The Bountiful Cow, Eagle Street, Holborn, London

Housed in a bland modern building with a tacky neon sign, this gastropub doesn't look promising from the outside. Inside, aim for a seat in the ground floor bar, which is lined with American-style booths and posters from classic Westerns, rather than the dingy basement bar with hard wooden chairs. As you would expect, the menu is stuffed with beef, including four steak dishes (ranging from £14 to £17.50). If you are hungry, the succulent sirloin steak, topped with goat's cheese and served with chubby chips, is a good bet, as are the substantial club sandwiches and burgers, which cost about a tenner apiece. But the food isn't quite good enough to make up for the toppy prices, the lack of atmosphere and the sluggish service. 4/10