Ristorante Semplice

Every bite of our lunch here was superb, from the exquisite own-made bread rolls down to the petits fours that came with the textbook espresso. Semplice is a tiny room, decorated in rather charmless, hotel-lobby style, but it's comfortable. And in any case, you'd feel privileged to eat this food in an underground car park.

In two starters and two mains from the set lunch, not a single element fell short of perfection. Borlotti bean soup, puréed to an unctuous, earthy cream, was enlivened by small chunks of sausage and a fine lace of pungent olive oil. Each ingredient in a salad of french beans, broad beans, leaves and shaved parmesan was improbably flavourful. One main, impeccably timed calf's liver on meltingly soft caramelised onions, was simple and flawless. The other, roasted cod fillet served in a light broth with mussels, samphire and quartered cherry tomatoes, featured top-notch ingredients in a well-judged and completely integrated assembly.

This being Mayfair, the wine list hits some heady heights, but there's good choice by the glass, and a few bottles under £30. Dinner prices also climb to Mayfair levels, but the food is breathtaking. Go for lunch and get a bargain.