Food
Taking Orders: Searcys, Westminster
Where is it? On the ground floor of No. 11 George Street – also known as Surveyors House, an iconic Victorian Westminster building and home to The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
What’s all the fuss about?
No fuss. Just quality, classical cooking. A smart room. Warm and friendly service. What more could you want after a busy day in parliament or after trawling the London streets camera in hand?

What’s the place like?
Deep blue walls, classical London architectural drawings, bright chandeliers and well-spaced tables give a ‘we know what we’re doing’ feel to the room.

What did you eat and drink?
The menu is short, and stuffed with classics. My friend and I chose a smoked salmon mousse that came with cucumber ribbons and a roasted pumpkin and beetroot salad for starters. My generous chicken supreme main course came with lashings of gravy, a heap of neatly trimmed green beans and colcannon mash whilst the fillet of cod rested in a pool of shellfish sauce, and came with Morecombe Bay shrimp and pickled cucmber.
The desserts were more unusual, a Sussex Slipcote cheesecake with muscovado rubble and a smidgeon of blueberry compote looked just like a wedge of cheese whilst the slice of salted caramel tart, came with some poached rhubarb and Braeburn apple.

Your verdict?
A handy location if you’re attending a work event nearby or have spent time visiting some of the local Westminster must-dos.