Restaurant Reviews

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA

Taking over The Mandarin Oriental's lower ground floor, this Japanese izakaya is a warren of opulently designed dining rooms and cocktail bars. Expect to try a range of top-drawer sushi and Japanese dishes with the focus firmly on the cocktail list.

36 Snowsfields, Bermondsey, London SE1 3SU

Trivet is a joint collaboration between chef Jonny Lake and master sommelier Isa Bal, both alumni of Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck. Here you can expect an informal take on fine dining with a truly epic wine list that covers the globe. The attached wine bar is worth checking out on Mondays where they open special bottles and serve light bites.

Arch 35b, Flat Iron Square, Union Street, London SE1 1TD

The people behind Bar Douro have used their Portuguese ancestry to bring the authentic tasted of Portugal to London. But it's not just about the food, there's an extensive selection of Portuguese wine too, all in a counter dining setting.

Royal Academy, Burlington Gardens, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD

José Pizarro is one of the best Spanish chefs in London today. Here, he's taken over two of the restaurants in the Royal Academy - their main restaurant in the Dorfman Senate Rooms and the Poster Bar downstairs. He's produced another excellent menu of tapas which will suit anyone after they've had a dose of culture at the RA.