Union Dining

There's joy at the heart of Union Dining. The dining room is good looking and comfortable, the waiters bubble with enthusiasm, and the food ethic is generous, seasonal and careful. A slow, wet lamb stew is emblematic of Nicky Riemer's cooking. Premium meat is the bedrock of a simple braise that's lovingly, expertly layered with oregano, green chilli and pecorino, all of which act as nuanced applause for the hero meat on the bone. Some dishes add refined technique to their list of accomplishments: there's always a terrine as rich and flavourful as it is pretty (combinations include veal, duck liver and pickled cherries), and there are dishes that balance sweet and savoury, raw and cooked, as with a lively sardine escabeche and a deluxe just-cured ocean trout with crisp shallots. Salads are meals in themselves, tossed with plenty of herbs, protein and grains, and always judiciously dressed. Desserts - a crowd-pleasing chocolate tart, say - are yet another encouragement to simply enjoy.