You should never judge a restaurant by its name, as I learned from an evening at the Sherlock Holmes Bar and Grill.
We imagined the restaurant to be dark and smoky with elderly men chewing on their pipes in the corners, reminiscent of the opium dens haunted by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's sleuth Sherlock Holmes near his Baker Street home.
But upon entering, we were instead led through a bright and bustling bar into an equally lively restaurant with enticing smells coming from the open-plan kitchen at the back of the room.
My friend Marie-Louise, who has been living in France for the past two years, was delighted by the French cuisine, choosing the foie gras with spicy apple compote to start, which I‹m assured was authentic. I went for the goat's cheese - a favourite of mine - which came with red onion marmalade and a William pear.
For the main course, the waiter recommended the sea bass which is again another personal favourite when cooked as tenderly as it was.
My friend and I were both persuaded to try the dish, and were not disappointed when it came served with Jerusalem artichoke and steamed asparagus tips.
The waiter had also suggested we try a bottle of the Chardonnay rose, which perfectly completed the fish.
So far, so good. But when it came to finding the bathroom I was lost, as the restaurant is on the ground floor of a large hotel.
It is part of the Park Plaza chain with 39 hotels across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and another hotel and restaurant in the pipeline which I'm eagerly anticipating, by Westminster Bridge, for 2010. Down a flight of stairs and past several rooms including the hotel's private gym, I found the bathroom. Returning to the restaurant, we completed the French theme for the evening by tucking into a creme caramel, the perfect ending to the meal.
Details:
Park Plaza Sherlock Holmes,
Bar and Grill,
108 Baker Street,
Marylebone,
London, W1U 6LJ
020 7486 6161
