Plenty of room at the grill

Anti-hero Harry Palmer's interest in cooking, as described in The Ipcress File, the first of Deighton's riveting spy thrillers, reflects one of the author's passions. The title of Deighton's first cookery book - Ou Est le Garlic? - is still one of the best.

"What shall I order here?" said Len. "I don't so much need to be told where to go as what to eat when I get there."

Since The Mirabelle had been his choice of venue, I was flummoxed, but he had a sound point. It is witless to say that everything should and will be equally good in a restaurant with a classically comprehensive menu. There will always be certain items in which most pride is taken.

At Brown's Hotel last week my companion Simon Hopkinson - his book The Prawn Cocktail Years, republished yesterday (Penguin/Michael Joseph £25), is another splendid title - didn't need advice. He had decided to start with smoked salmon sliced from a side of fish at the table and served with lemon halves wrapped in muslin, followed by roast saddle of English lamb carved on the silver trolley - a dish offered every weekday lunchtime.

The expertise of the front-of-house staff, led by the inimitable, beaming Angelo Maresca, is a considerable part of the pleasure of eating at The Grill - as is the space between tables - and palpably a lure to the sort of clientele who used to enjoy The Savoy Grill, where Maresca worked for 21 years before the Ramsay/Blackstone takeover.

Simon declined the offer of marinated salmon (as in gravadlax) along with smoked but, spying a rosette of smoked fish arranged in the centre of the serving, reminisced wistfully about a plate covered right to the edges with practically transparent slices served to him about 20 years ago at The Mirabelle. At Brown's the salmon was excellent.

Thin, rectangular slices of rosy pink lamb, carved with surgical skill, were absolutely comme il faut. I chose Wednesday's Plat du Jour, roast rib of Scottish beef with Yorkshire pudding.

The meat was noble, the cabbage crisp, the Yorkshire pudding rather less so. "We used to cook them to order at Bibendum," said Simon. My first course of endive salad with orange segments and Roquefort was a silly choice. Len would have known that potted shrimps was the more sensible starter for this agreeably retro meal.

Price above estimates the cost of a meal with wine for one.

Albermarle
Albemarle Street, London, W1S 4BP