It’s the most beautiful restaurant in London – and the oldest. Built in 1573, Middle Temple Hall is celebrating its 450th anniversary. It’s also where Shakespeare held the premiere of his Christmas play, Twelfth Night, in 1602. How strange that hardly anyone knows about the best Elizabethan hall in London. It’s mostly used by barristers but the public can eat there too, as long as you book ahead.
I looked up to high table to see a purple-faced bencher, glaring down at me
The food is lovely, substantial, marvellously unponcey fare and fantastically good value for such a staggering spot – on the western edge of the City, on the banks of the Thames. When I was there this month, I had cream of mushroom and tarragon soup (£4.50), followed by turkey breast with sage and onion stuffing (£12), and a glass of Middle Temple Bordeaux Blanc (£6). But you’re not really there for the food, so much as the staggering architecture.
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