The menu mixes English and Italian influences, using well-sourced and seasonal ingredients, with a splash of tropical fruit here and there. The results are nice but not amazing. Our favourite dish was a marvellous appetiser of smoked duck breast with tiny salad leaves and Sicilian citrus fruits, enlivened by slivers of fresh mint and pickled green peppercorns. In another starter, warm samphire and roasted beetroot confused rather than enhanced the pure appeal of a Pugliese burrata cheese. Mains of guinea fowl with aubergine cream and sautéed turnip tops, and sea trout with crayfish and crushed peas, were decent but didn’t quite hit the spot. Puds were mixed: a pleasant panna cotta with rhubarb; an insipid pineapple mousse with coconut sorbet.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009