Nova Bar and Grill is a stone's throw away from the West end and a welcome bolt hole from the hectic city centre. Pop in for a cocktail at a reasonable price, or use the attached hotel for convenience.

The Venue
The restaurant has a gorgeous, classy exterior in-keeping with the style of the hotel attached. The white brick and classic styling would not be out of place in Park Lane, apart from the jolly looking bouncer who will usher you inside. And when you are inside, it becomes clear why the bouncer is on the door - Nova is more of a cocktail bar than a restaurant. Frenetic house music makes for odd bedfellows with the Japanese-boudoir decor, which veers so wildly between opulence, minimalism and the boundaries of taste that the overall impression is bizarrely neutral. Still, this is a look favoured by so many of the chain-owned watering holes popular with monied bankers in London; it can be seen as an attempt to seem reassuringly inoffensive.

The Atmosphere
Nova is attached to a hotel, and the often clinical approach taken by staff working in a high-end establishment has unfortunately filtered through to the staff, who are professional, if a tad cold. The venue itself is lively, full of young professionals and rich, suited older men with deep wallets. Despite the frosty reception, the interior is welcoming and inviting. One quibble: to get to the bathroom you have to walk through the hotel - try to avoid the intense stares of the porters, which probably would make some diners feel uncomfortable.

The Food
There are many reasons to visit Nova, but unfortunately the food isn't really one of them. The starters on the main menu are the best part of the offering; the calamari rings (£6.25) are creatively dished up in curled newspaper and aren't over-fried, the pork belly (£5.75) pleasingly crunchy (just ever so slightly underdone) and the sharing platters are adequate, if unimaginative. Still, this is essentially pub fare, and at least the prices reflect that - just don't expect to be wowed.

For mains there is very little choice - with one vegetarian option and nearly everything on the menu arriving with chips, this is not a place for the diet-conscious; or even those who might fancy a brief flirtation with a vegetable. The burgers (£8.25) themselves taste good, but when combined with the stale bun and slapdash presentation they lose their sparkle. Avoid the steak (£17.50), which is thin, stringy and a bit of a sorry affair.

Dessert provides more room for culinary manoeuvre, with a good variety on offer. The chocolate fondant (£4.75) is pleasingly tasty, yet not mind-blowing. The ice cream selection is also good, but avoid at all costs the brown-bread version (£4.75). You come across this dish on occasion but never should dietary necessity and luxury ice cream meet.

The Drinks
Nova has an excellent selection of wines, beers, spirits and cocktails. The cosmopolitan is a particularly well made example - clearly Nova have an excellent and experienced cocktail waiter. The house white is crisp and refreshing, and of good quality. Considering the central location, price points plead reasonable. Most of the clientele seem to agree, forgoing the food for a beverage with friends and colleagues.

The Last Word
Nova has a promising feel to it and - once a couple of kinks are ironed out - a good team. Unfortunately the food is a little lacklustre, which makes recommending it for dinner quite difficult.

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