RESTAURANTS IN MAYFAIR AND KNIGHTSBRIDGE AREA

ASIAN Novikov Asian

50a Berkeley Street, Mayfair, W1J 8HA The Asian-themed restaurant, which delivers tip-top renditions of well-tried, big-city dishes: think lobster tempura, fine dim sum, ‘great black cod’, chicken yakitori, spanking fresh sashimi & some surprisingly good puddings.

BRITISH Wolseley

160 Piccadilly, London W1J 9EB Tel: 020 7499 6996 Open: Breakfast Mon – Fri 7.00-11.30am Monday-Friday (8.00-11.30am Weekend) Lunch Mon – Fri Noon-3.00pm (Noon-3.30pm Weekend) Afternoon Tea Mon – Fri 3.00-6.30pm, Sat 3.30-5.30pm, Sun 3.30-6.30pm

Corrigans’s Mayfair

28 Upper Grosvenor Street, London W1K 7EH Open: Mon-Fri, Sun 12N-2.45pm (Sun -4pm) Mon-Sun 6-10.45pm Tel: 020 7499 9943 The Wolseley is a café-restaurant in the grand European tradition located in St James’ on London’s most famous of boulevards, Piccadilly. This outstanding venue is an all-day brasserie par excellence, delivering the goods from 7am until midnight. Pollen Street Social

8-10 Pollen Street, London W1S 1NQ Open: Mon-Sat 12N-2.45pm 6-10.45pm Tel: 020 7290 7600 As hot as a freshly blasted rib-eye & as cool as tarragon ice cream, Jason Atherton’s standalone gaff has shot to the top since its launch, & fully deserves the title BMW Square Meal Restaurant of the Year 2011. Conventional starters & mains now dominate the menu, with signature tasting plates taking a back seat.

CHINESE China Tang

The Dorchester, 53 Park Lane, London W1K 1QA Tel: 020 7629 9988 Open: Lunch: Mon – Fri 11:00 am – 3:30 pm Sat - Sun 11:00 am – 4:00 pm Dinner Mon – Sun 5:30 pm – 12:00 midnight Conceived by Sir David Tang, the founder of China Clubs in Hong Kong, Peking and Singapore, as well as the life-style brand, "Shanghai Tang", China Tang offers some of the best and most authentic Cantonese food outside China. Menus do not compromise on classical recipes and all dishes, including its signature Peking Duck are prepared with the freshest ingredients and traditional spices and flavouring. Kai of Mayfair

65 South Audley Street, London W1K 2QU Tel: 020 7493 8988 Open: Weekdays 12pm-2pm, 6:30pm-10:45pm; Sat 12:30pm-2:30pm, 6:30pm-10:45pm; Sun 12:30pm-2:30pm, 6:30pm-10:30pm Though Kai feels very much like an old-school top-end Chinese – muted colours, kind lighting, charming, deferential staff – its cooking has always kept pace with the times. Yes, you’ll find faultlessly prepared versions of the classic Cantonese repertoire, but also plenty of interest for those who want some creativity to justify the punishing Mayfair prices.

Hakkasan Mayfair

17 Bruton Street, London, W1J 6QB Tel: 020 7907 1888 Open: Weekdays 12pm-3pm, 6pm-12am; Sat 12pm-5pm, 6pm-12am; Sun 12pm-5pm, 6pm-11pm Outstanding Modern Chinese cuisine set in wonderful surroundings with their chic bar and resident DJ’s, this is a great place to dine & unwind. Princess Garden

8-10 North Audley Street, London W1K 6ZD Tel: 020 7493 3223 Open: Lunch Mon – Fri 12:00N - 4pm, Sat, Sun 12:00N – 4:30pm Dinner Mon – Sat 6pm – 12 midnight, Sun 6pm – 11pm Chinese dining à la Mayfair can intimidate with its grand showiness, but long-established Princess Garden offers an accessible yet stylish entry point. Chinese artefacts dot the marble & wood interior, though the spacious dining room’s most appealing daytime feature is the natural light flooding in through two walls of windows. Lunchtime dim sum is a bargain, given the quality.

FRENCH Sketch

9 Conduit Street, London W1S 2XG Tel: 020 7659 4500 Open: Tue – Sat 12 – 2pm, 7pm-11pm This venue offers two restaurants, two bars, a refined patisserie, is the new "hit" place in town. The food served in the Lecture Room is French offering unique signature dishes. The renowned French chef "Pierre Gagnaire" has shared his knowledge with the owner of "Momo". Le Gavroche

Mayfair 43 Upper Brook Street, London W1K 7QR Tel: 020 7499 1826 Open: Mon – Fri 12 – 2pm, 6:30 – 11pm, Sat 6:30 – 11pm Holder of two Michelin stars and, more importantly, winner of the Toptable Best Food award, Michel Roux Jr’s Le Gavroche is among London’s most well loved restaurants. An unimposing doorway in the heart of Mayfair leads in to a temple of gastronomy.

Hibiscus

29 Maddox Street, London W1S 2PA Tel: 020 7629 2999 Open: Mon-Sat 12:00 -2:30pm, 6:30 – 10:00pm Transplanted from Ludlow at the end of 2007, Hibiscus has bedded in to its Mayfair premises & established itself as one of the finest. Chef Claude Bosi’s cooking has an unmistakably Gallic flourish and a strong sense of seasonality L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon

13-15 West Street, London WC2H 9NE Tel: 020 7010 8600 Open: Mon – Sat 12:00 -3pm, 5:30 -11pm, Sun 12:00 – 10:30pm With restaurants on three continents, Joël Robuchon trails Michelin stars – & it’s easy to see why. To experience the best of the stellar chef’s show-stopping firepower, book a seat at the bar in the dimly lit ground-floor ‘atelier’ with its dark, minimalist red & black surrounds & soundtrack of cool beats. The open kitchen deploys top-drawer ingredients to telling effect in the tasting menu, a cavalcade of intense, finely calibrated treats.

Galvin at Windows

London Hilton, 22 Park Lane, W1K 1BE Tel. 020 7208 4021 Open: Mon – Sat 12:00 – 2:30pm, 6 – 10:30pm, Sun 11:45 am – 3pm. Located high up on the 28th floor of the London Hilton at 22 Park Lane, Galvin at Windows restaurant and bar has become one of the capital’s most talked-about destination dining venues since its opening in 2006. Head Chef Andre Garrett and Chef Patron Chris Galvin have created seasonally inspired menus based around modern French haute cuisine. Maze

Mayfair 10-13 Grosvenor Square, London Tel: 020 7107 0000 Open: daily 12:00 – 2:30pm, 6 -10:30pm Maze Gordon Ramsay restaurant in London’s Mayfair is a Michelin-starred jewel in chef Ramsay’s restaurant empire crown. Maze’s beautifully designed dining room by David Rockwell with a rosewood bar, citrusy colour scheme and views over Grosvenor Square Gardens, make the perfect mise-en-scène for the fine French/Asian cuisine that you’ll find here.

La Petite Maison

54 Brook Mews, Mayfair, W1K 4EG Tel: 020 7495 4774 Open: Mon – Sun 12N – 2:30pm, 6pm – 10:30pm Offshoot of a long-standing restaurant in Nice, La Petite Maison delivers its own determined brand of Nicoise cooking. Open: all week for lunch 12-3, dinner 6-11. Le Boudin Blanc

5 Trebeck Street Tel: 0207 499 3292 Open: Mon – Sun 12N – 3pm, 6pm – 11:00pm (Sun to 10:30pm) Head for the rustic, candlelit ground-floor dining room to get the best from this atmospheric bistro on the Shepherd Market. There’s a convivial outdoor terrace, & extended dining rooms upstairs, plus a big round table in a private room housing the wine cellar.

INDIAN

Veeraswamy

99-101 Regent Street, London W1B 4RS Tel: 020 7734 1401 Open: Mon – Sun 12N – 2:15pm, 6pm – 10:30 The plush first-floor restaurant, overlooking the retail hurly-burly (arrive in style by lift), shares owners with trendsetters Amaya & Chutney Mary – so it’s perhaps unsurprising the kitchen has moved with the times. Tamarind

20 Queen Street, London W1J 5PR Tel: 020 7629 3561 Open: Mon – Fri & Sun 12N -2:30pm, 5:30 -11pm, Sat 5:30pm – 11pm, Sun 12N -2:30pm, 6pm -10:30pm Tamarind's basement dining room is one of the London’s smartest, shimmering in shades of gold & with polished wooden floors. Readers praise the ‘flavour-packed’ food that ‘scales new heights.

Amaya

19 Motcombe Street Tel: 0207 823 1166 Open: Mon – Sat 12:30 – 2:15 pm, 6:30pm – 11:30pm, Sun 12:45 – 2:45pm, 6:30pm -10:30pm This award-winning restaurant is something new from the team behind super-successful Chutney Mary. Rosewood, vibrant red panels, jewel-painted tiles, Agra red sandstone, and smart Italian chairs make for a seriously stylish space peopled by a very well-groomed and well-dressed crowd

ITALIAN Theo Randall at InterContinental

InterContinental London Hotel, 1 Hamilton Place, London W1J 7QY Tel: 020 7318 8747 Open: Mon – Fri 12N -3pm, 5:45pm -11pm, Sat 5:45pm – 11pm, Sun 6pm -10pm Winning the ‘Best Italian’ gong at last year’s London Restaurant Awards Theo Randall restaurant in London’s Mayfair: great address, great chef, great discovery.

Murano

20 Queen Street, London W1J 5PP Tel: 020 7495 1127 Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 12N-3pm 6.30-11pm Angela Hartnett’s Murano may be all ‘muted pastels’ & muted voices, but the warm, generous, passionate nonna’s girl is there on the plate. Novikov Italian

50a Berkeley Street, Mayfair, W1J 8HA The Italian Room, which is headed up by chef Stefano Secca offers risotto with clams, fennel, lemon zest & parsley, as well as wood-roasted, 21-day-aged T-bone steak with globe artichoke & roast potato.

Scalini

1-3 Walton Street, London SW3 2JD 020 7225 2301 Open: Mon – Sun 12N – 3pm, 7pm – 11:30pm Fine dining Italian restaurant in Chelsea. Cecconi's

5a Burlington Gardens, London W1S 3EP Tel: 020 7434 1500 Open: Weekdays 7am-1am; Sat 8am-1am; Sun 8am-12:30am A bastion of London’s Italian scene since 1978, & now part of the Soho House empire, Cecconi’s is glamour personified – ‘it feels like a Scorcese set’, observes one visitor.

Zafferano

15 Lowndes Street, London SW1X 9EY 020 7235 5800 Open: Lunch 12.00pm - 2.30pm Mon – Fri, 12.30pm - 3.00pm Sat & Sun Dinner 7.00pm - 11.00pm Mon – Sat, 7.00pm - 10.30pm Sun The award-winning Michelin star restaurant Zafferano first opened in the heart of London’s exclusive Belgravia area in 1995. Since then, the awards and accolades have continued to pour in each year and the restaurant has achieved some of the best restaurant reviews written. Signor Sassi

14 Knightsbridge Green, London SW1X 7QL Tel: 020 7584 2277 Open: 12N – 10pm, Tue – Sun 12N – 11pm Signor Sassi is an iconic Italian restaurant on London’s Knightsbridge Green that is renowned for both its famous clientele and hearty cuisine. Located around the corner from Harrods, Harvey Nicks and glamorous Sloane Street, Signor Sassi restaurant is perfect for discreet dining.

Babbo

39 Albermarle St Tel: 020 3205 1099 Open: Mon-Sat 12pm-3pm, 7pm-11pm In the centre of Mayfair is an Italian restaurant which offers a homely taste of Italy in impressively elegant surroundings. Meaning ‘Daddy’ in Italian, Babbo’s concept is to provide a family friendly, traditional restaurant with a warm welcome and the most authentic home-cooked Italian food. Sale & Pepe

9-15 Pavilion Road, London SW1X 0HD Tel: 020 7235 0098 Open: Mon – Sat 12N – 3pm, 7pm – 11:30pm Sale e Pepe continues to attract loyal clientele from all over the world. Generations have come to rely on this traditional trattoria just two minutes’ walk from Harvey Nichols. They love the consistently good cooking, the lively, light-hearted atmosphere, and the familiar faces of the friendly staff.

Alloro

19-20 Dover Street, London W1S 4LU Tel: 020 7495 4768 Open: Mon – Fri 12N – 2:30pm, 7pm – 10:30pm, Sat 7pm – 10:30pm Alloro restaurant is a popular yet intimate and understated Italian restaurant on Dover Street, in the heart of London’s Mayfair. It is always buzzing with a sophisticated international crowd. Meaning ‘bay leaf’ in Italian, Alloro serves up a menu of delicious and simple traditional Italian cuisine with a modern twist.

JAPANESE Nobu Berkeley St

Mayfair 15 Berkeley Street, London W1J 8DY Tel: 020 7290 9222 Open: Mon-Wed 12pm-11:45pm; Thu-Fri 12pm-12:45am; Sat 6pm-12:45am; Sun 6pm-9:45pm This younger sibling of the Park Lane Nobu exerts a powerful pull on celebs & business hotshots, sucking A-listers into its orbit with its low-lit, chic & understated décor.

Nobu London

Metropolitan Hotel, 19 Old Park Lane, London W1K 1LB Tel: 020 7447 4747 Open: Lunch Mon – Fri 12:00N – 2:15 pm, Sat –Sun 12:30 – 2:30pm Dinner Mon – Sat 6:00pm – 11:00pm, Sun 6:00pm – 9:30pm Somewhat more sedate since its sibling in Berkeley Street became the paparazzi’s darling, London’s first taste of the Nobu phenomenon is ‘still a favourite’. Sumosan

26b Albemarle Street, W1S 4HY Tel: 020 7495 5999 Open: Weekdays 12pm-11pm; Sat 6pm-11pm; Sun 6pm-10:30pm This is a chic Japanese restaurant with cream & beige tones serving great food, among recent successes were a raw tuna salad of exquisitely fresh fish accompanied by sweetly-dressed salad leaves, firm but flaky cod lovingly bathed in a sweet miso marinade, this is a great place.

Zuma

5 Raphael Street, SW7 1DL Tel: 020 7584 1010 Open: Mon-Sat 9am-6pm This See & be seen Restaurant is both visually stunning for its food and surroundings. Its use of stylish natural materials lends a contemporary, Zen-like tone to proceedings.

LEBANESE/MIDDLE EASTERN Al Hamra

31-33 Shepherd Market Tel: 0207 493 1954 Open: noon-11.30pm daily Wonderful and consistently well-executed Middle Eastern cuisine in a tucked away location. Small, so book ahead. Open: all week.

SEAFOOD Scott’s

20 Mount Street, London W1K 2HE Tel: 020 7495 7309 Open: Mon – Sat 12N – 10:30 pm Sun 12N – 10:00pm Legendary fish restaurant in Mayfair which dates back to 1851 and recently relaunched by Caprice Holdings (The Ivy, J Sheekey). Burger and Lobster Restaurant & Bar

Open: Monday to Saturday, from 12 to 10.30pm, Sunday, from 12 to 5.30pm Tel: 0207 409 1699 The site of this new Goodman venture used to be an old pub. A pub-style chalkboard at the entrance explains the menu: 'Burger or lobster or lobster roll, all with chips & salad £20'. These are served on large silver platters.

Bibendum Oyster Bar

Michelin House, 81 Fulham Road, London SW3 6RD Tel: 020 7589 1480 Open: 12N – 22:00 Bibendum’s Oyster Bar is situated beside the entrance to the Conran Shop, a temple to opulent lifestyles. The chic, cosmopolitan types who like to lounge in leather-upholstered Barcelona chairs & work in a pool of light cast by Ingo Maurer’s desk lamps also relish the opportunity to slurp half a dozen oysters (both rocks & natives), deconstruct a platter of langoustines & mayonnaise, or feed on delicately spiced potted shrimps in an environment that combines sleek minimalism with art deco.

MODERN EUROPEAN

The Square

6-10 Bruton Street, London W1J 6PU Tel: 020 7495 7100 Open: 12pm-2:30pm, 6:30pm-10pm; Sat 6:30pm-10:30pm; Sun 6:30pm-9:30pm The Square is a rock among the shifting sands of the London restaurant scene, always utterly reliable for the supreme quality of its ingredients & chef Philip Howard’s inspired but disciplined cooking.

Bibendum

Michelin House, 81 Fulham Road, London SW3 6RD Tel: 020 7581 5817 Open: Mon-Fri 12N-2.30pm Sat-Sun 12.30-3pm Mon-Sun 7-11pm (Sun -10.30pm) Bibendum has lost none of its timeless glamour or grand old-world elegance. The lofty, light-filled first-floor dining room – with its accommodating bucket chairs & stained-glass windows depicting the Michelin Man in all his roly-poly glory – positively purrs with civilised decorum, a mood enhanced by thoroughly professional, ever-polite staff & Chelsea folk of a similar disposition. Lunch menus are reckoned to be ‘fantastic value’, & they draw a lively crowd of business wheeler-dealers & fashionable shoppers. In the evening, it’s time for romantic tête-à-têtes & family gatherings. Arbutus

63-64 Frith Street, London W1D 3JW 020 7734 4545 Open: Mon-Sun 12N-2.30pm (Sat-Sun -3pm) Mon-Fri 5-11pm (Fri -11.30pm) Sat-Sun 5.30-10.30pm Chef Anthony Demetre & front-of-house Will Smith’s outstanding venue continues to set the gold standard for classy cooking at remarkable prices.

Le Caprice

Arlington House, 25 Arlington Street, London SW1A 1RJ Tel: 020 7629 2239 Open: Mon-Sat 12N-3pm (Fri-Sat -4pm) 5.30pm-12M Sun 12N-11pm Classy without being stuck up’, the restaurant that gave its name to Caprice Holdings may not be the same sort of paparazzi favourite as its stable mate Scott’s, but a table remains hard to come by.

PUBS & GASTRO PUBS Thomas Cubitt

44 Elizabeth Street, London SW1W 9PA Tel: 020 7730 6060 Open: Mon-Sun 12N-11pm (Sun -10.30pm) Affluent locals flock to eat & drink in the gloriously restored Georgian residence, which boasts a country house-style interior with a striking central solid-oak bar.

Grenadier 18 Wilton Row, London SW1X 7NR 020 7235 3074 Open: Mon-Sun 12N-11pm (Sun -10.30pm The pub is now haunted by one of its namesakes, a soldier who was beaten to death by his comrades-in-arms when he was caught cheating at cards. Pantechnicon Public House

10 Motcomb Street, London SW1X 8LA 020 7730 6074 Open: Mon-Sat 12N-11pm Sat-Sun 9am-10.30pm (Sat -11pm) A decent bar/restaurant in Knightsbridge, a mix of cool formality & easy-going elegance. PunchBowl 41 Farm Street, London W1J 5RP Tel: 020 7493 6841 Open: Mon – Sat 11am – 11pm, Sun 12N-6pm The Punch Bowl (owned by Guy Ritchie) ranks as the second oldest pub in Mayfair after The Guinea. Original panelling & fine etched glass have been joined by a portrait of Winston Churchill above the open fire.

Audley Pub

41-43 Mount Street, London W1K 2RX 020 7499 1843 Open: Mon-Sat 11am-11pm Sun 12N-10.30pm

THAI

Crazy Bear

26-28 Whitfield Street, London W1T 2RG Tel: 020 7631 0088 Open: Mon-Sun 12N-12M (Sun -11pm) Colonial styling & design quirks make the interior resemble an adult theme park, attracting a boisterous crowd keen to get in on the fun. Prices are steep, but the quality of cooking is high, with a please-all menu of swish Thai dishes & the odd sprinkling of pan-Asian spice.

Mango Tree

46 Grosvenor Place, London SW1X 7EQ 020 7823 1888 Open: Mon-Sat 12N-3pm 6-11pm (Thurs-Sat -11.30pm) Sun The dining room is a cavernous beauty, with a suave contemporary feel, a crackling atmosphere & smart, attentive waiters. Cocktails are served in the bar area. Patara Beauchamp Place

Open: Mon-Sat 12N-2.30pm Mon-Sun 6-10.30pm One of four London branches in an international chain, the Soho site comprises two floors of flickering tea lights, dark teak carvings & enchantment.