JOIVY Splendid 1 Bedroom Flat near St. Paul's Cathedral

The Nordic-style décor, warm colour palette and picture windows overlooking the church cloisters create a handsome and comfortable environment for this relaxed restaurant, especially when you add in the gorgeous handmade crockery and confident, affable service. The well-balanced set menus provide an immeasurably satisfying experience, focusing on prime seasonal produce in contemporary dishes that may be quite delicate in their appearance, but deliver plenty of wonderful flavours. Ingredient provenance is key, with the chefs showing off the best of British.

There’s no standing on ceremony here at St. JOHN; indeed, very little ceremony at all, and that makes eating here such a joyful experience. As one of the foremost proponents of nose-to-tail cooking, this is the place to try new things, whether that’s bone marrow or ox liver. Seasonality is at its core and nothing sums up the philosophy more than the potatoes and greens: they're always on the menu but the varieties and types change regularly. There are also dishes for two, as well as magnums of wine for real trenchermen. Do order the warm madeleines for the journey home.

There’s something about Luca that makes it feel like a proper grown-up restaurant, largely because the relaxed clientele just know they’re going to be well looked after. What brings them all here is the expertly rendered Italian food, which is satisfyingly robust yet effortlessly easy to eat. The pasta course will certainly be a highlight – whether that’s cappelletti of salt-baked potato or tortelli of pumpkin with ricotta – but the other dishes, featuring such quality ingredients as Orkney scallops or Hereford beef, won’t ever disappoint. For great value, choose the Express Lunch menu served

This intimate restaurant next to The Savoy's American Bar is named in honour of the year in which renowned French chef Georges Auguste Escoffier joined the hotel. It’s a comfortable and discreet space, with golden hues, art deco touches and just 10 well-spaced tables. The surprise tasting menu is in part inspired by Escoffier’s classics but prepared using modern techniques, resulting in dishes with elegance and poise, underpinned by high-quality ingredients such as Cornish Red chicken. The Fragola Melba dessert is an updated version of the original made in honour of Dame Nellie Melba.

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

While Chef Angelo Sato's Japanese heritage provides the basis for this modern, upbeat izakaya, his creative streak ensures the captivating tasting menu takes on a style all its own. Clever flavour and temperature combinations feature throughout, as do the kitchen's immense precision and technical skill. The shokupan bread serving is a real event, packed with originality and showcasing a range of delicious accompaniments. The theatrical counter set-up adds to the great atmosphere, whilst sake 'journeys' are encouraged to add to the experience.

Top-drawer fish, treated with the culinary skill it deserves, is the main attraction at this restaurant on the top floor of the South Place Hotel. The chefs have the confidence to know that when seafood is this good, it needs little in the way of adornment, and the pared-back cooking allows exceptional produce like roast Newlyn cod to shine through. Dishes are attractively presented and so is the room, with an ornate ceiling and inviting roof terrace.