Duke of Wellington

Very much a local Marylebone spot - with the requisite polo shirts and pearls on show - the Duke of Wellington is a good bet for a weekday evening catch-up over decent grub, with the upstairs dining room available for formal occasions. That this isn't a 'destination' place might explain the lack of cohesion in terms of mood: the loudish music, upmarket gastropub decor (gilt mirrors, vintage furniture) and random wall pictures - from Pop art-style prints to a framed copy of the Sun ('British Warship Sunk by Argies', a Duke of Wellington connection?) - don't especially gel, but the vibe is friendly and cheerful nonetheless.

Warm sourdough got the meal off to a good start, while starters of Cornish crab, and pork and pistachio terrine - both on toast - were tasty and generous. Mains, while nothing out of the ordinary, elicited no complaints, with perfectly cooked plaice with black butter and capers just winning out ahead of spatchcock quails with peas cooked the French way (with onions and butter). Buttermilk pudding with berries, for dessert, resembled an inferior panna cotta.

The wine list is so hefty that it has a contents page attached. Staff can get flustered when the place is busy.