Just down a small road off London’s tourist mecca, the Leicester Square Hotel takes you away from the bright neon lights and eager touters and into a beautifully chic and calm setting.

The Venue
Walking past the Odeon in Leicester Square, you’ll find the Leicester Square branch of the Radisson Edwardian hotel chain. Stepping into the foyer, you’ve immediately entered a world far away from tourist town. A sophisticated cream decor gives this place an element of class without becoming pretentious, and this theme follows into the bar and restaurant through the large glass doors. It's seductively lit and there's an intimate vibe, helped by the large (and heavy) individual leather chairs you soon sink into. Small pieces of art are dotted around the room to give a little more colour and character, and they’ve done well to create a feeling of spaciousness in what's actually a pretty small area.

The Atmosphere
Soft chill out music is played in the background to reflect the type of mood this place encourages, and you can expect to find a more refined crowd here as opposed to the booze-laden type just down the road. The staff are attentive enough but they can look uneasy when asked for specifics on the menu: a little more training would swiftly sort that out, though.

The Food
Seafood dominates the menu, so is a pretty good choice, especially to start. The kipper pâté (£7.50) is delicious, with a great smoked flavour complemented by a hit of tarragon that does well to avoid overwhelming. The Scottish scallops (£10.25) served in their shell is another good option, with soft and silky meat boasting just a hint of garlic. Similarly, the pan-fried seabass with smoked salmon risotto (£19) impresses. The fillet is cooked to perfection with a wonderful crisp skin and moist flaky flesh, whilst the risotto has a light herb infusion and small pieces of smoked salmon throughout.

If you fancy something a little meatier for main, the lamb rump (£18.50) is cooked perfectly as ordered, and served with a rosemary crust to give an bit of flavour. It comes accompanied by a fabulously creamy and smooth herb mash. Where things fall apart somewhat is the desserts. The espresso chocolate mousse (£5.50) is nicer to look at than to taste, simply because it lacks enough of an espresso kick. The apple crumble (£5.50) doesn’t fare much better: served lukewarm in a sundae glass, it somehow swims in already-melted ice cream.

The Drink
There's a decent wine list so it’s advisable to avoid the house white as it's a touch on the bland side. As the drinks menu is fairly large thanks to the adjoining bar there are plenty of other drinks to choose from so there's plenty of choice elsewhere - go instead for the prosecco, which is smooth and light without being overly dry.

The Last Word
For a hotel restaurant, the eicester Square Bar and Restaurant does well in terms of chic decor and a simple, yet (in places) sophisticated menu. Atmosphere wise it suffers the same fate as many other hotel restaurants but for an intimate dinner or quiet pre-dinner drinks, it’s okay.

View®  Card offers venue information venue map view london review write a review image gallery (1)