Eneko. Have you heard of it? Probably not, but you should put in on your radar right now. This subterranean pleasure dome is home to some of the best food I’ve found in central London, with a setting to match.

Eneko: The Run-Down

With three-Michelin starred Basque chef Eneko Atxa at the helm, it’s little wonder the food that emerges from the kitchen is pure perfection, every time. But hold up, let me backtrack…

The restaurant itself is in the basement under luxurious One Aldwych Hotel. There is something quite special about leaving the mania of Leicester Square, passing through a set of sliding doors and going down a decadent staircase into the serene bar area before heading down another level to the restaurant (your ears may pop). It feels a bit like descending into a spaceship which has crash landed in the middle of the city – think modern and stylish decor.

The place itself is a grand old Edwardian building, which makes for a spectacular contrast to the mad modernity within. Even the loos are hidden behind a sensorial textured wall, which looks a bit like a sea of molten black pebbles. As ya do. The whole place feels like a futurist dream – the tables occupy little bubble-pods along the curved wall, the bottom of the aforementioned staircase is clad in copper, so that when you look up from your table, you see a flash of gold in the sky. And yet, despite such seemingly ludicrous flourishes, the place doesn’t feel stuffy or pretentious.

Eneko: The Food

Now, back to the food. The star dish can be found in the From The Sea section of the menu. Memories of the Bay of Biscay. As you’d expect from a dish with so much narrative in its name alone, the oyster, crab and prawn is served with a gorgeously theatrical flourish (dry ice aplenty) and is simply beautiful, in both the presentation and the eating.

The main courses are equally breathtaking. We tried the monkfish and the duck, respectively. The monkfish is tender and meaty and expertly cooked, while the duck was quite possibly the best duck dish I’ve ever tried – the breast is as soft and smooth as butter, and perfectly pink. One word of warning – the main courses aren’t served with any adornment, so we’d recommend ordering one or two side dishes (the mashed potato is paradise).

The dessert menu focuses on fruit and chocolate, as all good dessert menus should. Choose from apple mouse with white chocolate, raspberry macaroon with basil ganache, dark chocolate with biscuit crumble base… all served with a traditional Basque sheep’s milk ice cream. Drool.

And don’t leave without trying a wine from the bar’s 40-strong Spanish list, including bottles from Eneko’s own Bilbao winery, which is exclusive to the restaurant, and trust us, they are ludicrously delicious.

Dear readers, this is not a drill. The food here is staggering, and I can’t believe there hasn’t been more fanfare already. But if you want to eat at the best kept secret in town, choose Eneko.

Eneko at One Aldwych, 1 Aldwych, London WC2B 4BZ