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decide which ones to choose. Deliciously pink quail comes with pistachio and soft egg-yolk ravioli, and guinea fowl boudin blanc sausage sits perfectly with leek fondue and chervil source. You’ll find stewed beef daube Provençale, crêpe Suzette in a shiny copper pan, and Pernod floating island, all served in a ground-floor dining room with retro lamps and artifacts overlooking St. John’s Square. Watch out for the £30 three-course foragers’ menu, which may include hedge sorrel, dill pollen, dandelion, and marsh samphire (an edible green plant that grows by the sea). | The Zetter, 86–88 Clerkenwell Rd,Clerkenwell | EC1M 5RJ | 020/7324–4455 | www.bistrotbrunoloubet.com | Reservations essential | AE, MC, V | Station: Farringdon St.

Fodor’s Choice | St. John.

£££ | BRITISH | Foodies travel the world for chef Fergus Henderson’s ultra-British nose-to-tail cooking at this no-frills stark-white converted smokehouse in Clerkenwell. His chutzpah is laudable: One appetizer is pigskin, and others, like ox heart or pig spleen and bacon, are marginally less extreme. Signature dishes like bone marrow and parsley salad, or chitterlings with dandelion appear stark on the plate but arrive with aplomb. Expect an all-French wine list and finish with quince jelly and Jersey cream or half a dozen golden Madeleines. | 26 St. John St., Clerkenwell | EC1 4AY | 020/7251–0848 | www.stjohnrestaurant.com | AE, DC, MC, V | No dinner Sun. | Farringdon

THE EAST END

Fodor’s Choice | Viajante.

£££ | MODERN EUROPEAN | It’s a massive schlep from the West End to Viajante in Bethnal Green, but chef Nuno Mendes’s ultra-contemporary, avant-garde cuisine is the hottest, most exciting in London—bar none. Armed with tweezers in a fascinating open-kitchen, Mendes creates 3- to 12-course extravaganzas (£24–£150) in the serene converted former Bethnal Green Town Hall. Unlikely tastes, textures, and flavors abound—like iced green tea and Japanese purple shiso herb leaves, or Thai basil panna cotta—but everything excels, and looks like high art. Expect rare micro-herbs and local urban-foraged goodies, such as wood sorrel, sweet violets, and honeysuckle. Our advice is simple: Go! | Town Hall Hotel, Patriot Sq., East End | E2 9NF | 020/7871–0461 | www.viajante.co.uk | Reservations essential | AE, MC, V | Bethnal Green tube/rail, Cambridge Heath rail

THE SOUTH BANK

Anchor & Hope.

££ | MODERN BRITISH | Great meaty dishes at friendly prices are prepared in the open kitchen at this permanently packed, no-reservations, leading gastropub on the Cut in Waterloo: pot-roast duck, Herefordshire beef, and skate wings stand out. It’s a few doors down from the fabulous Young Vic contemporary theater and bear in mind that it’s noisy, cramped, and informal. That said, it’s highly original, and there are great dishes for groups, like slow-roasted leg of lamb. Expect to share one of the wooden tables with other diners, too. | 36 The Cut, South Bank | SE1 8LP | 020/7928–9898 | Reservations not accepted | MC, V | Waterloo, Southwark

Chez Bruce.

£££ | MODERN FRENCH | Gutsy French cuisine, perfect service, a winning wine list and a local neighborhood vibe make for one of London’s all-time favorite celebration restaurants. Take the overland train south of the river to this cozy haunt overlooking Wandsworth Common and expect wonders ranging from delicious offal to lighter, simply grilled fish dishes. Rump of lamb with aubergine purée, or roast cod with gremolata (chopped parsley, garlic, and lemon zest) are immaculately prepared. The wines are great, the sommelier is superb, and all in all it’s hard to beat. | 2 Bellevue Rd., Wandsworth | SW17 7EG | 020/8672–0114 | www.chezbruce.co.uk | Reservations essential | AE, DC, MC, V .

Magdalen.

££ | MODERN BRITISH | South of the river between London and Tower bridges, and a hop and a skip from the London Assembly headquarters, Magdalen is a self-assured beacon of class in an up-and-coming part of town. It specialized in inventive modern British cuisine at keen prices; fried calves brain (£7.50), braised Welsh lamb (£15.50), wild turbot and