Wiltons

Five minutes from Piccadilly, Wiltons offers a retreat from the modern world - along with plush furnishings, formally dressed waiters (and patrons) and a handful of private rooms. This bastion of a bygone era has been serving traditional British food since 1742 (when it opened as a shellfish stand on Haymarket).

Popular choices include potted shrimps, lunchtime carvery meats, British cheeses, and game when in season. No meal here is cheap, but if you're looking to save a few pennies, try the pre-theatre menu (£35 for two courses, £45 for three); pay an extra fiver for a glass of French wine (Sancerre, Bourgogne pinot noir and the like).

A decent-sized pork chop was tender and juicy within its crunchy breadcrumb coating. Sauced at the table from a silver gravy boat, it was complemented by buttery caramelised apples, creamy mash and perfectly al dente runner beans.

Sherry trifle, piped with sweet, dense vanilla cream, had just the right amount of booze as well as plump strawberries, though the sponge was a little too soggy. A selection of rich chocolate truffles rounded off the meal perfectly; one of them was even emblazoned with Wiltons' logo, a champagne-swilling lobster.