Nessa

Entering the bar and lounge at Nessa's, I had to quell an urge to hurl myself onto the sofa or one of the beautifully upholstered tub chairs. The room just invites you to get comfy with a cocktail and a hot date or a couple of mates and a tongue wag. Open till 1am Thursday to Saturday in the heart of Piccadilly, it also has a fantastic bar menu. Tick, tick, tick!

The dining room continues the theme of elegant comfort. Light, airy, good art, greenery and windows that open the room in good weather. There is also al fresco dining for this rare event! The music is good and the staff is fabulous. All five waiters that served us were friendly, competent and well-informed. Food and drink arrives promptly and everything is in place when it does.

A cuppa G&T (£14) was interesting, if not an improvement on the classic. Italicus, rose, cherry and blood orange and elderflower tonic added floral sweetness to Cotswolds gin but the drink demanded something acidic for balance. Gin and cherry is definitely worth further exploration!

Executive chef Tom Cenci has created an inventive menu based on British produce. Quite a few dishes are veg forward and all of them sound very enticing. Every dish has some sort of twist, making it unique. It's a pleasure to read a menu with so much originality.

Cheese and onion croquettes (£9) were perfect cocktail snacks. Crispy outside, soft in the middle, they came with a grape mustard that was just heavenly! The touch of fruit takes the edge off the mustard. Perfect with cheese.

Smoked salmon crudo (£13) was elegant and impeccably balanced with orange, mint and olive oil. Seemingly simple, these ingredients worked beautifully together.

Celeriac carbonara (£18) is a cream-based version of the classic. Rich and delicious turned decadent with the addition of a perfect confit egg yolk. The pasta was overcooked and an abundance of pancetta overwhelmed the sweet root veg, but the combination of flavors is divine.

Cornish cod (£26) was cooked perfectly, flaking apart while still translucent and juicy. Pink firs are lovely, waxy potatoes and a parsley cream brought the dish together, though without much wow factor. Caviar added a nice touch of luxury.

Tender stem broccoli (8.50) with Old Bay, a seasoning mix that was a staple in my kitchen when I lived in the US, brought a smile to my face. It was like meeting an old friend!

A glass of Sangiovese Di Toscana, Caparzo, 2021 (£12) was full-bodied, with a nice mix of berries and spice.

Baked Alaska (£8.50) also got the Cenci treatment with mint chocolate chip ice cream and a chocolate crumb. The addition of custard gave a bit of an oeufs à la neige vibe, the chocolate added depth and the mint freshened everything up.

On the way out, the lounge beckoned yet again but I knew if I gave in, they'd never get me out!

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