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Located in the vibrant heart of Soho, Bistro du Vin on Dean Street offers a high quality modern British cuisine menu in stylish contemporary surroundings. The comfortable well-appointed interiors are dotted with pale olive leather banquettes and distressed oak tables. Individual touches such as antique deli items and signs give it a quirky charm of its own, making it just the place for a lively pre or post-theatre dinner with family and friends.

Bistro du Vin places great emphasis on using fresh home grown produce where possible, especially naturally reared and traditionally matured beef, pork and lamb from master butchers Donald Russell, organic shellfish from Maldon Oysters, high quality smoked salmon from Scotland, artisan bread from The Bread Factory and the best farmhouse artisan cheeses from La Cave à Fromage.

Starters of foie gras and chicken liver parfait, rabbit terrine with leek and hazelnut vinaigrette, coconut and cauliflower soup with curried scallops or Cornish rock oysters served with shallot vinaigrette, Tabasco and lemon whet the appetite. You could also try a cheese and charcuterie plate or Parma ham with fig and gorgonzola.

Follow with substantial mains of steak and oyster pie with pomme purée, pan fried black bream with pomme mousseline and roasted garlic or gnocchi with goat's cheese sauce and wild mushrooms. The choice of succulent steaks from the state-of-the-art Josper grill includes 250g Cumbrian rare breed rib eye, côte de b?uf, a 300g belted galloway sirloin or a 35-day aged long horn rump, all served with sauce of your choice and chips. There's also a selection of hot roasted shellfish including lobster, crayfish, razor clams, Queenie's scallops, oyster, crab and mussels.

The constantly daily specials could include enduring favourites of beef stroganoff with basmati rice, roast mallard with spiced poached pear and spinach and roast pork with fondant potato. A lounge menu is also available if you feel like a snack.

Round off the meal with decadent dessert of chocolate tart with crème Chantilly, strawberry vacherin sundae or Belgian waffle with fresh strawberries and Valrhona chocolate sauce. An artisan cheese and charcuterie plate could be an equally delicious alternative and guests are welcome to sample cheeses before ordering their plate.

Bistro du Vin offers a comprehensive global selection of 200 premium whites and reds including a Château Simone from Provence, a Casal Novo Godello from Spain and a Dominus from Napa Valley. A master sommelier is at hand to take you through the carefully compiled wine list. A 'wine by the glass card' allows you to sample as many wines as you would like before ordering a bottle. You could also look forward to regular wine tastings here.

Private dining options at Bistro du Vin include 'the meat cellar', a well-appointed fully glazed dining room which can seat upto eight guests and 'the whiskey snuggle' a cosy room which can seat up to 12 guests and comes with an original wood floor and 42-inch plasma TV.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website.

Every so often there is an occasion in your life when only the best will do, and without doubt Babylon at The Roof Gardens falls well inside that category, combining as it does all that is best in a restaurant that is able to offer that elusive quality - complete reliability.

Much of the attraction of this sleek, modern restaurant atop the Kensington Roof Gardens used to lie in its spectacular views, but now Head Chef, Ian Howard, with years of experience under his belt, has created menus with a focus on fresher produce from local suppliers to increase the quality of dishes served to Babylon's guests.

Ian's stints at The Savoy, The Belvedere Restaurant under Marco Pierre White, and The Cumberland Hotel under Gary Rhodes, have more than just given him an impressive CV, they have also fuelled his passion for modern British cuisine adding a personalised twist to old favourites.

The à la carte menu carries the main presentation with a list of stunning first courses that leave customers in no doubt they have come to the right place. The perfect touch applied to the butternut squash soup topped with whipped crème fraîche and chives is a hint of things to come. Cornish crab mayonnaise has that little extra, presented with celeriac and apple remoulade with wafer thin caraway croutons.

Main courses of Cotswold White roasted chicken breast is served with date puree, baby leeks, café au lait jus with chopped dates and mash potato, or there is celeriac risotto with crème fraîche, parmesan and shredded ham hock and sauerkraut, garnished with red chicory and cornichons.

Portion sizes have increased, too, but make sure you save space for pudding. The menu is designed to suit all tastes, and could include mango and white chocolate mousse with black sesame seed tuille, papaya and rum sorbet, caramelized exotic fruits; crème brûlée, and vanilla and honey madeleines with framboise.

At many restaurants great attention is quite rightly paid to the traditional Sunday lunch. At Babylon Saturday lunch also comes in for special treatment, with prices that are a positive incentive to those taking advantage of the quality shopping that is so conveniently close to Babylon.

Service provided by the slick and very friendly staff, who are attentive without being obtrusive, must be given top marks.

On Friday and Saturday evenings, guests of Babylon can continue their night in The Roof Gardens Club, open from 10pm-3am. So, you can enjoy a quiet cocktail in the gardens or dance the night away until the early hours of the morning - the choice is yours.

Their Website is well worth visiting as a prelude to the real thing.

Offering authentic Turkish cuisine in central London, Ozer on Langham Place is a well-appointed and elegant restaurant that mixes tradition with modernity. Sporting a stylish ambience with rich furnishings, the vibrant dining space offers patrons indoor as well as al fresco dining options. The restaurant serves a variety of dishes, drawing inspiration from Ottoman Empire classics, using locally sourced and organic ingredients wherever possible. Just off bustling Regent Street, the venue is close to Oxford Circus Tube Station and BBC Broadcasting House on Portland Place.

The brainchild of acclaimed Chef Huseyin Ozer, the restaurant's extensive à la carte menu has something for everyone. It reflects his emphasis on healthy high quality options with genuine Turkish flavours. Light and fresh meze dishes include prawn tempura with cacik and pomegranate; salmon satay marinated in olive oil, soy sauce and herbs and served with cress; lahmazza, a traditional Turkish precursor to pizza with minced lamb and pine kernels; battered squid marinated in vodka or lamb's liver and red onions all make for a perfect beginning to the meal. Mixed platters and a variety of light dishes are also available.

For the main course, the seafood lover can choose between black cod marinated with white miso; mackerel fillet grilled and served with cress or spicy fish pot with a selection of fresh fish cooked in coconut cream and an onion and ginger based sauce and served with basmati rice. Vegetarians are well catered for with a range of choices that could include vegetarian moussaka; penne with rocket leaves and dolce latte cheese or spinach stew cooked with chickpeas and baby potatoes and served with basmati rice and yoghurt.

A variety of succulent meat dishes such as grilled lamb kidney served with potato puree; grilled beef sirloin steak served with potato wedges and cress; spicy meatball pot with chicken, lamb or beef meatballs cooked with red peppers, coconut cream, onion and spices and served with basmati rice or marinated chicken pieces, skewered and char grilled, will satisfy the committed carnivore. House specials of lamb tagine, kuzulu begendi, sautéed fillet of lamb with smoked aubergine caviar, or aubergine stuffed with minced beef, onions and herbs and served with basmati rice pamper the palate further.

A chef's special menu offers an assortment of twelve dishes per person. Guests can also choose from breakfast, lunch and pre-theatre menus.
 
Tempting traditional dessert of kunefe, a warm shredded pastry filled with cheese, pistachio and syrup; rice pudding enriched with coconut milk and garnished with almonds or su muhallebisi, cubes of milk pudding and rose syrup with berries and nuts, bring the meal to a delicious conclusion. Alternatively, choose chocolate torte with raspberry sorbet or crème brûlée with saffron to satisfy even the sweetest tooth.
 
The wine list offers a range of New and Old World wines including Turkish varieties and popular labels such as Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Piropo Pinot Blanc from Argentina, La Serre Cabernet Sauvignon from France and Branch Creek Shiraz from Australia.

More information can be found on their Website.

For those hardy souls seeking the perpetual party, the answer to your desires exists in the heart of Covent Garden. Referred to by Time Out as 'a phenomenon', this is a pretty accurate description. Live bands are on stage every night, and a great line-up of some of the best DJs in town between them make very sure that the tempo stays high and the enjoyment level never droops at Roadhouse Covent Garden.

Fuelled by a 60-strong cocktail list the pace is emphatically party whether you are celebrating, commiserating or just trying to forget - no problem - get in there and do your thing, Happy Hours come and go as the evening wears on, no matter what day of the week, but with 50% off most drinks it pays to be around at the right time.

Why not call down on a Monday or Wednesday for Roadhouse Rockaoke? Instead of just listening to one of their amazing live bands, they give you the chance to get on stage and sing with them. Pick a song from the extensive list and compete for your chance to win a £100 bar tab.

All this sybaritic living can be very taxing, and a vast array of dishes that cover a medley of cuisines are served in the Diner to sustain you, starting with the small bites, call them tapas if you will, with crispy-fried calamari, beef satay and jalapeño cream cheese peppers amongst the list.

Then come the real starters like nachos grande, char grilled chicken and cheese quesadilla and the Roadhouse classic burger, followed by their combo collection that might be termed the hearty school of eating - well what else can you say about of a full rack of barbecue ribs and two chicken breasts, and the fully loaded version with a couple of steak and chicken breasts each and French fries, onion rings and salad.

But it's the grill that really hits the high spots, with a New York strip, cut from the centre section of the short loin to produce some great flavour and texture. There's a barbecue big rack, char grilled and smothered in their signature BBQ sauce, served with chunky coleslaw and fries; blackened salmon, basted in Cajun spices with spring onions, mashed potato and red pepper sauce or flame grilled fajitas served sizzling on tequila and lime infused peppers with a choice of filling.

The Bailey's sundae is certainly not aiming to be left out of the calorie contest while the hot chocolate fudge cake resumes its position as the king of desserts. The diner has its own happy hours, and the cocktails are brought to your table; no scary journeys for you from the bar to your table with a fistful of precious fluids.

The Roadhouse is very keen in the offers department and it pays to keep an eye on their website, where print off vouchers can be the source of an excellent value evening.

It almost goes without saying that a party night out at Roadhouse is a real blast, with a great range of nights from which to choose the bands and DJs you like, and food and drink to keep everybody, yes even the vegetarians, thoroughly happy.

Do note their cover charges - Mon and Tue £5 after 22:00, Wed £5 after 21:00, Thu £7 after 21:00, Fri £10 after 21:00, Sat £5 after 19:00, £12 after 21:00.

Their programme never stays still, so stack their Website amongst your all time favourites as the key to a real party.

By London standards Boulevard Brasserie, well established in the Opera Quarter on Wellington Street, is an old hand at providing excellent food and service since 1991. Surrounded by some of the best known and most vibrant centres of the London theatre, it is only 50 metres from Covent Garden Piazza; near neighbours such as the Royal Opera House, Lyceum Theatre and Theatre Royal on Drury Lane, ensure that Boulevard's credentials are impeccable.

Recently having completed a refurbishment, there's more to its credentials than just having the right neighbours, well demonstrated by menus that provide for every occasion, be it a night at the theatre, a family celebration, Sunday lunch, a romantic assignment, or a good place to seal a business proposition.

The theatre menu is a tour de force, operating pre- and post matinée meals in afternoon and evenings at prices that are an incitement to take the best seats available in the theatre of your choice. Three courses offer four choices on each and a typical meal might consist of gravalax, followed by a minute steak with fries and Béarnaise sauce, and petit pot au chocolat or Roquefort cheese with spiced pear. Private dining rooms can accommodate theatre groups of between 25 and 120.

An à la carte weaves its way through an extensive range of dishes, all of which sound totally beguiling, thus transforming the choosing of your meal into a Catch 22 situation. Where to start? One of the greatest mistakes to be made when eating is to hurry, particularly when ordering. Let nature, not the maître d?, has its way. Find space for some tartines, delightful little French sour-dough snacklets topped with Jambon cru ham, shredded duck and other delights, and revel in whole tiger prawns pan-fried.

La Français is never far from the scene and beef bourguignon and mash, confit de canard, steak frites and classic French onion soup sit comfortably with their English counterparts. The vegetables are a delight with a refreshing absence of root numbers and a light hearted hand applied to the rest.

However the ritualistic Sunday Roast is omni-present, made even more welcome by being served all day, thereby minimising the risk of getting overlooked by other events of which sleeping-in is but one.

A choice of some six desserts yields a classic crème brûlée, sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream, and a rhubarb and raspberry bavarois, and the French return with a triumphant ménage of cheeses, bandying around such names as Comté, Saint Maure, Fourne d'Ambert and Munster, all served with quince jelly, grapes and celery, a very model of its kind.

A new feature to Boulevard Brasserie is the Boulevard Cellars - a cosy and intimate wine bar - offering a wide range of regional French wines and Champagne. Ample opportunities by the glass make exciting drinking a real possibility and a relatively short but very interesting range of after dinner treats for those with time and company on their hands is well worth considering.

Like many good restaurants nothing stays the same for very long with the exception of the standards Boulevard sets, which remain unremittingly high. A click on their Website will keep you up to date.

Set in a sumptuously chic gold-accented dining room in Mayfair - London's most prestigious district - Tamarind is a world-renowned Indian restaurant. It was the first Indian restaurant in Europe to receive Michelin recognition.

Internationally-acclaimed executive chef Alfred Prasad, the youngest Indian chef to be awarded a Michelin star at the age of 29, has devised a series of new dishes based on the fresh young, flavour-packed produce of the season. Says he, "Indian food and culture is a vast yet immediate source of inspiration to my cooking. Its diversity - most still unexplored, contributes to innovative ideas that create a cuisine and an ultimate dining experience". Not surprising therefore that Tamarind is renowned for its ongoing exploration of the sub-continent.

The menu at Tamarind is lengthy enough to ensure that any serious seeker after proper Indian cuisine could spend an awful lot of time reaping the benefits of this enquiring attitude.

Starters include the Tamarind salad, with chard leaves, rocket, apples, and plum and kumquats in a honey and pine nut dressing; grilled scallops, flavoured with mixed peppercorns, fennel and star anise topped with oven roasted peppers and served with smoked tomato, or hariyali macchi, monkfish chunks marinated with ginger, fresh mint, lime leaf, green chilli and roasted gram flour.

Main course highlights include lamb dishes like the Hyderabadi shank - lamb shank slow cooked with turmeric, yoghurt, browned garlic and freshly ground spices. Pan fried fillet of sea bass with fine beans and raw mango on sauce of tomato with mustard, curry leaves and coconut ,or masala dal, yellow lentils simmered with ginger, tomatoes, green chilli, fresh coriander and served with juice of lemon complement the main options well.

Desserts have always been a speciality of Indian cooking, perhaps because of the startling contrast between spices and the intense sweetness, but Tamarind excels. Grilled pineapple delicately spiced with ground spices and honey, served with rose ice cream, is exceptional - but for sheer perfection try the basmati rice simmered in cinnamon and pistachio flavoured milk, served with stewed figs.

Unusually for an Indian restaurant Tamarind has a Sommelier, Tobias Gorn, a very well versed one at that, with an excellent cellar stock from which to work. The tendency to replace jars of indifferent fizzy lager with decent wine when eating-out-Indian is one greatly to be encouraged. Staffing is an exemplar of the old adage that service in Indian restaurants is almost invariably polite, friendly and efficient.

The influx of new cuisines, never mind adaptations on old ones that has overtaken the world and Britain in particular during the last few decades is not necessarily a bad thing provided that it is done with the degree of professionalism and curiosity that is displayed at every turn by Tamarind.

It perhaps goes without saying most of this excellence takes good management and vision, not to mention money. But then Tamarind is just very special and if the process tends to reflect that, you can rest assured you will be getting outstanding value for money. Children are welcome before 7pm.

For more information, including their menus and online booking facilities, do visit the Website.

A fine modern European cuisine menu served in a stunning ambience makes the Fifth Floor Restaurant a destination of choice for good food aficionados. Housed on the top floor of Harvey Nichols iconic Knightsbridge branch, the restaurant's stunning interior draws inspiration from constructivist art of the early 20th century and is the perfect place in which to take a break during a day of shopping or sightseeing. You could also unwind at the stylish bar or smart café which boasts lovely views over West London.

Executive Chef Jonas Karlsson creates stunning menus featuring a selection of modern dishes, influenced by his passion for French cooking as well as by his home country, Sweden. He uses a selection of the best seasonal ingredients available from the Harvey Nichols Foodmarket.

Starters of Cornish crab salad with dressed crab, avocado salad and mango vinaigrette; marinated Dedham Vale beef; thinly sliced beef with toasted pine nuts, green beans and chive dressing and mosaic of wood pigeon; smoked quail and celeriac with tarragon cream make for a delicious beginning to the meal.

Main courses follow on perfectly with hearty dishes such as roast pork loin with winter cabbage, Agen prune and sage jus; roasted Highland venison with truffle macaroni with curly kale and sweet and sour game jus and Norwegian halibut with shellfish bolognaise bacon and parsley ravioli and red chard leaves.

The dessert menu will tempt diners with a sweet tooth who can choose from chocolate fondue, raspberry mille feuille with raspberry Chantilly or apricot and rhubarb sable tart with rice pudding surprise.

Alternatively, you could relax in the informal surroundings of the Fifth Floor café which offers its own menu through the day for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. For a hearty start to the day enjoy a classic full English breakfast with certified organic free range eggs, crispy smoked bacon, sausages, black pudding, beans and toast; fried eggs and chorizo or a healthy porridge with Scottish oats, drizzled Greek yoghurt and Harvey Nichols Heather Honey.

For lunch or dinner begin with starters of sea bass ceviche with chilli, mango and fresh herbs or grilled Mediterranean vegetables or share an antipasti selection with fennel salami, cured ham, carpaccio di Barolo, Noccellare olives and burrata, marinated artichokes and sundried tomatoes. Main course offerings could include wild boar pappardelle with fresh Italian egg pasta and slow cooked wild boar ragu or slow roasted Devon chicken with wild rice and shitake mushroom sauce.

Guests could also chill out at the chic champagne bar, inspired by Emile Gallé's iconic 1902 anemone design for the Cuvée Belle Époque Champagne bottle, while sampling luxurious vintage champagnes or a variety of botanically themed and calorie conscious cocktails.

The Fifth Floor offers diners a variety of interesting programmes including cocktail and wine master classes and a specially created five-course tasting menu. The restaurant's four separate areas can be hired individually or as a whole for private parties or corporate events.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website.

Over twenty years ago, in July 1989, Bill Wyman opened Sticky Fingers, just the kind of restaurant he most likes to eat in - friendly, welcoming in an informal atmosphere with excellent food and service - the rest is history! Sticky's is ideally positioned in a stunning building, just off the famous shopping Mecca that is High Street Kensington and this haven of great food and original rock memorabilia provides an enviable environment for eating, drinking, and relaxing.

The invaluable collection of Stones memorabilia is a real talking point for both Stones fans and anyone with taste for rock heritage. A comprehensive listing is impractical but some of the highlights include a full-size 3-D photo master of small 3-D photos on the cover of the Rolling Stones album 'Their Satanic Majesties Request.' Released late 1967, it is only one of three known copies in the world.

The Beatles can be seen in the 'undergrowth', and a homemade Electric Bass Guitar built by Wyman in 1960 and amusingly nicknamed by Ian Stewart as 'The Flying Penge.' He played this during early concerts and numerous TV shows and was often used on Rolling Stones' recordings until 1976.

Of course, people go to Sticky Fingers for much more than a great visual experience and a vibrant atmosphere. The justly fabled ribs are a perennial favourite as well as the impressive selection of cocktails, wines, draught and bottled beers which will either compliment the varied dishes or slip down well whilst supping on hand scooped potato skins or crispy shredded duck with cucumber, spring onions and hoi sin sauce, at the bar.

Apart from its burgers such as the Californian, topped with cheese, bacon, salsa, guacamole and sour cream - for which Sticky's has been awarded the 'Best Burger in London' accolade by respected critics at RestaurantSpy - a testament to the talent and restless innovation of their Head Chef, you can also dine on a lovely salad of peppered steak; dishes such as pan-fried new England crab cakes with garlic mayonnaise; sizzling fajitas, homemade lamb burritos with Portobello mushrooms, sour cream, guacamole, salsa and jalapeños, and sign off with a sinful hot fudge and pecan nut brownie.

It is easy to over-intellectualise Sticky Fingers' unique formula. Put simply, it is the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail and meal, buy from a wide range of merchandise or simply chill out and relax with the best burgers in town. They are happy to accept bookings and enquiries by E-Mail.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website

Do note that they are closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Recreating the bustling ambience of a classic Parisian bistro this side of the Channel, Elena's L'Etoile in Charlotte Street continues to maintain its identity amidst the flurry of contemporary designer decorated restaurants. Its endearing setting, in the heart of Fitzrovia, is enhanced by elegant art deco lighting and autographed celebrity photographs on the walls. Having seen the passage of more than a century, since opening its doors in 1896, it has evolved to cater to a new generation of diners with its subtly updated French cuisine and a thoughtfully chosen wine list calculated to appeal to all palates.

With dining rooms spread over four floors, this spacious establishment's warm welcoming atmosphere makes it just the place for a family get together or leisurely dinner with a bunch of good friends. Rich red velvet banquette seating and starched white table linen enhances the pleasure of dining here. Named after the venerable Elena Salvoni, 'Queen of Soho' and maître d' at various restaurants for 70 years but now retired, it?s a stand out even in its cosmopolitan locale where rubbing shoulders with media celebrities and theatre stars is par for the course.

The à la carte menu embraces seasonal dishes and updated classics with one or two old favourites still on the list. The choice of starters include chicken liver parfait, rillette of confit duck, baked darne of mackerel, poached cod cheeks or double baked mushroom soufflé all of which makes for a good beginning to the meal. Then you can move on to main course of salmon and leek fishcake with watercress and chive cream, pan roast breast of Gressingham duck with fondant potato and parsnip purée, trio of slow cooked pork with Parmentière potatoes  or rib eye steak with hand cut chips and wild mushroom jus.
 
The dessert selection features tempting puddings of warm carrot cake served with orange sabayon, vanilla crème brûlée, lemon tart with Chantilly cream,  pave of dark Valrhona chocolate with cinnamon ice cream and white chocolate and passion fruit crema cotta, any of which brings the meal to a fitting end.

Alternatively a fixed price three-course meal, chosen from the aptly named mini à la carte menu offers such classic dishes as chicken chasseur with roast potatoes or beef Wellington, while the restaurant's signature lemon tart with clotted cream or a selection of fine French cheeses makes for a perfect ending. A pre theatre menu is also available.

Elena's L'Etoile offers many examples of New and Old World vintage on its carefully compiled wine list with a large selection served by the glass. House wines include Cuvee Duboeuf Blanc, Sauvignon de Gras, Saumur Rouge la Cabriole and Chateau de Parenchere Bordeaux.

Four beautifully appointed classical French style salons located in the Regency townhouse can accommodate small private parties of up to 30 people for breakfast, lunch or dinner while the whole restaurant can be booked for larger events for up to 140 guests with party menus starting at £30.25. Click on their Website for further information.