Wanted: destination bar and restaurant to be all things to all people.  Must be funky and fresh, aspirational but affordable and cater impeccably for a diverse and fun-starved City clientele.

First impressions of The Anthologist are that this is a brief it is well-placed to fulfill.  With very little presence on the outside (not even much signage) it opens into a vast airy space, crammed full of complementary contemporary styles.  Exposed ceiling fixtures give it a light industrial feel in tune with its sister bars, The Refinery (Southwark) and The Parlour Bar (Canary Wharf).

At first the styling is rather overwhelming, but somehow it works.  Vying for attention are a long wooden bar, neo-chintz armchairs, circular low-backed booths, distinct sections (just crying out for team drinks or leaving parties) and long orange gloss tables with high stools for a more shared and frantic dining experience.  In front of the kitchen (not open, but with enough of a peek to create some excitement) is the more focused restaurant dining area.  It retains an informal quirky air with fresh basil plants on the tables, wrapped in pages from the FT.

We were seated on a raised section at the side of the restaurant, at one of a limited number of smaller tables, for more exclusive dining à deux. From here we were in prime position to take in this busy buzzy venue in its entirety, but retained enough privacy for a good girlie catch up.

The wine list is wonderfully well thought out, with a range far more interesting than some rival City bars and the majority of wines available by the glass.  Also on offer are six wine flights, each giving you the chance to taste three different wines of a particular grape or genre (and pick a firm favourite for next time).  There is also a varied selection of cocktails, including plenty of skinnies for calorie-controlled fun.

The menu is largely modern British, with a good range of sharers, gourmet sandwiches and salads and some interesting specials to prove the chef knows what he or she is doing.  Our waitress was keen to recommend the starter of prawn and lemongrass lollipops, a dish which was well-constructed and delivered on all levels – flavour, balance, texture and presentation.  Promising. Our other starter was mozzarella bruschetta, with rye bread instead of ciabatta (wheat-intolerance managed without incident).  It was just the right size, albeit with pesto that day-glowed through the cosy lighting.

The range of main courses follows the same broad theme, with the inevitable City-boy staples of house beefburger and fish finger sandwiches of course making an appearance.  We had a beetroot and goat’s cheese salad and beer-battered fish and chips (fish unspecified).  Both arrived on the ubiquitous individual wooden boards, with the chips in a shop-style paper envelope and a huge pile of salad leaves masking the chunky portions of goat’s cheese and beetroot below. Sadly, the thoughtful presentation and good sizing (plus perfectly toasted pine nuts) were let down by an excess of balsamic vinegar on the salad and disappointingly bland fish.

The short list of desserts provided some temptation, but we opted instead for the super-fresh mint tea, served in tall glasses with mojito-worthy quantities of mint and a cute mini-brownie on the side.

The Anthologist’s website proclaims it to be much more than just a bar and restaurant, so is it?  To one side there is a small deli area, though its wares seem limited to products like pickles and preserves.  The idea of a place one can go to for social drinks, a business lunch, or to pick up snacks or supper is a hugely attractive one, but this isn’t Borough and this isn’t what you get here.  At least not yet.

Perhaps I have been spoilt by recent exposure to Michelin stars, or by living the urban gastro dream of too many Saturday mornings tasting olives, buying artisan bread and visiting trendy butchers, but I can’t help being left with the impression that The Anthologist could be so much more.  Despite the foodie aspirations displayed by the range of dishes and ingredients there isn’t a great deal of focus on their origin or quality.

Would you want to be seen there?  Yes. Is it a fabulous addition to an often dull and overpriced City drinking and dining scene?  Yes. Would I go there again?  Yes. The Anthologist should be a yes, yes, yes kind of place.  Unfortunately it stops slightly short of really delivering, appearing to care more about pretention than provenance.  It would not take much for it to be satisfaction guaranteed.

By Susan Perry

[mappress]

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