The Door, City Of London

Why? A power lunch in the power centre of the world! Right in the heart of the city this beautiful contemporary Oyster and Steak bar is the perfect hang out to seal that deal. It is set over two floors with a stylish restaurant upstairs and a fabulous oyster bar on the ground floor.

Where? Cornhill, right in the middle of the City. Nearest Tube: Bank.

What to eat? This is a steak and oyster place, order steak and oysters. The range of steak from around the world is really quite impressive and there is always a good selection of oysters

What to drink? Limited wine list with even less by the glass – what better excuse than to order a bottle?

What to pay? £50 a head for 2 courses including a glass of wine each and coffee

Contact: 33 Cornhill London EC3; 0207 929 1378.Visit The Door website

Thai Square, Richmond

Why? With celebs like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie moving to Richmond we thought we had better check out what’s going on in the West. We did not have to go far before we found a great place to start, Thai Square restaurant .

Where? Situated on the Kew Road, close to Richmond Station. Nearest Tube: Richmond

What to eat? Lucky for us, we were hungry and came to the right place. There is a wide selection to choose from. The staff were more than happy to help us and recommended some excellent dishes.

Starters ranging from duck spring rolls (above) to butterfly king prawns got our taste buds going followed by mains of Goong Pow and the traditional Thai green curry. If you have any space left for dessert then the Lychee in syrup finished the meal nicely.

What to drink? An extensive wine list will make sure you won’t get thirsty. We tried out some fruity Thai cocktails which were delicious.

What to pay? Set menu costs £20-£30

Contact? Thai Square Richmond, 29 Kew Road, Richmond Upon Thames Surrey TW9 2NQ. 020 8940 5253

Visit the Thai Square website for details of all the Thai Square locations

Tamarind

Why? This must be one of the poshest Indians ever. It’s been visited by Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Prince Harry, Chelsy Davy, Liz Hurley and Arun Nayar

Where? Mayfair, London W1. Nearest Tube: Green Park

What To Eat? Indian haute cuisine – the courtly food from ancient Rajasthan – that centres round Tandoor ovens.

I tasted lamb cutlets, green pepper pulao rice, salmon grilled over hot charcoal and some delicious cheese bread. I could not stop eating that bread!

Desert was a strangely tasty green tea masala ice-cream and a ginger ice-cream.

What To Drink? Wine or Beer. Excellent service in this restaurant means the staff will make you feel royal whatever you’re drinking. However, the wine list has choices from all around the world and the head sommelier will expertly pick a glass or bottle to compliment each dish.

What To Pay? Between £120 ‚Äì £140 for two (including wine and service) if you are going to make a decent attempt at trying the range of dishes on offer. This is POSH Indian – curries range from £17- £21.

Contact: Tamarind, 20-22 Great Queen Street, London, W1J 5PR. 020 7629 3561

Visit the  Tamarind website

Tom’s Kitchen, Somerset House

Why? Tom Aikens was one of the first celebrity chefs. He trained under Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay and was one of the youngest chefs to receive a Michelin star.

He’s cooked at celebrity balls and on yachts in places like Ibiza and St Tropez for everyone from Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt to President Clinton. Now he’s making the food accesible to all of us and this is his second kitchen after his place in Chelsea and it is every bit as good.  It’s a classical British Bistro in a lovely room inside Somerset House serving an immaculate cooked British menu in a relaxed style.

However, we would say to check it out if you’re in the area but not put it to the top of your ‘must-try’ list. It’s more of a bistro than a special destination.

Where? Somerset House (between Victoria Embankment and Strand). Nearest Tube: Temple, Embankment, Charing Cross

What to eat? Comfort food, all your favourites will be on the menu, highlights of which include macaroni cheese with white truffle, 7 hour lamb or perfectly cooked fish and chips and sticky toffee pudding.

What to drink? Wine. However, it’s an OK rather than excellent list with a few available by the glass

What to pay? £40 a head for 2 courses including a glass of wine, coffee and service

Contact: Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA. 0207 845 4646

Visit the Tom Aikens at Somerset House website

Trishna

Why? Elizabeth Hurley and her Indian husband Arun Nayar are regulars at this cosy Indian restaurant in the heart of Marylebone Village. The area is home to many celebrities including Keira Knightley and Liam Gallagher.

Where? Marylebone, London W1. Nearest Tubes: Bond Street / Marble Arch / Baker St – very convenient!

What To Eat? Simple but flavoursome Indian cuisine focussing on using quality ingredients in uncomplicated dishes. This means that the menu is refreshingly easy to understand, unlike in many Indian restaurants. I went with a DJ and magazine editor friend and we both have high standards when it comes to food, but we couldn’t fault the starter of crispy chilli squid that was tender on the inside and not too heavy on the batter. For mains, I ordered Seafood Biryani, which was a mix of witefish and shellfish and basmati rice ‚Äì all perfect quality and no unexpected or unwanted surprises. The Market Fish Curry that my magazine editor friend ordered was also delicious in a subtle way. It was simly fish in coconout with spices, which didn’t assault the tastebuds but massaged them. We were recommended a bottle of Pinot Noir, which was lightly smooth and meant we could still taste the flavours of the food. Thankfully we saved room for dessert as a Honey and Date Creme Brulee came in a good portion size and was full of succulent moist dates. That creme brulee is one of Trishna’s specialities.

What To Drink? Wine. The formal decor is a bit too posh to order beer

What To Pay? A set lunch with two dishes, one vegetable and one side is good value at £13.50. On the A la Carte menu, the average for a main is £12 and a side dish is £6 so expect to pay around £80 for two including wine and service.

Contact: Trishna, 15-17 Blandford Street, Marylebone Village, London W1U 3DG. 020 7935 5624

Visit the  Trishna Website