I don't blame restaurants for wanting to creep onto the scene slowly these days, so they can iron out the creases before they're descended upon by fussy Londoners - let alone whinging food critics.

But after a couple of weeks of dry runs, it seems The Commander is pretty damn ready for its close up on Thursday, when it officially opens to the public.

Staff were attentive, smiley and above all actually seemed happy to be working there, which isn't something you see every day. Noticing I was waiting for a friend, one of the waitresses even disappeared upstairs to fetch me a magazine to flick through - now that's service.

The decor is smart gastro-pub with comfy high-backed booths (table 12 is a goodie), an appealing bar and a nice open feel. And the food, while not utterly memorable, was more than passable. Juicy rock oysters and perfectly decent fillets of sea bass and salmon on saffron mash were all well-received, but the veggie side orders were the highlight: honey-glazed baby carrots and beetroot, and green beans with caramelised onions and flaked almonds, served in their own mini casserole dishes.

We didn't venture into puddings, but during the daytime you can take advantage of the courtyard area where there's a deli selling gourmet goodies, a florist and a fishmongers, so you can always take a little treat home for tea.