Medlar

Even if you don’t live near Chelsea, you should try to visit this exceptional restaurant at least once. The decor is understated: soothing grey-green colour scheme and unobtrusive artwork. The real artistry arrives on the plates, six dishes of astounding excellence. Assemblies are complex and have lengthy names, exemplified in our two starters: crisp calf’s brain with smoked duck breast, aïoli, pink fir potatoes and tardivo (raddichio); and confit skate with razor-clam vinaigrette, purple sprouting broccoli, globe artichokes, Jersey Royals and salsify. But every ingredient justifies its place in entirely natural-seeming juxtapositions of flavour, texture and colour. And the execution is nearly flawless, the only off-note being slightly undercooked potatoes.

Save room for wonderful (and relatively simple) puddings. Cardamom custard with saffron oranges, pomegranate and langues de chat sang with flavour. And we loved it when, asked for an off-menu fruit salad, the kitchen sent out a bowl of beautiful orange segments, strawberries and pomegranate seeds. Weekday lunch is the cheapest option, though not for the six gents seated nearby who ordered two bottles of Dom Perignon and carried on with serious red Burgundy (this is haut-Chelsea, after all). There’s a small, high-quality selection of wines under £30, but £40 will give you a better time. For world-class cooking at this level of complexity, it’s worth the extra money.