139 Graham Street, Angel, Islington, N1 8LB

After gaining a reputation for cooking Italian in the much-loved Bocca di Lupo, Jacob Kenedy returned to his US roots with a wonderful Cajun and Creole menu at his Lousiana-themed Plaquemine Lock on Regent’s Canal. If you fancy some deep-south cooking in London, there's little better available.

1 Blandford Street, London W1U 3DA

This Mediterranean restaurant comes from Xavier Rousset. Expect a Med menu with specific Italian influences and, as with all of his restaurants, the wine is a big deal. There are over 250 wines and champagnes on the list to work your way through.

16 Cavendish Square, London W1G 9DD

The people behind Parisian restaurant Taillevent brought this spin-off Les 110 de Taillevent to London. It focuses on food and wine pairings and is named after the 110 wines available by the glass. Each of the 30 dishes is matched by one of four selected glasses.

10 Paddington St, London W1U 5QL

This all-day restaurant serves food inspired by traditional and contemporary Greek cuisine, with many ingredients direct from Greece.

50 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 5HN

This Wolseley Hospitality Group restaurant is intended to be evocative of early 20th century Vienna so the menu has a distinct Austrian bent with schnitzels, strudels and more the order of the day.

3 Chapel Place, London W1G 0BG

Goodman, the people behind the incredibly successful Burger and Lobster opened this restaurant which is focused purely around steak and king crab. Expect communal tables, sides, a big wine list and a limited spirit list too.

63–69 Canonbury Rd, Islington, London N1 2DG

This Islington pub/restaurant has a strong emphasis on smoking and BBQ. Alongside the food expect plenty of rotating beers and the outside garden is a surprise oasis just off a busy Islington road.

9 Duke Street, London W1U 3EG

ZOILO is the creation of chef Diego Jacquet who wanted to create a restaurant reflective of his Argentinian heritage and its products. Centred around the ‘Asado’ - the Argentinian tradition of grilling meat and fish, the grill is the beating heart of Zoilo. A passionate wine enthusiast, Diego takes great pleasure in constantly updating and evolving the diverse wine list which houses over 200 labels. Downstaris you'll find a private dining room with seating for up to 10-12 guests.

15-17 Marylebone Lane, London W1U 2NE

Originally launched by Xavier Rousset and Agnar Sverrisson (who are also behind Texture), this is a "wine workshop and kitchen" on Marylebone Lane. Once part of a group, it's now a solo wine bar with European food in Marylebone and a very handy place to stop for a drink and snacks in the area.

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

61 Rupert St, Soho, London W1D 7PW

Paradise took over the space once held by Spuntino, serving up British and Sri Lankan ingredients in a menu that's inspired by the owner's childhood trips to Sri Lanka. This is matched by a sleek room designed by the people who did Smoking Goat and Klin.

23 Greek St, Soho, London W1D 4DZ

The duo behind Bun House and Pleasant Lady have turned their original site into a bar and restaurant inspired by the late-night scene of 1960s Hong Kong. The sugar skin Iberico char siu is a revelation.

14- 16 Brewer St, Soho, London W1F 0SG

Randall & Aubin is a Soho institution, having been here for nearly 30 years. And there's a reason for its longevity - eating here is a lot of fun (there's even a disco ball). There's a big emphasis on sustainability and on French and British seafood classics, with their signature dishes including bouillabaisse, spaghetti vongole and big fruits de mer platters.

26-27 Dean St, Soho, London W1D 3LL

The original Barrafina moved from its Frith Street location to take up pride of place beside (and a chunk out of) Quo Vadis. This is the Spanish tapas brand's main location in Soho and features some of the best Spanish food in London, as well as great counter action.

19 Ganton St, Soho, London W1F 7BN

Pastaio is Italian for someone who makes pasta by hand - something you'll see plenty of in this venture by Stevie Parle (Dock Kitchen, Rotorino, Palatino, Craft) in Soho. Fast, casual and good value - particularly for this area - the pasta is super and the Prosecco slushies a must.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.