Scandinavian delight

When Anna Mosesson opened her Swedish restaurant Glas next to Borough Market, we loved it. It had a homespun, rickety appeal and a menu of small dishes delivering some exciting new tastes.

Now she's moved upmarket - Upper Glas - into the gap left by Islington's much-loved Lola's. And I'm not fully convinced by the move. The place looks truly delightful - a child's version of Scandinavia with Christmassy colouring, naive prints, twinkly tealights and squads of charming little red wooden Dalahorses - and the staff are lovely, all an incarnation of healthy living and sunny personalities.

But the food seems to have suffered. There's been a departure from the small dish adventures to a more conventional, three-course menu structure. Shame.

And, possibly in an attempt to keep overheads down, portions are weeny. Our main courses were small and distinctly odd: venison came in a gingerbread sauce that tasted like the insides of old cupboards; brisket was drowned in sickly-sweet, horseradish-spiked cream. But starters are still a dream: three types of silky herring (the one matured in sandalwood for three days is a beauty); Mosesson's justifiably famous gravlax; and smoked elk with more horseradish and beetroot, a sinus-clearing stunner of a dish. Prettiness and starters made me affectionate. Bring back the old menu, and it could rekindle love.

A meal for two with wine, water and service costs about £80. First Floor, The Mall, 359 Upper Street N1. Tel: 020 7359 1932. Tube: Angel

Upper Glas
Upper Street, London, N1 0PD