Feeling rather fond of Bonds

This review was published in September 2002

If you find yourself in the City trying to find the remains of your pension and need to restore your spirits with a decent dinner, I would recommend you visit Bonds.

Attached to a boutique hotel, it reminds me of 1 Lombard Street - a cavernous bar leads to a cathedral-like dining room with pillars and friendly, knowledgeable staff. If you are over 25 and quite rich, the chances are that you might grow to like Bonds.

The food is best characterised by a desire to add one more ingredient to the dish than you might actually want. For instance, Braised pig's cheeks and chorizo with garlic and parsley mash. I don't know many people who wake up in the morning and say 'I could murder a couple of pig's cheeks', but I dare say they exist and, if they do, they may well want them served with Spanish sausages or garlic and parsley mash, but probably not both.

Or take the turbot - I love this most aristocratic of fish. There's never any need to mess with it, but here they shove poached chicken wings and 'truffled' gnocchi on it.

Rant over, I had a lovely dinner, kicking off with a twice-baked cheese souffl? followed by an artichoke risotto. Other dishes seemed genuinely interesting, such as the vaguely Germanic assiette of pork with pickled cabbage, apple and rosemary. What's more, this straw-and-camel-strategy of ingredient overload seemed to pay unusual dividends as in a dish of grilled veal cutlet with broad beans, goat's cheese, and an almond and anchovy fondue.

As it was late, we ate light: a couple of portions of dressed crab and Granny Smith Gazpacho, a couple of foie gras and game terrines and some rather good puddings that came with the constituent parts laid out individually on an oblong plate that looked a little like a letter box. Best by far was the bitter chocolate fondant.