The Three Cranes

Henry Harris, former chef-patron of Racine, has collaborated with pub group Harcourt Inns to bring life back to several of London’s lost boozers. This snug drinking den is tucked down a City side street, with a buzzy ground-floor bar and a more subdued dining room upstairs. The cosy restaurant seats around 30, its clubby interior sporting dark wood and leather banquettes.

The kitchen produces a succession of pleasingly simple, well-executed dishes, with steaks and chops to the fore. Start with homemade toasted focaccia, which arrives with a thick, refreshing dip of garlic, chilli, green herbs and crème fraîche. Alternatives include well-seasoned steak tartare, and an agreeable salad of lettuce, croûtons and Red Leicester.

Our main was a 300g serving of tender, filling steak with snappy, salt-drenched chips and various top-class butters (bone marrow, anchovy and rosemary, lemon and thyme). Finish with a nostalgic dessert such as creamy chocolate mousse served in 1970s-style glass bowls, or a traditional cheeseboard.

To drink, the euro-centric wine list (including some Champagnes) ranges from the inexpensive to the flashy. With its chatty service and cosy atmosphere, The Three Cranes marks a welcome return to the pubs of old – we reckon Harris is on to something.

Squirreled away in the heart of the city, down a side street behind Mansion House tube station, is this quaint and cosy gastropub: Three Cranes. Former Racine chef Henry Harris and founder of Harcourt Inns James McCulloch joined forces to take over the Georgian townhouse and turn it into something really quite special.  

While it’s a popular haunt for local city-dwellers to pop in for a pint after work, the 30-cover dining room upstairs is just as much reason to pay a visit to the snug spot. The pared-back, slightly serene space doesn’t try harder than it needs to in order to keep the focus on the food.  

Serving hearty bistro-style dishes with a strong focus on meat, Three Cranes offers a concise menu that features no more than a handful each of starters, mains courses, options from the grill and desserts. It’s this focused approach that allows the restaurant to pay close attention to the quality and execution of every dish.  

Starters include a twice-baked souffle with Waldorf salad and truffle dressing and skirt steak with chimichurri. Guests can choose from an enticing selection of mains such as molasses marinated chicken with grains, or poached brill fillets with coconut rice and moilee sauce. For lovers of red meat, choose from the grill for their signature 3 Cranes burger or ribeye steak with fries and your choice of sauce. Vegan and vegetarian diners need not panic with meat-free and plant-based dishes available, too. 

Desserts are twofold: a chocolate fondant or ice cream. There’s no messing about when it comes to the sweet course – just simple, reliable favourites.  

Steak and chocolate fondant needs a wine to match – right? Three Cranes have over 60 wines to choose from to ensure there’s something that everyone wants to drink. Choose from a selection of whites, reds, roses and sparkling wines.