Tried & tasted: The Sterling

After-work dinners needn?t always be elaborate, but sometimes sophistication is still a key selling point, writes Molly Dyson. Late Night London?s The Sterling, located on the ground floor of the Gherkin in the City of London, offers a posh setting with a relaxed atmosphere and delicious, high-class ?pub grub?. It features plenty of indoor seating, as well as al fresco dining outside.

Despite visiting on a Wednesday, the restaurant is buzzing with the conversation of people enjoying a drink after a long day at the office. My dining companion and I start with some cocktails ? a pi?a colada for me and a rhubarb and raspberry martini for her. Both are refreshing and sweet. We also snack on olives marinated in herbs and lemon juice.

The menu here features everything from light bites such as cheese and charcuterie boards, bread and bar nibbles to more substantial dishes, including mini-pizzas and burgers. My plus-one and I have come straight from work, so we both decide on burgers ? beef for her and chicken for me. Both come with a generous portion of hand-cut chips and are garnished with a tasty burger sauce and all the trimmings. Mine is made all the better by the addition of melted blue cheese. By the end of the meal, we?re both full to the brim and ready to head home to slip into a food coma.

In addition to lunch and dinner, The Sterling is available for private hire for corporate parties and meetings, as well as Christmas celebrations. For more information on Late Night London?s event services at the venue, visit latenightlondon.co.uk/meetings-and-events.

30 St Mary Axe, London EC3A 8BF; 020 7929 3641; thesterlingbar.co.uk