Cutting the mustard

The chef has worked at El Bulli. The news can make your heart sink. Much is cooked in vain when that name is mentioned. But Argentinian Diego Jacquet, new chef at Rockwell, the recently revamped restaurant of The Trafalgar hotel, cuts the mustard.

The hotel's dull portals led to an empty bar and to the more or less empty basement restaurant (at lunchtime). "Ian Schrager has a lot to answer for," my friend remarked. It is true. Rockwell Bar and Restaurant is striving so hard to be hip that even the hotel breakfast is a play on tapas.

One waitress said that the dishes priced from £8-£16 were big enough to share. Another said that we hadn't ordered enough as the dishes were small. We added on a mixed green salad.

Shrimp and pork belly - garlic-roasted shrimp balls stuffed with chorizo and sweet potato with slow-glazed pork belly - was lovely. Fresh agnolotti filled with roasted ossobucco, pears and sun-dried tomatoes in a porcini broth with lemon pesto was also delectable, as was a lobster and seafood paella with orzo pasta.

Toro (tuna belly) served as three textures was less pleasing but a dessert of crème caramel with dulce de leche and a mojito foam shot made up for it. All the dishes were put on the table without spoons. Throughout most of lunch someone Hoovered the stairs. If I knew a chef headhunter I would pass on the news about Diego Jacquet.