England

International

This sumptuously decorated two-floor establishment, overseen by chef Tong Chee Hwee, sets the bar for Cantonese food in London and has maintained a Michelin star for several years. Terrific dim sum are always available, and the signature Peking duck with Prunier or Beluga caviar, baby cucumber and spring onion is not to be missed. Imaginative tasting menus includes the likes of stir-fried spicy venison, rib-eye with lily bulb in a black-bean sauce, jasmine tea-smoked chicken, and Alaskan king crab in a rich XO sauce with snap peas and shimeji mushrooms. The wok-fried Tristan lobster with black truffle sauce and asparagus, and the wok-seared bass in a ginger soy sauce are always popular mains as well. 

Traditional British

Slightly off the beaten track near the Smithfield meat market in East London, Trevor Gulliver and chef Fergus Henderson’s restaurant serves traditional English food that changes daily. You might start with the roasted marrowbones and parsley salad, a house classic; then a meat dish like sweetbreads with butter beans and wild garlic, or maybe one of the savory pies such as beef and kidney. Don’t miss the currant-filled Eccles cake, or the bread pudding with a butterscotch sauce. Closed Sunday dinner. 

Traditional British

Chef Mark Hix’s place in Soho is perfect for a pre- or post-theater meal. The brasserie-style design of the dining room features dark oak floors and leather banquettes, and an oak-paneled private dining space can accommodate up to 10 guests. The kitchen works exclusively with British-sourced produce, as seen in dishes such as De Beauvoir smoked salmon, followed by sirloin cap steak sourced from Glenarm Estate with stuffed bone marrow in a peppercorn sauce, or Isle of Mull scallops in the half shell with guanciale in a hedgerow garlic butter marinade. Subterranean Mark’s Bar, hidden below the restaurant, offers an extensive cocktail list and a small-plates menu. 

Contemporary

Bibendum occupies the century-old tile-clad Michelin House, the former London headquarters of the famous tire-making and restaurant-reviewing company. Although a restaurant opened in 1987, only recently did acclaimed French chef Claude Bosi take the helm. In no mood for a lengthy tasting menu, we chose from the à la carte menu of creative French-inflected dishes that use local ingredients (we received several additional small courses in any case). My appetizer of Cornish cock crab came with crab mousse and aromatic elderflower jelly. To follow, I tried an unusual and complex main course of Somerset goat kid ballotine stuffed with pork, foie gras and kidney and topped with Scottish razor clam carpaccio. The service was highly attentive. Closed Monday and Tuesday. 

International

The pioneer of upscale Indian cooking in London, this intimate place in Mayfair was the first restaurant in the city to win a Michelin star in 2001. Try delicious dishes such as broccoli cakes with potato and spring onions with gooseberry chutney; a salad of melon, peach, figs, apple and cucumber with a grapefruit-cumin dressing; and slow-cooked lamb shank with turmeric, yogurt and a mix of freshly ground spices. The vegetarian dishes, including a main of okra and baby potatoes tossed with ginger and red onion, are also quite tasty. 

Casual and Contemporary

This is chef Alexis Gauthier’s terrific restaurant in a handsomely renovated Georgian townhouse in Soho. His menus change with the season but run to dishes such as Scottish scallops roasted in paprika with sautéed girolle mushrooms and smoked cocoa beans; tri-colored gnocchi with truffle, green chard and cos lettuce in a black truffle jus; and roasted guinea fowl with green asparagus and creamed morel mushrooms in a port reduction. A wide selection of French and English cheeses are offered at the end of the meal. Closed Sunday and Monday. 

International

The best Indian food outside the subcontinent is generally reckoned to be in London. Once, the restaurants were mostly simple and the menus restricted. No longer. Elegant Michelin-starred Amaya draws a well-dressed crowd, and chefs working in the attractive open kitchen prepare wonderful dishes that might include wild tandoori prawns; raan mussalam — leg of baby lamb, slow roasted with royal cumin and garam masala; and duck tikka with tandoori plum chutney and toasted coconut. There is also a creative vegetarian menu offered that runs to dishes like beetroot chop and shakarkhand chaat — griddled Indian white sweet potato served with tamarind and traditional yogurt. All dishes are accompanied by homespun chutney sprinkles, often dry peanut powder, tomato dip and rose petal. Halkin Arcade, entrance via Lowndes Street, Belgravia, SW1. Tel. (44) 20-7823-1166. US$70.

Contemporary

“I haven’t been to a restaurant like this since the ’60s!” a portly English gentleman next to us exclaimed to his wife. Indeed, the brand-new Cora Pearl, named after a 19th-century courtesan, had an atmosphere at once full of energy and tinged with a whiff of scandal. We sat in the compact bar in the basement, which felt dead until about 8 p.m., when it began filling up with fashionable Londoners. I started with a mosaic-like terrine of sweet and tender leek and smoky eel, served with rich horseradish clotted cream. I also liked my flaky cod with deviled crab and grilled cauliflower. And I won’t soon forget the side of chips (french fries), which proved to be layers of paper-thin potato formed into crunchy, creamy-centered batons. Don’t miss them. Closed Sunday dinner. 

Traditional British

“Tavern” is hardly the word for this palatial dining room in The London EDITION hotel, with hundreds of gilt-framed artworks hung beneath an imposingly ornate plaster ceiling. It felt like an updated Simpson’s in the Strand. A mix of well-heeled travelers and Londoners populated the semicircular booths. I relished my appetizer of pork pie, reminiscent of pâté en croûte and served from a carving trolley with pickled vegetables and a selection of mustards. Even better was my Cornish cod with a ragu of fennel, fresh dill and mussels. With a crunchy golden crust and moist, flaky flesh, it was absolutely delectable. The energetic sommelier made fine recommendations, and our French waiter took time to write down some of his favorite Paris restaurants for us. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Traditional British

Located in fashionable Notting Hill, Core is the home of Clare Smyth, the first female chef to have run a Michelin three-star restaurant in the U.K. Exceptional contemporary British cuisine employing locally sourced ingredients is served in an elegant, informal dining room. Smyth’s multicourse menus change regularly and follow the seasons but run to dishes like skate with Morecambe Bay shrimps, Swiss chard and brown butter, and Scottish venison served with celeriac and black truffle. The Cornish brill accompanied by oysters, cucumber and caviar was also excellent. Closed Sunday and Monday.