Itchycoo Bar & Kitchen

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

Replete with Timorous Beasties wallpaper and a vivid Foscarini chandelier, the distinctive Itchycoo could and should be a thriving city centre hangout. The desired effect is a little compromised by gleamingly bright lighting and a somehow hollow atmosphere – in truth, the restaurant caters mostly for guests of its parent establishment, the Radisson Hotel, so the clientele are transitory and there's little in the way of regular custom. The menu is as striking as the design, and includes simple but intriguing sounding dishes served in small, tapas-style portions. Such a zeitgeisty, mix-and-match approach to food is intriguing and fun, and the arrival of the whole lot, banquet style, inspires a childlike sense of excitement. This is dulled, however, by a fairly loose approach to service and the uninspiring nature of some of the dishes. A wild mushroom salad that should be delicate and fragrant is bruised by a slick of overwhelming truffle oil, while salmon tartare has a claggy texture and arrives accompanied by a bland dill sauce. In contrast, the chicken wings are sweetly spiced and sticky, and the subtly meaty veal broth contains moist and tasty dumplings. Desserts come in the same dainty format, with a helping of three for each diner: try the heady tiramisu, but watch out for the facepack-like coconut cream.

• High point: Exciting design and a refreshing menu
• Low point: Some dishes miss the point

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