Restaurants which aspire to fine dining really do give you so much more than just a dandy plate of food. Somehow they even bring out the finery in you.
You won't turn up to Le Gavroche in ripped jeans, flip-flops and a musky wife-beater would you? (Actually, you couldn't even if you wanted to: Micky Roux is pretty hot on his obligatory jacket dress requisites.) If you're eating fine, then you want to dress fine.
And when you're seated: it's shoulders back, elbows off the table (you wouldn't want to crease the 900 thread-count ironed tablecloths). If you're eating fine, then you want to project some finery.
... and the bubble of conversation from your table... it's unlikely to recall Sunday's X-factor results punctuated with a litany of F-bombs. Let's, instead, effervesce with chatter of Puccini, of Proust, of Titian and of Linekar (OK, some things don't change).
Finally, the food... oh, this will be fine.
London's best Fine Dining Restaurants
Mouthwatering modern French food combined with one of London’s most breathtaking settings (it’s housed within a Victorian chapel), and let’s not forget the never-ending, highly informative wine list. This is undoubtedly gourmet heaven.
David Moore opened this fine French eatery in 1991, and it has firmly established itself as one of London’s premier haute cuisine restaurants. The menu has thoughtful flavour pairings like scallops with toasted hazelnuts, caramelised celeriac and confit of Buddha lemon, and a very broad selection of European wines.
The first UK restaurant from Anne-Sophie Pic, expect a focus on unusual flavour combinations set within the grand surrounds of Four Seasons Hotel London.
It’s hard to imagine French cuisine getting any better than this. The attention to detail is second to none, from the perfect cooking to the pairing of cheeses with individual condiments to suit, and entering the beautiful dining room is akin to stepping into a different, far more opulent world.
Ramsay’s flagship restaurant is among the best, and within that pool, it’s among the best of the best. Head chef Clare Smyth’s flavours are rich, varied and expertly put together, presentation is sublime and there is a top wine list. The elegance and intimacy of the dining room (there are only 45 covers) are even more of a bonus.
It’s not often that a meal requiring you to take out a second mortgage is worth the money, and while we wouldn’t recommend you use up your life savings on a meal, in the case of Le Gavroche, it’s true. Michel Roux Jr.’s superb cuisine, coupled with service that is second to none ensure this restaurant continues to be an institution more than 40 years after opening.
What should one expect from a fine dining establishment? A super-plush interior? Service that makes you feel like royalty? Flavours so good they linger in the mouth for hours after the meal, and prices that make your eyes water? Wareing’s restaurant has all this in spades.