Al Sultan
51-52 Hertford Street WIA 7HJ
Tel: +44 (0)171 408 1155/1166
Nestled among Mayfair's cobbled streets rests Al Sultan, one of London's finest Lebanese restaurants. Offering some of the best Middle Eastern food available, the menu offers many delights such as the smoothest houmous, creamy moutabel, mohamra and sambouzak with haloumi cheese. Bread is freshly baked on the premises and arrives at your table from the oven alongside crisp salad vegetables while you decide on your order. Al Sultan is attractively decorated with columns and mirrors - taking you to another world. Large displays of fresh flowers fill the corners and adorn the tables. Friendly, helpful staff are on hand to guide you through the extensive menu suggesting daily specials, or for the lighter appetite, a selection from the huge variety of mezze. Marinated and grilled chicken and lamb are the house speciality - full of flavour and melt in the mouth. The comprehensive wine list gives you the opportunity to experience Lebanese wine makers at their best, from good basic whites to the superb Chateau Musar from the Musar Valley. Lebanese sweets are not to be missed, wonderfully light, flaky pastry filled with pistachios, dates, walnuts and cashews, fresh fruit platters are available to refresh the palate. Al Sultan also offers a fast and efficient home delivery service.

Bibendum
Michelin House
81 Fulham Road SW3
Tel: +44 (0)171 581 5817
Housed in the splendid Michelin Building, Bibendum must surely be one of the most spacious and comfortable dining rooms to be found in London. The style of food is mostly classic French bistro, although influences from all over the world can be found on the eclectic à la carte menu.

Bluebird Restaurant
350 King's Road SW3 5UU
Proprietor: Terence Conran
Executive Chef: Andy Sargent
Contact: Stephen Chenery, Restaurant Manager
Reservations: +44 (0)171 559 1000
Fax: +44 (0)171 559 1111
Average meal for two: Lunch £25; dinner £30.
Set lunch and early evening supper (6 to 7pm) Monday to Friday £12.75 2 courses; £15.75 3 courses
Open: Lunch Monday to Friday 12 noon to 3.30pm; brunch Saturday to Sunday 11am to 4pm;
dinner Monday to Saturday 6 to 11.30pm; Sunday 6 to 10.20pm
Credit cards accepted: Amex, Visa, Diners, MasterCard, Switch, JCB, Solo
Bluebird is the realisation of Terence Conran's dream - to recreate the excitement of going to market, still prevalent in Europe but sadly lacking in Britain today. Exploring new territory, Bluebird is an epicurean experience for lovers of food and drink: a large food market, wine merchant, kitchen shop, traiteur, bakery and patisserie, with an outdoor flower market, alongside a restaurant, café, bar and private dining club. The wonderful food market is full of plentiful, seasonal produce: a gutsy, vibrant market where you are seduced by the aroma of freshly baked bread and patisseries, cheeses wrapped in wax paper, bunches of locally grown herbs, traiteur dishes from Bluebird's kitchens and extensive wines.
Situated on the ground floor directly on the King's Road, the Café is a window on the world. Seating up to about 100, the café spills out on to the market forecourt during the summer. The food and drink tantalises the tastebuds, captivates the imagination and creates curiosity in the foodmarket and restaurant. Open from breakfast until late, the café offers a selection of dishes available in the foodmarket: bread and pastries, traiteur meals, antipasti and salads, and freshly pressed juices. On the other side of the forecourt there is a Conran at Bluebird shop selling home furnishings and professional kitchen equipment. Spilling across the forecourt is a bustling flower market bursting with fragrant flowers and beautiful hand-tied bouquets. The Bluebird restaurant and bar is found upstairs in one of the most remarkable restaurants in London: an amazing, skylit restaurant with pleasant, professional staff; good honest food, much of it from a woodfired oven; an air of expectation and excitement pervading. Bluebird Restaurant's menu features dishes from the grill, rotisserie and crustacea bar, and the chefs make full use of a large wood-fired brick oven. This oven in the restaurant kitchen reaches temperatures around 400-500 degrees Centigradez and cooks a wide variety of meat, fish, poultry and vegetable dishes over different types of wood: whole rabbits over olive wood or wood-roasted crustacea with wild herbs. Over night the oven is used to slowly braise casseroles and stews. On Saturdays and Sundays, 11am until late afternoon, Bluebird comes alive once again when customers come together to enjoy a relaxed brunch with friends, family or a good newspaper. Traditionally served from breakfast through to lunch, the hearty brunch menu features a mix of dishes from both mealtimes: corned beef hash, eggs & spinach, pizzetta de fruits de mer or Tuscan veal sausages. Up in the eaves a private room can be booked for parties up to 30 seated or 70 standing.

Café de Paris
3-4 Coventry Street W1V 7FL
Tel: +44 (0)171 734 7700
Fax: +44 (0)171 287 4861
Internet: www.cafedeparis.com
Average meal for two: £60
Open: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9pm to 3am; 8pm to 4am Friday and Saturday
Credit cards accepted: All major cards
The legendary Café de Paris has been revived on a magnificent scale. Once the ultimate in pre-war chic, this glamorous and unique bar, restaurant and nightclub is again dominating London's social scene. The new Café de Paris, located on the same Coventry Street site, celebrates the best of café society, in the decadent and nostalgic sense of the word. The relaunched Café de Paris creates a luxurious haven in the heart of London's West End, where guests can dine, drink and dance, late into the night.

Cantaloupe
35 Charlotte Road
Shoreditch EC2A 3PD
Cantaloupe, a colourful and funky restaurant and bar, opened in November 1995, and started something of an eating and drinking revolution in Shoreditch, until then an obscure bohemian backwater. In 1997, Cantaloupe even won the prestigious Time Out Bar of the Year Award. Excellent tapas are served all day in the bar, with brunch on Sundays. Going straight through to the back of the premises, you will discover a gem of a restaurant, serving wonderful Mediterranean food at very reasonable prices. The joint head chefs, Dave Cook and Henry Brereton, ensure the dishes are beautifully presented, delicious and packed with flavour.

The Cadogan Hotel
74 Sloane Street SW1
Tel: +44 (0)171 235 7141
You'll be in good company here as it was once the home of Lillie Langtry, and played host to Oscar Wilde's arrest in 1895. Traditionally English and old-fashioned, it's a good choice for anyone steeling themselves for the upper reaches of Sloane Street and high-powered shopping.

Chez Nico at Ninety Park Lane
90 Park Lane W1
Tel: +44 (0)171 409 1290
Chez Nico, run by the irrepressible Nico Ladenis and Paul Rhodes is one of only four restaurants in the United Kingdom with three Michelin stars. It specialises in elegant modern French fare in a relaxing, family-friendly room.

City Cruises for a very special treat in London...

The Criterion
222 Piccadilly W1
Tel: +44 (0)171 930 0488
Also home to Marco Pierre White, the gloriously restored Twenties setting provides a perfect backdrop to a night in the centre of London. Favoured by the theatre crowd, not just for its proximity to Shaftesbury Avenue, but for its reminders of why MPW has made such an impact on the restaurant trade.

The Garden Restaurant
Flower Market
New Covent Garden SW8 5NA
Proprietor: K & D Furlan
Tel: +44 (0)171 622 2365
Open: Monday to Friday 6am to 3pm
Credit cards accepted: All major cards
This family run restaurant established over 22 years ago can be found, after a little searching, in New Covent Garden's Flower Market, just south of the River Thames in London's Vauxhall. Known as the Flower Market's 'best kept secret', The Garden Restaurant is in a quiet corner of the mezzanine level overlooking the hustle and bustle of a square mile of plants and flowers that make up the UK's leading flower market. The Furlan's pride themselves on providing a warm welcome and the service one would expect from a top London restaurant, combined with the flexibility that can only be afforded by a small business, and at a fraction of the price. Savoy group-trained Daniel Furlan has now been 'holding the fort' for the past eight years since his move from Bibendum, and with his eye for detail and relaxed but highly professional manner, you are assured service rarely found these days. If gently coaxed he will even reveal a surprisingly long list of London's top restaurants and hotels with which he has had a working acquaintance, and numerous stories from each. A superb range of top quality cuisine is served; from stomach-stretching breakfasts, with accompanying champagne, to à la carte and daily special lunch menus. With an excellent range of wines and digestifs, and the freshest produce available from the adjacent fruit and vegetable market, and long-established meat and fish suppliers, it is difficult not to enjoy at least a four-course meal! As if this wasn't enough, the comfortable bar area provides snacks and light lunches for the client on the run. The elegant air-conditioned private room, capable of catering for up to 40 people, can be used for working breakfasts, buffets, receptions and lunches. With breakfast starting at £4.75 and a four course à la carte lunch including wine starting from £19.00, it's no wonder The Garden Restaurant has been London's 'best kept secret' for so long!

The Fifth Floor Restaurant - Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge SW1
Tel: +44 (0)171 235 5250
The Fifth Floor restaurant features the stunning, individualistic cooking of Executive Chef Henry Harris, whose love for British produce is reflected in the menu. Often characterised as being for 'ladies who lunch' The Fifth Floor has come into its own as a stylish answer to taking the stress out of shopping, especially as it enjoys particularly good views over Knightsbridge. Access at night is via two express lifts, located on Sloane Street and Seville Street.

Goodes Restaurant
19 South Audley Street, Mayfair W1
Tel: +44 (0)171 409 7242
Goodes Restaurant is located at the famous china and glass emporium Thomas Goode in Mayfair. If you are looking for somewhere unusual to have lunch or afternoon tea, Goodes will offer delicately prepared food on fine Thomas Goode china in a luxurious and comfortable setting reminiscent of an oriental salon.

Gordon Ramsay
68 Royal Hospital Road SW3
Tel: +44 (0)171 352 3449
The young owner/chef has become infamous on the London restaurant scene since leaving Marco Pierre White's kitchen, as much for his daring and innovative food as for his press coverage. But a visit to his first solo venture since leaving the renowned Aubergine will put all those worries to rest - his food deserves all the attention, as well as those two Michelin stars he covets so much.

Hilaire Restaurant
68 Old Brompton Road SW7 3LQ
Tel: +44 (0)171 584 8993
Proprietor/Chef: Bryan Webb
Tel: +44 (0)171 584 8993
Fax: +44 (0)171 581 2949
E-mail: dick@hilaire.co.uk or bryan@hilaire.co.uk
Average meal for two: Lunch £64; dinner £96
Open: Lunch Monday to Friday 12.15 to 2.30pm; dinner Monday to Saturday 6.30 to 11.30pm
Credit cards accepted: All major cards
"One of the most reliable restaurants in London"; "A lovely place to visit"; "Our favourite restaurant": all quotes from leading food guides that regularly place Hilaire in London's top ten restaurants. Hilaire has been run by Chef/Patron Bryan Webb for 12 years, and it still remains a treasured, secret location for both regulars and locals. Visit Hilaire soon to enjoy a relaxed meal in the care of Bernard and Sue (Bryan's wife) who will charm you with their friendliness and professionalism. The very heart of Hilaire, though, is Bryan's cooking. His highly acclaimed food follows the seasons and reflects his total dedication to quality. It is matched by an extensive award-winning wine list featuring wines from all the major growing areas in the world. For a special celebration, a quiet business meeting or a casual supper, Hilaire is guaranteed to live up to its reputation.

The Ivy
1 West Street WC2
Tel: +44 (0)171 836 4751
Getting on good terms with the management seems about the only sure-fire way of getting a table at this stylish and over-subscribed eaterie. Although the West End can often be a watchword for price over substance, The Ivy's cultured crowd are passionate about its uncluttered, low-key approach to luxury.

Kartouche
329-331 Fulham Road SW10 0QL
Tel: +44 (0)171 823 3515
Proprietor: Piers Adam
Head Chef: Mark Williamson
Average meal for two: Two courses £18.50 not inclusive of wine
Open: Monday to Saturday 12 noon to 3pm; 8 to 11.15pm; Sunday 12.30 to 3.15pm; 6 to 10.30pm
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Visa, Delta, MasterCard, Switch
Kartouche enjoys a prime location on the Fulham Road in Chelsea and specialises in modern British cuisine enhanced by a selection of seafood dishes, including seared seabass on a vegetable tian with tomato soy dressing. There is also a varied selection of vegetarian dishes. It has an extensive wine list combing both old and new world offerings, with house and table wines starting at £10.50. Adjoining Kartouche is The Basement, an intimate club with a capacity of 120. An entrance fee of £5 is applicable after 10pm and free entry for restaurant patrons on receipt of your bill. Kartouche is a member of the K-Bar Plc Group, which is comprised of five stylish bars dotted around central London, namely K-Bar Soho and K-Bar Chelsea.

Khun Arkorn Thai Restaurant
139 Brompton Road
Knightsbridge SW3 1HY
Tel: +44 (0)171 225 2688
Fax: +44 (0)171 225 2689
Proprietor: T Pattaralowha & A Sinclair
Open: Monday to Saturday lunch 12 noon to 3.30pm; dinner 6 to 11pm; Sunday 12.30 to 9pm
Credit cards accepted: Switch, Visa, Delta, JCB, American Express, Diners, Access
Set in the heart of London's Knightsbridge, Khun Arkorn is one of the capital's premier Thai restaurants. With Harvey Nichols on one side, and the museums of South Kensington on the other, the restaurant offers a delicious and relaxing break for shoppers and museum visitors, or a leisurely night out. Our set lunch and dinner menus, that include classics such as tom yum soup and the house speciality Thai whiskey beef, offer excellent value for money. Established in 1986, this family run restaurant has developed an extensive, exciting and tantalising menu. The average cost of a meal is £28 for three courses. Take your pick from classic dishes like Thai and green and red curry, as well as their own signature dishes such as drunken duck and king prawns, and sea food with lemongrass sauce.

Langan's Brasserie
Stratton Street, Piccadilly W1
Tel: +44 (0)171 491 8822
Langan's is one of London's most popular restaurants and has a lively and gregarious atmosphere. The menu offers honest and unpretentious, traditional British dishes with French influences.

La Perla Bar and Grill (Fulham)
803 Fulham Road SW6 5HE
Tel: +44 (0)171 471 4895
The Pacifico Group is excited to present its latest model, La Perla Bar and Grill (Fulham), located at 803 Fulham Road. Newly opened, this bar/restaurant combines the strongest elements of its predecessors, Cafe Pacifico and La Perla Bar. Coming from Pacifico are the 'Classic Mexican' dishes, the recent 'Modern Mexican' menu innovations, and a definitive range of Premium Tequilas. From La Perla-Paris and Covent Garden come the 'botanas' (snacks) and excellent quality drinks featuring tequila and rum. A Sport Fishing and Surfing décor accents Mexican beach life. The La Perla Bar provides creative and attractive menus of fresh, healthy, food served in a fun and exciting atmosphere. La Perla's unique design theme, value for money and quality products are directed toward the discerning customer of the new millennium.

Les Saveurs de Jean-Christophe Novelli
37a Curzon Street W1
Tel: +44 (0)171 491 8919
Monsieur Novelli has cropped up all across the capital in the last few years. His no-fuss French style and winning ways with the smart set, aided by his career as a celebrity chef, have made him popular with business and media types and visitors with a nose for the real thing.

L'Odéon Restaurant and Bar
65 Regent Street W1R 7HH
Tel: +44 (0)171 287 1400
Situated on the first floor of Regent Street's sweeping curve with spectacular views of Piccadilly Circus, L'Odeon Restaurant and Bar is one of London's most fashionable venues. Contemporary in design, the bar is open all day and offers a menu of light meals at reasonable prices. With comfortable seating and waitress service, it is the perfect place to enjoy cocktails before dinner or a show. Live music is performed in the bar several nights each week. The restaurant itself, although large, is cleverly designed in sections, so a sense of intimacy remains. The head chef has designed and created a menu that is modern and innovative yet grounded by his classical training. Start your meal with lobster tortellini, citrus salsa with basil and lobster oil or smoked chicken and vegetable spring roll with pak choi and parsley sauce. Current main courses include seared tuna on lime pickled potatoes, braised lamb shank or sweet pea and pancetta risotto with tomato confit. Complete your meal with one of our glorious desserts such as soft caramel with pistachios and salted peanuts, vanilla ice cream or passion fruit crème brûlée with papaya sorbet. The wine list includes a wide selection of wines, from the very reasonably priced house wines to the fine wine selection which boasts some of the world's finest wines. The philosophy at L'Odeon is to provide excellent service and serve fine quality food which gives value for money.

La Tante Claire
The Berkeley, Wilton Place SW1
Tel: +44 (0)171 352 6045
La Tante Claire, now moved from Chelsea to the Berkeley Hotel, seems to have grown not only in size, but also stature. Pierre Koffmann, the Michelin-starred chef/owner, has lost none of his legendary touch for beautifully prepared French food inspired by his native Gascony.

Mash
12-21 Great Portland Street W1
Tel: +44 (0)171 736 5555
Don't be put off by the name, Oliver Peyton's creation is still the talk of the town even after being open for more than a year. Designer-clad patrons and a spattering of celebrities such as Nicole Kidman and Elton John soak up a good wine list but largely nondescript food.

Momo
25 Heddon Street W1
Tel: +44 (0)171 434 4040
Momo serves traditional Moroccan cuisine in the French style. Those expecting haute cuisine will be disappointed - this is the authentic home cooking of the Mahgrebi region. Glitterati such as Madonna and Richard Branson are often seen enjoying its many high-points, so with a calibre of clientele such as this, it is no wonder it can get pleasantly boisterous some evenings.

Nobu
19 Old Park Lane W1
Tel: +44 (0)171 447 4747
A sibling of the equally acclaimed New York restaurant, it also draws the crème de la crème of international jet setters. With head chefs Nobyuki Matsuhisa and Mark Edwards in charge it has established itself as a place to be seen, but gladly not only for the cachet, but also for the sublime sushi that continues to redefine the genre, in a city that is only just discovering its delights.

The Oak Room Marco Pierre White
The Meridien Hotel, Piccadilly W1
Tel: +44 (0)171 437 0202
World-famous chef Marco Pierre White, and holder of no less than three Michelin stars, resurrected this vast space in The Meridien Hotel and has barely put a foot wrong since. An expansive wine list and exquisite menu makes it a sedate but no less unforgettable addition to London's 'big hitters'.

OXO Tower restaurant, bar and brasserie
OXO Tower Wharf
Barge House Street, South Bank SE1
Tel: +44 (0)171 803 3888
Stunning views of London create an unforgettable eating experience. The restaurant features Simon Arkless' modern European cooking with quasi-Asian influences. In the brasserie, Cait Mitchelhill offers eclectic dishes with Mediterranean and Pacific influences.

Pomegranates restaurant
94 Grosvenor Road SW1V 3LF
Proprietor: Patrick Gwynn-Jones
Head Chef: Angel Herrero
Tel: +44 (0)171 828 6560
Fax: +44 (0)171 828 2037
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday lunch 12.30 to 2.00pm last orders; Monday to Saturday dinner 7 to 11.15pm last orders
Average cost for two: A la carte meal, including wine, £80
Credit cards accepted: All major cards
"The menu at Pomegranates, with its mix of dishes ranging from Jamaican fish tea through Turkish bureks with tabouleh and Sudanese pepper sauce to Welsh salt duck with white onion sauce, would not be unusual but for the fact that it was composed along much the same lines when Patrick Gwynn-Jones opened the restaurant in 1974. Indeed this Pimlico basement should be a place of pilgrimage for all those young chefs who nowadays like to call their cooking eclectic. It is probably not unconnected with the fact that my job as a restaurant critic started not long before Pomegranates opened that I feel a distinct fondness for the place. But the energy, longevity and what was once originality cannot be gainsaid, nor can the faithful, constant pressure of the ebullient Gwynn-Jones, be left out of any calculation. Satisfied-looking men with shirts straining to button across their stomachs entertaining their researchers adds to the air of loucheness which clings to the gilt and apricot décor. From the cartoons on the wall, I would infer that Uncle Jak likes Pomegranates too." Fay Maschler, The Evening Standard

The River Café
Thames Wharf, Rainville Road W6
Tel: +44 (0)171 381 8824
This riverside restaurant has become phenomenally popular, perhaps thanks to the best-selling cookery/lifestyle books that its owner/chefs Rose Gray and Lady Rogers have produced. The emphasis is on ingredients from the best international suppliers, which is reflected in the sometimes breathtaking prices.

San Frediano
62 Fulham Road SW3 6HH
Chef: Claudio Campanella
Tel: +44 (0)171 584 8375
Fax: +44 (0)171 225 2982
Open: Seven days a week, lunch and dinner until 12 midnight
Claudio Campanella has probably designed the most Italian menu available outside Italy. Voted the best chef in North America for several consecutive years, Campanella has now added another jewel to his stratospheric international success. After Toronto, Washington, Tokyo and San Paolo in Brazil, he landed in London and took the city by a delectable storm with the reopening of the glorious San Frediano. The restaurant is located in the heart of Chelsea and diners flock from all over the city. The menu reads like best-sellers and offers light traditional cooking with the talented innovations of Chef Campanella.

School Dinners
1 Robert Adam Street W1M 5AG
Reservations: +44 (0)171 486 2724
Fax: +44 (0)171 224 3793
E-mail: schooldinners@hotmail.com
Average meal for two: Fixed price for three courses, discount mid-week
At the world-famous School Dinners Restaurant, enjoy one of the funniest nights you'll ever have. School Dinners is one of the longest running restaurants in London, now in its 20th year, offering a unique evening of comedy cabaret entertainment. The fixed price includes your full evening's entertainment and a three-course traditional British dinner. Gentlemen are served by St Trinian-style waitresses in their stocking-clad, gym slip school outfits, and for ladies, the muscle-bound Chippendale-type schoolboys. The evening is hosted by the headmaster, who is renowned for his quick-witted humour, as seen on television. A never-ending stream of celebrities, including Prince Andrew who attended a stag night in 1984, has made School Dinners famous over the years. School Dinners is ideal for small or large groups visiting London, or just an excuse for a really great night out. Visitors from overseas or other parts of the UK returning home and talking about such a fun night have resulted in School Dinners being featured on television and in the press around the world. On your visit to London, do not miss out on the opportunity of visiting School Dinners.

The Star of India
154 Old Brompton Road
South Kensington SW5 OBE
Reservations: +44 (0)171 373 2901
The Star of India and its flamboyant patron Reza Mahammad have never been quite what one would expect from am Indian restaurant. Distinctive style, as well as wonderful food, has attracted a loyal clientele (including many familiar faces from the worlds of television, film and music) for many years. In fact, the restaurant has remained in the Mahammad family for over 40 years. Its style and ambience have changed dramatically since Reza took the helm in 1991. He commissioned one of London's most highly renowned decorative artists to paint the walls, ceilings and corridors of the restaurant in the style of Italian artists, and in doing so, completely transformed the restaurant. The menu features a wide range of cooking styles and dishes reflecting the diverse cuisine of the Indian sub-continent. A carefully chosen wine lists complements the interesting menu. Private rooms are available for parties. The Star of India has won several restaurant awards and been filmed for two television productions,confirming its position as one of London's leading and most popular exponents of authentic Indian cuisine.

Sticky Fingers
1A Phillimore Gardens
Kensington W8 7QG
Tel: +44 (0)171 938 5338
Since it opened almost ten years ago Sticky Fingers has become almost as legendary as its owner Bill Wyman, former bass guitarist of The Rolling Stones. Many famous diners include: John Cleese, Britt Ekland, Andie Macdowell, Meatloaf and HRH Prince William and Harry. The walls are decked out with rare and exclusive memorabilia from Bill's three decades with The Rolling Stones. Sticky Fingers restaurants are also located in Manchester and Cambridge. Chef David Needes and his kitchen brigade have created a menu of everyone's favourites, from best-selling ribs, gourmet sandwiches and mouth-watering hamburgers to delicious seared Atlantic cod and grilled chicken brochette, all of which are prepared with a nod to his own classical training and using only the finest ingredients. The American-based menu has evolved over the last few years, and now best-selling dishes include Boston sausages (with mash and cider gravy), New York strip 'surf and turf' (a delicious combo of sirloin steak and garlic shrimps) and an irresistible but calorific dessert of Oreo cookie cheesecake. A restaurant for all reasons - from casual drinks and meals out with friends and colleagues to relaxed family outings - Sticky Fingers offers the unbeatable combination of great food and great prices with friendly service and a fun environment.

Suntory Restaurant
72/73 St James's Street SW1A 1PH
Manager: Mr Y Adachi
Head Chef: Mr K Kanno
Reservations: +44 (0)171 409 0201
Fax: +44 (0)171 499 0208
E-mail: rest-sun@jais.co.uk
Average meal for two: Lunch £50; dinner £100
Open: Monday to Saturday 12 noon to 2pm, 6.30 to 10.30pm; Sunday 6.30 to 10pm
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, Visa, JCB
Located in the heart of the West End, close to St James's Palace, Suntory has become one of London's best known Japanese restaurants. The exotic interior décor transports you into the realms of Japanese beauty whether you are eating in the traditional dining room or in the teppan-yaki dining room where the chef cooks in front of the customers on a hot plate table. The lunch set menu starts at £15 and the dinner set menu at £53.

The Terrace
33C Holland Street W8 4LX
Proprietor: Steven Loveridge
Head Chef: Sam Metcalfe
Reservations: +44 (0)171 937 3224
Fax: +44 (0)171 937 3323
Open: Lunch Monday to Saturday 12 noon to 2.30pm, Sunday 12.30 to 3pm,
dinner Monday to Saturday 7 to 10.30pm
The Terrace is situated in central Kensington and has acquired a strong reputation for first-class modern English seasonal food since it opened in August 1997. "A small and intimate gem... lovely high-quality modern British cooking with winsome service," writes Harden's London Restaurant Guide. The restaurant is intimate, elegant and comfortable. There are just 27 seats inside and 14 outside on the private terrace, surrounded by plants for summer dining. The size means that Head Chef Sam Metcalfe can oversee dishes are prepared to a consistently high standard. To back up the excellent food, The Terrace has a wine list with over 70 wines. The fine wine list features a wide range of mature burgundies and clarets as well as other classics from around the world. Our policy is that no bottle is marked up by more than £15, to ensure excellent value for customers.

Tom's
Westbourne Grove W11
Tel: +44 (0)171 221 8818
Despite being slightly out of town in Westbourne Grove, Tom Conran (son of Terence) manages to attract hoards of A-list stars regardless of the no reservation rule. The café/deli has plenty to offer in the day, so is a good choice, notwithstanding the queues, for a midday break exploring the outer reaches of the capital.

Woz
46 Goldborne Road W10
Tel: +44 (0)181 968 2200
Television chef Anthony Worral Thompson has created a highly individual vibe to his Moroccan/Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, with a bright and airy ground floor and cozy basement in the backwaters of North Kensington. Colourful, artistic types favour its filling fare, but anyone looking for a well thought out meal could hardly do better. Michelin has awarded Woz a Bib Gourmand, denoting its good value combined with a high standard of food.

Zafferano
15 Lowndes Street SW1
Tel: +44 (0)171 235 5800
It may only have one Michelin star thus far, but celebrities like Eric Clapton and George Michael clearly don't mind. Simply seductive northern Italian menu, top-class service and a romantic ambience make this a treat for lovers of five-star cuisine.

Zen Central
20-22 Queen Street
Mayfair W1X 7PJ
Tel: +44 (0)171 629 8089/8013
A modern Chinese restaurant in the heart of Mayfair. Zen Central is probably the best among the renowned Zen Garden Group. The rarefied, cool interior with domed atrium and mirrors amplify its smart minimalism. The menu offers a combination of Chinese cuisines; Pekinese, Cantonese and Szechuan. Its specialities include fresh lobster baked with ginger and spring onion and served with soft noodles, steamed seabass with black bean sauce, and crispy aromatic duck served with pancake, shredded spring onion and cucumber and a well made plum sauce. The dessert menu is short and exotic, featuring red bean paste pancake, toffeed apple and banana, almond tofu delight and traditional ice cream and sorbets with fresh fruit salad. Service is friendly and professional.

Signor Zilli Restaurant and Bar
40-41 Dean Street W1
Contact: +44 (0)171 734 3924
Aldo Zilli is one of London's most flamboyant restaurateurs. He is chef patron of the recently refurbished Signor Zilli Restaurant and Bar in Dean Street and Zilli Fish in Brewer Street. Great Italian food and Aldo's legendary sense of humour make these establishments a magnet for people from the media and entertainment world, as well as a celebrity haunt. In 1996 Signor Zilli was awarded Best Italian Restaurant in the London Restaurant Awards and in 1998 the restaurant also won Best Showbiz Restaurant in the Capital Radio Awards. Having just celebrated their tenth anniversary, both the restaurant and bar have recently been refurbished, taking on a lighter but still classic Italian feel. The dining room is intimate, with a clever lend of formal luxury. In spite of this, the atmosphere remains friendly. The dining area downstairs now boasts a stunning fish tank - this area can also be used for private functions. Aldo says: "I love being with people and looking after them and take great pleasure in cooking for them." This is the place where you can indulge yourself in good, upmarket authentic Italian cuisine in the heart of Soho and Theatreland. The high quality menu features food from Tuscany and classic Italian dishes such as veal milanese with spaghetti and tomato or smoked mozzarella wrapped in Parma ham. But there is also more inventive Italian fare, such as seared king scallops with sautéed spinach and garlic, or the famous spaghetti with lobster. Desserts include coffee and Tia Maria mousse, zabaglione and a delicious authentic tiramisu. If you are still after something sweet, why not round off the meal with a glass of Vin Santo and some Catuccini biscuits. It is light, imaginative and in good quantity. Daily specials, vegetarian dishes, pre- and post-theatre menus are also available. There is also a new, well balanced wine list that covers the most important new and old world wine producing regions, yet specialises in Italian wines such as Pinot Grigio Isonzo, G Puiatti and cannonau Riserva, Sella e Mosca. The bar next door is a buzzy rendezvous - it is very friendly and always packed, offering snacks throughout the day as well as a full à la carte menu. Al fresco dining is a popular feature and customers can expect full waiter service from staff who treat all their customers with the usual Italian charm.