Searcy's, One New Change ★★★★★

In a nutshell: Restaurateurs and wine sellers Searcy's opens a champagne bar in the heart of the City, and the results are in: delicious food, but an atmosphere that's a tad too corporate.

The welcome: The City's One New Change isn't the most inspirational of venues: a huge, austere, steel and glass complex built for the surrounding financial community, it has the feel of a very high-end shopping centre. Whiz up an escalator and you're in the windowless room of Searcy's Champagne Bar – meticulously polished flutes hang in an oval curtain around a brass and chrome central bar, with intimate tables dotted around the corners of a small but spacious room.

The room: Relatively empty in the after-work hours, you're most likely find Searcy's buzzing at lunchtime when the city fat cats gather for boozy client lunches, or later into the evening.

The food: Whilst the atmosphere leaves something to be desired, the food is rather delicious. Crisp champagne – Searcy's have their own branded bottle that's light and very drinkable (no surprise there) goes rather well with nibbles of something and something. But their signature dish – don't be put off – is meatballs. The 'create your own' menu is simple enough: choose a dish made from either gnocci or pork and beef meatballs, and then a sauce. You can also add ingredients from a list (and here's where the price starts hiking up.)

Would we go again? Probably not, unless we were after somewhere to rest our weary legs after shopping.