Hudson Grill

We picked the right night to visit this beautiful Notting Hill grill, a freezing December evening when the rain was belting down hard enough to soak us through on the short walk from the underground. Upstairs, this is a bright, airy split-level restaurant, but down below, it offers a low ceiling and a huge, crackling fire that makes it a great winter visit.

And the food, American steak house with a few European twists, matches this warming atmosphere. New England clam chowder had just the right amount of bite, and powerful fishy flavours, while chargrilled goat's cheese was perfectly softened. For our main course we shared a rib of beef on the bone - nothing else would do at that time of year - and found a simple dish, perfectly prepared.

The portions, though in no way small, were not on an authentically American scale, but aside from that we could find little to criticise in a restaurant that does a great job of serving hearty, uncomplicated food.