Restaurant Elis, Town Hall Hotel, 8 Patriot Square, London E2 9NF (020 7871 0460; restaurantelis.co.uk). Small plates £8-£13, large plates £16-£38, desserts £7-£10, wines from £30
It’s true that dinner didn’t get off to a great start. There were the three times I had to explain that no, I wasn’t eating by myself, I was just the first to arrive and could you please stop trying to clear away my companion’s cutlery. He was going to need it. There were the two offers of cocktails and the two offers to explain the menu, a briefing few people enjoy the first time, let alone the second. But let’s put all that down to communication issues that can be ironed out.
