The ground-floor dining room of The Gay Hussar stretches before you like an old-style railway carriage - there are banquettes, there are waiters in dinner jackets, there is panelling and the walls are covered with political caricatures.

'Aha!' the knowledgeable restaurant-goer murmurs.

'How very retro - some chic designer has replicated an entire 1950s' restaurant dining room.' Not so.

Granted, it has been spruced up, and the room is clean and comfortable, but The Gay Hussar is the real thing, right down to the faded photo of a naked Christine Keeler.

Perhaps the politicos like the food, which is solid, dependable, comfortable and tasty.

It can also be good value, especially if you stick to the decent value set lunch.

In the evening dishes get a trifle more complicated, but the Hungarian specialities are still to the fore.

Starters include a fish terrine with beetroot sauce and cucumber salad, and h?si p?stétom - a fine goose and pork pâté.

But the most famous (a house speciality that has featured in various novels) is chilled wild cherry soup, which is like a thin, bitterish, sourish yogurt and is rather good.

Main courses are blockbusters.

Try the hortob?gyi palacsinta, a pancake filled with a finely chopped veal goulash and then sealed, deep-fried and served with creamed spinach.

Or there are fish dumplings, which are served with rice and a creamy dill sauce.

Or cig?ny gyors tal, a 'gypsy fry-up' of pork and peppers.

Puds are also fierce - poppy-seed strudel comes with vanilla ice cream; options like chestnut purée have real substance.