A cavernous bar-cum-restaurant-cum-nightclub in the basement of a side-street near Covent Garden, The Langley is a warren of large, dark rooms and alcoves. On a week day, even in December, there is too much space and the punters rattle around, failing to create much of an atmosphere. The dining area has a series of booths big enough to sit about six, plus some standalone tables. For about twenty quid, you can order a three-course meal in advance. Among the starters, the goats cheese salad, served with shavings of tasty chorizo, is a good choice. Less impressive is the steak main course - the large portions of solid meat can be tough and the accompanying chips mediocre. For desert, you can choose a reasonable raspberry cheese cake. The a la carte menu, which is a little more adventurous, has about ten main courses, such as seambass and chive mash, costing between £10 and £20. Like the food, the drinks can be pricey - a 330ml bottle of Staropramen is £3.90. At times, The Langley feels too much like a business and not enough like a party. 5/10
Wednesday, 10 December 2008
The Langley, Langley Street, central London
A cavernous bar-cum-restaurant-cum-nightclub in the basement of a side-street near Covent Garden, The Langley is a warren of large, dark rooms and alcoves. On a week day, even in December, there is too much space and the punters rattle around, failing to create much of an atmosphere. The dining area has a series of booths big enough to sit about six, plus some standalone tables. For about twenty quid, you can order a three-course meal in advance. Among the starters, the goats cheese salad, served with shavings of tasty chorizo, is a good choice. Less impressive is the steak main course - the large portions of solid meat can be tough and the accompanying chips mediocre. For desert, you can choose a reasonable raspberry cheese cake. The a la carte menu, which is a little more adventurous, has about ten main courses, such as seambass and chive mash, costing between £10 and £20. Like the food, the drinks can be pricey - a 330ml bottle of Staropramen is £3.90. At times, The Langley feels too much like a business and not enough like a party. 5/10
