Like Mary H., I'd always been a big fan of Brasserie na Mara (the restaurant that used to be here) and was worried that Hartley's might not live up to the high standards set by it's predecessor.

Well, if anything it's probably that bit better now - the place has a had a lick of paint, the contemporary interior decor makes for an interesting contrast with the old world facade and the candle labre scattered throughout make for a lovely atmosphere. There's an outdoor seating area now too (which is handy for smokers) and a bar area where you can dine or have a drink before your meal - much needed now that the Bodega (Forty Foot) bar across the road appears to be closed.

The food is excellent and in my opinion even better than before. The night I was there it was my birthday and my family had organised for my dessert to have a candle on it and the waiters & waitresses sang Happy Birthday - good thing I'm too old to get embarrassed anymore!

I used to love this place when it was brasserie na mara - it was regularly used as a venue for family birthdays - I even had my 21st there! So when it changed ownership earlier this year we were sorry but decided to give it a try. My mum booked it for my dads 70th and although the restaurant looks very much the same as it did - we were very disappointed. The food was actually fine, but the service was shocking. The manageress insisted on seating us all separately (there were about 30 of us) despite the fact that it was a birthday party. They said that if we had wanted to sit together we should have specifically requested this at the booking...!) I won't go on too much about it but rest assured we won't be returning in a hurry. Maybe it's fine for a quiet dinner for two but I would steer clear if you're thinking about making a group booking.