Patterson's – Mayfair

"Immune to fads and fashion", Patterson's is a family-run Mayfair restaurant which, intentionally or not, celebrates the Auld Alliance: former Garrick Club head chef Raymond Patterson sources many of his ingredients from this native Scotland, but the cuisine is essentially traditional French.

1880 – South Kensington

Tucked away in an opulent new hotel in a quiet corner of South Kensington, this decadent restaurant offers head chef Andrew Turner's grazing menu concept. Diners – who often find it difficult to choose from the tantalising à la carte selection – are offered the menu in miniature, allowing them to enjoy between five and ten courses.

Morgan M – Islington

Morgan Meunier's creative touch is evident in everything – from his modern French menu to the paintings on the wall – at this Islington eatery. Formerly chef at the Admiralty and the celebrated Monsieur Max, Morgan prides himself on the delicate flavours he creates from luxury French ingredients.

Yauatcha – Soho

The latest brainchild of Alan Yau – founder of Wagamama, Hakkasan and Busaba Eathai – this is London's first specialist dim sum restaurant, serving some two dozen varieties of these delicious Chinese snacks in the basement restaurant, whose exotic décor (by Christian Liaigre) includes a tropical fish tank bar.

Lanes – City of London

A much-appreciated addition to the local dining scene, tucked away near Liverpool Street station. Marco Pierre White-trained owners James Robertson and Hamish Smith and chef Hayden Smith serve a City-sensible lunching menu, spiced up with flashes of New Zealand influence. "Simple things done well" is the motto here.

Frontline Club – Paddington

This club restaurant (also open to the public) aims to provide "unobtrusive but exceptional hospitality, and fine food at affordable prices”, with service overseen by ex-Ivy maître d' Fernando Peire. The cuisine is essentially contemporary British, but dishes from North Africa and the Middle East add a touch of spice.

The Coach & Horses – Clerkenwell

Friendly service and good-value food and wine menus have already made this buzzing gastropub popular with locals. What's perhaps so appealing is that it offers all the basic 'pub' virtues, but adds a sprinkling of totally contemporary finesse.

Latium – Fitzrovia

Maurizio Morelli and Antonio Cerilli have married their respective talents in Italian cookery and wine to create this already celebrated addition to the Fitzrovia restaurant scene.  The kitchen combines perfectly balanced flavours with beautiful presentation, in a simple modern setting. Reasonably priced set menus help diners control their budgets too.

Le Cercle – Chelsea

Combining the culinary sophistication of its famous sister restaurant Club Gascon with an intriguing and glamorous modern setting, Le Cercle has been an immediate hit with the Chelsea beau monde. The kitchen, headed by Thierry Beyris, offers a grazing menu with dishes from all the regions of France.

Notting Hill Brasserie - Notting Hill

The team behind the Notting Hill Brasserie pride themselves on having created a real neighbourhood restaurant, which offers modern French cuisine from ingredients in season. Live jazz and blues nightly adds a mellow twist.