This svelte neighbourhood restaurant, once the late Princess Diana’s favourite, has had an unexpectedly turbulent last couple of years due to changing personnel, but ex-Woodford chef Ben Murphy has got things back on track. Murphy’s playful menu has done away with its draughts-esque presentation, but the playful spirit at the heart of his cooking remains. Examples might include glazed cod with radish, rose, and nori and coriander oil; or rabbit stuffed with rabbit mousse and foie gras.

Rightly regarded as one of London’s best Spanish restaurants, this slightly out-of-the-way Kensington spot serves sublime modern cuisine including hake with baby squid, chargrilled Galician octopus and Andalucian gazpacho soup with lobster. The (Spanish, naturally) wine list is great, too. Prices are surprisingly affordable for the locale and the quality. There are also have sister restaurants next door (tapas and sherry at Capote y Toros) and across the road (Tendido Cero.)

This much-loved neighbourhood restaurant offers all the curry house staples — including a solid murgh makhani (butter chicken) — that unadventurous diners could wish for, but those who try the more exciting dishes, including venison bhuna, honey lemon duck and tandoori wild mushrooms will find themselves a great deal more satisfied. Prices are good too, for the area.

This sister restaurant to the sadly defunct Edgware Road branch attracts both locals and homesick ex-pats, who swear by the excellence of the hot and cold mezze (including maqaneq, Lebanese sausages flambéed in butter and lemon) and the charcoal-grilled meats and fish, plus unmissable (chicken and lamb) shawarma — all at less than £10.

This is izakaya-style Japanese street food in a rock and roll-heavy setting. This Chelsea spot serves sublime barbecue pork belly buns, miso baked aubergine, and tuna sashimi pizza, along with an impressively strong range of cocktails — including excellent whisky highballs — and wines.

Moving into an iconic restaurant — in arguably the iconic restaurant building — would faze many chefs, but Claude Bosi simply took a Gallic shrug and rejigged his Hibiscus menus, again winning two Michelin stars at the first time of asking. Particular approval goes to the set lunch deal, at £75 for three courses. At dinner, the tasting menu is currently among London’s most inventive and successful.

Another Mayfair departee, The Square’s Phil Howard, opened Elystan Street in Tom Aikens’ old restaurant, and swiftly attracted customers old and new. Howard’s menu is at the high end — pluma of Iberico pork with spare rib kromeski is a typical main — and priced to match, although the lunch menu is marginally kinder. With the move, Howard — without going full new Nordic — has also modernised, and lightened his approach.

This Chelsea restaurant attracted some unwelcome publicity a while back — something to do with shotguns being waved in the street by drunk staff (!) — but concentrate on the excellent modern British food instead, including smoked Jerusalem artichoke with rainbow chard and spaghetti squash and, as the name suggests, a fine rabbit ravioli.

Go for a Kensington dinner southern European-style at this Andalusian bar on Old Brompton Road. It’s the kind of place to settle in for a few hours — tapas of jamon, croquettas, patatas bravas, padron peppers, gambas, and pulpo — to the backdrop of live flamenco music.

The Bombay cafe-inspired group’s site off Kensgington High Street is a good place for a cup of chai and a bacon naan in the morning, a chicken ruby murray or black dal at lunch, or for a group meal with a few beers at the end of a long day pounding the streets.

The smallest of the mini-chain of espresso bars is tucked away between two shops about half way down the King’s Road. Taking its cue from Copenhagen, the handsome tiled space dispenses open-faced rye sandwiches and pastries alongside its super-strong, almost boozy-tasting cold brew. Of course, there are the excellent filter- and espresso-based beverages — right now the beans are from east London-based Dark Arts, with some very special coffees from the likes of Gardelli Coffee Roasters.