Cecconi's City Of London At The Ned
There's a building on Poultry — that's the street, not the bird — that looks like a cathedral got together with a bank and had a very handsome baby. It's called The Ned, and h...
There's a building on Poultry — that's the street, not the bird — that looks like a cathedral got together with a bank and had a very handsome baby. It's called The Ned, and hiding inside it is Cecconi's City of London.
If you've shuffled past those enormous doors near Bank station and wondered what's behind them, here's the short answer: rather a lot. The building was the Midland Bank's headquarters back in the 1920s, all soaring ceilings, green marble and enough brass to keep a trumpet factory busy.
What The Ned actually is
These days it's a hotel, a members' club, and a small indoor city of restaurants and bars. Cecconi's is the Italian one, sitting on the ground floor where tellers once counted other people's money.
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You don't have to be a member to eat there, which is worth knowing before you start panicking about your shoes. Book a table like a normal person and walk in through the big doors.
So what is Cecconi's?
Cecconi's started out in Mayfair and built its reputation on Venetian cooking — the sort of food that tastes like a sunny afternoon even when it's drizzling on Cheapside. Think seafood, small plates, and pasta taken far too seriously for its own good.
The room does most of the flirting
Eating here feels a bit like being let loose in a jewellery box after hours. The old banking hall handles the romance: dark wood, marble counters, and lighting that makes everyone look like they've just come back from a very good holiday.
Look up and you'll see architecture that used to make people wear hats indoors. It's grand without being stiff, which is a hard trick to pull off.
The food, briefly
Start with cicchetti — Venice's answer to tapas — little bites of olives, crostini and cured fish that disappear alarmingly fast. Nobody has ever regretted ordering one more round.
Then move on to burrata that wobbles when you so much as look at it, hand-rolled pasta, or grilled fish with nothing more than lemon and good olive oil. Order the tiramisu even if you're "not a dessert person." Everyone says that here. Everyone changes their mind.
Cecconi's at The Ned, City Of London
The drinks lean Italian too: negronis, spritzes and wines by the glass that won't require a second mortgage. The list wanders happily around Italy, and the staff are good at pointing you somewhere sensible if you're lost.
Who ends up there
Pretty much everyone, which is half the fun. You'll spot City bankers loosening their ties, hotel guests in trainers, couples on second dates, and groups celebrating birthdays that clearly took months to organise.
Nobody looks out of place. In London, that's almost a miracle.
It's the kind of place where a business lunch and a birthday dinner can happen three tables apart, and neither feels wrong.
The money question
It isn't a grab-a-sandwich situation. Mains live in the "treat yourself" bracket, and a cocktail at the bar costs more than your weekly coffee habit.
That said, you don't need to spend a fortune to enjoy it. Sit at the bar, order two small plates and a glass of wine, and let the room do the entertaining.
Why you should care
Because it turns an ordinary evening into an event without requiring an actual occasion. Tuesday will do nicely.
Cecconi's at The Ned, City Of London
Because the building alone is worth the trip. It's a piece of London history that didn't get turned into a bland office block or yet another chain coffee shop. Someone actually made it lovely.
And because there's something quietly brilliant about eating soft, buttery pasta under a ceiling built to impress bankers. I once watched a man in a pinstripe suit eat his lunch with the concentration of someone defusing a bomb. That's the energy here.
Little things worth knowing
Book ahead for dinner, especially Thursday to Saturday, when the City lets its hair down. Lunch is easier, and it often feels like you're getting away with something.
Walk-ins are fine at the bar, so a spontaneous glass of wine isn't out of the question. It gets loud when it fills up, so don't come here for a quiet heart-to-heart.
Wear whatever you like. The room is fancy; the mood isn't.
The Ned has plenty of other draws too — Asian-inspired Kaia, a rooftop pool, several bars, and a members' club upstairs. Cecconi's is the one that feels like the beating heart of the place.
Next time you're near Bank station, look up at that grand old building and remember what's hiding inside it. Pasta, marble, and a tiramisu you'll be thinking about on the train home.
