Skylon Restaurant, London SE1

Three-course lunch, without wine, £30.75

Jazz legend Ronnie Scott was known to joke of the food in his club that "a thousand flies can't be wrong". And it is quite common for venues where the food isn't the only draw to serve dubious fare. Jazz clubs may be an extreme example, but I'm also nervous of restaurants with a great view. There simply isn't the same imperative to impress with what's served on the plate. A full restaurant is pretty much a given.

With magnificent views along the Thames, Skylon—inside the Royal Festival Hall building—falls into this category. On a Saturday lunchtime at the end of November, the place is packed. I wonder aloud if these are all first-timers ready to be wowed by the gorgeous, airy room and fabulous river views but ultimately be let down by the food? I get a swift kick. I shut up and prepare for quiet disappointment.

But, happily, there was little to moan about. About as bad as it got was a mildly disappointing leek and potato soup to start, in which even the use of superfluous truffle oil didn't compensate for a lack of earthiness such a simple dish at its best offers. It was made all the more frustrating by a thoughtless combination of an extremely narrow, pointy spoon and a small, steep bowl.

Elsewhere, a take on ham and egg and a plate of beetroot with goat's cheese were favourably received. For mains, delicious butternut gnocchi, served with sumptuous roast slices of the same vegetable offered a hearty winter treat, while sea bass on a bed of nutty Carmargue rice was nicely balanced and well executed. The old-school theatre of crêpe suzette cooked at the table and a cheese trolley of exceptional quality, combined with helpful, knowledgeable staff, made a lie of any concerns about this lunch being all about the view.

Richard Cree