Hard to pigeonhole

For a long while, Exmouth Market suffered from 'Mount Pleasant Sorting Office Proximity Syndrome', so Clark's, the long-established eel and pie shop, vied with corner pubs to offer the cheapest lunch.

However, following the arrival of Moro in 1997, this pedestrian enclave has pulled itself up and is now unsure whether to be North Clerkenwell or South-West Islington.

Restaurants piled in and a handful of smart food shops followed, so that you can buy anything from a decent croissant to the finest Iberian jamon. There's even a fairly successful curry takeaway wagon and a French crepe stall (they're parked at the western end and do a terrific lunch trade).

Just over a year ago Moro - this area's star turn - acquired a new neighbour, Medcalf, a restaurant and bar that is secretly a gastropub. Its long bar looks very like a pub bar, the tables look like pub tables and the menu is pubby.

All of which doesn't matter a damn because, whichever pigeonhole you choose to file it in, Medcalf makes a very decent job of being an informal eatery. The menu is seasonally driven, changes every session and pricing is middle of the road: starters are under £6, mains under £12, and puds under £5, although there are a couple of exceptions.

The starters ranged from Welsh rarebit to sweet potato soup. There was a duck confit salad with poached egg, squid with chilli and ginger - a good, well-balanced dish with assertive flavours and accurately cooked squid - soused herring with pickled cucumber, and a well made rabbit terrine with homemade piccalilli. The last was served at an agreeable room temperature, with splendid piccalilli - not too hot, not too sweet, pretty much 'just-right'.

The main courses listed include one that is for sharing --Shorthorn rib of beef for two, served with chips and horseradish (the chips are good here). Or how about a serious and suitably trad fish pie, fluffy mash on top and creamy gunk within?

A deconstructed Lancashire hotpot - a rich, dark, almost sweet stew made with neck fillet of lamb - comes crowned with a parchment-thin disc of sliced potatoes layered and roasted to a buttery crisp. There's braised beef with Guinness and neeps (what is wrong with the English name - mashed swede?) and a roasted fig and goat's cheese tart. A fillet of sea bass comes with a herb risotto - good texture and flavours.

The pud list is headed by a 'selection of British cheeses with oatcakes and chutney', but for the sweeter tooth there is chocolate and almond cake, rice pudding with blackberry compôte or plum syllabub. The wine list is priced sensibly, there is real beer on offer and service is confident and attentive without getting too pushy.

If there are just two in your party watch out for the 'little' tables which have low, almost kiddy class, stools - you will need supple knees to enjoy a meal at these.

Medcalf is very busy, so booking is essential. Fourteen months ago when you couldn't get into Moro you could always pop in to Medcalf for lunch --now you're just as likely to find yourself squeezing into Moro because Medcalf is full.