The Chancellor has exhorted Britons to be eating out again. What more persuasion did Gourmand Gunno need after four months of absence? Although by no means his favourite restaurant, Hush was a great place to begin the experiment of dining in the COVID-19 era. The venue remains a well-kept secret, tucked away in a discreet Mayfair courtyard. It also offers ample sheltered outside seating. Maybe the tables were slightly more spaced than in the past, but not noticeably so. Diners have to provide contact details on arrival and a small bottle of hand sanitiser (ours to take with us after, we were informed) adorned every table. Beyond that, it was business as usual. Hush has been around for over 20 years simply because it has continued to deliver consistently good – even if far from ground-breaking – food. Maybe the food isn’t the main point; it’s the people-watching and relaxed atmosphere (even in the pre-COVID era, diners were allowed to linger for as long as they wished). This week’s visit demonstrated amply that Hush continues to tick most of the right boxes. Starters (sashimi for me, artichoke fritters for my comrade) were not as impressive as mains (we both opted for the grilled tiger prawn curry risotto – pictured), but everything worked, washed down by a bottle of refreshing white Lugana from Italy. The risotto has been a staple at Hush for many years – and rightly so. It is a joyful riot of colour and texture; presented beautifully and both comforting yet also slightly decadent. If the novelty of eating out again were not so strong, then it would be fair to gripe about the mark-up on the wine (£50 seemed egregious for a bottle which might retail for a fifth of this price), although starters at between £10-15 and mains typically a tenner more do help somewhat to lessen the blow Sit back, relax and eat; comfortable too in the knowledge that you can hand-sanitise away to your heart’s content.