Baby Grand (Charing Cross)

Named after the piano which provides the live background music at this Charing Cross institution, the Baby Grand recently celebrated its quarter century. No mean feat in a city that loves novelty. Tucked away by the entrance to the Charing Cross low level train station, it is a quietly chic bar brasserie that would slot comfortably into most European capitals. Its proximity to the King’s Theatre makes it popular for pre and post-show meals and it also attracts plenty of post-work commuters who fancy a drink and a nibble before heading home. Weather permitting, customers can dine at the outside tables or sit in and admire the slightly saucy sculptures on the walls. There are plenty of locally produced ingredients used to good effect in the Baby Grand’s open kitchen and they are often treated with a Continental flourish. Menus change regularly but a typical dish might be the roasted poussin served in a thyme and white wine sauce with new potatoes and Mediterranean vegetables