Romano’s, Simpsons-in-the-Strand, London

There's been just a bit too much synchronicity for my liking. The other week, The Restaurant website featured an article on the founder of the Japanese Knife Company the self same day that my article appeared. But that wasn't the first.

On the last day of our recent sojourn in London, we were strolling up the Strand when the idea of lunch occurred. The newly restored Simpsons has been attracting every type of restaurant writer, so we popped in on the off chance. The large, traditional dining room, the one with the silver carving trolleys, is known as the Grand Divan. Sorry, it's full said the receptionist, but we could do you a table upstairs in Romano's.

And afterwards, back at the hotel to retrieve our luggage, I picked up a copy of the FT Weekend. Obviously I checked to see where Jay Rayner had reviewed. Romano's. He too had been unable to get a table downstairs. Aargh! If there is a third example any time soon, I'll have to consult my exorcist.

Here's the first question. Jeremy King, (ex The Ivy, The Wolseley, etc - but you knew that) has done a wonderful restoration job. It's all steeped in tradition. So where did the Romano's name come from? Apparently the site was once home to a tavern of that name. The Strand not being the thoroughfare we know now, the place was apparently home to Bohemians, men and women of the greasepaint, authors, journalists, artists of all kinds, soldiers, sailors (but not of "other ranks"), men of the law, of finance, of the racecourse and the prize-rings-and crooks as well. Many of them now frequent the bars in the House of Commons.

The dining room is a place of beauty. It's high ceilinged, light and airy. You are surrounded by portraits of famous and not so famous playwrights and theatre figures. The little touches are delightful. The logo is based on the knight chess piece. It features on the napkins and even on the specially designed glassware. The bases bear the initials JK and RB, JK being Jeremy King and RB being Richard Brendon who designed them.

The menu arrives. In a place like this you would expect, would you not, that your heart would sink as you peruse the prices? Think again. Go for the prix fixe menu and you can have three courses for £24.75! I don't generally use exclamation marks, but one is justified here. For starter I had a Scotch egg with Coronation Mayonnaise. It was large, it was perfect and it cost £6.75.

L had two starters. A salad with endive, Devon blue cheese and pear was well received, the pear having been poached, A Half Pint of Prawns delivered what it said. You can get a lot of crustaceans in a silver tankard. A lot of peeling was required. For mains there is a daily special pie or pudding, Saturday's being beef shin, snail and garlic. Meaty options include sausages, faggots and shepherd's pie. Unless you come for the Sunday roast beef, no main dish costs over £30. My Pan-roasted Fillet of Lemon Sole turned out to be three fillets, perfectly cooked in brown butter with capers and lemon. They take the trouble to segment the lemon.

For dessert, the selection stays traditional. For a small sweet bite you could have three Simpson's Truffles for just £4.50. Other selections include Chocolate Éclair and Raspberry Bakewell, not forgetting Sherry Trifle and the good old Sticky Toffee.

Groucho Marx is credited with the famous quotation, Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution? Simpsons, too, is an institution. Live here, no, but you could happily spend a great deal of time.