Twotwentytwo - aka 222 - is the entirely redesigned, new bar and restaurant at the Landmark Hotel. Located downstairs on the side where Cellars used to be (which we actually liked quite a lot but can see how the makeover has done the dining space and the menu a world of good). The restaurant still retains its English charm with oak wood paneling. However, the stodge factor has been neutralized and patrons more suited to dining in a modern European setting will feel right at home (ie, it doesn't feel like it’s just for old dudes and tourists anymore; we can recommend it for dating and socializing).
Okay. So it looks nice inside. How’s the grub? Well, we were more than satisfied by 222’s classic Caesar salad with grilled tiger prawns (£8 as a starter, £14.50 as a main) and most pleased with our fillet steak with chips and Béarnaise sauce (£26). A taste of our dining companion’s beef carpaccio with rocket, black truffle oil and freshly shaved parmesan (£8) delighted us too (we’re definitely ordering that next time!). And the plates of pasta we saw leaving the kitchen were massive (most pasta and risotto dishes are around £13) and looked tasty.
If the prices we’re quoting are a bit out of your range, keep in mind that 222 offers an affordable Meal Deal of the Week. When we visited the deal was grilled baby chicken and lemon butter with a glass of wine from the Apaltagua Gran Verano winery in Chile for £10. Not bad! Indeed, we sampled (and adored) the Apaltagua Gran Verano Carmenere 2007 (£8/glass, £24/bottle). It stood up well on its own and accompanied our steak like a dear old friend.
Twotwentytwo is located at (yep, you guessed it) 222 Marylebone Road in the basement of the five-star Landmark hotel. When you visit, make sure to pop upstairs for a quick look at the hotel’s gorgeous Winter Garden).
Photograph courtesy of 222
