SUNDAY LUNCH WITH A DIFFERENCE

Well, who would have thought that Harvey Nic would be so good for Sunday lunch? Seeing a world of informally dressed people rather than the D&G clad ladies one sees during the week, was a pleasant surprise. And yes, you could actually get a drink at the bar rather than elbowing your way through. Champagne was flowing everywhere (really - where is this recession?) . Anyway, the lunch was very good. Carpaccio of Angus beef was tender and succulent with a horseradish foam a la Blumethal (so good, wish there was more foam) and the halibut was great too, so was the sea bream. Two course lunch including a bloody mary or a bellini for £19.50 which seems good value, but beware - there is a hefty 12.5 percent service charge on top, a small cup of coffee is £3 and the wine list is among the most expensive in London. Harvey Nic are really missing a trick - they should allow customers to choose from their copious 'bin ends' in the wine department next door, and serve that wine at retail price. But if you want a recommendation from their current list, the Picpoul de Pinet, a little known white wine from the Languedoc, light and delicate but very elegant, was fairly good value at £21.50. Still, thebill came to over £90 with no dessert and no bottled water. Hello??!!!