Baltic- Southwark, London

74 Blackfriars Road, SE1 8HA
http://www.balticrestaurant.co.uk

Dining in Baltic is a refreshing change from the typical cuisine you come across; on a freezing February evening, warm and hearty Eastern European dishes really hit the spot.  We were brought  fresh bread and beetroot dip before deciding on the reasonably priced pre-theatre menu. A traditional soup with sauerkraut and bokzec (ham) to start followed by a warming beef and dumpling stew were delicious choices. 

Great service and food aside, the design of Baltic is a massive selling point. The vast restaurant room (formally an 18th century coach builder's works) is painted completely white with large wooden beams spanning the length of the ceiling. Numerous exposed brick and grey concrete walls add further roughness to this clean interior. Each table is clothed in white and dotted with candles. One side hosting a large intricate wall sculpture and the other a hanging formation of gold beads, both ends of the room have beautiful focal points. With jazz nights on every Sunday and a bar Boasting 60 types of Vodka, Baltic is worth a visit even if you're not eating.

Ottolenghi- Islington, London

287 Upper Street, Islington, N1 2TZ
http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/

From the outside, Ottolenghi looks like a high end deli with its array of beautiful window front cakes & pastries, large counter filled with bowls of delicious salads, blackboard of daily specials and shelves of jam, preserves, oils and quality wines. Further through, you’ll find a small and elegant restaurant which was still packed when we took our seats at 9pm on a Tuesday evening. Completely white, the room is minimal with accents like oversized gold candle holders and several bright orange chairs. Whether you order from the counter or kitchen, the dishes are small so you need a few each. We sampled unique flavours from plates such as pan fried gunard with baby onions & Jerusalem artichokes and seared lamb fillet with peanut paste & piquillo peppers.  Most interesting, and unexpectedly good, was the blood orange salad with complimenting pecorino, spiced macademia, pickled red onion and orange blossom dressing.

Polpo- Covent Garden, London

2 Maiden Lane, WCE2 7NA
http://www.polpo.co.uk/

Polpo has small, rustic restaurants in several locations; Covent Garden, Soho and Smithfield. Reasonably priced, the menu offers a wide selection of delicious sharing size Venetian dishes and has won rosettes in the AA guide for culinary excellence. Arriving on a cold Wednesday night, we were ushered down to the low-lit and cosy cellar.  The interior is authentic; stripped back walls, a selection of high and low tables and an open and well stocked bar.  An interesting touch was the drinks menus being presented on clipboards. Our choices were all good ones; lamb and mint meatballs, goats cheese, kale & pine nut pizette, arancini, duck ragu parpadelle and potato & parmesan crochette. Too stuffed from dinner, we missed out on plates like ricotta crumble or panacotta with rhubarb & pistachio for dessert…a return visit is a must!

Gilgamesh- Camden, London

The Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AH
http://www.gilgameshbar.com

Gilgamesh is a renowned pan-Asian restaurant in the middle of Camden's Stables Market. Inspired by the Babylonian era, the decor is grand, colourful and exotic. We sat in wooden chairs as big as thrones and enjoyed a delicious set menu from beginning to end. We tucked into scallop tempura with orange ponzu, volcano sushi rolls and fillet of beef salad with hot and sour sauce to start. The main was a choice of green Thai chicken curry or grilled lemon sole with black bean & sake sauce; both with spice roasted squash and egg fried rice on the side. We finished with an indulgent chocolate and lemon grass brûlée. The extensive cocktail menu includes concoctions like apple and fig martinis and 'caipirinhas on fire'...yum!

Duck and Waffle- Bishopsgate, London

Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY

http://duckandwaffle.com

Step into the lift at the ground floor of the Heron Tower and zoom 40 floors up (in what feels like milliseconds) to a fabulous restaurant and bar with stunning panoramic views of the capital. This 24 hour hot spot has only been open for 6 months but has already established itself as a big name.

The cocktail bar has been beautifully designed with a blue mosaic floor and colourful, illuminated jars of stones as light features. Ornate chandeliers and strings of beads frame a breathtaking view of the Gherkin. Further through, the restaurant is bright and elegant with griege booths and large orchid filled vases. A bright yellow curved ceiling adds a modern twist.

We all tried the signature dish, the 'Duck and Waffle' which was an unusual but delicious combination of crispy confit duck, fried egg, waffle and mustard maple syrup. For dessert, the warm chocolate brownie with peanut butter ice cream and honey comb was heavenly. Our long and lazy lunch lasted 3 hours and allowed us beautiful views of London as the sun set and the lights started to twinkle across the city.

Antico- Bermondsey, London

214 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3TQ
http://www.antico-london.co.uk

Antico is one of the newest additions to an existing string of excellent Bermondsey Street restaurants. Serving beautiful rustic Italian food in a relaxed yet stylish setting, it keeps the standard high. Our mains ranged from a succulent tuna steak salad to a creamy tomato and mascarpone risotto. On the starters menu you'll find dishes such as burrata with marinated peppers, halibut fritti with fresh chilli and caper oil or a classic antipasti board. Mains fall under either the fresh pasta & risotto plates or fish & meat from the oven & grill . With its brunch friendly cocktail menu including passion fruit bellinis and prosecco fizz (elderflower liquor, prosecco and lemon) it's no surprise it's busy all weekend. The cosy downstairs bar with its exposed brick walls and leather stools is worth a visit too.

Crazy Bear- Fitzrovia, London

26- 28 Whitfield Street, W1T 2RG
http://www.crazybeargroup.co.uk/fitzrovia/

This sophisticated South-East Asian restaurant is worth a visit if only for its exquisite food. Team that with an intimate bar boasting three awards and you could easily spend the whole night here. The 'Stir Fried Crustacea' was a beautiful medley of all my favourite seafood (tiger prawns, mussles, queen scallops, squid) in a simple yet delicious spring onion & garlic sauce. The mouth-watering black cod I tried was cooked to perfection.  There is an incredibly sexy and glamourous feel to this restaurant with its leather seats, bronzed ceiling, low lighting, black, gold & cream panelled walls, mushroom table lamps and ruby-carpeted stairs decending to the basement cocktail bar. Visiting the extravagant bathroom is a must; the optical illusion of its mirrored interior is bound to play tricks on you ;)