Bincho Yakitori SE1

It’s not just food quality alone, of course, which makes a good restaurant, Other top features include: an interesting location; cool design; and a maybe a sense of adventure. If those are the sorts of things that float your boat, hasten along to the South Bank, and seek out this newcomer on the second floor of the landmark Oxo Tower.

Let’s be clear: we’re not talking about the tourist trap on the top (eighth) floor. Nor about Tamesa@Oxo, with which Bincho shares the second floor of the building (and an owner). For our money, this newcomer is much better than any of the three existing operations.

We’ll start with the setting. Once home to Neat – a grand but short-lived restaurant, and subsequently vacant for some years – it has the natural advantage of a sweeping river view. But the designer hasn’t sought to make a song and dance about it: the vista just provides an agreeable complement to an otherwise straightforward interior in darkly-contemporary, vaguely oriental style.

Staff make an effort to de-mystify a menu, which majors in charcoal grilled bites delivered on skewers. It may seem quite unfamiliar, but fear not. Yes, there are choices for the brave (such as Sunazuri, chicken gizzard). But there’s also plenty for sissies (say, Sake, salmon). Our highlights were actually a starter – Ebi-shinyo age (a fried prawn and somen – noodle – parcel), and a pudding (a probably not hugely authentic layered banana cake with green tea ice cream). But specific dishes aren’t really the point. Everything comes quickly, and options only cost £2-£4, so you can take a chance with pretty anything on the menu. So hurry along, and give the place a whirl.