Woods

Woods is a diner of two halves. You enter through a French bar-brasserie – dark wood, lots of greenery, timeless ‘Paris’ – but after that, the dining room itself feels surprisingly formal, with starched white tablecloths and softly-softly carpet making for a very British experience indeed. It’s friendly, though, and interesting: the walls are lined with all things racehorse-related, and menus offer an unpretentious selection of home cooking with an experienced, ‘cheffy’ edge. Such a formula is clearly a successful one; Woods first opened its doors in the late 1970s… which could explain why there’s an occasional whiff of ‘Abigail’s Party’ ambience floating in the atmosphere. But you know what? That’s what makes Woods so cool today.