So the big one… London's only 3 Michelin Star restaurant, will it live up to all the expectations and the endless hype or would I leave disappointed? A little bit of a stupid question as I can safely say my meal at RHR was the best I've had in London – ever! From the moment you walk in to the friendly and charming greeting from the legendary Jean Claude you are put instantly at ease and know you are going to be hit with a very special experience. The venue itself is remarkably small compared to some venues – very intimate and bright. The food as you expect is out of this world – the taste, presentation and attention to detail was astounding. As for the food “Ravioli of lobster, langoustine and salmon poached in a light bisque with a lemongrass and chervil velouté” for starter “Confit milk-fed Suffolk pork belly, caramelised endive, apples, grelot onions and Madeira jus” for main and “Granny Smith parfait with blackberry foam, honeycomb and cider sorbet” for dessert – It's almost impossible to describe how fantastic these dishes were – certainly in this limited space. All I can say is get there as soon as you possibly can – if you are worried about overspending go for the bargain set lunch at £45 – It may be a reduced menu but certainly not a reduction of taste or quality.

Having very much enjoyed a visit to the Bread Street site earlier in the week I decided to break the monotony of a Sunday trip to Wembley with a quick bite at the branch on Paddington Street. After telling the Mrs “You will love it – it's very similar to Yauatcha” I felt a little let down as did she.Tucked quite far down a back street the atmosphere seemed to suffer greatly with only 3 tables in the building being used (including me). Service was efficient as ever and the food was still quite tasty but some of the dishes didn't quite impress as much as last time – several of the dumplings seemed to have welded themselves to the bamboo pots and fell apart before reaching the plates. Coriander and Prawn crackers seemed over done and a little stale – too crunchy as opposed to crispy. The decor upstairs seemed a little grubby as well although the downstairs area which I later discovered looks much nicer (although empty). For a quick bite if I was in the area I'd maybe go again but certainly not make it a destination – I think a little work is needed to bring it up to par with it's sisters.

“Little steamed parcels of deliciousness” is how Ping Pong entice you inside so after an afternoon rambling around the city I decided to pop into the Bread Street branch. It was the first time I've visited Ping Pong – I'm lucky enough to have one near the office but unfortunately for Ping Pong, Yauatcha is closer to me and provides hard competition to beat. The restaurant seemed like very similar in decor to Hakkasan and it's various clones but instantly gave of a more relaxed feel to it. Tables are well spaced and comfortable enough for what you need as lets face it you won't be there much longer than an hour. The food certainly lived up to the deliciousness promised – Pork Puffs, Har Gau, Spicy Chicken Dumplings and Salmon with Ramen noodles being some of the more memorable dishes. Service was polite, swift and very efficient and the overall experience left me impressed. Prices are excellent and all the dishes excellent value for money – the set menus especially look fantastic value for those unable or too lazy to decide from the main menu. Very pleasant overall and a nice and slightly cheaper alternative to Yauatcha.

There's no better start to a week at work than a nice lunch out, although some questioned my choice of Indian in such hot weather. Thankfully the restaurant is very spacious and well air conditioned so the tropical heat wave we are having meant nothing. Admittedly being a Monday lunch time the restaurant was quite quiet but I'd put this down to the day and not a lack of popularity. As mentioned the restaurant is very spacious – from where I was sat the owners could easily have pushed another table in but a big thumbs up for the fact they don't – there's nothing worse than having to sit too close to others and hearing their business secrets while they hear yours. It's easy to see how Quilon achieved their Michelin star and the food is outstanding, Crab cakes with ginger and curry leaves and green chillies were delicious as was the pistachio lamb shank curry – very soft and tender and well spiced. Being a greedy chap I also sampled some of the lobster with mango and ginger which again was fab. Although the dishes came quite spicy I found they were not overpowering which is great as often you find your tongue numb from some dishes and unable to enjoy the taste of other dishes. It seems very popular with the locals for a business lunch but I've vowed to return soon for a dinner – prices can come across as higher than normal but as with everything in this world you do have to pay for quality and Quilon has it in abundance. A set lunch offer of £20 for 3 courses does make it affordable for all and I'd suggest you all try!

Deep down I'm a serious carnivore – Meat is my thing. The more meat the better. At times I'd prefer a side of meat to go with my meat – perhaps with just sprinkling of greens to ease my guilt and the strange looks I'd get. Gaucho's flagship restaurant in Piccadilly therefore is ideal for me. It's a carnivore's dream – if you are a vegetarian go elsewhere. They can of course accommodate you but let's face it this place is about the fab cuts of beef. A great selection of starters provide the tease before the main event – crab cakes with cucumber and pepper salad in my case, the chilli, coriander and chipotle mayo got the taste buds going perfectly, as did the Argentine Baby squid my dining partner had. On to the main course and as mentioned you are spoiled for choice: rib eye, fillet, sirloin, rump, churrasco cuts or even a sampler of all the cuts – it's all there. They even bring round the selection of the raw product to explain the difference and let you see exactly what you are getting. I went for the fillet myself, which was suitably juicy and tender cooked to perfection – with hand cut chips and pepper sauce it was just what I'd been dreaming of all morning.

Finally I was dining with a companion who can remember the wines we had and it turns out and the waitress had suggested Terrazas de Los Andes 2006 which complimented the steak perfectly. Desserts I had to ignore as I was so full. The venue itself is lovely, with big spacious banquette/booths and an open grill where the chef does his thing – I also had a sneaky peak at the upstairs room they use for functions which is very glam indeed – great for a work function. Anyway to sum up if you like steak then go. If you want a huge choice of dishes with steak being only one of them go elsewhere. There are other dishes available on the menu if you don't fancy steak but to me it's the reason to get down to Swallow Street and enjoy. I've given the food and drink a 10/10 as for me personally it was – it fulfilled me in everyway.

I've often walked by Franco's and noticed the bustling busy-ness of the restaurant in the morning and lunchtimes so decided to pop in for lunch. It seems to be quite often forgotten in favour of what is judged to be the more glamorous duo of Cecconi's and Cipriani among my friends and clients but from my experience yesterday it certainly holds its own. It comes across as more of a classic restaurant in style and perhaps also the dishes (although there seem to be some very creative daily specials!) I opted for a starter of Parma ham and melon – seemed the ideal dish to compliment the sunny weather and was very happy with it. It's a simple dish but have seen it done so wrong or badly on many occasions but here it hit the spot. For my main I went for the daily special of ostrich served with braised endive and cherries – The chef got the dish perfect – ostrich seems to be quite a hard meat to do well without it becoming tough and inedible but the dish was perfect – the cherries complimenting the soft pink meat perfectly. My unadventurous colleague went for the fillet steak which I had to try and was fantastic – I really should find out where they source their meat). Wines came by the glass as unfortunately I had to return to the office at some point so were left to the sommelier to suggest – both choices were excellent – a crisp white for starter and a deep fruity red for main and yet again I've completely forgotten what they were. Service was great – smart and friendly ensuring I will return soon – perhaps a breakfast will be the next stop at Franco's – especially at the value price of £14.

Shockingly I’ve only recently had anything other than breakfast at Tom’s Kitchen and to be honest if you ask me why not, my excuse would be a flimsy as a schoolboy who hasn’t done his homework on time. Breakfast has always been great for me but I won’t go into that right now, but suggest you try yourself if you haven’t already. The venue is such a great buzzy and informal place you can’t help but like it – food as you would expect if great and prices are so reasonable you will be going back for more and more. Simple and tasty the beer battered cod hit the spot although as usual I had to poach some of my dining partner’s sea bass, an experience which made me wish my stomach was large enough for two mains. I could write an essay on Tom’s Kitchen but am going to refrain. Simple and unpretentious, very tasty food and a vibrant buzz make it a great place to be although don’t be spooked out if you think you see two Toms side by side – It’s not the wine you have been drinking causing that effect, just his brother Rob who obviously shares his talent.

I was very surprised looking at earlier reviews of Mint Leaf prior to writing this – if it was as bad as stated then they have obviously had a huge turn-around in operations as I found everything to be very satisfactory. I’m a big fan of the Haymarket branch and have been for many years so thought I’d give it a try. I went towards the later part of the afternoon so had missed the peak time but was still quite busy (perhaps the banker types are at least, having to look more productive). I thought the design was very cool and stylish reminding me of Zuma & Sumosan – perhaps with a bit of Hakkasan thrown in – the bar area is nice and I could imagine comfortably popping in for a drink after work or before dinner. On to the food and being in an Indian you can’t go wrong with a starter like chicken tikka, sensuously marinated in lime leaf and coriander it was a far cry from my average experiences. Baby lamb shank curry grabbed my attention for main and turned out to be an excellent choice – very soft and tender to a point where you could almost point your knife at it to command the succulent meat to separate from the bone. A simple dish but so well done. Accompaniments of rice and naan bread help to fill me up – hard to say anything inspiring about boiled rice but the naan was very light and fluffy. I’d asked the staff to recommend a glass of white and red wine to go with each course (by the glass) and am cursing myself for not noting down what they were – they complimented the food so well. I was looking at a bill of around the £35 mark from the a la carte menu although I’m sure I saw a set lunch menu available for an extra bargain. A very groovy lounge upstairs caught my attention while I was having a quick nosey-around. I’ll definitely be back and just hope the Haymarket branch of Mint Leaf doesn't realise I’m cheating on them with their sister.

Gastropubs seem to have been a staple of mine recently – after all the theory of a relaxed, buzzy environment with good affordable food is a no brainer, although looking around town it seems so many try and do it so wrong. The Fellow I'm happy to report does it right and does it well. You get exactly what you expect in decor what I'd call averagely smart, tables are close together but hey it's a gastropub and after all it's fun to listen into others conversations. What did surprise me was the quality of the food. Simple dishes like the rabbit terrine tasted so good – plenty in the portion and nice and coarse (country style). My main consisted of a delicious sounding ham hock hash with fried egg and mustard sauce which I have to say was awesome – simple again but excellent, definitely a dish to recommend. The fab ham hock hash had filled me to the point I couldn’t go for dessert but the table next to me were tucking into theirs with gusto with big contented smiles on their faces which seems to be a good indicator. Pricewise I’d be surprised if you spent more than £25pp for a lunch or dinner which is always a bonus in these crunchy times. If the rest of the King's Cross redevelopment includes venues as good as the Fellow then I’ll be spending a lot more of my time in the locale.

I really wish the Hinds Head was in SW London so I could use it as my local on a Sunday. It's got such a warm feel to it and reminds me a lot of the type of pubs I'd visit in the Lake District when I was much, much younger. It manages to do what it does very well with no hint of an overly contrived or dressed up environment. Friendly staff look after you very well from the moment you walk through the door and the changing menu is short but full of great dishes. The rabbit and bacon terrine with cucumber pickles made me question whether I was actually in the middle of the countryside or a multi-Michelin starred venue in town it was so good and the Lancashire hotpot on par with that of my dear old granny, a selection of English cheeses topped it off for me. The wine list looked great – although for me ale was the order of the day. Prices are ridiculously good value as I've spent similar at various Wimbledon gastropubs for appallingly average food. Even adding the cost of a day return from London and you still can't go wrong. Get yourself there as soon a possible!

Cipriani seems to have a little of a schizophrenic reputation – I know people who love it and people who hate it. Strangely enough the people I know who hate it do seem to go back quite frequently; one friend describes it like a bad boyfriend – she may be treated appallingly at times but she keeps going back. Personally I like it and always have, the food while not being overly gastronomic does the trick well. Service-wise I've had off occasions but generally it's ok. Although for the money I spend I should expect perfection every time I go, I always leave with a smile on my face. At the end of the day it's not for everyone – if I want excellent gourmet cuisine I'd go elsewhere – if I want decent food and an amazing, electric atmosphere I go to Cipriani (as long as I don't have to sit in the back!)

I have always been a fan of Mosaico (although I thought it suffered a little when previous chef Matteo Mistrorigo moved on) so was very eager to try the recently relaunched Dolada and was not disappointed. A group of friends and I popped down to try a tasting menu put together by chef Riccardo and left very satisfied. Presentation was more interesting than previously with an interesting scampi carpaccio with caviar followed by a delicious lobster risotto. Next was a small warm pot of venison ragu which was so tasty it left me wanting more – perhaps a jam jar size, as it was that good. Luckily for me however the meal continued with an equally great dish of veal cheek with potatoes and veg. Dessert was taken care of with panacotta with pineapple salad which refreshed my taste buds and left me wanting more. The food is complemented by a great wine list to cover most pocket sizes with some great selections at the higher end of the mark. Maître D' Claudio keeps the room moving efficiently and service running smoothly – the restaurant was full when we were dining and service was seamless. I love the way the staff always make you feel like a family friend rather than just another cover and it's so easy to relax and enjoy the evening. Although always being a favourite of mine may make me a little biased, I did see Fay Maschler tucking in the same evening with a smile on her face so I think it's fair to say I wasn't the only one enjoying the food that night. Very happy to say I will continue to be a regular and advise you all to give it a go. Prices are a little above average but worth every penny.

Imli is an interesting venue for me – as I work close by it's always a good choice for when I feel I need a little more than a sandwich at my desk. To be honest it's only a place I'd go for a quick and casual bite – the price to quality ratio being very good. The venues has a bit of a glam canteen feel to it and while not suitable for all occasions fits in perfectly for what I and my friends and colleague expect. Food is always tasty and quality consistent – Crispy fried squid and southern lamb being dishes I tend to return to often. If you need a bite during lunch or before heading off somewhere in the evening for the prices and comfort you can't go wrong. As mentioned service can be a little slow at peak times but not enough to stop me returning.

Semplice is one of these venues I can't believe I have not been to earlier and only got round to visiting a couple of weeks ago, shortly before they received their first Michelin Star. It's an intimate venue without feeling too intimate! Design give the restaurant a sharp and slightly contemporary feel – very chic indeed. Food hit the spot perfectly and never one to resist a Carpaccio tried the Carni de Manza Fassone which receives a double-yum rating. The Seabass for main with the truffle butter likewise. Chef Marco obviously knows his business well likewise with Manager Giovanni Baldino keeping the front of house team running smoothly. Certainly deserving of it's Michelin star I suggest this is added to your lists of ones to try. Also I can't wait to try their Trattoria across the yard for a chilled evening soon.

I think Sushinho is a great addition to the locality and provides great Japanese cuisine at good prices. While it has a contemporary feel and a pretty cool interior it manages to feel somewhere slap bang in the middle of the Japanese venues – not too uptight with the booking policy or prices but still a long way up the ladder from the mainstream sushi places peppered around town. Although the menu looks quite short you will find enough dishes to keep you well occupied. A fantastic bar team will keep the cocktails flowing as well. Again I had to rush my lunch a little due to work but plan to return soon as possible especially after a report from a friend of a great group dinner they had the other week. Will update as soon as!