1 Lombard Street Awards

1 Lombard Street Restaurant Review:

Deep in banking territory, and opposite D&D’s Le Coq d'Argent, this is one of the many serious restaurants in the City, and one of the first to open in the area. It has pitched itself just right: at the front, there's a large, impressive (this was a former bank, too) brasserie where young traders come to down the bubbly and eat off a menu of robust dishes like curried fishcake with a lime yogurt dip, bangers and sage mash with onion gravy, and spaghetti lobster. The bar is particularly jolly (and noisy) and serves a useful all-day tapas menu. At the back, there's a smaller, more expensive and serious restaurant where heavier deals can be done in relative privacy. The menu here offers more complex cooking, such as starters of foie gras terrine with brioche and chestnut honey, or scallop carpaccio with black truffle. Mains might be monkfish wrapped in Parma ham with borlotti bean and rosemary casserole, or fallow deer duo with confit plums, crispy cabbage and redcurrant sauce. The bargain is at dinner when the City patrons have left work and the restaurant is much quieter. Head chef Juri Ravagli has found his niche; long may he continue. Set four-course tasting menu £45.