Electric Brasserie (CLOSED)

The easy-going vibe and please-all menu make the Electric highly popular. It’s the answer to many dining conundrums: as suitable for a solo lunch as for a family get-together or casual date. At busy times, notably weekend brunch, booking is a good idea. Timeless brasserie fittings make the place seem like it’s been here for years. Tables out front are ideal for people-watching, while the dim recesses of the back room are suited to late-night dining. The breakfast menu (avocado and poached egg on sourdough, full english) runs into the all-day choices: sandwiches, small plates (chipolatas with honey mustard, devilled whitebait with lemon mayo), seafood and dishes such as macaroni cheese or duck cassoulet. We’re fond of the sirloin steak sandwich, with caramelised onion and gruyère, and the smoked haddock hash (on the brunch menu). The set meal is a good deal; a well-executed three courses of chicken livers with pancetta and butternut squash, crispy-skinned pollack with pea and chervil sauce, and zabaglione with raspberries hit the spot. The drinks list is similarly varied, from superior smoothies to cocktails. Staff are courteous and proficient; a glitch was quickly rectified with a free espresso. It’s part of the Soho House Group.