The Cinnamon Club, London

Can a library, frequented by MPs and business suits, ever be cool? The answer is yes, if it has been converted into a restaurant as elegant as the Cinnamon Club.

Can a library, frequented by MPs and business suits, ever be cool? The answer is yes, if it has been converted into a restaurant as elegant as the Cinnamon Club. Restaurateur Iqbal Wahhab has transformed the former Victorian gothic-style Westminster library into an elegant Indian dining establishment. The interior boasts high ceilings, wooden floors and wood panelling, an upstairs gallery displaying old books, cinnamon-coloured banquettes, stunning floral displays, luxurious toilets, stylish tableware - and a smart bar, with somewhat hit-and-miss, Asian-inspired cocktails. Chef Vivek Singh's modern Indian cooking marries European sensibility with traditional Indian. Recipes are inspired by ideas from throughout the sub-continent. Start with steamed pork dumplings with chilli and garlic dip, or courgette flower pakora with asparagus raita. Follow with chargrilled partridge with green spices and moong kedgeree; Rajasthani goat curry with garlic, chilli and cloves; or roast rack of "Oisin" red deer with pickling spices. The menu also features Tandoori dishes such as squab pigeon, portobello mushrooms, and squid ink naan. Desserts include saffron-poached pear with cinnamon ice cream, date pancake with vanilla and toasted coconut ice cream, and lemon and cardamom tart with blackberry sorbet.

The Cinnamon Club, The Old Westminster Library, Great Smith Street, London 0845 166 4253, www.cinnamonclub.com, Breakfast Mon-Fri 7.30am-10am, Lunch Mon-Fri 12-2.45pm, Dinner Mon-Sat 6-10.45pm. Meal for two, excl wine: £65