1. KITCHEN TABLE

Best way to witness all the action at Kitchen Table is at the 20-seat horseshoe bar

Getting to the smartly hidden Kitchen Table can be quite a feat. First, you have to push through the queue outside London’s cool hotdog joint, Bubbledogs, and its wavering scent of pickled onions and barbecue sauce, before finally getting behind the set of black leather curtains to start a stunning culinary evening. The Cornish lobster, roasted with oil made from the coral, in a lobster bisque thickened with the brain, is paired with stewed garden tomatoes and lemon verbena sauce for acidity, and finished with wild herbs foraged locally—every detail echoing British traditions and powerful flavours. Leading host Chef James Knappett and his team move around the kitchen in easy strides, radiating quiet confidence with every flick, turn, and shifting stance; it’s like watching a symphony orchestra.
Baked Parker House rolls are served with a side of smoked beef fat onion butter, with shavings of black Italian truffle; the crispy chicken skin is dehydrated to resemble crackling, topped with mascarpone cheese and bacon jam. These artful, bite-sized plates are bold, fun, and full of surprises, putting one in the hot seat of a guessing game. And the prize is, probably one of the best eating experiences in the city.

Wild English Trout with turnips, mayo, lemon jam, and miso

70 Charlotte St, London. www.kitchentablelondon.co.uk