伦敦梅瑟街的丽笙蓝标酒店

In a discreet, intimate environment inside the grand Hotel Café Royal, the eponymous chef has the perfect canvas in which to showcase his impressive and accomplished cuisine. Dilling's dishes are exquisite in appearance and, like a seasoned orchestra, everything on the plate adds its own note of flavour to produce something harmonious and exhilarating. Whether Kaluga caviar, Scottish lobster or Peruvian chocolate, the kitchen knows how to bring the best out of its exquisite ingredients.

It’s all in the name: this bright, intimate restaurant in the streets of Soho celebrates the cuisine of LA and wider California, with its décor and lush plants evoking The Golden State. First-rate ingredients are used in well-balanced dishes characterised by deep, bold flavours and punchy sauces; eye-catching presentation and some playful touches add an extra element. The wine list is an all-American selection, including some choices that are exclusive to the restaurant.

There’s a sense of theatre to every element of Mourad Mazouz and Pierre Gagnaire’s 18th-century house of fun. As you climb the stairs up to The Lecture Room and Library, the anticipation grows, then stepping into the gloriously colourful and lavishly decorated room both inspires and excites – there really is no restaurant in London quite like this. The multi-dish cooking is also unique in the city, where perfectly seared Cornish wild turbot comes with clams and mango, along with a mosaic of its skirt; and succulent roasted leg of Welsh lamb is accompanied by sweetbreads and kidney, with its fi

Top restaurants never stop developing – and that’s certainly the case with Ikoyi. Founder and chef Jeremy Chan’s surprise tasting menu uses high-quality organic produce from the British Isles, married with global spices, to create dishes that are as unique and creative as they are bold and beautiful to behold – and they now display even greater levels of depth and complexity. Dishes like aged turbot with egusi miso or suya with creamed peas are bound to enthral, while the theatrically presented smoked jollof rice will always be one of the highlights.

Adam Handling's flagship is a restaurant that keeps up with the times: it’s fun, well-run and offers a friendly, uplifting atmosphere. The room's fresh, clean look keeps the focus firmly on the food, which is founded on classical techniques but blends in just the right amount of playfulness and originality. The signature bread served with chicken skin butter and liver pâté is as good as ever, while the likes of red mullet with saffron and shellfish show off superb British ingredients, technical skill and expert balancing of flavours in equal measure. The interesting wine list includes a stella

There’s seating for just 12 people at this counter located in the former beer cellar of The Blue Posts pub. Claustrophobes may be hesitant, but on offer is an intriguing and rewarding gastronomic experience. There are two sittings a night, and as the set menu is served to all at the same time, do be punctual – if you're early, try the top-floor bar of the pub. Prime British ingredients power dishes that are thoughtfully composed and confidently prepared, while incorporating influences from across Asia, such as blood orange nahm jim with Cornish red mullet.

In a narrow Soho alley sits this outpost of Simon Rogan’s celebrated L’Enclume restaurant in the Lake District. Before assembling on the 12-seater counter, diners are served drinks in the small bar, along with a variety of snacks, each of which is presented and described by a different chef. The set menu is then served to all at the same time and is made up of creative, detailed dishes like Cartmel Valley Fallow deer with fermented black garlic or Orkney scallops with smoked pike perch roe. The chefs also make great use of organic ingredients from Rogan’s own Cumbrian farm.