The Clove Club team's neighbourhood Italian on St John Street in Clerkenwell London, opened 2016, runs British-Italian seasonal cooking in a tiled dining room and bar.
Signature dishes: Parmesan fries, Tagliolini al limone
Must order: Parmesan fries with truffle mayo, tagliolini al limone and a Negroni from the bar.
Tip: Sit at the bar for the four-course tasting menu at half the dining-room price. Lunch books at three days, dinner at three weeks.
Address: 88 St John Street, London EC1M 4EH
Lee Tiernan's ocakbasi-influenced Turkish-British flatbread room near Canonbury station in London, opened 2015, runs the city's loudest dining room and an offal-forward charcoal grill.
Signature: Lamb offal flatbread, Lahmacun
Order: Lamb offal flatbread and kissed-cod lahmacun, soundtracked by whatever Iron Maiden record is spinning.
Tip: First-come, first-served from 18:00. Closed Sunday and Monday. Cash and card; no booking, no compromise.
Nicholas Balfe's small-plates room on Blenheim Grove in Peckham London, opened 2018 and Michelin-recognised, runs Modern European cooking with a long natural-wine list.
Signature: Smoked eel and beetroot, Sourdough Yorkshire pudding
Order: Smoked eel with beetroot and creme fraiche, plus whatever's on the wood-fired grill.
Tip: The room is small and bookings book a fortnight ahead; bar seats are released for walk-ins from 18:00.
Britain's oldest restaurant on Maiden Lane in Covent Garden London, opened 1798 by Thomas Rule, runs an estate-game-led menu through grouse, partridge and venison seasons.
Signature: Game pie, Steak and kidney pudding
Order: Game pie in season, then steamed steak and kidney pudding with mash.
Tip: Lunch is a third of dinner's price and just as well-staffed. The upstairs cocktail bar runs to 23:00 most nights.
The Caprice Holdings seafood institution on St Martin's Court in Covent Garden London, opened 1896, runs a pre-theatre fish-focused menu with the oyster bar next door.
Signature: Fish pie, Dover sole
Order: Sheekey's fish pie and a half-dozen native oysters from the oyster bar list.
Tip: The Oyster Bar at no. 28-32 takes walk-ins at the bar; the main dining room books two weeks ahead for evening service.
Chris Corbin and Jeremy King's grand European brasserie on Piccadilly in London, opened 2003 in a former 1921 Wolseley showroom, runs from breakfast to late-night supper.
Signature: Eggs Benedict, Wiener schnitzel
Order: Eggs Benedict and a flat white at breakfast, or the Wiener schnitzel and a glass of riesling at dinner.
Tip: Breakfast from 07:00 is the un-touristed slot. Pre-theatre dinner from 18:00 books a fortnight ahead.
The Bombay-cafe-styled Indian dining room on Boundary Street in Shoreditch London, opened 2012 as Dishoom's second site, runs Parsi cafe cooking from breakfast to late.
Signature: Bacon naan roll, House black daal
Order: Bacon naan roll at breakfast and house black daal at dinner. Chai on the side.
Tip: No bookings for weekend lunch; expect a 45-minute queue on Saturday. Weekday breakfast from 08:00 walks straight in without waiting.
