Vic Naylor's in Clerkenwell is one of a collection of reasonably up-market restaurants along St John Street. On entering the bar/restaurant one is struck by the effort that has been put into the interior, yet somehow it appears very natural. It's also slightly more distinctive than the formulaic modern interiors that seem to be the default nowadays.

We arrived half hour early and sat for a drink at the bar. There's a relaxed feel to the place and a slow trickle of people coming in through the door filling up the restaurant. Once our drinks were finished it took nothing more than hopping off our stools and a glance at the waitress for her to show us straight to our table. This was certainly impressive attention to customers, especially given that there only seemed to be two waiting staff for the 30 or 40 seats in the restaurant.

Service throughout was also excellent. We weren't hurried at any point, if we asked for a couple of minutes to decide on something then we would be left alone and, importantly, someone would come back to see to us a few minutes later. There were no large gaps between courses (unless we felt we needed the rest) and despite time being shared between the two staff they obviously kept in touch with who had ordered what dish so there was no need to ask as they brought food to the table.

The food was very good too. Throughout the three courses on the menu there is a variation from the more conservative to more adventurous modern european food, including (on the night we visited) steak, duck breast and risotto, and prawn and crab ravioli. Each course was well presented and richly flavoured yet somehow had a lightness of touch as the different tastes balanced each other.

The only possible downside was I felt that the winelist was slightly on the expensive side (ranging from around £12 upwards), although that seems to be par for the course nowadays. The wine itself (a Rioja Blanco) was good, however, so there has obviously been some thought put into the selection. Price-wise we came in at just over £40 a head, including a decent tip, which for three courses, wine, water and coffee seemed fair. In fact, given the prices of some London restaurants it's very good value for money.

Clerkenwell has certainly changed over the past few years. When I first worked there back in 1998 you certainly wouldn't think of going there on a Saturday evening on the off-chance of a good restaurant being open. Clerkenwell has been transformed into a trendy night-spot (albeit a slightly exclusive one) and, along with most of the other good restaurants in the area, booking is advised for Vic Naylor's.

Address: 38-40 St John Street, London, EC1M 4AY
Nearest tube: Farringdon

Other reviews:
Vic Naylor's on London Eating
Vic Naylor's on London Eats