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At the quieter end of Charlotte Street, this British small plates restaurant has everything you’d want from a neighbourhood joint: a cosy dining room, killer cocktails and an owner who’s clearly proud of what he’s serving.
The concise menu is divided into meat, land, sea and cheese, with the standout dish being an artichoke, spinach and parmesan dip. Photogenic it was not, but the deeply cheesy khaki-green concoction was, when slathered on toast, the perfect comfort food. Also good were the kangaroo meatballs (a wild card for that evening), served on sticks with a gherkin-flecked burger sauce, and a generous slab of crispy-skinned miso salmon with manuka honey and a whisper of samphire.
But other dishes were forgettable – like the tiny pot of smoked mackerel pâté (£7.25), which although nicely textured, lacked seasoning, while tenderstem broccoli came swimming in a nondescript oyster sauce. Despite the pride in sourcing top-quality ingredients, The Cutting Room could be much braver with flavours and textures. In such prime restaurant real estate, you’d be best off coming for a quick bite and a cocktail like the Cycling in Paris (a genius blend of gin, elderflower cordial, vermouth and peach bitters), best enjoyed on the street-facing terrace.