London Restaurants - Westminster, Strand, Victoria

Fancy a deconstructed shepherd's pie or a masala scotch egg? Then the London outpost of Farzi Cafe is for you. They're already big in India and now the restaurant with its experimental Indian cooking has arrived in London.

Imperial Treasure restaurants have been winning Michelin stars and more awards across Asia and this is their London base. They are serving up a Chinese fine dining experience in a luxe restaurant - and are famed for their Peking Duck.

Market Hall is on a mission to change the image of food courts in London. They're gathering some top names - many who have never done anything outside their main restaurants - all under one roof. It's a good way to see the real breadth of food in London all in one place. Just order your food, grab a pew and they'll buzz when it's ready. And repeat. And repeat.

Bleecker are in the upper echelons of what's already a pretty damned good burger scene in London. Originally starting out on the street-food market, they've slowly become established across town. The cheeseburgers are great but if the Blecker Black is on offer - with extra black pudding - that should be your go-to burger.

His Buckinghamshire pub was the first pub to win two Michelin stars. Now Tom Kerridge is bringing some of that magic to London for his first restaurant in the city.

Ansel is best known as the inventor of the cronut - which caused huge queues at the original New York location. This is his first London bakery and yes, there are plenty of cronuts on offer. But there's much more besides, serving up some of the most unique cakes, pastries and sweets in town.

Mallorcan-born Vincente Fortea leads the kitchen where he has created a menu made up of contemporary tapas selected form the coastal towns of the Mediterranean.

This restaurant comes from Iré Hassan-Odukale (front of house) and Jeremy Chan (Head Chef) and features a modern take on West African Cuisine. 

Odette's chef Bryn Williams has opened a fruit and veg focused restaurant overlooking the river at Somerset House. Expect British dining with lots of Welsh produce.

This Michelin starred Chinese restaurant is the flagship for Andrew Wong (who is also behind Kym's in the City). In a pared-back room, the menu travels the broad spectrum of Chinese cooking and has a lunchtime dim sum menu that's absolutely worth crossing town for.

This restaurant in Victoria has an ex-sommelier from River Cafe and a chef from Brawn, so expect a particularly good wine list and a Modern British seasonal menu to match with it. It's rated as one of the best in Victoria and there are two options if you're heading down - have a quick bite at the bar or head to the dining room for a longer dinner.

Naughty Piglets has been a big hit in Brixton and caught the eye of none other than Andrew Lloyd-Webber. He brought them to The Other Place Theatre for their second restaurant. It's all about sharing plates and there's a big focus on their strong natural wine list too.

Jason Atherton's restaurant is in the Nova development in Victoria, and this time it's an Italian - something he's been wanting to open for a while. Expect a mix of pasta dishes, pizzas from the huge open oven and more besides. There's takeaway and also a separate bar upstairs. And keep an eye our for the special pizzas he runs in collaboration with London's top chefs.

Aster comes from D&D restaurants, who also run the German Gymnasium in King's Cross, Sartoria in Mayfair and Launceston Place in South Kensington (among many other restaurants). Part of the big Nova complex, this is a two-level restaurant with a cafe downstairs and a more traditional restaurant upstairs. With this restaurant, they've gone Nordic for their influences.

Bronte (the name is a nod to the nearby Lord Nelson, the first Duke Of Bronte) has a Pacific/Antipodean style menu that's created by Andrew Lassetter in a room designed by Tom Dixon.

Spring is Skye Gyngell's first solo venture, who had such a big success at Petersham Nurseries. She has set up shop in the "new" wing of Somerset House which hasn't been open to the public for 150 years and serving fair like Grilled langoustine with seaweed butter and Roasted turbot with porcini and bone marrow.

Hunan is rated as one of London's best Chinese restaurants, rated extremely highly by chefs and critics alike. As the name suggests, you can expect Hunanese cooking here - so there's heat going on, but you'll be asked if you want them to dial it back, if needed.

Just across the road from Westminster, Michel Roux Jnr’s new London restaurant in the Institute of Chartered Surveyors building has 2008 Roux Scholarship winner Dan Cox as head chef. There is a separate first-floor bar serving snacks and smaller dishes and the 56-cover restaurant features a French/Mediterranean-inspired menu. It's a beautiful building with a stunning view of Westminster and Big Ben.

This new hotel designed by (Norman) Foster + Partners takes over the old BBC Marconi building. As well as a rooftop bar offering great views of London, it's the first non-US outpost of New York steakhouse STK, which has taken over the ground floor restaurant. STK aims to be a more "female friendly" steakhouse, with an emphasis on lighter meals.

The Savoy's River Room has reopened as this new seafood restaurant, completely revamping the menu to include delights like smoked salmon sausages. The design has also had an overhaul from the same person who worked on Limewood and The Wolseley.

The 80 seat restaurant focuses on cicchetti and dishes include Buffalo Ricotta Ravioli with Black Truffle, Gnocchi with Duck Ragù and Baccala “Mantecato” with Polenta Bramata. There are cocktails, prosecco on tap and plenty of sharing tables around an open kitchen.

The Goring has been a London institution for over 100 years. It's around the corner from Buckingham Palace and the Queen has been known to pop in from time to time, so if you're lucky you might see a royal or two. Expect high-end Michelin=starred dining and the eggs drumkilbo that have been on the menu in some form for ages - and were a fave of the Queen Mother.

Gordon Ramsay launches the new Savoy Grill, with head chef Stuart Gillies in charge and now with an added champagne bar.

The opening of an above average new Italian in the culinary hinterland of Westminster should prove a boon to spindoctors, lobbyists, journalists and any MP brave enough to put a nice meal out on their expenses. Chef Michele Brogi draws heavily on his Tuscan roots when it comes to the menu.