169 Hemingford Rd, London N1 1DA

This bright, friendly neighbourhood cafe really comes into its own at the weekends when it serves up one of London's best brunches. You'll have to fight off every other Islington to get a seat, but it's worth it for dishes like Crispy Pork belly with spring onion pancake, kimchi and scrambled eggs.

22 Harcourt Street, London W1H 4HH, England

This, the original Dinings, has a well deserved reputation for serving up excellent Japanese food with flair. Either sit up at the sushi bar or book a table in the restaurant.

44 Blandford St, Marylebone, London W1U 7HS

Clarette took over an old pub in Marylebone and kept the pub aesthetic with a touch of Art Deco design. You'll find a wine bar downstairs with a more traditional bistro upstairs, alongside a French wine list.

5 Glentworth St, Marylebone, London NW1 5PG

This upmarket Chinese restaurant in Marylebone certainy hasn't stinted on the opulence, with a flamboyant look and feel throughout. The menu is huge, but the weekend and lunchtime dim-sum is what it's all about. It's very popular with families and larger groups alike.

49-51 Lisson Grove, Marylebone, London NW1 6UH

Once referred to by Alain Ducasse as having the best fish and chips in London, this isn't your standard chippy, with the decor being a cut above to start. The restaurant has been family-owned for 50 years, surviving a fire in 2009 and there's a lot to back up Ducasse's claim.

20 Homer Street, London, W1H 4NA

This is a combined wine bar, trattoria and deli in Marylebone. It comes from chef Maurizio Morelli, also behind Latium in Fitzrovia. Expect a traditional Italian menu throughout, and you should pay particular attention to their bread - bricole does mean breadcrumbs, after all.

141-142 Upper St, London N1 1QY

Sichuan House on Islington's Upper Stret is all about authentic Sichuan and Chinese cuisine, with a focus on traditional cooking and recipes.

10 Chapel Market, London N1 9EZ

Tucked away down Chapel Market this Korean 'tapas' joint is owned by top Korean mixologist Taeyeol Kim, so the cocktails are as good as the food. The menu covers everthing from Korean fried chicken through to kimchi pancakes and tteok.bokki - rice cake stew. Look out for Friday regional Korean specials.

58 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, London, E2 8DP

If you're after great Vietnamese food in London, then one of the places to head to is Kingsland Road with a huge selection of restaurants. This one stands out though, as the sister restaurant of Cay Tre and with something of a more laid-back vibe.

7 Boundary Street, London E2 7JE

One of London's biggest success stories, Dishoom seems eternally popular. Serving up all manner of Indian small plates, there's just as big a focus on the bar here as the food. Expect to wait for your table at peak times.

95 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3BS

Grupo Sagardi was founded years ago in Barcelona. This is their first UK restaurant and it's all about showcasing the best produce from Basque farms and its coast, all flown in daily from San Sebastian. The steak is a big deal.

94-96 Commercial St, London E1 6LZ

The Shoreditch outpost of the St John empire is almost like a finishing school for London chefs. This restaurant is the beating heart of seasonal British cooking in London and has spread that influence all over the UK.

28-30 Rivington Street, London EC2A 3DZ

This is the Shoreditch outpost of the Blacklock group - which has become famous for its piles of chops, cooked over fire. It's also great value for money - and that includes the cocktails. This East London branch also has a large bar area.

301 Old St, London EC1V 9LA

Just off Kingsland Road, in an area with some excellent Vietnamese cooking, Cay Tre is held out to be one of the very best in London. Their pho is an obvious attraction here, but there's a broad menu of authentic Vietnamese cooking. (And you can pop across the street to try their Banh Mi shop Keu too.)

54-56 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3QR

The Big Mamma group in Paris have had huge hits with their trattorias and Gloria was their first London opening, in a big space in Shoreditch. It serves up Italian food in a classic looking space (as well as a hidden 80s-set dining room) and a buzzy vibe.

58 Bethnal Green Rd, London E1 6JW

From their simple start on a Maltby Street stall to their permanent digs on Bethnal Green Road, Lahpet are introducing Londoners to the delights of Burmese food.

147 Shoreditch High St, Hackney, London E1 6JE

Previously Burger and Beyond were at street food markets all over town before they settled down in Shoreditch. Their best burgers are on offer here, all covered in excellent toppings like marrownaise and more. Their small plates action is pretty good and the truffled tater tots are some of the best in town.

15 Broadwick Street, W1F 0DL

People may complain about the sharp table-turning at this subterranean Chinese restaurant - Alan Yau's follow-up to Hakkkasan, but you'll never hear a bad word about the dim sum. If it's something sweet you're after, head for the street-level patisserie and tea shop.

21 Romilly Street, London W1D 5AF

Alexis Gauthier brings his own take on French cuisine in the marvellous setting of this Georgian townhouse. The menu is now entirely vegan, making this one of the best fine dining vegan spots in town.

34 Rupert St, London W1D 6DN

Hands down one of the best counter dining experience in town, albeit not the quietest one. Expect a Jerusalem-style menu here, with additional influences from Southern Spain and Italy, North Africa through to the Levant. You can grab a table at the back - but try for the full-on counter experience if you can.

21-22 Warwick Street, London W1B 5NE

This was Yotam Ottolenghi's first full-blown London restaurant, following in the footsteps of his still-crazily popular delis. The menu features plenty of sharing dishes - signatures include their courgette and manouri fritters and Valdeón cheesecake.

26-27 D'arblay Street, London W1F 8E

From the same people behind Barrica, this is one of Soho's most popular tapas bars - all stools and standing space only. The menu changes daily and you can find many Spanish tapas classics on it, with lots of Spanish wine to go alongside.

46 Brewer Street, London W1F 9TF

This North Italian restaurant was a bit of a sleeper hit at first until word got out about how great the food was. Descend to the basement restaurant for dishes like pappardelle with slow-cooked hare or hand-chopped raw veal with Parmesan as well as a 10 seater bar specialising in Vermouth.

24 Great Windmill St, Soho, London W1D 7LG

Blacklock's main speciality is chops - beef, pork and lamb and all at pretty good value. You'll want to go all-in with the chops dripping onto flatbread, but keep an eye out for some great steaks on the specials board. With very affordable cocktails too, a good time is guaranteed.

49 Frith Street, Soho, London W1D 4SG

Coming from the Sethi siblings, best known for Gymkhana and more, this is inspired by roadside shacks (boutiques) of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. These shacks focus on hoppers and dosas which is what Hoppers is all about. Persist in trying to get a table at peak times, it's worth it and very affordable.

60-61 Berwick Street, London W1F 8SU

This restaurant comes from the people behind Salt Yard and takes its inspiration from the rural Basque and Italian methods of smoking and grilling over charcoal. The menu is almost entirely cooked on a custom built charcoal fired grill.

9 D'Arblay St, London W1F 8DR

Blanchette is from three brothers Maxime, Yannis and Malik Alary who are behind this "French bistro serving simple, classic and inventive French food". It's primarily based around sharing "French tapas" plates.

26 Rivington St, London EC2A 3DU

This Italian restaurant is from chef Jonathan Lawson, who worked with Theo Randall for five years before opening his own place, with cuisine described as Italian with a touch of Moorish and Spanish.

12 Denman St, Soho, London W1D 7HH

After beginning life in a shipping container as one of the first restaurants in Pop Brixton, Kricket has come a long way. Inspired by Indian cuisine, they offer an ever-changing menu of Indian small plates. And they feature what may be one of our favourite snacks in town, the samphire pakora dish.

25 Broadwick St, Soho, London W1F

This is the first of the Temper restaurants, taking over a huge basement spot in Soho. The room is dominated by a central kitchen where all the smoking happens. From that you can expect tacos, meat piled onto freshly baked flatbread and a lot of mezcal.