Fernandez & Wells

This café-bar looks likely to be one of the most welcome new openings of this winter. Fernandez and Wells, of the adorable trio of hole-in-the-walls in Soho, have just taken over a huge space inside Somerset House.

It faces the ice rink that's enclosed by this beautiful neo-classical building, so once you've had your fill of watching the procession of wobbly skaters, head for a winter warmer into what looks like a discreetly tucked-away gallery space (it's in the East Wing, so look to your left as you come through the main entrance).

The rooms are all high-ceilinged, the decor starkly modern, the food and drink simple. It's like a posh snack bar for the jamón-eating classes. There are not many cooked dishes, though there's a stew and a hot soup, or porridge in the mornings. Instead, most of the menu is comprised of a well-chosen selection of cured meats, some ripe and lovely cheeses, and preserved foods such as smoked anchovy fillets.

These nibbles are expensive; this is not the place to come with a large appetite. But the quality is exemplary in all ingredients, such as the grey-hued, very savoury taramasalata (though it does cost £4.75, which is a bit steep for a bought-in paste).

To drink, there's a good selection by the bottle, but a disappointingly poor choice by the glass (two reds, two whites on our visit). You may instead prefer to fork out a fiver for a bottle of Kernel Pale Ale which, although pricey, is a flavour explosion of hops on the nose, citrus on the palate. The sherry list is also curiously brief for a place specialising in Spanish hams.

Most of all, this is just a very lovely place to be - and is just a short stroll across the river from the tourist traps that throng the South Bank. Vote with your feet.