Think Britain, at this island in the traffic

In a world that sometimes seems full of French food it's a genuine pleasure to find a restaurant that attempts to fly the flag for the home team.

Although following the current convention of having its own separate entrance, the Island restaurant still has a faint echo of 'hotelness' filtering through from the giant Royal Lancaster that envelops it.

The dining room is on a mezzanine level, which lifts it above the traffic that swirls around a giant not-really-roundabout.

Behind the buses you can see Hyde Park, but this is a rather sterile dining room despite the best efforts of a modern design firm.

So you are unlikely to pitch up here for the atmosphere, but you may be tempted by the food.

Most dishes are built around strong flavours and interesting textures, and change with the seasons.

Starters may include simple dishes like cauliflower soup, with thyme foam; or grilled English goats' cheese, artichoke, Cheltenham beetroot and green tomato chutney; or Cornish crab, artichoke, mixed cress and shellfish mayonnaise; or maple-roasted quail, pearl barley and wild mushroom broth.

Mains continue in that vein: confit Clare island salmon, deep-fried sprats, borlotti beans, and preserved lemon, or wild rabbit, sweetcorn pancake, peas and girolles.

There are some simple but luxurious dishes from the grill - a T-bone of halibut with cèpe and horseradish butter, or calf's liver with treacle bacon.

Puds range from poached peaches, with vanilla rice pudding; to a vanilla panna cotta, with damson sherbet.

Service is friendly.

Island Restaurant & Bar
Lancaster Terrace, London, W2 2TY