I'm a bit of a sucker for a voucher. I don't buy loads of them, but occasionally something pops into my inbox and either reminds me of somewhere I want to revisit or try... A voucher for this place reminded me that I hadn't been for around 4 years (I know, terrible right?) and I thought it was high time I should go back and give it another go. I actually really love the decor of this place. It's a basement restaurant and bar (hence the name), with the entrance being located on Newhall Hill. Once you enter and head down the stone steps you are presented with two doors; the entrance to the restaurant and the entrance to the bar. We proceeded to follow the labyrinth to the eatery and found the check in desk with relative ease. The staff were ON IT from the moment we walked in. Reservation confirmed, seated and presented with some water within a couple of minutes. We went on a fairly busy Saturday night, but everyone seemed to be looked after during our visit. There was no snobbishness that we had used a voucher and we were presented with the wine and food menu (which wasn't so large that it was a nightmare to decide, but there was plenty of choice) and left to ponder for a couple of minutes. We opted for a bottle of house white wine (on top of the glass that was included with the deal), which wasn't too overpriced at £16.95 and had a good think about what we were going to have. Our waiter had recommended the pigeon (something that I love, but don't have as often as I would like), so I went for this to start and the venison for main. The first course was bought out piping hot (obviously freshly cooked) and within about 10 minutes of our order. Although the portion wasn't massive, it was very tasty and all of the flavours in the dish complimented the complex flavours in the meat. The venison was the star of the show. This was tender and delicious. Now, not having a huge sweet tooth, I opted for a cheese board for dessert. This looked great (being presented on a slate) and offered 4 kinds of cheese, a range of crackers and a honey jelly (as well as the obligatory celery). We left £20 (with tip and the cost of the wine) and the voucher had cost £29 making the meal just under £50. The cost of a 3 course meal was £25, and 2 course was £22.50 when we visited - so I would say it's pretty reasonable. For a sumptuous dining experience in an underground basement, I would recommend a trip to the Vaults. read more