The Rising Sun

We’re in search of a pub near St. Paul’s Cathedral called The Rising Sun, wandering down a particularly soulless patch of road (neon-lit bars, a branch of Benihana, all empty). It takes us an age to find the place, and when we do it’s full of loud footie fans.

Upstairs is a cosy, rustic-looking dining room with a fireplace, which up until December was home to a Thai restaurant. The new chef at the helm, Jane Collins, has great credentials, having previously worked at The Waterside Inn in Bray, Chez Max with Marco Pierre White, and at Holland Park’s picturesque The Belvedere.

Dishes are scrawled on a large blackboard (minus prices, which is a slight irritation however this is temporary until printed menus are available), and the menu comprises Anglo-French cuisine of the hearty, comforting variety.

A plate of warm, cakey bread arrives, baked freshly on the premises. A starter of beef is home-cured, redolent of cumin, paired with a sweet balsamic dressing, caramelised mushrooms and aged Parmesan shavings. Seared Orkney scallops are presented in beautiful conches; they are meaty and taste of seawater, with a carrot puree that has just enough sweetness to enhance their mineral quality.

The cassoulet has slices of tender pink-in-the-middle duck, crispy duck leg, chipolata-size sausages, plump haricot beans and lardons; it’s a warming dish full of good meaty flavours. The steak and kidney pudding is also superb, with chunks of meat and offal bursting out of a vertical tower of golden pastry.

Dessert is similarly top notch, a chocolate pudding oozes rich chocolate sauce, balanced by a dollop of crème fraiche and a slab of hard, fashionably salted caramel.

The Rising Sun is already giving London gastropubs a run for their money - on our visit only two other tables were occupied, a mere week later a friend went along to find a packed dining room. A three course meal for two with wine is around £90.