St James's, Mediterranean Restaurant Guide

Hang with a “smart, interesting-looking set of diners” at Costas Spiladi’s luxurious Greek venture in St James’s – part of his international chain, whose 10 other branches include three in NYC, as well as outlets in Miami, Athens and Dubai. It aims to evoke the brilliant blue waters of the Med and showcases an “excellent” array of fish and seafood on glittering counters of ice, where you choose your catch and specify how it’s to be prepared. On the downside, service can be “variable” and it is – predictably – “very expensive”.

The cuisine at influential food writer Yotam Ottolenghi’s Soho flagship is – like that at his deli-diners – rooted in the flavours of the Middle East, backed up by other influences from further afield. Many guests say they “loved every minute of the experience”, but so-so service helped take the gloss off a couple of meals here this year. Top Menu Tip – “the crispy mushrooms are amazing”.

“Excellent on every count!” – Angela Hartnett’s elegant Mayfair HQ is strong on “understated luxury” and yet is a case of “unfussy fine dining” without the striving and pretentiousness that can go with this level of cuisine. Under chef George Ormond (in place since autumn 2023), the menu is “inventive but unmistakably Italian” and his “refined” dishes are “beautifully prepared” and all delivered by the “professional yet unfussy” staff. Perhaps because of its personable approach, it’s seldom recommended by expense accounters; certainly, when it comes to the bill, it’s viewed as being relatively affordable: “not cheap obviously, but quite good value for this class of place”.

“A wonderful old-school oasis below the hell that is Leicester Square” – this “fabulous throwback to a proper wine bar” is “remarkably unchanged” since Don Hewitson opened it in 1971 (and his successor Will Clayton sticks to the winning formula). “The famous ham-and-cheese pie is well worth its million-odd portions! and is the perfect accompaniment to a great wine list”.