The dark is such a shame sometimes. The Riverbar Steakhouse & Grill cries out to be eaten in on a clear day when leisurely punts can be seen lazing by on the river just beyond the expansive plate glass window. Nonetheless, the restaurant is also open at night and perhaps it is a good thing that one can't be distracted by the view - the full focus can be on the fairly solid blend of continental and home based cuisine.

Essentially this is swept up pub fare - not a comment intended to do it down. The baked camembert to start was a delight in dairy indulgence, drooling cheesy goodness and á point for dipping. Antipasti cold cuts and olives were of equally delicious quality, although two artistically placed bruschetta did seem to be something of an afterthought so that the menu entry mightn't look too bare.

Sourcing food locally is clearly a point of pride (for which read explicitly stated on the menu). Clearly the cutting of food miles pays - a main course of fillet steak served on a board (perhaps a little close to being reminiscient of the butchers although satisfyingly rustic) with bowls of substantial paprika potato wedges and horseradish mash could hardly have disappointed. For those of us who are picky about their steak, it could have been a little bloodier but then this isn't France and I do like my steak to be practically running from the plate.

Unlike a pub, it was definitely a question of dessert and not pudding. A white chocolate and cardamom mousse proved to be just the right side of the sticky / creamy divide and, whilst I tend to think of cheesecakes as something of a copout option, the smooth white expanse cut with some sharp forest fruits turned out to be surprisingly, well, good.

The menu isn't a gastronomic adventure and the food is not going to open up new vistas of epicurean delight. If someone had said 'It's a steakhouse, guess what's on the menu', you'd probably get it right. But nonetheless, this is the gratifying epitome of good food done well. Worth the price? Not if you are on a student budget, but if kindly godparents or the like are down for the weekend, they would probably be suitably impressed - not least because the wine menu is a treat.