Coda

Coda has great energy, something it has had from day one. Staff seem happy to be there, acting as casual-professional guides through a somewhat surprising menu that might put share-dishes like black pepper crab next to minute steak with lemon and capers. It's easy to stick with the Asian dishes - maybe spanner crab on a betel leaf with galangal, roasted chilli and lime - but then you'd miss out on a gorgeous salad of buffalo mozzarella, zucchini fritters, mint and peas. Roasted yellow duck curry is a huge flavour hit, with plenty of pepper to keep things interesting and floor staff busy topping up water glasses. Things can get loud by the evening's end. To conclude, beautifully presented dessert boards are every bit as good as they look and might include a frangipane and pear tart with drunken date icecream.