Eat in South Kensington and Chelsea, London

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay 3 ★ ★ 4.4

Gordon Ramsay's Royal Hospital Road three-Michelin-starred kitchen in Chelsea London, opened 1998 and held its three stars longer than any other restaurant.

OrderThe Pressed Foie Gras course and the lobster ravioli that have been on the menu since opening.

Book10 weeks ahead

TipLunch (Tuesday to Friday) at £140 is half the dinner tasting price with the same kitchen run.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal 2 ★ ★ 4.4

Heston Blumenthal's historical-British research kitchen inside the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London, opened 2011 and Michelin two-starred.

OrderThe Meat Fruit (chicken liver mousse in a mandarin-orange shell), unchanged from 2011.

Book6 weeks ahead

TipLunch a la carte at £55 for two courses is half dinner. Sit at the open kitchen counter to watch the mousse-shaping.

VQ Chelsea ★ 4.3

VQ (Vingt-Quatre)'s 24-hour cafe and diner on Fulham Road in Chelsea London, trading since 1995, runs eggs Benedict, burgers and a full alcohol licence.

TryAll-day diner classics, eggs Benedict and burgers

Tip24-hour alcohol licence. Post-club crowd peaks 02:00-04:00; weekday late nights are quieter and walk in without waiting.

12th Knot ★ 4.5

The Sea Containers 12th-floor cocktail bar on the South Bank looks out at St Paul's and the river, with a cocktail programme that earns its rooftop premium and small plates that justify staying for dinner.

TipThe window seats book out for sunset, request one when you reserve. The corner with the Blackfriars view is the prize.