Restaurants

Heck knows how the young, clued-up staff here keep their cool. Even on a Monday, the wait for a table was 50 minutes at 8pm (no bookings are taken). We took up the offer of immediate food at the bar counter – and regretted it. Crammed between after-work drinkers, we endured a joyless meal as prospective diners pleaded for a table in the adjacent burgundy-hued dining room. Most waited: such is the reputation of the rustic, Med-slanted food. Alcohol aids the endurance; Young’s Bitter and Bombardier are joined by an impressive line-up of draught lagers (Red Stripe, Kirin, Crest) and a varied wine list. The worn floorboards and high ceilings are appealing too: this is a proper boozer. We bypassed the tempting starters (the likes of snails, bacon and laver bread on duck fat toast; or octopus, chickpeas, roast tomatoes and aïoli) heading straight for mains. Duck and mirabelles wasn’t successful, the little plums too sweet for the tender duck leg, the dish lukewarm, and the tasty lentil side plate (£2.60 extra) arriving late. Several dishes on the daily-changing list (‘seven-hour lamb shoulder’, say) are designed for couples or group dining. Some redemption was found in a pistachio cake (moist, dense, fresh, nutty) with creamy lemon curd.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008