Food Review: Margot

In a part of Covent Garden with more rapid-turnover tourist traps than destination dining, Margot's a splash of Old World splendour: grand-brasserie bronze and banquettes, and waiters dressed more formally than plenty of people would for their own weddings. Service is formal without being stiff, waiters earnestly passionate about our order. And prices are roughly in line with the amount of marble and the warmth of the welcome.

On the food front, not everything's as entirely assured as the vibe. Oddly, it's our pasta dishes that feel less footsure — the tagliolini is slightly claggy, and blander than the deep flavours in the starters and desserts. And one side dish we order doesn’t arrive, though as portions are far more generous than expected, that's probably a blessing.

But they're getting some of it pitch-perfect: breads are flawless, fluffy and chewy. A simple trio of sorbets is so intensely fruity they almost eclipse our chocolate mousse, which we didn't know fruit could do. And a starter of 'nduja, octopus and lentils, thick tentacles curling out of the dish like a sci-fi beast, might be the best dish we have there — it's hands-down the most menacing.

Margot might not be perfect across the board — and maybe at these prices you'd want it to be — but enough of it's downright lovely to keep it deservedly popular.

Margot, 45 Great Queen Street, WC2B 5AA.