Occupying what must be one of the finest restaurant locations in London, The Park Terrace on the ground floor of the luxury 5 star Royal Garden Hotel looks out over Kensington Gardens, a serene oasis in the capital city.

Executive Chef Steve Munkley works with a brigade of some 80 chefs and in between carrying responsibility for all the catering outlets in the hotel also finds time to be the youngest ever Chairman of the Craft Guild of Chefs. He graduated from TVU in the '80s.

The restaurant is divided into three areas, designed to deal between them with multi various requirements of those wishing to enjoy the wide availability within the hotel. A British à la carte cuisine has a strong focus on locally sourced ingredients. A lounge area allows more informal dining to proceed all day, with afternoon tea available, and a bar which provides the focal point of the room, visible from the hotel lobby, with an extensive selection of drinks.

As with any major hotel breakfast is available to non residents. A du jour lunch offers around five or so courses well able to keep the average human furnace fuelled, always with fish and vegetarian dishes. The likes of a platter of English cured meats with rhubarb and orange chutney, or rosemary and sherry marinated Shetland salmon with pickled cucumber provide variety within lighter plates, as well as desserts with baked lemon curd raspberry sorbet a popular choice.

The Kensington Tea is the Park Terrace's solution to the 7^th Duchess of Bedford who, in the early 19^th century took issue with what she described as "that sinking feeling" during the late afternoon and arranged for a pot of tea and a light snack to be sent to her boudoir for private enjoyment ad relief. The Kensington Tea goes rather further, The Hampstead Tea even more so with a glass of champagne amongst the goodies.

When it comes to dinner the full force of Steve Munkley's approach to sourcing becomes apparent. Much of the meat derives from a co-operative of farmers in Essex and East Anglia. The animals are all free range, some are classified organic. So precise is the control that they are sometimes able to tell you which farm your meat came from. Label Anglais chickens give an outstanding flavour, and venison comes from the New Forest via a lady called Mrs Tee who also picks for wild mushrooms from the forest for Park Terrace tables.

The same precision and care is taken with the fruits of the sea, and Neal's Yard on Covent Garden are entrusted with the British cheeses. Cromer crab ravioli is served with samphire and shellfish bisque and East Anglia scores again with beef fillet carpaccio, wild rocket, Spenwood cheese and horseradish oil. Turning to more ample dishes the grilled free range Blythburgh pork cutlet with caramelised plum, honey and sherry vinegar, kale bubble and squeak and pork crackling is indeed a dish fit for a prince. A lounge menu, with bar menu and bar plates give wide variation with more informal dishes.

A fascinating wine list bears all the evidence of careful and enlightened choices, although the inclusion of some British labels might not come amiss.

Park Terrace is a treat at any time of the day or year, but as part of a prestigious hotel complex in West London it carries the seal of perfection. Their Website will keep you informed, in particular about the changing menus and special offers.