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Modern European Restaurants in London

Alastair Little

49 Frith Street, London, W1D 4SG, Tel: 020 7734 5183, Open: noon-3pm Mon-Fri and 6pm-11.30pm Mon-Sat, Credit cards: MC, V, AE, Tube: Tottenham Court Road, Show Map
Situated in trendy Soho, this neighbourhood style restaurant combines a British/Italian fusion menu, with fresh seasonal ingredients. Simplicity is very much the key, with a nicely balanced (if perhaps a little short) menu that features inventive, well-cooked dishes. Game such as pigeon and pheasant often feature, while puddings are suitably decadent. Well-worth a visit.

Bibendum

Michelin House, 81 Fulham Road, Chelsea, SW3 6RD, Tel: 020 7581 5817, Open: Mon-Fri 12.30am-2.30pm, Sat-Sun 12.30pm- 3pm, Mon-Sun 7pm- 11.30pm, All major credit cards, Tube: South Kensington, Show Map
With a pricey, but often inspired menu, mains such as carpaccio of wild salmon with green peppercorn and dressing, together with grilled calves liver with creamed onions and rosemary show just why Bibendum is still one of, if not the best, restaurant in Kensington/Chelsea. For pud, try nougatine glacé with Grand Marnier sauce and kumquats or perhaps iced passion fruit and marshmallow parfait. Very good indeed.

Bluebird

350 King's Road, SW3 5UU, Tel: 020 7559 1000, Website: www.conran-restaurants.co.uk, Open: noon-3pm and 6pm-11pm Mon-Fri, 11am-3.30pm and 6pm-11pm Sat, 11am-3.30pm and 6pm-10pm Sun, All major credit cards, Tube: Sloane Square, Show Map
"More" than just a restaurant, Conran's advertising blurb also describes Bluebird as being one of the world's "grand épiceries" which, in layman's terms, means the complex also contains a café, food and flowermarkets and a houseware shop. And, though it's an overly extravagant claim, the restaurant, which is housed in a former 1920s garage, is indeed a bold, glamourous design statement. Complete with steel girders, skylights and an attractive bar, it matches the style of Bluebird's cuisine - namely modern European.

With a seasonally changing à la carte menu, the restaurant focuses upon inventive versions of traditional filled pastas, risottos, grills and fish/meat dishes. Puddings can also be inventive, with exotic fruits accompanying light ice creams, mousses, tartlets and pastries. Bluebird's wine list is generally expensive, although wines can be bought by the glass. Service is also good, if a little hurried during the evening on weekends.

Cantaloupe

35-42 Charlotte Road, EC2A 3PB, Tel: 020 7613 4411, Website: www.cantaloupe.co.uk, Open: 11am-midnight Mon-Fri, 2pm-midnight Sat, noon-11.30pm Sun, Credit cards: AE, MC, V, Tube: Old Street/Shoreditch, Show Map
Self-assured bar-cum-restaurant which has built a solid reputation for good tapas/Mediterranean style food. While not exactly located in the most picturesque part of town, Shoreditch is seen as an "upcoming area", meaning it's still pretty much a tip, but with trendy clubs, bars and restaurants setting up shop there. In fact, with the City so close, pretty young things and hard-nosed professionals have made places like Cantaloupe and the Great Eastern Dining Rooms favoured haunts.

On Friday and Saturday nights the place is heaving (you may even have to queue to get in), with DJs pumping out all the latest grooves. Work your way through the throng however, and you'll find an agreeable mix of Spanish dishes with fish, steaks, traditional sausages and chargrilled meats featuring heavily. An added bonus is the wine list, which is not only well-ordered by surprisingly good value.

Hush Brasserie

8 Lancashire Court, Brook Street, West End, W1S 1EY, Open: Mon-Sat 11am-11pm, Closed Sunday and Bank Holidays, Tube: Bond Street, Show Map
Along with Nathan Jackson's upstairs dining room Hush Up, Hush also incorporates a slightly more affordable brasserie - Hush Ground - together with three private rooms (Strictly Hush). As a partnership between Geoffrey Moore (Roger Moore's son) and Jamie Barber, Hush has earnt a deserved reputation for not only being a fine eatery, but also one of the hottest tickets in town. A well-balance modern European menu offers some sublime flavour combinations (including mains such as goats cheese and sun dried tomato ravioli with basil cream) while near perfect desserts and a carefully chosen wine list make Hush an extremely good find.

Mash

19-21 Great Portland Street, W1W 8QA, Tel: 020 7637 5555, Open: Mon-Sat noon-3pm and 6pm-11.30pm, All major credit cards, Tube: Oxford Circus/Bond Street, Show Map
As an extremely popular modern restaurant with a vibrant atmosphere, Mash provides consistently high quality, well prepared food at reasonable prices. With dishes on the menu to satisfy even the most discerning palette, the small on-site brewery next to the bar only adds to its appeal. Its location, a short walk away from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street, makes Mash a great choice for lunch or dinner.

The People's Palace

Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX, Tel: 020 7928 9999, Website: www.capital-london.net, Open: noon-3pm and 5.30pm-11pm daily, Credit cards: MC, V, AE, Tube: Waterloo, Show Map, Note: Currently closed for 2 years (from July 2005) as part of the Royal Festival Hall's refurbishment
A popular venue within the Royal Festival Hall, the People's Palace offers well prepared, inexpensive food with superb views across the Thames. Along with à la carte dishes, the restaurant offers good value set and pre-concert menus, averaging at £20 per head. Becomes very busy immediately before and after performances.

Quo Vadis

26-29 Dean Street, London, W1V 6LL, Tel: 020 7437 9585, Website: www.whitestarline.org.uk, Open: noon-2.30pm and 5.30pm-11.30pm Mon-Fri, 5.30pm-11.30pm Sat, Credit cards MC, V, AMEX, Tube: Tottenham Court Road, Show Map
Situated at the very heart of Soho, Quo Vadis has been a gastronomic institution for decades. Now owned by Marco Pierre White, it retains an air of exclusivity, whilst offering relaxed dining and (relatively) affordable modern European cuisine.

Before a meal, diners can first enjoy a drink in the well-stocked upstairs bar. However, cometh the hour, cometh the feast, with starters of scallops and langoustine risotto followed by a main course of calves liver - both cooked to perfection. In addition, duck and rabbit dishes are both well-executed, as are the restaurant's fine selection of fish dishes.

Be sure to leave room for dessert though, as both the tart tatin and raspberry soufflé are divine. And, with a wine list to compliment any meal here, Quo Vadis undoubtedly makes for a memorable evening out in central London.

Rocket

4-5 Lancashire Court, W1Y 9AD, Tel: 020 7629 2889, Open: noon-3pm and 6-11pm Mon-Fri (Thu-Fri midnight) Sat 6pm-midnight, All major credit cards except DC, Tube: Bond Street, Show Map
Classy Mayfair restaurant which, as well as having a trendy ground-floor bar, serves up inventive, well-prepared modern cuisine, pizza and salads. Convivial atmosphere/central location are a boon while surprisingly, for this part of town, prices are extremely reasonable too.

Teatro - The Romilly Room (Formerly SO.UK SO.HO)

93-107 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1V 8BT, Tel: 0207 494 3040, Open: noon-3pm and 6pm-11.45pm Mon-Fri, 6pm-11.45pm Sat, Credit cards MC, V, AMEX, Tube: Piccadilly Circus/Tottenham Court Road, Show Map
Ex-footballer Lee Chapman and his actress wife Leslie Ash have reworked this Shaftesbury Avenue based restaurant to provide a canteen style, 'Global Fusion' club menu. Informal banquette seating and a swish bar area combine to provide a decent eatery and late night bar (with DJ after 10.30pm).

French Restaurants in London

Aubergine

11 Park Walk, SW10 0AJ, Tel: 020 7352 3449, Open: noon-2.15pm and 6.45pm-10.30pm Mon-Fri, 6.45pm-10.30pm Sat, Tube: South Kensington, Show Map
With Gordon Ramsey having moved on to pastures new, few thought it would be possible for a new head chef to instantly match his mercurial, if occasionally tempestuous talents. However, under the watchful eye of William Drabble, Aubergine has further enhanced its reputation as a top London dining room.

Of course, cooking of this calibre doesn't come cheap, with even a three course set menu costing £48. That said, if you're after a truly unforgettable dining experience, then Aubergine is certainly hard to beat. Well-executed, and perfectly presented dishes of boudin of pigeon foie gras with black truffle, ravioli of lobster with courgettes, and seared queen scallops with celeriac and truffle are all equally memorable. For pudding, waist expanding desserts such as pear tatin and roasted figs in red wine with fromage blanc mousse also rate highly.

Unsurprisingly, the wine list at Aubergine is equally impressive, with a good selection of vintage red and whites. However, if you've already sunk most of your budget into the food, many of the wines on offer will simply prove too expensive.

Café des Amis

11-14 Hanover Place, WC2E 9JP, Tel: 020 7379 3444, Open: noon-11.30pm Mon-Sat, All major credit cards, Tube: Covent Garden, Show Map
Although mixed reviews have greeted the rejuvenated version of Café des Amis, it nonetheless makes for a good lunchtime choice with well-priced set menus and a comfortable basement bar. Offering a modern spin on traditional French fare, culinary influences extend far and wide, with Spanish, Thai and Malaysian themed dishes. Along with scallions and crab boudin with grilled polenta, other mains of chargrilled salmon with tiger prawns and saddle of venison with apple and celeriac tarte tatin stand up well to scrutiny. Service is certainly not as brusque as many would have you believe, while the restaurant is also ideally placed for a pre- or post-theatre meal. A worthy Covent Garden addition.

German Restaurants in London

None listed at present.

Greek Restaurants in London

The Real Greek

15 Hoxton Market, N1 6HG, Tel: 020 7739 8212, Website: www.therealgreek.co.uk, Open: noon-3pm and 5.30pm-10.30pm Mon-Sat, Credit cards: AE, MC, V, Tube: Shoreditch/Old Street, Show Map
On a mission to raise the profile of 'genuine' Greek cuisine, Theodore Kyriakou’s Shoreditch based eatery makes for a pleasant (if slightly pricey) foray into the world of mezedes, lamb, feta cheese and baklava.

Of course, such aspirational, authentic cooking means that The Real Greek is far removed from your average taverna. The décor is light and airy, while the open kitchen ensures that aromas from the many broths, pot-roasts and fish dishes on offer whet your appetite.

Starters are chosen from a section of mezedes or 'small dishes' which are taken as appetisers before you main meal. As well as coarse Greek salami, dolmades (stuffed vine leaves) and taramosalata, you can try more adventurous dishes such as tirokafteri (spiced puree of feta cheese, parsley and olive oil) or domatokeftedes (mixed herb cutlet with tomato and spring onion).

Main courses are equally appealing with roast loin of pork stuffed with spicy peaches served with tsigareli (peas and feta cheese) and pan fried veal served with broad beans and hilopites (Greek pasta) being among the highlights. Puddings, which are truly mouthwatering delights, include cannoli stuffed with anthotyro, pistachios and chocolate chips together with mandi (filo parcels stuffed with soft dark chocolate) and served with praline/amaretto creme anglaise.

An extensive, Greek dominated wine list is nicely structured to accompany fish and meat dishes, while service is friendly and efficient.

Hungarian Restaurants in London

The Gay Hussar

2 Greek Street, W1D 4DE, Tel: 020 7437 0973, Website: www.trpplc.com, Open: 12.15pm-2.30pm and 5.30pm-10.45pm Mon-Sat, Tube: Tottenham Court Road, Show Map
As a favoured Soho diner for old school Labour Party politicians, writers and artists, The Gay Hussar is (to our knowledge) one of only two Hungarian restaurants in London. So, as a standard bearer for Magyar cuisine in England how does it fare? Well, for starters, the décor pays little lip service to fad or fashion, with an elegant, restrained dining room that's clubby, yet Bohemian at the same time. However, it does provide the perfect setting for some of the heartiest fare in town, with rich meat dishes and down-to-earth, no-nonsense cooking.

Along with staples of goulash, Hortobágy pancakes (meat-filled, with creamy paprika sauce on top) and cold-cherry soup for starters, mains of goose breast, pörkölt with galuska (pork with Hungarian gnocchi) and roast duck all have robust, intense flavours. Puddings are also waist enhancing affairs with palacsinta (pancakes), torte (gateaux) and rétes (light fruit-filled pastries). Washed down with a bottle of Bull's Blood or Tokaji dessert wine, it makes for a good (if slightly pricey) lunch time or evening meal.