The Dover

To walk into The Dover, past the plush red curtain and into the narrow wood panelled bar, is to walk into another world - one that harks back to a time of glamour and old school sophistication where restaurants where places to be seen, but only by the right people.

This is the carefully curated world of former Soho House group COO Martin Kuczmarski (who has rather comically called his restaurant business Difficult Name), and while this may all sound a little bit elitist and gauche in these tough times it is far from it.

With The Dover, Kuczmarski has created a restaurant of breathtaking beauty and elegance which has true hospitality at its core. All are welcome, with an approachable menu of Italian dishes with a New York attitude that are the kind of food you'd find in a mom and pop Brooklyn Italian restaurant, albeit through a Mayfair lens. There's a New York style pig in blanket; a prawn cocktail done in the New York style accompanied by a tomato and horseradish sauce; a hearty serving of spaghetti meatballs; chicken cordon bleu with a pizzaiola sauce; and Italian sausage pie.

The Dover is also a past recipient of the Cocktail List of the Year award and choosing a martini from its extensive list has become something of a rite of passage for London's cocktail set. Linger with your glass too long and it will be whipped away, with the drinks transferred to a freshly chilled one, so that every sip is the correct temperature. Class in a glass.