Well known in City circles for Eight members’ club in Change Alley, Eight has a new Moorgate location that hides a top notch restaurant.

The Venue
Eight members’ club in Moorgate is still currently a work in progress, so to enter the club you do so via a relatively non-descript entrance on Christopher Street, in the maze of characterless roads and alleys behind Liverpool Street station. Head up a few floors in the lift, then it’s up a few more flights of stairs and you’re at the main reception - a glass lift is in the works which will transport you elegantly and immediately to the restaurant, so you won't have to worry about the stairs. Once you step through the doorway into the restaurant it’s like a different world to the bland, grey streets outside, with bright white walls covered with a frequently changing display of artwork courtesy of Eleven art gallery on Eccleston Street. At the moment the most eye-catching pieces are a miniature version of a massive photographic Louis Vuitton mural and a duo of cheerful, soft-serve ice cream cones in vanilla and chocolate.

Tables are dressed in crisp white cloths and are flanked by dove grey, studded leather chairs. Some are set up around a large central banquette seating area, lit up by a modern, almost chandelier-like light fixture. The other tables border the floor to ceiling windows that look over the balcony, furnished with casual wooden tables and chairs. The view from the balcony is not particularly impressive – more of those drab grey buildings – but it lights up beautifully at sunset, with golds and reds mixing spectacularly with the lights from the buildings and cars. There’s a large open kitchen, sealed off by glass, and although it’s a bit hard to see exactly what’s going on the chefs are refreshingly never still.

One floor up is the lounge, which continues the subdued colour theme with plush grey chairs and velvety sofas. The balcony up here extends a bit further, with a few larger tables and, soon to come, dedicated barbecue, cigar and Champagne areas.

The Atmosphere
Service here is outstanding, with staff well schooled in everything from the art on the walls to the intricacies of the menu. No question is too difficult – or too ridiculous – and they’ve obviously been trained well and have pride in where they work. Although the restaurant is currently open to the public, it will eventually be members’ only. Membership includes dual membership with Eight in Bank, priority when booking a table in a restaurant and a host of smaller perks that are nonetheless still impressive, such as your own dedicated shelf in the restaurant’s wine cabinet, labelled with your name.

The Food
The Modern European menu looks interesting but the simple descriptions don’t do justice to what’s on the plate when the food arrives. Everything is presented brilliantly, with a vibrant mix of colours and thoughtful, unique touches. Portions are decent but not oversized, meaning you get enough for the price but not too much that you leave stuffed. Prices vary; those looking to splash out will find ample opportunity but otherwise the range of £13 to £22 for mains is not unreasonable for The City. A three course set menu is also available for £21, with a choice of three options per course. A four course menu with an endless supply of Taittinger Champagne is also available for £45, featuring dishes such as seared scallops on Irish black pudding with sauce vierge and duck leg confit with Dauphinoise potatoes, braised cabbage and raisins.

Goat’s cheese salad, priced at £7, is anything but the basic bowl of lettuce leaves and crumbled cheese you’d expect. Two rounds of goat cheese are lightly fried with a creamy, gooey inside. A pile of fresh salad sits on the side, decorated with juicy, bright green peas and vibrantly red tomatoes, whilst a few slices of dark purple beetroot add depth of flavour to the dish. Foie gras pate (£11) is incredibly smooth, with a rich taste that’s not too irony. A few grains of salt are artfully sprinkled on top along with some dried camomile buds, a nod to the delicate, pale grey camomile jam that accompanies the foie gras. Two slices of warm, crumbly, toasted brioche are the perfect match for the indulgent foie gras.

Main courses maintain the same high standards, with lobster and salmon tortellini (£15) another good choice. The pasta, arranged in a star shape on the plate, are cooked perfectly, not too soft whilst still retaining a resilient bite. Each one is stuffed to near bursting with succulent pieces of lobster – so much so that you hardly notice the salmon – and the sweet, meaty flavour stands up well to the savoury seafood sauce. A bed of spinach underneath is well cooked, just enough so that it’s soft but still flavourful. Roast sea bass fillet with piperade and tapenade (£17) is another amply portioned dish, with three pieces of fillet arranged on the plate flesh side down so that they absorb the sweet, vinegary flavours of the piperade. Sides, priced at about £4, include a decent creamed spinach and a tomato and onion salad, the only real downside to the meal as the tomatoes seem too watery and lack the ripe, vibrant flavour that would make the dish stand out.

The dessert menu offers more surprises, the biggest one being that all five choices are available in half portioned sizes as well as the normal full size. Full sizes are about £6 whilst half sizes are, appropriately, around £3 – ideal if you’ve overindulged during dinner, or you can’t make up your mind between two options. A selection of the desserts includes mini portions of all five choices for £12, each of which is presented exactly as it would be as a full sized portion. A decadently rich chocolate torte with salted caramel ice cream is one of the standouts – eat this one first before the more-ishly salty ice cream melts. A moist hazelnut tart with raspberry compote is also a good choice, with a rose-flavoured scoop of cream on the side prettily decorated with tiny rose petals. The creme caramel has a good consistency and the sharpness of the grapefruit and orange segments accompanies it well. Elderflower jelly, served in a shot glass and topped with melon segments and melon sorbet, is no less delicious despite its lightness. The jelly has a tangy, almost crisp flavour whilst the diced melon adds some much appreciated texture. Tonka bean parfait is almost like a lighter version of a cheesecake, with a gingery biscuit base and a fluffy, silky consistency. It’s topped with ripe stewed cherries upon which rest little daubs of meringue.

The Drink
A long cocktail list of several pages is reasonably priced, starting at around £8 and slightly more for Champagne cocktails. Drinks are divided up into sections, fruit-based, floral cocktails and traditional Prohibition-era drinks with a modern twist. Each is cleverly named, most of them after a famous actor or film. From the list of floral cocktails, The Gold Rush is a sweet and sour mix of Zubrowka bison grass vodka, cooled camomile tea, apricot brandy and, interestingly, lime marmalade, which gives it a slightly thicker texture than you’d expect. It’s a well blended drink, served in a martini glass, with a pale green colour and a tart, tangy taste. The Saigon is warm and spicy despite its sea green colour, with ingredients including vodka, muddled cucumber and ginger, lemon juice and a touch of wasabi.

The cocktail menu also has a short wine list, and at the moment a larger, more thorough list is in the process of being created. There are also a few recommended glasses of wine on the main menu, including a rich, honey-flavoured French Chablis (£12 a glass and £48.50 a bottle) and a smooth, deeply fruity Viognier from Chile at £8 a glass and £32.50 a bottle. Other prices range from about £23 to £50 per bottle and glasses and carafes are also available. Champagnes start at about £50 and reach around £500 for a vintage Krug Collection.

The Last Word
Make your way to Eight restaurant whilst you still can, before they make membership a requirement. With impeccable service, impressive decor and a well thought out, interesting menu, Eight easily rates a full five stars.

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