Langtry's, Cadogan Hotel

Langtry's restaurant has recently introduced a "Limitless Laroche Wine Dinner"—which, as it says on the label, offers punters as much Laroche wine as they can drink. Sarah Hanson went along to test her limits

If you tend to outsource all wine decisions to sommeliers, then Langtry's Limitless Laroche Wine Dinner provides excellent value. That said, even the biggest wine snob wouldn't sniff at the Laroche Chardonnay/Terret or Merlot/Grenache—both of which are free flowing from the moment you enter the restaurant. As my guest and I had chosen fish, we stuck to the white, which was deliciously crisp and fruity—and yes, our wine glasses were continuously topped up—but not dangerously so.

We started with pre-drinks in the warm and cosy hotel bar, so it was a disappointment to walk into the restaurant, which was quite cold in contrast—both in temperature and atmosphere. The lights were too bright and the whole place had a corporate feel. We hoped that some traditional British cuisine might warm us up a bit.

Head chef Robert Lyons sent out a palette cleanser of tomato and Worcestershire sauce sorbet, accompanied by a Welsh rarebit soldier. While I'm not keen on tomato juice it was certainly a bit different and the mini Welsh rarebit got my taste buds fired up for the meal ahead. As a starter, my guest chose the restaurant's signature dish—Langtry's prawn cocktail. A twist on the traditional, it comes with tempura battered Morecambe Bay shrimps with avocado mousse and marie rose ice cream. The ice cream was judged excellent although hard to find beneath the mound of deep fried shrimps, which were "formidable". I went for the cured cranberry and vodka smoked salmon with horseradish potato cake—the whole thing was melt-in-the-mouth from start to finish.

For the mains, my guest chose red mullet with colcannon and saffron mussel sauce, which was beautifully presented and tasted just as good. I had the fish pie, which at first sight didn't appear to be a very generous portion, but because it was deliciously rich with meaty fish and succulent langoustines, it actually turned out to be just the right amount.

In the season for overindulgence we also treated ourselves to dessert. We shared the sticky toffee and date pudding with caramel sauce-a disappointingly dry pudding, due largely to the paucity of sauce, which was limited to a decorative drizzle. The Langtry's traditional Christmas pudding was spot on.

All in all, the food and service were of a high standard, but if it's atmosphere you're after this restaurant wouldn't be top of the list. That said, the unlimited wine offer is a useful gimmick and at a fixed price of £29.50 for two courses or £35 for three, there are more than enough reasons to bring your own atmosphere.

www.langtrysrestaurant.com