The Walking Dead

The team behind South Place Hotel – D&D London – understand their City clientele. Smooth service is always required, as is a reliable and consistent dining experience. As such, their fine dining restaurant on the sixth floor (they also have a more affordable brasserie, South Place, on the ground floor) is never going to be the most daring restaurant in London, but it makes up for this in technical excellence and professionalism.  The bevy of greeters may direct you past the wine wall to one of the understatedly monochrome tables, or in good weather, the slim outdoor terrace (no bookings are taken for this, it’s first-come). The à la carte is for expense-account diners, and there’s no shortage of these here. By comparison, the set menu at £27.50/£32.50 for two/three courses, seems good value. Ingredient quality and cooking skill was impeccable in everything we tried, from a creamy ‘potted salmon’ layered under a cucumber and apple jelly, to a succulent piece of cod with brown butter, tiny capers and a copper pot of buttery mash. Our only criticism is that the presentation of some of the dishes takes 'deconstruction' a step too far. Their expression of a waldorf salad – delicious though it was – had so many ingredients strewn across the plate it looked more like a Jackson Pollock canvas than a starter; even a simple risotto was garnished with a crash–landed fried courgette flower, candied orange and strips of both sweet pepper and courgette. But the texture of the rice was f