The Listing is a stylish city bar and restaurant by Drake and Morgan. Even if you didn’t know that, you can probably guess it from the similarities in the menu to another Drake and Morgan restaurant we visited recently, The Allegory. You can read all about that one here.

On a Wednesday evening, the place was buzzy but not noisy. Wooden tables and floors, upholstered chairs made cosy with rugs and throws, exposed ceiling ducts, overflowing plant pots, all-glass frontage and scallop tiles create a slick modern and industrial look.

We decided to order items from the menu that we missed at The Allegory. Starting with the Salt Szechuan Pepper Squid with Lemon Mayonnaise (£6.75) which was absolutely divine –  light, crispy batter on the outside encasing soft, yielding squid with bite. For a Szechuan dish, I would have expected a bit more heat, although the lemon mayo was addictive.

We also tried the Prawn Lollipops with Sweet Chilli & Soy (£6.95). These would have been little clusters of joy but ended up overcooked for my taste. I would have preferred the batter to be more lightly dusted to draw out the delicate taste of the prawns.

We couldn’t give the Chorizo Scotch Eggs with Smoked Paprika Mayonnaise (£6.25) a miss, having loved it so much last time. Having compared the two, we definitely like The Allegory’s version more as once again this one was over fried.

Moving onto the mains, Kris had the Steak with Chips and Béarnaise sauce (£16.95). Whilst it was okay, we wouldn’t say its the best steak we had; the flat slab of meat was a bit sinewy in places and the chips were overdone. The tumble of watercress was passable.

I fared much better with my main of Fish Pie (£10.50) with a cheddar potato crust. It was served in a nice deep dish, soft and gooey in the middle, studded with lots of lovely chunks of meaty fish and seafood.

The Listing is definitely a smart, crowd pleasing venue for after-work shenanigans. Whilst the food is not bad, it is nothing show-stopping. Some of it was underwhelming, overcooked or left too long at the pass so arrived lukewarm. However, the prices are reasonable for a city venue and energetic, chatty staff ensure service runs smoothly. This is not so much a foodie destination but more of a social destination where food plays a second fiddle.

Location: Cannon Green, 27 Bush Ln, London, EC4R 0AA

More information can be found here.

N.B All photos and opinions are ours. We review anonymously and pay for our meals.