Dover Street Restaurant & Jazz Bar

There’s something throbbingly alive about this basement venue & it’s not just down to the Tequila. The food & service are hardly estimable, but it’s well worth booking in for dinner to watch the place warming up & going bonkers as the live jazz & funk acts hit their stride. The more lavish-sounding dishes – medallions of Maine lobster with truffle sauce, say – can seem rather pale in comparison to high-end versions served elsewhere, so best stick to staples such as chicken liver parfait or gravadlax, followed by quality Scottish steak with forest mushrooms, or char-grilled sea bass with pilaf rice. The wine list is succinct & rewarding, kicking off at around £20 for a South African Sauvignon Blanc, backed by all manner of liqueurs & grappas for those about to funk. Hen parties & office jollies are Dover Street’s stock in trade, & the groove lasts until 3am nightly.