Andrew Edmunds has an art gallery next door to this Soho townhouse bistro. Before he bought the restaurant, the place was a wine bar where Andrew had lunch every day. When the bar went up for sale, he thought he had better buy it so he could still have lunch, and so the place acquired its eponymous name.

The Venue
Mr Edmunds has successfully run both businesses for many years and, in an area which has umpteen restaurants of variable quality, his has maintained its reputation as one of the best around. It is unpretentious, welcoming, cosy, small, cramped perhaps, but manages to produce excellent food on two floors, in a style that has almost gone out of fashion in London’s West End – namely good, honest cooking at a reasonable price. The ground floor has a few tables and a bar while down the winding staircase the basement room has a few more with a view of the kitchen.

The Atmosphere
Even at lunchtime there is a nice buzz about the place. It is obviously haunted by regulars possibly of a Bohemian persuasion. Evenings can be fun with a more raucous element, perhaps those clients from next door? Although the food is obviously the main draw here, it is no doubt also due to the ambience itself. It’s not created artificially but simply arises out of regular customers coming to a place which they know they will enjoy. The friendly staff keep things moving smoothly. If Andrew Edmunds knew the secret of his success, he could probably bottle it and make a fortune.

The Food
Whatever you choose here you are not going to empty your wallet. Starters begin at under £3, main courses are from £9 to £16 and most puds are £4 or less. A first course duck salad with orange, walnuts, beetroot and snow peas is a splendid appetiser, with the tender duck flesh blending well with the other ingredients to make a satisfying combination. A plate of fresh Poole prawns served simply with mayo are delicious, a little messy perhaps in the shelling of them but well worth the effort. Other starters include Carpaccio of beef, pear, cobnut and goat’s curd salad, spiced mackerel fillet and pressed chicken, leek and ham terrine.

For mains, the Gammon with mustard mash is a treat, with nice chunky slices of the ham – nothing wafer-thin here – and the accompanying broad beans, cabbage and roast baby onions are a real bonus, making great comfort food. The best end of Herdwick lamb is perfectly pink, the most tender and flavoursome meat imaginable, particularly when served with gratin dauphinoise potatoes, runner beans and mint sauce.

For dessert the sticky toffee pudding is the stickiest ever, clinging to the stomach the way it should, but there’s also a fine plum and almond tart as well as lemon tart, lemon sorbet, cardamom ice cream and Neal’s Yard cheeses as alternatives.

The Drink
You’ll find a suitable wine for any dish here (a good list reasonably-priced), but you might like to start with the house aperitif of Kingston Black Apple, its tangy apple flavour making a change from a G and T or a glass of sherry. If you’re celebrating, indulge yourself with a glass of Pol-Roger White Foil Brut NV champers at £6.50 a glass, and finish with one of the many speciality dessert wines. Vintage port is also a house speciality.

The Last Word
Let’s hope Andrew Edmunds is a permanent fixture in Soho as it is a model of what a good restaurant is all about: good food served well to an eager, regular clientele who enjoy both the cuisine and the enviable ambience, and come back for both in equal portions.

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