For quick fine dining without breaking the bank, check out Moorgate’s accountancy quarter for a real lunchtime treat.

The Venue
Located in a quiet nook off Moorgate, One Moorgate Place is buried in the lower floors of the exclusive and rather ornate Chartered Accountants Hall, aka the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW). Being in such a serious environment you might expect the place to be devoid of colour and spark but this is certainly not the case. Despite its basement location, the dining room is light and spacious with a host of contemporary trappings and a neutral colour scheme highlighted with flashes of lime green and raspberry red furnishings.

The Atmosphere
One Moorgate Place, an exclusively lunchtime restaurant, is proving remarkably popular with the City’s elite. Along with the clink of highly-polished glassware and expensive cutlery, amiable chatter about ISAs and tax relief hums throughout the tables. The staff are exceptional; swift and professional, yet personable and friendly at the same time.

The Food
The clever chefs at One Moorgate have come up with a ‘fast food, reinvented’ menu where you can have two excellent courses served to you in under 30 minutes... or it’s free (2 courses for £13). This menu includes a glorious smoked haddock risotto streaked with spinach and fresh pesto and topped with a candied pancetta streak. However, the a la carte is pretty swift too. The Cornish crab lasagne (£7.50) is a tiny tower of dreaminess. Pale, soft lasagne is layered with a creamy and delicate mousse of crab and topped with ripe black caviar is far too delicious for such dainty portions.

The mains are equally as impressive with a wholly delicious grilled red mullet (£15.50) served with confit fennel, a pan-fried scallop and some gorgeously crispy squid. The flavours in this dish are immense. The buttery aniseed of the fennel is perfect with the mullet and the squid just tastes of the sea. The herb-crusted hake (£16.50) arrives draped in a ‘herb blanket’ (as described by the chef) and a pretty turret of cucumber filled with smoked eel tortellini. While both dishes are excellent, they are a little on the small side and may need boosting up with some (heavenly) mashed potatoes (£2.50) or red cabbage (£2.50).

As for the desserts there is nothing swift about these babies. Exceptionally executed, the rhubarb parfait (£5.50) is served with poached rhubarb and scattered crumbs of crumble artfully slewn across the plate, while the mocha mousse (£6) with hot chocolate beignet and chocolate sauce is rich and dangerous.

The Drink
The wine list is nice and select with the added bonus of some real crackers around the £20-£30 mark. The house wine is a nice French Vin Pays d’Oc and surprisingly reasonable for the City at £4.50/£14.50gls/btl. For a couple of extra quid (literally) try the Chilean The War Horse Chenin Blanc (£16.50btl) as it works really well with the fish dishes on the menu. If it’s a lighter drink you’re after, the prosecco is equally quaffable at £9/£21 gls/btl.

The Last Word
Although not a place for those with a hearty appetite, the excellent food and service make One Moorgate Place an absolute winner. Highly recommended.

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