When I visited: 2014

Location: London, near Oxford Street

Team: Albert Roux and Michel Roux Jr (founders), Oliver Boon (Head Chef), Franco Becci (Restaurant Manager), Zack Saghir (Head Sommelier)

Rating in the Michelin Guide: Recommended

Dining Owl Hoot rating: 3/5

What to wear: Men – shirt and jacket and nice trousers and shoes; women – a smart dress and/or smart trousers and a top

Ambience: Posh, fun

Course of the meal: Rare salmon fillet with tomato salad and flowers and potato

If I could change one thing: More innovative main courses

Review:

The Roux offers a great way to experience a posh London hotel and have a good-value lunch and is a good choice for groups of friends, family get-togethers or dates. When I visited, I had the lunch menu and started with a glass of the Roux house champagne, which came with a cod mousse canapé served on a cracker. For the meal itself, we selected a white Chablis (2012).

We started with pork collar with peach and fennel salad, followed by garlic and almond soup. The main was a rare salmon fillet with tomato salad and flowers and potato. I do like edible flowers (I have also encountered them in places such as Dinner).

We then got a cheese course, followed by a dessert of strawberries with lemon granita and rice pudding ice cream, which was lovely and refreshing. With our green tea to finish we got three petits fours; a mini chocolate brownie, fruit jelly with another flower, and a malt cake.

I would recommend Roux as a solid choice for lunch, especially if you are shopping on Oxford Street as it is fairly nearby.