Restaurant 23 & Morgan's Bar

The rather swish setting in a smart Grade II listed building sets the mood for a thoroughly contemporary experience. There's a keen eye for design on display in both the ground-floor Restaurant 23 and upstairs in Morgan's Bar. That means lots of cool neutral tones livened up with splashes of bold colour, well designed chairs and light fittings, and allowing the original features to speak for themselves. Peter Knibb is a chef with a passion for seasonality and a good deal of technical ability: his menus show plenty of invention and a clear focus. Start perhaps with smoked ham hock, bursting with flavour, alongside peas and globe artichokes, crispy bone marrow and summer truffle, or mackerel tartare with rillettes of the same, partnered with pickled shallot tempura, oyster and watercress jelly. Main courses are no less inventive, the execution no less precise. Aromatic roasted turbot, for example, with fennel, orange and a razor clam dressing, or Lighthorne lamb as loin, breast and sweetbread. To finish, Cox's apple terrine, brioche and orange, spiced apple gel and green apple sorbet shows no let-up in the creativity.