If it’s big boozy lunches and extravagant suppers you’re after then The City is the place to go. Although six-figure bonuses are now as rare as hens’ teeth, many restaurants in the Square Mile still exude moneyed glamour. With dozens of fine dining rooms catering for The City’s elite none quite have the panache of Prism, Harvey Nichol’s first foray into city dining. Here in Leadenhall Street new head chef Daniel Sherlock has pulled out all the stops to secure the City boy buck but with added West End glamour.

The Venue
Prism is situated on Leadenhall Street just a mere stroll from Liverpool Street station. Formerly the Bank of New York, this fabulous landmark building still exudes the essence of the 1920s banking era, so much so that you expect to see sharp young men in trilbies roaming the polished floors. The gargantuan dining hall is as tall as it is wide and dotted with huge white Grecian columns. Arty swathes of tasteful nudes drift down from the walls and along with flashes of neon and a grand, chrome-lit bar this grand setting befits both romantic encounters as well as business convenes. The trappings are super-stylish and very Harvey Nicks. Low slung, red leather sofas surround a baby grand piano, classic red leather 1930s Brno chairs surround square tables and highly polished glassware and starched white linen is the order of the day.

The Atmosphere
From the lounge singer tinkling away at the baby grand, to more classic tunes of the twenties, the atmosphere here is discreet, stylish and very comfortable. Despite the dining room being far from busy, the tippy-tap of waiters’ footsteps over the cool polished floor and the tuneful tinkling on the baby grand, the place just oozes charm and charisma. As do the staff, who are just the right side of both personable and professional.

The Food
Chef Daniel Sherlock has definitely put his mark on the menu which caters for every appetite. Choose from Little Picks, glorious canape style snackettes which you can order at the bar or at your table and include anchovy-wrapped feta cheese (£3.95), bite-sized nuggets of chorizo sausage on a silky smear of aioli (£5.50) and heavenly lemon and chilli infused fresh water prawns (£5.50), or Something Potted, where you can get potted mushrooms, sea trout, ham hock or the delicious brown shrimp (£9.75) each potted in a delicate herby butter and served with char-grilled bread and teeny tiny gherkins.

However, the menu is pretty succinct and plays to all of Harvey Nichols’ strengths found in other restaurants in the group. For starters there are treats including crab macaroni (£13.50) and poached duck egg with celeriac roulade, Parma ham and a watercress sauce (£8.50). A bulbous but perfectly cooked duck egg sits on a nest of earthy, rich celeriac and is surrounded by a pond of vivid green yet slightly bitter watercress sauce, great flavours although the watercress sauce overpowers it just a little. There are a handful of mains including smoked haddock (£17.95) and corn-fed poached and roasted chicken (£17.95) and a quite delicious roast Cornish pollock with borlotti beans and chorizo (£19.50). A wedge of meaty white fish with proper crispy skin arrives on a bed of rich borlotti bean and chorizo stew. There is a heady aroma of lemon and chilli which really lightens the dish which is truly delicious and bursting with flavour and texture.

Of course Prism also caters for those who love nothing more than a fine slab of meat for their evening meal. The Grill selection is a range of fish and meat (which is sourced from top quality butchers, The Ginger Pig) diners can choose from Yorkshire Moor chump chop (£19.50) a fine 200g Gloucester Old Spot chop (£17.50) or the ever-popular 50 day dry-aged Longhorn rib-eye steak (£29.95). A wooden platter arrives with what can only be described as a slab of finest cow. Although ever-so slightly overcooked (more medium than the requested rare) it is impossible to fault the exceptional quality of the meat. Accompanied by a creamy bearnaise sauce and a small tin bucket of excellent chips, this dish could defy even the most bullish of bankers.

For dessert there is a choice of only four dishes and surprisingly, no real crowd-pleasers. The treacle tart (£6) is generous and warm and served with a beautiful clotted cream ice cream, however the accompanying compote is unnecessary as the sugary sweetness of the treacle and creaminess of the ice cream complement each other perfectly without the need for extras. The classic creme brulee (£6) served with homemade triangles of shortbread biscuit is equally impressive, with no funny business, just simple, well-executed flavours.

The Drink
There is an extensive leather-bound wine list available but if you don’t want to be flummoxed by pages and pages of fine wines, the back of the menu offers a snippet of the best under a £100. There’s a good selection of wines available by the glass including an excellent Auntsfield Sauvignon Blanc (£8 a 175ml glass/£31 a bottle) from New Zealand. It’s typically Kiwi, fruity and fragrant with exactly the right dryness so as not to be too overpowering. Again the reds are equally as impressive, the Australian, Keith Tulloch Shiraz (£8.50 a 175ml glass/£31 a bottle) is rich with fruit and has enough depth of character to complement the iron-red meats.

The Harvey Nichols’ own label house wines start at a surprisingly reasonable (for such an establishment) £21 a bottle for both Sauvignon Blanc and Vin de Pays rouge. For fizz you can go all out and order a bottle of Krug ’86 for a wallet-smouldering £900 or for those on a short bonus this year, the Harvey Nicks’ Brut NV is a snip at £50. The handful of cocktails on the main menu includes Brambles, classic Martinis and the French 75 (all from £8.50); however, the bar has an extensive list which can cater for every spirited whim.

The Last Word
A meal at Prism is stylish City dining at its best. Its grand decor, exquisite service and an interesting and well-executed menu offers the perfect dining experience. So if you want to impress the boss, woo the love of your life or just inject a tiny bit of glamour into your day, then an evening at Prism is highly recommended.

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