Exhibition Rooms

Consistency has been the watchword at the Exhibition Rooms since this well-turned-out restaurant and bar first opened in 2009 (when it won Time Out's Best Local Restaurant award). The menu consists of no-nonsense classic dishes - oysters with tabasco, ribeye with bordelaise sauce, beer-battered haddock, pear tarte tatin. Food is skilfully cooked and handsomely presented; sparklingly fresh ingredients appear in sensible flavour combinations. The quality of meat in particular is excellent, so Sunday lunch is a high point. On our latest visit, a plate of roast beef with all the trimmings could not be faulted. The regular Tuesday 'steak night' offers great value for money too, with a rump or a tuna steak costing just £11.95 including a glass of wine or bottled beer. Exposed brick, pale green walls, mismatched furniture (with plenty of room in between tables), and huge light-catching chandeliers create a relaxed environment: leisurely enough for a weekend brunch, smart enough for a family lunch and intimate enough for a romantic night out. Downstairs, a lounge bar (which opens on to a decked courtyard) has regular DJs and a varied choice of cocktails.