As you are warmly welcomed by the outstanding service team, you just know you're in for a special experience at this jewel of a restaurant. The chefs achieve a perfect blend of modernity and classicism, combining seasonal dishes that embrace Alain Ducasse's beloved 'naturalité' with a roster of his signature recipes – such as the peerless rum baba, a dessert that consistently delivers culinary ecstasy. Underpinning it all are outstanding ingredients, technical mastery and miraculous balance.

From the charming welcome to the last of the delicious petit fours, Clare Smyth's Notting Hill restaurant offers a superb experience. Start with a drink in the delightful Whiskey & Seaweed bar, before choosing between an à la carte or two tasting menus. 'Core Seasons' features more recent seasonal creations, while 'Core Classics' includes Smyth signatures like 'Potato and Roe' and 'Lamb Carrot'. Throughout, the beautifully balanced dishes showcase excellent produce and supreme depth of flavour.

Hélène Darroze’s wood-panelled restaurant within the historic Connaught Hotel comes with a bright yet cosy feel which helps put you at ease. The talented kitchen team bring outstanding technical mastery and attention to detail to the very best seasonal produce, while some of the accompanying flavours are informed by Hélène’s international travels, like Isle of Mull lobster with tandoori spices. For dessert, the signature 'Baba' with a choice of Armagnacs from Hélène's brother Marc is a must.

He may be one of the world's most famous chefs, but Gordon Ramsay remains committed to the highest standards at his elegant yet relaxed flagship restaurant. The chefs interpret Ramsay’s style impeccably across various menus: the set 'Prestige' selection; the 'Carte Blanche' surprise menu; and the à la carte, featuring signature dishes like lobster ravioli and roast veal sweetbread. The latter embodies the kitchen's perfect contrasts of flavour and texture, with a pleasing lightness of touch.

Few restaurants are as joyously colourful and lavishly decorated as Mourad Mazouz and Pierre Gagnaire’s 18th-century house of fun. Everything comes with a sense of theatre, from the attentive service to Gagnaire’s signature multi-dish cooking. Here, a roasted langoustine tail in liquorice beurre noisette is not enough; it must be joined by an array of accompanying dishes crafted with mind-blowing detail. Each element is expertly cooked and the original combinations are brilliantly conceived.

Among The Ledbury's many strengths has always been its use of outstanding produce, including mushrooms from the famous in-house cabinet. These stunning ingredients are amplified by beautifully balanced combinations and the kitchen's ability to deliver multiple layers of flavour without overcomplicating things, such as in the hay-aged pigeon with girolles, vadouvan, cherry and sauerkraut. The service team are refreshingly approachable and have an impressive knack for putting everyone at ease.