Dazzling Room near Paddington/Elizabeth Stn

From the charming welcome to the last of the delicious petit fours, Clare Smyth's elegant Notting Hill restaurant offers a superb experience. Start with a drink in the delightful Whiskey & Seaweed bar, before choosing between an à la carte or two tasting menus. 'Core Seasons' features more recent seasonal creations, while 'Core Classics' includes Smyth signatures like 'Potato and Roe' and 'Lamb Carrot'. Throughout, the eye-catching dishes take outstanding ingredients and fashion them into beautifully balanced, skilfully composed dishes with supreme depth of flavour.

'Never judge a book by its cover' certainly rings true here, as within this former pub sits a convivial and really quite stylish restaurant, where sophisticated cooking combines with efficient, unstuffy service. Alongside an à la carte, you have the option to ‘build your own’ 5 course tasting menu by selecting one dish from each of their ‘character’ profiles; these range from 'Subtle' (such as Acquerello risotto) to 'Robust' (roast lamb, perhaps) and finish with 'Greedy' for dessert. Top-notch ingredients and strong classical technique run throughout.

Terse menu descriptions belie the quality of the cooking at this energisingly busy neighbourhood brasserie in Notting Hill. Excellent primary ingredients are at the core, which are lovingly treated by the kitchen team, with highly skilled wood-fired grilling a feature of the menu; grab a seat at the counter to get a view of the chefs in action. Dishes vary from single-bite snacks such as creamy liver parfait toast to shared main courses like deliciously filling Limousin veal chop with vin jaune. First-timers should follow the friendly service team's advice on what – and how much – to order.

‘Rooted in Thailand, Uniquely British’ is the tagline of this joyfully run restaurant from John and Desiree Chantarasak – John is half-Thai, half-British, a duality that informs his cuisine. The exemplary ingredients – from crab to venison – are sourced from across the UK, including from Desiree’s family’s farm, but you can certainly expect more than British ingredients simply married with Thai flavours. There are reimagined and innovative dishes aplenty here too, such as Brixham crab with caviar and coconut ash cracker. Clever sourcing also extends to the furniture, with the tables made from

Maida Vale residents hit the jackpot when the owners of Notting Hill’s The Pelican chose this neighbourhood for the location of their third venture. The Hero is like a blueprint for how to sympathetically restore and update a pub, and has been understandably packed since Day One. The same menu and warm, buzzy atmosphere can be found across both floors, with traditional pub dishes at the heart – expect the likes of mince on toast, egg mayonnaise with smoked eel or a chicken and tarragon pie. Engaging service is the final touch on a wonderful experience.

After many years working with Gordon Ramsay, Matt Abé finally put his name above the door with this restaurant inside the space which was once Le Gavroche – the famous basement dining room is now decked out with neutral tones and curved lines. The menu showcases Abé’s own style of cooking, blending classical dishes like celeriac royale with well-judged modernity. Throughout, his command of flavour – particularly in sauces – is exceptional, exemplified by a perfectly cooked scallop with a rich, buttery sauce and an array of citrus, all working together in total harmony.

As soon as you are welcomed with warmth and charisma by the outstanding service team, you know you're in for a special experience at this jewel of a restaurant. The chefs achieve a perfect blend of modernity and classicism, combining seasonal dishes that embrace Alain Ducasse's beloved 'naturalité' with a roster of his signature recipes – such as the peerless rum baba, a dessert that consistently delivers culinary ecstasy. Underpinning it all are outstanding ingredients, technical mastery and miraculous balance in dishes that can be at once intense and fresh, both rich and delicate.