Palatable Pimlico

Pimlico's my manor and I love it. But it's pretty rubbish for restaurants; if I want to eat out, I'm stuck with a largely indifferent bunch: a few desultory Italians, some antediluvian curry houses, a decent Spanish that's hugely over-subscribed and my beloved Grumbles (but that's only for the louche atmosphere and steak and chips).

Gary Rhodes has decamped from Dolphin Square (although, thrillingly, his site is soon to be occupied by ex-Savoy supremo, Anton Edelmann).

As you head towards Sloane Square, the situation improves - the heavenly Hunan; pretty and vaguely bonkers La Poule Au Pot; sleek, expensive L'Incontro; and now The Ebury. In what was a scuzzy old boozer, all beer fug and pool tables - totally anomalous in this road of terrifyingly chic antiques and interiors stores - we've now got a real class act. The local antiques dealers must be issuing cut-glass huzzahs in celebration.

It's from a pedigree stable; owner Tom Etridge is also responsible for the Waterway, Golborne House and just-opened The Wells, where we recently enjoyed a menu from The Ebury's head chef, Derek Creagh. Apparently, his intention was always to come to roost here, and it's The Wells' loss because he's a great cook.

We ate upstairs in the dining room. Downstairs there's an already buzzing brasserie and bar where you can choose fresh oysters, langoustines or mussels from the seafood bar, or pared-down versions of the dishes from upstairs, or some genuinely exciting-sounding sandwiches - leek and Welsh rarebit, for instance. Yum.

It's accessible and handsome - walnut bar, brown leather banquettes, kindly lighting - apart from an inexplicable 'artwork' on one wall which looks like the mural in a Hell's Angels' clubhouse. Bizarrely, it's repeated upstairs, jangling away at the glittering, red-dropleted chandeliers, soft, thick carpet (carpet, hurray!), pale walls, starched linen and general air of understated luxury. There are other design solecisms: an open kitchen that simply looks as though a part of the wall is missing. And chairs so unbearably uncomfortable that only a ramrod-straight Belgravia matron managed to look at home in one.

Food, however, is splendid. My rich veloute of butternut squash came with pillowy gnocchi, seemingly sizzled in butter and heavy with parmesan. Shavings of black truffle contributed to a headily autumnal soup of flavours. I totally didn't fancy a Kalamata olive risotto with gremolata and chargrilled baby squid. Sounded like the worst kind of bunging stuff together for the sake of it. I was completely wrong: the rice had a perfect, winey bite, the olives were not overly strident; the cephalopods were meltingly tender; it was all surprisingly harmonious.

We'd experienced Creagh's triple-cooked chips at The Wells and they were just as fabulous here, served with a generous hunk of properly aged beef. A lemon tart was gorgeously trembly, still warm, and so deliciously, well, tart that it brought me out in hives.

Only the lamb dish was a let-down: little cutlets, perfectly tender if a little flavourless; under slightly flabby lasagne sheets was more, longer-cooked meat and an artichoke barigoule. This, with its little chunks of ham and inauthentically thickish white sauce, was an unwelcome addition - as was a totally unnecessary dollop of a oniony tapenade-type relish on top of it all.

No matter. The menus change regularly - I wish the treacle tart with roast plum and Jersey cream we'd heard about had been on the night we visited - which encourages repeat visits. Certainly from this local, for one.

A three-course set dinner costs £29.50. 11 Pimlico Road SW1. Tel: 020 7730

6784. Tube: Sloane Square

Ebury Wine Bar
Ebury Street, London, SW1W 9QU