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Luc's Brasserie does what generations of politicians have generally failed dismally to do, namely bring the English and the French together into close proximity - and smile. The location for this superb diplomatic achievement is none other than the historic and increasingly fashionable Leadenhall Market, in the City of London, with its picturesque cobbled walkways that have somehow miraculously survived the health and safety process, and its echoes of London past and present, now triumphantly joined at Luc's with Parisian chic.

One of the greatest achievements of the Leadenhall Market project lies within its creation of a classless zone where all sorts and conditions of people happily whoop it up, and it is into this scene that Luc's blends with precocious ease, offering food that is cosmopolitan and appealing. So the city slicker finds himself sitting next to the day visitor from Cheltenham, or the lonely émigré from La France itself, amidst a riot of simple wooden tables casually draped with spotless white cloth.

The décor is indiscreetly French, with a restaurant that seats 100, and an upstairs private dining room that accommodates another 30. To provide before and after space a long elegant bar is backed with a cluster of high tables at which solitary visitors to Luc's can cherish their isolation with a meal and a glass or three.

Chef and Partner, Darrin Jacobs, has produced a menu that signals yet another success for l'entente cordiale, starting with some bacon and potato rösti with poached egg and hollandaise, sautéed foie gras with caramelised apple, calvados, sauce liege and toasted brioche, or some escargots de Bourgogne. Grilled Dover sole offer at least a breath of L'Angleterre and the French attitude to matters of meat is well captured in the duck rillettes with red onion confiture.

Steaks feature strongly; all are served with oven dried tomato, frites and sauces au poivre or béarnaise. Chateaubriand for two invariably makes the best of the cut as well as rolling nicely off the tongue when ordering. Calves' liver Lyonnaise makes a welcome change from our often uninspired methods of making this nutritious meat appealing to a wider public.

The eponymous steak hache burger has all the appeal of a well prepared faggot combined with the flavours of well hung meat, served plain or with beef tomato, cos lettuce and dill pickle.

No French leaning menu is complete without a boeuf bourguignon, or bouillabaisse with rouille, gruyere and croutons, and of course the French are always much more adventurous in their approach to bucolic meat such as wood pigeon, served here with braised endive and wild cherry sauce.

Desserts offer profiteroles with Luc's white chocolate ice cream, tarte au citron, mousse au chocolat and, of course, crème brûlée.

A wine list that leans exclusively towards the Gallic mode should come as no surprise, nor indeed as a disappointment bearing in mind the quality of the 100 plus wines from which to choose. Their Website is well worth a click to find out more about special offers and opportunities for private functions in this central City location.

Making a definite statement with stone dogs at the door and a cow on the roof, Prince Albert in Albert Bridge Road is where guests can sit back and relax in a living room ambience upstairs or in the pub downstairs. A stroll through Battersea Park could be just the thing to get ready for head chef Adrian Watters's British cuisine delights.  

Lunch or dinner here could begin with chicken liver pate, Lincolnshire smoked eel with horseradish cream or warm salad of pumpkin, goat's cheese, rocket and toasted almonds. Having put away those tasty morsels, have your fill of wild boar and apple sausages, duck cottage pie or Kilravock pork chop with Irish black pudding. For pudding, there's choice of rum and raisin cheesecake, lemon posset with shortbread or Bramley apple crumble with custard. To raise a toast to the good times, choose from a selection of local ales, bottled beers, champagnes, aromatic whites and traditional reds.

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

If you haven't discovered this part of London's riverside area yet, you really have missed out. Butler's Wharf has grown over the years and the formerly derelict warehouses have been converted into luxury flats, boutique shops and designer restaurants and bars.

Located in the shadow of Tower Bridge, Browns occupies the area's premier site with a stunning restaurant overlooking the Thames and the magnificent architecture of riverside London. Al fresco dining is always popular in the warmer months as the area's workers and residents enjoy the capital's impressive external decks. The whole area is thriving during the weekend as families and friends enjoy the relaxing feel to Shad Thames and the wonderful food and drink that Browns offers.

Browns is a classic English restaurant with a menu that evolves rather than changes. It offers a genuine value for money experience for guests and can also cater for large parties with a more expansive budget.

A plate of appetisers to share comes in vegetarian, seafood or Italian meat antipasti form, or there are thin and crisp flatbreads topped with such delights as garlic, rocket and Parmesan, and spicy beef and mushroom. Starters cleverly re-invent some of the classic brasserie dishes; expect to find crab and avocado salad, ham hock terrine, pan-seared scallops and a fine selection of freshly made soups depending on the day.

Fish and pasta dishes include prawn and chorizo linguine, served with tomato and chorizo sauce. A real value seafood platter will have smoked salmon, Browns crab mix, squid, kiln cured salmon with horseradish crème fraîche, large shell-on tiger prawn and marinated king scallops assembled together, whilst hungry chaps may well opt for the whole baked sea bream with lemon and ginger served with wilted spinach and new potatoes.

Browns's own steak, mushroom and Guinness pie is a real puller, with the rack of lamb not too far behind. Desserts include raspberry and chocolate brownie and cheese board with fresh bread, crackers, grapes and celery. The fact is that after years of experience in the field of what might be termed comfortable eating; Browns have it pretty well tied up.

On Sundays step into Browns for a relaxed Sunday brunch with newspapers, simple food and a well constructed Bloody Mary. And what a brunch it is! Smoked fishcake with poached egg and hollandaise, eggs Florentine, Royal or Benedict, the full English, or smoothies, it's all there.

Their afternoon tea is a real treat at any time, and two people can get into a friendly huddle over their Most Unusual version that introduces even more indulgence into the equation, including two large G & Ts. There is a full wine, cocktail and Champagne list with the Champagnes being particularly notable for their sensible pricing.

Adjacent to the stunning design museum, Browns has become an ideal neighbourhood restaurant and bar to those fortunate to live in the area, but also a perfect destination to those visiting this magnificent addition to London's amenities. Browns's private dining room is the ideal venue for corporate entertaining especially for those who want to offer their guests something a little bit different and special.

More information, including details on their full menu and private rooms, can be viewed on their Website.

"Where everybody goes and quite rightly so" - The Guardian

The Fentiman Arms is the very epitome of England, and only a short stroll from the Oval, just south of the River Thames, it provides a perfect haven for post-match discussions, or even watching the event itself live on the big screens. A gastropub offering its own take on British food, it is full of comfortable chairs, heritage décor, rows of bookcases, log fire in season, and lighting that creates rather than destroys, in fact, this is the place to be at almost any time of the day.

In the summer the back doors open out on to a wild country beer garden, and the prospect of a barbecue is distinctly rosy. On the first floor a function room has its own bar and is available for hire all year round. Whatever the occasion, board meeting, birthdays, reunions or dinner parties, give them a call to discuss how best they can meet your particular needs.

Lunch and dinner is served every day and whilst the menus change daily to suit the market and the seasons the quality of the food never wavers from the high standard regulars have come to expect.

Lunch is a one, two or three course event, depending on your wishes, and has about it more than a hint of home cooking and the sort of dishes that are associated those who like their food uncomplicated, wholesome and filling. You don't have to be an Old Etonian to raise an appreciative eyebrow at strawberry Eton Mess, and a trio of Granny's favourites could yield portions of spotted dick, sticky toffee pudding and rhubarb syllabub. For those in a hurry substantial sandwiches as in char-grilled minute steak, caramelised onions and Tewkesbury mustard, or Somerset brie with sweet pickles and rocket leaves make welcome solutions.

Not everyone is rushed off their feet, and lunch with a friend before going on to the Oval for the match could start with a tomato, basil and golden cross goat's cheese tart,or the soup of the day. The smoked fish pie makes an excellent dish at any time, or perhaps the rump steak and fried onion sandwich with French fries appeals.

Eggs Florentine can be taken as a large or small course, but a Fentiman burger with streaky bacon, mature cheddar and French fries has only one dimension, along with the grilled King prawn salad, sweet tomato and chilli dressing. A simple smoked applewood Ploughman's seldom fails to hit the spot, and beer battered haddock with pea purée, tartare sauce and French fries does credit to our national dish. The menu says that "puddings, cheeses, digestifs, coffees, teas and more are always there to finish you off". I think they mean "your meal", though it's certainly possible to eat well enough to bring about something more arresting.

This is perhaps a good moment to introduce the wine list inspired and selected by John Clevely, Master of Wine and founder of the Geronimo Inns group, with some carefully chosen bottles from around the world that embrace New and Old Worlds with delicacy and skill.

Menus change, events happen at The Fentiman - stay ahead of the game by reference to their Website, only a click away.

The award winning Fire Stables on Church Road has a contemporary feel to it, while at the same time it's also warm and cosy with wonderful views of the garden from the dining room. The pub is a more convivial space with plenty of mismatched wooden furniture for that old world atmosphere and is great for a quick and tasty lunch, while the slightly more formal restaurant is just right for a relaxed and unhurried meal.

The modern British cuisine featured at this restaurant uses fresh and seasonal ingredients, with most of them being organic and sourced locally to ensure that the taste of their dishes is unrivalled. Begin with potted chicken liver and port pâté with crusty bread and move on to roasted haddock supreme on a new potato, broad bean, vine tomato and sorrel salad. Sweet endings could include the likes of mascarpone and pistachio cheesecake with lemon and poppy seed ice cream. The drinks list at Fire Stables includes a happy medley of wines, beers and ales.

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

Located in the heart of the Square Mile and only hundred yards from Bank tube station, Browns Old Jewry is one of the City's hidden treasures. Even though the restaurant has only been open since 1999, for many of its regular guests it seems impossible to think of a time when Browns in the City didn't exist.

Located just off Cheapside, Browns offers excellent wines, cocktails and delicious food all served by one of the friendliest and slickest front of house teams in London.

The large restaurant is located on two different floors with a mezzanine level catering perfectly for private parties and events. Browns Old Jewry has developed its fantastic reputation by making every guest feel welcomed and special, which is no mean feat when you see how busy it gets, particularly at lunchtime.

Browns is a classic English restaurant with a menu that evolves rather than changes. It offers a genuine value for money experience and can cater well for large parties with a more expansive budget. A plate of appetisers to share comes in either vegetarian, Italian meat or seafood form, or there are thin and crisp flatbreads topped with such delights as garlic, rocket and Parmesan. Starters cleverly re-invent some of the classic brasserie dishes; expect to find crab and avocado salad, ham hock terrine, and a fine selection of freshly made soups depending on the day.

Fish and salad dishes include Browns's smoked fishcakes witha tomato, red onion and mixed leaf salad with horseradish crème fraîche. A real value seafood platter will have smoked salmon, Browns crab mix, squid, kiln cured salmon, large shell-on tiger prawn and marinated king scallop assembled together served with brown bread and butter.

Browns's own steak, mushroom and Guinness pie is a real puller, with the rack of lamb not too far behind. Profiteroles with a warm Belgian chocolate sauce and sticky toffee pudding combine traditional with new classic, but the fact is that after years of experience in the field of what might be termed comfortable eating, Browns have it pretty well stitched up.

Evenings are a more relaxed affair as people enjoy a leisurely meal after work or before visiting one of the Barbican's theatres. The bar gets particularly busy early in the evening as office workers enjoy a beer, a glass of wine or a bottle of champagne from London's best value for money list.

Step into Browns for a relaxed weekday breakfast or brunch with newspapers, simple food and a well constructed Bloody Mary. And what a brunch it is! Fresh melon and pineapple with Greek style yogurt and blueberries, eggs Florentine, Royale or Benedict, the full English, champagne by the glass or smoothies, it's all there.

Private parties are especially well catered for with packages ranging from a full sit down dinner to a canapé and drinks event. Browns Old Jewry provides the perfect balance between the energy of London's West End and the refined sharp of the City.

For their full menu and details on private party bookings, do visit their Website.

Roast in the hugely popular Borough Market, with its intriguing twist on classic British food, is a great example of somebody seeing a unique opportunity, grabbing it with both hands, and then making it work. The last bit of course is almost invariably the toughest call. The man who has done this is no ordinary 'somebody'. Iqbal Wahhab made an early start by moving from Bangladesh at the age of 8 months.

In 2001 he launched the award winning Cinnamon Club, the Westminster restaurant where politicians, lobbyists and curries blend successfully together. Four years later came Roast, a wonderful opportunity to be at the hub of the rejuvenated Borough Market, one of the largest fruit markets in the world. Not for nothing was Iqbal voted into the Top 10 Restaurateurs in Britain by an Independent on Sunday survey.

Located in the elegant glass and stone portico on the first floor, the restaurant looks down into the Floral Hall of the market itself and out through tall arched glass windows over the surrounding townscape. As one leading newspaper recorded, 'restaurant locations don't come much better than this'. The atmosphere is one of excitement and buzz, sentiments wonderfully evoked by Prince Charles - whose Prince's Trust has a Table at Roast to support their work in the neighbourhood - when he and the Duchess of Cornwall dropped in on the Market in November 2005.

As with most markets, whose business is by its very nature an early starter, Roast starts the day with a full-on breakfast menu. Strewn with such evocative words as smoked streaky bacon, eggs Benedict, grilled Orkney kippers, toasted cottage loaf, Scott's porridge oats, smoked Loch Etive trout and Ramsay of Carluke black pudding, The Full Borough is highly recommended, or should you be returning from the hospital where your wife has just successfully given birth, The Roast Bubbly Breakfast. Any old occasion will do.

You will already have detected a note of Britishness about Roast. This celebration of our national culinary awareness moves easily to the main menu where spring pea soup, half a dozen Loch Fyne oysters or perhaps a Market salad precede roast Goosnargh chicken breast, or Isle of Wight asparagus and Berkswell cheese tart, in competition with slow roast Wicks Manor pork belly, or roast 8oz fillet of Welsh beef with spinach and fairy ring mushrooms.

A profusion of puddings - would chocolate banoffee pudding with Devonshire clotted cream tickle the buds? - is only surpassed by the seven or so cheeses always on offer, reading rather like a roll of honour to those afflicted by this persuasive, and yes, sometimes pervasive too, form of gourmet pleasure.

Markets are places where the human frame may benefit not only from wonderful uncomplicated top class food but also some decent wine to go with it. It is no exaggeration to say that the wine list at Roast would be the envy of many a top London hotel or restaurant. Lots come by the glass and the breadth of the list is truly astounding.

If you detect more than a little enthusiasm about Roast you are of course free to check out the reality. You will be in raptures when you do. Check on their Website for seasonal changes of menu.

The neo-classical interior is graced by domed skylights by Pietro Agostini and curving banquettes provide a particularly plush surface for the hind quarters of the well heeled. What better place than to regale ones self with a big boy's lunch whilst taking a short break on a hard day making money?

The full à la carte does not stay still for long but expect to find dishes along the lines of starters of carpaccio of tuna, oriental spices and toasted sesame seeds, radish, ginger and lime vinaigrette, or salad of Cornish crab and avocado with brown crab meat, herb mayonnaise, lemon oil and bloody Mary sorbet. However, the scallops 'mid cuit' with citrus and tarragon, virgin olive oil, liquorice and fennel will bring a quiet smile of delight to the connoisseur.

From the main fish courses the seared sea bass with fennel seeds, Provençal vegetables, basil mash and warm saffron and tomato vinaigrette is a rare treat, whilst amongst the meat and poultry the limousin veal fillet comes to table with sweetbreads and asparagus Chablis and sorrel velouté puff pastry.

From an impressive list of puddings keep a lookout for a chocolate, whisky and coffee praline lombardo. There's also a feuillantine of caramelised Granny Smith and Guinness ice cream topped off deliciously with glazed hazelnuts. A wine list that is impressive in its scope includes legendary names and years.

1 Lombard Street - The Brasserie and Restaurant are bookable online, please use the drop-down booking box to bring up Brasserie in it; be careful to use Restaurant if you want to book that.

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

At the very heart of the South Bank, next to Blackfriars Bridge, lies Oxo Tower Wharf. Built as a power station for the GPO, the Wharf, has housed many businesses over the years, but most notably was home to the Oxo cube in the 1930s. The landmark tower, which 'subtly' advertised the product in its art deco windows, was built to get round an advertising ban imposed by the LCC.

The Restaurant was designed by award winning architects Lifschutz Davidson, who are no strangers to the South Bank, with local housing and office projects to their credit. The design incorporates sleek, natural materials but remains influenced by the art deco style of the building and the presence of the river.

Echoing the design of a 1930's ocean liner, the Restaurant is an elegant space, beautiful in its simplicity. A feature is the ceiling, which is made up of double-sided louvres, white during the day, revolving to midnight blue at dusk. The windows are angled to prevent any night time reflections, enabling the diner to take full advantage of the spectacular views over the City and St Paul's Cathedral.

The restaurant seats 130 people with an additional 80 seats on the terrace for summer dining. Dinner might start with slow cooked pork belly, mango carrot puree and chorizo, or crab cocktail, celeriac and apple macedoine and rocket foam. Grilled Herdwick mutton leg steak, asparagus, land cress and truffle pecorino salad, or halibut, marinated Jersey oysters, bok choi and sweet sake are amongst nine main courses of substance and original approach, followed by say, raspberry and elderflower trifle with shortbread. All desserts have a recommended chosen partner from the wine list.

A handy place for lunch after a little retail extravagance, or even bracing for the strain beforehand, a three course lunch offers excellent choices with starters of chilled pea and mint soup, lamb bacon and crisp pea shoots, and grilled sardines, tomato, pousse and herb vinaigrette from a choice of eight dishes. Amongst the nine main courses expect to find rabbit and black pudding, pea and morel risotto, baby carrots and coriander, or fillet of beef, café de Paris butter, smoked garlic cream and dried tomato dust.

Dessert of honey and peach brûlée, shortbread and Earl Grey tea has beside it a gentle reminder that a particular Austrian dessert wine might mingle well with it, whilst the selection of sorbets carry the flag for Kir Royale.

Service is of a high order, and combined with the modern elegance of the surroundings against a backdrop of one of the world's greatest cities makes for an experience which is an absolute must when in London.

The Restaurant has a bar situated on the south side of Oxo Tower that has equally stunning views thanks to the glass wall that runs down the south elevation, which at night is exclusive to Restaurant diners. In this calm environment, pre-dinner drinks can be enjoyed, with cigars and cognacs to look forward to later. A remarkable wine list of over 400 wines provides a stunning selection, spanning classic French regions, Spain, Italy and the New World.

A quick click on the Harvey Nichols Website will keep you abreast of menu changes and other Harvey Nichols related events and offers.

Photographs - Copyright Chris Gascoigne.

Sofra, the small chain of inexpensive café restaurants, offers diners the opportunity to sample home style Turkish cooking, with an eclectic blend of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Oriental styles. Sofra has been successful in changing the view of many, who regard Turkish restaurants as nothing more than kebab shops.

Owner Huseyin Ozer who came to the UK from humble beginnings in Turkey, worked in kebab shops before opening his own restaurant. Several ministers and the then Turkish Ambassador would dine at this Mayfair restaurant, fortified with bullet-proof windows to receive these special guests. Ozer deserves credit for introducing Londoners to the delights of genuine Turkish cuisine.

The restaurant's mezze platter is known to give diners a small peek into many delicacies. Hot starters like humus kavurma, spiked with succulent, morsels of lamb and pine kernels, icli kofte, a great classic of the Middle East, deep-fried oval shells of pounded lamb, bulgur and flavourings filled with spiced mince and herbs or the börek platter, a selection of spinach, feta cheese and leek filo pastry parcels help set the stage. Cold starters include imam bayildi made of stewed aubergine, tomato and peppers and salmon sashimi.

For the mains, try the Sofra style lamb tagine, on the bone lamb, oven cooked with vegetable, almond and dry fruit, served with bulgur and lentil. If you're in the mood for seafood or fish, try the marinated Malaysian prawns served with silk route made with stir fried vegetables, rice and yoghurt. The chef's special salmon stew with onions and peppers, with Maris Piper potato puree is worthwhile too. The charcoal grill, dishes out delicious marinated chicken or lamb delights like the kulbasti or the house special of grilled mince on a bed of bread, fresh tomato sauce and yoghurt.

Red and white wines served by the glass include options from Turkey, among other wine making countries. The friendly waiters at Sofra help choose wines that go best with the food ordered. The cubes of milk pudding in rose syrup with berries and nuts are a combination of flavours and one must not leave Sofra without sampling this. Kazandibi, the caramel milk pudding with cinnamon powder and rose ice cream is another delightful choice. The knowledgeable and obliging staff make the experience at Sofra both special and memorable.

More information can be found on their Website.