There are very few places in the world that can begin to rival London for the variety and quality of top-tier restaurants. It is here that some of the world's best chefs, sommeliers and maître d's come together in the grandest and most beautiful buildings to produce a dining experience worthy of their Michelin stars and big name patrons.
Here are the critics' picks of the five best restaurants in London:
Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester
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Perhaps the most obvious choice on the list, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester is one of only two restaurants in London - and a mere four in the country - with three Michelin stars.
The food is modern but refined French cuisine that Tatler describes as "masterly, with thrilling twists and turns", and the Telegraph calls "sensational".
Time Out notes the "naturally pricey" wine list, but praises the "helpful" sommeliers, who the Guardian says "recommended affordable wines from a list seemingly targeted at an arms dealer celebrating the sale of six jet fighters to the Saudis".
J Sheekey
Tucked away in Covent Garden, J Sheekey started life more than a century ago as an oyster bar and has grown both in stature and in the hearts of the London theatrical set.
Time Out describes it as "oozing with old-fashioned glamour, with booths and secluded tables, charming staff and a menu that's an ode to the bounty of the sea". Time praises the "intimate" restaurant's "simple seafood and game dishes, perfectly executed and perfectly served".
Its proximity to the West End makes it an excellent choice for pre and post-theatre dining for both theatre and stars, so you could well spot some famous faces if you can bring yourself to look away from the immaculately presented food.
Chiltern Firehouse
It's been two and a half years since the Chiltern Firehouse opened its doors, when the national papers' restaurant reviewers wet themselves en masse with sheer excitement. It was - and still is - the ultimate magnet for global celebrities who fancy a spot of dinner and the guarantee of being papped.
Bill Clinton, Madonna, David Beckham and just about everyone else you've ever heard of have been seen emerging from what the Guardian describes as "London's newest and hottest eatery-cum-nightspot".
While most people come to the Firehouse for the show rather than the food, there's no sign that culinary complacency has set in. The service is consistently described as excellent and the menu features on-trend versions of simple fare. Head chef Nuno Mendes has been described by Giles Coren in The Times as "every restaurant critic's favourite cook".
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
Among the chat shows, celebrity football matches and shouting on TV, it's easy to forget that Gordon Ramsay is, first and foremost, an exceptional chef.
His first solo eatery, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, opened in 1998 and has earned three Michelin stars and a genuinely world-class reputation. Ramsay might own the restaurant, but it is chef de cuisine Clare Smyth who runs the show - and has been doing so for more than ten years.
While the service is intimate, friendly and prompt, it is quite rightly the food that is the star attraction. The Independent calls the starters a "harmonious balance of sweet and soft; each flavour singular and clear", while main courses are "classic cooking; sophisticated, well-edited and flavour-first".
The Financial Times hails the engaging serving staff, adding: "However good the wines, it was the finesse of the execution of the dishes that impressed the most."
The Wolseley
The Wolseley describes itself as a "cafe-restaurant in the grand European tradition" and its popularity comes from a something-for-everyone all-day menu and ambiance that buzzes from early until late.
Owners Chris Corbin and Jeremy King are the perfect pair to run a restaurant of this calibre, having opened after selling off their previous little ventures, the Ivy and the Caprice.
Time Out praises the scope of the main menu: "From oysters, steak tartare or souffle suisse, via wiener schnitzel or grilled halibut with wilted spinach and bearnaise to tarte au citron or apple strudel, there's something for everyone."
Clove Club
If you find yourself too "hip" to go gallivanting around Chelsea and Mayfair but still want great food, never fear, Clove Club is here. In this case, "here" is Shoreditch, in east London, and it is where to go if you want to experience a place Time Out calls "one of the restaurants that will define this year".
Head chef Isaac McHale is of such a high calibre that when he describes a hearty snack of chicken testicles as "delicious, like a chicken mousse" to The Independent, you genuinely consider giving them a go.
Chicken testicles or not, you may end up trying something new when you visit the Clove Club. The menu offers no choice and, as The Guardian puts it, "you either like it or lump it".
Surprisingly, you also pay in advance. "It's going to ruffle a few feathers," McHale told Bloomberg, "but everyone has a problem with no shows and short-seated tables."
It's different and so risks being less of a please-all restaurant than the more traditional eateries on the list. But it's that difference that makes it special. "There will always be reactionary types who'll hate the Clove Club," the Guardian says. "Their loss."
Le Gavroche
Le Gavroche is the epitome of stellar service and exquisite French food. Time Out describes it as "unapologetically old-school fine dining… the go-to haute cuisine establishment for a dignified, extremely wealthy crowd," noting it took the reviewer three months to get a booking.
The a la carte prices are high at an average of £120 over three courses, but the set lunch comes in at £56.40, not unreasonable by London prices when you factor in three courses, half a bottle of wine, a small bottle of mineral water, and after lunch coffee and petit fours. The Telegraph thinks it's "one of the best deals in town."
The Guardian calls the cooking "superb," while the Telegraph describes the menu as "a roll call of legendary creations," adding that "a meal at Le Gavroche should be part of anyone's education."
Chutney Mary
Indian restaurants are a national favourite, and you'd be hard pressed to find one better than London's Chutney Mary. Time Out calls it "upscale, astonishing quality [with] wonderful service."
Relocated to St James's last year after 25 years in Chelsea, the surroundings are as impressive as ever and the food has got even better. The Telegraph says "the food is as enjoyable as it is eye-opening," and Grace Dent in the Evening Standard calls the venison samosas "unforgettable" and the place itself "one of London's most genteel and respected Indian restaurants."
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