Restaurants

The sense of occasion starts with your walk under the archway from the Strand, across the courtyard and past rows of fountains, then into the high-ceilinged dining room. Here you’ll encounter tall windows, sea-green leather seats and (a playful reminder of the building’s naval past), ship-shaped chandeliers. On our visit, other diners tended towards middle age: managers from the neighbouring Inland Revenue and execs from the BBC World Service. Starters of beetroot tarte tatin and gratin of Burgundy snails were good in parts (the beetroot was warm and fresh, the snails abundant), but let down by careless oversights; the tart’s pastry was dry and hard, while the breadcrumb layer on the snails was so deep and biscuity it made a stodge with the tomato-based sauce. An entrecôte was rather tough and a rump of Cornish lamb even more so – both were cooked for far longer than requested. The Admiralty is usually better than this. In summer, if you want to eat somewhere with more of a riverside feel, check out the separate River Terrace Café where the menu runs from breakfasts to evening antipasto and hot mixed platters, via all-day brasserie dishes and tea and cakes.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008