Montagu, The

The Montagu offers tranquil views over one of London's most picturesque gardens, yet provides a vibrant setting to relax and indulge in a wide range of British, seasonal 'comfort' dishes, all of which are prepared in a striking open kitchen.

Located in Portman Square the restaurant prides itself on being a neighbourhood restaurant, which serves up a wide selection of wonderful, fresh dishes, with a mission to provide relaxed eating for all those whose lives bring them into contact with the hotel and its neighbourhood.

The Montagu opens at 6.30 am, so a genuine breakfast, as opposed to brunch, is most certainly an option. With last orders taken at 10.45 pm the scope is reflected in a menu that happily wends its way through a medley of European and British familiar dishes. The relaxed and friendly atmosphere is given a tremendous boost by the open plan kitchen that reaches out into the restaurant, inviting confidence and bonhomie.

Around fifteen starters include such well-loved dishes as creamy chicken soup with roast sweet corn. Oysters from Loch Fyne are there to work their alleged magic, and together with oak smoked Scottish salmon and traditional prawn cocktail, all help to reinforce a menu that has more than a hint of the sea about it.

At lunchtime the snack trade is at its height, with busy office workers and tourists arriving for something sustaining until the evening comes, and what a joy it is to see a club sandwich with chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato, egg and mayonnaise, or the even more traditional salt beef sandwich in a honey and mustard bloomer with pickled gherkin, perhaps to chase away any lingering effects of over indulgence the night before.

For those with time to linger at lunch or having dinner, the choice is of course much wider and focuses on ingredients that are in season. Try the pan-fried sea trout with crushed potato and bacon lardons, beurre rouge or the corn-fed poussin with baby vegetables fricassée and tarragon sauce or even the deep-fried cod and chips with tartar sauce.

If you thought that Loch Fyne means only seafood you'd be right, but Glen Fyne offers a stunning dry-aged rib of beef on the bone with roast potatoes, or a sirloin steak with herb butter and chips. The rack of lamb with mint gnocchi and pea purée, redcurrant sauce is an excellent alternative.

Puddings are a veritable trap for the indulgent with the treacle tart with lemon curd ice cream, white chocolate and praline parfait with chocolate and roast hazelnut sauce or the scrumptious sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream. In traditional British fashion, full English Afternoon Tea is available each afternoon between 3pm and 6pm and offers a wonderful array of delicious treats.

The Montagu is in some ways a gentleman's club shorn of its pomposity and sepulchral silence, and replaced with jollity and laughter, a real fun place to be not least because of the quality of the food and surroundings, and providing a real lift to the area.

However, the best way to find out all about The Montagu and the Hyatt Regency Hotel - The Churchill, one of the most elegant in London, is to visit their Website.