Block Soho, Clarion House, 2 Saint Anne’s Court, London W1F 0AZ (020 3376 9999). Starters £9-£17, Sunday lunch £15-£26, desserts £9, wines from £27
Hung on the wall above the urinal at Block Soho was a promotional poster for the Sunday lunch I had recently completed. It bore the slogan: “Whole joints, big flames, good times.” Finally I felt as if I was being looked after. Because if there’s one thing I can use, it’s clear criteria by which to judge a restaurant. So, let’s start in the middle. Once upon a time there were indeed big flames at this site. It’s a wide, low-slung space on a pedestrianised alleyway between Wardour and Dean Streets in London’s Soho. Over the years it has been many things: American deli, tapas bar, Dante’s seventh circle of vodka-drenched hell.
