Sauterelle

Probably the best/only restaurant in London to be named after an insect, this D&D spot in the Royal Exchange takes its name from the French word for the golden grasshopper (on the roof) – a symbol of wealth and prosperity since Roman times. And as you sit in the comfortably appointed mezzanine above the expensive shops and grand café below, it’s impossible to forget you’re surrounded by the rich and powerful. However, Sauterelle is far more than an expense-account client-impresser of a place – instead, there’s a calm and understated elegance about it.

Sauterelle is sophisticated dining at its best. Complementing the Grand Café and Bar, this fine dining room offers contemporary French cooking, expertly prepared, with flavours that are fresh and light. Executive head chef Jens Nisson has created a bold and sophisticated menu with an elegant twist on rustic European cooking.

The set menu offers excellent value at £20 for two courses, and offers many of the luxury ingredients of the more expensive menus (ham hock terrine with poached foie gras and pear and raisin chutney, for example, or aged beef with summer vegetables and red wine). Step up a level to the carte or ‘market menu’ to make the most of the modern yet circumspect cuisine.

The kitchen is rightly praised for its arty presentation, be it a plate of red mullet with fennel and orange salad, beetroot purée and coriander cress or hake with braised baby gem, purple sprouting broccoli and lightly charred onion. There are French cuts of 28-day dry-aged steak for carnivores and a vegetarian menu is available on request, while desserts have included a superb blood-orange crème brûlée.

At Sauterelle, the highest quality of restaurant experience is offered in an intimate and relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant design is effortlessly chic and the glazed arches offer spectacular views of both Bank and the historic courtyard below.

Service is polite and steady; the French-led wine list eschews trophy-bagging names and bonus-busting prices in favour of sound tasting notes and interesting choices for a more modest outlay.

With the grandness of its architecture, its lofty dimensions, the prestige of its retail outlets, its llustrious place at the heart of the City’s history and culture, and, above all, its exquisite fine dining collection, everything is done with considerable finesse, making Sauterelle the extreme personification of class and elegance in every definition.