Restaurants

Part of Tom and Ed Martin’s gastropub group, which includes the Gun in Docklands , the Well exudes an easy bonhomie and self-assurance, with its exposed brick walls, friendly staff and chunky wooden tables piled with the Sunday papers. To drink, the wine list, ordered by grape variety, is more impressive than the choice of beers (no draught ales, though Leffe, Paulaner and San Miguel are on tap). The menu offers hearty (if pricey) brunches and roasts for the weekend crowd, and an inviting evening menu of upper-end Mod Euro gastropub offerings (pan-fried sardines, foie gras terrine on toasted sourdough, ribeye steaks and the like). On our last visit, though, the kitchen was on erratic form. A generous bowl of rich, creamy celeriac soup and a meltingly tender portion of salt and pepper squid, dabbed with punchy wasabi mayonnaise, made for a promising start, but mains disappointed: ragù of wild mushrooms was accompanied by dry, heavy gnocchi, while some overpowering chorizo and undercooked beans added a jarring note to a cassoulet of confit pork belly. We left feeling that the kitchen wasn’t firing on all cylinders – and with upscale prices and plenty of local competition, such complacency could be foolish.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009