Good presentation: slow cooked duck leg, plum sauce, water chestnuts and bok choi

Apéritif: Torino Spritz – Kamm & Sons, Cocchi Torino, Blackcurrant, Hibiscus and Prosecco

I must confess I rarely go into the City of London for dinner – it tends to be a daytime destination for me. However, there is now at least one venue that will be drawing me back to the Square Mile once the sun has gone down. Angler, a seafood restaurant at the South Place Hotel, is a new addition to the D&D London group and opened in 2012. Last week, it was announced the eaterie had been awarded a Michelin star… and no wonder.

A group of four of us dined at Angler a month ago for my birthday – I had given my sister the brief that I wanted a restaurant with a view and she knows I love seafood so the venue was a complete surprise. Entering the South Place Hotel near Moorgate, we were whisked up to the 7th floor where the Angler restaurant sat alongside its alfresco terrace bar. The dining area was situated behind aluminium screens, with a stunning design feature of a silver flecked, mirrored ceiling by Grace & Webb. We were shown to a large circular table right by the floor-to-ceiling windows, giving the room lots of light and views of the Gherkin, Heron Tower and Tower 42.

Fishy: Oysters to start, followed by steamed Cornish cod with soft herbs, smoked salmon, tomato salad and summer vegetables

Sweet tooth: Chocolate fondant with cherry yoghurt

Although most of my party ordered from the set menu (£25 for two courses, £30 for three), I ordered my starter from the main menu. I ordered a small portion of three Colchester rocks oysters, served with rye bread, shallot vinegar, Tabasco and lemon, although a bigger portion is available for a main. The condiments certainly complemented the dish, which I enjoyed, but it is certainly an acquired taste as I know many people who don’t like them. For my main, I returned to the set menu and ordered the steamed Cornish cod with soft herbs, smoked salmon, tomato salad and summer vegetables. The cod was steamed to perfection, came apart easily with my fork and was melt-in-the-mouth delicious. Despite the many layers of the dish, it was filling, but not too heavy and it wasn’t long before my plate was clean. My godmother ordered the slow cooked duck leg, plum sauce, water chestnuts and bok choi, which she thoroughly enjoyed. The presentation was brilliant, with the duck surrounded by a swirl of plum sauce droplets. We completed our main course with sides of green beans and heritage potatoes. To finish with, my sister and I shared a gorgeous chocolate fondant and cherry yoghurt ice cream, which was a surprising combination that worked well together.

Overall, I have nothing but good to say. The service was absolutely brilliant, the dining room was comfortable and light and the food was delicious and presented beautifully. For the high quality of food, it is pretty good value, especially for The City. I’m not surprised to hear it was awarded a Michelin star, executive chef Tony Fleming and his team thoroughly deserve it.

• Angler at the South Place Hotel, 3 South Place, EC2M 2AF. Nearest station: Moorgate. For more information, visit the Angler website.

The long and light dining area is separated from the bar by aluminium screens

Look up: The silver flecked, mirrored ceiling, specially designed by Grace & Webb

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