SquareMeal Gold Awards

Housed inside the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in King’s Cross, The Midland Dining Room is a French brasserie launched by restaurateur and hotelier Harry Handelsman (Chiltern Firehouse, Allegra, Booking Office 1869), chef Patrick Powell (Allegra) and globally-renowned interior designer Hugo Toro. Its named after the Midland Grand Hotel, the Gothic Revival 19th century hotel which originally occupied the building, and its renowned dining and coffee room which was known for its haute French cuisine.

Between 2011 and 2021, the space was known as The Gilbert Scott, which was operated by celebrated Michelin-starred British chef Marcus Wareing. Now, The Midland Dining Room pays tribute to the building's impressive past with its Parisian-inspired design and menu.

Menus are rooted in French cuisine and change regularly according to the seasons, with a particular focus on British fish and meat. Alongside a versatile à la carte menu is a set lunch offering, while signature dishes include the likes of crab and elderflower pain perdu, chicken liver parfait with a truffle and Madeira jelly and Grand Marnier soufflé. These sit alongside broader, more familiar menu items such as salad of English tomatoes, pesto rouge, pickled shallots and soft herbs, wild mushrooms on toast with parsley and garlic, Welsh lamb with Pommes Anna, ratatouille and whipped aubergine, and grilled Dover sole.

As well as an a la carte, The Midland Grand Dining Room also offers a very reasonable lunch set menu that changes weekly. 

The wine offering is a considered list of predominantly old-world varieties, demonstrating established as well as up-and-coming producers. There is also a concise and carefully-crafted cocktail list created specifically for the restaurant to complement Powell’s menu, and overseen by bar manager Jack Porter. For example, Le Pain cocktail is a digestif that takes inspiration from Powell’s grandmother’s soda bread, including soda bread mix, Jameson, Guinness liquor, black walnut bitter and sweet vermouth.

Hugo Toro and Harry Handelsman have overseen the interiors which honour the Victorian origins of the room, while updating it for a cosmopolitan, contemporary audience. The vintage space features a variety of different botanicals and produce, along with bespoke tables, banquettes and its very own bar. Various textures are used via mirrors, rattan and caning, wood columns and glass, while the room’s bespoke orange colour pays homage to its original design.

Gouqi is a fine dining Chinese restaurant from seven Michelin-starred chef Tong Chee Hwee, where he brings innovative contemporary Chinese cuisine to St James’s in London. Tong helped to open Hakkasan Hanway Place in 2001, which gained its Michelin star two years later in 2003, before later becoming the executive chef of the entire Hakkasan Group in 2010. Over the years, he’s also led the kitchens at Hakkasan Mayfair, Yauatcha Soho and HKK, before leaving the group in 2019.

Gouqi marks the chef’s return to London’s dining scene and is his first solo venture, where he offers a contemporary take on Chinese cooking with a range of la carte, tasting and dim sum menus. The name Gouqi (pronounced like ‘goji’) originated as a play on goji berry, traditionally viewed as a symbol of health and vitality and which informs the ethos of the restaurant. As such, dishes are made using the freshest possible seasonal ingredients and offer a fusion of flavours, techniques and ingredients drawn from across China, as well as parts of Europe.

On the a la carte menu, diners are able to tuck into its ‘legendary’ peking duck with Oscietra caviar, as well as other luxurious dishes such as eight treasure crispy chicken with foie gras and a steamed royal dim sum platter. While the eight-course tasting menu combines modern European influences with Chinese flavours to create dishes such as chargrilled silver cod with yellow bean sauce and passion fruit, and black truffle roasted duck with honey-glazed Iberico char siu with salted egg yolk.

Meanwhile, its cocktail menu is inspired by the four Chinese mythological creatures: the Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Tortoise of the North. Discover four collections of drinks, each offering their own distinctive flavour profile, from floral and fresh to rich and full-bodied. Elsewhere, a premium wine list features a lengthy selection of bottles from across the globe.

The Savoy Grill has been home to some iconic celebrity moments, with Winston Churchill, Marylin Monroe and James Dean having all passed through The Savoy’s gilded doors. The Savoy Grill by Gordon Ramsay most definitely takes the lead from the decadence of the hotel and offers a dining experience packed full of ‘gourmet glamour’.

The Savoy Grill was restored to its former glory during The Savoy Hotel’s £200-million refit. Burnished mirrors, polished wood finishes, crisp white table clothes and shimmering chandeliers all add to the decadent style of this restaurant. The classic menu is host to an array of favourites - most particularly Gordon’s signature beef wellington served with crêpes suzette that have the added drama of being flambéed at the table. As expected, the grill offers a varied choice of meat, fish and seafood - lobster Thermidor, Scottish langoustines, roasted Orkney scallops or grilled Dover sole all feature. For something hearty, the Sunday roast menu offers a salt-bake leg of lamb, roast suckling pig, salmon coulibiac or a traditional rib of beef served with Yorkshire puddings.

Aside from having one of our favourite addresses ever (No.1 Poultry), Coq D'Argent is a luxurious space in the heart of the City of London, boasting a chic bar, lavish restaurant and stunning roof terrace. The menu is spearheaded by head chef Damien Rigollet, with the award-winning wine list coming from head sommelier Giuseppe Iacona.

The restaurant itself is an elegant, refined space, with white tablecloths and discreet but attentive staff. The bar, meanwhile, is a more relaxed setting, ideal for a post-work drink with a colleague or catch-up with a friend. Finally, the terrace and garden offer stellar views of the London skyline, with alfresco dining all year thanks to blankets and heaters.

Those looking to dine on a budget can enjoy the extremely reasonable set menu, which offers three courses for under £40. Options mainly consist of French staples including snails with garlic and parsley butter, comte tart and creme brulee. For more decadent options, diners can opt for the a la carte menu, which features more global entries such as teriyaki glazed octopus or falafel with violet artichoke salad. Seafood lovers can indulge with Colchester rock oysters or bouquet prawns, while caviar connoisseurs can enjoy Baerii, Oscietra or even Beluga, which comes with Taittinger "Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs" 2005. 

For earlier visits, there is an excellent brunch menu. Diners can start their day with a Bloody Mary, Mimosa, Espresso or Aperol Spritz, before tucking into the likes of crab toast, eggs Royale Benedict, potato rostis, artisanal sausage and macaroons. The 38-page wine list is truly something to behold, offering grapes from all over the world at varying price levels. There is also an impressive range of sparkling, fortified and sweet wines, as well as a separate list of Taittinger Champagne, including a 2007 'Comtes de Champagne'.

When The Cinnamon Club opened in 2001 it offered up a fine-dining experience when the majority of Indian restaurants in the capital were still subscribing to the curry-house format that had propelled the popularity of the cuisine in the UK.

Classically trained in India, chef Vivek Singh understands the building blocks of age-old cooking techniques and couples them with contemporary twists on classics for unusual and surprising creations that have helped to push his restaurant into the premier league of London eateries. Additional accolades include Singh having authored five bestselling cookbooks and appearing regularly on cooking programmes such as Saturday Kitchen and Celebrity MasterChef.

The Cinnamon Club has undergone a £1 million refurbishment to transform its home in the old Westminster Library into a bright and modern space that still retains much of its original character. Old books line two sides of the dining room while walls are painted bright white and a mezzanine level adds additional seating without detracting from the double-height space.

Priding itself in catering for every eventuality The Cinnamon Club offers all sorts of special menus, including a vegan one which offers a wonderful selection of plant-based Indian dishes. From the main menu you can expect creations like a Bengali-style lobster thermidor and a 48-hour marinated pheasant breast in pickling spices. For those who enjoy communal dining there is also a handful of signature sharing mains, like the Old Delhi-style butter chicken and a whole rack of lamb in a corn and yoghurt sauce.

The Cinnamon Club also offers private dining spaces for special occasions and serves meals from first thing to late into the evening, with a breakfast menu that includes unexpected dishes such as a full traditional cooked English breakfast.

Another jewel in restaurant group D&D’s ubiquitous empire is Angler, a Michelin-starred restaurant perched at the top of South Place Hotel specialising in sustainably-sourced fish and seafood. Led by executive chef Gary Foulkes, the menu features an ever-changing display of modern and innovative dishes, with both a la carte and tasting menus available. Gary has spent more than two decades working in Michelin-starred restaurants, starting his career under the guidance of acclaimed Gary Rhodes before going on to work at two-starred The Vineyard at Stockcross, one-starred Aubergine in Chelsea and two-starred The Square in Mayfair.

In addition to the main restaurant, The Angler Terrace is a rooftop terrace and bar which offers guests fantastic views across the capital. Offering a retractable roof and heaters, it’s a great place to soak up the city’s skyline all year round, and functions as an extension of the restaurant should you wish to enjoy a meal here.

The a la carte menu offers a concise selection of starters, mains and dessert, revolving predominantly around fish and seafood. To start, you may enjoy the likes of sea bass tartare with oyster cream, green apple and shiso, or native lobster ravioli with chicory, Japanese citrus and basil. While mains might include Cornish monkfish with pumpkin gnocchi, chestnut and rosemary butter. The tasting menu begins with a selection of snacks, from a comte, goat’s curd and pumpkin gougere to prawn and squid ink crackers with smoked cod’s roe and espelette peppers. This is followed by seven courses, not including petit fours.

To drink, there is an extensive bottled wine list which is carefully selected by its resident Sommelier. Discover a huge range of wines by the glass if you’d like to try a few, as well as a global selection of fine and premium bottles.

Frenchie Covent Garden is chef Gregory Marchand's London outpost - Marchand owns a number of 'Frenchie' businesses in Paris on the Rue du Nil that includes a wine bar, a restaurant, a wine shop and a takeaway grocery, and the Covent Garden restaurant mirrors the Paris restaurant, which itself has a Michelin star. Marchand was born in Nantes and has worked in a number of well-known kitchens, most notably as previous chef of Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant (it was Oliver who gave Marchand the nickname Frenchie, which has become the name of his small restaurant empire). 

You'll find Frenchie near the Covent Garden piazza, on a cobbled street. The restaurant itself is deceptively large - insidem a combination of exposed brickwork, marble table tops and moody, low-pitched lighting gives Frenchie a classic, relaxed fine dining vibe. The dining room extends a long way back, and then downstairs into a basement which often hosts private dining and large groups. On the right, a marble-topped counter provides ample room for counter dining and for visitors to drop in for a glass of wine or a cocktail. 

Marchand's cooking is rooted in classic French technique, but he has worked all over the world and gleans influences from his time in England, and also from spells across Europe and even as far as Hong Kong. The menu is recognisably French, but there are touches of flair in dishes like smoked sea bream carpaccio with chive sabayon, strawberries and jalapeño, and salt-baked pork neck with grilled courgette and harissa. There are some dishes that are almost permanently on the menu, such is their popularity, such as the bacon scone with maple syrup and Cornish clotted cream, and the lamb ragu pappardelle with Kalamata olive and confit lemon. 

The wine list is extensive too, and Frenchie's mixologists mix up some intriguing cocktails too, like a bacon Old Fashioned. Always busy and consistently great, Frenchie has become one of London's must-visit restaurants.

Found on the 24th floor of Tower 42, right in the heart of London, Michelin-starred City Social boasts jaw-dropping, panoramic views of the London skyline and a classy modern British menu to match.

City Social is a particularly bright star in Jason Atherton's impressive Social Company restaurant group. As of 2019, Tomas Lidakevicius has taken over executive chef duties here, and he brings a wealth of experience to the role having worked at the likes of Galvin at Windows, Corrigan’s Mayfair and Texture. 

The menu at City Social is typical of Atherton's restaurants - elegant, modern British food that celebrates the best produce the country has to offer, and elevates it with a dash of international panache. Dishes include the likes of Devon crab with bitter leaf salad, nashi pear and brown crab toast on starters, braised short rib with watercress, alliums and olive oil mash for mains, as well as a pasta course and Hereford beef steaks from the josper grill. Naturally there's a choice of caviar options for those who are ready to push the boat out. City Social also caters well for vegetarians and vegans, offering dedicated vegetarian and vegan set menus as well as the vegetarian options on the a la carte. Don't forget to leave room for desserts like chocolate délice, miso caramel and black sesame ice-cream.

Within the same venue as City Social, you will find Social 24, a more casual bar that features equally stupendous views of London. As well as a terrific cocktail menu, the bar also includes a selection of beers, spirits, wines and Champagnes, along with a bar menu ideal for a relaxed bite with friends or a business lunch.

Special occasions need special surroundings and even more impressive food, and you won't find a more spectacular place to dine than at The Ritz. Holding a Michelin star, executive chef John Williams MBE creates the finest cuisine, presented with the utmost elegance and precision.

Surrounded by grand chandeliers, floor-to-ceiling windows and mirrors, and magnificent statues; the dining room alone is enough to take your breath away. Join friends and family overlooking the green haven of Green Park and let the head sommelier guide you through his list of gems, or perhaps you might favour a glass of Champagne or even a taste of the Champagne of the month.

The menus draw inspiration from traditional dishes using Escoffier-inspired recipes. Each dish is composed of fine, British produce; plus the menus change seasonally to adapt to the best ingredients available at each moment of the year.

A speciality of this restaurant can be found in their Arts De La Table section - shared dishes with table side service that pays homage to the harmony between the kitchen and service. If guests prefer, they can stick to a traditional three-course affair; begin with the likes of native lobster paired with tomato and basil before moving onto a main of sea bass. You may see the likes of seasonal Yorkshire grouse on the menu, served with tart blackberry and walnuts. 

In the dessert selection, the restaurant showcases its delicate patisserie skills. The infamous chocolate souffle is perfectly risen and fluffy with a smooth, vanilla chantilly cream to match. If you don't have much of a sweet tooth, then the selection of artisan cheeses make the perfect finish.

Experience grandeur and elegance like no other when dining at The Ritz. Soak up the atmosphere of the live music performed by the resident pianist or harpist and revel in one of Mayfair's finest culinary destinations. 

There isn't a more iconic British activity than partaking in afternoon tea at The Ritz. With five sittings served daily in the grand surroundings of the hotel's Palm Court, guests will leave the Mayfair dining room having indulged in the finest of afternoon teas. 

Located on the ground floor of the hotel, the Palm Court stuns with its grand chandeliers, ornate designs and high ceilings. Decorated in tones of gold and cream, this stunning room looks like something straight out of a fairytale, and features leafy palms, huge paned mirrors and vast marble columns as you enter. Depending on your sitting, guests are also serenaded with live music while they dine, as expert musicians play the piano, cello, harp or violin at intervals thoughout the day.

The traditional afternoon tea is a quintessentially British offering of sandwiches, pastries and freshly baked scones with clotted cream and preserves. Start off with delicate Scottish smoked salmon and citrusy lemon butter on sourdough, followed by a classic cucumber and cream cheese sandwich that is served with the elevated flavour pairing of dill and mint. A chicken breast and creamy tarragon mayonnaise meets malt bread while some sandwiches are served in a rich, buttery brioche roll. 

In terms of tea, guests are spoilt for choice with 18 different types of loose-leaf tea available. From The Ritz's own breakfast tea, to a floral earl grey, refreshing mint and the more complex Chinese green teas. 

Moving onto the sweet selection, guests will find an assortment of seasonal pastires and cakes alongside the staple of scones, Cornish clotted cream and strawberry preserve. Turn the afternoon into a celebratory occasion for the whole family with a children's menu, and the addition of a glass of Champagne for the adults to indulge in. 

With stunning views overlooking the tranquility of the Exe Estuary and the famed Jurassic Coast, five star Lymptone Manor might just be one of the most beautiful country retreats anywhere in the UK. This five star hotel boasts 21 stunning guest rooms and suites, a world-class wine cellar, and 28 acres of ground, including an 11 acre vineyard. Not to mention, of course, the presence of a true legend of British cooking - Michael Caines MBE - in the kitchen.

Michael Caines has become one of the UK's best known and respected chefs over his long career. His distinctive, modern British cooking - honed on classical French technique from the kitchens of legends like Joel Robuchon, Raymond Blanc and Bernard Loiseau - earned him two Michelin stars at nearby Gidleigh Park, an award that he held for eighteen years.

In 2017, Michael left to open Lympstone Manor, and he made an instant impact, winning a Michelin star just six months after opening. The menu is vintage Michael Caines - international influences, smart flavour combinations, all underpinned by old-school technique. Starters on the a la carte at the time of writing include confit salmon with honey and soy vinaigrette, wasabi yoghurt and a salmon consomme, and pan-fried duck liver with braised orange chicory, orange puree and anise-scented duck jus. Mains are a little more classic, like butter-poached Brixham turbot with braised leeks, poached scallops, truffle and chive butter. And who could possibly turn down a pistachio souffle for dessert, cooked by the master?

Aside from the a la carte there are two tasting menus available - the signature, and the 'Taste of the Estuary' that celebrates the best ingredients from the local area. And finally, appreciation of fine wine is also integral to the Lympstone Manor experience. The world-class wine cellar has over 600 bins representing some of the finest wine estates from around the globe.

The Victoria Oxshott is an award-winning British restaurant and gastropub located on Oxshott High Street, near Leatherhead in Surrey. Open for lunch, dinner and a roast on Sundays, The Victoria is a family friendly pub serving a menu of locally sourced seasonal dishes. 

The Victoria is a spacious modern pub with a large bar area and plenty of cosy seating areas and fireplaces. A green and gold colour palette is visible throughout the restaurant, and the interiors are luxurious but classic, with timber floors, wood-panelled walls as well as cosy rugs everywhere. There is also an expansive terrace and beer garden.

The main a la carte menu changes regularly. However, you may find dishes such as Sladesdown farm breast and leg of duck with hay baked carrot, Scottish girolles and apricot, and slow cooked pork, hispi cabbage, apple and black pudding crumb. Other classic dishes include traditional fish and chips, as well as a selection of steaks from the grill, all of which are served with roasted onion, chips and Bordelaise sauce. 

There's plenty in the way of meat-free options, including at the time of writing a cauliflower steak, torched corn and coriander. Save room for desserts like apricot Bakewell tart, yoghurt ice cream and banoffee pie souffle, or a cheese plate if you prefer. There is a large drinks menu, with an extensive wine list, as well as local beers and spirits. 

If you’re dining with younger guests you will find plenty of good options on the menu, such as cheese crumpets, fish and chips, and a mini Sunday roast. The Victoria is conveniently positioned within reach of Oxshott train station, alongside a number of shops, a delicatessen and a butchers. Keep an eye out for many seasonal specials, including The Victoria boxing day menu, and the New Years Eve menu. 

'Riwaz' meaning ‘tradition’ is Atul Kochhar’s latest Buckinghamshire venture, following the success of Sindhu and Vaasu in Marlow and Hawkyns in Amersham.

Found in Beaconsfield Old Town, it’s located in the heart of the town on the former Zizzi’s site and offers a fresh take on Indian fine dining. The menu takes rustic influences from Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Orissa, among others. The unique fine dining menu created by Atul honors his Indian heritage while also allowing for creative contemporary dishes taken from his 30 years of living in the UK. This impressive menu style keeps the flavors and recipes of tradition alive, while presenting them in various modern ways.

Open daily for lunch, dinner and to takeaway, there are a choice of menus to suit the experience you are looking for. Those wanting to drop in for lunch can take advantage of the incredibly affordable set lunch menu, priced at £15 for two courses or £19 for three and includes the likes of crispy fried chicken with tandoori spices, grilled paneer with spinach and coriander potatoes and spiced cauliflower steaks. For the evening, you can experience a taste of Rivaz with a £35 set dinner menu or for the full experience opt for the 5-course or 7-course tasting menu. An A La Carte menu is also available.

When it comes to drinks, the cocktails are where the menu really shines with a host of signature cocktails using spirits from local distilleries and fresh takes on classic cocktails like the cranberry and passionfruit mojito. The wine list is extensive and each bottle is chosen for its outstanding quality and great value. If you would like advice on which wines to pair with your food then the team is happy to help with their unique and personal wine suggestions. 

Housed in a popular little spot on Frith Street, Hoppers Soho is largely responsible for putting Sri Lankan food well and truly on London’s map. The small and cheerful venue with its wooden furniture, bright yellow walls and framed Bollywood posters is inspired by the village toddy shops on the backstreets of Sri Lanka and the restaurant serves a laid-back informal menu of traditional and authentic dishes from the country including hoppers, dossas, kothus and roasts – all complimented by a tropical drinks list focussed around the popular native spirits Genever and Arrack.  The restaurant is the brainchild of the Sethi siblings, best known for their Indian restaurants Gymkhana and Brigadiers, and the success of their casual small plate outpost has seen Hoppers replicated in St Christopher’s Place and soon to be King’s Cross.

A very reasonable express lunch menu is a good way to experience a broad range of the restaurant’s popular dishes comprising mutton rolls, goat or veg Kothu rotis, a hopper or dosa, choice of Kari and selection of sambols or chutneys; but for those with more time on their hands the Taste of Hoppers feasting menus are an absolute must. For just £35 a head the whole table will be served a selection of signature dishes to share that showcase the very best of authentic Sri Lankan cusine. Choose between a meat or vegetarian option and look forward to sharing dishes that include hot butter chilli paneer; devilled squid; goat Kothu roti; Kappa cutlets; and bone marrow varuval. Next guests can choose between a traditional hopper- a large bowl shaped fermented rice and coconut milk pancake- or dosa – a pancake made from a fermented lentil and rice batter. Finally diners can choose a Kari (the Tamil term for a curry) of their choice to round off the feast with some Sri Lankan heat.

Since opening originally in 2006, Hawksmoor has built a successful empire on expertly-sourced steaks served alongside more side dishes than you can count on one hand. Obviously, we know there’s more to its unrivalled popularity than that, but you can’t knock the people’s love for steak and chips, a truth that Hawksmoor has capitalised on exponentially. Now, with eight restaurants in London as well as multiple sites across the UK, this steakhouse giant shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.  

Hawksmoor Seven Dials can be found down a quiet street in the old Watney-Coombe brewery. Boasting a well-stocked bar where guests can slurp on signature cocktails (discover multiple twists on a Manhattan, highball and martini) before slouching over to one of its leather banquets to tuck into a meat (and fish) filled feast. The long dining room is decorated in a cosy art-deco style, with wooden parquet flooring, painted wood-paneled walls and a huge skylight above that floods the room with natural light during the day.  

Situated slap bang in the middle of Covent Garden, this branch occupies a prime spot for a quick dinner before heading to the theatre in the West End. Fortunately, an express two or three-course menu is perfect for pre or post-theatre dining.  

The a la carte menu, meanwhile, revolves around a selection of British-bred beef steaks and sustainably-sourced seafood. Go easy on the starters because the main event is guaranteed to be a feast! Kick off with smoked salmon with soda bread, or potted beef and bacon with Yorkshires and onion gravy before choosing your preferred steak. Larger cuts are generally 500g or more, perfect for two people to share, and include chateaubriand, T-bone and bone-in prime rib, while smaller options include fillet, sirloin and rib eye. Serve alongside a mix-and-match of sauces and sides – think tripled-cooked chips, mash and gravy, macaroni cheese and maple bacon.  

One of six restaurants and bars in towering skyscraper The Shard, Oblix is a contemporary restaurant located on the 32nd Floor offering a sophisticated dining experience with much of the menu cooked on the kitchen’s rotisserie and charcoal grill. The restaurant has a double identity and is split between two distinct spaces with Oblix West being home to the main dining room.

Providing a more formal dining experience, enjoy a muted and relaxed atmosphere at Oblix West at The Shard, in a setting that boasts awe-inspiring views of west London and employs a muted colour scheme of tan leather upholstery seating and natural woods which let those views do the talking.

Here, you’ll find a buzzy open kitchen by the entrance and a chic dining room in which you can enjoy lunch, brunch or dinner from a selection of menus celebrating the best of British cuisine with modern day twists. The a la carte menu features a number of highlights such as the barbecued Iberico pork ribs with jalapeno salsa verde or cedar smoked black cod with pickled onion and citrus.

There's also a great selection of dishes intended for sharing, with sharing starters such as tempura crab cakes or beef carpaccio, as well as a seafood platter or a whole grilled turbot which are both designed for two to three people. There is also the option to order from the grill – think a selection of steaks and whole lobster slathered in garlic butter.

On the weekends, Oblix West serves a three-course brunch with the option to add bottomless Prosecco or completely indulge with the Limitless Bruch complete with unlimited Champagne, wine and cocktails. Starters include red tuna tartare and a classic prawn cocktail, while main courses see spicy seafood spaghetti and grilled rotisserie chicken served alongside with lemon, garlic and rosemary mashed potatoes.

An extensive wine list will take your evening to the next level with a selection of wines from all over the world carefully recommended by the restaurant's sommeliers. 

Lunar Restaurant is the brainchild of renowned chef Niall Keating, who was crowned champion of champions on The Great British Menu in 2020. Aside from his TV success, Niall has also accomplished winning the Michelin Young European Chef in 2018 and Rising Chef Trophy in 2019. Niall became Britain's youngest chef with two Michelin stars from his previous roles, and has carried forward the high quality and standards to Lunar. Here, the team recognises that working towards a better future means sustainability, less food miles and more creativity, and incorporates this into the menu.

The Lunar Experience menu brings guests a 12 course feast that has been carefully curated to take diners on Niall Keating and head chef Craig Lunn's personal journeys through their career to date. Inspired by their love of food, travel, life, sustainability, local produce and working with some of the finest restaurants in the world, the pair have created a menu that is constantly evolving.

Due to the dishes being so unique, and the fact that each week is so different from one to the next, the menu isn’t published and is left as a surprise to everyone who visits. However, there is a sample menu available, where you’ll find dishes like Orkney scallops with dill pickle and mussel veloute, linguini with autumn truffle and aged parmesan as well as rhubarb, ginger and goats milk for dessert.

For those looking for something slightly less extravagant, there is also an a la carte menu where guests can choose from three courses. Whilst guests are unable to see what they’ll be eating in advance, the restaurant is still able to cater for allergies and intolerances. However, with regards to subjective tastes, guests are encouraged to open their minds and mouths and travel on the journey with them.

Their mission is to create an experience that people will remember forever, through creating a tasting experience like no other using local sustainable produce.

Sitting right in the heart of Bloomsbury, Roka Charlotte Street was the group’s first ever London site, and it remains one of the most beloved thanks to a combination of delicious Japanese cooking and sleek modern interiors. London is a city now obsessed with Japanese food, but Roka was part of the wave that really started it all, winning legions of fans with precise, delicious sushi platters and flavour-bomb dishes from the signature robata grill.

Inside, Roka’s contemporary styling has also won it many fans. The roaring robata grill (from which Roka borrows the first syllable of its name) sits at the heart of the restaurant, surrounded by counter dining spots on a gorgeous piece of carved wood. Floor-to-ceiling windows help to fill the whole space with natural light, which also lends the restaurant a rather glamorous evening atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Roka is beloved for its easy-going Japanese menu which has something for everyone. Sushi fans have long been coming to Roka for the excellent sushi and sashimi selection, that includes soft shell crab, cucumber and kimchi maki rolls with chilli mayonnaise, Wagyu tempura maki with karashi ponzu, and a spicy sashimi fish platter with cucumber shiso. You can also order sashimi and nigiri per piece, from a wide selection that includes shrimp, yellowfin, octopus and fatty tuna.

All that before you get to the robata grill section, which forms the heart of the Roka experience. Dishes like chicken skewers with spring onion, baby back pork ribs with sansho pepper, lamb cutlets with Korean spices and beef fillet with chilli and ginger are all cooked over the coals and flames. There are great seafood dishes too, including scallop skewers and Roka’s famous black cod marinated in yuzu miso.

No doubt one of Brighton's most celebrated restaurants, The Little Fish Market is true to its name - a small, 20-cover restaurant, run by Duncan Ray, who cooks a single tasting menu with a heavy lean towards south coast fish and seafood. Ray has worked under the likes of Marco Pierre White, John Burton Race and Heston Blumenthal in his career, before striking out on his own in Brighton.

Since opening in 2013, The Little Fish Market has scooped a bevy of awards, including a place in the Good Food Guide, the Michelin Guide, the National Restaurant Awards Top 100 and three AA Rosettes. These days, Brighton boasts a rejuvenated restaurant scene, but The Little Fish Market was there right at the beginning, and alongside chefs like Michael Bremner and Steven Edwards, Ray has done a great deal to put Brighton on the national culinary map.

You'll find the restaurant just off the main road towards Hove, where its unnassuming double-front sits neatly next to The Old Market theatre. This old building used to be a fishmonger, hence the name, and though it has smartened up a bit it still retains that rustic charm. Though Ray has experience in some very fine dining establishments, his cooking at The Little Fish Market is more classic and restrained.

The single tasting menu shows off a variety of fresh fish and seafood - whatever is best on each day - cooked in a way that shows it at its very best. The dishes are described in very few words - think 'Brill', 'Scallop' and 'Bream' - to keep a sense of mystery and surprise behind each one. While the accompanying wine selection is ably curated by Noble Rot's Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew. 

A true seafood institution, Bentley’s needs little introduction. Serving up the freshest seafood around for over 100 years will often have that effect. Headed up by Michelin-starred chef Richard Corrigan for more than a decade, Bentley’s shows no sign of slowing down. This is a restaurant where diners feel relaxed, but every detail has been examined before anything leaves the kitchen. Specialising in not just oysters but all seafood, this is widely considered one of the best places to enjoy the fruits of the sea in the UK.

An essential start to a meal at Bentley’s is, of course, oysters. Here there are over ten varieties to choose from, available individually or by the half dozen. Purists can enjoy theirs as nature intended, while those seeking something more flavoured can opt for theirs dressed or garlic-baked. Oscietra, Cornish and Iranian Beluga caviar is available for those wishing to go all-out for their meal.

From the raw bar, the delights of the sea continue with options like langoustine with ponzu and pink grapefruit or cherry clam with tomato and horseradish. Classic dishes like shellfish cocktails are elevated to new heights here, featuring Cornish crab, Atlantic prawns, lobster and brown shrimp. Starters include further elevated dishes like lobster bisque with brandy and tarragon chantilly or Cornish crab and mussel soup with coconut, ginger and lime.

Those wanting something more relaxed for their main course can enjoy classic fish and chips with tartare sauce and mushy peas or fish pie. However, the decadence continues with options like pan-seared turbot with olive oil mash and langoustine sauce. Meat dishes like a herb-crusted rack of lamb are also available, but seafood is certainly the main event here.

There is an extensive list of wines by the glass as well as bottle so that the ideal accompaniment for each course can be chosen. There are plenty of sparkling options as well as larger bottles for extravagant celebrations.

Monica Galetti, Masterchef judge and former senior sous chef at the legendary Le Gavroche, has offered herself up for scrutiny with her first solo restaurant. Mere, pronounced Mary, is the French word for mother and the Samoan word for Galetti’s own mother Mary.

Kick things off on a deep-blue velvet chair in the elegant ground-floor bar where, à Le Gavroche, guests peruse the menu, perhaps over a glass of the richly rounded house Champagne that Galetti has produced with Duval Leroy.

The striking design continues downstairs where a double-height glass frontage removes any sense of eating in a basement and has transformed the site into a light-filled lunchtime rendezvous as well as an elegant setting for dinner.

But as expected, it’s the cooking that shines the most brightly, with Galetti’s Samoan and New Zealand heritage blended seamlessly with Gavroche-style haute cuisine for a contemporary take on high-end dining.

To start, a light ’nduja sauce highlights the meatiness of a springy curl of octopus, sticky from the plancha, while the accompanying caper and raisin jam is so good you’ll want to spread it over the mini bread loaves that arrive warm from the kitchen. Brined cabbage, pickled celeriac and a gribiche dressing are the perky contrasts to soft folds of ox tongue.

To follow, lobster is rescued from creamy sauce territory, simply poached and served with potato purée, cabbage and a bisque sauce in harmony of light sweetness, while 30-day aged sirloin comes with puffs of onion beignets, glazed cheek and a tarragon crème fraiche to keep all the richness in check.

Desserts have more conventional flavours but are no less good for it: chocolate and peanut cremeux with peanut praline, roasted cocoa nib ice cream, and a coconut cream pie filled with roasted banana and drizzled with rum caramel are the stuff of sweet dreams.

The letter ‘M’ appears everywhere in the restaurant, from the door handles of the loos to the lapel pins of the nattily attired waters. With Mere, Monica Galetti has stamped her own claim to one of London’s most famous restaurant addresses.

Located inside Surrey's luxurious Pennyhill Park Hotel, The Latymer is a fine dining restaurant serving a choice of inventive menus designed by head chef Steve Smith. With a Michelin star to its name, The Latymer prides itself on providing only the highest level of service and a suitably formal atmosphere to best showcase the award-winning food. The restaurant is committed to showcasing only the finest local produce and also has a real focus on seasonality, which means that the menus change every day based on availability of ingredients.

Found in one of the oldest parts of the house, The Latymer's dining room boasts a snug yet grand feel with rustic exposed beams and opulent décor throughout. A mixture of brightly upholstered chairs and banquettes sit on a turquoise carpet while tables are topped with white tablecloths and wooden panels line the walls.

Taking on the position of head chef in 2020, Steve Smith has completely redesigned Latymer's food offering. The focus is on its discovery tasting menu which is available for both lunch and dinner. This is comprised of six regularly changing courses with guests recommended to allow three hours to experience the gastronomic experience. Examples of dishes might include Birxham crab salad and custard with mango and coriander to start, followed by Ventowyn Farm egg with peas, girolles and ham, and sea bass with Roscoff onion, smoked eel and mustard. Sweet dishes might include seasonal delights such as Yorkshire rhubarb with waina and pistachio.

When it comes to drinks at The Latymer, you can opt for a wine pairing designed by head sommelier Sergio Dos Santos to perfectly complement every dish on the tasting menu, or you can choose a bottle from the extensive wine list. There are also plenty of other drinks available for those who don't want wine and for non-drinkers.

Adding to the ranks of some of London’s best Indian restaurants comes Bibi, a fine-dining destination for deftly spiced dishes of warming Indian flavours.

This contemporary restaurant is backed by JKS, the people behind Michelin-starred Gymkhana, with chef Chet Sharma at the helm of the kitchen where he brings a wealth of skill and expertise. Sharma previously worked as the group’s development chef, creating some of the best-loved dishes in London. This venture sees him have free reign of his very own kitchen for the first time.

A variety of 'Chef's Selection' menus are available as either five or eight-courses, with the option to choose from separate vegetarian and pescatarian menus. On the five-course menu, for example, diners are served a selection of assorted snacks, followed by green chilli haliut, and then buffalo milk paneer. Next, is a combination of Sharmaji’s Lahori chicken and a Galouti kebab, before finishing with a Pondicherry chocolate kulfi.

While only tasting menus are available in the evening, it also serves an a la carte offering at lunch which features a range of small snacks, chaats and grills. 

As is fitting for a Mayfair address, there’s Champagne on the drinks list here, as well as sparkling teas, a progressive wine list and a whole host of cocktails. In terms of the latter, you might choose to try a Calamansi Margarita featuring Calamansi tequila, mango ginger and green chilli.

Interiors at Bibi are by Sam Hosker and have been designed to create a warm, relaxed environment for diners. Expect mango wood paired with sandstone furnishes, as well as antique brass accessories and abstract prints. Inside the restaurant there’s room for 35 guests, while the outside space can accommodate up to 20 people and is furnished with rattan chairs surrounded by verdant foliage.

Situated in the heart of Chelsea just off the King’s Road, The Five Fields is a Michelin-starred restaurant serving contemporary British food. Originally opened in 2013, this elegant neighbourhood spot has earned a flurry of accolades over the years, including its prized star in 2017. Taylor Bonnyman is the chef patron behind the operation, having previously worked in some of the best kitchens in the world: the now-closed Michelin-starred Roussillon in London, Marcus Wareing, Pierre Gagnaire in Paris and two Michelin-starred Corton in Tribeca to name a few.

Taylor and his team take provenance very seriously and the restaurant sources a huge amount of its plant-based produce from its very own Kitchen Garden in Sussex. Spanning an acre and a half, The Garden provides a host of organic and seasonal produce exclusively for the restaurant, from fruits and vegetables to rare herbs and flowers. It also boasts 10 hives which produce honey and honeycomb for its desserts. In the kitchen, the team follows a low-waste approach to cooking, with any food waste it produces returned to The Garden for composting.

The restaurant serves tasting menus only for lunch and dinner. Dishes are built around the seasons so you can expect the menu to change fairly often. However, examples of things you might expect to try include lobster with pumpkin seed juice, fallow deer with Jerusalem artichoke and sunflower glaze, red cabbage salad with shiso gazpacho and oyster, and baked apples with cider sabayon.

Guests can also elect to include either a classic or prestige wine pairing with their meal, but there is also an extensive wine list which might be better suited to those who know what they like. Here, you'll find a magnificent collection of global wines, English sparkling, vintage Champagnes and more.

The Gilpin group spans two five-star hotels in the Lake District, just a mile from one another and both nestled in some of the area's most beautiful scenery with thick woodland and, of course, breathtaking lakes. 

The Gilpin Hotel is set in 21 acres of lush countryside and benefits from a Champagne bar, rooms with private hot tubs and en suite spas and two restaurants, both led by rising stars from the food industry. The Gilpin Spice is helmed by ex HRiSHi chef, Aakash Ohol, and Source at The Gilpin serves a Lake District menu created by Ollie Bridgewater (formerly of Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck), with a focus on seasonal produce sourced from local suppliers. 

The menu is set and consists of 10 courses. To start with, you might be presented with a crisp gin and tonic with cucumber, followed by tapioca crackers with seaweed emulsion, smoked eel and coastal herbs, and then a chilled gazpacho of herbs, scallop and pickled radish. After a slice of sourdough with cultured butter and whipped bone marrow, enjoy the likes of roast Scottish langoustine, celeriac and black truffle, and roast loin of monkfish with Iberico ham, borlotti, almond and caviar. For afters, seasonal combinations might include English strawberry with lavendar, Earl Grey and reduced milk, while hand made chocolates finish the experience. For vegan eaters, there is also a dedicated plant-based tasting menu.

If you're not in the mood for a tasting menu, Source also serves a three-course a la carte menu for a fixed price. This might start with lobster, lettuce and a peanut bisque, followed by Ibercio pork, truffled cabbage, mustard and lovage. Dessert could be sushi rice pudding with miso caramel, sesame and sake ice cream. 

Looking to eat at Source on a budget? The restaurant also offers a weekly-changing development menu which allows the team to practice ideas and concepts. This comprises six courses and is available for £60 per person at the time of writing. 

Prepare to step out of modern-day Mayfair and into Golden Age Shanghai as the concierge at Park Chinois welcomes you with a tip of a hat. This glamorous spot is dedicated to celebrating the romance and etiquette of yesteryear, alongside the thrills and luxury of the present. Park Chinois, which comprises the elegant Salon de Chine and indulgent Club Chinois, is a unique dining experience popular with the well-to-do, so have your credit card at the ready.

The lavish décor within takes inspiration from a 1930s Shanghai speakeasy, so prepare to be ensconced in red velvet upholstery and flashy frills, as you take in one of the venue’s live shows and get acquainted with some seriously special Chinese cooking.

There’s a menu for every occasion at Park Chinois, from light lunches to long, luxurious dinners. For an all-round taste of what’s on offer, try the two- or three-course set lunch menu. The restaurant’s more expensive dishes won’t feature, but you’ll still get to try the likes of bang bang chicken salad,  Cantonese roast duck with Champagne and orange sauce, and an 85% chocolate fondant.

For those looking to make a serious dent in their bank accounts though, the sky is the limit. You’ll find rare caviars, prime cuts of meat including Japanese Hida Wagyu rib-eye, premium fish and shellfish, and other dishes containing the likes of foie gras, black truffle and venison.

Exquisitely-crafted desserts are a must for the sweet-toothed as they include creations such as the Granny Smith apple cheesecake served with vanilla and apple cream, apple gel and crumble, and a decadent dark chocolate fondant made with sweetcorn and Rémy Martin Cognac Sauce and decorated with gold leaf. Drinks are similarly glamorous whether you opt for a cocktail, a glass of Champagne or a pot of rare Japanese tea.

Promising to bring the best of Barcelona to Manchester, Tast is a Spanish bar and restaurant in the centre of Manchester serving Catalonian twists on tapas dishes. Décor is modern and minimalistic, and the site is set over three spacious floors. Each floor boasts a slightly different atmosphere: the ground floor houses its buzzy bar and terrace, the first floor is where you'll find the main restaurant, while the top floor houses a beautiful private dining room. The restaurant has got a couple of big names behind it too. The kitchen is led by chef Paco Perez, who's won multiple Michelin stars throughout his career, while the restaurant is backed by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

The food at Tast aims to be as authentic as possible, while only using the highest quality ingredients. The restaurant and bar both offer up a broad range of ‘tastets’, a Catalan word meaning ‘tasting plates’, and is intended to offer a Catalonian spin on tapas. Examples of these small and tasty dishes include roasted red pepper croquetas, octopus with potatoes, mojo rojo and mojo verde, and duck egg with fried squid, potato soufflé and tartar sauce.

Larger dishes, meanwhile, include a selection of Catalan-style rice and charcoal options, from lobster rice and coral mayo, to creamy mussel rice with mussel mayo. All of the rice dishes are finished off in a charcoal oven, to create the traditional caramelised glaze at the bottom of the dish.

Tast boasts a large selection of Catalonian wines - in fact, it's one of the largest collections of Catalonian wines in Manchester - which are ideal to accompany your authentic meal. There is also a range of international options if you prefer, plus plenty of cocktails and beers if you’re just stopping by the bar for a drink and a nibble.

Moor Hall is a beautiful, grade II-listed country house with a surrounding estate of five acres and views out to the lake, set in the heart of West Lancashire. The property and grounds were taken over in 2015 by husband-and-wife team Andy and Tracey Bell, who oversaw a multi-million-pound renovation and transformation into the award-winning restaurant and rooms it is today.

While the Moor Hall Restaurant is the gem in the estate's crown, having been awarded two Michelin Stars, a Michelin Green Star, and 5 AA Rosettes, the Barn restaurant also sits on site and boasts a Michelin Star of its own, as well as a historic setting and gorgeous views. 

Just moments from the main house, the Barn was once a business man's carriages and horse's stables, and today flush with period features such as exposed brick walls and wooden beams overhead. It is helmed by patron-chef of Moor Hall, Mark Birchall, who describes this as a neighbourhood restaurant offering a seasonal menu and the best Sunday lunch of your life. 

It's important to the team that as much of the ingredients and produce are sourced as locally as possible, growing many of their own vegetables and herbs on site. Highlights from the menu include 60 day aged grass-fed ex dairy Jersey beef tartare with Jerusalem artichoke and nasturtium; Cornish cod, smoked onion, charred leek, bacon crumb and stem ginger panna cotta, blood orange, granola. And, as for those unmissable Sunday lunches, they say the roasted 40 day aged Longhorn sirloin with all the trimmings is the dish to try.

Guests are invited to enjoy either a set three-course menu for lunch from Thursday to Saturday, or for dinner on Wednesdays and Thursdays. An a la carte menu is also available, allowing you to pick your favourite dishes from the curated selection.

Evernight is a Japanese izakaya serving inventive and progressive small plates alongside an extensive wine list of low intervention wines. Evernight describes itself as a modern izakaya - it serves a menu broadly designed around the traditional izakaya concept of food made to eat whilst drinking, but the dishes are a more inventive take on classic Japanese techniques and flavours. Born from the mind of Lynus Lim - a Singaporean chef who trained under Tom Angelsea at the Laughting Heart - the restaurant showcases a progressive izakaya philosophy that utilises ingredients and produce from the British Isles.

Evernight has been widely acclaimed since opening in 2022, thanks to its exciting, innovative Japanese cooking. Simple nibbles like pickles and senbei (a type of Japenese rice cracker), come as a fantastic accompaniment to the intriguing and extensive wine list. Definitively global, the list features mainly low intervention wines from across Europe, introducing diners to new examples of fine reds, whites, rose and sparkling wines. For those wishing to pair their small plates with a beverage with an Asian origin, the menu also boasts a huge range of sake and sochu. 

On the food menu, you'll find snacks like turbot and shiso spring rolls, potato cakes liberally topped with dashi mayonnaise and Petrossian trout roe, and prawn and tsukune-stuffed chicken wings. That's before you get to a selection of small plates, sushi and sashimi, yakitori skewers and a sharing, seasonal rice donabe bowl.

Head chef Nicholas Tannett, formerly of Kitchen Table and Allegra has created the menu in a way that plays with traditional, regional and progressive techniques, allowing guests to experience new and exciting flavours without going too far from their comfort zones. A familiar chawanmushi dish takes on the strong, smokey flavour of smoked pork and is served with beans and trompette mushrooms.

Diners experience this progressive offering in a contemporary, stylish dining room, designed by Italian architect Ettore Tricario. Featuring plenty of wood and dark, natural colours, the restaurant is laid out in a traditionally communal way with diners seated on long tables or at the counter below bright, feature lights. 

Photography: Josh Croll

In the last few years, London diners have witnessed the rise of local, neighbourhood joints that foster a sense of community. In well-heeled Chiswick, The Silver Birch is a local opening that has joined in on the action, setting up shop on the area’s bustling high street.

The Silver Birch serves up a string of modern European dishes as part of a menu which evolves with the seasons, while plates are crafted using ingredients that have been locally sourced where possible. With such an impressive commitment to fastidious pedigree, it should come as no surprise that the chef behind the food here is far from an amateur. Heading up the kitchen is Nathan Cornwell, who has previously worked at big hitters like Geranium in Copenhagen which has three Michelin stars and Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham which has been honoured with two Michelin stars.

Diners can start off with creations such as organic celeriac, Coolea cheese, hazelnut and celeriac broth or Devon smoked eel with Jersey Royals, chive and asparagus. Mains continue with the likes of Shetland cod with Swiss chard and chicken butter sauce, alongside lamb with wild garlic, glazed tongue, pickled cockles and sea herbs, and new season asparagus with pickled leeks.

To finish, guests can opt for a pear and brown sugar tart with gingerbread, brown butter chocolate delice, milk sorbet and caramelised white chocolate, or a summery dish of Gariguette strawberries, cream cheese and strawberry sorbet.

The dining room is a relaxed, pared-back space which exudes calm thanks to a mix of natural materials and unfinished textures. Olive green seating is complemented by the exposed brick and plaster walls, while a stream of dappled sunlight illuminates the room come afternoon. The Silver Birch also boasts a chef’s table which overlooks the open kitchen, if you would prefer a seat close to the action.

Turn right when you exit the ear-popping elevator at The Shard and you’ll be greeted with the most spectacular view in London, a jaw-dropping panorama of the ever-evolving skyline of the Square Mile, with famous landmarks such as St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and Canary Wharf crowding the edge of your field of vision.

From the two dining options on offer – British-themed Aqua Shard and Szechuan-accented Hutong – we’d go Chinese very time, although no one should come here without first having a drink in Aqua Shard’s bar, which is where you'll find the best views.

That said, the views from Hutong aren’t exactly shabby, stretching westwards up the river from St Paul’s to the Millennium Wheel and Houses of Parliament, with Wembley Stadium and the hilltop villages of Hampstead and Highgate visible on the horizon on a fine day.

Minimally decorated surrounds of dark wood latticing and Chinese lanterns puts the emphasis firmly on the view, though we’ve always felt that the cooking would be worthy of attention even if it weren’t on the 33rd floor of London’s most iconic skyscraper.

The cooking is nominally northern Chinese, though in reality you’ll find many of your favourite high-street dishes done to an exceptionally high standard; Aqua is owned by a restaurant group based in Hong Kong, the spiritual home of Cantonese cooking.

Roast duck carved tableside is a speciality of the house, served in a first course of pancakes and then stir fried. Otherwise, expect vegetable spring rolls, sautéed crispy shredded beef and chilli and some terrific seafood dishes such as king crab and chilled tofu or ma la crispy eel.

Dim sum is served at lunchtime, often made from luxury ingredients: Iberico pork or lobster xiao long bao, pan-fried Wagyu beef buns or baked Wagyu beef puffs – as well as more classic pan-fried chicken dumplings or scallop siu mai. Prices match the sky-high location, but so too does the top-drawer service.

The Pem are currently taking their Summer Reccess and will reopen on 26th October.

Chef-to-watch Sally Abe is the brains behind The Pem, a high-end restaurant found within the Conrad London St James. Abe acts as consultant chef for the hotel and also oversees its in-house pub, The Blue Boar.

Having previously been head chef of Michelin-starred The Harwood Arms in Fulham, Abe now brings her culinary knowledge to The Pem, which serves a dinner menu that champions top-quality British produce and reworks classic dishes with innovative new spins. The menu changes seasonally, but on your visit, you can expect to find dishes that are underpinned by fresh produce from trusted suppliers - think poached native lobster with shellfish cream, heritage tomatoes and sweet olive or roasted John Dory with brassicas, lemon and sauce Choron. Desserts meanwhile, include the classic likes of black forest gateau topped with chocolate curls and served alongside English cherry ripple ice cream.

The Pem takes its name from suffragette Emily Wilding Davison, whose family used the pet name ‘Pem’ for her, and a commitment to showcasing female talent is reflected in Abe’s exclusively female senior team. The restaurant’s look is also distinctly feminine - the dining room boasts an art deco inspired design, including soft lighting and comfy banquettes and tub chairs, all decked out in romantic rosy hues. The main dining room seats up to 70 guests, while a private dining space has room for 24.

The Pem’s wine list combines highly sought-after fine wines with lesser known bottles from independent producers and has been curated from sommelier and wine consultant Emily Harman.

Speaking about the opening, Abe said: “I have the freedom to serve the food I’ve always wanted to cook. It’s me on a plate. I’m taking classic combinations and really making them my own, like steak and oyster, cheese and onion – I won’t be messing with the framework but trying to put a new spin on them without creating challenging or modernist dishes. I want to bring a sense of familiarity and transfer those flavours to high-end restaurant dining.”

Located in the heart of Mayfair, Murano is Angela Hartnett’s Michelin-starred restaurant, where diner's can indulge in the chef’s signature honed Italian cookery. Having mastered the staples of Italian cooking from her grandmother and aunts, the food is a reflection of Harnett’s childhood, elevated with excellent quality produce and knowledge acquired from decades in the UK's culinary scene.  

Aiming to take the stuffiness out of fine dining, the space is warm and welcoming, with soft lighting, comfortable seating and eccentric paintings on the walls. It's the perfect setting for a relaxing yet elegant meal. The a la carte menu changes regularly to ensure all ingredients are as seasonal as possible and features a select few dishes per day, which diners are encouraged to try in whatever order they please.

Choose from anywhere between three or six courses, with no traditional signposting as to what might be a starter or main, bringing an element of unexpected theatre and entertainment to the table.  

The frequently changing a la carte menu might include the likes of rabbit raviolo with courgette, basil and sauce vierge, red mullet with burnt orange romesco and a ricotta filled courgette flower, and veal tartare with aged parmesan, almond cream and dill, all of which featured on the restaurant's summer menu. To finish your meal, tuck into desserts like caramelised Amalfi lemon tart or whisky baba with strawberries and smoked vanilla ice cream. Each dish displays a suggested sweet wine pairing, too.  

To accompany your meal, the Murano wine cellar comprises outstanding bottles from renowned Italian vineyards, as well as international bottles. The collection focuses on grapes that complement the cuisine and growers who share the ethos of quality and flavour. There is an extensive number of wines available by the glass, including Champagne and sparkling wines, as well as plenty of sought-after bottles from highly regarded labels.  

The Olive Tree restaurant is Bath's only Michelin-starred restaurant - set inside the magnificent townhouse at the Queensberry Hotel in Bath. This boutique hotel is one of the most popular in the city, and sits just a stone's throw from famous Bath landmarks like The Circle, the Georgian Gardens and the Royal Avenue.

At the time of writing, The Olive Tree is the only Michelin-starred restaurant in the city and, with Chris Cleghorn at the helm, it seems likely to retain that award for some time. Chris honed his skills while working with the likes of Michael Caines at Gidleigh Park and James Sommerin. Not to mention spending time at Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck. His cooking is a reflection of each of these experiences - combining the precision of dishes at The Fat Duck with a style that honours local West Country produce. Bath is fortunate to be surrounded by exceptional farmland, and The Olive Tree aims to showcase the best local and seasonal ingredients in a refined and modern manner. 

There's a six-course and a nine-course tasting menu, as well as a smaller four and three-course menu, available at lunch on Fridays and Saturdays, so there's something for every occasion and budget. Dishes include the likes of veal sweetbread, Westcombe ricotta, salted lemon and mint as a starter, Cornish monkfish with sea herbs and vin jaune as a main, and yuzu, Szechuan pepper, meringue and nasturtiums for dessert. There are dedicated vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian and dairy-free alternatives for the nine-course option, so dietary requirements are no problem at all. 

The Olive Tree is also a past winner of The AA’s Overall Best Wine List, so as you'd expect, the wine choice is varied here, with a wealth of new and old world wines as well as biodynamic, organic and vegan options.

The aim of Lyle’s is simple: to ensure British food has a place in this day and age. This Michelin-starred London restaurant offers a ‘micro-seasonal’ daily menu, celebrating whichever ingredients that are fresh and available that day. Matching the trendy surroundings of Shoreditch, this pared-back space was once a factory for Lipton’s tea. Wooden tables and chairs, large windows and simple lighting adorn the white-walled space. Clearly, this is a place where the food speaks for itself.

Due to the ever-changing menu, you likely won’t know what’s on the menu until you arrive. But you can expect simple, elegant dishes using only the finest British produce. There is typically a mixture of familiar flavours like anchovy, cider or chard and less familiar tastes like crab apple, ewe’s cheese or quince. Top-quality meat features at Lyle’s too, but this is certainly a vegetarian-friendly place.

Previous vegetable dishes at Lyle’s have been combinations like Tema artichoke, chard and preserved lemon or radicchio with apple and Berkswell cheese. Seafood is handled with care, paired with the likes of sweet oroblanco and smoked roe or sea beet and seaweed broth. Meat is typically paired with somewhat punchier flavours, such as dried winter tomato and black pepper or liver and broccoli.

Desserts at Lyle’s are certainly not to be missed with previous creations like blood orange and panela sugar millefeuille, bee pollen ice cream with pear and meringue or caramel ice cream with expresso.

At lunch, there are choices of dishes, but in the evening this is not the case. Instead, you hand the reigns over to James Lowe and the team (there is still a vegetarian menu to opt for). The primarily European wine list is refined, with a fair few options by the glass before you get onto the big hitters. Aperitifs, beers, ciders and non-alcoholic options are also available.

The Pass is an intimate restaurant within the luxury spa South Lodge hotel, West Sussex, headed up by the highly talented chef Ben Wilkinson. Under Ben’s guidance, the restaurant is now the proud holder of a Michelin star, winning the accolade for the first time in 2023. The Pass serves exciting tasting menus which make the most of seasonal produce, and promises each guest a unique and memorable dining experience.

The restaurant is able to cater for up to 28 diners within its historic walls, with guests seated slap bang in the middle of the kitchen in order to immerse themselves in its buzzing atmosphere. Overlooking the brigade of chefs in action, diners can watch them create each innovative dish before finishing them at the pass, for a truly immersive ‘chef’s table’ experience.

Head chef Ben Wilkinson lies at the heart of the kitchen, who moved to The Pass following his success working at Michelin-starred The Cottage in the Wood in the Lake District. His partner Monika Zurawska, meanwhile, manages the front of house team, a seemingly unstoppable duo with the aim of bringing diners an unrivalled dining experience.

There is one seven-course tasting menu available, which changes regularly depending on the seasons and what produce is available that day. However, examples of dishes you’re likely to try include celeriac with beef cheek fillet and celery, wild Newhaven turbot with asparagus, oyster, Ridgeview sparkling and king oyster mushrooms, as well as Fallow venison with beetroot, kale, red wine, peppercorn and lardo. Sweet courses, meanwhile, include Yorkshire rhubarb with ewe’s curd, vanilla and rose.

On the drinks menu there is a wide range of wine from all over the world, including a diverse selection of English sparkling wine, and specially curated wines from France, Austria, New Zealand and Croatia. Diners also have the choice to add on a carefully considered wine flight with each course.

Mayfair restaurant Gymkhana originally opened its doors in 2013, and the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star just a year later, which it retains to this day. In the summer of 2019, Gymkhana was struck by disaster when a fire in the restaurant forced the Mayfair hotspot to close down – luckily, no one was injured in the blaze. Gymkhana underwent a significant refurbishment and reopened in February 2019.

Restaurant guests can expect to find a striking dining room kitted out in tones of jade green and polished dark timber, matched with metallic accents and marble tabletops. The restaurant’s original booth seating has survived, and provides a degree of intimacy and privacy in the restaurant - no doubt a reason why it remains a popular celeb haunt. Head down the mirrored steps and you'll find the much-lauded bar area - a great place to enjoy a gin and tonic with some Indian snacks.

When it comes to the menu, the restaurant offers a range of menus from a daily a la carte to special lunch and tasting menus. It is inspired by the elite social clubs of colonial India, and the a la carte offers a range of snacks, kebabs, curries and game dishes to suit all comers. Dishes from the reinvigorated menu include the likes of quail seekh kebab with mustard and mint chutney, and kasoori chicken tikka with moong sprouts and kasundi kachumber. Curries may suit those who want something a little more familiar - pork cheek vindaloo, chicken butter masala and lamb shank rogan josh all make an appearance, all accompanied by a wide choice of sides, from perfect steamed basmati rice to channa masala and Rajasthani bhindi.

Desserts are equally luxurious - saffron pistachio kulfi, and cardamom and basmati rice kheer, for example - and come accompanied by a choice of digestifs, dessert wines or fine tea blends.

As the name suggests, The American Bar at five-star The Stafford in St James’s pays homage to the illicit speakeasies that became renowned in London and Paris during the 1920s and 30s. To truly immerse diners in prohibition era England, the bar has been designed with a distinctively vintage feel, boasting subtle lamp lighting, a wooden bar, brown leather seating and an all-round cosy ambience. It’s also one of the longest surviving American bars in London, just to add extra gravitas to its aformentioned credentials.  

Both food and drinks are served here, but let's start with the former. Bar director Benoit Provost and director of mixology Salvatore Megna oversee the cocktail menu, which comprises a mix of signatures and classics, both old and new. Sure, there are other drinks too, such as vintage Champagne, premium spirits and a whisky collection to put all others to shame, but cocktails are its ‘thing’. Choose from the Equilibrium menu for a series of perfectly-balanced drinks which are sub-divided by earth, air, water and fire. You might find one called Nimbus for example, which mixes gin, mangosteen, akashi-tai yuzu, citrus, peach and Champagne, or Sonus made with mezcal, cantaloupe melon, grasshopper salt, green yoghurt and fino sherry.  

You can also find a selection of signature, classic and after-dinner cocktails, as well as numerous twists on a negroni for lovers of the punchy drink.  

Michelin-starred chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen heads up the food menu, with the bar serving lunch, dinner and light bites throughout the day. Offering a selection of American-inspired dishes, smaller snacks might include BBQ Iberico pork ribs, sticky buffalo wings with hot sauce, sesame and soy, mini sausages with American hot sauce and loaded potato wedges. If you’re after a full meal, you can choose from main dishes such as a lobster thermidor sub, chicken parmigiana, a signature burger made with beef, cheddar and caramelised onions and a pastrami-cured smoked salmon bagel with soured cream and lemon.  

Located in the quaint village of Shinfield, just a short drive from junction 11 of the M4, L’Ortolan is a sophisticated operation that is set within a Grade-II listed building. L’Ortolan serves a high-end, well-executed menu of contemporary French dishes and is widely accepted as one of the best restaurants in Reading.

The main dining room here is a smart and intimate space, which features just 11 tables. High back chairs, soft lighting and windows which allow natural light to flow through (as well as offering views of the manicured grounds) set a romantic mood, while extra character is added to the space via the works of well-established artists, such as Richard Rowan and Bob Barker, which hang from the dining room walls. It is hardly a surprise then that L’Ortolan is a popular spot for couples, particularly those with special anniversaries to celebrate.

The kitchen at L’Ortolan has been overseen by a number of Michelin star chefs over the years, but currently heading up the team is James Greatorex. The chef oversees a regularly changing menu of modern French fare, with a focus on getting the best out of good produce and working in harmony with the seasons. The restaurant is also able to accommodate for most dietary requirements if notified in advance and includes vegetarian options as part of its offering.

On your visit, you will be able to choose from an a la carte, or two multi-course tasting menus (‘Gourmand’ and ‘Elegance’). Dishes you might come across include the likes of Orkney scallop with celeriac broth, kohlrabi and radish or guinea fowl with chestnut, wild mushrooms and leeks. To round off your meal, you might tuck into a Mirabelle souffle or a selection of British and French cheeses.

To drink? Expect paired wines or innovative house cocktails.

In an enviable St James’s spot formerly occupied by Green’s restaurant and bar, Maison Francois draws inspiration from the grand brasseries of Paris, Lyon and Alsace with MasterChef: The Professionals 2018 finalist Matthew Ryle taking up the helm in the kitchen.

The name behind the new venture is Francois O’Neill, whose pedigree in the restaurant industry should stand him in good stead. O’Neill’s father Hugh was co-founder of Brasserie St Quentin in Knightsbridge which later became Brompton Bar & Grill when Francois took over in 2008. Chef Matthew Ryle also has an impressive heritage, having trained at The Dorchester before becoming head chef at Mayfair fashion hangout Isabel at the tender age of 22.

Maison Francois serves a menu of French brasserie classics with a selection of fresh seafood, hearty terrines, patés and homemade charcuterie to keep patrons happy from lunch through to dinner. A wood-fired grill turns out cuts of meat and whole fish, with a poisson du jour as well as options for an entrecote of beef or poulet roti which can come as a quarter or a half.

For something sweet diners can look forward to the arrival of a traditional pudding trolley serving all the adored French classics: hazelnut Paris-Brest, an almond and raspberry gateau and a selection of seasonal fruit tarts. The restaurant also houses an in-house bakery serving breads and patisserie, available all day but perfect for breakfast.

The decor is equally traditional, with art-deco chandeliers suspended from the 20ft-high ceilings, mirrored arches and off-white drapery.

Downstairs, Frank’s wine bar offers up rustic sharing plates of cold meats and terrines with carefully matched wines and sherries. Both restaurant and bar are watched over by the eager eye of Ed Wyand, former maître d’ at Scott’s and owner of Verden wine bar, who heads up the front of house team.

Situated in the village of Aughton in West Lancashire, amid five acres of beautiful gardens, is Moor Hall – a 16th-century, Grade II-listed house, and now, an award-winning restaurant. The building was acquired back in 2015 by husband-and-wife team Andy and Tracey Bell, who brought around a multi-million-pound renovation, transforming it into a destination restaurant with luxury rooms, boasting views of a lake that’s said to be the remains of a medieval moat.

The restaurant is helmed by chef-patron Mark Birchall who has worked hard to create delicate, produce-driven menus inspired by the Hall’s exceptional natural surroundings. Wherever possible, Mark uses produce grown on-site or from local suppliers, and uses his broad culinary experience garnered at top establishments such as Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume to ensure each dish is beautifully-presented and full of flavour.

Since its inception, the restaurant has been awarded a breath-taking number of accolades including two Michelin Stars and a Michelin Green Star, and was voted ‘Best Restaurant in the UK’ at the SquareMeal Top 100 Restaurant Awards in 2019.

Guests can choose to dine from a four- or eight-course menu at lunchtime, while dinner is a set eight-course menu. Naturally, the menu changes to reflect the seasonality of the produce, but the kinds of dishes guests can expect to encounter include Gaisgill Row Farm blue grey beef, barbecued pablo beetroot, mustard and shallot, as well as, Isle of Mull scallop with white asparagus, grains and truffle, and garden apples and gooseberry, woodruff, birch sap and marigold.

Moor Hall says its attitude to wine is simple; it should be fun, interative and within reach of everyone. There are two wine pairings available, one which focuses on leading winemakers - both those who made their mark in the past, and innovating for the future. The second is called the 'Rarity Pairing' and shines a light on the most iconic winemakers and vintages.

Bruce Poole was born in Guildford Surrey. After several years in hospitality, he started cooking at Bibendum, followed by The Square then Chez Max and finally his very own Chez Bruce in 1995. Since then, there have been many awards, recognising the culinary prowess of this Wandsworth restaurant. That being said, there is no resting on laurels at Chez Bruce. Poole, along with head chef Matt Christmas' sole focus is the business, and as such rarely appears in the media. It's an old school restaurant in the best of ways, where service is extremely efficient while remaining knowledgable and friendly. Regular staff tastings are key, so that every member of the front of house team knows the menu personally. So much so, in fact, that the staff offer other dining recommendations for London and further afield. 

You'll notice from the menu here that the menu is very much up to date. Starters might include miso-glazed aubergine with ginger, puffed wild rice, sesame, shiso and soy or a lobster ravioli with bisque, pickled fennel, brown shrimp and samphire. You will, however, see more traditional first course options like rabbit rillettes with Armagnac prunes and toast, or deviled lamb's kidney with crisp tongue. Similarly, main courses at Chez Bruce are traditional, featuring the likes of veal rump or stuffed pig's trotters. Unpretentiously, this Michelin-starred restaurant also offers options like steak and chips (admittedly a Chateaubriand with hand-cut chips). 

There are usually around seven dessert options like creme brulee, yoghurt parfait with blood orange and pistachio or Yorkshire rhubarb trifle, not to mention the famous 'grande assiette de fromage Chez Bruce'. There is a huge selection of wine here with plenty by the glass, ranging from affordable half-bottles to a magnum Chateauneuf du Pape. Head sommelier Victor Barre is more than happy to guide your choices. 

The Boat Inn in Lichfield is an award-winning fine dining restaurant serving modern British cuisine from an open kitchen. Chef and owner Liam Dillon originally opened the gastropub in 2017, having previously worked in renowned kitchens including MARCUS at The Berkeley, where he quickly received high praise for his intelligent and thoughtful cooking. Despite it being located a little off the beaten track on an A-road in Staffordshire, that hasn’t stopped diners flocking to the inn to try Dillon’s menus. It’s currently serving lunch and dinner Thursday through to Sunday, with vegetarian menus available as well. 

If you’re dining for dinner there are only set menus available – choose from either the four-course or six-course offerings. Although the menus change with the seasons, examples of dishes you might enjoy include truffled Cotswold chicken with roasted squash and kombi honey, fish raviolo with apple, leek, Dorset crab and fish sauce and Cotswold fallow deer with beetroot, watercress and pine sauce. For something sweet, you might be treated to a chocolate parfait with white chocolate aero, lapsang and malt ice cream. Do note that there is an optional wine pairing available with its set menus. 

Alternatively, you can opt to choose a bottle of your choice from the wine list. The menu focuses largely on organic and biodynamic wines, in keeping with its sustainable ethos, and includes a selection from all over the world. If you don’t fancy a whole bottle, or want to try a few different wines, there are a number of varieties available by the glass instead. 

The Boat Inn also boasts a stunning alfresco terrace where guests can enjoy a selection of snacks and small plates with drinks. This might include pigs head fritters with burnt apple, charcuterie and cheese, and LFC hot chicken wings.  

Tucked in amongst the verdant countryside of West Berkshire, The Woodspeen is a restaurant and cookery school, housed inside a lovingly restored 19th century farmhouse. Despite its credentials, this is a relaxed and welcoming space, which makes the most of its lush surroundings with large windows that frame the idyllic countryside views and an open kitchen which adds a touch of theatre to proceedings. Bare tables and pendant lighting add a rustic, countryside feel, while cosy banquettes on one side of the room and verdant greenery add warmth to the space.

The menu at The Woodspeen is a seasonally changing affair which is inspired by homegrown ingredients. Plenty of restaurants wax lyrical about the importance of provenance, but The Woodspeen really means it, often incorporating ingredients that have been plucked from the restaurant’s own garden. Otherwise, high-quality local suppliers are used wherever possible.

The Woodspeen is open for both lunch and dinner, offering an a la carte that showcases the best of what is currently in season. On your visit, you might begin with starters such as Cornish crab and spring vegetable risotto with lemon emulsion, or chicken and black pudding terrine en croute, before moving on to main courses including garden pea and caramelised onion lasagna with roasted morels or roasted lamb rump with white asparagus, local wild garlic salsa verde and rosemary potato rosti. If you still have a bit of room, round off the meal with a rhubarb and custard tart, or a strawberry and lime alaska with warm dark chocolate sauce.

A dedicated children’s menu is also available, as are plentiful vegetarian and vegan options, while on weekends, you can head here for a traditional Sunday lunch. Be sure to explore the illustrious wine list too, home to over 400 varieties.

While Sketch is a staunch long-time resident of Mayfair and famed for its unusual, artistic interior design, there's one room within the multi-restaurant venue that you probably won't have seen all over social media. On a private, upper floor, The Lecture Room & Library boasts a more exclusive offering, often used on a sole hire basis and only holding lunch and dinner reservations at restricted timings throughout the week - for example, between midday and 1.30pm, or 6.30pm until 9pm in the evenings. 

The Lecture Room & Library's kitchen was formerly ran by longtime Sketch collaborator, French chef Pierre Gagnaire, who was awarded three Michelin stars for his work here, but now the baton has been passed to head chef Daniel Stucki. The a la carte lunch menu begins with starters such as summer vegetables in herbal broth with Scottish girolles, and mains spanning fish, meat and vegetarian bases. Options here include sea trout with raspberry butter served with maris piper potato and confit shallot, next to creedy duck marinated in cumin and savory served with grilled fruits and nutmeg. 

In the evening, guests are welcomed to try the tasting menu which spans eight courses and includes vegetarian options, as well as a wine pairing. An example of the plates you might see here include roasted slice of pollock with aromatics, Anjou pigeon roasted and smoked with hay, as well as poached native lobster with leafy carrot, peach and watercress. 

As always, the space is also incredibly visually stimulating, making it more than just a feast for the tastebuds. High, corniced ceilings are enhanced by a wall of mirrors, elevating the space to ballroom-like proportions, while rich hues of red, orange, gold and purple flit across the furnishings. The centre piece, though, is without a doubt the huge, red chandelier hanging in the heart of the space, setting the tone for the whole experience. 

Norma celebrates the coming together of flavours from the south of Italy and north Africa, a pairing that pays homage to the history of Sicily. This Italian-inspired restaurant was originally overseen by Ben Tish, but now rests in the hands of executive chef Giovann Attard.

Despite the definite foodie credentials, a visit to the restaurant is as much about the interiors and hospitality as it is the menu. The three-floor townhouse space looks to recreate the grand café culture found throughout Sicily, while staff are warm and charming in their manners, reminiscent of that signature Italian service. A crudo bar greets guests at the entrance, made up of striking marble colours, while the dining room is awash with intricate mosaic walls, hanging pendant lighting, booth seating and cosy seating nooks found in carved-out arch spaces. Low lighting adds to the ambiance.

On the first floor you’ll find the cocktail bar where you can enjoy drinks and snacks, while the top floor hosts a private dining space. Here guests can work with the kitchen team to perfect their party menu from a selection of family-style sharing platters and will enjoy their meal in the warm and intimate surrounds of the mirrored-ceiling space.

Back in the main restaurant and the menu features Sicilian-inspired dishes made using seasonal Italian and British produce. While the menu might change from day-to-day, you can always expect sparklingly fresh seafood from the bar, dressed with high-quality olive oil or other deftly handled garnishes, while the antipasti options might throw up combinations like burrata with chicory, blood orange and coriander seeds. Homemade pastas are the kitchen’s signature serves, while mains like grilled salt marsh lamb or pan-fried stone bass feature as large plates. There is also a full vegan menu for plant-based eaters and a selection of tempting dessert for a sweet finish to your experience at Norma.

It’s hard to imagine a more iconic London dining destination than The Wolseley, a restaurant that feels as though its existence makes up part of the very fabric of the city.

The iconic site of 160 Piccadilly began its story when it was commissioned in 1921 by Wolseley Motors Limited to English architect William Curtis Green, their desire was to create a prestigious car showroom that exuded luxury and grandeur. Marble pillars and archways teamed with Venetian-inspired details left an impressive finish, but alas the cars did not sell quickly enough and in 1926 the company went into bankruptcy. Barclays Bank took over the site in 1927 but it wasn’t until 2003 that the building was sympathetically renovated, throwing open its doors as the grand cafe-restaurant destination that we find today. It turns out that the showroom features work just as well as a backdrop to some of the city’s most ritzy dining, adding a bit of good old-fashioned drama to proceedings.

Breakfast brings iconic dishes to the table by way of eggs any way you can think of, hand-made Viennoiserie, piles of pancakes and signature house dishes like the bubble and squeak with a fried egg or the delicately spiced kedgeree which by now benefits from a legendary status. Lunch and dinner centres around hearty serves like steaks, schnitzels and cheese savouries – including a very good Welsh Rarebit. If you happen to find yourself dining after-hours, the late-night menu does a very good job in quashing any before-bed hunger with a fun line-up of everything from burgers and omelettes through to ice cream coupes and banana splits, for a fittingly nostalgic nod to dessert.

Known for its unique combination of spectacular design, classic food and seamless service, The Wolseley, part of The Wolseley Hospitality Group, remains an iconic and popular choice for both Londoners and tourists alike. 

The Rivoli Bar is located within the Ritz hotel in the heart of Piccadilly, an iconic London institution since 1906. This is an elegant destination suitable for everything from lavish evening drinks to a decadent lunch stop off while exploring the capital. Boasting opulent art déco interiors designed to imitate ‘walking into a jewellery box’, this stunning spot features striking chandeliers, vintage paintings and marble panelled walls. Guests can take a seat at the counter and watch the expert mixologists conjure up enticing concoctions or settle in for a long evening at the comfortable table seats and enjoy the all-day dining menu.

On the menu, diners will find a modest selection of dishes, made with only the finest ingredients and executed to the Ritz’s high standards. There is a variety of caviar available to get your evening off to an indulgent start, in either 30g or 50g tins, all of which come with a recommended vodka pairing. For your main course, the Rivoli Classics include light bites such as tuna niçoise salad, Caesar salad with chicken and bacon, and six Rossmore Oysters. For something a bit heartier, try the Ritz cheeseburger, plat du jour or the lobster rolls with sauce Choron. There are also sandwiches like salt beef with mustard and a classic club, all served with French fries.

To pair with your meal, or if you’ll be just stopping off for a tipple, the beverage list is extensive and guaranteed to have something that takes your fancy. The signature cocktail list consists of the Rivoli’s take on many classics like a Negroni, and features a monthly special cocktail highlighting seasonal flavours. As this is the Ritz, some fetch quite a price and showcase vintage liquors like 1960s Gordon’s gin, 1970s Campari Bitters and Louis XIII Cognac. There are also plenty of Champagnes and a global wine list featuring vintage bottles, magnums and some available by the glass.

For special occasion dining, it doesn’t get much better than the peerless three Michelin-starred temple of gastronomy that is Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester. Any conversation about the world's most decorated chefs must include Ducasse, who holds three Michelin stars in a number of countries. Indeed, he is the second most decorated chef of all time, only being pipped to the post by the late, great Joël Robuchon.

Ducasse’s London restaurant finds its home in the classic, opulent surrounds of The Dorchester. Interiors are suitably elegant with a stunning floor-to-ceiling sculptural chandelier feature taking centre stage. Surrounding this you’ll find a mix of banquette seating and classic dining tables with white tablecloths, which are spaced widely enough for private conversations without losing the convivial buzz of the space.

Guests at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester are offered three menus to choose from - an a la carte menu, a full tasting spread, or a menu jardin, which showcases seven courses of seasonal vegetarian cooking. The a la carte gives diners the choice of three courses for £150, whilst the tasting menu is a selection of seven great Ducasse's dishes, including at the time of writing dishes such as lobster medallion, chicken quenelles, Périgord truffle and homemade semolina pasta, farmhouse veal fillet, green pea and mint condiment, and pineapple, galanga sorbet and kombu condiment. The tasting menu costs £210 and runs through hot and cold starters, a fish and main course, as well as an assortment of French cheeses and an elegant dessert.

World-class wines have been carefully chosen by in-house sommelier Vincenzo Arnese to complement the flavours on the menu and the helpful team are ever-present to make suggestions and pairing recommendations. Indeed, there’s the option to add a wine flight to your meal should you wish to take the element of chance out of things.

As you might expect the service here is top-class, with the team trained to the highest standards which results in personable but professional care throughout your time in the restaurant.

Located in the old town of Amersham in Buckinghamshire, Michelin-starred Artichoke is owned and led by Chef Patron Laurie Gear and his wife Jacqueline. They opened the restaurant originally in 2002 with the aim of providing the very best neighbourhood dining experience, a feat largely undertaken by chef patron Laurie Gear and head chef Chris Chegwin. While Laurie runs the kitchen team, Jacqueline oversees the day-to-day management of Artichoke with a strong background in business.  

The restaurant is set inside a 16th century Grade II listed building with many of its original features left intact inside. The style, however, is slightly different to its historic foundations, with the interiors designed by Fiona Johnston Parke in a Scandi-chic style. Drawing on Laurie’s time spent in Scandinavia, expect lots of soft tones of walnut, grey and lilac, with finishing touches including amethyst glass and hand-crafted pottery.  

The menu is modern European in style and uses top quality ingredients that are locally sourced and hyper-seasonal. For dinner, there is only one nine-course tasting menu available while for lunch there is a slightly shorter lunch set menu, ‘Artichoke’ menu or the tasting menu. There are also vegetarian equivalents of all the above. Most start with chiltern ale black bread with malt vinegar and cultured butter while other signature dishes might include mushroom tortellini with fennel, carrot, golden enoki and trumpet mushrooms, roast cornish cod with clams, crisp potato, clam and chervil sauce as well as goosnargh duck breast with duck leg croquette, leek puree and blood orange. On the sweet front, guests are treated to apple tarte tatin with Somerset apple brandy caramel and vanilla ice cream. 

To drink, there is an international wine list that is broken down by region and can be ordered by the glass, half bottle or bottle.

L’Atelier Robuchon is the latest restaurant from the acclaimed Joël Robuchon International group, who have given the Mayfair restaurant - formerly Le Comptoir Robuchon - an exciting facelift, helmed by executive chef Andrea Cofini who has been working for the brand for a decade. 

The restaurant continues the legacy of the late, great Joël Robuchon, who remains widely regarded as one of the most acclaimed chefs ever (his restaurants are known for their many Michelin stars). The menu maintains a sense of continuity and showcases plenty of signature Robuchon dishes, including his famous purée de pomme de terre (a mashed potato so famous it is served by many other chefs around the world), the sea bream carpaccio or quail with foie gras, this is the place. 

Another much-loved feature from the existing Robuchon world include the dessert trolley. Boasting a sophisticated marble-topped display, it's a show-stopping way to highlight sweet treats from the kitchen including fresh á la minute Madeleines and renowned patisserie classics. If pudding isn't your thing, though, don't worry, as the cheese trolley won't be far behind with its daily-changing rotation of southern French and Italian cheeses.

In terms of the space, expect an elevated design scheme that shocks and delights with a colour palette of scarlet and monochrome, coupled with intimate booths and atmospheric lighting. And, with a setting like that, it's no wonder that the team decided to lean into the ambience and host a variety of live music nights throughout the week, and late-night DJs at the weekend.

And, whether you're visiting L’Atelier Robuchon for a special occasion or not, don't forget to check out the Champagne list. Said to be the pride and joy of head sommelier Neomie Favrat, it features almost exclusively small producers and an unusually large wine-by-the-glass selection. There's also plenty of red, white and rose bottles on offer, sourced from across France, too. 

Brighton’s Dave Mothersill has spent his whole career working around some of Brighton’s most respected and recognisable restaurants, including stints at Terre a Terre, with Ben McKellar at The Gingerman, and years as executive chef for Razak Helalat’s Black Rock group, during which time he opening The Salt Room and The Coal Shed in London.

At Furna, Mothersill is breaking out on his own and putting his own spin on fine dining. You’ll find the restaurant in a very central spot near the Royal Pavilion Gardens, making it easy to get to from anywhere in the city, as well as being a short walk from the seafront.

A bar area in the entrance provides a stopping point for pre- and post-dinner drinks, and the restaurant itself has 26 covers. The basement holds a walk-in wine room as well as a private dining room and chef’s table for groups of four to eight.

The menu is around eight courses including snacks, and includes an optional cheese course to finish. Mothersill’s style is broadly international, incorporating lots of Asian flavours in subtle ways. The restaurant also works with whole animals, using every part of the animal to craft dishes. Dishes on the menu include milk brined veal sweetbread with kabocha squash, maple sherry and roasted chicken sauce, and salt aged Sika deer with beetroots, Agen prunes, bone marrow and bitter chocolate.

There is also an extensive drinks menu that includes smart house cocktails, classic mixes, spirits, non-alcoholic options and a compact wine list that includes a selection of rare fine wines. Furna also offers a wine pairing to go with the menu.

Spring can be found nestled inside the New Wing of Somerset House and is the brilliant brainchild of Skye Gyngell. Skye’s culinary experience spans London institutions The French House and Petersham Nurseries, but it was at the latter where she developed her reputation for creating hyper-seasonal dishes using the best of British produce. Such is the thinking behind her debut restaurant Spring, which adopts an environmentally-conscious ethos with everything that it does.  

The main a la carte menu features a curated range of Modern European dishes including the likes of fern verrow broccoli with white bean purèe, black olives and chilli oil to start, guinea fowl with broad beans, peas, poached radishes and aïoli for mains and blood orange brûlèe custard tart to finish. There is also a set lunch menu available Wednesday-Friday, which constantly changes in line with what’s in season. On that note, Spring also offers its famous Scratch menu, which is available early evening from Wednesday to Saturday and is designed with the aim of using up surplus ingredients that would otherwise go to waste. For that reason, it always changes depending on what the restaurant has in that day. 

To drink, there is an extensive wine list with bottles from all over the world, including wines available specifically by the glass or the bottle. Seasonal soft drinks include clementine soda and apple and ginger juice, while house cocktails feature fruity concoctions such as a winter citrus vesper (housemade blood orange liqueur, Sapling gin, Sapling vodka, clementine bitters).  

Further examples of the restaurant’s sustainable initiatives include its Plastic Campaign, with the aim of eliminating single-use plastic from Spring entirely. From removing plastic straws and introducing bio-degradable cling film alternatives, to eradicating the use of plastic containers, all the above helped Spring to become the first single-use plastic free restaurant in London in 2019. 

Despite its Asian credentials, Kricket was set up by two British friends whose Anglo-Indian approach to small-plates dining propelled it into becoming one of the most talked-about restaurants on the London scene. With a host of celebrity fans, including Pierre Koffmann and Michel Roux Jr (who apparently cited the restaurant as one of his favourite restaurants, saying that ‘places like this are the reason why London is the envy of Paris and New York), Kricket’s ability to pull the crowds seems to have lost no magnitude since its opening in 2015.

As with many popular eateries in the capital, Kricket started out as a pop up, in this case a shipping container in POP Brixton. Just one year into trading the team made moves to open a bigger sister site in the thriving heart of Soho. This venture was backed by The White Rabbit Growth Fund, a company founded by an ex-Soho House commercial director.

The small dining room attracts a mix of locals and tourists, but is always heaving, with a queue of people trailing out the door keen to wait for a spot at the bar or in the basement dining room. The counter dining allows you to view the chefs at work or gaze onto the street ahead for some people watching while the handful of booth seats upstairs and tables downstairs allow for more relaxed dining.

The menu changes periodically with the season but some standout dishes have become so popular that they are a permanent feature. Small plates like the samphire pakora and the Keralan fried chicken have acquired cult-like status and are served up to nearly every table in the joint as far as we can tell. Kricket is open for lunch and dinner daily, taking a break to refresh the kitchen in between, except Sundays when it’s closed all day.

Michelin-starred Elystan Street is the work of acclaimed chef Phil Howard, whose previous restaurant The Square (opened in 1991) held two Michelin stars for 17 years. This is his slightly more casual follow-up and has now established itself as a Chelsea essential - the sort of restaurant to go to for supper on the way home or something more challenging for a special occasion. 

The dining room is a relaxing space that boasts a soft-hued colour palette of blues and pinks, warm wooden floors and lots of natural light. The menus, meanwhile, are overseen by head chef Aaron Potter, who is one of Phil’s early protégées and brings with him a wealth of classical training. There are both a la carte and tasting menus available, with options for both lunch (there is a set menu) and dinner.  

Examples of dishes might include the likes of terrine of dover sole with skate wing, smoked eel, tarama, pickled cucumber and lemon to start, sweet and sour breast of duck with a tarte fine of caramelised endive, burnt orange and kohlrabi for main course and a dessert comprised of a chocolate, peanut and caramel bar with hazelnut ice cream. If you opt for the six-course tasting menu, you will be able to sample some of the restaurant’s greatest dishes (the menu is titled ‘six of the best’ after all), with an optional wine pairing available if liked.  

If you’re not sampling the tasting menu, there is an excellent wine list to choose from which can be ordered by the glass, half bottle or bottle. A range of European and international wines are on the menu, with the generous choice meaning you’re bound to find something you like. The restaurant also mixes up a selection of mean cocktails, with many fine London beers on offer, too

After having some initial success as a yakitori restaurant that focused on ‘comb-to-tail’ chicken butchery and cooking, Humble Chicken decided to eschew the previous a la carte menu for a tasting menu at the beginning of 2023. Head chef Angelo Sato brings a wealth of experience from some of the world’s best restaurants - not just the likes of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and Restaurant Story in London, but also Eleven Madison Park in New York, and RyuGin in Tokyo.

Despite the name, Angelo Sato's cooking at Humble Chicken takes the same approach as his previous high end haunts, serving complex, precise dishes that evoke the flavours of Japanese izakayas. On the menu currently you’ll find dishes such as mussels with citrus kosho ponzu and avocado, pig trotter bao with karashi and quail egg, grilled oyster with fermented persimmon, citrus kosho beurre blanc and burnt chicken fat, and yakiniku of grilled, slow-cooked short rib with spicy miso and lettuce.

Desserts include a Japanese creme caramel called purin, and currently a dish called ‘everything clementine’ which combines citrus segments with whipped, sweetened cream cheese, shards of meringue and frozen clementine grated over the top to make a clementine granita.

The restaurant itself is based in the same unit that once belonged to Barrafina Soho, and it makes use of the old Barrafina set up to provide a pure counter dining experience. Humble Chicken offers two sittings every evening for guests to enjoy the full tasting menu experience, and seats around the counter have full view of the open kitchen where Sato and team finish each dish before serving it personally to guests.

A compact drinks list runs alongside the menu, featuring a mixture of house cocktails, sakes by the glass, wines, spirits and alcohol-free options. The former includes smart cocktails such as a watermelon negroni, lychee martini and a koji coffee old fashioned, which combines Nikka whisky, miso coffee, butter and shimeji mushroom.

The Hakkasan brand, a global entity with locations in the likes of New York, Las Vegas and Dubai, is arguably one of the most instantly recognisable restaurant names out there. Loved by celebrities, moneyed Mayfair residents and Londoners looking for a taste of the high life, Hakkasan’s popularity has endured when other long-standing restaurants have faltered.

London is blessed with two Hakkasan locations (there’s another in Mayfair), but this Hanway Place original still draws in the crowds. While the discreet entrance just off Tottenham Court Road may not look up to much, it soon gives way to a stunning subterranean dining room, decked out in a sleek blue and black colour scheme. The dimly-lit dining room is given added character via gold accents and lattice work which divides up the different dining areas, resulting in the overall feel that you’re in one of London’s sexiest dining haunts.

Hakkasan Hanway Place is certainly not a case of style over substance though, with the expansive menu featuring everything from expertly prepared dim sum to Chinese classics revisited with luxury ingredients. On your visit, you can kick-start your meal with the likes of a crispy duck salad, sesame prawn toast or golden friend soft-shell crab. Next up, choose from Hakkasan Hanway Place’s masterful selection of dim sum, with luxury options including langoustine har gau with Prunier caviar and a Wagyu beef dumpling.

There are more substantial dishes to try too though, such as roasted silver cod drizzled with a Champagne and honey sauce, or black truffle roasted duck. Vegetarians shouldn’t feel left out either though, as there are plenty of meat-free options to choose from. Tuck into the likes of a tofu, aubergine and Japanese mushroom clay pot or a black pepper and yellow bean stir fry.

To drink, there are Asian-inspired cocktails such as a Lychee Martini, while Hakkasan’s wine list traverses the globe.

Luca is an Italian restaurant located in Farringdon serving high-quality ingredients from around the British Isles and Italy. With a restaurant, bar and outdoor terrace, it’s a multi-faceted dining destination where you can stay, eat and relax for a sit-down dinner, pop in for some drinks and snacks at the bar or enjoy a plate of pasta bathed in sunshine in the stunning courtyard.  

The main dining area offers bright and spacious interiors that marries Italian-meets-art deco design, with red leather banquette seating, wooden floors, exposed brick walls and large light fixtures to illuminate the space. It is here where guests can indulge in Luca’s modern Italian plates all year long. Kick off with a plate of Italian salumi with pickled giardiniera vegetables to nibble on while you decide what to order. Starters include tempting combinations such as burrata with winter panzanella, pickled walnuts and radicchio tardivo, while the ‘primi’ course includes many impressive pasta dishes including tagliatelle of rabbit and pumpkin and amaretti tortelli with sage and pickled chilli. For ‘secondi’, opt for the likes of Hereford beef fillet ribeye with borettane onions and confit garlic.  

When the sun is shining, guests can also reserve a table alfresco in the secluded, foliage-adorned terrace surrounded by olive trees and jasmine. There is even an open fire for when it gets chilly in the evenings. Or, plump for a meal at the bar for an occasion that’s a little more relaxed, where you can order classic Italian cocktails or a glass of wine from one of its many wine-making regions. A range of aperitifs and digestifs are also available, and food can be ordered from the bar's ‘express menu’ for lunch if you want to taste the food but can't stick around for long. 

Located in the Somerset village of Bruton, Osip is a tiny restaurant owned and run by Merlin Labron-Johnson, who conjures impossibly beautiful, hyper-seasonal British tasting menus using locally-grown and reared produce. The 22-cover restaurant is housed in a charming stone building which used to be the village ironmonger and brings top-quality cooking to this idyllic rural spot.

The interior is typically understated, as Labron-Johnson’s restaurants tend to be: tiled walls, a flash of exposed brickwork and muted blue and white tones strike a bright and airy pose that makes the most of the small dimensions.

Serving a refined line-up of farm-to-table food, the 22-cover restaurant works grows much of its own produce and works closely with local suppliers to source the rest for a predominantly vegetarian menu. A couple of tasting menus are on offer - lunch diners can choose between a shortened tasting menu plus the full 'Osip' menu, whilst dinner guests just have the latter. Osip has taken the decision to make the tasting menus completely blind - you leave yourself in the hands of Labron-Johnson and his expert kitchen team here (though you get a lovely printed menu to take away with you afterwards). 

Dishes at the time of writing include roasted vegetable tea with burnt garlic oil, young leeks with almond praline and ricotta, roast chicken with hen of the woods mushroom, bearnaise, chicken sausage and cider mustard. The menu is bookended by snacks and petit fours. 

The drinks menu is similarly focused - the wine list is almost exclusively European, and there are West Country ciders and beers on offer too, as well as aperitifs and cocktails. The latter two might include a Somerset negroni, red vermouth with blood orange or a seasonal cocktail. Like the rest of the menu, the drinks selection changes regularly.

Brat is a Michelin-starred restaurant in Shoreditch, housed within a former strip club and headed up by chef Tomos Parry. Brat is largely based around applying the techniques of Basque cooking to British produce with a focus on wood-fired cooking, while also celebrating the Welsh ingredients and food experiences that Parry holds so dear (the chef hails from Wales originally). The restaurant gained its Michelin star within six months of opening, which says a lot about the calibre of cooking here.  

Diners are immediately alerted to the restaurant’s main focus on cooking with fire thanks to a huge grill taking up a wall of the open kitchen, designed to fill the restaurant with fantastic aromas when entering. The interiors are cosy, rustic and wood-heavy, with large paned windows and a traditional feel reminiscent of the seafood restaurants in Portugal.  

The food at Brat exemplifies simple cooking done well. The menu doesn’t give much away in its descriptions of each dish, and instead highlights the main ingredient used in each one. For example, starters include fresh chorizo, lamb chop, roasted cockles and spider crab with tomato, while mains feature John Dory, duck rice and sirloin with little else to identify the finished dish. The mains are designed to be ordered with sides though, with things like bread and burnt onion butter, smoked potatoes and grilled red peppers on offer to complete the meal. For dessert, look out for burnt cheesecake and pear, caramel cream and olive oil ice cream with fig.  

The wine list is incredibly generous and features wines from across Europe, from ‘easy drinkers’ and ‘classics’ to ‘off the beaten track’ options. Choose from red, white, rose and sparkling as well as sweet wines and sherry.

Having taken over the restaurant at The Connaught in 2008 as part of a mass refurbishment, Hélène Darroze has now been overseeing the kitchen at the luxury London hotel for well over a decade. During that time, Hélène Darroze at The Connaught has become regarded as one of the Capital’s finest restaurants and currently holds the highest accolade of three Michelin stars.

Serving creative dishes which are each focused around one main ingredient, the restaurant offers a bespoke menu which reflects each diner’s personal tastes and preferences to create a truly unique dining experience. This combined with the world class service and impressive interiors at Hélène Darroze at The Connaught make it a restaurant for the most special of occasions.

A tenth-birthday facelift from designer Pierre Yovanovitch has seen the dining room become warmer and slightly more relaxed in feel; the light wooden panels play host to two collages by British artist Damian Hirst, while the leather and velvet chairs sit around exposed wooden tables. An impressive blue glass-blown chandelier hangs from above providing a stylish yet contemporary edge to the restaurant. Hélène Darroze at The Connaught now also boasts a stunning chef’s table which overlooks the pass and allows diners to question the chefs as they prepare the food.

Showcasing some of Britain’s finest produce, the food offering consists of a lengthy menu from which you can choose either five or seven dishes to create your perfect tasting menu. Meanwhile, the lunch menu provides three courses at an agreeable price without any beverages. You can expect dishes on offer such as caviar with langoustine, oyster and runner bean, Denbighshire Pigeon with beetroot, wild blueberry and Mexican mole, and Tainori chocolate with hazelnut and voatsiperifery pepper.

The restaurant’s drinks offering is equally elaborate as the food with a variety of different drink pairings available, trolleys of spirits being wheeled table-to-table, and an impressively expansive wine list.

Arguably serving up some of the best Chinese food in the whole of London, A. Wong is a fine dining restaurant located in the heart of Pimlico.

Named after head chef and owner Andrew Wong, it first opened in 1985 by Wong's parents under the name Kym's, before being reopened with a new name in 2012 by Wong and his wife. In 2021 A. Wong was awarded a second star in the Michelin guide making it the first Chinese restaurant in the UK to hold such a title. Serving a highly innovative menu of modern Chinese food, the restaurant aims to showcase a diverse selection of dishes from the many different regions of China. Its not overly formal ambience makes A. Wong a brilliant spot for special occasions when you want to avoid hushed voices and silver service.

Found on the busy Wilton Road, the outside of the restaurant is surrounded by trees and greenery, while there is some outdoor seating, allowing for al fresco drinking and dining when the weather allows. A Wong's large windows and light interiors provide a bright and airy feel to the place, with an open kitchen allowing diners to see the chefs at work and a few seats up at the counter.

There are a variety of different menus on offer throughout the day including a dim sum lunch menu, an evening a la carte, and a lengthy tasting menu. Expect creative savoury dishes such as Shaanxi pulled lamb ‘burger’ with Xinjiang pomegranate salad and Anhui province red braised fermented wild seabass, while sweeter treats might include poached meringue with fruit textures.

The drinks offering is equally innovative as the food with a range of Chinese-inspired cocktails available alongside an impressive selection of wines by the glass and bottle. You can either enjoy your drinks at the table or head down to the Forbidden City bar on the lower ground floor before or after your meal.

Headed up by Shaun Hill, the Michelin-starred Walnut Tree is well-established as a top destination for both food and board in Wales. The dining room is simple and elegant, adorned with pieces from the sister Art Shop and Chapel, and the dishes display Hill's expertise confidently. Every ingredient is celebrated from humble herbs up to lavish cuts of meat and fish, in a dish that may seem simple, but is only presented so. 

The ever-changing set and a la carte menus depend on which ingredients are available that day. A typical lunch or dinner menu might feature indulgent intros like a twice-baked cheese souffle with Welsh black truffle, tandoori monkfish with masala gravy and raita or veal sweetbreads with pig's head cromesqui and sauerkraut. These are followed up by the likes of skate with brown butter and shrimps, seabass with chorizo, shellfish and haricot beans or Creedy Carver duck breast with pastilla and medjool date. Those with space left can enjoy a dessert such as a pear bakewell, twice-baked rhubarb souffle or a selection of French cheese. 

An extremely affordable set menu, however, will feature a similar style of dish. This might start with Keralan fish curry or pork rillettes with pickles and toast, before moving to hazelnut-crusted hake with watercress sauce or a blade of beef with mushroom and bacon. A set menu might then finish with a dark chocolate and lime cheesecake with raspberry icing, or an apple and blackberry parfait. 

The range of wines by the glass is impressive, and the range by the bottle even more so, both featuring careful global selections. Sparkling is available by the glass or bottle or in one of three Champagne cocktails, including a French 75 and kir royal. Other cocktails are on offer here too, including negronis, Brooklyns and even a black garlic bloody Mary. 

HIDE is a modern British restaurant from chef Ollie Dabbous, encompassing three floors of a stunning space opposite Green Park. HIDE in Mayfair is comprised of three main spaces: the ground-floor restaurant, the bar downstairs and a slightly more high-end dining experience upstairs. At its core, HIDE is a Michelin-starred, multi-floor restaurant serving refined plates using the freshest ingredients. The restaurant above is the fanciest of its dining offerings, serving both a la carte and tasting menus, as well as a set lunch menu if you’re looking for an in-and-out meal. 

With tranquil views over Green Park, HIDE offers a relaxed and calming setting for diners to indulge in its dishes, which is accentuated by its all-natural décor. To reach the restaurant upstairs, guests must climb the spiral oak staircase to be greeted by a swathe of wooden furniture and flooring. All these soft surfaces are complemented by a colour palette of similar beige hues, via earthy-toned seating and lampshades. Finally, the glass-fronted ‘show window’ floods the space with plenty of natural light, which feels like the most appropriate lighting for a space like this. 

The tasting menu changes seasonally and features a range of innovative and, occasionally, theatrical dishes. Formulated by head chef Ollie Dabbous, there are both five and seven course menus available. If you prefer to retain a little more choice over what you want to eat, then the a la carte menu is just as special and made up of classic HIDE dishes from the tasting menu. Examples of dishes include golden turnip shavings with borage flower honey, pine and marigold, Herdwick lamb cooked over charcoal with roast garlic, violet artichoke and three-cornered leeks or Gigha halibut with citrus fruit and imperial caviar. Desserts are a similar artistic affair, with the likes of sherbet of mastic crystals with fresh blood orange and pine on the list. Both vegetarian and vegan versions of the a la carte menus are also available, and the tasting menu can be complemented with a wine pairing chosen by the sommelier team.  

Owned by acclaimed Bristol chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, Paco Tapas is a Bristol restaurant serving traditional Spanish tapas in a cool setting right next to Bathurst Basin and marina. With a menu that changes every day, Paco endeavours to use the finest quality ingredients and to treat them all with the upmost quality to create dishes packed full of flavour. This means that while every meal at Paco Tapas will be completely different, you will always be guaranteed to try some pretty special dishes.

Based just on the edge of Bathurst Basin, you would be forgiven for thinking that the restaurants was just a bar from the outside, with large barrels covered by umbrellas providing space to enjoy a few drinks outside. However, once you head inside, it’s clear that this restaurant means business as amazing smells waft out from the open kitchen. The decor is simple yet stylish; black tiles cover the walls, with the odd piece of modern art on show and there are a mixture of counter seats and high tables.

The ever-changing menu begins with snacks such as manzanilla olives, manchego with honey, and fried almonds. However the main event is obviously the tapas dishes, designed to be shared by the whole table. These vary from meat dishes including jamón croquettes, pork ribs cooked over coals, and lamb rump, to seafood options such as scallops and lardo, and octopus from the Canary Islands. Expect vegetarian options such as Roscoff onion, patatas bravas, and purple sprouting broccoli. Puddings might include chocolate mousse with toast and olive oil, and a crema Catalana.

This is all accompanied by a fantastic range of Spanish wines, as well as sherries available by both the glass and bottle. On top of this Paco Tapas has decent list of cocktails on offer which go perfectly with the rich dishes on the menu.

Noto in Edinburgh is an independent wine bar and restaurant serving Asian-inspired small plates alongside a portfolio of small domaine wine producers and signature cocktails. The concept is inspired by chef-owner Stuart Ralston’s time spent living and working in New York, with the menu drawing on the city’s after-hours food scene and the dishes he would eat after a night’s service. In fact, the restaurant is named after Stuart’s friend and roommate at the time Bob Noto, who took Stuart under his wing when arriving in the Big Apple. 

Noto is not Stuart’s first, or indeed only, restaurant. He originally opened highly-acclaimed Aizle in Edinburgh in 2014 (Noto’s sister restaurant), a fine dining Scottish bistro designed to draw together Scottish produce with the chef’s famed internationally-inspired cooking style. Noto is his more casual follow-up to Aizle.  

The interiors are clean, minimal and effortlessly trendy with neutral tones, wooden tables and seating and single exposed lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling. Cool, right? The unembellished interiors encourage the focus to be kept on the food and drink. 

On the menu is an exciting collection of sharing dishes which blend Asian flavours with modern European touches. For example, you might find the likes of fresh burrata spiked with romesco, chilli and toasted sourdough, or beef tartare with jerusalem artichoke and black garlic. Other, dishes include sesame prawn toast with katsuobushi, chicken yakitori with umeboshi and egg yolk and hand dived scallops with yuzu kosho and pumpkin. There are a couple of sweet dishes too: think chocolate with miso and hazelnut.  

To wash it all down, Noto’s drinks list offers an expertly-curated selection of small-producer wines and bespoke cocktails. Finally, the restaurant earned itself a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2021, which recognises restaurants that offer fantastic food for a good value price.

Created by Will Bowlby and Rik Campbell (the duo who created Kricket, one of London’s best Indian restaurants) SOMA is the restauranteurs' first foray into bars.

The venture was born out of the popularity of Kricket’s cocktail list, which the co-owners saw as reason enough to open a dedicated bar in order to show them off in their full glory. The result is SOMA, a place the pair have given the drinks the headline slot. Kricket’s Head of Beverages Will Rogers is in charge when it comes to the menu, having worked alongside bar manager Angelos Bafas to come up with a list of crowd-pleasers. Bafas’ accolades include time at Aqua Shard, as well as being previously voted as one of the top 5 bartenders in the world.

Similarly to Kricket, SOMA’s drinks are centred around Indian flavours. Drinks include a Gooseberry Chaat Margarita, which is made with tequila, triple sec, homemade gooseberry cordial and a little chaat masala; a Coconut and Jaggery Old Fashioned that combines bourbon, jaggery, coconut and mace bitters; and a savoury Pickled Mooli Martini which features vodka, dry vermouth, pickled mooli and fennel oil.

While the drinks are the main focus, there is also a short menu of snacks to help line the stomach. Think homemade crackers fashioned out of leftover rice from the restaurant – a delicious way to cut down on a waste. 

Simple interiors create an elegant backdrop and have been fashioned through a collaboration between architects Bureau Cake and interior designer Max Radford. Holding court in the middle of the room is the 9-metre-long hand-finished stainless steel bar, which can seat 23 guests. Walnut furnishings and pops of colour give the whole space a speakeasy vibe, and exclusive events and private functions can be catered for by way of the lounge room.

Simon Rogan's L'Enclume is one of the most highly regarded restaurants in the UK, and indeed the world, boasting three Michelin stars and a host of awards for its pioneering field-to-fork philosophy. The restaurant was awarded three Michelin stars in 2022, but has retained its Michelin-starred status since 2005 when it was awarded its very first star.

Located in Cartmel in Cumbria, L'Enclume serves an ever-changing tasting menu inspired by British seasonality. The ingredients used in the dishes at L’Enclume are sourced from Simon Rogan’s very own farm just up the road from the restaurant, and many dishes start with L'Enclume's farmers, who highlight ingredients when they're at their peak, before Rogan and team develop the resulting dishes. It’s one of the reasons the restaurant was also awarded a Michelin Green Star in 2021, an accolade that recognises restaurants that are leading in their industry for their sustainable practices.  

There is only one tasting menu available and it can be taken for lunch and dinner. It’s comprised of more than ten courses and can be paired with multiple wine flight options if desired – choose from the taster wine pairing, signature wine pairing or select wine pairing. Taking inspiration from British produce and dishes, expect exciting, inventive and unexpected creations such as Chalk Stream trout, pine cured, gooseberry tart, cherry belle radish and marinated trout roe. Other dishes might include the likes of seaweed custard with beef broth and bone marrow, Porlock oysters and caviar; Aged Cornish duck with Cylindra beetroot and Kalibos cabbage, aromatic herbs and seeds, smoked beetroot and elderberry vinegar; and Chamomile cake with cobnut cream, candied pumpkin, pumpkin juice and sea buckthorn. 

The dining room is cosy and traditional, with low ceilings and dark wooden beams to create a country house feel. It provides a relaxing contrast to the high calibre of cooking here, encouraging guests to feel relaxed while they make their way through multiple courses of Michelin-starred food.  

Guests can also book into Aulis Cartmel, which is a chef’s table experience adjacent to L’Enclume.

If somebody was to compile a list of London restaurants which are known for attracting the rich and famous, Sexy Fish is sure to be placed somewhere near the top.

Found on Berkeley Square, glamorous Sexy Fish is part of the Caprice Holdings Group, which also looks after the likes of Scott’s, J Sheekey and The Ivy Collection. The restaurant has gained a reputation as a bit of a celeb-magnet, while it also courts the Instagram crowd with its famously lavish interiors – think a giant gold-plated crocodile hanging from the wall, an ocean blue mermaid statue draped over the bar and more gold accents than Midas himself could rustle up.

Billed as a pan-Asian brasserie, although it is safe to say that the menu is replete with contemporary and luxury updates on classic Asian fare, while authentic renditions are perhaps harder to spot. Nonetheless, there’s no denying the appeal of the menu; kick things off with a helping of caviar, before moving on to the likes of tuna tataki, glazed pork belly skewers spiced with pear and ginger, or a crispy duck and watermelon salad. Naturally, the à la carte also offers a roll call of luxury ingredients, with lobster, Wagyu beef and sprinklings of black truffle shavings all present and correct.

To go alongside the food, it boasts what claims to be the world’s largest collection of Japanese whisky, while its cocktail menu (designed to look like a high-fashion magazine) features a seasonally changing selection of sips that includes innovative creations and twists on the classics, like an Old Fashioned made with passionfruit juice.

Apart from the regular menu, the restaurant also offers a tasting menu and a range of sophisticated bar snacks. Watch out for special seasonal and festive menus too, celebrating the likes of Veganuary or Valentine’s Day.    

Bethnal Green Town Hall has housed many great restaurants over the last decade or so - both Viajante and the Typing Room held Michelin stars here in the past, but Da Terra eclipsed them both when it earned a second Michelin star in 2021. Italian chef Rafael Cagali was born in Sao Paolo and worked at The Fat Duck and Aulis before taking on Da Terra as his debut solo restaurant, and he brings his eclectic background and wealth of experience to the menu here.

Da Terra's dining room is remarkably simple, almost spartan by comparison with the plush, white tablecloth vibe in most hotel restaurants. Dark wood chairs surround smooth, circular marble tabletops, and a polished herringbone parquet stretches out underfoot. 

The setting places the food at centre stage, and diners have a choice between seven and ten course tasting menus. Dinner opens with an array of snacks - such as a cod croquette, a beef taco or a taleggio doughnut - before diving into dishes largely inspired by Cagali's Italian and Brazilian roots, as well as his time in Spain with star chefs Quique Dacosta and Martin Berasategui.

The resulting menu finds some fascinating pairings as a result - arctic charr comes with courgette and tucupi (a sauce made from Brazilian yellow manioc), and there's a custard with mussels, trout roe and sake kasu (the lees produced when making sake, which is often discarded). Wild halibut moqueca (a Brazilian fish stew) comes with palm hearts and farofa - a toasted cassava flour condiment, also from Brazil. It's a menu for the more adventurous, but service is simultaneously friendly and disarming, highlighting the casual fine dining movement that East London does so well.

Both tasting menus are available with or without accompanying drinks pairings.

Sussex Vineyard Tinwood Estate’s on-site restaurant is a relaxed all-day joint serving lunch every day and dinner on Fridays and Saturdays. Focusing on modern British tapas using local produce, guests can expect an ever-changing menu that evolves with the seasons. The estate is a short drive away from Chichester city centre and easily accessible from London, making it a great spot for a day trip.

The spacious, light-filled dining room takes over what was once the estate’s dedicated tasting room with space for 50 covers. This spectacular room features huge sliding doors that look out onto the stunning south-facing terrace, offering guests views of the vineyard’s lush vines. Bag a seat here during the summer months to bask in the sunshine – preferably with a glass of English sparkling in hand.

The menu focuses on modern British sharing plates using local and seasonal produce, from meat and fish to fruit and vegetables. That means diners are constantly treated to new dishes according to what’s in season, what’s available and what’s tasting best. Guests are advised to choose three or four small plates each, all of which can be paired with the estate’s excellent wines.

There is also the option to enjoy your meal alongside a tutored wine tasting, but if you’d rather be left to your own devices, you can do that too. From romantic date nights to chilled catch-ups with friends, this relaxed restaurant offers a secluded spot to enjoy the best of British produce with a selection of Sussex wines.

Michelin-starred Restaurant Pine in Northumberland proudly celebrates local British ingredients - often foraged and grown in it's on-site gardens - via innovative, contemporary tasting menus.

Head chef Cal Byerley and partner (and restaurant manager) Siân are the brains behind Pine - it is the couple's first restaurant and a highly successful one at that. Pine earned itself a Michelin star within nine months of opening and is also the owner of a Green Michelin star for its commitment to sustainable practices. 

The restaurant is set inside an old cow barn with views of the surrounding Northumberland countryside thanks to huge glass windows. It uses local produce from Northumberland or homegrown produce from its very own kitchen garden and indoor poly tunnels wherever it can, and practices whole-animal butchery to minimise food waste. 

In the evenings, a generous tasting menu is available using foraged ingredients from the surrounding area. Diners can watch the chefs hard at work in the open kitchen while they cook up the likes of sugar kelp dumpling with North Sea trout and sour cream, langoustine claw with artichoke and cured pork belly and yoghurt whey sorbet with elderberry, sorrel and hyssop granita. The menu has been designed by head chefs Cal Byerley and Ian Waller who met and worked at Michelin-starred Forest Side previously.  

Diners can opt to add a bespoke wine flight to the tasting menu, which has been expertly chosen by Pine’s head sommelier Vanessa Stoltz. Vanessa grew up in Alsace and has previously worked at Hipping Hall and Forest Side, before winning the Champagne Gosset Matchmakers competition with her partner Ian Waller.  

Pine serves a lunch menu on Saturdays, and also offers a dedicated vegetarian menu. Guests can choose between the regular tasting menu experience or a seat at the chef's table, where you get one-to-one service from Cal and his team. Guests also have the option of staying overnight at nearby Hygge, which offers a number of cabins for overnight stays. 

Nestled in the heart of Chobham, a sleepy village in Surrey, The Cloche Hat is a contemporary European-inspired dining destination with a superb reputation. The Cloche Hat may look the part of a countryside inn, housed in an authentic, 16th-century Tudor farmhouse, but inside the team are all about innovation, using bold flavours, seasonal ingredients and cultivating a relaxed atmosphere alongside the stand-out food. 

In line with this, the interiors are both soft and welcoming, but suitably modern with a cream-toned colour palette and minimalist feel. Elegant dining chairs sit next to white table cloths for a sophisticated aesthetic, while the low candlelight keeps the atmosphere cosy. 

There are several different menus available at The Cloche Hat, spanning the a la carte, afternoon tea and tasting menu. On the a la carte, you'll find starters like burrata with nectarines, honey and salsa verde, mains such as corn fed chicken with onion and sage potato fondant, and puddings such as strawberry and pistachio tartlet.

The tasting menu comes in two forms; five or eight courses, as well as a vegetarian option, too. While the menu regularly changes, an example of what to expect includes confit salmon and nori, with fennel and yuzu, alongside wood pigeon with beetroot and cherries, and poached hake with tomatose and basil. For sweets, get stuck into watermelon sorbet to cleanse the palette, before tropical cheesecake and a board of artisanal British and French cheeses. On the vegetarian menu, you'll find swaps such as heritage beetroot with cherries and plum, as well as crispy baby artichokes with pine nuts and mooli.

The wine list is varied, sourcing bottles from across Europe as well as South Africa, New Zealand and America. The team are very happy to share their recommendations, whether it be by the glass or bottle, so do ask for their advice when it comes to pairings.

From the team behind Fenn in Fulham and Nest in Hackney comes St Barts, a fine dining restaurant offering a British tasting menu experience. Located in London’s Smithfield with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the Church of Bartholomew the Great, the restaurant is brought to east London by long-term friends Johnnie, Luke and Toby where it serves tasting menus exclusively for lunch and dinner.  

The interiors take inspiration from the buildings in the surrounding area, with stone, wood and soft fabrics used in abundance throughout. Bespoke tableware and ceramics are both made in-house, with the former all hand-carved from wood from London Plane trees in keeping with its sustainable ethos. 

The menus are designed to take diners on a journey through the British isles via menus that champion only the best small-scale farmers and producers in the UK. Dining at St Barts is an experience, beginning to end, with diners invited to relax with a drink in the bar before being guided to their table for a multi-course feast.  

Johnnie Crowe occupies the role of executive head chef, with each of the numerous and varied dishes on his tasting menu featuring only two or three ingredients. The menus change regularly in line with its hyper-seasonal concept, but examples might include wagyu beef bellini with Exmoor caviar, native blue lobster with fermented red peppers and British XO sauce, poached cod with preserved Wiltshire truffle and a Hackney honey and lavender dessert.

Meanwhile, the drinks list offers a selection of classic cocktails, local beers, natural cider, premium spirits and a wine list that revolves around low-intervention bottles from artisanal producers. Drinks pairings are available with the menu, featuring unusual combinations like a Portuguese sherry to accompany cod or a skin contact-red hybrid with duck. 

Core is the first solo restaurant from Northern Irish chef Clare Smyth. Since opening in 2017, following Smyth’s departure from Restaurant Gordon Ramsay where she had held three Michelin stars for nine years as head chef and then chef patron, Core has become renowned for its contemporary style of British cuisine. Winning two Michelin stars after being open for just one year, the London restaurant was awarded its third Michelin star in the 2021 guide. Combining the highest level of service, with ground-breaking culinary prowess and a relaxed fine-dining setting, Core by Clare Smyth aims to provide guests with a truly memorable dining experience.

Located in Notting Hill, Core is based inside a stunning period building with steps leading up to the restaurant’s front door. Inside, the elegant interiors of the 54-cover dining room strike a careful balance between being luxurious but not overly formal. Exposed wooden floors play host to circular tables which aren’t adorned with white tablecloths, and there is little by way of décor apart from the odd shelf stacked with plants and books.

British produce is at the centre of all of Smyth’s menus, with a particular emphasis on natural, sustainably sourced food. There is the choice of two tasting menus and an a la carte menu at Core, all of which change regularly depending on the season. Dishes on offer range from starters such as Isle of Mull scallop tartare with a sea vegetable consommé, to main courses including Rhug Estate venison red cabbage and Tasmanian mountain pepper. In terms of sweet dishes, you can expect playful desserts such as lemonade parfait, and a dish known as the ‘Core-teaser’.

The food is accompanied by an extensive French-led wine list, with the option to opt for a pairing with the tasting menus. Meanwhile, Core’s well-stocked bar can rustle up everything from classic cocktails to non-alcoholic delights.

Given the Mandrake root’s trippy herbal reputation, it’s fitting that the mind-bendingly exotic, sensual interior of this boho-deluxe boutique hotel is a magical mystery tour de force. The décor throughout the hotel has been thoughtfully designed to offers guests an immersive experience, strongly influenced by the Amazon rainforest and nature.  

There is a choice of three bars at The Mandrake, although Waeska is perhaps the most intriguing of the lot – a decadent clubby cocktail lounge overseen by a fantastical creature that is half-gazelle, half-peacock. As you enter, your eye is immediately drawn to the collection of treasured artifacts, objets d'art and priceless artworks housed behind the expansive labradorite bar.   

Guests can sample a unique range of cocktails and bar snacks in this one-of-a-kind venue. The cocktail menu is founded on ethnobotany – the study of a region’s plants and their practical uses through the traditional knowledge of a local culture and people. Expect a range of drinks that feature various herbs and botanicals you’ve likely never heard of before.  

Restorative plant-based sips include Oshun (Bombay Sapphire gin infused with gynostemma herb, yuzu sake, basil, sudachi sherbert and champagne) or Euphoria (St Germain elderflower, Muyu Chinotto, blood orange, champagne and fennel). A serious selection of spirits, sakes, mezcals and digestifs are also available from the general bar menu.  

Diners can sample a selection of bar snacks alongside, inspired by South American cuisine, such as spinach, pine nut and ricotta empanadas, chorizo iberico, guindillas and almonds, burrata with chicory, hazelnuts and pears and oysters with ancho chilli vinegar.  

Looking for a late-night drinking destination? Every Friday and Saturday night, Waeska hosts also live DJ nights for guests to head to after hours for a dance within dark and mysterious surrounds. An evening spent at this opulent bar is guaranteed to be one to remember.  

Easily one of the most decadent bars in the capital, if not the country, Beaufort Bar at The Savoy Hotel is truly a sight to behold. Visitors to the bar are surrounded by exclusively black and gold furnishings and greeted by expert mixologists. This seductive space is perfect for wiling away the evening in style, dates or catching up with old friends over elegant cocktails or Champagne. Refined bar food is available too, including the famous ‘caviar bumps’ (the perfect accompaniment to a glass of bubbly).

Every cocktail here is a masterful creation, often featuring the finest spirits and liqueurs money can buy. The golden apple Champagne cocktail, for example, features Michter’s rye whiskey, Courvoisier XO cognac, Calvados, red toffee apple, vanilla, Laurent-Perrier La Cuvee Brut NV and a 24K gold sugar cube. The aura, meanwhile, is a much earthier concoction, blending Johnnie Walker Black and Blue Label Whisky with Aquavit, Cocchi Savoy dry vermouth, maple syrup, walnut bitters and mushroom essence.

The Champagne selection is similarly lavish, with entries like a 2002 Dom Perignon, 2013 Louis Roederer Cristal, Krug Grande Cuvée Rosé and Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. Guests can add a caviar bump to any of these, making the perfect bundle of decadence. English sparkling wines also make an appearance here, with entries from Nyetimber ranging from the classic cuvée to the 2010 prestige cuvée.

Aside from caviar, there are other extravagant snacks like Carlingford oysters with virgin Mary dressing and Cornish lobster bites. Hot food is available too, including Hereford beef mini buns with Hampshire wasabi and red wine sauce, crispy chicken oysters with gochujang, pickled shimeji mushrooms and coriander shoots or mini wagyu sliders with spicy tomato relish and grilled cheddar. Sweet treats are on hand to round the evening off, including chocolate mousse with a touch of gold, and the award-winning cheese board is ideal for more savoury palates.

Dorchester Collection's luxury country house hotel and spa at Coworth Park, Berkshire is home to acclaimed chef Adam Smith and his latest restaurant - Woven by Adam Smith. Set in the picturesque grounds of Coworth Park, the restaurant is surrounded by 240 acres of parkland, trees, flowers and wildlife. Taking inspiration from the quintessential Berkshire countryside, the restaurant takes on a natural concept that offers an unforgettable culinary experience.

Coworth Park interior designer Martin Hulbert has also taken the lead on designing the restaurant, and it follows a similar sense of grandeur. Each detail of the design is inspired by the natural world and its beauty; fabrics, lighting, artworks, natural materials and striking colours and textures will all contribute to an intriguing, unique but luxurious dining space. The main dining room has the capacity for 44 guests while the adjoining conservatory adds an extra 12 guests; it is within this space that diners will get the best views of the park. 

Dining at this Georgian country house is a special occasion brought about by Adam Smith's innovative and contemporary menus. The menu takes diners on a culinary journey with sections labelled from the pantry, larder, stove, pastry and finally a treats section. Kicking things off in the pantry, there are simple snacks like devilled egg, caviar and Coronation chicken. Moving to the larder, you'll find crab paired with radish, apple, basil and yuzu; followed by salt aged yorkshire duck from the stove. Heading to the pastry section, Adam's selection of desserts include British cheeses, his signature chocolate and sea salt dessert and black fig paired with walnut, bee pollen and honey from the estate. 

Combining the interiors, the menus and the atmosphere and the restaurant, Adam aims to tell stories from his career as well as from the idyllic landscape. Dishes on the seasonally-changing menu are inspired by the finest produce; guests are treated to fresh seafood, professional butchery, foraged mushrooms, hand-picked herbs and native flower garnishes.

Set in Hampton Manor's historic walled garden, Grace & Savour topped SquareMeal's Top 100 Restaurants in the UK list in 2023, as well as winning a Michelin star for its diverse, seasonal tasting menus and outstanding hospitality. The restaurant is spearheaded by head chef David Taylor and his wife Anette - David was part of the team that won Maaemo in Oslo its three Michelin stars, so the restaurant is in extremely good hands, whilst Anette leads the front of house team. 

Hampton Manor itself is a 45-acre estate that opened in 2008, and has always had a considerable food reputation, thanks to former flagship restaurant Peel's, and Smoke, which is run by MasterChef: The Professionals winner Stu Deeley.

Upon arrival at Grace & Savour, guests are taken on a tour of the garden to explain the menu. Estate maps and wellies are available for guests who would like to explore, and living areas face the kitchen, teasing what is to come. Each of the five adjoining bedrooms has a bespoke concrete bath and overlooks the estate's original kitchen garden, while the restaurant is fitted with handmade chairs and even locally made crockery using clay from the estate itself. 

The menu is truly seasonal and governed by what is available, rather than the other way around. Dishes celebrate ingredients in their entirety, such as using the branches and leaves of the blackcurrant or imitating the life cycle of a fallow dear. Dinner is typically 15 courses, with drink pairings such as small-batch wines. Produce comes from the estate, or local, sustainable producers like Sole of Discretion or Paviland Farm. 

For an immersive, 360-degree, 24-hour culinary experience, look no further. Grace & Savour's offering puts you as close to the action and origins of the food as possible, resulting in an unforgettable stay. Even better, city-dwellers can easily get here on foot - Grace & Savour is just a short walk from Hampton-in-Arden station, making this perfect for overnight city escapes.

Michelin-starred Sorrel in Dorking offers a modern approach to fine dining, the execution of which is overseen by head chef Steve Drake. Steve has numerous culinary credentials to his name that have led him to this point, from working in some of the world’s best kitchens (Chez Nico at Ninety Park Lane, the Oak Room with Marco Pierre White and Pied a Terre) to winning the Roux Scholarship in 2001. Before Sorrel, Steve worked a 14-year stint at Drake’s (now named The Clock House) where he won a Michelin star and retained it for all that time. Sorrel is the culmination of 25 years of culinary experience.  

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and there is a choice of menus available. For lunch, guests can choose to dine from the a la carte or tasting ‘Discovery’ menu, while for dinner only the tasting menu is available. The Discovery Menu really is where the true Sorrel experience lies and takes the diner on a journey from ‘Departure’ to ‘Journey’s End’. The dishes are based around seasonal ingredients which Steve combines using unusual and unexpected flavour combinations. Look out for things like apple and curry meringue with chicken liver, hand-dived scallop with crushed apple, turnip, miso, anchovy and turnip leaf oil, and pork belly with smoked cauliflower, ponzu, cockles and monk’s beard. Expect a surprise by the time you reach the sweet courses as well, such as blueberry ice cream with lavender cake, oregano and ginger beer. 

The setting at Sorrel is designed to be just as engaging as the food. The dining room features an open kitchen which allows guests to chat to the chefs and ask them questions about the food. The restaurant itself is housed inside a beautiful 300-year-old grade II-listed building and offers rustic period features throughout, from wooden beams to an old fireplace.  

What’s more, Sorrel is only open four days a week to provide better working hours for the chefs and allow the team a fairer work-life balance.  

This double bar concept comes from renowned bartender Alex Kratena (formerly of Artesian Bar) and Monica Berg. Found right by Old Street roundabout, Elementary is a casual all-day bar which serves seasonal drinks and snacks, while Tayer is a more progressive space featuring a daily changing menu written up on a blackboard.

In Elementary, guests sit around a large communal bar, enjoying drinks and snacking on a succinct menu of just three snack plates. If they move through to Tayer, they’ll find seating around a large open counter, where they can see the bartenders and chefs at work.

Ta Ta Eatery has been appointed to oversee the food side of things, serving up a menu which is Asian in style, but incorporates European elements. Dishes can be ordered individually or as tapas-style sharing plates, while the drinks list doesn’t just privilege cocktails – you can also expect considered lists of spirits, sakés and soft drinks.  

Food and drink images: Bernard Zeija

Occupying the 38th and 39th floors of the tallest building in the City – Heron Tower – SUSHISAMBA City boasts the highest outdoor terraces in Europe, so if you’re looking for unparalleled, 360-degree views of the City, it’s a must-visit. Guests can take advantage of the views from the moment they step into the panoramic glass elevator that whisks its occupants up 39 floors in a jiffy before opening out on to the show-stopping main dining room.

SUSHISAMBA’s main dining room capitalises on its spectacular views of London with floor-to-ceiling windows.  Pendulum lights hang through the gaps of the spectacular bamboo ceiling at varying heights, making the space look more like an art gallery than a restaurant. The impressive design doesn’t stop there though; bright orange banquette seating around the windows and hanging plants add vibrant pops of colour that offset the black and white floor.

It’s not just a few carefully-chosen plants that create the indoor-outdoor theme of this high-rise restaurant either – the structural orange tree on the west terrace is a work of art designed to reinforce the earth-to-sky motif this restaurant projects.

There’s more to SUSHISAMBA City than its interiors and views, though these are undoubtedly a draw both for locals and visitors to London. The food is a colourful blend of Japanese and South American cuisine, meaning guests can look forward to the likes of Japanese tempura and sushi, Brazilian churrasco and moqueca, and Peruvian anticuchos and ceviches. The open kitchen, with its hot robata grill, churns out chargrilled meats, vegetables and fish, while the restaurant’s small-plates concept encourages a shared dining experience. There’s a separate vegan menu and a menu for the gluten-conscious too, plus a dessert menu brimming with cleverly-designed sweet treats that often look too pretty to eat. The bar is as well-stocked as can be, so be sure to try a cocktail while you’re there.

Set inside a fairytale gothic mansion, The Forest Side is both a hotel and award-winning restaurant set against the stunning surrounds of the Lake District. The Forest Side restaurant has held onto its Michelin star since 2017, with head chef Paul Leonard at the helm of the kitchen. Serving food that’s firmly rooted in the landscape of the lakes, utilising the best seasonal produce and pairing it with wines from small organic and bio-dynamic producers, The Forest Side’s commitment to sustainability and innovation has led it to be considered one of the best restaurants in Cumbria.  

Diners are made to feel as connected to their surroundings as possible. The bright and airy restaurant overlooks a terrace which offers views of lush green lawns and beautiful woodland. A muted colour palette inside, as well as lots of reclaimed timber and steel tables, earthenware plates and a stunning centrepiece table made from a windblown tree contribute to the sense of the restaurant's place amongst nature.  

Only tasting menus are available, although guests are able to choose between six and eight courses for lunch and dinner respectively, with vegetarian options available, too. Examples of dishes you might find include spring peas with Herdwick lamb and smoked yoghurt, BBQ Shetland mussels, salt-aged duck roasted on the crown with morels glazed in truffle juice, and first-of-the-season rhubarb with cultured buttermilk and shiso.  

The wines share the same philosophy as the food with a focus on local, all-natural products. Each one is sourced from artisan makers who produce quality wines on a small scale and are made with no artificial chemicals, minimum sulphur dioxide and natural fermentation techniques. The cocktails, meanwhile, feature foraged ingredients, including one aptly named Forager made with pineapple-infused vodka, homemade ginger beer and lime. Meals here are best enjoyed with an overnight stay.

Curious and creative, the menu at Raby Hunt reflects chef-owner James Close’s excitement for the world of fine dining. Having only launched his cookery career in his twenties, James might be seen as a late bloomer if examined through the lens of the usual hospitality tale. Raby Hunt is the only kitchen James has worked in, a restaurant he bought with his family more than ten years back. His story is an interesting one, in a former life he was training to be a pro golfer and he has spent time under the usual slew of famous chef names to help bolster his CV. He’s self-taught, a detail that seems both trivial and of the utmost importance when you learn he has earned himself two Michelin stars.

The restaurant operates a tasting menu only, with an optional wine pairing, or prestige wine pairing, available. If that doesn't sound substantial enough, those who are looking for the full all-in foodie experience can snag a spot at the Kitchen Table, Raby Hunt’s equivalent of the classic chef’s table.

For your significant investment (the menus are rather pricey), you’ll be treated to an undulating adventure of some of the UK’s best food. Plates run through three sections – ‘Global’, ‘Signature’ and ‘Pastry. You can of course expect things to flex with the seasons, but oyster tartlets or nigiri tempura might kick things off. Later on you might find signature plates in the form of A5 Wagyu beef, a comte souffle or halibut with caviar. A couple of sweet treats finish things off for a meal we doubt you’ll forget in a hurry.

In line with the style of the menu, dietary requirements can’t always be accommodated, while only children over 12 can be booked in for the experience.

This new site from French restaurant group Big Mamma is found on the corner of Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch, in the space which formerly housed Red’s True BBQ. The restaurant is split over two floors and seats around 150 diners. The interiors are inspired by the Italian island of Capri in the 1970s, while on the menu, you can expect to find over-the-top versions of Italian classics.

Take the 10-layer lasagne, or the cacio e pepe, which is served in a giant wheel of cheese. Desserts are just as epic, including the likes of a singular giant profiterole, and a hefty wedge of lemon meringue pie. Drinks are fun too, and include a classic Negroni topped with truffle foam. 

Interior image: Jerome Galland
Food image: Joann Pai 

Farlam Hall has been a country manor for nearly 500 years, and for much of that time owned by the local gentry, the Thompson family. Created as a space to entertain family and friends, the current team are pasionate about continuing its hospitable legacy with sumptious interiors, cosy fires and fantastic food and drink. 

The Cedar Tree Restaurant is the jewel in the hotel's culinary crown, boasting three AA Rosettes and hosting guests in a beautifully elegant space, overlooking the gardens with delicate, floral wallpaper and white tablecloths. Here, the team offer a fine-dining experience which seeks to highlight the very best of local produce and seasonal ingredients, with its heart firmly planted in Cumbria. 

Helmed by Chef Patron Hrishikesh Desai, the sample menu takes diners on a seven-course journey, starting with cod tartar in a crispy puff ball, with soya and honey dressing, carrot and cumin purée with garden cress, alongside an aubergine ‘Cornetto’ with smoked aubergine pickle and cheese mousse.

Across the main courses, enjoy dishes like fried fillet of cured hake with roasted pineapple and smoked sweet and sour sauce, as well as Aglionby Longhorn Beef tandoori ‘Wellington’ with tandoori spiced marinated beef fillet wrapped in classic mushroom duxelles, potato cream,  seasonal garden vegetables and tandoori jus.

For afters, enjoy Thompson’s farm rhubarb with vanilla pannacotta, rhubarb textures and orange cake, as well as dark chocolate delice with banana bread, caramelised hazelnuts and milk ice cream, and coffee and tea with petit fours. 

The restaurant is available to book for both overnight guests of the restaurant and visitors just for the day. For those making a Sunday booking, try the five-course Sunday lunch with dishes like poached Loch Duart salmon, crab dumpling and keta caviar beurre blanc, followed by sticky toffee pudding with dark chocolate and cardamom ganache with salted caramel ice cream.

Located on the 1st floor of Michelin House, Bibendum is one of London's most extravagant and iconic restaurants, with a significant history to match. Many great chefs have worked a service here, among them Simon Hopkinson and Jeremy Lee, but now Claude Bosi has taken the reins, returning Bibendum to its rightful place as a temple of British gastronomy.

Stunning stained glass windows form the centrepiece of Bibendum's dining room, which retains its white tablecloth smarts but with less of the stuffiness of yesteryear.

Whilst Bibendum of the past was British with classical French underpinnings, today's menu is unashamedly French, with Bosi taking great inspiration from his upbringing in Lyon. Right from the get-go, the a la carte doesn't hold back on the decadence with a selection of amuse bouches, followed by starter dishes like beetroot, smoked eel, burrata and caviar, and duck jelly with onion, smoked sturgeon and (more) caviar. Some classic Bibendum dishes remain - the turbot a la Grenobloise, for example, and the Brittany rabbit with langoustine and tarragon too - but Bosi throws in a few twists and turns, like a Devonshire farm Peking duck with celery and celeriac. 

Tasting menus are available too, including the more modern addition of a vegetarian menu too. These playfully start with mini versions of the restaurant's best dishes past and present, before embarking on a culinary journey of around ten courses, with an optional supplementary board of international cheeses. In truly decadent fashion, diners can add white truffle to certain dishes at market price. 

Desserts are equally extravagant - the Bibendum double chocolate souffle is a chocolate lover's dream and surely must go down as one of the most decadent desserts anywhere in London. Add in the extensive cheese trolley, pitch-perfect service and humongous wine list, and Bibendum looks to be well worth its three Michelin stars. 

Marcus is the eponymous restaurant of celebrity chef Marcus Wareing - without question one of the UK's most recognisable chefs thanks to his many years of service on MasterChef: The Professionals as well as his long-time history with former mentor Gordon Ramsay. With pride of place in the magnificent Berkeley Hotel, Marcus arguably boasts one of the great restaurant locations in the city. A towering room of mahogany panels, gleaming architrave, deep-pile carpets and plush, peppermint-leather seating attended by battalions of suited staff, Marcus is as imposing as Mr Wareing’s culinary reputation.

Wareing's time on TV has come up trumps in more ways than one, as he has turned to former MasterChef: The Professionals contestant Craig Johnston to lead the team at the restaurant after the departure of Mark and Shauna Froydenlund. Marcus now offers two tasting menus - the 'Taste of Marcus' menu, and a vegetarian tasting menu, both available in five or seven course formats, with two choices of accompanying wine flights. Dishes at Marcus remain based in quintessential British produce and flavours - Wareing has always been passionate about British food and that shows here.

On the flagship tasting menu you'll find dishes such as baked potato with truffle, honey and confit lemon, confit double-smoked pork belly with quince, grape mustard and black garlic, and roast Orkney scallop with bisque, cauliflower, curry spices and pickled apple.

The vegetarian tasting menu, meanwhile, features some genuinely interesting vegetarian cooking - still somewhat of a rarity in London. Dishes include glazed heritage carrot with pine nut, tarragon, hen-of-the-wood mushroom, black garlic and potato terrine, and Delica pumpkin with bitter leaves, pickled baby onions and king oyster mushroom. Puddings are classic and perfectly executed - try chocolate cremeux, chocolate nougat, salted caramel mousse and peanut for size.

Marcus also offers a four course lunch menu from Tuesday to Saturday, and a significant wine cellar with hundreds of bottles from all over the world. 

Upmarket Muse occupies an intimate 25-cover space in a renovated mews property in one of the most chi-chi corners of Belgravia. It’s the brainchild of chef Tom Aikens, who has returned to London’s fine-dining scene after a five-year absence.

Muse is split over two floors of a characterful mews house, with each floor boasting a fully open plan kitchen which allows diners to see the kitchen team at work. The space has been designed by Australian interior designer Rebecca Korner, who has combined an eclectic mix of furniture with splashes of jewel-toned marbles and rich woods.

The restaurant exclusively serves multi-course tasting menus, with Aikens drawing on his childhood memories and moments in his illustrious career to inspire dishes. The tasting menus evolve with each season and include stripped-back dishes which place an emphasis on one key ingredient or element. Unsurprisingly, the tasting menus come with an appropriate Belgravia price tag, however, a smaller tasting menu is available for under £100 for those on a slightly tighter budget.

Speaking about the opening of Muse, Aikens said: “Throughout my life, I have been inspired and influenced by many different people, places, time and travels. My new home, Muse, pays homage to all of these and more.”

Aikens is one of Britain’s most highly acclaimed chefs, and he still holds the record for being the youngest ever chef to be awarded two Michelin stars, a feat he achieved at the age of 26 when he headed up the kitchen at Pied à Terre. At Muse, Aikens works with British suppliers and farmers who are as passionate as the restaurant about provenance. These include HG Walter (an independent, family-run butcher), Flying Fish (who supply fish and seafood to the restaurant within 48 hours of being caught) and The London Cloth Company.

Illustration: Brodie Williams

Casa restaurant takes up residence in the same building that was home to iconic Bristol restaurant Casamia for many years. Casamia, though best known as a highly-creative, avant-garde restaurant, started life as a casual neighbourhood trattoria. In closing Casamia and opening Casa, Peter Sanchez-Iglesias is taking the restaurant back to its roots, with elevated Italian fare. 

The 66-cover restaurant is relaxed but highly flexible, with a menu that makes Casa great for a special celebration, as well as a casual plate of pasta. Meanwhile, the family have revived much of the original crockery and tableware that featured in the original restaurant - another instance where Casa pays tribute to the legacy of Casamia. The interiors have been opened up to make the most of the views over picturesque Bathurst Basin, with maple and birch furniture built by local craftspeople.

The menu also brings back a number of classic dishes that once featured on the menu of Casamia in its early days. A signature potato ravioli, for example, comes with a Lion’s Mane mushroom ragu. The famous Sanchez-Iglesias tiramisu will also return, exactly as it used to be served. Like Sanchez-Iglesias' Michelin-starred Paco Tapas next door, menus feature handwritten annotations of daily specials, as well as a seasonally-changing menu that makes the most of top ingredients from great Italian and British producers. Also on the menu are dishes like fried semolina with Parmesan and prawn crudo, as well as platters of cured meats and cheeses. The pasta section features dishes like a seasonal agnolotti, and tortellini in brodo, and there are also fish and meat plates, such as veal ossobuco and bistecca alla Fiorentina to share. As well as the a la carte, Casa also has a chef's menu, which features a chef's choice of the best dishes of the day and saves you having to choose!

Kerridge's Bar & Grill is renowned chef Tom Kerridge’s first London restaurant and finds its home within the Corinthia London hotel in Whitehall. Famous for his pubs of exceptional standards, like The Hand and Flowers in Marlow, Kerridge’s love of big, bold flavours are seen in his latest venture too, something akin to pub classics punters know and love. Helping him take things to new heights is his head chef Nick Beardshaw who joins Kerridge in his love of British cooking.

Interiors have been created with luxury in mind, so that guests feel calm and comfortable in the cosy space. Rich red leather banquette seating is built in curves to allow for a feeling of privacy around round tables, while a chef’s table is open to a section of kitchen that allows VIP guests an insight into the workings of the skilled professionals making their meals. Elsewhere wooden bookshelves hold cookery tomes and encase wine fridges, while there’s also a generously sized bar for guests to unwind at after a long day of sightseeing or business.

With everything from pre- and post-theatre menus through to vegetarian and vegan sets there is something here for everyone. The classic chef-chosen six course option begins with chicken liver parfait before moving through dishes like mushroom risotto and treacle roasted fillet of beef with chips and béarnaise sauce. The feast is finished off with a tonka bean panna cotta with rhubarb sorbet, honeycomb and ginger. Sundays, as you might expect, bring elevated roast dinners; pork belly with roasted onions and horseradish cream, say, or dry aged rib of beef with Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes.

For guests enjoying drinks at the bar there is also a small snacks menu which includes pub favourites like pork crackling (with Kerridge’s signature twist coming in the form of gherkin ketchup), devils on horseback or Welsh rarebit on toast.

For an iconic dining destination with breath-taking views of the capital, Duck & Waffle is at the peak (if you’ll pardon the pun) of the pack. Finding its home on the 40th floor of 110 Bishopsgate in London you would be hard pressed not to be impressed by the space, which is reached by a swiftly moving glass lift that prompts stomach-flipping views of the city below as it zips out of sight during the brief 40 second assent.

As one of the only 24/7 restaurants in London, Duck & Waffle gives diners the ultimate flexibility in fine dining. Whether you find yourself browsing the menu after a few drinks on a Friday night or prefer to start the day with a sunrise breakfast, you’ll be treated to a playful British menu with international influences. Of course, the obvious choice is the house signature duck and waffle, but outside of this there are other gems to discover. A raw bar throws up Angus beef tartare and Jersey oysters, while small plates see combinations like a spicy ox cheek ragu packed into a savoury paprika-sugar-dusted doughnut and seared scalloped with potatoes, chilli and garlic. If you’re not the sharing type or want to skip starters, then the main menu features larger plates that include excellent cuts of meat cooked in the wood oven and inventive vegetarian serves. As if wanting to push proof of its popularity, the restaurant group boast having sold over a million dishes worldwide and now includes a Hong Kong site in its portfolio.

If preferred guests can also enjoy the indoor/outdoor bar area which has dazzling views of the city below whatever time of the day you find yourself at it. Compliment cocktails with the selection of temping bar snacks like crispy BBQ pig ears or cauliflower and red onion pakora.

With a slew of awards to its name, Orwells is no stranger to critical acclaim and has managed to do what many fail to do – maintain its momentum. Since it opened in 2010, this sweet Oxfordshire restaurant has drawn diners from across the country.

What, then, is the key its success? We think it’s most likely the personality on every plate. Headed up by Ryan Simpson and Liam Simpson (not related), the duo is invested in creating a laidback yet fine dining experience for their guests and the unpretentious, upbeat service helps to buoy this. Ryan’s experience lies in Michelin starred French kitchens, while Liam’s journey has included time at one of Liverpool’s best restaurants and a stint in Devon at five star hotel Bovey Castle.

The dining room at Orwells is found inside an 18th Century pub, with the traditional wooden bar still the centrepiece to the space. Elsewhere, neat tables and chairs adorn things while there’s a blue colour scheme that reflects the deliberate simplicity of the menu.

Passionate about province and sustainability, both Ryan and Liam have been known to change the entire menu on a daily basis to keep up with what’s best in season. With its own patch of land the restaurant is able to grow much of what it uses, while meat and fish are sourced as locally as possible. 

With both a la carte and tasting menus on offer, Orwells provides something for every occasion, and there’s even a garden where you’re welcome to grab drinks and snacks should the weather be playing ball. Vegans and vegetarians are all catered for too via dedicated billings. While dishes change regularly, example mains include Devon duck breast with Roscoff onions, purple sprouting broccoli and truffle or a salt baked celeriac with cheddar, onions, hen of the wood mushrooms, hazelnuts and kalettes.

There's no questioning Tom Kerridge's credentials as one of the UK's most recognisable chefs, but his journey onto our TVs, through cookbooks and as owner of multiple restaurants all starts with the magnificent, two Michelin star-wielding Hand and Flowers in Marlow. Opened in 2005, the Hand and Flowers won a Michelin star in its debut year, and added a second in 2012, becoming (and still holding the title of) the only pub in the UK to hold two Michelin stars.

As you might expect, two Michelin stars means you receive a certain level of service and food, but Tom and wife Beth have endeavoured to make sure that the Hand and Flowers retains all of its rustic charm. That means friendly service, comfortable, informal atmosphere and bold, unpretentious pub food, elevated with the best of the best seasonal ingredients. 

The a la carte menu is packed full of contemporary pub fare, taken to new heights with classical cooking technique and outstanding ingredients. Starters include duck liver parfait with orange chutney and toasted brioche, and glazed omelette of smoked haddock and Parmesan, before moving onto mains like duck breast with duck vol au vent, Yorkshire rhubarb, almonds and black pudding, Essex lamb bun with sweetbreads and salsa verde, and dry-aged beef ribeye with chips, sauce Bordelaise and bearnaise. Desserts include a warm Bramley apple and vanilla bakewell with tonka bean cremeux, milk toffee tart with grapefruit sorbet, and blackberry souffle with bay leaf sorbet and roasted walnut ice cream. 

The Hand and Flowers also offers a Sunday lunch menu that includes a variety of roasts, including beef, venison, duck, fish and pork belly. 

Ynyshir is a restaurant with rooms in Wales run by chef patron Gareth Ward, who cooks a unique, 30-course tasting menu of pyrotechnic creations, heavily influenced by Japanese cuisine, with meat front and centre. The only two Michelin-starred restaurant in Wales, Ynyshir is regularly in the conversation among the very best restaurants in the country, and also boasts an attached four-star hotel where guests can stay over after dinner, which often clocks in between four and five hours.

A typical menu at Ynyshir is a true culinary journey, typically consisting of about 30 micro-courses. Aside from meat, there is also a focus on seafood. Earlier entries may include raw lobster tail with nahm jim, shrimp green curry and a chilli crab bun. These lighter bites then slowly blend into slightly meatier ones, like scallops with duck liver, aged bluefin tuna belly and miso-cured black cod with shiitake.

Moving to the meat dishes, you will typically see the likes of a duck larb, pork char siu, Welsh lamb spare rib or chicken katsu, before beef takes over. In this section, you can expect A5 beef (the wagyu of all wagyus). It could take any shape: a single-bite burger, ribs with black bean or sirloin with ponzu and caviar. Dessert is also usually spread across multiple tiny courses, which could take the form of buttermilk whey with Thai spices, Bramley apple with duck custard or tiramisu. 

The wine list is extensive and surprisingly reasonably priced, with a paragraph for each highlighting its background and best use. The back page of this list features fortified and sweet wines, but the whole list is only a few pages, showing Ynyshir's confidence in its decision-making. 

With two experienced hospitality experts at its helm, Updown is destined to be a success. Ruth Leigh and her partner Oli Brown have launched their restaurant with rooms after a considerable restoration project. Ruth is the daughter of Rowley Leigh – the man often accredited with ‘inventing’ modern British cookery – while chef Oli previously headed up Duck Duck Goose in London, a modern Cantonese restaurant.

The pair set their sights on transforming their 17th century Grade-II listed farmhouse into a small hotel and restaurant. The accommodation includes seven rooms spread across the main house and a handful of outbuildings, as well as two separate cottages.

Oli heads up the kitchen while Ruth manages front of house. The pair have together curated a short but carefully considered menu of Italian-leaning dishes that use local ingredients from the best of Kent’s suppliers. Meat comes from award-winning The Black Pig butcher and fishmonger Jenkins and Sons provides the seafood. While dishes flex with the seasons, the kinds of things you can expect include raw sea bass with almonds and cherries or grilled lamb chump with broad beans, artichokes and bagna cauda – a warm sauce made from garlic and anchovies.

Food is served al fresco, at the hotel’s outdoor restaurant found under a pergola that is shaded by hanging vines and wisteria. Those worried about the impact of the British weather on their meal needn’t be, there are roaring open fires to keep guests cosy on cooler nights. To one side of the dining area there’s an outdoor kitchen where you can watch the chefs at work as they cook each meal to order on the open bakers’ oven.

The drinks list is similarly curated with a short but sharp billing of cocktails and local wines, as well as bottles sourced from further afield in France and Italy.

Regent Street is blessed with another potential star in the making; this time it’s Alex Dilling - one time head chef of The Greenhouse and Helene Darroze at the Connaught - who arrives on this famous street with his first solo restaurant, Alex Dilling at Hotel Cafe Royal.

With a stunning view of the iconic Regent Street curve and across to Piccadilly Circus, this elegant dining spot seats only 34 guests, allowing for an intimate experience of Dilling’s contemporary French cuisine.

Decadence is infused in every aspect of the interiors, with details such as hand painted silk panelling and cosy, bespoke booths creating an exciting, fine dining ambience.

Dilling draws on inspiration from classic French gastronomy, and combines this with his own young, energetic cooking style. Diners have the option of a range of menus: a three-course lunch menu, and two evening menus - a seven course dinner menu, and a chef’s special menu of seven courses and additions, where guests will dine on the finest, seasonal ingredients in elevated, creative dishes.

This is no more evident than in Dilling’s bouillabaisse, where Dilling honours the beloved, traditional recipe, but elevates his fish soup with an indulgent oyster cream. Potato and aged Kaluga caviar complements a dish of salty, smoked sturgeon, and there’s more luxury courtesy of a Limousin veal sweetbread, served with smoked eel, watercress and a gribiche sauce. For dessert, diners can expect sweets that resemble works of art - spheres of intense Araguani chocolate are paired with smoked Piedmont hazelnut, and served alongside perfect spheres of aromatic Tahitian vanilla; this is a dessert you’ll want to leave room for.

Words like ‘sumptuous’ and ‘opulent’ are often ba