A modern retro feel with classy Mediterranean food make St Alban a celebrity and foodie hotspot.

The Venue
The restaurant is hidden away in Lower Regent Street, discreetly tucked away behind two black doors. Inside you are greeted with a large open space filled with turquoise and bright pink sofas. Hypnotic murals on the walls show black pepper grinders, cans and, bizarrely, a set of keys. This is probably an offset to distract you from celeb spotting.

The Atmosphere
There is an air of grown-up sophistication with a businesslike feel and a very friendly and unpretentious front of house team. They offer filtered tap water (normally a snobby topic!) or bottled water as soon as you sit down. To coincide with the humble front of house attitude, there was a very interesting mix of eclectic eaters. Service is fast and very efficient, and you are made to feel very comfortable.

The Food
The menu changes regularly and has sufficient variety for all with beautiful choices of fresh Mediterranean fare. Starters comprise of sardines with gremolata, simple and unpretentious revealing only the freshest sardines with a mix of garlicky, parsley and lemon topping. There’s also a soft shell, juicy crab with a lightly crisp coating that comes with a really cute shot glass of tarragon mayonnaise that’s beautifully fresh. Other starters included linguine alle vongole, which was full to the brim with succulent clams. These are all very simply cooked and elegantly presented.

Mains include a Sardinian fish stew, full of tomatoes and garlic. The char-grilled baby chicken, basquaise style, is soft and juicy and cooked with smoked paprika, whilst a subtle dish of steamed halibut with swiss chard and samphire is delicate and perfectly cooked without fuss.

Desserts are a similar type of natural and honest cooking with roasted peaches with almonds and lavender, sweet and warming with crunchy almonds. Also try the sweet poached plums with sour, creamy Greek yoghurt. All the dishes are extremely well cooked and there isn’t any complicated or pretentious cooking involved.

The Drink
The list has wines from less familiar regions of Portugal and Spain, France and Italy. There is also a great selection of wines by the glass.

The Last Word
St Alban is a very simple yet stylish place that oozes sophistication.

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