Stirlings Bar & Eatery

A glance down the menu and you'd be forgiven for thinking that Stirlings – an intimate, quite stylish restaurant in the fashionable Jewellery Quarter – serves pretty straightforward, even boring, fare; and it's true that the emphasis is on steaks and burgers. However the beauty of Stirling's is in the execution, and there is often slightly more adventurous stuff on offer too; it doesn't get a lot more exciting than slow-cooked pork belly and confit of duck but these too are cooked and presented to perfection. The quality may have something to do with the fact that head chef Richard Alexander once studied under Marco Pierre White and has since cooked for the Queen herself. If only they didn't pack the tables in so tightly, it would be almost perfect. A seat at the bar overlooking St Paul's Square is always welcome, and Friday nights sees things liven up with the 'Friday Night Live' sessions, which showcase local bands and comedy acts.