Amicus Apple may seem a strange name for a restaurant, but scratch the surface and things become a little clearer. Amicus is the Latin word for friend, and apple the renowned fruit of temptation. Combine the two and what do you have? Quite simply, a welcoming venue with a vibrant atmosphere and plenty of irresistible treats to tempt your tastebuds.

Located in the heart of the city, this basement bar and restaurant has been carefully designed to cater for all occasions, be it post-work drinks, cocktails with the girls, a cosy meal for two or a lively get-together with a group of friends. The decor is stylish, although not pretentious, and a long bar forms the focal point of the room serving almost any cocktail you'd care to mention, from comfortable classics to Amicus' own specialities, alongside beer, wine and Champagne. The food menu caters for the venue's varied clientele equally well, with bar snacks, sharing platters, light bites and heartier dishes all on offer.

Cosily ensconced on a squishy leather sofa, armed with a bottle of crisp chenin blanc, my partner and I opted to sample a range of dishes, starting with the Mediterranean vegetable soup for him, and bruschetta with tomatoes, basil and Parma ham for me. For mains, I chose delicious pan-fried salmon with a herb crust, which arrived atop a mound of crushed potatoes mixed with sun-dried tomatoes and olives - a superb combination of flavours. My partner, meanwhile, selected a rare 8oz fillet steak, served with hand-cut potato wedges, mushrooms, tomatoes and a side of peppercorn sauce, all of which was cooked to perfection. The high standard of taste and presentation extended to the desserts - a decadent brownie with vanilla ice cream and Amicus' own twist on apple crumble.

Amicus also offers a breakfast menu all day on Sundays and, frankly, I could think of no better way to beat the hangover blues. A charming ambience, quality food and stylish surroundings certainly make Amicus Apple hard to resist.