Hello JoJo has the kind of fun, upbeat energy that its cheery name suggests. Even on a drizzly Tuesday evening, the Camberwell spot is filled with trendy groups—the sort that could probably predict the next Pantone Colour Of The Year. Spicy margs (heavy on the spice) are clinked at the deep-set counter, while over on the tables for six, groups dance in their seats as a showstopping chicken pie makes its way towards them. The dishes are mostly modern European-leaning.

At dinnertime, crowds form outside this sleek, walk-in-only spot in Notting Hill. As they should, because the sushi at Eel Sushi Bar, from the people behind Tuna Fight Club and Dorian, is incredible. Behind the wooden counter, chefs work calmly and methodically, placing tray after tray of perfectly plated nigiri while nodding their heads to the quiet, upbeat music. Everything from melting salmon to meaty lobster looks perfect and tastes even better.

Forgive us the pun, but at Norbert’s the early bird gets the … well, bird. The small rotisserie chicken spot, along a quiet terrace in East Dulwich, is walk-in-only and come dinnertime it becomes a buzzing hub of dates, mates, and local families. After one failed attempt at 8pm, we’d suggest getting there by 6pm. The menu is simple (juicy chicken, sauces, chips, and potatoes—get them all), the hospitality is warm, and the playlist would turn even the worst of days around.

Shan Shui Social is a welcome respite in Victoria. It’s all in the details at this Chinese spot from the people behind Rasa Sayang. Gorgeous ceramic tea pots line the walls on one side, while old-fashioned telephones line the other. Booths are taken by families getting a meet-in-the-middle dinner after work and solo diners who refuse to settle for a Pret before their train. Focus your ordering on anything in a bamboo steamer.

East London is awash with Hector’s and Leo’s and other well-bred-sounding restaurants. Bianca’s is Stoke Newington’s most compelling. This restaurant is from the team behind Casa Fofò, and the Italian cooking has Japanese and Korean accents that will make you sit up from your Togo sofa and take notice. The airy, Scandi-ish space is half-dominated by a kitchen of tweezer-wielding chefs sprinkling furikake on egg mayo and fermenting cream for cavatelli.

Josephine is one art nouveau lampshade away from being Bouillon Chartier and when it comes to the service, this achingly French bistro has seemingly gone method. The likelihood of seeing a glass of wine before your mains arrive is minimal, but this gorgeous Marylebone restaurant is primed for wooing. Triple-digit dates unfold over buttery classics and the only thing more distracting than the perfect symmetry of the majority of the diners’ faces is the towering plateau de fruits de mer.

If you’ve ever winced at an overly sweet brownie or been disappointed by dry banana bread, Reemies Cakes will make it all better. This gorgeous little cake shop on Chelsea’s Fulham Road has an array of desserts—from mini two-biters, to nine-inch, double-layer chocolate cakes perfect for a birthday. Take a seat in the narrow bakery and tuck into the excellent apple crumble mini cake that’s as fluffy as it is tempting (very).

Tatar Bunar, a Ukrainian restaurant in Shoreditch, manages to be both sexy and comforting at the same time, like a cashmere-clad Joanna Lumley. There’s an actual tree in the entranceway and enough earthy ceramics and scatter cushions to make you question if you’ve stumbled into an aspirational homeware store. The dishes, a hearty but photo-ready mix of cheese-stuffed pies and meaty dumplings, are inspired by Tatarbunary, a city in Southern Ukraine.

The front door at One Club Row is the hottest place to pose in east London. But the restaurant brings more than just New York-cool and branded matchboxes to Shoreditch. Juicy burgers come with a dipping sauce richer than the collective net value of the room (high), an unassuming lobster croquette demands the immediate formation of a squealing fan club (us and the charming waiter), and everyone who crosses the threshold (through a sexy curtain) is made to feel like a 10.

Most hotel restaurants have a so-so reputation but The Midland Grand exists in its own impressive universe. The restaurant attached to St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel in King’s Cross has pulled Victor Garvey of Sola into the kitchen and, save for one seafood boudin noir that’s set ablaze tableside, leaves the theatrics to its opulent surroundings. Rooms this palatial rarely buzz, but when the lights are dimmed, it has a decadent feel about it.

Nagare Bankside makes most other coffee shops look like amateurs having a mess around with a French press. Coffee-lovers pull up chairs at the siphon bar, earnestly watching the skillful baristas work as if they’re witnessing Mark Rylance doing a bit of Shakespeare. The Japanese-inspired bakery serves an egg salad, nori, and sea salt butter roll that’s so pillowy you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d gone back to bed. This is what reaching peak coffee shop looks like.

The only thing that separates Crunch’s sandwiches from a really good burger are thick slices of brioche, instead of buns. But it works: fillings like beef patties with truffle mayo and crispy onions blend into the brioche toast with every bite, and makes for an outstanding meal. Lean on the chrome counter and watch heaped spoonfuls of purple caramelised onion being swiped across the toast, while you wait desperately for your number to be called out.

Located in a basement in Marylebone that feels like the kind of place Charli XCX would have an afterparty, Nina is undeniably cool. The younger sibling of Zephyr and Bottarga, Nina has taken the best parts of both spots, and made it Italian. Raw yellowtail floating on a generous creamy stracciatella boat, and rich taleggio truffle arancini start your meal on a cheesy high.

Himi is neutral in design, but far from it in flavour. This tiny Japanese izakaya off Carnaby Street has the kind of warm energy you find in quiet family-run restaurants—probably thanks to the husband and wife chef team Tamas and Tomoko. The food is flawless: light tempura scallop, tender, juicy charcoal-grilled red shrimp, and thick noodles in a hearty broth. The nigiri is also top-tier, which isn’t a surprise as Himi is from the same team behind one of our favourite omakase spots, Roji.