Menier Chocolate Factory

The Menier Chocolate Factory is a former chocolate factory, once owned by a bloke called Menier, funnily enough. Its a strange hybrid of a place, thats part bar, part theatre and part restaurant. And, while I cant comment on the theatre, the bar and restaurant sections work extremely well. Apart from fellow diners a lot of braying media wannabes theres no pretension here, just a straightforward list of brasserie classics with the odd twist. Pan fried langoustine, with garlic butter and celeriac remoulade were a little on the small side but fresh. Oriental duck rillettes a logical combination given the French and Oriental relationship with the bird was a coarse, gamey rillette with a big hit of coriander. Basic but better than much fusion cooking. Burgers and expensive bangers and mash are inevidence alongside more interesting dishes a generous and tasty risotto of smoked chicken and baby leeks and brasserie classics, like chargrilled rib eye: a good few ounces of unstressed cow suitably matched with a potato, horseradish and rocket gratin. Desserts, unsurprisingly, feature a fair bit of chocolate, such as the zippy chocolate espreso tart with crème fraiche. All in all, just about as good as youll find in this price range.