If you want a restaurant that offers more than just food, Dover Street combines pricey dining and live basement jazz six nights a week.

The Venue
Located on the street of the same name in the heart of Mayfair, Dover Street boasts an upmarket postcode. The small entrance is above ground but the restaurant and bar are both below street level. Inside Dover Street certainly looks the part of a top end jazz venue, with stiff white tablecloths and black and white jazz prints on the walls. It's a big place so you may well find yourself sitting out of sight of the musicians.

The Atmosphere
Dover Street always seems to draw a large crowd including big groups and as such space is at a premium with tables packed in fairly tight. The crowd tend to be older, affluent and often come dressed up for the occasion. There is live music every night they’re open ranging through jazz, blues, soul and funk. This means the place has a buzz from early on. Early evening the music serves as an accompaniment to dining but later on the tables are pushed aside to open up the dance floor which on a Friday and Saturday can quickly become packed. There is also a DJ on hand for those who stick around until closing and as the night wears on Dover Street definitely loses some of the sophisticated facade. Unfortunately the sporadic service leaves a lot to be desired; expect forgotten orders and a surly response to any request outside of the norm.

The Food
The oversized a la carte menus at Dover Street do little to hide the fact that there is not a great deal of choice. Dover Street offers the staples you might expect from a restaurant in this price range such as salmon gravadlax and carpaccio of beef to start and main dishes including chicken, salmon and beef options. There are also three course set menus on offer but be sure to book this in advance as they might not be offered to you on arrival.

Considering the simplicity of the menu the execution leaves a lot to be desired. From the starters, the scallops are chewy and, although tasty, the accompanying leek and celery embeurree does not make up for it. If you are after a fish based starter you are probably best sticking to the salmon although it's hard to imagine how this simple dish could be done badly. In a similar vein the sea bream is tasteless and overcooked and the exotic sounding pesto mash and mango salsa both lack the flavour to support such a bland main act. On the other hand, the veal comes cooked to perfection although the prune dressing and poached pear accompaniment are unconvincing. The desserts do little to improve the overall impression. Both the creme brulee and lemon tart are perfectly adequate but not exceptional.

The Drink
Unlike the food menu, the drinks list is exhaustive. There are cocktails, Champagne, wine, port and most liqueurs on offer and prices stretch well up into triple figures. The wine list offers an almost baffling level of choice including a good selection of both new and old world. Bottles start at around £20 and there are some reasonable options available by the glass. Be careful what you order as the drinks can significantly inflate an already steep bill.

The Last Word
Bar, restaurant and live music venue, Dover Street is a jack of all trades but master of none. Dover Street seems to have grown complacent in its old age and it's continued popularity can surely be attributed to its past reputation. You could enjoy a meal in many fine restaurants in London for the price and if the music is the main draw you'd be far better off just coming for drinks at the bar.

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