Whitechapel, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

A “great place for a casual meal”, this 1846 boozer on a Spitalfields corner was smartly refurbed ten years ago into a pub (ground floor) with restaurant (first floor), plus bedrooms and a rooftop terrace – the latter incorporating “a high wall, so it’s well sheltered from winds”. “Execution is to a high standard” in the restaurant from a menu that’s more ‘modern-bistro’ than it is ‘gastropub’ (you’ll look in vain for a burger or fish ’n’ chips).

“All the dishes are a wonderful hit to the taste buds” at this Spitalfields canteen. Despite its utilitarian decor, fans say “it just feels so relaxed” and is “a great but more accessible way to access the mighty St John cooking” with Fergus Henderson’s trademark ‘nose-to-tail’ approach (snails, faggots, pig’s ear soup etc). That said, one or two long-term regulars do feel it’s “gone off the boil” a little recently – “still good, but it does seem to have slipped a little”; perhaps just a blip? Top Menu Tip – “save room for the madeleines!”.

It’s “all about the wine, as you might expect” at James Dawson’s “relaxed” wine-bar group, whose branches boast a “splendid list” of “high-quality and well-sourced” bottles. The food is very much “second fiddle”, though “unobjectionable”, while the most interesting venue is the original one, off Fleet Street, “hidden in the vaults of St Bride’s Church”. Top Tip – “go on a Monday night for wine at shop rather than restaurant prices”.

Book in advance to enjoy a meal on the 40th floor of a London icon – Norman Foster’s famous ‘Gherkin’ – whose glass-walled (and roofed!) brasserie is run by well-known caterers, Searcy’s. There’s a fair-value, something-for-everyone set menu on offer, but it’s not aiming for culinary fireworks: the best bet here is to book yourself in for a splurgy afternoon tea, complete with fizz.