THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Mezzo

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Mezzo Restaurant Review:

Mezzo, the downstairs restaurant, is big, brash, stylish, a typical Conran venture---but here without the master’s touch in the kitchen that lifts Le Pont de la Tour, Orrery and Bluebird into another sphere. It’s not bad; it’s just not that good. Other gripes include very loud live music at certain times for which you pay a cover charge whether you like it or not, and cloakroom attendants who attempt to spray you with perfume and charge you a £1. All of which is fine if you’re in a group having a good time, but this is not the place for intimate or fine dining. Starters range from a decent chicory, walnut, Roquefort and orange salad, to £12 for a foie gras terrine, with a Sauternes and Bramley jelly. (Forget the caviar menu, that’s out of most diner’s price league). Mains go from £11.25 for pappardelle with mushrooms, pesto and Parmesan to a plateau de fruits de mer (which is magnificent) for two at £29.50 per person. In between, main dishes take in all the usual modish favourites like braised rabbit leg with cumin-spiced aubergine; swordfish, sea scallops and more. Vegetables are charged on top of this. The best bets are the simplest: salads, the fruits de mer, grills. The upstairs Mezzonine continues to tour the East with a long menu, offering something for everyone. Mezzo: Set lunches and pre-theatre 6pm-7.15pm, 2 courses £12.50, 3 courses £15.50.