Restaurants

John Torode’s eating and drinking emporium – each floor with a different offer – continues to attract Smithfield socialisers. It’s a former warehouse, with brick walls, iron pillars, huge windows and bags of noisy atmosphere. The ground floor is an expansive sofa bar, with breakfasts, sarnies and snacks; next up is a wine bar with snacky mod-Brit food and more global mains, plus Sunday roasts. Segregated from the masses, Top Floor is Torode’s svelter fine-dining operation . In between is the main dining room, where an open kitchen dispenses a simple menu of grills and modern favourites to a crowd largely comprised of groups (eating here à deux is fun, but scarcely intimate). It’s a slick, impressive operation, yet things were a tad tired on this visit. Roast bream and pappardelle with mushrooms was OK, but a plum tomato tart should have been better, and chips were flaccid and not quite hot. The steak was good, though, as it usually is, and the salad leaves worth a mention, with sorrel and baby watercress in the mix. Service was capable if not knowledgeable. Sunlight pouring through the big windows served to expose dusty ledges and scuffed tables.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009