GrEAT carries off the British Brasserie challenge; Holborn Dining Rooms fail badly

I've been at two restaurants in the past week that are both trying to capture the British Brasserie magic Jason Atherton does so well at the Berners Tavern (reviewed here).  A small, little-known place in Mayfair called GrEAT British succeeded far better than the more glamorous Holborn Dining Rooms, where poor service underpinned average food.

Tucked in a narrow storefront on North Audley Street between Grosvenor Square and Oxford Street, the first GrEAT British triumph is value for money.  We all had three courses, with about half a bottle of wine per person, added service, split the bill and came in at £52 each.  Which is reasonable for any good meal in London, and an absolute steal for anything beyond chain restaurants in Mayfair.

The second triumph:  it's beautiful. (See photo above.)  Though it's now been open for two years it still looks brand new, bright and elegant as a kitchen advertisement in a high-end design magazine.  Wooden panelling in an elegant pale green (Farrow & Ball, I'd guess), black-and-white tile floor, table tops made from old Victorian fireplace surround tiles.  The food comes out on custom-made wooden platters, slate tiles or elegantly-glazed hand-made pottery, sides served up in individual cast iron pots, sauces in tiny, bright copper saucepans.  Someone has put a lot of thought into the look of this place, and succeeded with panache.

Thankfully, the food matches the care taken elsewhere.  It's a resolutely British menu, with classics like fish and chips, cottage pie and sausage and mash anchoring a menu that changes to take advantage of seasonal specialities.  I think my scrumptious potted beef was the star of the starters; my husband's duck with blackberries the mains.  Warm chocolate pudding with salted caramel ice cream, hazelnuts and cinder toffee would make any sweet-loving Brit weep with national pride.  There's room for improvement:  my sausages were a touch overcooked, the opening bread basket offered just four wee slices of sourdough for the £2 charge (not enough to carry all the inspired cod roe spread that came with it) and a rather strange and irritating mix of background music (urban funk, alternative pop and discordant jazz) clashed with the soothing elegance of the interiors.  But those are fine points to move a solidly good experience to great.

Sadly, I can't say the same for the Holborn Dining Rooms, which took the place of the much missed Pearl when the Rosewood Hotel re-opened after a long renovation.  Holborn's stated mission is exactly the same as GrEAT British, but attempted on a vast scale and at double the price.  There's no denying it's a buzzy, beautiful dining room … red banquettes, marble and brass, high ceilings, imposing Edwardian architecture … filled with fashionable people.  On first impression, it's a close cousin to the Berners Tavern.  But the similarities end there.

I started with a deeply average steak tartare, meat not cut finely enough, lacking in any distinct flavours, uninspiring in presentation.  My companion's jumbo prawns looked good, but she said they were overcooked and flavourless.  My fish of the day was undistinguished, lacking flavour, accompaniment or much sauce.  It desperately needed the side dish the waiter told me I wouldn't require to make it a meal; I waited ages for the chips which were the best part of both courses.  Elsewhere at the table, steaks weren't cooked properly, food was cold and nobody could muster praise beyond average.  The sweets were the only noteworthy part of the meal, with the caramel cigar and the queen of puddings (a traditional concoction of bread crumbs, jam and meringue) both getting good reviews.

This was all further undermined by the genial, yet slow and forgetful service.  There were long gaps between courses, one diner served well after the rest of us, finger bowls to accompany the peel-your-own prawns laid down when diners' hands were already dripping with most of the course, sides delivered when the mains were almost finished.  And in a place clearly heaving with diners on expense account, ridiculously slow wine stewards who left empty glasses throughout the meal and collected them between main and pudding, when we all still wanted more.

Thankfully, the company was so good we could ignore the other shortcomings.  We had a good night despite the food and service, not because of it.  Give the Holborn Dining Rooms a pass and head to Mayfair, where you'll get the same style of food with better preparation, service and value at GrEAT British.