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Within the luxurious Lancaster London Hotel, Island Grill is a 2 AA Rosette awarded restaurant with award-winning cuisine ranging from British classics to more cosmopolitan choices. A chic and contemporary interior with a funky cocktail bar and dining room features a light-filled, split-level space with cool, clean lines and dark wood tables. Diners can relax on comfortable banquettes at Island Grill London while enjoying the modern British menu, as well as the spectacular views across the Italian Gardens of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Lancaster Gate Tube Station is a stone's throw away.

Starters of rustic pork pate with pistachios, grape chutney and toast, pan fried Atlantic scallops with marinated artichoke and bacon salad or smoked halibut with saffron risotto served with mussel and herb butter sauce make for a good beginning to the meal at Island Grill Bayswater.

Follow with light mains of goat's cheese and smoked tomato tart with a light basil pesto, grilled prawn Caesar salad with ciabatta croutons or char grilled tuna Niçoise with a salad of French beans, cherry tomatoes, black olives, peppers, new potatoes and egg. If you prefer something more substantial, The Island Grill menu has classics such as steak and ale pie, beer battered cod with chips and roast Suffolk chicken with spatzle, wild mushroom, artichoke and chicken jus. Alternatively, try a fillet steak with your choice of sauce, the Island burger with cheese and bacon served with chips or side salad or calf's liver and bacon with sautéed spinach and garlic.

For a quick lunch, an express menu offers char grilled minute steak with chips and garlic butter, grilled pork chop with crushed new potatoes, caramelised apples and red wine jus or Devonshire crab cake with a fennel slaw and a red pepper tartare sauce.

For a hearty start to the day, Island Grill restaurant offers choices of full English and vegetarian breakfasts. There's also smoked salmon and poached egg on a toasted muffin with homemade hollandaise sauce or toasted soft bun with double sausage, bacon and a fried egg, French toast with fruit salad and maple syrup, or granola and Greek yoghurt with mixed berry compote. A selection of breakfast cocktails, tea and coffee completes the meal.

Puddings of coffee crème brûlée with pistachio biscotti, baked Alaska with passion fruit and a sumptuous, rich dark chocolate fondant with white chocolate mousse and chocolate sorbet will satisfy the sweet tooth.

At the Island Grill bar, enjoy a variety of excellent cocktails, draught beer and ales. A largely French wine list, with wines available by the glass and carafe, complements the food perfectly.

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

The Castle with its stylish classic pub atmosphere, great food and music seldom fails to charm and is one of the famous pubs that form part of Geronimo Inns. It may be located on the busy Pentonville Road but step into the beautiful rooftop terrace and it seems a world away with just a book and Brazilian lounge music to keep company.

The concise menu includes starters like crispy Cornish squid with aioli and deep fried brie with cranberry chutney, followed by lemon and thyme roasted chicken breast with colcannon and red wine jus, and shredded ham hock with root vegetable casserole and parsnip crisp. They certainly come up with some interesting ideas for sandwiches at lunchtime, smoked salmon and free range egg bagel and steak, caramelised onions, roasted cherry tomato and blue cheese are some of them.

Trust the Master of Wine, John Clevely's choice of wines to accompany your meal at The Castle.

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

Villandry originally opened its doors in 1989 on Marylebone High Street, an intimate, endearingly-ramshackle shop full of wonderful smells and delicious goodies. Bursting at the seams it relocated to its current larger, smarter premises on Great Portland Street in November 1997. With oodles of space, a gorgeous Foodstore, informal Restaurant and buzzing Bar were created to establish Villandry as one of Fitzrovia's most popular destinations.

Their team of bakers work throughout the night to produce the very best breads, patisseries and cakes, and undoubtedly the most incredible 100% all butter croissants. While the chefs beaver away in the Villandry kitchens cooking up a huge array of lip-smacking dishes prepared from well-sourced ingredients.

Exciting changes are in progress to ensure Villandry continues to celebrate its heritage by focusing on the very best produce. The gourmet grocer and deli provides a large range of exceptional foods; from the freshest and most flavoursome fruit and vegetables, to wonderfully fresh bread, pastries, chocolate and spices.

The cheese and charcuterie counters are a treat for the taste buds and the take-away counter - for everything from snacks to three-course meals - has queues for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with orders also taken by phone. A diverse range of picnic hampers is also available for that balmy summer's day in the park, at Wimbledon, Lord's or Henley. A full catering service is also available on request. The 100-seat Restaurant and 60-seat Bar are also available for exclusive private hire.

Villandry Restaurant is run by head chef Brian Scully, who leads a team of dedicated chefs. The fresh food is produced without fuss and particular attention is paid to the quality of the ingredients. Its relaxed, European-style ambience continues to woo people from all over London keen to try delicious, uncomplicated flavours in Villandry's simple but excellent cooking.

The Restaurant menu is a short, sharp list of dishes, which covers the full range of carefully sourced, seasonal favourites, including grilled lemon grass prawns with green mango, cashew, tomato and coriander salad, poached chicken terrine with leeks, mushroom and spring onion and not forgetting the mouth-watering peach and raspberry crumble with cream.

For full meals, eat in the Restaurant. For breakfasting, light lunching, snacking, chatting, sipping, gossiping and meeting from morning until night, the Bar is ideal. From 8am you can enjoy boiled eggs with soldiers, Scottish smoked kippers or some Villandry granola and fruit salad. If you are feeling continental, why not have a pain-au-chocolat from the Bakery or some French toast with maple syrup?

For lunch you can choose from the changing menu - crispy, crunchy vegetable salad with cashew nuts and apricot dressing, accompanied by 28 day dry-aged steak - 10oz sirloin with chips and béarnaise before finishing off with a seasonal fruit salad. These are but a few of the excellent choices. A small dinner menu and bar snacks are available in the early evening, with charcuterie and cheese plates available from the deli in the shop.

Free wireless internet access is provided, so you can check your email and surf the net at super speeds, all in the comfort of the Bar.

Villandry Foodstore is a gourmet shop for serious food lovers in central London. It sells the finest quality ingredients sourced from specialist suppliers around the world. Many other items are homemade in the Villandry kitchens and sold either as takeaway meals or served in the Restaurant and Bar.

Their products would shine in the most finely fitted kitchens: olive oils, vinegars, wines, cheese and hams from across Europe; pickles and chutneys; a daily selection of fresh fruit, herbs and vegetables from Secretts Farm; specialist items to order, and enough chocolate to last you through the year. Order bespoke hampers from them as the perfect present or wine by the case. Their wine list is extensive and they are always happy to discuss choices.

To contact them, order hampers, or to get on their mailing list, use the form provided on their Website.

The Goring is London's oldest and favourite privately owned 5 star De Luxe hotel, situated in Belgravia, close to London?s most prestigious address, Buckingham Palace, and almost as grand. It has a fabulous Dining Room, created by the world-famous designer and cabinet maker, David Linley, and his talented team. It is also renowned for the quality of its English cuisine, combining tradition with modern touches.

The Dining Room combines state-of-the-art modernity with timeless, classical elegance. The room is decorated in shades of biscuit, cream and caramel. Amazing Swarovski chandeliers float above the diners and change colour, according to the amount of light streaming through the large windows.

David Linley said, 'The Goring is one of the last family-run hotels. It was about trying to preserve tradition. This is the best restaurant in London'.

At the Tio Pepe ITV Awards Ceremony, early in 2005, The Goring received the award of 'Best British Restaurant' and 'Hotel of the Year' at the Catey Awards 2009. And US Travel and Leisure Magazine listed it among its choice of the 100 best hotels in the world.

In the Dining Room, quiet waiters on castered feet hurry to and fro under the watchful eye of the Maître d'. The famous menu changes with the seasons and takes its cue from the very best kind of British country house cooking. This is British food exquisitely cooked and superbly presented and this is cooking that delights the critic as well as the simply hungry.

Specialities include the sensational glazed Scottish lobster omelette, poached fillet of Loch Duart salmon with sea aster, mussel and potato broth, and braised shoulder of Castle of Mey beef with onions, carrots and creamed potatoes. Puddings are a speciality and include poached pear with orange sponge, caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream and a fantastic selection of cheeses from across the British Isles.

The wine list is one of the finest in London, and is personally selected by Jeremy Goring and Managing Director, David Morgan-Hewitt. The Goring is unusual in laying down wine for the future enjoyment of its guests, which means that the prices are often more reasonable than in other quality establishments.

Fay Maschler wrote, 'I love the family-run Goring....an oasis of gentility'.

That is The Goring. Not ostentatious, not stuffy, a very gentlemanly place with lashings of five star quality.

Their four private dining rooms will accommodate between four and one hundred guests for breakfast, luncheons, dinners, cocktail parties and wedding receptions. Click on their attractive and clearly set out Website for further information.

Located in Portland Place with commanding views across the surrounding area Roux at The Landau offers a classically constructed French cuisine with British assistance that follows contemporary inclinations for lighter dishes whilst making no sacrifices to flavour and certainly not to quality.

For the first time in 18 years Albert and Michel Roux, those Michelin-starred and celebrated chefs, are working together in order to bring the legendary Roux gastronomic experience to a second West End address. In the magnificent dining room designed by David Collins, and part of the award-winning luxury Langham Hotel, Roux at The Landau has firmly set its cap at achieving a top placing in London's highly competitive restaurant scene, where dining will acquire that special quality which has already been firmly established at Le Gavroche.

The à la carte draws upon a choice of nine courses with which to set the scene, starting with a lightly creamed white bean velouté with aged Manchego croquettes, celery and pimenton de la vera. A Parker House lobster roll arrives with pickled vegetables and baby gem salad. But for sheer perfection in the seafood scale the seared Orkney scallops with Jerusalem artichoke and truffle are in a class of their own. Belle Isle oysters are on call when the time is right.

There has never been any doubt about the quality of Castle of Mey beef and a grilled rib eye steak from that quarter with pommes Sarladaise and truffle hollandaise underlines the integrity of this finely factored product from one of the best producing locations in Britain.

Seven or so choices of dessert list amongst them a crème brûlée amandine, homemade ice creams and sorbets or a caramelised apple millefeuille with aged Calvados bavarois.

Roux at The Landau is near enough to the theatre scene to provide a just the right sort of setting for some pre-theatre sustenance, where a typical supper might consist of ham hock and foie gras terrine and fresh piccalilli salad provides an alternative to seared cod cheeks with soy glazed eryngli mushrooms and purple broccoli. The classic hare 'Royale' with fresh tagliatelle and cèpe mushrooms run with roast fillet of sea bass with braised leeks and saffron ratte potatoes are succeeded by spiced pumpkin tart with chestnut and rum ice cream.

A tasting menu romps through seven courses and reverting to the other end of the day a breakfast menu fit for a king can be taken via a superb English traditional version, or Chinese, Japanese and Lebanese versions to ring the changes.

Special offers are no stranger to this scene, and these straddle the lunch, dinner and breakfast menus, the latter with a 20% reduction of the food bill.

Brought together with a fine wine list and immaculate service it would seem that nothning can stop Roux at The Landau from achieving its objective of becoming a force with which to be reckoned in West London.

Their Website will keep you right up to date on matters of menu and offers.

Namaaste Kitchen in Camden town is an Indian restaurant with a difference, created by The Salaam Namaste Bloomsbury team, and drawing heavily upon kitchen theatre. At its heart a theatrical restaurant show-kitchen enables diners to enjoy the spectacle of sophisticated Indian grills and different varieties of quality Indian and Pakistani cuisine in preparation. By the use of subtle and complex marinades they create distinctive dishes that are a delight of mingled flavours.

To match this modern approach the décor has been designed to respond in full, with a mix of traditional and contemporary design. The principal area is modern but with a rustic flavour of bare brick walls, chimney breast and fireplace. American walnut pillars contrast well with `cream leather seating.

A welcome innovation is the two Chef's Tables with a privileged view of the restaurant grill room, which between them can cater for groups of 8 covers. Three very core Indian grilling methods are used throughout; first the Tandoor, traditional Indian cooking done through a really hot clay oven, then the Sigri, a simple but effective method using a coal flame, and finally the impressive Tawa, where food is cooked or griddled on a hot, thick iron plate.

By now you may be asking whether the quality of the food matches that of the sense of theatre, to which the only real answer is, go and find out. But if you trust those who have, you will find no cause for hesitation. The menu offers around 16 starters, and whilst some of the respected dishes of long standing are there, look for the newcomers, the twists on old friends, and the inspirational, witness the Tandoori Portobello mushroom, marinated before being filled with figs, cashew nuts, raisins, green chilli and homemade cheese in a curry leaf dressing. It is often said the street food of India is amongst its best - test that statement with chowpatty Bhelpoori, vegetarian street food from Mumbai.

It is always fascinating to see the food of one country being adapted to the recipes of another, so why should we raise even so much as an eyebrow at wild rabbit leg Achari, cooked in pickling spices with missi roti and aubergine compote, never mind Peshwari lamb chops marinated with fresh ginger paste, raw papaya and specially selected herbs and spices. But my favourite comes from Rajasthan, the land of forts and palaces, where Tandoori Barbary duck breast is served with roasted tiger prawn in a tangy fresh salad, simple but inspired.

Dates and ginger naan, dhall Panchratan, a five-lentil mix of great charm, and exquisite lemon rice serve to bolster the principal courses, as if any were needed, but the biding memory is of the wonderful aromas that intertwine through the restaurant. It would be presumptuous to assume that the wine list in such a restaurant could be anything but sophisticated, and you'd be right. Light years ahead of any outdated assumptions that decent wines and Asian cuisine do not share the same aims, the wine list at Namaaste is a well annotated production that, whilst not lengthy, makes a strong case for the union at prices that only apply the rod in the Champagne area, and offer up towards a dozen by the glass.

The main bar has a feature wall of lights and stone slate to admire as you savour a cocktail before or after, and there is a good range of bar snacks and an all day dining menu. Absolutely no excuse at all for not paying an early visit to this increasingly popular Indian haven to high standards all round.

Check their Website for updated menus, offers and - yes, believe it or not - a takeaway menu. Lucky old Camden town!

Conveniently located between Gloucester Road and South Kensington tube stations, this is a classic Geronimo pub, combining traditional British food with all the quality and style you'd expect in Kensington. The Duke of Clarence is situated in the oldest licensed building and is steeped in history. Just as the building has withstood the test of the time, so too has the spirit of an old inscription that was once found here - "Ars Langa Vita Brevis, Nunc Est Bibendum", or "Art is eternal, life is short, now let's drink."

The venue is growing in popularity for its brunch, burgers and bonhomie among the Kensington locals, who come here to indulge in a spot of lunch, watch the sport on Sky TV or simply observe  the world pass by through the large open windows.

The revered selection of fine wines, real ales and expansive range of beer pay due homage to the food.

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

Located just a stone's throw from Sloane Square Tube Station, and a short walk from attractions such as the Royal Court Theatre and the Saatchi Gallery, The Ebury is an exemplary gastropub with large windows offering views over Pimlico Road. It's a cool and stylish space with a flawless use of natural light to give an impression of considerable space. The whole package is undeniably smart and chic but also very comfortable, a feeling bolstered by the simple menu and a good value, well appointed wine list.

The a la carte menu offers tempting starters such as a ballotine of foie gras with dried cranberries and Sauternes jelly, salad of beetroot with hazelnuts and goats' cheese, or burrata and avocado salad served with tomato, basil and black olives. Rump of salt marsh lamb served with aubergine, courgettes and olive oil makes a hearty main course, while fish lovers could choose between a seared peppered yellow fin tuna with red cabbage, orange and hazelnuts, or barbequed spiced mackerel with pickled lentils, jalapeno and apple.

A list of carefully crafted desserts such as verbena jelly with pineapple carpaccio, chilli and citrus fruit; passion fruit and lime cheesecake or mille-feuille of fresh figs with Greek yoghurt and honey bring the meal to a fitting end.

For diners looking for a quick bite th bar menu at Ebury includes a variety of traditional bar favourites such as white anchovies in olive oil, carpaccio of salmon with pink peppercorn, pickled cucumber and radish, and a plate of charcuterie and pickles. Alternatively you could choose from the range of freshly made sandwiches, a bowl of crispy French fries or even cheese and biscuits.

The wine list offers an impressive range of champagnes and wines from across the world, available by the glass or bottle.

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

A stylish contemporary restaurant, Artigiano in Belsize Terrace offers a compelling modern Italian menu in a striking setting complete with glass canopies and artful use of lighting and colour. On warm summer evenings the glass frontage folds away to open the restaurant up for an al fresco dining experience. Close to Hampstead Theatre and the Everyman Cinema, Artigiano isn't too far away from Primrose Hill or Hampstead Heath either.

The seasonally changing menu at Artigiano has many treats in store for the discerning diner. You could begin the meal with starters of crispy parmesan basket filled with goat's cheese, avocado and asparagus, topped with poached egg and herb mayonnaise; bresaola with roasted peppers and buffalo mozzarella or crab, lobster and asparagus timbale wrapped in spinach leaves.

Artigiano's delicious pasta selection includes homemade potato gnocchi with a mushroom, squid and cherry tomato sauce; linguine with fresh clams and chilli, lobster and scallop risotto as well the restaurant's signature spaghetti alla chitarra with Scottish langoustine and fennel.

For a hearty main course committed carnivores could try pan-fried breaded veal escalope with rocket and balsamic drizzled cherry tomatoes; breast of chicken stuffed with Parma ham and buffalo mozzarella, with a virgin olive oil, oregano and tomato concassé or grilled lamb chops with an aubergine and cherry tomato caponata.

Fish and seafood lovers can look forward to dishes such as whole grilled sea bream with olive oil and herbs; sautéed fillet of cod with lentils, sun-dried tomatoes and crisp pancetta or tiger prawns in a spring onion guazzetto.

Vegetarians are also well catered for with a range of dishes including cream of vegetable soup with polenta croutons; beetroot salad with feta, fine beans, toasted pine nuts and a raspberry vinaigrette; chestnut, pumpkin and ricotta cheese ravioli with a sage butter sauce and spaghetti with a fresh tomato sauce and buffalo mozzarella.

Tempting confections of vanilla pannacotta with coffee cream and coconut biscuit, lime and orange meringue parfait with a strawberry compote and peach tartlet with vanilla ice cream bring any meal to a delightful conclusion. If you wish, sample a selection of rare Italian mountain cheeses served with honey.
 
A set menu offers guests more options with dishes such as roasted beef tomato stuffed with a cheese mousse and leeks, prawn skewer with a pineapple carpaccio and wild rocket, spaghetti with a beef and basil ragù and pan-fried hake with a tomato and garlic sauce. The restaurant is open from 11am every day and serves a brunch menu with breakfast options, starters, light bites, toasted sandwiches, pasta and risotto, mains and desserts.

The wine list has a fine selection of predominantly Italian reds and whites, enhanced by a small number of old and new world wines available by the glass and bottle.

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

Chaam Northern Thai Cuisine just off Fulham Broadway is a perfect example of how the growth of Thai cuisine in Britain has provided a healthy - in all senses - option to other eastern styles of food to which we have grown accustomed, indeed very attached, in recent times. But there has always been something rather different about Thai eating, and that difference has caught the spirit of the age with increasing enthusiasm.

Thai cuisine is a 'green' style, it carries with it mental pictures of spotless kitchens, careful preparation and refined results, with flavours that are delicate to the point of subtlety, and impeccable service. All this and more has caught the eating-out public's imagination.

Chaam sets out to achieve all this but to take the experience a stage further by introducing some of the lesser known Thai dishes, the sort of thing that is enjoyed in Thailand as a matter of course, but does not seem to have made the jump much further afield. It can lay some claim to be in a position to do this well, as a third generation Thai restaurant, and a sibling to Papaya Tree in Kensington High Street.

An elegant and quite lengthy menu sets the tastebuds jumping from the word go. Chaam styles itself as a Thai Eatery, though in truth that is a bit of an understatement. No surprise therefore to find that number one on the menu is tom yum, the much-loved hot and sour soup with rice noodles, black tiger prawns, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts. Thai boat noodles were originally served from small boats in the floating markets of Thailand, and come with sliced sirloin beef in a special Thai herb soup. Look also for the kao soi and nahm ngeaw, soup noodles which equate to the excellent street food of other places.

Amongst the fried noodles expect to find kao pad boh thek talay, stir fried rice with seafood and mushroom in a sharp tom yum sauce. Morning glory may help those who had enough of their vegetables when young and force fed to take another view at the delightful mix fried with chilli and garlic.

A good mix of curries brings out the red, green and yellow versions, but the penang goong, a peanutty curry of king prawns, coconut milk and shredded kaffir leaves is also much favoured. The gentle green curry of chicken, bamboo shoots, coconut milk and baby eggplants demonstrates Thai cooking at its simple best.

Seabass wrapped in banana leaf, and char-grilled rib eye steak with spicy cracked rice dip are two of the less well-known dishes in Britain, and it is refreshing to know that much of Chaam's ingredients are flown in twice weekly from Thailand.

The delicacy of Thai cooking lends itself well to the refinement of wine and a small but entirely empathetic wine list embraces a contemporary outlook.

Chaam does free deliveries to SW6, SW5 and SW10 postcodes, others can be arranged, just call them. Minimum order is £20 and they aim to deliver within 45 minutes. Keep abreast of events at Chaam with a click on their excellent Website.