Montpeliers Bar and Brasserie

The 2013 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2013) edition.

Montpeliers is the dining equivalent of high street shopping – accessible pricing, visited by many for a quick shot of style, but not the place for a unique or quirky night out. That said, it does what it does pretty well: half bar, half tightly packed restaurant, decked out with fashionable bold-print wallpaper and comfy sofas, it’s always buzzing. It’s part of a chain that includes Tigerlily and Ricks, and like those places it is well attended by both students and local young professionals. Everyone comes for the longstanding two courses for a tenner deal, from lunch and dinner menus of safe brasserie staples. A starter of salt and pepper squid seems underwhelmingly small, however, and a watery French onion soup gives the impression of inconsistency in the kitchen. Braised lamb shank is a big improvement, tender and filling, and there is some decent ingredients sourcing going on, but on balance it feels like somewhere to come for the well-stocked bar, for the gossip, and for the chance to be seen wearing those new shoes rather than for stand-out food.

• High point: Every night feels like a Friday night on George Street
• Low point: Every night feels like a Friday night on George Street