THE FACTS ABOUT THE PEOPLE'S PALACE

England London

This restaurant at the Royal Festival Hall, with its wide aspect over the river, compensates somewhat for the Mezzanine restaurant at the National Theatre, which occupies a space never originally intended for a restaurant and is consequently short on views. Launched in 1995 with something of a fanfare and a lot of slightly idiotic posturing, The People's Palace needed some time before both kitchen and waiting staff settled down enough to provide a service that can be construed quite as much as a treat as an amenity. Modern British is the order of the day; Sunday lunch is a popular event, and not everyone has cottoned on to the comfort of the bar pre-concert. CONTACT Royal Festival Hall, South Bank Centre, SE1 (0870 780 8135).