Heading down the Lane

There's nothing wrong with the middle of the road, gastronomically speaking, but The Lane hasn't realised that. It has ideas above its station - which is Aldgate East, after all - without the means to convert them to reality.

Our pre-dinner guessing game ('There'll be seared tuna. And rump of lamb...') was right on all counts, but wrong in realisation - decent tuna reared above soggy braised lettuce in uninspired salsa verde and, despite a tasty, if burnt, tomato tatin, the lamb was of a quality meant to be smothered in bèarnaise sauce, not eaten alone.

The predominantly British food is all carefully arranged and decorated â¡ la nouvelle cuisine, but the chef's attachment to his frying pan borders on the pathological and the many mayonnaises and hollandaises imply lack of confidence in the ingredients.

The staff are keen enough to irritate and the decor - white tile floor, view of street - has that apart'hotel chill, probably because the place is attached to one of those utterly uninspiring city hotels.

Three courses for two people was, at least, reasonably priced at £75 with wine and tip and, if my baked chocolate pud was too sugary, the vanilla crËme br°lèe got the most enthusiastic response of the evening.

If The Lane shrugs off its pretensions to haute cuisine, it might make a worthy alternative to the Brick Lane curry houses down the road, although it'll still be a cavern; for the moment, though, it doesn't know its potential clientele, or its place.

The Lane Restaurant, 12-20 Osborn Street E1. Tel: 020 7456 1067. Tube: Aldgate East

The Lane Bar
12-20 Osborn Street, E1 6TE