York & Albany

Another restaurant/hotel in the Gordon Ramsay empire overseen by another TV celebrity chef, Angela Hartnett. It had been closed for many years so its re-opening is to be welcomed but shame about the beer. The large bar area serves as a reception area before dining but it is also open to non-diners to chose from an extensive wine and cocktails list. Modern in design with a hint to old fashioned plushness, the barren bar serves one lager and one keg beer. The management seems to think that real ale is available but it's not. At 4 pounds a pint (and with 12.5% service charge of 50 pence automatically added) it's steep and it's not the place to go for stunning beer, but if the boss is paying stick with the wine or cocktails. Note the dress code on the website, but not as strict as some places.