Sweetly, soft-edged enterprise

Volt, the offspring of the Lebanese restaurant chain Noura, is the project of Nicolas, Hani and Stephanie Bou Antoun, whose parents opened the first Noura in Paris 25 years ago. The electric potential in the new restaurant's name made me suppose it was a nightspot. Contrarily I went for lunch and thus (happily) missed out on the in-house DJ.

He or she is worth bearing in mind for Christmas parties, as are the various spaces including a cigar bar and a room with projection facilities that lead off the oval-shaped, wood-panelled main dining room.

We sat within it on a curved grey leather banquette at grey melamine tables, opposite a central pillar upholstered in pomegranate-coloured crushed velvet encircled by a velvet-covered ottoman. No doubt it all looks a lot more thrilling at night.

The welcome from polite and gentle staff was the antithesis of what you expect in a place with a crowd-controlling rope outside the door. Our waiter was clearly proud of Volt and its Italianate menu devised by chef Santino Busciglio, who has worked for restaurants in the A-Z group.

A note advises that the finest seasonal produce is purchased on a daily basis at markets in Paris and London. I'd like to see the markets where broad beans are fresh at the moment.

The set-price lunch menu ostensibly represents good value, taking, as it does, dishes from the à la carte. A first course of "veal fillet served with classical tuna and caper dressing" - vitello tonnato in other words - was a tall heap of thinly-cut meat surrounded by a clunky mayo and an over-abundance of capers.

The vegetarian main course, ravioli of Swiss chard and goat's cheese with a red pepper couli (sic), delivered squidgy little parcels in an old-fashioned thinned-down purée.

Carpaccio of yellow-fin tuna with wild rocket, pink grapefruit and citrus dressing from the à la carte had the texture of mush and tasted of nothing much at all. Rack of lamb, also oddly flavourless, was served with little turned potatoes, strips of artichoke heart and sprigs of thyme. Hotel cooking was the phrase that sprang to our lips.

Shot glasses held the champagne granita and rhubarb soup that surrounded a dessert of ginger-scented crème brûlée. A dab of rose water seemed to have perfumed the rhubarb. There is very little interesting action below £30 on the wine list. I dare say Volt cocktails are expensive, too. But there is something rather sweetly soft-edged about what could have been a hard-nosed enterprise.

Volt Lounge
17 Hobart Place, SW1W 0HH