Telephone: 020-7300 0300

Address: One Aldwych, London, WC2

It's a long way down to Axis, two sets of deep stairs, but thoughtfully they put a coat-check/hitching post half-way down for you to catch your breath. Mark Gregory, chef here since they opened in 1998, gently indulges his Aussie proclivity towards fusion with some Asian twists, but never at the expense of precise and dependable cooking. His crispy duck noodle salad is a favourite with regulars; hay-baked leg of lamb with champ a Gregory classic. The masculine, marble and black leather room, clubby but contemporary, rewrites basement rules. It's wide, expansive, thoroughly comfortable.

High point: Feels as fresh as when it first opened. Low point: I've never really warmed to the name Axis. Capacity: 120. Price per head: three-course £19.75; àlc £45. Wine list: Sauvignon blanc £16.50. Vegetarian: 7/10. Service: 8.5/10. Music: Buddha Bar and Café del Mar mix. Value for money: 8.5/10. Style: Mussolini goes Prada. Open: Mon-Fri noon-2.45pm; Mon-Sat 5.45pm-11.30pm