Focus: Union Square, The O2

A walk in the well designed Union Square transports you to a western Stateside world with taxidermy from the 19th and early 20th centuries, dozens of American paintings and a huge service bar - the longest of any venue at The O2.

Union Square is owned and run by Inc Group, the business of American entrepreneur Frank Dowling, whose company now runs 26 venues across the UK.

Head chef at Union Square Rory Lumsden has worked under some to the world's most talented chefs including the legendary Anton Edelmann at the Savoy Hotel.

He joined the Inc Group in September 2008 taking up a post at the Spread Eagle in Greenwich, a restaurant run on a very similar theme to Union Square.

"The food is good quality but it's also easier to put together than French cuisine, which I was originally trained in," said Rory. "Which is good when we've got 150/200 covers in a busy night here.

"As well as the food it's the design which makes the restaurant.

"We have a lot of American oil paintings which Frank has got in. There's also the stag heads which add something special."

The restaurant upstairs seats 175, while 350 covers are catered for in the downstairs bar area.

For the food, starters include seafood dishes such as lobster ravioli at £9.50, or warm prawns in olive oil at £5.50. Another alternative is the goat's cheese tart at £7.50.

The mains are a typical American meat feast with New York strips, a 10oz steak served with tomato, mushroom and fries the pick at £26. There is also an 8oz fillet at £22 and at the other end of the menu a hamburger for £12 and a Meatball & Mac 'n' cheese "Donnie Brasco style".

Deserts include knickerbocker glory, chocolate brownie and banana split, all £6.50.

The wine list is huge and ranges from white Terrain Colombard - Cotes de Gascoigne at £17.50 a bottle, to the red Screaming Eagle from Napa Valley at an eyewatering £4015.80.

The ultra-stylish restaurant has been up and running for just a month but has already entertained Phil Anschutz, whose company AEG owns The O2, as well as hundreds of other customers.

Rory said: "We've had a fair few very busy days already but we were expecting 50 busy days when Michael Jackson was coming. But I'm sure we will have plenty of other big events soon."

union-square.co.uk
The O2
020 8305 4980