La Bonne Auberge

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.

Considerably nicer than a restaurant housed in the foyer of a middling chain hotel has any right to be, La Bonne Auberge has experienced a facelift in the last year, with previously fussy décor disposed of for a more contemporary-feeling retro-modern aesthetic of red and blue striped fitted sofas and smart red-backed cocktail lounge-style chairs. But it remains much the same operation – dependable and well-serviced, the kind of place well suited to tourists or Sunday lunch with mum, than, say, a romantic meal. Mini-tricolours and a French horn among decorative trinkets hint more clearly at classification than some of the food – a burger and pan-fried polenta cake curiously lead the mains selection. But quality doesn’t lack – there’s flavour and eating aplenty in a Roquefort, pear and caramelised hazelnut starter. The crispy battered haddock special is essentially glorified fish and chips, but presented literally with a twist – the fish appears as if it were leaping from the plate atop a mound of creamy spring onion mash. Prices can be slightly high, but fine views of the Royal Concert Hall are a reminder you’re also paying for unbeatable centrality.

• High point: Very efficient waiting staff
• Low point: Little indication of ethical or regional sourcing