Criterion, Piccadilly Circus

I visited Criterion http://www.criterionrestaurant.com/home.html on a surprisingly sunny day, further improved by the fact that it was my birthday and I was being taken there by a very nice agency that works for me. I have to admit that, despite an interest in eating out and some effort to know what's what, I knew little about the place. It was a fairly quiet Wednesday lunchtime, but there were still a number of tables occupied. We were seated quite close to the back of the dining room, which is quite impressive to look at and instills a feeling of calm, as well as the sense of excitement that a birthday should bring...even when you're the wrong side of thirty. The surroundings were incredible, with high ceilings covered in ornate mosaics, which added to the feeling of opulence.

Our waiter was attentive without being overbearing and didn't rush us to make our selections, which was lucky as it was a process that took some time. Before our starters, we were given little canapes with tomato and some lovely fresh bread. The starters arrived pretty quickly and my fois gras parfait was very good - rich and smooth - and served with toasted brioche and a port reduction, which worked well but my preference would have been for some kind of compote or chutney to provide some contrast and acidity. My two dining companions chose the king scallops with broad beans and spoke very positively about them.

Once we'd finished with our starters, leaving only very clean plates, our table was promptly cleared and our main courses followed quite quickly. I chose the dukkha spiced ostrich tender loin with sweet potato and beef bobotje, which was incredible and quite possibly one of the best things I've eaten in ages. Served medium rare, the ostrich was juicy and incredibly flavoursome, perfectly complemented by just the right amount of spices to add a really interesting tang but not heat. The pureed sweet potato was a wonderful contrast in terms of texture and worked really well with the tender meat, while the bobotje was amazingly aromatic and added another dimension of flavour and a third texture. One of my companions opted for wild salmon and lobster ravioli with bisque and really enjoyed it and seemed pleased to have selected this rather than steak. The third person at the table chose baked fish with confit potatoes and was equally appreciative. Needless to say, none of us left anything on our plates and all felt incredibly satisfied. Our food was washed down by two bottles of a wonderful Pouilly Fume, which was beautifully light and perhaps a little too drinkable as we finished the first bottle before we got to the end of our starters.

After polishing off every last morsel on our plates, we had simply no room left for dessert. However, my companions had ordered a little surprise - a lovely, light chocolate mousse cake, complete with a perfect quenelle of vanilla ice cream and a candle - a great and very pretty end to a wonderful meal.

Throughout the meal, the staff were polite and attentive, but not overly so and on finishing our meals we were by no means rushed to drain the last drops of fresh mint tea from our cups, and left to chat, even though lunchtime was officially over. Criterion succeeded in serving up amazing food in very impressive surroundings but without any of the pompousness that you might expect. The staff know their menu and are happy to provide recommendations and advice and the little extra touches - even the goldfish in bowls in the bathrooms - make the experience of eating there feel like a real treat.

I like to think that I'm as happy in a country pub as I am in a fancy London restaurant but this was a really wonderful experience and a truly memorable meal - and a great birthday experience.