"You Choose": Aria

Venue: Aria at Hyatt Regency, 2 Bridge Street, B1 2JZ; website
Choice: Pork belly (£19.50) Chooser: Manager

We never tried the old menu at Aria, and don't know anyone that did, so it was with no expectations at all that we took up a pew and got all the way into the kitchen's new offering. Also in tasting mode, Chef Justin opted for beetroot cured salmon (£10) to start, so we did too. And a beautiful, balanced plate of food arranged with flowers and garden herbs got things off to a strong start. A less attractive but even tastier dish was the meaty, rich lobster bisque (£14) with salted croute and gruyère cheese — a steaming bear hug of a bowl which required extra bread for moppage, and the only dish that's been carried over from the previous carte. The pork belly — from Dingley Dell, the people that supply Hakkasan and the Gordan Ramsay Group — did everything right. Crunchy and fatty and falling apart where it should be, tart dried apple cut through the richness of the meat and dauphs, with roasted cauliflower puree and asparagus to back it up, squarely beating the steak we also ordered. This is a classical menu with pretty twists, which will keep improving as the team get more and more comfortable with the new combos. Bubbly, lovely, attentive service was the icing on this surprisingly giving cake. Menu