Sampurna
This restaurant is centrally located – on the flower market at the bottom end of the Singel – Sampurna has been around for decades. Despite its ultra-touristy location (which by definition means that its customer base is largely tourists), Sampurna doesn’t compromise on the quality of its food and service. The décor is relaxed but intimate, with low lighting and small tables. If you don’t fancy a full rijsttafel, you can also order satay skewers for an affordable price. Sampurna offers great value for its location.

Tempo Doeloe
Handily located on the Utrechtsestraat, close to the buzzing Rembrandtplein, Tempo Doeloe is as busy and full of atmosphere as you’d expect from its location. Because of that, reservations are essential – although even if you’ve booked well in advance, don’t expect to get seated on time. Despite things being a little chaotic, they do one of the best rijsttafels in town. The dishes come in three spice levels – starting with the mildest and working their way up. Even for a die-hard chilli-addict, the dishes at level three can sometimes be eye-wateringly hot.

Restaurant Blauw
A little out of town on the Amstelveenseweg, Blauw is well worth the trek – especially as you get to walk or bike through the Vondelpark to get there. Its split-level interior is tastefully decorated, and it feels like a real night out for a group of friends. The rijsttafel is enormous (I challenge you to finish all the dishes in one evening!) but if you do have room for dessert, those are tasty, too. I’m not sure if he’s still there, but they used to have a resident photographer who would take a photo of your group with all your dishes laid out on the table in front of you – a nice souvenir of a delightful evening!

The Cornwall Project at Newman Arms
Matt Chatfield spent five years working closely with farms, fishermen and tradesmen to create a small network known as The Cornwall Project. His mission: To share the best produce in Cornwall with the rest of the country. The project’s main outlet is at Newman Arms, a diminutive hostelry dating from 1730 on the corner of Rathbone Street and Newman Passage. The historic pub, where Dylan Thomas and George Orwell are reported to have tipped a pint or two, is replete with wood-paneling, bare tables, bentwood chairs, gas bracket wall lights and old flowery plates gracing the walls. An interesting twist. The kitchen only serves homemade pies on Mondays and only serves roasts on Sundays. Otherwise, Chef Eryk Bautista’s short menu is based mainly on what has been delivered that day. Fans rave about the lamb. Gently sweet with a delicate aftertaste, the meat is skillfully complimented by zesty nasturtium, umami seaweed sauce and crisp mini turnips.

Blacklock
Roast-loving Londoners are packing the rafters at Blacklock, which launched in early 2015 in a former basement brothel in Soho. The subterranean chop house specializes in high quality, expertly chargrilled beef, lamb and pork chops. Now it’s extended its offering with the launch of an epic Sunday roast. Order the “All In” and you’ll get a huge platter of Longhorn beef fore-rib, Cornish leg of lamb and Middlewhite pork loin with duck fat roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, heritage carrots and sprouting broccoli, all served with three thick fingers of bread, soaked full of gravy and juices. Now all you need is a Gin and Juice — a cold-pressed juice served with its own bottle of gin.

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Mango Tree Bistro Bar
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Portland
Portland’s small dining room, with 45 covers amid a bare-wood, no-frills décor, allows Chef Merlin Labron-Johnson’s food to shine. At his eatery in London’s garment district, Labron-Johnson cooks the freshest produce as simply as possible with imagination and care. In evidence: pickled and fermented vegetables showcased in large preserve jars. The dainty portions are big on flavor. Starters include such choices as lamb tartare with anchovy mayo, radicchio and grated egg yolk, and heritage carrots with Mimolette vieille and granola. For a main, the game pithivier is must-order. The classic puff pastry arrives under a silver dome and is impeccably prepared with earthy mushroom duxelles surrounded by game (depending on what’s good at the market and the chef’s whims) and black-truffle shavings. Enough for two, the dish comes with a silver jug of game sauce. With its inventive food, impeccable service and reasonable prices, Portland’s Michelin star is well deserved.

Hoppers
Prepare to queue at Hoppers, London’s newest Sri Lankan restaurant in the heart of Soho. Opened by the Sethi family, Hoppers reinvents Sri Lankan cuisine for a modern audience, keeping its traditional core flavors and techniques while creating something new and exciting. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations and has, at most, 50 covers. But if you time it right, Hoppers is worth the wait. Once inside, the wood-paneled interior is as warm and inviting as the service. Hoppers refers to the popular Sri Lankan pancake ("Apaam" in India) made with fermented rice flour and coconut. But fans know the Bone Marrow Varuval is the menu must-order. Diners scrape out the marrow and mix it with a classic chettinad and masala sauce, then soak up this phenomenal taste treat with perfectly fried, buttery roti bread that accompanies the dish. You’ll eat every last drop of the spicy sauce.

Palomar
There’s a reason tables and counter spots are often hard to come by at The Palomar, the London outpost of a hip restaurant group in Jerusalem. The slick dining room is designed with a variety of international influences in mosaics and wood. But the 16-seat counter surrounding the kitchen is the place to be. It gives you a great view of head chef Tomer Amedi passing dishes of his delectable modern fare from Jerusalem. A classic example is his deconstructed kebab. The surprisingly simply dish of hearty and meaty minced beef joins with nutty tahini and creamy and tart yogurt served chilled with a crisp, fluffy light disc of bread.