Cecconi's - Mayfair

Enzo Cecconi opened this Italian stalwart in 1978 and it quickly became a Mecca for London's rich, royal and famous. He brought carpaccio and rocket to the capital and had a legendary reputation as a showman: it's said he would even finish guests' dishes before their very eyes.

After a spell of uncertainty and closure, Cecconi's was re-launched towards the end of 2005, with new owners, a new chef and a brand new image. It's now the only Italian restaurant in the capital with an authentic 'cichetta' (Venetian tapas bar). Here you can get fennel salami and capocollo (cured pork shank rolled in spices), octopus with lemon and green olives, Umbrian sausages with red pepper and much more besides.

Otherwise, expect breakfast until noon, then a 12-hour menu including not only cichetti, carpaccio and salads (lobster and potato with crispy pancetta, for example), but also the likes of roast quail with black olives, oxtail ravioli with red wine sauce, and wild sea bass with violet artichokes, followed by pear tart with zabaglione ice cream or hazelnut semifreddo.