Not such a wild old Bull

I imagine this is what a mid-price restaurant in the Hamptons or Martha's Vineyard is like,' said brother Will as he scoped The Bull and its diners. 'Lots of rich grey panthers in expensive sports shirts.'

The groups of power-pensioners did not dominate, but fit as fiddles, free of cash worries and laughing, they did seem the most robust in the room. This is not your average gastropub demographic, but then again The Bull isn't average, with its smart slatted blinds, leather banquettes and 80 wines on the list.

If this was once a pub, it's hard to spot it now. The bar is now no more than a service area. We ordered a rosé on the recommendation of the manager, who said that Sixième Sens was like 'a holiday rosé', and acidic to the point of no more than pleasantly juicy. It was. Nice for £15.

Posh food borne by mild-mannered waitresses passed by. The Bull is the new baby of Barnaby Meredith, he of the vaunted House in Canonbury. So our expectations were high. Hence we were disappointed when the fresh barley bread was a bit cakey and, in places, gooey.

Will's starter, a bowl of £11.50 linguine with Dorset crab, chilli and lemonwas underwhelming for that price. 'Considering its ingredients, the flavours are subdued and homogenous,' he said.

I had a fashionable-sounding starter - scallops with cauliflower purée and toasted hazelnuts. The purée didn't have a super intensity of flavour, but it was fine, the nuts complemented the cauli just great, the scallops' sweetness added to this was just bingo.

And then - why? - the overpowering, concentrated sweetness of some sultanas scattered on top, and a sickly, rich circle of hollandaise dressing the plate. A modern classic, over-egged.

Fillet of veal with buttered (and clearly homemade) noodles was great. It was the strong, stocky gravy paired with the relative plainness of the mushroom-topped veal and pasta that appealed.

I gave half to Will, so that he could give up on the watery, waxy, dark-grey bubble-and-squeak sitting under strong and smoky poached haddock, and a poached egg with sweet paprika coated in more cloying hollandaise. Another dish over-egged.

Pudding sounded fun - blueberry marshmallow with strawberry daiquiri sorbet - but in fact the marshmallow tasted of nothing - what a total miss. For a moment my taste-buds expected thrills. This sums up The Bull - it's like a roller coaster you think will be wild but winds up being short on thrills.

The Bull
13 North Hill, N6 4AB