Sotheby's Cafe

An alcove off Sotheby’s ground-floor main corridor seems an unlikely place to find a distinguished restaurant, but sweet, smooth service and a fabulously talented chef combine to make the unlikely a reality. The best food here can comfortably bear comparison with anything being cooked in London. There are limitations, naturally. The atmosphere is rather staid, and the reek of casual affluence hangs heavy in the air despite the corridor setting. If those things don’t bother you, pile in for some sensational cooking. A carefully roasted fillet of salmon came with courgettes cut into fine shreds and tossed with feta and pine nuts atop a slice of toast. Only a slight oiliness in the toast kept this from being a five-star dish. No such obstacles lay in the way of a starter of grilled scallops with chorizo and sweetcorn purée. The marriage of flavours between sweet mollusc, spicy sausage and subtly seasoned sweetcorn was simply sublime – one of the best things we’ve eaten in London in recent memory. Equally memorable was an own-made ice-cream of peanut, chocolate and salted caramel: five stars at least. The wine list is tiny, imaginatively chosen and modestly priced. There’s breakfast and tea as well as lunch, and a full bar. Chef Laura Greenfield is extraordinarily talented. Come and treat yourself to lunch, and see for yourself.