Union Cafe & Restaurant

Union Café is situated in Marylebone Lane, very close to the fashionable shops on Marylebone High Street and within walking distance of Bond Street tube station. It is a modern, lively and bright Californian-style restaurant with large windows and an open-plan kitchen so you can watch the chefs at work. The stripped wooden floor, tables and chairs give a smart but casual feel.

The food is delicious - contemporary British food with a Mediterranean slant, including seared tuna carpaccio, crab cakes and roast rack of lamb. It is extremely buzzy at lunchtime and more laid-back in the evening; it is also fully air-conditioned.

As you might expect of owner John Brinkley, there is an interesting wine list with plenty of old and new world choices at incredibly reasonable prices. They are all sold at retail shop prices, not the usual restaurant ones; they start at £12 per bottle for Mâcon Blanc Villages and Cotes du Rhone.