I must admit, I approached our dining at 100 Wardour Street with low expectations. We were booked into the Bar & Lounge area and I was expecting some glorified bar snacks. I had already forewarned my husband that we may need to rustle up some dinner at home afterwards.

100 Wardour Street is located at what used to be the legendary Floridita. Coincidentally, it was one of the places my husband and I used to frequent in the early days of our dating. Going back to the same venue after so many years definitely brought back some pleasant memories. Nowadays, they serve a different kind of salsa here!

The stylish bar and lounge on the ground floor gives way to a more intimate and relaxed space for dinner and conversations at the back. The gleaming place is undoubtedly popular with the fashionable and the well-heeled. The flamboyant, sexed-up interiors provide a perfect venue for after-work drinks, weekend socialising or a special date.

From the Teasers section (snacks and nibbles section), we ordered the Fried Courgette and Parmesan, Paprika (£5). The Courgette fries were thin and coated in crispy batter. I would say, they were more of a side than a starter or perhaps better to share with drinks. Nevertheless, they were well-cooked and seasoned without being too greasy, humming with that smoky paprika.

I had the Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Sriracha Dip (£9).  The chicken was absolutely gorgeous and, dare I say, one of the best I have had in a while. Soft, succulent chicken breasts coated in crumbs, and served with a fiery Sriracha dip. The slivers of chillies and spring onions gave the dish its delicate heat and fragrance.

From the larger plates, both of us ordered the steak. Kris had the 8 Oz Sirloin, Chipotle Marinated, and Charred Romano Pepper (£27). The flame-blistered peppers oozed a delicious sweetness that went well with the meat.

I had the Flat Iron, 28 Days Aged 10 oz Steak, Aubergine and Chimichurri (£23). The aubergine added a silky and smoky texture to the melt-in-the-mouth meat – simply divine! Topping it all was a lovely, herby, green, beautifully oily chimichurri. Both steaks were superbly cooked, flavoursome, tender and elegantly presented.

Our meal at 100 Wardour Street truly defied our expectations. We expected a glitzy place where food would be more style than substance. Instead, we were rewarded with some exceptional quality cooking, sophisticated presentation and service to match. Our dinner turned out to be far from our preconceived notions about the food. This is a bar and lounge with a foodie soul!

More information can be found here.

N.B.  All photos and opinions are mine. I review anonymously and pay for my meals. The total cost of this meal was discounted as it was part of a restaurant promotion.