Four in Hand Dining Room

With attentive, nurturing service, an elegant, Paddington-pub-side dining room and a meaty menu, it's easy to imagine being in an exclusive gentlemen's club. Waiters wax lyrical about chef Fassnidge's Irish-centric take on classic Euro food, such as the duck salad. Think deconstructed bird. tender breast under ultra-crisped skin, a pink heart cut in two lying next to the tongue, cubes of hoisin-flavoured 'Beijing' duck and a few token greens. Raw tuna nestles under a lemon curd 'biscuit' with tangy samphire. Beef brisket is huge - meat poached to softness in miso stock, trimmed of all fat and paired with contrasting pink skirt steak and kale, on a carrot and sherry puree. Suckling pig runs the nose-to tail gauntlet, with crunchy tail and ear, slices of prime loin and beetroot - and a pile of Irish mash. A dessert of kitchen-garden lemon verbena comes with sorrel juice and honeycomb direct from the Four's rooftop beehive. This is a grand experience, local produce at its best.