Shrimpy's- King's Cross, London

The King's Cross Filling Station, Goods Way, N1C 4UR
http://shrimpys.co.uk/

Five minutes from Kings Cross, Shrimpy's is a stylish and welcoming pop-up restaurant discreetly housed in a renovated petrol station beside Regent's Canal. 

The menu is American themed with Mexican and Peruvian influences. We were brought a dish of complimentary deep fried corn on arrival and the Bloody Marys that followed packed quite a punch. The menu appeals to meat and fish lovers; roasted calamari & black olive tapenade, prawn fritters with green chilli & lime, 'pork pozole', chimichurri skirt steak, fried chicken with red peppers... to name just a few plates on offer. The salt cod croquettes that jumped out on the menu were a little underwhelming but quickly compensated by spicy and succulent soft shell crab burgers with chilli and avocado.

A small venue, Shrimpy's is ideal for groups of 2-4 and the decor is both elegant and fun...taupe walls and white table cloths provide a soft canvas for colourful illustrations and large pineapple lamps . A return visit to sample some of the brunch options ('Hangtown fry' or beef shin hash with poached egg) is certain.

The Blueprint Café- Butler's Warf, London

Design Museum, SE1 2YD
http://www.blueprintcafe.co.uk

Located on the first floor of the design Museum, The Blueprint Café offers a modern European menu with a picturesque postcard view of Tower Bridge, The Tower of London, The Gherkin and across the Thames to the old brick warehouses and blue balconies of Wapping. 

Head chef Mark Jarvis recently joined from Michelin-starred Texture Restaurant and  his skill and creativity were apparent in the dishes we chose on Easter Sunday. To start, a light and flavourful cheddar soufflé with pickled celeriac and spiced pear. For main, a creamy barley risotto with wild garlic and truffle, topped with strips of charred leek and spinach. 

This restaurant is a lovely choice for lunch; the floor to ceiling windows let floods of light and provide fantastic views. The interior is simple and chic, framed prints hang on the walls and shelves hold a collection of ornate jugs and vases of white flowers. The sunflower yellow canopy adds a splash of colour and the monochrome striped sofas bring a touch of elegance. In the summer, the outdoor terrace is perfect for a pre-dinner drink.

Sketch- West End, London

9 Conduit Street, West End, London
http://sketch.uk.com/afternoon_tea.php

Afternoon tea at Sketch was splendid. This elegant townhouse off Regent Street has five beautifully and creatively designed rooms for opulent drinking and dining. We were sat in the ‘The Glade’; a fantasy -like forest themed space with rich jade walls and  flitting red lasers to mimic dragon flies. Although pricey, the little bites presented before us looked exquisite and the utmost attention to detail had been paid at all opportunities. Atop the egg mayonnaise sandwich was a tiny fried quails egg with caviar, the miniature croque monsieur was tied with ribbon and several of the pastries were decorated with tiny edible flowers. The lemon and basil tartlet and the homemade cinnamon marshmallows were particularly lovely. The toilets in Sketch are always a talking point too; enclosed in individual white eggs beneath a colorful tiled ceiling... even your trip to the bathroom is interesting.

This Bright Field- Bethnal Green, London

268 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9DA
http://www.thisbrightfield.com

This Bright Field is a relaxed and friendly restaurant, a short walk from Bethnal Green tube station. Known to have reasonably-priced and regularly-changing set menus, we went on a Wednesday night and enjoyed their ‘Pie and Pudding Night’- a choice of pie main courses and pudding desserts for £16 ahead. 

On yet another freezing cold March evening, the warm and hearty chicken, ham hock & leek pie they served up was perfect and we shared an indulgent plate of creamy and calorific mashed potatoes to accompany. Our rhubard crumble pudding with warm custard was a lovely finish. We were brought a carafe of water with sprigs of fresh mint on arrival and the Chilean red we chose was delicious. 

The interior is simple and slightly eclectic...walls are painted taupe, tables and chairs are a wooden mis-match and small jars of colourful fresh flowers dotted the room. With fantastic service and a fresh, affordable and interesting menu, This Bright Field is definitely one for your list.

Barbecoa- St Paul's, London

20 New Change Passage, EC4M 9AG
http://www.barbecoa.com

Founded by Jamie Oliver, Barbecoa aims to celebrate traditional fire based cooking using some of the highest quality ingredients. All the meat featured on the menu is sourced by in house butchers and cooked using Texas pit smokers, tandoors, fire pits, robata grills and fire wood ovens. Visiting for brunch, we chose the fail safe burger and fries and were more than pleased with our decision. This huge and succulent beef burger came generously topped with melted gubeen cheese, crispy bacon and tomato & onion chutney. The pulled pork shoulder with jalapeño muffin, bbq sauce and coleslaw looked a delicious dish too. The interior is sleek and the view of St Paul's Cathedral is breathtaking. Visiting just to make use of the bar is worthwhile; it offers the widest range of whiskies in the UK and extensive wine, beer and cocktail list.

Indigo at One Aldwych, Covent Garden, London

1 Aldwych, WC2B 4BZ
http://www.onealdwych.com/food-drink/indigo.aspx

I feared boozy brunches were a thing of the past when I left New York but after an eventful day at Bunga Bunga and more recently a visit to Indigo in One Aldwych, I am reassured this isn't the case.

After the lengthy and difficult process of deciding what to order from the wonderful brunch menu, the following were all included in our choices. To start; eggs benedict, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, Asian-spiced crab cakes, home-made blueberry butter-milk pancakes and truffled egg on brioche (the winning starter in my opinion). Main courses ordered were the mammoth burger and chips, the colourful beetroot and goats cheese risotto, the hearty full English, and the rich caramelised onion and goats cheese tart. All plates came beautifully presented and the service overall was excellent. Some of us managed to squeeze in sticky toffee pudding from the dessert menu...returing my next choice would be the apple and blackberry crumble or the mandarin parfait with walnut ice cream.

Throughout the two hours we were in the restaurant our glasses were quickly and generously topped with unlimited prosecco after a few sips. The decor is clean and elegant; muted browns and creams are offset with huge vases of bright red, orange and yellow flowers. Large circular windows provide a close view of the Lyceum Theatre and passers by on Wellington Street below.

Searcys, National Portrait Gallery- Trafalgar Square, London

St Martins Place, WC2H 0HE
http://www.searcys.co.uk/national-portrait-gallery/

Searcys sits on the third and highest floor of the National Portrait Gallery beside bustling Trafalgar Square. Although relatively low in comparison to other top floor restaurants, the window that stretches from one length of the room to the other affords a lovely view of Big Ben, Westmister, the London Eye and the Shard. The room is bright, airy and a full of chatter while retaining an air of sophistication. Spoilt for choice, the mussels followed by the chicken breast, spinach & chesnut stuffing, puy lentils and celeriac puree were the most appealing choices on the set menu. The mussels were some of the best I'd tasted and the flavours in the main dish all complimented each other wonderfully. Dessert was an indulgent chocolate bomb with vanilla ice cream and a brandy snap basket, delicious!