The Strand Dining Rooms

British Restaurant in Charing Cross
The Strand Dining Rooms image
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8 / 10 from 1 review
Address
Grand Buildings
1-3 Strand
Charing Cross
London
WC2N 5HR
Map
Telephone
020 7930 8855
Cuisine
British
Region
Charing Cross
Nearest Station
Charing Cross
0.09 miles

The Strand Dining Rooms opened as part of the redevelopment of 1-3 Grand Buildings on Trafalgar Square; this is an area that is not a natural home for foodies, and arguably a bit of a tourist trap, but The Strand Dining Rooms presents high-end, all-day food in an elegant and un-brashy kind of way. Finally locals and tourists alike have a quality dining venue in London's heart. The 180 cover, all-day dining restaurant serves a blend of traditional and contemporary European food, in very traditionally British surroundings.

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The Strand Dining Rooms Picture

All In London Review

The Strand Dining Rooms is a great addition to Trafalgar Square

Review Image
“I would never have thought of eating out round here” says the friend, alluding to the fact that the Strand Dining Rooms is right on Trafalgar Square. But this is no tourist claptrap. The entrance is slightly hidden from view because of the vaulted arcade it sits under, within the suitably imposing Grand Buildings, and the interior has been elegantly designed by Russell Sage Studios with a nod to art deco, inspired by the interior of a luxurious Pullman coach.

The restaurant is open all day, serving a modern British menu. Brawn terrine comes with a croquette made with chunks of meat from the same part of the animal. Given that is the head of a pig it may not be for everyone, but it’s sumptuous and rich, and comes with a small pot of homemade piccalilli. The seafood Scotch egg marries the best of two worlds, soft yolk and crispy breadcrumbs of a conventional egg with seasoned minced seafood and a creamy crab bisque.

The mains are equally polished. There’s a dish of lamb done two ways – a lamb cutlet (billed as rack of lamb) cooked till supremely tender, and a compressed slab of slow cooked shoulder of lamb. Rather than plonk a simple salad or some veg on the side there are roasted cherry vine tomatoes, artichoke hearts and shelled broad beans with mixed leaves. The Strand seafood crumble is a refined fish pie, with large, fleshy prawns and no scrimping on cream.

The dessert menu sticks to British classics like treacle tart and rhubarb and custard, and an Eton mess that replaces strawberries with berries. There’s a very thoughtful wine list with several good wines available by the glass, and they’ve put effort into the cocktail list too: we try the TSDR Perfect Negroni, a sharp aperitif if ever there was one, and their version of a Tom Collins, topped up with Prosecco.

It’s mid-priced – the seafood crumble is £16, lamb is £24, and it’s a great addition to the area, especially now that the Albannach, in a similarly impressive building just over the square, has closed down.

Reviewed by Leila
Published on Aug 14, 2014


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