| Clubs in London | Bars in London | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Zafferano 15 Lowndes Street, SW1 (020 7235 5800)Knightsbridge tube. Lunch noon-2.30pm, dinner 7-11pm, Mon-Sat. Set lunch £17.50 two courses, £20.50 three courses. Set dinner £26.50 two courses, £32.50 three courses, £36.50 four courses. Credit AmEx, DC, MC, £TC, V. One of London's best, smartest and most celebrity-packed restaurants. The food is well-nigh faultless, from imaginative pastas to more unusual dishes like sweetbreads in a Sicilian-style sweet and sour sauce. Nobu Metropolitan Hotel, 19 Old Park Lane, W1 (020 7447 4747) Hyde Park Corner tube. Lunch noon-2.15pm Mon-Fri. Dinner 6-10.30pm Mon-Sat. Average £30 lunch, £57 dinner. Set lunch £20-£40. Set dinner £60. Credit AmEx, DC, JCB, MC, £TC, V. If you thought you knew Japanese food, think again. South American influences are evident in dishes such as yellowtail sashimi with jalapeÒo garnish and citrus sauce. Superb and unique. Vasco & Piero's Pavilion 15 Poland Street, W1 (020 7437 8774) Oxford Circus or Tottenham Court Road tube. Lunch noon-3pm Mon-Fri. Dinner 6-11pm Mon-Fri; 7-11pm Sat. Average £25 (lunch). Set dinner £16.50 two courses, £19.50 three courses. Credit AmEx, DC, JCB, MC, £$TC, V. A reliable old Soho stager that delivers carefully executed dishes in a cosy, clubby atmosphere. Service is very friendly, particularly if you're one of the celeb regulars. Assaggi The Chepstow, 39 Chepstow Place, W2 (020 7792 5501) Notting Hill Gate tube. Lunch 12.30-2.30pm, dinner 7.30-11pm, Mon-Sat. Average £33. Credit AmEx, DC, MC, JCB, £TC, V. So widely adored is this small restaurant that diners often have to book about a month in advance. The somewhat rudimentary dècor doesn't seem quite in tune with the impeccable standards of the imaginative food and size of the bill. Gordon Ramsay 68-69 Royal Hospital Road, SW3 (020 7352 4441/3334) Sloane Square tube. Lunch noon-2pm, dinner 6.45-11pm, Mon-Fri. Average £50. Set lunch £28 three courses. Set meal £50 three courses, £65 seven courses. Credit AmEx, DC, JCB, MC, £TC, V. Since his dramatic parting (together with the entire kitchen and waiting staff) from Aubergine in 1998, ex-footballer and shy, retiring, Michelin two-star chef Ramsay has triumphantly set up on his own. Oak Room Meridien Hotel, 21 Piccadilly, W1 (020 7437 0202) Piccadilly Circus tube. Lunch noon-2.30pm Mon-Fri. Dinner 7-11.15pm Mon-Sat. Average £90. Set lunch £37.50 three courses. Set dinner £55 three courses, £90 seven courses. Credit AmEx, JCB, MC, £TC, V. Be prepared to dig deep into your pockets to enjoy the stunning Michelin three-star cooking of Robert Reid. Stick to the set lunch unless someone else is paying. Matsuri 15 Bury Street, SW1 (020 7839 1101) Green Park or Piccadilly Circus tube. Lunch noon-2.30pm, dinner 6-10.30pm, Mon-Sat. Average £20 lunch, £40 dinner. Set lunch £6.50-£40. Set dinner £13-£55. Credit AmEx, DC, JCB, MC, £TC, V. Matsuri avoids the stuffiness of some top-notch Japanese places while matching all in the quality of food and service. Despite being in a basement, the dining area feels light and expansive. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||