The Greenhouse

 

There has been an unfortunate habit recently for really top class restaurants to attempt to be friendly, laid back, and unintimidating - very nice, but it does spoil the mystique a bit. The Greenhouse certainly has no truck with this. It's concealed down a back alley and behind a formal garden, the (fantastic) brick-thick wine list comes with a French sommelier who talks in a kind of wine-related code, and the staff are servile and very, very efficient. We thought we would join in the fun and ordered the tasting menu, whose half-dozen dishes were satisfyingly pretentious, with almost every savoury dish accompanied by something oddly sweet, while the upddings were, inevitably, salty. It was seriously sophisticated cooking, and for foodies, very exciting indeed, exploring new flavours and combinations that were unexpected and delicious. There is also a much more straightforward main menu, offering large and satisfying portions of solid European food. If you want to relax with friends and enjoy a simple meal, then this is not for you. But if you have someone you want to seriously impress - and you can afford it - then the Greenhouse is the place to go.