The best restaurants in Mayfair

Opening just a few doors down from The Dover, this is its sibling restaurant, again helmed by Martin Kuczmarski. More affordable and a little more casual, it's like an American diner through a Mayfair lens. Expect great burgers, sandwiches, steaks and top cocktails and although there's more to the restaurant than the actual counter itself, it's clearly the place you want to sit at. All that and it opens late too.

Previously head chef at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Matt Abé has taken over the space that once was home to Le Gavroche. Thoroughly updating it for the 21st Century, he's offering a refined series of tasting menus here, with a great attention to detail in all the dishes on offer.

The Marlborough is both a great pub an a great pizzeria. Upstairs is the pub, launched with a little help from The Devonshire, so you'll get a great Guinness. Downstairs is where you'll find Crisp, one of London's very best pizzerias, who specialise in the crisp base that they get their name from. A pizza and a pint here will be one of the best meals in the area, but be warned as it can get very busy.

Set in the very building where Queen Elizabeth II was born, this seafood restaurant and oyster bar from Ross Shonhan (Bone Daddies, ex-Nobu & Zuma) has a dramatic look, with floral patterns throughout and, alongside the main restaurant, you'll find a heated terrace and cocktail bar. The menu strongly features British produce with luxe dishes including lobster spaghetti, a Fish Triptych (crudo, grilled & soup) or anchovy éclair. Cocktails, meanwhile, lean into martinis paired with light bites.

This New York Italian restaurant is one of NYC's most famous restaurants and is still hard to get a table at. The London version follows the same template as the original - classic New York Italian dishes with added flair, a gorgeous-looking lower-ground dining room and a big attention to service. Your meal will be shepherded by your "captain" and if you're looking for a night out where you're properly looked after, while eating dishes like spicy vodka rigatoni, this is the place for you. Plus, there's a very good chance of spotting a celeb here.

The Dover is a Mayfair restaurant by Martin Kuczmarski, former right-hand man to Soho House's Nick Jones, aiming for understated glamour with NYC Italian-inspired cuisine. With an ambience best described as "casual but not too casual", there's a real feel of old-school Mayfair hospitality here. The menu is also welcomingly old-school with dishes including an excellent Chicken Cordon Bleu. On top of that, there's an impressive bar specializing in martinis that' it's worth visiting for alone.

Fonda is the second restaurant from Santiago Lastra who had such a big hit with his first restaurant Kol that it got onto the World's 50 best list. This is a slightly more casual and affordable Mexican restaurant when compared to Kol, with the menu focused around the type of home cooking the chef loves. Expect some great tacos as well as top cocktails, Palomas particularly.

Apricity is the latest restaurant from Chantelle Nicholson (previously behind Tredwells). Here, they have a menu that's veg-forward (but not exclusively) and have a strong eye on seasonality and low-waste. Expect some exceptionally crafted dishes here.

This is the third restaurant from the Noble Rot team (again teaming up with The Sportsman's Stephen Harris). A bigger space than their Soho restaurant, this boasts two bars which are very handy for popping for snacks and a glass or two of wine. The restaurant sees them bring a menu of "indulgence" and this also boasts one of their most extensive wine lists.

A London institution, having been around since 1916, this Piccadilly spot has thrived under Richard Corrigan's ownership. Whether you're perched up at the counter having oysters from some of the best shuckers in the world or upstairs in the more formal dining room, you'll get amazing seafood here.

Bibi comes from chef Chet Sharma, previously at big name restaurants Moor Hall and L'Enclume and then Group Development Chef at JKS (Gymkhana). This time, he's in charge of his own kitchen at this Mayfair Indian restaurant. It takes its influences from across India "from roadside cafés from Punjab in the north, to Kerala in the south."

Benares on Berkeley Square features an upscale menu featuring modern Indian cuisine with a British twist. There's also a large bar here and plenty of private dining space for Mayfair business meals.

Dovetale is the main restaurant at 1 Hotel Mayfair and comes from top chef Tom Sellers (the man behind Restaurant Story). In a very upscale hotel environment (blessed with a beautiful hidden terrace), the food here features plenty of special creations from Sellers and has a secret weapon in the form of its Knickerbocker Glory trolley.

Run by the double act of chef Nieves Barragán and GM Josè Etura, Sabor is the kind of restaurant everyone wants to try, and once they've been are immediately plotting a return visit. It's a restaurant of two halves with the Asador on the upper level and counter dining by the open kitchen on the ground floor. Obviously, you're going to want the croquetas, but everything else will be great as well.

Pinna comes from the same restaurant group as Wild Tavern, and it's that restaurant's chef, Achille Pinna, who's in charge of this Mayfair Sardininian restaurant. He's in charge of an Italian menu that takes its cues from his own heritage, which they have described as "Sardinia on a plate".

This restaurant is headed up by chef Larry Jayasekara, previously head chef at Petrus. It's set in an absolutely beautiful space, adorned with artwork throughout. It's a fine dining affair with much of the produce coming from the Rowler Estate in Northamptonshire. Expect intense attention to detail in the cooking and make sure to try one of their pies if they're on the menu. Also note, the same team is behind The Rex Delicatessen across the road, which is well worth a look.

This sees top French chef Yannick Alleno (who has many Michelin stars to his name) in charge of the main restaurant and bar at The Four Seasons on Park Lane. This iteration of the restaurant has a huge counter dining space where you can see the chefs putting the finishing touches to Alleno's haute cuisine up close. The bar space also features a separate menu of sushi and more snacks.

Josh Angus is the head chef at this Mayfair restaurant which is a three-storey affair. The main restaurant used to be divided in two - but now serves the same menu throughout, including classics like the must-have warm acorn cake. The cocktail bar, in the basement, is well worth a visit, while the restaurant is also known for being a popular power breakfast spot.

The main restaurant inside the Flemings Mayfair hotel, Ormer is now run by Executive Chef Sofian Msetfi (previously at Adare Manor and The Hand and Flowers). It uses seasonal produce from the UK and also has its own kitchen garden in Essex. That's all used in a solely tasting menu experience (and they have vegetarian and vegan options too).

This tiny restaurant - just nine people up at the dining counter and six in a private dining room - became a hit in London. The main chef returned to Tokyo, leaving his sushi apprentice turned head chef Marty Lau in charge. It's received recent notoriety for being one of Ed Sheeran's favourite restaurants in London.

One of London’s most opulent dining rooms, the food here by the well-respected executive chef John Williams MBE more than matches its surroundings. Here is a restaurant where you can expect a lot of synchronised dome lifting and exquisite service. For sheer theatricality, order the crepes Suzette, which are finished off in front of you.

Tendril had been running as a supper club and pop-up before finding its permanent home in Mayfair. Run by Rishim Sachdeva (previously at Chiltern Firehouse) , the restaurant's driving aim is to serve "mostly vegan" food (which means one or two dishes may feature cheese) with dishes based on Rishim's experience gained in both British and Indian kitchens.

This Mayfair restaurant comes from the people behind art gallery group Hauser & Wirth and is part of a building that also includes their own pub below. This upstairs restaurant is very much an upmarket affair, featuring a menu of classic British dishes (with a modern take) in a room covered in artwork that includes a stunning mosaic floor.

The Twenty Two is headed up by MD Darius Namdar who was one of the people behind the launch of Chiltern Firehouse and it certainly seems like he's brought some of that glamour to Mayfair. The buzzy restaurant also has top food credentials too, with ex Picture chefs Alan Christie and Colin Kelly in charge of the food.

Alain Ducasse is one of France's most celebrated chefs and he's done pretty well over here too. This restaurant at The Dorchester hotel, serving up fine French food, is features Chef Patron Jean-Philippe Blondet, as the man interpreting Ducasse for the London scene. There's a distinct effort for dishes here to be lighter than the normal rich Michelin fare.

One of the main restaurants at prestigious London hotel The Connaught, this is run by French chef Hélène Darroze. Expect high-end French dining that has won the restaurant three Michelin stars. It's an incredibly personalised experience with the customer picking their favourite ingredients and the menu being created from there. Make sure to finish with the signature baba.

This seafood restaurant in Mayfair is also one of its most famous, and the flagship restaurant for Richard Caring's Caprice group. And if you can grab one of the tables outside (weather permitting), it's one of THE places to be seen in town.

Part of an international group of restaurants, eating here - particularly if you've scored an outside table - should be like eating somewhere very luxe on the Cote d’Azur. The food is light French Mediterranean and Niçoise cuisine.

The original Goodman and perhaps our favourite. When this superlative steak restaurant opened, it was hard to find a decent steak in London. That's all changed now - but Goodman remains a top place to either treat yourself or splash the company credit card at.

This is the restaurant that catapulted Tomos Parry (now heading up Brat) to fame, while signalling the reinvigoration of the restaurant scene on Shepherd Market. It's a teeny, but romantic space.

Pierre Gagnaire's uber chic Mayfair restaurant is certainly for special occasions - it's one of the most expensive meals in town. There are multiple dining rooms within the building, all with very different looks and menus but it's the Lecture Room & Library alone which holds three stars. There are also incredibly instagrammable loos.

One of the biggest Hawksmoors of the standout steak group, this one has great views over Regent Street and also places a special focus on seafood dishes created by fish maestro Mitch Tonks. It's a big old room too.

The Sethi family's concept of taking a colonial gymkhana club theme and serving modern Indian food combined with British ingredients, with a focus on the tandoor oven and sigri charcoal grill was an instant hit. It's always packed with A-listers and foodies alike.

The kind of restaurant you're as likely to find yourself sitting next to royalty (it was a favourite of The Queen) as you are a Cork Street art dealer. Run by the ebullient Gavin Rankin and tucked away in a mews off Berkeley Square, it looks like it's been here forever rather than being there just a couple of decades. Make sure to have one of their great matinis in the bar while you're there.

A top Japanese izakaya in Mayfair - if you're looking for excellent sushi without the Mayfair prices, this is the place you come. Chef Takamasa Mogi was previously at Nobu and goes big on omakase where you let him choose what to feed you.

This is from Samyukta Nair, the restaurateur who brought us Jamavar and Bombay Bustle. With this Mayfair restaurant, she wants to take Londoners on a journey to 1920s Shanghai. Expect a glitzy high-end Chinese menu in this three-floored building which also has an excellent (but small) bar in the basement.

Cyril Lignac is A Big Deal in France where he has several restaurants and puts in regular appearances on French TV. This is the London outpost of his Bar des Pres concept which sees sushi made with Label Rouge salmon and his signature crunchy crab with avocado galette. The wine list is suitably French as are many of the clientele.