Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester

Alain Ducasse's top-end restaurants have earned him world acclaim, and this is his only UK establishment, currently holder of three Michelin stars. At the helm, executive head chef Jocelyn Herland creates contemporary French dishes using seasonal British and French produce. There's no denying their quality, but a lack of wow-factor combined with stratospheric pricing can leave some guests feeling disappointed. Designer Patrick Jouin is behind the taupe-toned interior and its centrepiece, a table curtained by thousands of shimmering fibre optics.

As you'd expect, the restaurant holds an extravagant collection of wines, mainly French, which are on show in one corner. Among the signature dishes are a lobster and truffled chicken starter with pasta, and a rum baba with chantilly cream, doused in your choice of rum.

Haute cuisine dining is usually a leisurely affair, but a three-course express lunch has recently been added. From this regularly changing choice, we tried a starter of vegetables in spicy tomato sauce, slow-cooked and served in an Alain Ducasse-branded casserole. It had simple yet beautifully balanced flavours, as did a main of roast john dory with a sticky black olive jus. But it's the desserts that are the stars; a rhubarb, strawberry and vanilla millefeuille sang out our meal on a high note.