Franco's Restaurant - St James's

A well-bred St James's institution since 1946, Franco's Restaurant recently returned to Jermyn Street refreshed and revitalised. Some of its clubby, 1940s décor remains, although the interior has been given a contemporary spring-clean with beige walls, blond wood floors and neat table settings.

The kitchen imports many ingredients direct from Italy, and the daily-changing menu has a pronounced regional accent. A salad of puntarelle leaves and confit tomato is a palate-cleansing seasonal starter, or you might prefer pan-fried scallops with broad bean and mint purée. Following on, there could be venison ravioli with rosemary sauce, roast duck breast with Sardinian fregola and fresh herbs or turbot with roasted potatoes and a sauce of porcini mushrooms. To finish, get your kicks from the hot chocolate fondant spiked with chilli!

There are some quaffable Italian bottles on the comprehensive wine list; breakfast and pre/post-theatre menus are also worth knowing about.