6 - L’Anima, London

Winner of the BMW Square Meal and Tatler awards for best newcomer, L’Anima is a gorgeously sleek, high-gloss restaurant that manages to transcend its City setting and entice as an evening destination.  It’s a light and bright space with walls of glass and natural rock used to dramatic effect.  The chef in charge is talent du-jour Francesco Mazzei and regular diners return for his trademark culinary touches including a reinvented dish of beef tagliata with bone marrow and mash, and a complex fish stew of octopus, clams, mussels, and squid. 

Jay Rayner describes a recent lunch at L’Anima as “near perfect.”  He was especially bowled over by the dessert, which is where the young Mazzei’s experience in his uncle’s gelateria kicks in.  Frothy sabayon and spiced berry soufflés are spliced with crisp shards of praline and the softest, sweetest ice creams imaginable.

7) Zafferano, London

Michelin-starred Zafferano opened in the heart of Belgravia in 1995.  The restaurant has been applauded year after year for its honest wholesome take on Italian cuisine, with dishes like ‘Malfatti’ pasta parcels with potato and morel mushroom, lobster and langoustine sautéed with samphire and also roast ‘Fiorentina’ T-bone steak with herb salad.  There is also a black truffle menu.  An elegant bar offers a menu of regional Italian favourites alongside a selection of cocktail, aperitifs and digestives.  The restaurant is currently being extended to accommodate an additional 20 covers and a private dining room.

8) Chester Grosvenor (Simon Radley), Cheshire

Michelin-starred for 19 years, this super-posh restaurant, formerly known as the Arkle, in August 2008 was revamped and renamed, retaining a reputation for unstinting lavishness: Truffles and foie gras abound on an exceptional menu that changes seasonally, and the emphasis is on using the best, fresh local produce.

9) The Dining Room, Whatley Manor, Wiltshire

Martin Burge was awarded his second Michelin star for The Dining Room in January 2009.  Other accolades include four AA rosettes and a listing in the Good Food Guide’s Top 40.  His cooking is classical French with a modern interpretation: Think braised snails set in garlic cassonade and topped with red wine sauce infused with veal kidney, or smoked eel, warm duck and cured foie gras, followed by veal prepared several ways, served with hazelnut puree and juices enriched with Madeira, or squab pigeon, poached and roasted, dressed with foie gras.

10) Fischer’s Baslow Hall, Derbyshire

In 1988 the Fischers bought this beautiful house as a fitting setting for their Michelin-starred restaurant business with the added benefit of bedrooms for guests.  Max and head chef Rupert Rowley have collected a clutch of culinary accolades for their imaginative cuisine, making use of the very best of local produce which might include Derbyshire Spring Lamb, Chatsworth venison, and wild hare alongside imported essentials such as foie gras and truffles. 

 

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