Langan's Brasserie, Stratton Street, Picadilly, London

Perhaps as a direct consequence of it only being a few years since I was a student at Durham, where fine dining consisted of 'half-price-student-mondays-at-Bella Pasta' and 'all-you-can-eat-Chinese-which-is-even-cheaper-if-you-eat-fast-and-finish-before-6pm,' the majority of the entries on this blog, fall into the cheap and cheerful category.

However, I was recently lucky enough to find myself in Mayfair with someone willing to buy me lunch, so for perhaps one time only, here is a post about a restaurant whose website describes itself "as one of London’s top eateries to be seen in for Celebrities" (not that we saw any, but you get the idea).

Having initially spotted Langan's opposite Green Park station, it didn't appear overly interesting. It had a small neon sign on the outside, and I couldn't see inside. A couple of hours later, ready for lunch, I appreciated the plush interiors as we walked in, and was slightly bemused by the elaborate cloakroom ticketing system. We walked up an ornate staircase to the 'Venetian Room’ where I started to appreciate just how lovely a place this was. The walls were covered with beautiful paintings and but the atmosphere remained relaxed (I later found the ground floor gets manically busy, whilst the first floor is described as "more sedate," but that suited me just fine).

The menu was surprisingly extensive (even for lunchtime) and I appreciated it's handwritten nature (it changes on a weekly basis). Choosing was difficult. I decided against a starter, so that I'd be able to order Langan's Fish and Chips (which came very highly recommended by the person buying me lunch, who was a regular frequenter of the place). I was intrigued to see how it would be presented at such a classy establishment!

I wasn't disappointed. The usual rule of 'the posher the restaurant, the smaller the portions' didn't appear to apply, as my dish was generous. And oh the taste! T he batter was sublime - simultaneously light, crispy and melt-in-your-mouth. The fish was juicy and delicious and the handmade chips were of the perfect chunkyness. Every mouthful was an utter delight!

The restaurant was packed by the time we were midway through lunch. Only then did I realise just why such a comprehensive cloakroom system was needed, and just how famous this place was. The ground floor was heaving, but the atmosphere remained calm upstairs. Waiters were (almost surprisingly) friendly, and urged us to have one of the delicious sounding desserts, but I was so full, it had to be a pot of tea for me instead.

The moral of the story - You can take Writing on Bananas somewhere classy, but Writing on Bananas will probably order chips and a cuppa!

Overall

Langan's Brasserie confounded my prejudices against posh restaurants. It was neither pretenious nor stuffy, and the portions were generous. Food quality was excellent as was the atmosphere and service. Expensive but a truly wonderful place to be taken to lunch!

9/10