Restaurants

Bank Westminster is set in the St James’s Park Hotel, which also houses Zander bar. The restaurant’s setting is gorgeous, particularly in the summer months when the conservatory-style glass walls open on to an ornate Italianate garden complete with burbling fountain. The dining room gleams with white linen and polished glasses. Diners are a combination of tourists, expense-account business diners and lone hotel guests. The brasserie-style menu has a ‘greatest hits’ feel, as it wends its way from Euro-classics such as fish cakes and steak and chips, to Asian-lite faves like Thai green curry and crispy duck with pak choi. Prices are on the steep side for cooking that is competent but unexciting (a couple of the fish dishes are just shy of £20). Our deep-fried crispy duck rolls were packed with duck and spiked with ginger, but served with an overly sweet dipping sauce. The flavours in a starter of smoked haddock with hash browns, spinach and a poached egg were nicely judged, but fried calf’s liver, requested medium-rare, was overcooked and a bit tough. By-the-glass wine offerings are run of the mill, but the short ‘fine wine’ section is notable.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009