Best Indian restaurants

Amaya Relatively expensive, but it’s outstanding value.
What to have Biryanis, or ask for any of the Awadhi dishes.
15 Motcomb St, Halkin Arcade, SW1X 8JT Knightsbridge tube. 

Moti Mahal  Look for the lunch menu at £13.50 for three courses. 
What to have  Tandoor-cooked meats, the breads, and the dahls. 
45 Great Queen St, WC2B 5AA Covent Garden or Holborn tube

Sagar  Must have the crisp dosas..
What to have The thali set meals, or the dosais are all reliably good. 
157 King St, W6 9JT (8741 8563). Hammersmith tube.

Best Oriental restaurants

Ba Shan focuses on Chinese-style 'tapas', or xiao chi.
What to have The northern Chinese speciality of tu dou si, spicy potato slivers with a very moreish tang from vinegar, is one of the best. 
24 Romilly St, W1D 5AH (020 7287 3266). Tottenham Court Rd or Piccadilly Circus tube.

Sushi-Hiro find some of the best sushi in London. Do not expect frills such as noodles or teriyaki; the only hot item on the menu is a simple miso soup. 
What to have Anything on the menu – which means: sushi. 
1 Station Parade, Uxbridge Rd, W5 3LD (8896 3175) Ealing Common tube.

Hakkasan The à la carte is great, but the dim sum menu (great value, but lunch only) offers up equally sumptuous fare – venison puffs and scallop shumai with tobiko (flying fish roe) are sublime.
What to have To finish off, ask for the century egg congee (savoury rice porridge) served with spring onions and thinly sliced fried dough sticks. 
8 Hanway Place, W1T 1HD Tottenham Court Rd tube.

Cah Chi Korean food without the clichéd barbecue-side theatrics.
What to have Fill up on the panchan (small side dishes) and move swiftly onto the grilled marinated meats.
394 Garratt Lane, SW18 4HP. Earlsfield rail. 

Best Italian restaurants

500  The bread is own-made, and you won’t find lighter gnocci elsewhere served with excellent Italian sausage in a fennel seed and tomato sauce.
What to have Start with the plump Puglia green olives and any of the pastas.
782 Holloway Rd, N19 3JH Archway tube or Upper Holloway rail. 

L'Anima  Venetian speciality, fritto misto (fried seafood) done faultlessly, while unique ingredients are used to great effect. Look for nduja, a creamy-textured Calabrian spicy salami, or bottarga from Sardinia (dried grey mullet roe).
What to have Do save room for the imaginative desserts.
1 Snowden St, EC2A 2DQ Liverpool St tube/rail.

Franco Manca  Uunbelievably low prices for great food
What to have Great pizzas on offer.
4 Market Row, SW9 8LD. Brixton tube/rail.

Bocca di Lupo  Really good Italian food at a fair price. 
What to have Small plates of sharing dishes, tapas-style; or the one-plate lunch specials (costing around a tenner) at the bar. 
12 Archer St, W1D 7BB Piccadilly Circus tube.

Best Cheap Eats

Food For Thought From Jamaican curry to a Roman-style vegetable stew, it’s all good, and served in generous portions. Don’t forget to try their its ‘scrunches’ – raspberry or strawberry depending on the season – cream, fresh fruit and crunchy oats. 
What to have The hot stews and curries are perfect for the season, packed with flavoursome veg (such as juicy aubergines and parsnips). 
31 Neal St, WC2H 9PR (7836 9072). Covent Garden tube.

Baozi Inn Try spicy beef noodles with sharp red chilli oil or classic dan dan mian; from the latter, zhajiang mian (minced pork noodles) or the ubiquitous baozi (steamed buns)
What to have Slippery, al dente ‘dragon’ wontons in a flavoursome broth of your choice – spicy ‘red oil’, or clear and savoury. 
25 Newport Court, WC2H 7JS (7287 6877). Leicester Square tube

Albion The menu covers the expected fry-ups and nostalgia puds (apple crumble and custard), yet the cooking is suprisingly refined.
What to have pies, puddings, a massive bacon sarnie. 
2-4 Boundary St, E2 7JE . Liverpool St tube/rail or bus 8, 26, 48.

Mangal Ocakbasi The first Turkish ocakbasi barbecue in London. It is still as unpretentious and unreconstructed as it ever was, and owes its success to to the quality of its barbecued meats, which are sublime. 
What to have Grilled meats.
10 Arcola St, E8 2DJ Dalston Kingsland rail. Unlicensed. 

Song Que Excels in Vietnamese staples – fresh summer rolls bursting with vermicelli and herbs, garlicky stir-fried morning glory. A favourite among connoisseurs is the version with rare sliced steak and a rich meaty broth; the balanced flavours come together with fresh herbs (sawtooth, sweet basil), lemon juice and chillies. 
What to have The pho is obligatory; supplement it with dish of chargrilled beef wrapped in betel leaves (bo la lot).
134 Kingsland Rd, E2 8DY (7613 3222). Old St tube/rail.

Cah Chi Crisp pa jeon (pancake) filled with fresh seafood and spring onions, or strips of raw beef sizzling in a stone bowl (dolsot) with rice, pickles and vegetables.
What to have Panchan (small side dishes) and move swiftly onto the grilled marinated meats.
394 Garratt Lane, SW18 4HP Earlsfield rail. 

Rosa's Hearty mix of Thai dishes (pad Thai, stir-fries, curries), done consistently well with fresh ingredients.
What to have Succulent lamb satay, and a properly fiery som tam (green papaya salad). 
12 Hanbury St, E1 6QR Liverpool St tube/rail. 

The Clerkenwell Kitchen Daily-changing, seasonal creations that have us coming back for more. 
What to have The vegetarian dishes are a delight – especially the tortillas.
27-31 Clerkenwell Close, EC1R 0AT Angel tube or Farringdon tube/rail