PEACEFUL RETREAT HIDEAWAY SURREY

A modest-looking place from outside, Dastaan is a restaurant run with true heart and soul. Its reward is a dining room consistently packed with happy diners, joining together to create an electric atmosphere – and while its popularity may seem like it could cause an issue for the service team, they make it run it like clockwork. The menu presents great value for money and takes North India as its main inspiration, with each dish delivering many layers of flavour thanks to the expert spicing. The desserts are a joy, too, be that the homemade kulfi or the gulab jamun.

This red-brick, 19th-century former beer house packs in bags of charm thanks to its original features like exposed brickwork and fireplaces, combined with tan banquettes, wood panelling and vintage photos – while a lovely garden and semi-covered terrace are the icing on the cake. The cooking delivers bold flavours in modern dishes with a classical base: think crispy pig's head followed by chicken Kiev or a char-grilled steak to share between two. The wine list offers plenty of choice, as does the wide range of beers.

As you sit in the greenhouse with sand at your feet, surrounded by fresh flowers which even in the winter months perfume the air, it feels as though all is right with the world. A unique spot within the London dining scene, this restaurant forms part of the wider Petersham Nurseries complex, where you can buy plants and homeware to spruce up your abode. The cooking is informed by their own fresh produce and has a clear Italian accent, from beef carpaccio and wild mushroom risotto to pan-fried sea bream with puttanesca.

Pizza

Pizza

Japanese

Italian