The Ninth - Fitzrovia, London

Jun Tanaka's star has been rising for some time now. We remember him from the heady days of the early 2010s, when he ran Street Kitchen out of a retrofitted Airstream in Finsbury Park. Now he's upgraded to one of Fitzrovia's classiest dining rooms with a shiny star from Michelin and plaudits from everyone from Jay Rayner to Grace Dent. We dropped in for a lovely, relaxed dinner and were promptly whisked away to a Ligurian locale with Tanaka's delicious Mediterranean-influenced menu.

From toe to tip, the dining room at The Ninth is a work of art, exuding a mistral airiness that you might expect on the beaches of northern Italy or the Cote d'Azur. Guests jockey for the al fresco terrace, but the indoor area is just as inviting. Overhung with big glassy chandeliers with exposed filament bulbs, the cosy room is replete with worn brick, wine walls, classy wooden tables with leather-backed chairs and charcoal-hued buttonback banquettes. It's airy simplicity is the perfect foil for the food to come.  

Kicking things off, an osso bucco croquette with tonnato sauce set the tone for what was to follow, clever and perfectly executed. Similarly a starter of tuna belly with mojama and sardine vinaigrette was well-considered and classy. The pasta was light to the point of buoyancy, the gnudi elevated with a wild garlic and mushroom ragù. The star of the show was a whole sea bream served to share, flavoured with white miso and preserved lemon and served alongside artichokes barigoule. A side of crispy agria potatoes was the perfect complement. 

Everything about The Ninth exudes understated class and quality, from the atmosphere to the cuisine and everything in between. It's well-deserving of its Michelin star.