London's top 50 restaurants

Best romantic restaurants
Zuma
An absolutely fabulous Knightsbridge bar and modern Japanese restaurant. The crowd is Knightsbridge meets ‘Sex and the City’. And the food? Modern Japanese, with a lengthy menu featuring umami-rich sautéed Japanese mushrooms with miso, or cubes of fried tofu with a spicy crust served with avocado salad and tiny sprouted herbs. From the robata grill, barbecued tuna with umeboshi (salt-pickled plum) sauce and grilled vegetables is typical of Zuma’s innovation. Zuma has one of the best saké lists in town, with a knowledgeable saké sommelier to guide you around it. And the drawbacks? A meal here doesn’t come cheap, and the two-hour sittings are strictly enforced.
When to go When you need a little glamour in your life.
What to have Saké, sushi, robatayaki and any of the Zuma signature dishes.
Zuma, 5 Raphael St, SW7 1DL (020 7584 1010/www.zumarestaurant.com) Knightsbridge tube.
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Maze
This is the best, most inventive and stylish restaurant in the Gordon Ramsay group, but heading up the Maze kitchen is chef Jason Atherton. There is a traditional à la carte of daily changing, market-led dishes, plus set lunch options, but the real draw is Atherton’s tapas-style presentation of around 25-30 ‘tasting’ dishes. Asian, Spanish and French influences combine with British produce and cutting-edge techniques to form a truly international cuisine. Orkney scallops, for example, come with maple syrup, ham, egg and peas. However it’s the peanut butter and cherry jam sandwich, on the menu since launch, that has really captured diners’ imaginations, helped by David Beckham professing his love for it.
When to go After booking weeks in advance (it’s popular).
What to have Half a dozen ‘tasting’ dishes.
Maze, 13-15 Grosvenor Square, W1K 6JP (020 7107 0000/www.gordonramsay.com) Bond St tube.
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Club Gascon
The thing to have here is – whisper it – foie gras. Executive chef and co-owner Pascal Aussignac hails from south-west France and routinely offers at least eight dishes based on either duck or goose foie gras – everything from terrines to salads. The foie gras popcorn, for which freshly popped corn is grated over the dish at table, is a perennial favourite. Once you’ve selected your guilty pleasure, choose another two or three from menu sections including vegetables, seafood and meats, and share them tapas-style – though the intricately chic presentation of each item can make this difficult. Combinations can be challenging too (think sea urchin degustation with swede pulp and glazed turnips) but the result is usually dazzling. It’s a good choice for a romantic splurge, though the location draws a top-end business crowd.
When to go Saturday night, when the expense-account diners are all away.
What to have Three (four if you’re feasting) starter-sized dishes, plus the fabulous bread, cheese and dessert.
Club Gascon, 57 West Smithfield, EC1A 9DS (020 7796 0600/www.clubgascon.com) Farringdon tube/rail.
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Eyre Brothers
A grown-up restaurant from the boys who played a key role in kick-starting the gastropub movement, this architect-designed spot is all the more interesting for an Iberian menu that reflects the Eyres’ Mozambican upbringing. The attention to detail is impressive, from the original chair design to the nibbles served at the lively bar. Best of all, it’s fun and unpretentious.
When to go A great first-date restaurant when you want to impress.
What to have Morcilla, caldeirada, Ibérico pork, Mozambique tiger prawns piri-piri, sherry, rioja.
Eyre Brothers, 70 Leonard St, EC2A 4QX (020 7613 5346/www.eyrebrothers.co.uk) Old St tube/rail.
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The Landau
Despite the constraints of location (posh hotel) and cost (£70 per head or more if you’re having wine), The Landau does its damned best to make sure you have a good time. The grazing menu allows you to try appetiser-sized portions of the best dishes. Little pots of vegetable purées dot the plates, as if assembled by a watchmaker. If this sounds too fussy, there’s the normal à la carte, which is also excellent.
When to go For a special occasion meal with older relatives.
What to have The tasting menu’s a treat, the à la carte less fussy.
The Landau, The Langham, Portland Place, W1B 1JA (020 7965 0165/www.thelandau.com) Oxford Circus tube.
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Momo
Moroccan food is hardly one of the world’s great cuisines, but here it’s done well: the sour-sweet flavours of the meat and fruit tagines, and grainy couscous that’s such a good foil to the watery sauces. The non-traditional desserts are possibly the best thing on the menu, especially the milk pastilla served with crème brûlée ice-cream.
When to go On a hot date.
What to have A couscous dish, and some of the aromatic teas.
Momo, 25 Heddon St, W1B 4BH (020 7434 4040/www.momoresto.com) Piccadilly Circus tube.
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