The need for speed

Allow plenty of time for an alfresco lunch at One-Eight-One, the restaurant at the recently opened Rockwell hotel. Our waitress couldn't recommend any of the dishes or wines, mixed up our starters and only informed us there would be a 20-minute wait for apple and rhubarb crumble after it had been ordered. Yet her friendly manner and ready smile won us over.

The small but beautifully formed dining room is all soothing green fabrics, palm-patterned wallpaper and sculpted light fittings. Tall picture windows overlook the smart patio where we ate. As ours was the only occupied table among the African lilies and towering bamboos, there was no hubbub to drown out the planes overhead but it still made for a delightful hideaway from the ugly Cromwell Road.

Despite an unimaginative menu, the food was good. Three nicely seared Cornish scallops served on a rosti-style crab and dill potato cake was a substantial starter, while specials included a main course of blackened snapper with mango salsa that packed a well-judged punch.

Poached peaches with mascarpone and that tardy crumble were well worth the wait. But they'll need to speed up the service if they want to attract the corporate crowd.

One-Eight-One
The Rockwell, 181 Cromwell Road, SW5