Mark Hix is certainly a man who likes a challenge. His third restaurant in the capital is in a department store albeit one that’s as swanky as Selfridges and the aspirations for Hix Restaurant and Champagne Bar are right there in its name. But can it tempt in the Harvey Nicks’ Fifth Floor Restaurant and Champagne Bar crowd or will it fall as flat as a foodcourt offering?

The Venue
Hovering on a mezzanine floor above the designer handbags’ section of Selfridges, Hix Restaurant and Champagne Bar is neatly divided at the reception desk into the Champagne Bar (with soft blue tones) on the right and the larger restaurant area on the left. The palette of pastels moves from hazy blues in the Champagne Bar to greens in the restaurant area where the banquette seating and the tables overlooking the floor below are the most popular. The long bar service area that stretches the width of the room adds a nice touch of informality that almost makes you forget that you’re in Selfridges and small details such as heavy green napkins aren’t overlooked either.

The Atmosphere
Bar snacks and a glass of Champagne are targeted at those cash and time rich tourists seeking a quick pick-me-up after flexing the plastic but it’s Londoners who fancy meeting friends for a quick lunchtime bite or after three-course after work meal who occupy most of the tables. Staff are delightfully bright and friendly and special mention has to go to waitresses who can still deftly clear a table whilst wearing leather skirts and spike heel stilettos.

The Food
It’s easy for a restaurateur, even one as experienced as Mark Hix, to come slightly unstuck when confronted with a department store restaurant that needs to appeal to such a cross section of customers and it’s unfortunately the case here. Hix is famed for his no-nonsense hearty British dishes but at Hix Restaurant and Champagne Bar he’s thrown in European classics and the odd international dish too, with mixed results. For starters, the salt beef salad costs a staggering £8.75 but for that you get a portion generous enough to work as a main course at lunchtime – there’s chunk after chunk of tender salt beef mixed with just-the-right-amount-of-crunch green beans drizzled with a light dressing. However, the fish soup starter (£6.75) is less successful. Served in an appealing soup dish with its own handle and lid, it arrives lukewarm although once it has been heated more it tastes much better. The strong seafood flavours work well, it’s not afraid to commit, and the consistency is appealingly smooth until it comes to the odd lump of seafood that’s clearly missed the blender. As for the purple sprouting broccoli (£9.25), it’s ludicrously overpriced and it’s hard to even imagine how they came up with the price – is it steamed with the breath of royal offspring?

The main courses are similarly so-so. The squid (£17.50) is served flat and tender with plenty of chargrilled smokiness which really lifts the dish. The little cubes of butternut squash salsa on the side add an appealing splash of colour and the combination of sweet and smokey work well together so it’s a shame that the butternut squash isn’t warmer. The lamb cutlets (£19.50) served with roasted cucumber and mint get full marks for inventiveness but unfortunately fall down in execution. The three lamb cutlets are plump, well cooked and full of flavour but they are too oily – at these prices resting the meat for a moment on some greaseproof paper doesn’t seem like too much to ask. The accompanying large chunks of roasted cucumber have a similar consistency to cooked pumpkin which places it in firm comfort food territory but unfortunately the bland oil dressing does nothing for the dish that’s mixed with wilted mint that looks a little disconsolate.

Save room for desserts – they’re the highlight. The treacle sponge (£6.75) is a substantial dish but the light, fluffy sponge soaked in plenty of syrup is nicely balanced by the delicate vanilla custard and it’s a rich, warming dish that showcases how fantastic British food can be when it’s cooked well. There’s that familiar tongue in cheek humour on the menu too – opt for a scoop of Credit Crunch ice cream (£1.95 per scoop) and prepare to linger. The vanilla ice cream is mixed with lumps of Credit Crunch chocolate covered honeycomb that’s for sale in Selfridges’ food hall and served with a jug of melted dark chocolate.

The Drink
There are a handful of glasses of wine but you’re better off opting for one of the bottles from the predominantly European wine list and it’s nice to see a British bottle on there – the white Bacchus, Coddington Vineyard, 2007 (£27.50). As you’d expect from the name, the Champagne selection is impressive and takes full advantage of Selfridges’ long-standing relationship with Moet et Chandon whose bottles sit alongside those hailing from Waris et Filles and Henri Giraud amongst others.

The Last Word
Hix Restaurant and Champagne Bar is too hit and miss at present to justify its high-end prices but it is nevertheless a welcome addition to Selfridges’ food offering. With a little fine tuning and if they brought down those prices just a fraction, it could end up being just as desirable as those designer handbags on the floor below.

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