Great Queen Street

Fans of St John in Farringdon (described by us as "one of the best restaurants in the capital"), The Eagle nearby ("the original and arguably one of London's best gastropubs") and The Anchor & Hope in Waterloo ("a London landmark"), will love Great Queen Street. This is thanks to the same team behind these three London favourites: Tom Norrington-Davies (from the Eagle) is head chef; Robert Shaw (ex-Anchor & Hope) is in charge of front of house; Jonathon Jones (chef at Anchor & Hope) is a partner; and Mike Belben (ex-Eagle) is an investor. With names like these it's no surprise that the daily changing dishes are swooned over. Don't be fooled by the casual, rustic decor, the food here would beat many classy restaurants even if it doesn't have the starched white table cloths. As at St John meat is a speciality and for sophisticated carnivores seven-hour roasted shoulder of Hereford lamb should surely be sampled. Adventurous eaters will love the warm salad of snails with crispy bacon or beef heart with a baked beetroot and horseradish salad; there's plenty to keep the taste buds intrigued. And, unlike the Hope & Anchor, you can thankfully book a table; doing so will not disappoint.