I’m wondering why I’ve never visited Joe Allen before, especially as I spend a large proportion of my time gallivanting around Covent Garden. This legendary restaurant is tucked away down Exeter street, with an intriguing entrance luring you in.

Inside, the restaurant spans a huge floor space, a charming, warm and informal place to dine – despite the size the venue manages to maintain a cosy and intimate atmosphere and reminded me of a Parisian brasserie. The service was friendly, we took our time enjoying the evening and savouring the food, and I was impressed by our waiter who didn’t hurry us at all even though the restaurant was full, and tables were sparse for incoming guests.

We began with cocktails, fresh bread and marinated olives. My Caipirinha cocktail was incredibly strong, and though mixed well needed a little more sugar for my taste, but my guest’s fruity champagne cocktail was sweet and much more drinkable. We ordered our starters, a thick and comforting Black Bean soup for my friend and I tried the Buffalo mozzarella with caponata and black olive vinaigrette. My starter used the freshest of ingredients, light fluffy cheese and the most delicious homemade caponata, with a garnish of crunchy rocket.

I’ve heard that the secret burgers (they’re not on the menu) are particularly good at Joe Allen’s so I chose one, a decision I did not regret. The burger was compact and extra meaty, well seasoned and presented simply with strips of sweet bacon and melted cheese. It lived up to all the recommendations. The chips were a little disappointing, soggy and left limp on the plate, I would have preferred crispy fries. My guest chose the seared Yellow Fin Tuna with Asian greens, crushed wasabi peanuts and goma dressing, a wildly inventive dish that worked together surprisingly well. It was a generous portion, the fish perfectly cooked with a crispy edge and the peanut dressing absolutely delicious – creamy, spicy and sweet and the perfect accompaniment for the fish.

The wine list is long and varied… unable to choose we asked a waitress who recommended the Viognier – Yalumba from Australia, a light fruity white wine with a wonderful flavour. Joe Allen’s is a lovely place to hang out and chat, and before desserts we took a prolonged break to catch up and let our mains digest. When we were ready our waiter brought us fresh mint tea with two puddings to share, the pear sorbet and a slice of rhubarb and almond tart with mascarpone. The sorbet was divine, so juicy and refreshing and yet full of flavour. The tart went down well too, a sugary cake with rich mascarpone, this recipe reminded me how much I love the unique taste of rhubarb.

Joe Allen is just as cool as its reputation promised – hang out with the trendy theatrical crowd, while munching on a great burger and sipping a glass of wine… a great place to reminisce and relax.

Visit the website here.