Clipstone

This area of Fitzrovia is beginning to be known for some exceptionally good eating, and Will Lander and Daniel Morgenthau’s pioneering Clipstone (a sister restaurant to nearby Portland) is a case in point. Opened in 2017, the place has settled comfortably into its stride. Decor-wise, it’s not much – bare-boarded floor, plain tables and chairs, an open kitchen – but it comes across as very much a neighbourhood restaurant (despite the central London location), one where the mood is relaxed and the food is a delight. Short menus (lunch is a bargain) offer wonderfully seasonal dishes that are straightforward, mostly simple assemblies with inspired finishing touches – moules-frites with hispi cabbage and green apple, say, or a Tamworth pork loin partnered by parsley root, boudin noir and quince. At a winter lunch, a simple snack of salty aubergine fritti with 'dijonnaise' went well with a glass of Thörle ‘Feinherb’ Riesling Rheinhessen. Then came a little biscuity galette topped with ricotta, young violet artichokes and roasted hazelnuts, followed by crisp-skinned Cornish bream with buttery Yukon Gold mash, a slick of equally buttery sauce and some crunchy monk's beard. Dessert was equally reassuring, a pistachio and marmalade cake with Grand Marnier ice cream. The wine list is a headline attraction in itself, bursting with pink, orange and skin-contact tipples, artisan gems and a ‘single bottle' selection that's well worth exploring.