Sophie's Steakhouse & Bar

The 'New York warehouse feel' promised by the website is a little fanciful. Despite having opened in 2002, Sophie's appears wedded to a very 1990s idea of Manhattan chic: all brick walls and exposed piping. The most archetypically American part of our visit was the harsh-voiced blonde on the next table braying loudly about her ski lodge in Wyoming. Still, we're quibbling: by and large, this is a perfectly agreeable operation, boosted by an efficient team of table staff who didn't put a foot wrong. Co-owners Sophie Mogford and Rupert Power previously worked for Smollensky's and the Conran Group; the approachably buzzy, accessibly upscale ambience of both those chains is much in evidence here. Like the diners, the menu is smart but uncomplicated: chicken liver parfait (likeable); dressed crab salad with coriander mayo (unexpectedly flavourless); rotisserie chicken (tender, generous); and, of course, an array of steaks, reasonably priced and of decent if by no means knockout quality. All told, Sophie's is perhaps not worth a special trip, but it's a good option if you're in the area. Certainly, the locals think so: by 7.30pm on the Wednesday we visited, every table was taken.