Pacific Bar and Grill

Clam Chowder, Fillet Mignon and 'real' American fries... I'm in love with this menu and I've been in the place for less than a minute.

I used to live in San Francisco where people expect great service, and unpretentious menus loaded with mouth parties. I have a feeling the owners of Pacific grill decided it was time to deliver this 'standard' West Coast experience to London.

A menu like this is about comfort, knowing what you like and focusing on simplicity. Someone sitting next to me has just been served a bowl of clam chowder, it smells right - I'm not going to waste any more time scanning this menu. So, we order the New York charcuterie and clam chowder for starters and the fillet mignon and sea bass for mains.

I focus on entertaining my girlfriend with borrowed jokes but find it hard to stop looking at the food on my fellow diner's plate.. and then suddenly I'm diving into my own bowl.

I was silent for the next 5 minutes. So was my girfriend... They really have got this food right. The consistency is great, it is fresh and I have cleaned my bowl with the last bit of bread. The deli plate was also simple, fresh and a huge portion.

The filet mignon arrives and I polish it off almost faster than the main. This is no nonsense food. My girl's sea bass is delicately flavoured, well presented and is also polished off with a smile.

Bottom line, if you want to eat authentic and fresh American food with 'real' stateside-style service... this is the place. Look no further, these guys know exactly what they are aiming at and they are doing it very very well.